goodhelmet Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 I know we have probably done one of these in the past but I am going to resurrect the topic for some of the guys who have just joined recently. So, what is your favorite promotion and what time period? I have two so I'll respond later with my own thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 I've always been an NWA mark, so my all-time favorite promotions were places like World Class and JCP. I just preferred their "realer" style over the more cartoony WWF product of the time. My current favorite would probably be TNA, ironically also because I prefer their product over the more cartoony WWE stuff. Not everything they try to do ends up working, but they aren't afraid to let their guys go balls-out without handcuffing them with style limitations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverwidow Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 -All Japan (1993) Self explanatory to anyone who's sampled the TV from this period. Just a wonderful blend of elite talent (both native and foreign), excellent booking (notably Kawada switching sides), and, of course, some of the best matches to ever happen all inside of one year. An easy choice for #1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Thread Killer Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 I would say that All Japan from 1990-1999 or so produced the longest streak of high quality matches that any organization could ever hope to. Hell, I was looking over my collection the other day, and noticed that I have no less than 260 matches from AJPW during the 90's in my collection. I honestly don't know how anybody who has seen any of the 90's AJPW stuff could argue that any other fed put out this quality of work over this long a period of time. If you are the kind of person who puts stock in Meltzer's star rating system, then check out THIS and you will see all the proof you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 WWF from 1986-1989. The wrestling wasn't hot, but at no time in any promotion did I feel a closer personal connection to the wrestlers and the storylines. They made you care so much about the workers and the results of the matches that it hooked you in permanently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dovi Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 WCW - late ?91 to early ?93: Lots of great stuff during this time. Dangerous Alliance, Liger, Jack/Abby, Vader, and Gordy/Williams. The best that I?ve seen from a US promotion. AJW - Mid-80?s: The most underrated roster of all time. While everyone talks about Jaguar, the Crush Gals, and, to a lesser extent, the JBA, other good/great workers get ignored. Devil Masami and Mimi Hagiwara were almost as good as Jaguar, and just as influential. Others like Ohmori, Hori, Ogura, Komatsu, Nagahori, Galactica, Kai, and Martin are ignored. Arsion - ?98/?99: It?s really too bad that the style that these women worked never stuck because it really had the potential to create a lot of great stuff. Yoshida was the only worker to blossom during this time, and while she did produce a couple of great matches, you could tell that the rest of roster just needed more time to develop. If they would have gotten that then Arsion truly would have been something special. All Japan - late 70?s: This, along with the Backlund stuff from the same time period, really taught me the value of wrestler that are able to work holds instead of really on flashy spots to build interest. Matches like Baba vs. Billy and Jumbo vs. Brisco, Race, and Funk showed me a whole new way to enjoy wrestling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 1997 WCW with the nWo and Sting running wild. I never missed Nitro or Thunder for several years. 2005 ROH with great matches, entertaining shows and a couple of storylines I even got engrossed in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest savagerulz Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 To answer the question, CMLL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Local Jobber R Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 FWM with Hayabusa vs Mr. Gannosake and Masato Tanaka vs Mike Awesome as the feuds that got my attention. CMLL (2002-2005) had several things get my attention from the cybernetico matches, Dr. Wagner/Blue Panther/Fueza Guerrera as Trios campions, the whole Santanico/Averno/Mephisto vs Ultimo Guerrero/Rey Bucannero/Tarzan Boy fighting over the name rights, Shocker fighting for the Semicompleto and tag belts, Super Porky comedy, Mistico as the underdog.....WTF happened to Hijo del Rayo de Jalisco/Rayman? WWF (Attitude) Austin vs Hart, Undertaker vs Mankind and the Rock before he resorted to using sex jokes and started singing. WWF (2000-2001) Tables, Ladders, Chairs oh my! Too bad both Hardy Boys are Emo crybabies now and Edge is injuried on a constant basis due to these matches. WCW (Monday Night Wars) with the mexicans running wild, the Raven character was working, Malenko & Benoit were Horsemen and Scott Hall as the only entertaining nWo character IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest savagerulz Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 I also liked Toryumon but, I stopped ordering their tapes just a little bit before they changed their name to Dragon's Gate due to a lack of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 New Japan 1990-1995 All Japan had higher matches but I think NJPW killed them as far as a top to bottom card. I find the promotion started to lose some steam as Mutoh got lazy after losing the title on 1/4/96. My personal peak is the 95 G-1 Climax. NWA 1989 Terry Funk's heel run might be my favorite. It just shows you how good Flair was that he could turn a forgotten past his prime legend into the biggest heel in the company in a matter of 5 seconds. On top of that you got Sting/Muta and Flair/Steamboat. WWF 1988-1992 The wrestling wasn't so hot but nostalgia does a lot. WCW 1996-1998 Cruiserweight action, the nWo and Chris Jericho's heel run. This was the era that turned me into a hardcore wrestling fan and I doubt that any will ever entertain me in the same way again. WCW 2001 The cruiserweight division returns and the Mag 7 storyline. WCW was already dead but they really had some good storylines going on and there was some great talent like Shane Helms, O'Haire and Jett starting to climb the card. WWF 2000 The only year that McMahon really got it as far as running a wrestling company. Just so much talent on the rise. It saddens me to think none of the up and comers ever got a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts