Jeff Bowdren's Top Matches of the '80s list

[DGinnetty]

When Nelson's copy of Final Conflict surfaced, I'm pretty sure that Dave mentioned in the WON that nobody had ever seen a copy and it was the holy grail, though he had heard of the possibility that Nelson had it. Given Dave's closeness to Bowdren & Cornette, I would guess that if either of them had a copy, Dave would've seen it before Nelson went public. I would think he wouldn't have been lied about not having seen it or known of its existence since he's open about stuff like having gotten a copy of Bret-Magee from the WWE offices.

 

I don't think anything aired on TV either, otherwise there wouldn't have been the fuss about the finish missing on Nelson's copy and then Kernodle releasing it using HIS copy, which appeared to be a dub of Nelson's made before the finish was lost. Since Nelson's copy had the better picture quality, a trader that I know spliced the finish from Kernodle's into the Nelson version with perfect frame accuracy using Womble MPEG VCR.

 

As far as the Bowdren list compilation, I know that it's been a long-standing goal of our buddy Dan to collect every (possible, so no Luger-Steamboat from Philly unless a previously unseen handheld was shot) match on the list in 1st generation or better quality to try to compile eventually. I believe he's down to just needing upgrades of Ware/Austin vs Gilbert/Rich (possibly a lost cause, as if Munari's the original source, the person with most of his Memphis doesn't have the original, so it either vanished, Steve kept it, or Bob has it among the Munari stuff hidden in his house) and an possibly AJW match I'm forgetting the specifics of (he may have that now on his giant AJW set).

 

I kinda gave up on the Luger-Steamboat Philly match, and substituted with GAB match in it's place. I located a different source in Japan for old AJW TV, and am waiting to get a DVD that will have (hopefully) a quality upgrade on the 12/6/87 12-woman match.

 

Checking my spreadsheet, I have masters or 1st gens of all but 6 of the top 100 matches:

 

12/6/87 12-woman match VG+

7/4/83 Freebirds vs. VonErichs EX-/VG+

10/27/85 Flair vs Reed VG+ This is raw footage, but was never released on the Watts' site. Same applies to:

3/22/85 Duggan vs. Dibiase EX- stips match

5/14/84 Gilbert/Rich vs. Austin/Ware. Had this match in VG quality, but may have lost/misplaced the tape :-(

Still searching for it.

4/81 Ferris/Sullivan vs. Dundee/Dream Machine 2nd gen in VG/VG+

9/81 Morton/Gilbert vs. Onita/Fuchi I have it in maybe VG/VG+ from a 1st gen.

 

Thanks to Bix, we all have access to a great quality version of the 6/16/84 Boot Camp match, but I would love to get a"perfect" version before putting the set out.

 

I originally got this set from Friedlander, and the quality was atrocious. Unwatchable for the most part. I want to re-release the set in the best quality possible, although I disagree with some of the selections.

 

Dan Ginnetty

[Bix]

3/22/85 Duggan vs. Dibiase EX- stips match

I made a DVD from Munari's VHS copy of the 1" master. You won't do better. If Flair-Reed is on a Munari tape, I might be able to help you there...

 

5/14/84 Gilbert/Rich vs. Austin/Ware. Had this match in VG quality, but may have lost/misplaced the tape :-(

Still searching for it.

This was on a tape you had goodhelmet convert, I think, called "Heel Lawler/Best Brawls." I have the DVD from Will.

 

4/81 Ferris/Sullivan vs. Dundee/Dream Machine 2nd gen in VG/VG+

From when RF sold the Cornette tapes right? Best hope would be a 1st gen like the concession stand brawl or somehow getting access to Corny's original.

 

9/81 Morton/Gilbert vs. Onita/Fuchi I have it in maybe VG/VG+ from a 1st gen.

This is a dub of Cornette's original, we won't do better unless we somehow got his original converted to DVD.

 

Thanks to Bix, we all have access to a great quality version of the 6/16/84 Boot Camp match, but I would love to get a"perfect" version before putting the set out.

I would think that WWE will release it sooner or later, unless the early parts of the match on the master got damaged and that's why they only showed it JIP on the Iron Sheik HOF special.

[ohtani's jacket]

At one point he called Chigusa the best women's wrestler of her era, then he said Jaguar was the greatest female wrestler of all time. The former surprised me a bit since I thought people were high on Asuka back then, but how much Jaguar was available back then? The same amount as Lorefice used to sell?

[tomk]

So you literally think that, aside from Savage/Steamboat, that there wasn't a single match from the WWF after 1984 which deserved to make a best-of list? Whoa. That's some pretty intense hatred.

