Matches I have watched & rated

[smkelly]

Like Floyd, I am blatantly stealing this idea from Loss (and Floyd).

 

1969

3/5/69 - the Destroyer vs. Giant Baba JWA *****

 

1970

 

1971

 

1972

 

1973

 

1974

 

1975

 

1976

 

1977

12/10/77 - Harley Race vs. Jerry Lawler Memphis

 

1978

 

1979

 

1980

2/5/80 - Dynamite Kid vs. Tatsumi Fujinami NJPW ****1/4

2/8/80 - Stan Hansen vs. Antonio Inoki NJPW ***1/4

4/3/80 - Stan Hansen vs. Antonio Inoki NJPW ***3/4

9/9/80 - Harley Race vs. Giant Baba AJPW *1/4

 

1981

4/23/81 - Dynamite Kid vs. Tiger Mask NJPW ****

9/23/81 - Andre the Giant vs. Stan Hansen NJPW *****

11/14/81 - Andre the Giant vs. Killer Khan WWF *3/4 Stretcher

 

1982

1/28/82 - Dynamite Kid vs. Tiger Mask NJPW ***3/4

4/1/82 - Andre the Giant vs. Killer Khan NJPW ****

5/26/82 - Tiger Mask vs. Black Tiger NJPW ***

8/5/82 - Dynamite Kid vs. Tiger Mask NJPW ****1/4

9/11/82 - Stan Hansen vs. Terry Funk AJPW ***

12/13/82 - Hansen & Brody vs. the Funks AJPW ****3/4

 

1983

6/6/83 - Jerry Lawler vs. Bill Dundee Loser Leaves Town Memphis **3/4

10/26/83 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Harley Race AJPW **3/4

 

1984

5/22/84 - Ric Flair vs. Harley Race AJPW **3/4

5/22/84 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Kerry Von Erich AJPW ****

6/16/84 - Sgt. Slaughter vs. Iron Sheik WWF ****1/4

6/17/84 - Hulk Hogan vs. David Schultz WWF*1/2

7/5/84 - Dynamite Kid vs. the Cobra NJPW **1/2

7/23/84 - Slaughter/Daniels vs. Murdoch/Adonis WWF *1/4

9/1/84 - Tito Santana vs. Paul Orndorff WWF ****1/2

10/29/84 - Terry Gordy vs. Jumbo Tsuruta AJPW **1/2

12/7/84 - Fujinami/Inoki vs. Murdoch/Adonis NJPW *****

 

1985

5/20/85 - Hulk Hogan vs. Don Muraco WWF *

7/20/85 - Bob Orton Jr. vs. Ricky Steamboat WWF ****1/4

9/14/85 - Dynamite Kid vs. Bret Hart WWF ****

11/27/85 - Dynamite Kid vs. Tiger Mask II AJPW **3/4

12/30/85 - Jerry Lawler vs. Bill Dundee No DQ, Loser Leaves Town Memphis ***1/2

 

 

1986

3/8/86 - Ricky Steamboat vs. Bret Hart WWF ****

4/7/86 - Dream Team vs. British Bulldogs WWF ****1/4

8/28/86 - Ricky Steamboat vs. Jake Roberts WWF *3/4

11/15/86 - Randy Savage vs. Jake Roberts WWF ****1/4

 

1987

3/29/87 - Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat WWF ****1/4

 

1988

3/11/88 - Hiroshi Hase vs. Nobuhiko Takada NJPW ****1/4

4/25/88 - Bret Hart vs. Bad News Brown WWF *3/4

6/11/88 - Owen Hart vs. Keichi Yamada NJPW ***3/4

7/22/88 - Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase WWF *1/4 Cage

12/16/88 - Hansen & Gordy vs. Tenryu & Kawada AJPW ****1/2

 

1989

1/16/89 - Randy Savage vs. Bad News Brown WWF 1/4* Street Fight

2/16/89 - Hulk Hogan vs. Bad News Brown WWF 3/4*

3/8/89 - Bret Hart vs. Ted DiBiase WWF **1/4

4/2/89 - Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage WWF ***3/4

6/5/89 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Genichiro Tenryu AJPW *****

