Greatest WWF/E IC Championship Match of All Time?

[awesomemiz]

After listening to the recent Wrestling with the Past Podcast I thought I put a thread on here to see what peoples thoughts towards the best IC title matches are?

 

My personal favorites are;

 

Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels - Ladder Match - Smack'em whack'em (VHS Release) (21/7/1992)

Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michaels - Raw - (20/9/2004)

William Regal vs CM Punk - Raw - (19/1/2009)

Bret Hart vs British Bulldog - SummerSlam 92 - (29/8/1992)

Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect - SummerSlam - (26/8/1991)

Mr Perfect vs Jake Roberts - Supertape 3 (VHS Release) - (15/8/1990)

 

I'm Sure theres loads of great matches that I haven' seen but I really like theses that Ive mentioned and would love to get peoples thoughts on these matches and more besides.

[Smack2k]

After listening to the recent Wrestling with the Past Podcast I thought I put a thread on here to see what peoples thoughts towards the best IC title matches are?

 

My personal favorites are;

 

Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels - Ladder Match - Smack'em whack'em (VHS Release) (21/7/1992)

Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michaels - Raw - (20/9/2004)

William Regal vs CM Punk - Raw - (19/1/2009)

Bret Hart vs British Bulldog - SummerSlam 92 - (29/8/1992)

Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect - SummerSlam - (26/8/1991)

Mr Perfect vs Jake Roberts - Supertape 3 (VHS Release) - (15/8/1990)

 

I'm Sure theres loads of great matches that I haven' seen but I really like theses that Ive mentioned and would love to get peoples thoughts on these matches and more besides.

Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat - Wrestlemania III - Still the king of the IC Title Match...

 

Outside that, there are soo many GOOD to GREAT matches from 79-89 that happened on House Shows...I will have to get my shows out and look...Tito and Valentine had one great one after another.....Morales and Muraco had some good wars...

[Kostka]

The Mysterio/Jericho mask match was for the IC title, right?

[awesomemiz]

I missed off the Maina 3 match cause its an sure fire pick for a great match. as for pre Mania 3 I havent seen all that much so im open to suggestions. I have seen the 3 disc IC set that WWE put out a few years since apart from that ive seen very little stuff.

[NintendoLogic]

I prefer the Savage/Steamboat MLG match from 2/15/87.

[awesomemiz]

I have seen the feb 87 match is it available online do we know?

[silverwidow]

Michaels/Razor at Summerslam 95 is far and away the best.

[awesomemiz]

I prefer the SummerSlam 95 Ladder Match to the Wrestlemania 10 match

[NintendoLogic]

I have seen the feb 87 match is it available online do we know?

It's on Dailymotion.

 

HBK/Jarrett from IYH 2 probably also warrants mention.

[awesomemiz]

cool i'll have a look at it.

 

IYH 2 match is a fun under rated match.

 

I'd love to see hear peoples thoughts on pre 87 and post 01 matches aswell.

 

Ive also watched the Rock vs Triple H ladder match from SummerSlam 98 today and I really liked it

[jdw]

The 02/15/87 Macho vs Steamer that people mentioned was fantastic, as is Mania when you watch them together.

 

Tito vs Valentine feels more like a great "series" rather than any one great "match". I'm not sure if any one of them stands out, and instead they had one really good MSG match, and after the next you're thinking, "Damn... they had another really good match, and they worked it different".

 

The flip side would be Macho-Tito. A number of good matches, but the No DQ felt like it stood out above the others as something terrific.

[Jimmy Redman]

The Mysterio/Jericho mask match was for the IC title, right?

Yes, and similarly, Foley/Orton was for the title too right?

 

For post-2001 I'd say those two for sure. Also,

 

Rey vs Morrison, SD 4/9/09

Edge vs Orton, Vengeance 2004.

[goodhelmet]

I'll take this Tito-Valentine match over any of the matches listed so far. I think John is wrong about none of the matches standing alone as great.