I didn't really watch the WWF in the 80s. Went to one house show that had I want to say a pushed Siva Afi match on it and pretty much stayed away from the WWF. I've watched alot of 80s WWF in last couple years. Like a bunch of pre-84 WWF. Don't know if I would put a touring DK v Sayama MSG match on over a Zbysco v Bruno MSG match. There are a lot of post 84 WWF matches that I like: Barbarian v Boss Man, Tito v Koko, Hogan v Boss Man, Garvin v Valentine, Ultimate Warrior v Ric Rude, Rude v Piper, Tito v Ron Bass, Bret v Brunzell... Bunches of matches that I'd say are better than either Dibiase v Savage, or Brainbusters v Rockers.

 

These are two Ultimate Warriro matches that I wrote positively about:

 

 

#11: Ultimate Warrior vs Rick Rude (8/28/89 East Rutherford NJ Summerslam)- [TOM K]: Apparently, the 1989 Summerslam is the secret WWF workrate PPV. As two of the matches on the top twenty are from that. Honestly outside of Brisco Bros. vs. North/South Connection, I don’t think any WWF tag match made my top 50. But the second Summerslam match on this set ended up as my number three match (behind Boot Camp match, and Garvin v Valentine).

 

You watch this entire set of DVDs and you get used to a lot of the WWF formulas and a lot of the problems that WWF matches have. The weird thing about Rude vs. Warrior is as you watch it, you keep anticipating “Oh this is the spot where they ruin this…oh here it comes” and they never do. They never fuck it up. The match has the potential to fail. I mean that potential shows up again and again and again and they avoid it each and every time. It’s shocking. Doubly shocking because it’s a match with Ultimate Warrior.

 

I’m used to Rude in WCW so it takes a bit to adjust to him in WWF. Rude in WWF had a shaved chest and Gallagher’s hair. The standard story on Rude is that he was a guy who was all charisma, shtick and bumps until he got to WCW. The story is wrong. Rock n Roll Express vs. Fernandez and Rude absolutely smokes British Bulldogs vs. Dream Team from this set (some of that is due to... well... WWF wrestling sucking, but yeah). Of the three Rude matches on this set all of them easily made my top 30. One of them was against Piper and one was against Warrior. And well the story on Ultimate Warrior is that he stinks. That story is probably true, although Piper looked like more of a broomstick in his match.

 

The opening section of this match is all about Ultimate Warrior manhandling Rude: no selling Rude’s offense and Rude bumping like an absolute freak. Well the other kind of story of the opening section is: “HOLY SHIT, Ultimate Warrior has a lot of offense”. I didn’t remember him having this many moves.

 

Warrior races out to ring, Rude shucking out of Warrior’s attempts to lock up and nails Warrior with a Ringo Mendoza/Larry Zbyzsco/ Sano style kick. Warrior no sells it and does his raise the roof dance. Everything Rude does is no sold. Warrior gorilla press slams Rude to the floor, rams Rude into apron into floor, into the belt. Then Warrior vertical suplexes Rude on the floor and follows up with a fistdrop, drags Rude back into the ring and throws him back out to take another big bump to the floor. Warrior then bodyslams Rude on the floor, throws Rude back into ring and then goes to the top rope. WAIT WAIT. He’s already thrown a suplex. Ultimate Warrior has a suplex and a top rope move?? And it’s Warrior with the double axe handle. Yeah, apparently he has a top rope move.

 

You have a bunch of pin attempts here with Warrior going for the pin Rude kicking out and Warrior hitting another big move (body slam, another suplex, a running atomic drop that has almost a Matt Hughes running slam feel to it) and going for the pin again. Rude starts the Rude sell back story during all this. Rude does his signature back sell where he kind of splays his legs and squeezes and walks like someone stuck a soup spoon up his ass. That’s Rude's signature sell but should also be pointed out that most of Warriors offense is back working offense. At one point Warrior just picks Rude up by sides and drops him forcibly on his spine. It’s a painful looking bump that Rude milks well.

 

Warrior eventually goes back up to the top rope. He has a second top rope move? And Rude desperately sprints across ring to knock Warrior down and crotch him. Lessons to be learned by watching the WWF in the 80s: good guys are always stronger then bad guys but can still be hurt if you hit them in their sack.

 

Warrior isn’t the best guy at selling as he sells a low blow by doing a lot of headbanging and starting to do deep breathing Lamaze exercises. You have a Rude section of offense where all of Warrior’s selling is built around hard huffing breathing. Is he legit blown up? I mean he’s thrown suplexes and done top rope moves, it’s Warrior. Is he selling? Who the fuck knows? But next section is Rude wearing down Warrior who is either selling that he’s getting wind taken out of him or has no wind. Rude hits him with a pretty snapping vertical suplex, nice kidney shots, and camel clutch. They do a bunch of simple camel clutch spots with Rude jumping on Warrior’s back as Warrior keeps on trying to power up. All this is really easy crowd popping control stuff with some 2 counts as they build toward Rude Awakening.

 

Rude twists toward Rude Awakening and well you expect Rude to hit move and Warrior to pop up and it all to be over. Instead Warrior COUNTERS. Warrior gets hands between Rude's and gets self out of hold. Warrior goes for the clothesline and well I’ve watched 100 matches from the 80s, that was nice touch protecting Rude’s finisher but now it ends. Rude avoids the clothesline and gets on Warriors back for sleeper. Hey, a WWF heel cut off a WWF face on offense. Warrior struggles in sleeper and instead of powering out drops down to counter into chinbreaker. Warrior doesn’t power out of stuff. Instead we have Warrior with two wrestling counters. WTF??

 

We do get the double noggin knocker spot that allows everyone to sell for awhile before they can get to their feet. And the heel gets to his feet first?? Warrior at this point powers up (which is appropriate after double noggin knocker spot which should weaken both guys) while Rude tries to keep him down with forearms and Mongolian chops. Warrior powers to feet gets of a backdrop that leads to a Warrior run of offense. At first this is what you’d expect out of a Warrior run of offense, a series of clotheslines powerslam and a running powerslam. But this is the match where Warrior is gonna whip out all his offense whether he actually knows how to do the moves or not and so you get a Warrior piledriver that I can’t imagine any sane wrestler agreeing to eat. And then you get the weirdest thing to find in a WWF match. The face gets a visual fall. I mean anywhere else that wouldn’t be a big deal. But this is the WWF in the 80s where the heel normally gets the visual fall…”damnit if it wasn’t for the ref being knocked out the heel could’ve won it.It’s a travesty. “?? Face getting visual fall makes more sense to me. And well the crowd response to it is a lot better than the crowd response to heel visual fall.

 

Warrior at this point has all this momentum behind him and decides to go for his big splash. Hey I do remember him having the big splash. That doesn’t surprise me. Warrior gets nice height but Rude selling desperation raises knees. Both sell fatigue and Rude goes and fucking Ganso Bombs Warrior. WHAT???!!! 2.9 And we get a Rude run of bigger offense fist drop, top rope fist drop, piledriver etc.

 

Rude at this point is distracted by Piper who’s come out to jaw. The two taunt each other for awhile allowing Warrior enough time to properly sell the beating he just took and recover. Rude goes to second rope to yell at Piper some more. Warrior by now is recovered and German’s Rude off the second rope. OK this is the first bit of Warrior offense that actively looks bad in this match. I mean everything he did till this point has looked ok, Rude even made his lariats look like lariats. German not so pretty. Warrior then goes for flying shoulder tackle, splashes Rude across Rude’s back, and rolls him up for three.

 

I really like this match a ton. Rude makes all of Warriors stuff look good and Rude’s offense is such that Warrior whether deliberately or not ends up selling it. The transitions back and forward make a lot of sense, and keep the crowd excited and into the flow of the match. Neither guy leaves the match looking weak and it’s a big WWF match with a good finish. That almost never happens.

 

You watch a lot of these 80s tapes and you learn to hate WWF match finishes. You really get to watch the evolution toward the run in belt shot. Heel cheats with foreign object and either ref sees it and immediately disqualifies or heel hits it and wins. Most places powder lead heel to transition to offense. In the WWF face dominates match and powder is finish. You don’t hit face with belt in the middle of match to cut him off. Belt shot is finish. Sometimes belt shot is elaborate: Randy Savage hits himself with bell. But still it is the finish. None of the wrestling can beat Savage he can only be put away by accident with his own foreign object. I’m still not clear how that finish is any better than Wild Samoan matches where the heels only were hurt and lost when heels accidentally hit themselves. But that’s the way WWF does things. There also of course is the WWF finish where heel’s offense is just no sold and face wins.

 

I really like the Piper distraction finish as it isn’t any of those things. It isn’t Piper jaws and there is a roll up. Warrior gets a short run of offense after Piper comes out. Piper as foreign object isn’t the finish, he’s the transition to face offense. Warrior doesn’t no sell, because of Piper, Warrior has the time to recover.