7/1/89 - Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada AJPW **1/2

8/11/89 - Dynamite Kid vs. Owen Hart Stampede ** Street Fight

8/28/89 - Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude WWF ****1/4

10/2/89 - Bret Hart vs. Curt Hennig WWF ***1/2

10/31/89 - Rockers vs. Brainbusters WWF *3/4 2/3 Falls

 

1990

6/5/90 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Terry Gordy AJPW ***

6/30/90 - Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi AJPW ****1/4

7/7/90 - Kenta Kobashi vs. Stan Hansen AJPW ***1/2

11/1/90 - Chono & Mutoh vs. Hase & Sasaki NJPW ****3/4

 

1991

4/5/91 - Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi AJPW ***1/4

4/18/91 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa AJPW ****1/2

4/28/91 - Jushin Liger vs. Owen Hart NJPW ****1/2

5/24/91 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Kenta Kobashi AJPW ****1/2

7/18/91 - Toshiaki Kawada vs. Masanobu Fuchi AJPW ****

7/20/91 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Steve Williams AJPW ****

8/11/91 - Masahiro Chono vs. Keiji Mutoh NJPW ****1/2

10/24/91 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Toshiaki Kawada AJPW ****3/4

 

1992

2/2/92 - Stan Hansen vs. Tsuyoshi Kikuchi AJPW *3/4

3/22/92 - Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi AJPW ****1/2

5/22/92 - Misawa/Kobashi/Kawada vs. Tsuruta/Taue/Fuchi AJPW *****

8/29/92 - Davey Boy Smith vs. Bret Hart WWF ****3/4

10/21/92 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada AJPW ****1/2

 

1993

3/27/93 - Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada AJPW ****1/2

4/13/93 - Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi AJPW ****1/4

4/16/93 - Kenta Kobashi vs. Stan Hansen AJPW ****1/4

7/9/93 - Hansen & Bossman vs. Misawa & Kobashi AJPW ***3/4

7/28/93 - 8 man elimination tag AJPW ****1/4

7/29/93 - Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada AJPW ****1/2

7/29/93 - Kenta Kobashi vs. Stan Hansen AJPW *****

9/23/93 - Genichiro Tenryu vs. Hiroshi Hase NJPW ***3/4

10/18/93 - Kenta Kobashi vs. Big Bossman AJPW **1/4

11/24/93 - Williams & Bossman vs. Misawa & Kobashi AJPW ****

12/1/93 - Williams & Bossman vs. Kawada & Taue AJPW ****1/4

 

1994

3/20/94 Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart WWF ****3/4

3/20/94 Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon WWF ****1/2 Ladder

4/10/94 Kenta Kobashi vs. Stan Hansen AJPW ****1/4

4/11/94 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada AJPW ****1/2

4/16/94 Jushin Liger vs. Great Sasuke NJPW *****

4/16/94 Wild Pegasus vs. Great Sasuke NJPW *****

6/3/94 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada AJPW *****

8/29/94 Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart WWF ***** Cage

12/14/94 Shinya Hashimoto vs. Hiroshi Hase NJPW ****1/2

 

1995

4/15/95 - Dean Malenko vs. Eddie Guerrero ECW *****

6/9/95 Misawa/Kobashi vs. Kawada/Taue AJPW *****

6/30/95 Kawada/Honda/Taue vs. Misawa/Kobashi/Asako AJPW ****

8/20/95 Cactus Jack vs. Terry Funk IWA ****

8/26/95 - Dean Malenko vs. Eddie Guerrero ECW ****1/2

10/7/95 - Rey Mysterio Jr vs. Psicosis ECW ****3/4

10/25/95 Toshiaki Kawada vs. Gary Albright AJPW ****1/2

12/13/95 Gran Naniwa vs. Damien 666 WAR DUD

12/13/95 Wild Pegasus vs. Lionheart WAR ****1/4

12/13/95 Shinjiro Otani vs. Masaaki Mochizuki WAR ***3/4

12/13/95 Ultimo Dragon vs. Shoichi Funaki WAR **3/4

12/13/95 Masayoshi Motegi vs. Gedo WAR *1/4

12/13/95 El Samurai vs. Dos Caras WAR ***3/4

12/13/95 Lionheart vs. Hanzo Nakajima WAR *3/4

12/13/95 Jushin Liger vs. Gran Naniwa WAR *3/4

 