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aurDOXZrpCU

 

Great match, my favorite between the two so far. Stiff, violent and using the cage the way you should in an escape the cage rules match. I was telling Phil I love the way they just crumple to the ground with a leg dangling up in the air or half twisted when they land because it feels more real than he choreographed typical getting crotched on the rope or flat back bumps you see nowadays in nearly every cage match. Each time someone tried to escape the cage, it felt like the right way to stop the escape... Tito's palm strike to Greg's face, Tito holding on to Greg's tights for dear life, Greg punching the shit out of Tito. Add the blood (although there aren't any great camera angles of the blood), the awesome finish and Greg losing his shit in the post-match and this might be the best cage match the WWF produced in the 80s. EASIEST OF NOMINATIONS

[NintendoLogic]

This video is unavailable.

Sorry about that.

Whatever, fuck escape rule cage matches.

[jdw]

I had it like this:

 

Match #A-53 - 07/06/85 Greg Valentine vs. Tito Santana (10:21)

Taped: Civic Center, Baltimore

From: 07/23/85 Prime Time Wrestling / various WWF/WWE videos and DVDs

 

This is the cage match blow off to the feud, with Tito getting the title back. Looks like the full version for a change as I don't see any cuts.

 

This is a good match. I like it better than the MSG blow off, which was the lumberjack match. This isn't an epic cage match like Bob vs. Sarge, but pretty damn solid. A few cage escape attempts here and there. They nicely bring some big moves to stun each other. They save Tito juicing for late. The finish is pretty damn cool with Tito kicking the door closed on Greg's head before dropping down to win.

Is there a longer version? I liked it, but I wasn't blown away by it and that's a pretty short write up for me (that's the whole thing).

 

I seemed to have liked the 11/26/84 and 01/21/85 matches more. Been a long time: I watched all of those back in May-Jul 2008. Reading the various write up, it does look like I was hoping for a strong blow off for the feud, but neither the MSG lumberjack or this really hit the spot for me like the double MSG blowoff for Tito-Savage: the No DQ and then the Tag Cage Match.

[peachchaos]

I remember 3-4 matches from the Valentine-Santana feud from the old Best of the Intercontinental Championship Coliseum VHS. Pretty sure they were all clipped. Would love to see more of this in full, don't think any of it was on the DVDVR WWF set.

[awesomemiz]

I'll search around online and see what I can find for all these suggestions.

 

I saw a fun short series between HBK and Jim Duggan from Raw mid-93. I really enjoyed the attempts by HBK to avoid it.

[ohtani's jacket]

I'm pretty sure I had 11/26/84 pegged as the best of the Tito/Valentine matches.

[conker8]

Pre 87, there is a Steamboat/Savage (07/27/86) - a GREAT match.

 

And you should also watch the last match of Savage/Steamer 87' trilogy - 5/15/87 in Houston, TX.

[khawk20]

I'll take this Tito-Valentine match over any of the matches listed so far. I think John is wrong about none of the matches standing alone as great.

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aurDOXZrpCU

 

Great match, my favorite between the two so far. Stiff, violent and using the cage the way you should in an escape the cage rules match. I was telling Phil I love the way they just crumple to the ground with a leg dangling up in the air or half twisted when they land because it feels more real than he choreographed typical getting crotched on the rope or flat back bumps you see nowadays in nearly every cage match. Each time someone tried to escape the cage, it felt like the right way to stop the escape... Tito's palm strike to Greg's face, Tito holding on to Greg's tights for dear life, Greg punching the shit out of Tito. Add the blood (although there aren't any great camera angles of the blood), the awesome finish and Greg losing his shit in the post-match and this might be the best cage match the WWF produced in the 80s. EASIEST OF NOMINATIONS

That cage match remains one of my favourites as well.

 

Part of the dynamic of that match is the "Surprise" factor. I did not think for one second that Tito would be getting the title back, be it in that match or another...his time had passed as IC Champ, IMO. The end, with Tito all the way outside and kicking the cage back into Greg's face was stunning to me...I was trying to figure out how they could possibly screw Tito out of the belt when he was a quick drop away from winning it.

 

And then...they didn't screw him, he won it. The "Valentine freefall" after the cage door hits him is one of my favourite moments in any match, because it solidifies the idea that Tito is actually going to win this thing.

 

Excellent match all around ,one I can watch again and again.