 

ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs HARLEY RACE- So when this WWE 80s thing started out there was a thread were people were allowed to nominate matches. There is not a lot of WWF that I liked in the eighties or any other time. I mean it is a fed that I rarely paid attention to. But I nominated Ron Garvin vs. Greg Valentine from MSG. Years ago I started trying to get a hold of every tape with the Rockers vs. Brainbusters on it. The two teams really match up poorly but I’m a big fan of Tully and Arn and so assumed that eventually if I kept on getting matches between the two I’d eventually find the good one. Never happened but in the process got a tape that also had the Garvin vs. Valentine MSG match on it. And really dug it. As kind of remembered it being like Flair v. Garvin just without all the bumps. Memory underrated the match as it’s really an epic match. Dean doesn’t fully do it justice as he mostly talks about the stiffness when a lot of the pleasure of the match is the Garvin selling and bumps and the near fall build. Anyways that’s beside the point- the point is that that was the one match that I wanted more people to see and so pimped it in the nomination post. There are other WWF matches in the 80s that I was familiar with that I also liked (Race vs. Haku for instance) but that I didn’t think were good enough to merit me pushing for their inclusion. One of the matches I always kind of dug was Race v. Warrior. It’s about a nine minute match and at the time of the nomination process I thought it was an incredible job that Race did carrying Warrior.

 

“He [Harley Race] was talking about his run in the WWF, the reason he was brought in, and more importantly who he was working at the time. The conversation went exactly like this:

 

Harley: "...and he had me working Hogan, JYD, and one of my last programs was with....shit. What's his name? The guy. You know. Big guy....c'mon, you know!

That faggot Indian."”

 

Match takes place Pre-Mania IV and begins with collar and elbow lock up. Race hits a bunch of nice strikes that Warrior shrugs off and no sells. Harley hits a lariat that Warrior no sells. Warrior hits one of the shittiest sub Ice Train lariats ever which Harley takes a bump for and then does Terry Funk punch-drunk stumbling. Warrior shakes ropes. They collar and elbow tie up again Race hits a beautiful headbutt, Warrior no sells and Irish whips Race into other corner where Race does a spectacular 360 bump to floor (the one that Helmsley tries to do in every match). Race walks around ring selling the strong Irish whip and then walks up ring steps to get back into ring. Despite all the bump ability, Race is an old man and he holds onto the arm rail (that they used to have on the ring steps) to help him climb the stairs into the ring. There is this weird disconnect between the match and watching an old broken man walk up stairs. Race then does the Race falling backwards bump as he lures Warrior to ring steps, Warrior blocks a Race punch and then clubs Race sending Race to his butt and then Race does the slow collapse slithering head first down stairs.

 

And that’s kind of the way match works. Race back in and another lock up another set of Race strikes, another Race bump this time off double nogging knocker leading to Race falling back into ropes and then face plants headbutting Warrior in the nuts on the way down. Warrior’s nipples suddenly harden. Creepy as there maybe some subtext to the “faggot” part of Race’s curse. Queering doesn’t make the world work. But the low blow leads to Race getting in some offense.

 

They run through the same thing again Race does his tied in the ropes bump and eventually gets lariated out of tied in ropes bump to do a 360 to floor bump. Race does another this time intentional headbutt to nads to take over on offense again.

 

So you get Race with ineffective strikes, fun signature bumps, and low blows as only moves sold by opponent. And Race in WWF in 89 is essentially Flair in 2004. I dug some 2004 Flair and I’m entertained by this.

 

Race isn’t Flair so he does a seated piledriver and a suplex. It’s possible that Flair is smarter by not doing all his throws anymore as I don’t get the point of doing meaningless throws when opponent only sells low blows. Really makes those moves masturbatory. Race’s moves are too good looking to be used as functional equivalent of chinlock. He shouldn’t be throwing them out there, if that’s how the match is gonna treat them.

 

Ultimate Warrior eventually REVERSES a suplex into a roll up and wins the thing. Fun match with Race controlling pretty much the entire thing by setting up signature bumps.

 

Like I said earlier, I was never that familiar with the 80s WWF. Seeing what a guy like Rude could do with the Warrior really makes Race come across like Flair in 2004. He can carry opponent and I pop for all the signature bumps but maybe someone else could do it better at this point.

 

I'd say that Ultimate Warrior v Ric Rude is easily better than either Brianbusters v Rockers or Dibiase v Savage. I can't imagie anyone seeing those three matches and not coming to the same conclusion. But there was lots of great wrestling in the 80s and don't know if Rude v Warrior would make a top 100.

 

I don't hate Japanese UWF, but don't think the 7/23/84 tag match should probably be on a top 100 matches list either.

I don't hate U.S. UWF, but don't think the Last Battle of New Orleans should be on the a list.

[S.L.L.]

I don't think so.

 

Especially when I can't imagine anyone thinking these two still belong.

 

The decision to include any WWF tag match seems like an act of generosity and not an act of contrariness.

So you literally think that, aside from Savage/Steamboat, that there wasn't a single match from the WWF after 1984 which deserved to make a best-of list? Whoa. That's some pretty intense hatred.

 

Let's not forget the scope that "80's wrestling" covers. It's pretty huge. 100 matches doesn't cover a lot of that. I'm not sure Savage/Steamboat is the only '85-'89 WWF match that belongs there, but it's not like that claim is ridiculous when you're considering the scale of the project.

[Phil Schneider]

I don't think so.

 

Especially when I can't imagine anyone thinking these two still belong.

 

The decision to include any WWF tag match seems like an act of generosity and not an act of contrariness.

So you literally think that, aside from Savage/Steamboat, that there wasn't a single match from the WWF after 1984 which deserved to make a best-of list? Whoa. That's some pretty intense hatred.

 

Here are the top 20 WWF matches of the 1980's, we got 119 ballots from people who watched 100 matches and ranked them, hard to argue against this being consensus.

 

 

1 Sgt Slaughter vs Iron Sheik (6/16/84 MSG)

2 Ricky Steamboat vs Randy Savage (3/29/87 Pontiac MI Wrestlemania 3)

3 Adrian Adonis/Dick Murdoch vs Brisco Brothers (12/28/84 MSG)

4 Bret Hart vs Randy Savage (11/11/87 Seattle WA aired SNME 11/28/87)

5 Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect (10/2/89 Wheeling WV)

6 Bob Backlund vs Adrian Adonis (1/18/82 MSG)

7 Greg Valentine vs Ron Garvin (9/30/89 MSG)

8 Glamour Girls vs Jumping Bomb Angels (11/24/87 MSG)

9 Ricky Steamboat vs Jake Roberts (8/9/86 Boston MA)

10 Sgt Slaughter vs Iron Sheik (5/21/84 MSG)

11 Ultimate Warrior vs Rick Rude (8/28/89 East Rutherford NJ Summerslam)

12 Brainbusters vs Hart Foundation (8/28/89 East Rutherford NJ Summerslam)

13 Barry Windham vs Dick Murdoch (2/16/85 Philadelphia PA)

14 Dynamite Kid vs Bret Hart (9/14/85 Landover MD)

15 British Bulldogs vs Hart Foundation (9/23/85 MSG)

16 Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat (7/27/86 Toronto Ontario)

17 Bret Hart vs Ted DiBiase (3/8/89 Odessa TX aired Prime Time 3/20/89)

18 Ricky Steamboat vs Bret Hart (3/8/86 Boston MA)

19 Ricky Steamboat vs Bob Orton Jr (7/20/85 Landover MD)

20 Hulk Hogan vs Big Bossman (3/18/89 MSG)

 

Match 1 and 2 pretty clearly belong on any list of the best matches from the 1980's. After those two, I can't see anyone arguing for any of the other matches belonging on a top 100 list. I liked Adonis/Murdoch v. Briscos a bunch, but for 1980's tags? There are at least a dozen Rock and Roll Express matches which kill this, ignoring Japan, Mexico and every other team in American besides the Rock and Roll Express. Hell Dick Murdoch has at least 5 or 6 better matches on the Watts set alone. I had Hogan v. Bossman in a cage really high on my list, I really dug that match, but I doubt it cracks a top 20 list of 1980's cage matches, much less a list of matches in total. Seriously read that list over and tell us what belongs.

[goodhelmet]

I had Backlund-Adonis in my Top 3. I haven't watched it in about a year but I think I would probably vote for it just as high. The other WWF match (that will be included on the errata set) is the Backlund-Patera May 1980 match. Again, I have not watched it in over a year but I think that would rate high also if given the chance.

[Cox]

Somebody with more free time on their hands than me should count who appears on this list the most, to get a feel for who the average WON subscriber felt were the better workers of the 80's. What sticks out to me is that DiBiase only appears on here three times, yet he was put in the WON Hall of Fame for work. Shouldn't a WON Hall of Famer, particularly one who was placed in for work, appear on the list more than three times? I mean, like Steamboat or not, he's on the list seven times, including two matches in the top five, but DiBiase only places as high as 17th. Just something I thought of while skimming through the list.

[jdw]

Match 1 and 2 pretty clearly belong on any list of the best matches from the 1980's. After those two, I can't see anyone arguing for any of the other matches belonging on a top 100 list.

I'd actually be tempted to put Rude-Warrior on a Top 100. It's a prime example of laying out a match working to strengths while avoiding weakness, in addition to bringing things you didn't expect. Especially when one of the workers is as limited as the Warrior, while no one was confusing Rude with Ric Flair at the time. Is it a Pat Patterson booking & layout miracle? Perhaps. I don't mind if it is.

