goodhelmet Posted May 27, 2015 Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 Curt Hennig – Feud with Bockwinkel and evolution into main eventer Nick Bockwinkel – Feuds with Curt Hennig & Larry Zbyszko Stan Hansen – Strong AWA run; epic series with Carlos Colon in Puerto Rico; Feud with Jumbo & Tenryu in All Japan Jumbo Tsuruta – Tag Team of the Year contender with Tenryu; Great singles matches Genichiro Tenryu – Tag Team of the Year contender with Jumbo; Great singles matches Tatsumi Fujinami Yoshiaki Fujiwara Akira Maeda - The MVPs of the NJ vs. UWF war. Jerry Lawler – Not as strong as 1985 but epic series against Bill & Buddy with a Loser Leaves Town to boot against Dundee. Has great feud with Bam Bam and ends strong against Tommy Rich. Ted Dibiase – Solid feuds with OMG and Freebirds. Terry Gordy – Probably Gordy’s best year on TV with his run on top in the UWF. Missing footage from earlier in the year. Ric Flair – Great feud with Ricky Morton and great summer run during the Great American Bash. Too bad we don’t have the Murdoch run on tape. Ricky Morton – Feud with Flair puts him over the top. One of the peak years for the RNR. This feels incomplete but I don’t think anybody in WWF was lighting it up as a WOTY. Steamboat? Savage? Texas was on a downswing. I don't see enough singles footage to include a Buddy Rose in AWA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted May 27, 2015 Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 The sparsity of lucha footage is so frustrating here. I loved Sangre Chicana vs. Perro Aguayo but I don't think we have a whole lot else from either of them that year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted May 27, 2015 Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 I'd probably include Colon on this list, but I'd need to look at the dates on the matches. Seem to remember that being a great year for WWC though. In fact Invader 1 may have a case too. I'll check dates later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted May 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 I figured you, Kris or Boricua could add the Puerto Rico candidates and make the case for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Boricua Posted May 27, 2015 Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 1986 is the first year where I feel I could mention Carlos Colon and be able to point to footage to back that up (the first half of the Hansen feud, the Universal title tournament, the TNT feud where he got choked out, Vengeance in the Afternoon, etc.). It was also the year of the ammonia angle, so he did sit out a couple of months selling the attack. Like Dylan mentioned, Invader 1 could be a possibility (he had the feud with Chicky & Ron Starr, plus the Embry and Flair matches are from that year). I'll look into both to see if i can flesh out some more detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North South Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Randy Savage was on fire in the WWF in '86. The series with Tito Santana, the 7/27/86 Toronto match with Steamboat, the awesome ten minute cage match with Adonis against Bruno and Tito, his series of matches with Hogan which are clearly better than their '89 series. A match i haven't seen but remember someone here saying was watchable (jdw?), a match with George Steele from SNME. Seems like someone who should be talked about for the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 I was going to say Randy Savage had a case myself, for pretty much the same reasons you said. Probably his best year. Flair is in the conversation, but I'm not entirely sure it's his year. He does have a lot of great stuff opposite Dusty, Garvin and Morton, though, along with the classic match with Barry Windham in February. Terry Gordy may be a decent dark horse pick. I absolutely loved his matches with Doc and Duggan that year, and his matches with Taylor and OMG I recall also being very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted May 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Watching back in 1986, it felt like Flair's year. It is by far, the year I remember most about Flair's main event run. However, a couple of things hurt Flair as #1. After the bash, his run with Dick Murdoch doesn't make tape but we can only imagine it was awesome. Then, when NIkita turned face, they had a lame match at Starrcade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Chigusa Nagayo had the second hair match with Dump, the awesome Leilani Kai bout, at least one great Crush Girls tag against the Jumping Bomb Angels, and some good stuff in the ongoing Omori and Asuka rivalries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Garrett Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 I've got it between Flair and Hansen. Gordy maybe 3rd. Ric Flair is still goin around the horn for the most part or what's left of it in 86. -January against Race in St Louis, and KC, Bock Winnipeg, Wahoo Orlando, and Ayala Puerto Rico, Plus Owens has Flair and Rhodes working on top in Portland and Seattle. JCP vs. Rhodes, Garvin, and a shot against Fernandez. -February against Brody in KC and Des Moines, Race St. Louis, Wahoo Miami, Bock Winnipeg, Windham Orlando (BOTB 2), Pride Miami, Rich Columbus, and Greenwood, MS. JCP vs. Garvin, Rhodes, and TA. -March against Reed, Duggan, and Dibiase. Windham Miami, Rich Greenwood, Wahoo