1996

9/22/96 Mankind vs. Shawn Michaels WWF ****3/4

9/29/96 Volk Han vs. Kiyoshi Tamura RINGS ****1/4

12/6/96 Misawa/Akiyama vs. Kawada/Taue AJPW *****

 

1997

1/22/97 Volk Han vs. Kiyoshi Tamura RINGS ****1/2

3/23/97 Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin WWF ***** Submission

8/3/97 Mankind vs. Triple H WWF ***3/4 Cage (Clips)

8/9/97 Terry Funk vs. Sabu ECW ***** Barbed Wire

9/26/97 Volk Han vs. Kiyoshi Tamura RINGS ****3/4

10/5/97 Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels WWF ****1/2 HIAC

10/26/97 Eddy Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. WCW ***** Title vs. Mask

 

1998

5/29/98 Volk Han vs. Tsuyoshi Kohsaka RINGS ****1/4

6/27/98 Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Tsuyoshi Kohsaka RINGS ****3/4

6/28/98 Mankind vs. Undertaker WWF ***** HIAC

 

1999

1/15/99 Kenta Kobashi vs. Vader AJPW ****

1/24/99 Rock vs. Mankind WWF ****1/4 I Quit

4/16/99 Kenta Kobashi vs. Vader AJPW ****1/4

5/22/99 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Vader AJPW ****1/2

6/20/99 Ryuji Yamakawa vs. Tomoaki Honma BJPW ***1/4

7/23/99 Vader & Albright vs. Kobashi & Akiyama AJPW **1/2

10/4/99 Chris Benoit vs. Bret Hart WCW ****3/4 UNCUT version

10/17/99 Hardy Boys vs. Edge & Christian WWF ***** Ladder

 

2000

1/23/00 Triple H vs. Cactus Jack WWF ****3/4 Street Fight

4/9/00 Blue Panther vs. El Hijo del Santo ***1/2

2/17/00 Vader vs. Toshiaki Kawada AJPW ***

8/27/00 Three Way Tag Team WWF ***** TLC

9/17/00 Scott Steiner vs. Goldberg WCW **3/4

10/28/00 Toshiaki Kawada vs. Genichiro Tenryu AJPW ****1/4

 

2001

1/21/01 Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit WWF ****3/4 Ladder

4/1/01 Three Way Tag Team WWF ****1/2 TLC

4/1/01 Rock vs. Steve Austin WWF ****3/4

5/21/01 Benoit/Jericho vs. Austin/HHH WWF *****

5/24/01 Four Way Tag Team WWF ****3/4 TLC

5/31/01 Chris Benoit vs. Steve Austin WWF ****3/4

6/11/01 Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle WWF ****1/2 Cage

10/21/01 the Rock vs. Chris Jericho WWF ***3/4

 

2002

5/27/02 Rob Van Dam vs. Eddy Guerrero WWF **** Ladder

8/25/02 Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H WWF ****3/4 Street Fight

8/28/02 Jerry Lynn vs. Low-Ki vs. AJ Styles TNA ***3/4 Ladder

 

2003

1/19/03 Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle WWF *****

3/1/03 Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa NOAH *****

 

2004

3/14/04 Benoit vs. HHH vs. Michaels WWF *****

4/18/04 Randy Orton vs. Cactus Jack WWF ****3/4 FCA

4/18/04 Benoit vs. HHH vs. Michaels WWF ****1/2

7/10/04 Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama NOAH *****

8/15/04 Chris Benoit vs. Randy Orton WWF ****

 

2005

1/16/05 Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kensuke Sasaki AJPW ****1/2

2/26/05 Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero **

4/3/05 Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle WWF ****

5/2/05 Shelton Benjamin vs. Shawn Michaels WWF ****

6/12/05 Masato Tanaka vs. Mike Awesome WWF ****1/2

9/11/05 Styles vs. Joe vs. Daniels TNA ****3/4

10/23/05 Abyss vs. Hardy vs. Sabu vs. Rhino TNA ***1/4 Monsters Ball

 

2006

1/16/06 Edge vs. Ric Flair WWF ****1/2 TLC

2/19/06 Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle WWF ***

3/24/06 Finlay vs. Rey Mysterio Jr WWF ****

3/31/06 Blood Generation vs. Do Fixer ROH ***1/4

4/1/06 Low Ki vs. Necro Butcher IWA-MS ***3/4

4/7/06 Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio Jr WWF ****1/4

4/22/06 CZW vs. ROH ****1/2

4/29/06 Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness ROH ****1/2

5/8/06 Chris Benoit vs. William Regal WWF ***1/2

5/8/06 Homicide vs. Necro Butcher ROH ****1/4

5/21/06 Chris Benoit vs. Finlay WWF ****1/4

6/18/06 Samoa Joe vs. Scott Steiner TNA *

7/15/06 CZW vs. ROH ****1/2 Cage of Death

8/6/06 Samoa Joe vs. Bryan Danielson ROH ****1/2

8/12/06 Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness ROH ****3/4

8/13/06 LAX vs. Styles/Daniels TNA *1/4

8/20/06 Ric Flair vs. Mick Foley WWF **** I Quit

9/2/06 Super Dragon vs. Necro Butcher PWG *****

9/16/06 Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA ROH *****

9/17/06 John Cena vs. Edge WWF ****1/4 TLC

9/24/06 LAX vs. Styles/Daniels TNA *1/2 Ultimate X

10/8/06 William Regal vs. Chris Benoit WWF ****1/2

11/4/06 Matt Sydal vs. KENTA ROH ****1/4

12/2/06 Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA NOAH ****1/2

12/10/06 Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe TNA ***3/4

12/17/06 Four Way Tag Team WWF **** Ladder

 

2007

1/27/07 John Cena vs. Umaga WWF ***** Last Man Standing

1/27/07 Hardy Boys vs. MNM WWF **1/2

4/13/07 Yuji Nagata vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi NJPW ****

5/13/07 Chris Harris vs. James Storm TNA ***3/4

5/20/07 John Cena vs. Great Khali WWF ****1/4

6/3/07 Hardy Boys vs. World’s Greatest Tag Team WWF ****1/4 Ladder

6/9/07 Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness ROH *****

6/17/07 King of the Mountain TNA ***

6/23/07 Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA ROH *****

7/22/07 John Cena vs. Bobby Lashley WWF **3/4

7/27/07 Mistico vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. CMLL ***3/4

8/25/07 Takeshi Morishima vs. Bryan Danielson ROH *****

9/15/07 Steen/Generico vs. Briscoe Brothers ROH ***** Ladder

10/18/07 Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kensuke Sasaki AJPW **3/4

10/28/07 Umaga vs. Triple H WWF ****1/4 Street Fight

10/28/07 Undertaker vs. Batista WWF ***1/4

12/29/07 Austin Aries vs. Nigel McGuinness ROH ****1/4

 

2008

1/5/08 Bryan Danielson vs. Low Ki PWG ****

1/8/08 Bucanero/Guerrero vs. Mistico/Wagner Jr. **3/4

2/11/08 Jeff Hardy vs. Shawn Michaels WWF ***3/4

10/13/08 Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA NOAH ****3/4

12/12/08 Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero *3/4

 

2009

11/13/09 Davey Richards vs. Austin Aries ROH DUD - **

 

2010

2/23/10 Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho WWF **1/2

[floyd]

Cool thanks! I'm always on the lookout for what to watch and this should help.

 

You know I STILL haven't seen all of that Race/Lawler match yet...

 

11/13/09 – Davey Richards vs. Austin Aries ROH DUD - **

Ouch! Still have to see this too.

[smkelly]

Even after watching the Lawler/Race match a second time, I still don't know where to rate it.

 

And, your welcome good sir.

 

By the way, I did review it, in case you missed it.