 

I'd take it over Adonis-Dick vs. th Briscos any days, which I see as a bunch of good workers jerking off for more than half the match. Hell, it's not even the best WWF tag match of the decade.

 

I probably would have other WWF matches in the Top 100 as well. I don't see the point of having 10 Flair-Steamboat or MX vs. R'n'R matches in a list.

 

 

John

[Jingus]

Flair's the winner with 16 matches, more than twice as many as anyone else. Maeda, Tenryu, Fujinami, Takada, and Steamboat all tie for 2nd place with 7. Sayama, Nagoyo, and Asuka round out the top list with 6 each. Oddly enough, "best worker in the world" Jumbo is only listed five times, the same number as "Evil in Japan" Inoki.

[floyd]

Didn't Meltzer say something about Jumbo being lazy in the 80's? Maybe Bowdren drank the cool-aid too?

[Loss]

I suspect Jumbo will be more visible on this list if it's ever revised.

[ohtani's jacket]

Who was Herb Kunze's buddy who shat on Jumbo when they did their Wrestlemarinepaid tape watching?

[jdw]

Andy Patrizio.

 

It would be fun to read those again if anyone can find them.

 

John

[Bix]

Andy Patrizio.

 

It would be fun to read those again if anyone can find them.

 

John

VideoMarinepiads I, II, & III.

[jdw]

That's right... it was Curtis D rather than Andy. Curtis was a fellow Candadian.

 

John

[ohtani's jacket]

They didn't diss Jumbo as much as I recalled. Instead they made strange comments about Joshi.

[S.L.L.]

"Herb couldn't convince me that Tsuruta could be in a "Top 100" match"

 

This sentence is a really great thing to have on hand as an illustration of why argument by assertion is not argument.

[goodhelmet]

Riki Choshu vs Killer Khan (7/31/86, Tokyo, Japan)

- Not as brutal as Jeff described it as but it was fun.

 

Nobuhiko Takada vs Shiro Koshinaka (2/5/87, Tokyo, Japan)

- This match was fucking sweet.

 

Antonio Inoki vs Bruiser Brody (9/16/85, Tokyo, Japan)

- Dan just released this recently so i need to track it down or watch it or something.

 

 

Nobuhiko Takada vs Hiroshi Hase (2/4/88, Osaka, Japan)

- Another great Takada match.

 

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Tiger Mask (3/9/88, Yokohama, Japan)

- This should not be on the list.

 

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu (6/5/89, Tokyo, Japan)

- My current #1 match of the entire decade.

 

Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka vs Dory & Terry Funk (12/12/81, Tokyo, Japan)

- might be one of the most famous matches but it isn't as great as it is cracked up to be. More memorable for a Hasne lariat than for anything the participants do.

 

Dory & Terry Funk vs Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy (8/31/83, Tokyo, Japan)

- Ill have to rewatch this when we dive into All Japan. I thought the post-match was super and one of wrestling's greatest all-time moments. I don't remember much about the match itself.

 

Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich (1/25/85, St. Louis, Mo.)

- I have this JIP on my Flair-Kery set. Again, I haven't seen any non-Mid South Kerry-Flair matches for awhile so I need to rewatch.

 

Ric Flair vs Bruiser Brody (1/4/85, St. Louis, Mo.)

- Overrated crap.

 

Midnight Express vs Fantastics (4/26/88, Chattanooga, Tn.)

A great match hurt by endless commercial breaks. The Fans matched up with Laen/Eaton MX better than Condrey/Eaton MX.

 

Fantastics vs Sheepherders (4/86, New Orleans, La.) (I WAS AT THIS SHOW AND EVEN NOW, IT S ONE OF THE BEST LIVE MATCHES I VE EVER SEEN. )

- Watts' ex-wife claims to have this on video in full. I wish she would release this damn show.

 

Ted Dibiase vs Dick Murdoch (12/31/85, Oklahoma City, Ok.)

- This was really super. However, they had a match in Houston a couple of days before this was also completely awesome. Don't know where it will show up on my Mid South ballot though.

 

Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood vs Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle (3/12/83, Greensboro, N.C.)

- Super match but I am a Steamboat mark. If I had a top ten of favorite moments in wrestling history, at least 3 or 4 of them would be Steamboat title wins.

 

Pat Patterson vs Sgt. Slaughter (4/21/81 @ MSG)

- Fun but overrated.