[jdw]

Pre 87, there is a Steamboat/Savage (07/27/86) - a GREAT match.

That's a good match, though the full version shows the stuff cut out was pretty so-so.

 

I thought the 11/01/86 in Boston was tighter, they really had their stuff worked out, and they laid out their best "Pre-Injury" match (i.e. one that happened before the TV Angle aired).

 

 

 

And you should also watch the last match of Savage/Steamer 87' trilogy - 5/15/87 in Houston, TX.

I thought that was more solid than Toronto-level gripping:

 

 

This is really more of a Nitro/Attitude era TV match than one of their better ones. They're solid in the pieces of what they do, they sell well (if you're willing to buy into them being in Epic War Sell Mode five minutes in), and the fans are enjoying it. They've had better war matches, and better story matches. Worth seeing in the eternal quest of seeing one of their post-Mania matches. But it you're expecting to see a post-Mania equiv of the 2/87 Toronto match, with Savage bringing the intensity to get His Belt back, than you're not going to got it. Think TV match, and one not as good from a story standpoint as the shorter Injury Match.

I think we all wish one of their cage matches was saved on tape.

 

I like this as a good set of keeper matches for their feud:

 

A. 11/01/86 Boston: Pre-Injury

B. 11/22/86 Superstars: Injury Angle Match (taped 10/28/86)

C. 02/15/87 Toronto: Revenge Match

D. 02/23/87 MSG: Elimination Match

F. 03/29/87 WrestleMania: Title Change

 

With just the cage match blow off missing.

 

It's a great feud. Even their matches that don't hit a high level tend to be solid... with perhaps the exception of the quicky Philly match.

[Grimmas]

I remember loving the strap match between Muraco and Snuka and it having an amazing ending.

[Smack2k]

Pre 87, there is a Steamboat/Savage (07/27/86) - a GREAT match.

That's a good match, though the full version shows the stuff cut out was pretty so-so.

 

I thought the 11/01/86 in Boston was tighter, they really had their stuff worked out, and they laid out their best "Pre-Injury" match (i.e. one that happened before the TV Angle aired).

 

 

 

And you should also watch the last match of Savage/Steamer 87' trilogy - 5/15/87 in Houston, TX.

I thought that was more solid than Toronto-level gripping:

 

 

This is really more of a Nitro/Attitude era TV match than one of their better ones. They're solid in the pieces of what they do, they sell well (if you're willing to buy into them being in Epic War Sell Mode five minutes in), and the fans are enjoying it. They've had better war matches, and better story matches. Worth seeing in the eternal quest of seeing one of their post-Mania matches. But it you're expecting to see a post-Mania equiv of the 2/87 Toronto match, with Savage bringing the intensity to get His Belt back, than you're not going to got it. Think TV match, and one not as good from a story standpoint as the shorter Injury Match.

I think we all wish one of their cage matches was saved on tape.

 

I like this as a good set of keeper matches for their feud:

 

A. 11/01/86 Boston: Pre-Injury

B. 11/22/86 Superstars: Injury Angle Match (taped 10/28/86)

C. 02/15/87 Toronto: Revenge Match

D. 02/23/87 MSG: Elimination Match

F. 03/29/87 WrestleMania: Title Change

 

With just the cage match blow off missing.

 

It's a great feud. Even their matches that don't hit a high level tend to be solid... with perhaps the exception of the quicky Philly match.

 

There is a post mania Houston match from right before Steamboat lost to Honky that is pretty good that could be the final piece of that set...

 

Maybe add their earlier 86 match as well that was before the feud really started....

[Smack2k]

I remember loving the strap match between Muraco and Snuka and it having an amazing ending.

Those two had some great matches...

 

I know Will hates him, but fuck that, Muraco ruled from 81-85!!! That Snuka series over the IC belt is great stuff...heated as hell...

[Grimmas]

I remember loving the strap match between Muraco and Snuka and it having an amazing ending.

Those two had some great matches...

 

I know Will hates him, but fuck that, Muraco ruled from 81-85!!! That Snuka series over the IC belt is great stuff...heated as hell...

 

Bloody too.