Tallahassee, Brody KC, with Bob Brown vs. Race/Brody in KC, and Windham Daytona. JCP vs. Garvin, Rhodes, and TA. -April against Pride Miami, Bob Armstrong Columbus, MS and Birmingham, AL, and Wahoo St. Louis. JCP vs. Morton, Garvin, and Rhodes. -May against Windham Tampa and Ocala, Luger Miami, Bob Armstrong Birmingham, Oliver Portland, Garvin Seattle, Brody Joplin, Hutchinson, KC. JCP vs. Morton, Gibson, and Rhodes. -June against Slaughter in KC, Luger Miami (BOTB 3), Bob Armstrong Knoxville, Birmingham, Luger Miami, Ft. Pierce, Samoan Honolulu, and Hennig Salt Lake. JCP Garvin and a lot of tags/trios vs. Morton/Gibson. -July is the Bash run. Plus a match against Cousin Junior in KC. LMFAO. -August against Windham Tampa, Keirn Ft. Lauderdale, Bob Armstrong Knoxville, and Luger Miami. JCP Rhodes and tags. Plus Murdoch in Atlanta on 8/30 and Charlotte on 8/31. -September against Luger Daytona, Perez Jr. and Invader 1 Puerto Rico, Cooley Birmingham. JCP Murdoch, Rhodes, Garvin, TA, and Tags. -October against Keirn Ft. Lauderdale and Luger Tampa. JCP Murdoch, Rhodes, Garvin, and Tags. -November and December is JCP proper. I saw a lot of JCP live in 86. Flair was still putting out great performances. This may be the last year outside of 89 where I would give Flair WOTY honors. He comes up short in 87 and 88 as well. Although he works wonders with that shit burger Sting. Hansen has a great 86 as well. Maybe better then Flairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 I think Bockwinkel had a pretty great year. On top of the Hennig and Larry Z stuff, you also had two great carry jobs of Boris Zhukov from t.v., a really awesome match with Debeers from t.v., the Flair dream match from Winnipeg, and the Hansen match from Wrestlerock which I love and sees Bock in a totally different light than normal). Not sure I can really see him over Flair or Stan, but he's there. Colon had a really strong year too as mentioned before, but I actually think Invader was the best guy in PR that year. Honestly my first instinct is to say he was no worse than top five in the World that year, and not out of the question for number one, but I'd want to go back and watch NJPW stuff to be sure of it. He had good-to-great matches v. Brody, Chicky Starr, Ron Starr, Al Perez (probably the best Perez match ever), Kamala, Embry and team with Invader 3 v. The Starrs and The Sheepherders. There is more variance to his performances here than you might think, and he is at his peak as a fiery babyface, and seller. The Embry and Starr match (there are actually two I think, but the better of the two is the in doors match) are tremendous matches, among the best matches in Puerto Rico from the 80's - and the Herders tags aren't far behind. The Flair match is clipped by I like what is shown. He was really good working both on top and underneath, in tags and in singles, in the studio setting and on the big shows. It's probably not fair to rate him above Hansen or Flair, but I'm he shouldn't be overlooked either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 Distinct lack of Choshu and Yatsu here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted June 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 Then add them to the list. My list isn't the be all, end all. It's the starting point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 Flair is tough to beat for any of these. I do think there's an argument for Yatsu over Choshu for 86. Choshu had the aura and the look of a total bad ass, but in the actual matches it's so often Yatsu who not only took the pounding but also who brought the A+ offense. I really love Yatsu in all those matches and he was the stand out performer to my layman eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Garrett Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 Agree Flair is tough to beat for any of these. I personally could go Flair 1980-86+89. Still give Windham 87. I won't give Flair 88 and give it to Lawler off of a recent watch. I wasn't seeing Flair live in 81 and 82 like prior years. I have a very strong feeling though that Flair 82 would be the right choice. The list of opponents is incredible. I gave Hansen 86 after a run through. I haven't watched Flair in 86 because I watched it live in real time and went to a lot of shows. I was 27 and 28 and was havin a blast. I might change 86 after a re-watch. Maybe it's a 'guilt' reflex on my part because I've been watching Flair for so long and don't want to play home team to much. But he could easily take 80-86+89. After 89 it's very tough for me to give Flair the nod. He has some great matches though. Wrestler of the decade no doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted June 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 We haven't gone there yet and I don't think you had Portland availability yet Wade, but Buddy Rose is pretty hard to beat 1980-81. He and Lawler along with Flair are the American Three for me for 1982. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 You need to keep this coming, because I have a lot to say about some of these years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danish Dynamite Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 I go for The Lariat here. Stan edges Flair (barely) for 86. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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