Microstatistics Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Pretty simple concept. You can define your own criteria (booking, angles, in-ring and matches, business, combination of everything etc.). I care primarily about in-ring work and matches so right now I am thinking 1997 for high quality stuff from several different promotions and styles all around the world. 1989 and 1996 are the other really strong contenders for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 1992: Jumbo tearing it up with the kids in AJPW, Kip Frey giving out bonuses to produce amazing stuff in WCW, Hase having great matches in NJPW, Flair lighting up WWF. 84, 85, and 86 were all totally amazing years too across Mid-South, NJPW, AJPW, WWF, JCP, AWA, and various other territories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 I feel like I still have so many years to fully explore, but off the top of my head, I'd go with 1985, 1986, 1989, 1992 and 1997 as my top five. Picking between those is agonizing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 It seems like 83 and 84 were pretty amazing years worldwide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 84 has: NJ 5 vs 5 gauntlet Sheik / Slaughter Devil Masami & Jaguar Yokota / Crush Gals Jumbo / Kerry Flair / Kerry Cota / Rocca Watts and Stagger Lee / Midnights Ted / Magnum Greg / Tito Bock / Martel 85 has: Magnum / Tully Ted / Duggan Ted / Flair Duggan / Sawyer Greg / Tito Savage / Tito Lawler / Dundee Flair / Garvin Flair / Taylor Flair / Wahoo Chigusa Nagayo / Dump Matsumoto Hansen and Ted / Choshu and Yatsu 86 has: Bock / Hennig Rocks / Rose and Somers NJ Elimination Jumbo and Tenryu / Choshu and Yatsu Hennig / Hansen Flair / Windham Flair / Morton Maeda / Fujiwara Aguayo / Chicana Hansen / Leon White Lawler / Dundee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoe Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Throw me in the 85 group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Microstatistics Posted October 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 84 has: NJ 5 vs 5 gauntlet Sheik / Slaughter Devil Masami & Jaguar Yokota / Crush Gals Jumbo / Kerry Flair / Kerry Cota / Rocca Watts and Stagger Lee / Midnights Ted / Magnum Greg / Tito Bock / Martel + Satanico vs. Cochise, Satanico vs. Koshinaka, a bunch of more great Satanico singles matches, Fujinami/Inoki vs. North-South, the Fujiwara vs. Sayama Series. 84 is a great pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Childs Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 I've always been partial to '89. Jumbo-Tenryu leads banner year for All Japan Great all-around year for New Japan with rise of Liger Strong year for Maeda's talent-rich UWF Early FMW Strong year for lucha footage Epic Flair year Hogan-Savage doing big business in WWF The only real drawback is that the U.S. territories had entered full death rattle. Of the other years mentioned, I'd have trouble going with '85 or '92 because they weren't elite years in Japan. Actually, neither was 1997. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Microstatistics Posted October 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2016 Of the other years mentioned, I'd have trouble going with '85 or '92 because they weren't elite years in Japan. Actually, neither was 1997. I agree about 1985, it was sort of a relatively poor year for Japan (with the exception of AJW). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted October 23, 2016 Report Share Posted October 23, 2016 I'm pretty sure it was shortly before 1980, but our footage is so scattered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeg Posted October 23, 2016 Report Share Posted October 23, 2016 I would think that it would be sometime around 84. WWF, Crockett, Mid-South, AWA, World Class, and GCW all had national television exposure. All six territories were in 50 plus markets thanks to cable tv and syndication. By 86 half of those territories would be on death's door, by 1990 only two would be left. So if you look at it by what year were the most guys making the most money I'd say 83 or 84. 83/84 there were probably 10 places a guy could go and make a really good living, working on a widely seen TV show and working in front of large audiences. Also at that time Mid South, All Japan, New Japan, and World Class were putting out some great TV. GCW was down but it still had national exposure. The first UWF was starting up in Japan. Mid South had DiBiase doing all sorts of awesome shit. WWF had Shiek vs Sarge and the start of Hulkamania. AWA was sort of down the second Hogan left. Memphis was awesome with Lawler vs Savage. In World Class the Freebirds feud which was going strong until the passing of David von Erich, but they drew a huge audience for their Cotton Bowl shows in 84. It was the last year of the NWA as it was. Correct me if I'm wrong but 84 was the last year for an NWA board meeting. Mexico was awesome with Satanico, Sangre Chicana, El Dandy, MS-1, Perro, etc all having awesome years. There's the second Starcade. In NJPW there's the gauntlet, Hogan's push, Fujinami vs Choshu, Dynamite vs Tiger Mask. Portland was still doing well. A few years later it would be dying a slow death. So just looking at 84, a lot of places were still doing good business, expanding, putting on good matches, putting on good TV, and running great angles. A few years later, a lot of those places were gone, re-structured, or on death's door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamthedoctor Posted October 23, 2016 Report Share Posted October 23, 2016 If we are talking WWF ill pick 1989 for the following reasons The Mega Powers feud Warrior/Rude trading the IC Title Demolition dominating the Tag Team scene Roddy Piper coming back and fighting Rude in a series of Cage Matches Roberts returning from injury to get even with the Million Dollar man Ronnie garvin as a Referee to screw the heels and having a memorable time slagging Valentine off at Summerslam 89 No Holds Barred The Match The Movie Warrior & Heenan as the final two in the last Survivor series match The first ever WWF UK Tour I could probably list another 20 favourites but Ill leave it at there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted October 23, 2016 Report Share Posted October 23, 2016 1985, '86 & '89 sure feel like the easy picks. 