goodhelmet Posted May 27, 2015 Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 Jerry Lawler – Lawler has great matches across the territories with feuds against Curt Hennig and Kerry Von Erich as well as great matches against Tommy Rich & Dutch Mantel. Kerry Von Erich – Kerry pops back on the list thanks to the feud with Lawler spanning 3 territories but also for helping Texas to emerge as a place where quality wrestling takes place… with one foot. (I feel like I should mention Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts for helping to reignite Texas and kicking off their awesome feud) Genichiro Tenryu Jumbo Tsuruta Stan Hansen (Kawada and Footloose pop up as Tenryu’s little buddies. This era of Kawada’s career is one of the reasons I place Kawada over Misawa) - All Japan is a broken record at this point. Guys like Hara and Yatsu are part of some awesome tags but no strong singles matches to hang their hat on. Footloose pops up. Takano & Nakano appear and suddenly All Japan has another strong cluster of tag teams to pick from . Riki Choshu Tatsumi Fujinami - Choshu and Fujinami were feuding with each other which helps but also part of other singles matches and tags. Another banner year for New Japan but not at the peaks of 1987. Keichi Yamada – The future Liger makes the list for the first time. Yamada was sensational in singles and tags. Maybe a weak Top Ten pick but definitely in the conversation. The Four Horsemen Lex Luger - Flair, Windham , Arn & Tully were the elite of this company. Does Lex Luger deserve credit for coming into his own in the main event? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Maeda is an interesting case because he only has a handful of matches, but they are all great and the Big Two eventually had to play catch-up with his UWF. Bobby Eaton was the glue in all of the great Fantastics matches (not to say he was carrying them, but he was the backbone) and should probably get some play for that alone, although that terrible match with Nikita at Bunkhouse Stampede may knock him out of contention. Luger strikes me more as a "Most Improved" type than the wrestler of the year. I think Lawler is a really good pick here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Garrett Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Jerry Lawler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 Windham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 Ted DiBiase and Randy Savage need to be on the shortlist at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase (3/12/88) [sNME] Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase (3/27/88) [sNME] Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase (4/25/88) [MSG] Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase (5/27/88) [MSG] Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase (6/25/88) [MSG] Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase (7/9/88) [boston] Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase (8/6/88) [boston] Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase (7/23/88) [spectrum] Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase (7/31/88) [Wrestlefest] Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase (8/27/88) [spectrum] Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase (9/24/88) [spectrum] This is without adding in any other matches these guys had (against other opponents) in 88. Great chemistry as opponents. I might take a run at this soon to compare with OJ's findings (aka "The Gauntlet") a couple of years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Garrett Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 I'm a big Dibiase fan prior to his WWF run. In WWF the character was entertaining and he was solid. But WWF wrestling at the time was far from my wheelhouse in terms of enjoyment. In my opinion it's mostly crap. As for Savage. Big fan of the Macho Man more so prior to WWF. But still a fan of him in WWF. Really the entire persona. But I could never give him a WOTY for any year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 I swear I'm not picking on Parv or Ted here, but I really can't see him (or Savage) as WOTY contenders in 88. They definitely had some matches I liked, but nothing that I absolutely loved, nor is it a feud that jumps off the page at me. I think Lex is a real stretch too to be fair. I will say that I thought Fujinami was brilliant in the 9/12/88 elimination match, and that was probably the last true "best in the world" level performance of his at least in the 80's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 I don't see either of them winning btw, just think they should be shortlisted as the two best workers in WWF for that year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 For WWF guys, Eadie had a better year than Dibiase and I wouldn't put him on this list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Silly boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JazeUSA Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 Barry Windhams best year IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 For WWF guys, Eadie had a better year than Dibiase and I wouldn't put him on this list. I agree with this. Thinking about it I can't imagine who had a better year than Eadie in 88 in the WWF? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Don't talk shit please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 I can also guarantee you that you two haven't actually watched all of the Savage vs. DiBiase matches I listed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 I can also guarantee you that you two haven't actually watched all of the Savage vs. DiBiase matches I listed. Sorry, only watched half of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 I recall you enjoying the one we watched on PWSS. DiBiase and Savage had excellent chemistry. I don't know what this idea is that those matches aren't good. Wrong headed and just plain wrong. Both Ted and Savage are better wrestlers than fucking Demolition. And they had more good matches at **** or + together than ... Fucking demolition did in 1988. Better wrestlers plus better matches = better year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 I recall you enjoying the one we watched on PWSS. DiBiase and Savage had excellent chemistry. I don't know what this idea is that those matches aren't good. Wrong headed and just plain wrong. Both Ted and Savage are better wrestlers than fucking Demolition. And they had more good matches at **** or + together than ... Fucking demolition did in 1988. Better wrestlers plus better matches = better year. I like the matches and I was not slagging them at all. What Eadie did in the Strike Force, Hart Foundation feuds was insanely great. Not to mention matches against Rockers and Bulldogs too. It was akin to Valentine in 86 carrying Beefcake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 I can't take anyone who calls Demolition "insanely great" seriously. I'm sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 I can't take anyone who calls Demolition "insanely great" seriously. I'm sorry. Called Eadie insanely great making Demos as good as they were teaming with Smash of all people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 It's not Worker of the year material and neither is Greg in 86. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 It's not Worker of the year material and neither is Greg in 86. I think it is for the WWF. I would put the Rockers match and the SummerSlam Harts match on par with the top DiBiase-Savage matches. It's not great year for the WWF so I don't think anyone would be in contention for overall wrestler of the year. The carry job and control he has with Smash is amazing, especially when you look at how shitty Smash is out of that setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Its a pretty terrible year for WWF. Worker of the year there is like winning NBADL mvp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Ted and savage had like five or six really good matches. Don't know why that counts for nothing. But there we are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Yeah leaving aside the Mania match what they put together wasn't bad. I just don't think it rates at all compared to what was going on in Japan or the NWA. Can't speak to other US offices though. Just doesn't feel like that era of WWF produced a ton of high end work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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