Sean Liska Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 Apologies if this thread has been done before, I know a lot of ground has been covered here. But I'm watching 88 AJPW now and thinking about the level Jumbo worked at from 88-92 and trying to think of better peaks in wrestling history. Obvious possibilities that come to mind: Negro Casas - 93-97 (just because it's what we have on tape) Any of the AJPW guys from 90-96ish Any couple of years you want to take from Flair in the 80s Tenryu 88-93 Lawler 79-84 Let's throw in a modern one - Bryan Danielson 2004-2008 Underrated possibility: Bobby Eaton 83-88 Obviously tons of other options too, Fujinami, Satanico, etc - what's your favorite couple year peak from a wrestler? What peaks are underrated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 Love the topic. I'd argue Danielson/Bryan with a second, arguably superior peak from 10/11-14/15, depending if you're willing to include periods where he was a part timer. A very different run from the ROH peak, but no less impressive. My latest pick would be Io Shirai from probably 15-17. That's just what immediately comes to mind without reflecting for a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 I'm a WWF homer, I know Bob Backlund 79-82 Hulk Hogan 84-87 Bret Hart 92-97 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Thread Killer Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Easy answer for me. Misawa from June 1990 up until the AJPW/NOAH split, really. An argument could be made that his peak was pretty much over up by 98, not to mention that I think it was around 97 when the match style in AJPW started to shift into an over-reliance on head drops...so if pressed I could scale it back to June 1990 - November 1998. I know, that is 8 years not 3-5...but this is Misawa we're talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Bret Hart 92-97 This. The period of me being a "mark", and Bret was my favourite pro-wrestler and a big reason why I was following the WWF (despite Duke Droese, King Mabel, Taker vs fake Taker etc…). The 1997 Bret vs Austin feud really capped off this period of my life and still remains I believe a highlight of pro-wrestling in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMJ Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Vader in WCW (92'-94') Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Here's a question: Volk Han '96-'98 or... Kiyoshi Tamura '96-'98? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmartMark15 Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Gotta second the Danielson love both for his ROH run as well as a second fantastic run in the WWE. How about some Samoa Joe love too for his 04-06 run in ROH and TNA? Crazy over, dominating performances in the ring, and a wide variety of high level matches with a lot of different people. Huge ROH mark so these are the first few that come to mind. Kenny Omega is on quite a run starting from last year. Given some polishing and proper booking, he could be putting on crazy classics soon. Really looking forward to his third Okada match with the 30 minute time limit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Liska Posted July 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Joe's run from 04-06 played a huge role in me maintaining my passion for wrestling during a rough period for the industry. I'm still internally debating flying to Dallas for Joe-Lesnar just because that run did mean so much to me, but it's a lot of money and work for a match I don't expect to exceed 10 minutes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El McKell Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 It's gotta be Kenta Kobashi 2003 to 2005 for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcmmnx Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 AJ Styles has been on quite a roll the last few years, and is still going strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britwresdvds Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 The Eaton / Lane incarnation of the Midnight Express. Just wonderful from start to finish. Their best year was also their last, which was a shame in a way, although I suppose they went out before their legacy diminished in any way, which is good. Shame they never had even a brief run in the WWF like Tully and Arn, just for those dream matches with the Rockers, Harts, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenese Sarwieh Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 Kushida’s current run is doing it for me right now. Everything he’s done so far from 15 til now has been clicking on all levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 El Dandy 89-92 and Buddy Rose 79-82 are my top 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 Joe's run from 04-06 played a huge role in me maintaining my passion for wrestling during a rough period for the industry. I'm still internally debating flying to Dallas for Joe-Lesnar just because that run did mean so much to me, but it's a lot of money and work for a match I don't expect to exceed 10 minutes I peaked in here to see if anyone had mentioned this and am very glad someone did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 Kushida’s current run is doing it for me right now. Everything he’s done so far from 15 til now has been clicking on all levels. And I also couldn't agree more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBscout Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 Vader 92-95 Rey 93-97 Shawn 94-98 Styles 14-Present Lesnar 12-Present Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G. Badger Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 Toshiaki Kawada '92-'96 One could argue '90-'95 and I'd be cool with that too. '92 is when I felt the Dangerous K persona really took hold as a character/in-ring style and who we associate with Kawada. I feel like Terry Funk AJPW '76-'80 would be a favorite of mine as well. Plenty of classic matches (singles and tags) plus iconic moments that helped AJ take shape early on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 I really loved early 90's Dustin Rhodes ('90-'94ish) & late 80's to early 90's Ricky Steamboat ('88-'93). Bret Hart ('92-'97) is hard to go wrong with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 Cena '07-'13 I was just finishing off running through his '07 when a thread like this was last made, and it still seemed incredible. And with me watching a lot of his '08-'10 stuff a while ago that I missed I feel he was still great during these years as well. I've kinda soured on him the last few years but he can still make me give a program a chance with his promo work and general charisma. Maybe a Strowman feud or a Reigns match.... Misawa '94-'97 I know OJ likes the Jordan comparison, but around '95 he feels like the closest thing I've seen in wrestling to current Steph Curry. Just the energy, the places he can take a crowd with his selling and ability to work his comebacks is amazing. Reigns '15-Present Feels embarrassing that not even 10 years later and people are really doing the Cena situation again because of how they perceived his push. Oh well, he just keeps churning out great matches and easily is the best way to establish a guy as a real main event player (Finn, Strowman, Joe, Rollins). Hashimoto '93-'98 When the WAR feud hits he just takes it up another gear. Then he has that crazy '94 where NJPW just throws everybody at him and he's getting nothing but quality out of them. One more basketball comparison but he really reminds me of LeBron during this period, just in his versatility (especially at his size) and how he feels central to everything important in NJPW at the time. Rey '05-'10 Anytime I randomly throw on a match from this period the GOAT TV worker talk still seems like the correct assessment. He seemed guaranteed to turn in a great summer feud no matter the opponent. '06 may be my favorite year from him just because of the amount of different people he got to work with in such a short time. I'll also cosign that Casas '93-'97 peak but probably just add on the year '92 as well. Wish he'd talk more about the Choshu worship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 A couple of my favorites that haven't been mentioned yet: Eddy Guerrero 02-05 Ricky Steamboat 91-94 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBscout Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 Was waiting to see those two names pop up. Along with Austin. I always liked super athletic 90s Rey more than bulkier 00s Rey. Natural inclination is to say he was a smarter worker in the 00s because of experience but his style had plenty of smarts to it in the 90s too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shatter_Machine Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 I think that Okada from 2012 to the present deserves some consideration on this list, but as he goes along, the start date might move forward in time. Flair 82-87 Savage 84-89 Austin 92-97 (right up until he broke his neck) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 Great call on Roman Reigns '15- present. The same can be said for Styles, although that may extend even further back for those familiar with his TNA work. I neglected to mention the AJ crew with it being accepted a a given that their work during the 90s is at an all time level for all four. How about Akiyama? What's the peak period for him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shatter_Machine Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 How about Akiyama? What's the peak period for him? Isn't it basically his whole career? He seriously started at the top of heap and just stayed there. If I had to choose, I'd say 93-98. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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