Your Top 5s

[dawho5]

It seems like things are slowing down and I feel like maybe a little more acknowledgement of what has been going right so far might help get things moving a little better. I thought it might be interesting to see what people were thinking about the different promotions, faces, heels, etc. so far. Here's a few of my lists.

 

Promotions:

 

5. Memphis - I just stared watching a certain well-known Memphis collection and I can't believe how well TravJ has nailed the announcing and general feel of the promotion.

 

4. Mid-Atlantic - You've got a loaded roster, top-to-bottom good shows and Flair chasing the gold. I'm a big fan of a lot of what you've got going on there.

 

3. Southeast - Funny that a great tag division PLUS Bob vs. Dutch would show up on my list.

 

2. Southwest - Great TV and HemisFair shows with what seems like Memphis-style booking. Lots of twists and turns week to week makes it a good read.

 

1. Georgia - I am loving the tag division and the setup at the top. The 3-way rivalry has so many different things that can happen in addition to the instability of the jake/Adonis faction and it makes for interesting stories.

 

1 and 2 are neck and neck with Southeast just behind, on a different day I could probably have Georgia at 2 and SW at 1. Honorable mentions would be Stampede, AWA and ICW in no particular order.

 

Heels:

 

5. Alfred Hayes - This is more because I always chuckle at how he is written as if Parv were playing him in a movie about wrestling.

 

4. Terry Funk - He'd be higher if I felt like I could get attached to him in any way.

 

3. Ernie Ladd - I hope that Lawler gets what's coming to him!

 

2. Tully Blanchard - I'm a big Tully fan to begin with an the way he's being used seems avsolutely perfect.

 

1. Jake Roberts - Technically a tweener now, but I think he still counts. Loving everything about him so far.

 

1 and 2 again are up in the air. Honorable mentions to Heenan, Bock and DiBiase. Also Lanny Poffo and Jim Holliday

 

Faces:

 

5. Rick Martel - He's gonna be something big in the capable hands of Jack Tunney. After he deals with the Japanese and the Russians of course.

 

4. Ric Flair - Flair for the gold is just as great in this universe.

 

3. Hulk Hogan - Hogan as the ass-kicking brawler is pretty awesome. Japan mode forever.

 

2. Bob Armstrong - Wild brawls with Dutch all over the territory have got to be making some money.

 

1. Butch Reed - Part of one of my favorite feuds so far and a big part of Georgia's success.

 

Honorable mentions are Kevin & Kerry von Erich, Lawler, the Freebirds, and the RnR Express.

 

Feuds:

 

5. Tokyo Hurricanes vs. the British Bulldogs - It's got to be a huge shock that I would love a workrate tag team feud.

 

4. Road Warriors vs. the AWA locker room - Great idea for an angle and again, tag team, shocking.

 

3. Bob Armstrong vs. Dutch Mantell - As referenced above, awesome stuff here.

 

2. Killer Khan vs. the holdover babyfaces from Southwest - Great feud that led to incredible main event matches.

 

1. GCW three way feud - I am loving this booking to death and I hope it goes on for a good long while.

 

Honorable mentions are big badass dudes vs. Buck Zumhofe, Lanny vs. Savage, The Russians vs. Freebirds, Martel vs. the world, Backlund vs. Heenan and crew, and Dick the Bruiser vs. King King Bundy.

 

Matches:

 

5. Martel vs. Slaughter, Canada Cup final

 

4. Flair vs. Funk, Summertime Blues

 

3. Buzz Sawyer vs. Tommy Rich LLT Cage Match

 

2. Killer Khan vs. Bob Sweetan

 

1. Killer Khan vs. Scott Casey

 

Honorable mentions would get way too long here.

 

I'm sure we all have things we like to rate and try to rank, so don't feel like anything I posted is the limit of what categories could be used.

[goc]

You've outed the secret identity of Lord Parv Alfred Hayes! At least now other people will understand Lord Alfred's penchant for "experienced" wrestlers

 

Glad to see you're digging Southwest so much. As the writer of those two big Killer Khan main events I may have set the bar so high it's gonna be tough for me to beat those. I liked the Sweetan match more just because I was really feeling it as I was writing it with the way it was set up with the sign on the stretcher and the Death Rides a Horse song that I listened on repeat while writing it.

 

Promotions:

 

1. ICW - Just loving the Fortunate Sons stuff so much and hope we get some more shows from Flyin Brian soon

2. Southeastern - Super authentic feeling Southeastern stuff. Things are really picking up now with the Fullers and Jimmy Golden all on the same page.

3. AWA - This promotion has been picking up steam the past few weeks. I like the stuff with Robley's Army, The Road Warriors and Hogan being true to his AWA character.