 

Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Lex Luger & J.J. Dillon vs Dusty Rhodes, The Road Warriors, Nikita Koloff & Paul Ellering (7/4/87, Atlanta, Ga.)

- My working #1 on the Crockett set. It is also my favorite Wargames ever including the 90s matches.

 

Midnight Express vs Fantastics (3/27/88, Greensboro, N.C.)

Still an awesome match. I just watched this and here is what I wrote...

Hell, this may be the best Fans-MX matchup available from any company. The brawling and out of control action is what the Sheeps series is hyped up to be but this actually delivered. In the ring, great double teaming from both teams, Rogers FIP, Cornette playing the pest, great post-match even with the screwy finish. The only thing this was missing was some blood. Easy nomination.

Ric Flair vs Sting (3/27/88, Greensboro, N.C.)

- Another match that would not be in my Top 20 of Crockett matches. What I wrote..

This match has been talked about ad nauseum and the weaknesses are still there. Too many repeat spots, too long, etc. If this was a 20 minute match it may have stood as Sting's best match. The only drawback to that scenario would be that Sting was trying to prove he could hang with the World Champ and 20 minutes would not have proven anything.

 

Jim Duggan vs Buzz Sawyer (11/11/85, New Orleans, La.)

- I have this battling Chavo-Olympia for the 2-3 spot in the Watts set. Absolute Top 100 match.

 

Ric Flair vs Butch Reed (10/27/85, Oklahoma City, Ok.)

- These 2 have had some great matches but we couldn't find a complete version of this.

 

Ric Flair vs Terry Taylor (6/1/85, New Orleans, La.)

- Taylor and Flaair have had better matches.

 

Terry Gordy vs Killer Khan (11/22/84, Dallas, Tx.)

- This was friggin sweet and can be found on my Gordy comp. This match will rank higher than any other Killer Khan match featured in the DVDVR 80s set, guaranteed.

 

Eddie Gilbert & Tommy Rich vs Koko Ware & Norvell Austin (5/14/84, Memphis, Tn.)

- Super fun but over-rated by Jeff.

 

Ric Flair vs Lex Luger (12/26/88, Norfolk, Va.)

The jury is still out on if I think this is a Top 100 match of the 80s but a great match..

This was a great match and maybe Luger's best match up to this point. Compare this to the Nikita Koloff match from 1987 and tell me which one is worthy of being on this set. Luger collapsing because of the damage done to his leg was great and using the ropes for the win is classic Flair. Another easy nomination.

Owen Hart & Ben Bassarab vs The Viet Cong Express (9/6/86, Calgary, Al.) These

- He was going off reputation I am guessing?

 

Terry Taylor & Eddie Gilbert vs Sting & Shane Douglas (6/1/87, New Orleans, La.)

- Once again, haven't found a complete match but only the wild brawl at the end of the match that lasted about 6 minutes. I have this as an extra on the Watts set.

 

Ric Flair vs Terry Funk (7/23/89, Baltimore, Md.)

- With the post-match, this was awesome. I like it much better than the I Quit match.

 

Sgt. Slaughter vs Iron Sheik (6/16/84 @ MSG)

- Already voted to be the #1 WWF match of the 80s.

 

Magnum T.A. vs Tully Blanchard (11/26/85, Greensboro, N.C.)

- I think I have this as #2 behind the 1st Wargames.

 

Ricky Steamboat vs Lex Luger (7/22/89, Philadelphia, Pa.)

- Great story but not a Top 100 match of the 80s.

 

Ricky Steamboat vs Randy Savage (3/29/87, Pontiac, Mi.)

- I voted this as #2 on my WWF ballot but I think there are matches not on the WWF set that are better than this. Top 100, sure.

 

Wayne Ferris & Kevin Sullivan vs Bill Dundee & The Dream Machine (4/81, Louisville, Ky.)

- I just had a big argument with Bix over this. Fun post-match brawl but the TV didn't show the actual match.

 

Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee (6/83, Memphis, Tn.)

- Awesome match and my Memphis working #1.

 

Negro Casas vs El Hijo Del Santo (7/18/87, Los Angeles, Ca.)

- Should be Top 20.

 

Midnight Express vs Rock n Roll Express (4/86, Charlotte, N.C.)

- I think Dan released this on the World Pro discs. I don't remember being blown away by it.

 

#19 Eddie Gilbert & Ricky Morton vs Masa Fuchi & Atsushi Onita (1981, Tupelo, Ms.)

- Great moment in wrestling but I don't consider these post-match brawls as wrestling matches in their own right.

 

#17 Ted Dibiase vs Jim Duggan (3/22/85, Houston, Tx.)

- My Mid South #1 and a Top Ten match of the 80s for me.

