Best of 1991: An Ongoing Retrospective by Cactus

[cactus]

Best of 1991: An Ongoing Retrospective by Cactus 

This is still a WIP. I'll probably expand the list to a top 50 once I've seen more. 

Top 20 Matches of 1991:

1. Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada & Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue & Masa Fuchi (AJPW 4/20/91) ★★★★¾
2. Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect (WWF Summerslam 8/26/91) ★★★★½
3. Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Masa Fuchi & Akira Taue (AJPW 1/27/91) ★★★★½
4. Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior (WWF Wrestlemania 3/24/91) ★★★★½
5. Vader vs. Keiji Muto (NJPW 8/10/91) ★★★★½
6. Kenta Kobashi vs. Stan Hansen (AJPW 9/4/91) ★★★★¼
7. El Hijo del Santo vs. Brazo de Oro (UWA 1/13/91) ★★★★¼
8. Arn Anderson & Larry Zbysko vs. Dustin Rhodes & Ricky Steamboat (WCW Clash of the Champions 11/19/1991) ★★★★¼
9. The Rockers vs. Orient Express (WWF Royal Rumble 1/19/91) ★★★★¼
10. Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW 10/24/91) ★★★★¼
11. Aja Kong & Bison Kimura vs. Manami Toyota & Esther Moreno (AJW 4/29/91) ★★★★
12. Rick & Scott Steiner vs. Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki (NJPW/WCW Starrcade In Tokyo Dome 3/21/91) ★★★★
13. War Games (WCW Wrestle War 2/24/91) ★★★★
14. Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW 4/18/91) ★★★★
15. Jushin Liger vs. Owen Hart (NJPW 4/28/91) ★★★★
16. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Akira Taue (AJPW 4/18/91) ★★★★
17. Stan Hansen vs. Kenta Kobashi (AJPW 1/2/91) ★★★★
18. Jerry Lawler vs. Terry Funk (USWA TX 1/5/91) ★★★★
19. Wayne Shamrock vs. Naoki Sano (PWFG 5/19/91) ★★★★
20. Toshiaki Kawada vs Akira Taue (AJPW 1/15/91) ★★★¾

General Thoughts:

I don't think anyone can stop Kawada from being my WOTY. Whether he's feuding with Jumbo or Taue, he never phones in a performance and it's opened my eyes why certain AJPW fans have always preferred him over Misawa. 

On the subject of Misawa, he hasn't exactly blown me away. He might feature in some of my highest ranked matches of the year, but he's more of a supporting player. He's still a good wrestler, but I'd rank Kawada, Jumbo and Kobashi all over him from what I've seen so far. 

If you watching WWF for sheer workrate, then the likes of Ted Dibiase, Bret Hart and the Rockers are your only shinning lights. Bret really comes into his own as a singles prospect and it's hard to tell who will be the breakout star of the Rockers once they finally spilt up. 

Ric Flair in 1991 is a far cry from the Ric Flair of 1989. He's depressed about creative and his heart isn't in it anymore. Just look at his bomb of a match with Fujinami at the NJPW/WCW supershow. When he joins the WWF in the fall, he never feels like he fits in. He's still Ric Flair though, and he can still go when he wants to. His match with Scott Steiner and the famous War Games match have been highlights of my viewing.