86 probably gets the edge because it was a much better year for Japan, and while '85 was incredible with everything you get in Midsouth and Flair's stops around the country, '86 still gives you his matches with Garvin, Morton, Windham and Dusty, the Tully/Garvin classic and a year of peak Horsemen. Plus an incredibly year from the AWA. '89 is so incredible for the NWA & All Japan as well as angle-wise in WWF, but the depth across promotions likely can't match up. Probably not a popular choice, but if we can ignore booking and just go on sheer volume of quality matches then the last couple years are really a great time. With WWE having as many hours of TV and PPV as they do every week/month, NJ shows every month and much more during G1, new stuff popping up from the UK, Mexico and US Indys just about every week, we're very possibly getting a great number of good matches on a regular basis than at any other time. Many will hardly be memorable, but a number of reasons, but the output is really incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 I like 1993. That gets you: - a still-strong WCW - UWFI blazing hot, running a stadium - RINGS - good new Japan - FMW at their peak, running a stadium - AJW and the Dreamslams - SMW And, oh yeah, arguably the best in-ring year ever with All Japan. Who cares if the WWF sucked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB8 Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 Probably '86. In addition to what's already been mentioned there's Puerto Rico having an awesome year, with Funk coming in and being crazy, the beginning of the Colon/Hansen feud, and Invader I having amazing brawls with a handful of different folk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Cooke Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 1992 - WCW TV/Clash/PPV from first seven months is awesome - Casas/Dandy - Misawa/Kawada I, Can Ams vs Kobashi/Kikuchi - AJW has maybe their best year of the 90's - WWF has Bret/DBS at Summerslam - Santo/Espanto III (of the 'made' tape kind) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woof Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 Not sure I'd call it the greatest, but 2002 had an excellent first year of in-ring stuff for ROH coupled with the fantastic run of the Smackdown Six in WWE. Plus TNA was throwing out some decent stuff in their formative days in and around all the crap booking. I don't have a TON of familiarity with Japan at that time, but I have a Best of Japan 2002 comp somewhere that I rather enjoyed and early NOAH certainly doesn't suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 I like 1993. That gets you: - a still-strong WCW - UWFI blazing hot, running a stadium - RINGS - good new Japan - FMW at their peak, running a stadium - AJW and the Dreamslams - SMW And, oh yeah, arguably the best in-ring year ever with All Japan. Who cares if the WWF sucked? I'm not sure WCW was much better than the WWF in 1993, if at all. WCW was a trainwreck that year. But yeah, if I had to pick a single year, I'd go with 1993 with 1989 a close second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InYourCase Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 I want to throw out 2005. -Joe vs. Necro -Peak NOAH 7/18/05 The start of KENTA's peak Tenryu comes in and fucks shit up Kobashi & Shiozaki vs. Sasaki & Nakajima -Arguably ROH's best year Punk vs. Aries (and the entire Summer of Punk) James Gibson vs. everyone Joe vs. Kobashi, Joe/Ki vs. Kobashi/Homicide Steel Cage Warfare KENTA vs. Low Ki, Danielson vs. Marufuji -TNA's year best, hands down X Division madness with Joe/Styles/Daniels Styles vs. Abyss in a cage -One of Dragon Gate's best years ever 7/3/05 six-man is PEAK Dragon Gate Milano vs. SaiRyo M2K reunion angle vs. Blood Generation 3/6/05 two out of three falls tag Nakajima, Mochizuki, and K-Ness all killing it Chikara and All Japan both had really strong years. WWE was fine. New Japan was the only promotion that really lacked something big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Microstatistics Posted October 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2016 right now I am thinking 1997 for high quality stuff from several different promotions and styles all around the world. 1989 and 1996 are the other really strong contenders for me. Changed my mind and I am going with 1996. Unbelievable NJPW run, AJPW spitting out great matches, incredible CMLL, peak Michinoku Pro, FMW, UWFi, RINGS on fire, some really good Joshi, high quality WWF, quality WCW and the start of BattlARTS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outsider Posted November 1, 2016 Report Share Posted November 1, 2016 I love '89 and instead of naming matches I would calculate how many guys or percentage of guys who are "over!" Look at WWF and I bet most of us over 30 ordered something from their catalog that year. U can hate on Honky but he was more over than 90% of current product. You can hate on beefcake but I bet u remember when Ron Bass raked his face! You can hate on Dusty but I know you were singing along to his theme. 89 is the 1st year I got into NWA/WCW Wow so much talent. Without 89 Flair would not be the legend he is today and he made other legends. 89 was No Holds Barred which I saw in theater! And loved it! And yes Zeus was Over. Yes as u smarten up u realize Zeus couldn't work for shit but he but asses in the building and if u don't remember go back and look at how awesome his promos were. He was a scary mofo to a 7 year old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outsider Posted November 1, 2016 Report Share Posted November 1, 2016 90 was good too. I absolutely love Great American Bash 1990. When Vader debuts it's bad ass. Every match is exciting. Buddy Landel has fun opening bout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted November 1, 2016 Report Share Posted November 1, 2016 The trouble with 90 is tired jaded Ric when down by Herd and it dies reflect in his work and especially in his promos. 90 feels like a year of transition around the world and a wide scale finding of feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkookypunk43 Posted November 5, 2016 Report Share Posted November 5, 2016 I'd say 1997 is the greatest year, The WWF, WCW and ECW were all red hot. THE Japanese wrestling scene was awesome with AJPW, NJPW, FMW and others Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 It seems like 83 and 84 were pretty amazing years worldwide. Yea see I think I might go 83 because Memphis was great that year and it would let me see the majority of Bob Armstrong's heel run in Southeastern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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