 

#15 Ric Flair vs Barry Windham (1/20/87, Fayetteville, N.C.)

- Great match but unsure of where it will go on my Crockett ballot and I don't thin kit would crack my Top 20 of 80s matches.

 

#14 Ric Flair vs Terry Funk (11/15/89, Troy, N.Y.)

- I don't think this would make my Top 100. I don't even have it in my Top 20 NWA matches.

 

#13 - Bill Dundee & Buddy Landel vs Jerry Lawler & Dutch Mantell (3/24/86, Memphis, Tn.)

- As had been said before, he is either going off the match reputation or was there live. The clips hint at some awesome things but we don't see them.

 

#12 Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (4/2/89, New Orleans, La.)

- My 3rd favorite Steamboat-Flair match behind the Steamboat title win and the 1984 Meadowlands match.

 

#9 Tatsumi Fujinami vs Akira Maeda (6/12/86, Osaka, Japan)

- I watched this a couple of years ago and liked it but didn't think "Greatest match of the 80s"

[TravJ1979]

While going through WON's from the 1980's I came across another Luger v. Steamboat match that was rated * * * * 3/4 from 7/11/1989 in Chicago by a reader. I know nobody has had any luck locating the 7/22/1989 match from Philly (Dave rated it * * * * 1/2) but possibly the Chicago one can be tracked down?

[gordi]

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Tiger Mask (3/9/88, Yokohama, Japan)

- This should not be on the list.

Good heavens! Why not?

 

It's got a really nice structure: Building from Tiger Mask working the headlock and them coming up with various creative ways for Jumbo to get out of it. When they get into the high impact stuff building toward the finish, it's all believable within the context of it being Jumbo The Unstoppable vs. The New Guy.

 

Jumbo sells really well and makes Misawa look great. They draw the crowd into it and the heat builds impressively as the match develops.

 

For a match of the type "Company Ace vs. Young Athletic Upstart" I don't see what else you'd want.

[MikeCampbell]

I haven't seen the match myself is years, so I can't speak for Gordi's analysis of it (although I'll be watching it soon for my Misawa comp). But I also have to ask the question of why not?

[gordi]

I haven't seen the match myself is years, so I can't speak for Gordi's analysis of it (although I'll be watching it soon for my Misawa comp). But I also have to ask the question of why not?

 

Mike!

 

Hilariously, I just went and dug up a printed copy of your review of "The Path To Becoming The Five Crown King." Sure enough, the match in question is on that comp, and sure enough your review of it pretty much echoes my thoughts on the match. You mention the hot crowd, Jumbo's selling, and so on. I'd be very interested in hearing how your thoughts on the match might have changed since you wrote that review. Sadly, I can't find it online, or I'd cut & paste it here.

 

Reading that old review has got me psyched to watch some Misawa. I've got that set on tape in really good quality. I think I got it from Tabe a few years back. I'm going to watch that match and maybe a few others later today. Who knows, maybe I'll end up agreeing with goodhelmet! It's been a few months since I've seen that match... but I love every minute of anything I've seen that involves Misawa fighting Jumbo.

[Resident Evil]

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Tiger Mask (3/9/88, Yokohama, Japan)

- This should not be on the list.

Good heavens! Why not?

 

It's got a really nice structure: Building from Tiger Mask working the headlock and them coming up with various creative ways for Jumbo to get out of it. When they get into the high impact stuff building toward the finish, it's all believable within the context of it being Jumbo The Unstoppable vs. The New Guy.

 

Jumbo sells really well and makes Misawa look great. They draw the crowd into it and the heat builds impressively as the match develops.

 

For a match of the type "Company Ace vs. Young Athletic Upstart" I don't see what else you'd want.

 

Completely agree. This match rules all.

[MikeCampbell]

Hilariously, I just went and dug up a printed copy of your review of "The Path To Becoming The Five Crown King." Sure enough, the match in question is on that comp, and sure enough your review of it pretty much echoes my thoughts on the match. You mention the hot crowd, Jumbo's selling, and so on. I'd be very interested in hearing how your thoughts on the match might have changed since you wrote that review. Sadly, I can't find it online, or I'd cut & paste it here.

 

Reading that old review has got me psyched to watch some Misawa. I've got that set on tape in really good quality. I think I got it from Tabe a few years back. I'm going to watch that match and maybe a few others later today. Who knows, maybe I'll end up agreeing with goodhelmet! It's been a few months since I've seen that match... but I love every minute of anything I've seen that involves Misawa fighting Jumbo.

I'm actually a bit relieved that you can't find it. My reviewing style and my analysis has changed a lot since I wrote that in, I think, May of 2002.