4. Georgia - I'm still sour about the Brody/Koko match but I've liked everything else. Lots of talent coming in and out keeping things fresh.

5. New Japan - Surprising that this would be on my list since I'm not really a fan of Japanese wrestling but I really liked the stuff with Tiger Mask and Dick Murdoch/Abby

 

Faces:

1. Hulk Hogan - Bloody brawler Hogan is the best Hogan.

2. Ron Garvin - I've really been digging his stuff against Adrian Street and being a bully to Cornette

3. Butch Reed - I'm a big time Butch Reed mark and I like how strong he's been booked so far

4. Tito Santana - I like how he's been built up as the TV Champ so far.

5. Ricky Steamboat - Strong work building him up to (most likely) eventually take the World Title from Bock.

 

Heels:

1. Mike Graham and The Fortunate Sons - Mike Graham is a very unlikable person and I love how he's being used in ICW.

2. Bad News Allen - Jesse has built him up super strong. Never a big fan of him in real life but he's been great to read in WCCW.

3. The Wild Bills - I like these two big brawlers not really caring about winning matches and just wanting to beat on people with their bullropes

4. Nick Bockwinkel/Bobby Heenan - The weak challengers stuff has been fun and the title win was a huge shock to me

5. Tongans - Lots of crazy stuff from these unruly monsters with Lou Albano doing all the talking.

 

*Honorable mention to Timothy Flowers and his manservant Pablo

 

Feuds:

1. Randy Savage vs. The Fortunate Sons

2. Jake Roberts vs. The Gentleman's Club

3. Road Warriors vs. The World

4. Dutch Mantel vs. Bob Armstrong/Armstrong family

5. Rougeaus vs. Midnight Express

 

*Honorable mentions to both the Jack Brisco/Dory feud and the Bobby Colt/Chavo Guerrero feuds from WWA.

[Beast]

Promotions:

 

 

Real hard to narrow it down to 5, but....

 

1. GCW - Very narrow decision between the top 2. Both are so well laid out, it's always a treat to see them updated. GCW's TV is a bit more organized, but WWF's big shows feel more like events. Both have stacked rosters, either due to great drafting or good trades.

2. WWF

3. WCCW - Less posts them some others, but Jesse's match write-ups are so great. Feels like an alternate universe WCCW more than some others version of their promotion.

4. Montreal - Stands out due to dawho5 focusing on tag teams and really digging into the playground that is Montreal

5. Mid-South - Could be higher very shortly, but only been around for a month. Super impressed with how LowBlow's been able to catchup and create an intriguing world of feuds. Jumped up over honorable mentions due to his latest show being Mid-South's best one yet.

Honorable Mentions - AWA, Southeast, MLW in no particular order

Also a bunch that are really fun to read, but haven't posted much like Florida and WWC. There are seriously no promotions that are lacking, everyone is doing really good.

Heels:

1. Nick Bockwinkel/Bobby Heenan - Turning 1983 WWF into something special

2. Jake Roberts - The 1983 Stone Cold

3. Dutch Mantell - Very easily can go higher in the next month due to the Armstrong angle happening at the moment

4. Greg Valentine - I broke Wahoo's Leg is about to ramp up

5. Terry Funk - Fuck real-life retirement, the cornerstone for so many of us.

Honorable Mentions - Ted Dibiase, Sgt. Slaughter, Goldie Rogers, Jesse Ventura, Buddy Landell

Faces:

1. Junkyard Dog - Comes off as a real superstar

2. Chavo Guerrero - Surprising battle for NWA gold has been a treat

3. Ricky Steamboat - Leading WWF into a new more athletically focused type of promotion

4. Wahoo McDaniel - Especially coming off the latest big show.

5. The Road Warriors - vs. AWA is gonna garner sympathy for these guys

Honorable mentions are Randy Savage, Tito Santana, Jerry Lawler, Rick Martel, Hulk Hogan

Feuds:

1. Roberts/Adonis/Mosca vs. Gentlemen's Club

2. Backlund vs. Heenan/Bockwinkel

3. Bob Armstrong vs. Dutch Mantell

4. Road Warriors vs. the AWA locker room

5. Martel vs. NJPW

Honorable mentions are Lanny vs. Savage, Dibiase vs. JYD, Valentine vs. Wahoo

Matches:

1. Central States - Harley Race vs. Ric Flair - 7/4

2. Koloff/Super Russian vs. Wahoo/Smirnoff

3. Bockwinkel vs. Heenan

4. Funk vs. Bret Hart

5. Koko B Ware vs. Bruiser Brody

Honorable Mention - Will's Japan Writeups, Chavo vs. Race