 

http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?s=&a...t&p=5443324

[MJH]

The Lawler/Race match, assuming it's the (1977?) one on youtube... is basically Harley's hour routine. So naturally it has its strengths but its a match he was basically working around the loop with any decently talented babyface during his title run. For all his strengths Lawler wasn't cut out for a 60-minute match, I don't think, his style and work in general was just so limited.

[smkelly]

Floyd inspired me to compile a ballot for my top 100 matches during the 2000-2009 decade. So, here it is.

 

1. John Cena vs. Umaga 1-28-07 WWF Last Man Standing ***** - This is probably my favorite match of the decade. All of those cynical fans who berate Cena and shout, “You can’t wrestle” need to watch this match. He wrestles a masterpiece of a match, truly magnificent. Umaga is pretty choice on this night as well, and comes out of the match looking even stronger than when he entered the match even though he lost a huge gimmick match for the WWE Title. Cena takes rough and painful bumps, brawls as if he’s a street thug, and bleeds buckets as Austin used to. The finish and JR’s commentary push this match into MOTD realms of awesomeness.

2. Bryan Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima 8-25-07 ROH ***** - This narrowly missed the number one spot on my list. Danielson takes an ever-growing Morishima, and lays out a masterpiece of a match…with a freshly broken face that Morishima targets and works over. Just an epic David versus Goliath match-up that delivers all of the expected hype and payoffs marvelously.

3. Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama 7-10-04 NOAH ***** - Good God does Kobashi take some incredibly frightening bumps in this match. For a man of his size, age, and medical history, he takes so many unnecessary risks…but they’re all incredibly awesome and epic like. Kobashi was thirty-seven years old when this match took place, and when he took a top rope to floor exploder.

4. Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle 1-19-03 WWF ***** - I think this is the best representation of the WWF’s “Main Event” style. I have adored this truly memorable match since I first watched it. People have criticized this match to hell, but to each their own…this is one of my favorite matches of the decade and all-time even if Benoit is a cold-blooded murderer and Angle is a domestic violence inclined sociopath.

5. Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa 3-1-03 NOAH ***** - This is an epic match. Many have criticized the match for the excessiveness of the big headrops and no selling…but that is just part of the feud between these two men. They fought tooth and nail in All Japan, but Misawa routinely found his way to a victory, and in earlier years, beat Kobashi like a drum. Those days are long gone. Kobashi has as the ace of Pro Wrestling NOAH and is not just some ring boy who’ll be easily dispatched anymore. Misawa may have flashy finishing moves that used to put Kobashi down for the count but they’ve lost their stopping power, whereas Kobashi’s main and big match finisher is still sealing the victory for him. Watch as they aging warriors defy normal human parameters and unleash an almost inhuman amount of pain and punishment upon each other.

6. Benoit & Jericho vs. Austin & HHH 5-21-01 WWF ***** - A truly memorable tag team match between the Vanilla Midgets and the Two Man Power Trip. The heat for this match was absurd, the work was terrific, and HHHoldmedown got hurt and missed burying all of the WCW rejects in the failed Invasion program.

7. Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA 9-16-06 ROH ***** - While they showed some indie-rific moments, like the lack of selling, the match was off the charts incredible. This match occurred when Danielson’s shoulder was all screwed up and he showed what kind of man he was working through it and delivering an epic contest.

8. Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness 6-9-07 ROH ***** - These two had already delivered classics in 2006, now they’re upping the ante by delivering all-time classics in 2007. The match lasted a little over 30 minutes, but they didn’t do the stupid indie crap of excessive no-selling and bomb throwing that leads nowhere like what Davey Richards and Tyler Black love doing.

9. Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA 6-23-07 ROH ***** - Danielson continues his epic rivalry with KENTA in another epic battle of East versus West. The Dynamite Kid and Tiger Mask revolutionized junior styled contests in the 80s, Jushin Liger and Chris Benoit pushed the envelope further in the 90s, and now, in the 2000s, we have the replacements in Bryan Danielson and KENTA…which in my opinion, is a much better matchup and series of matches.

10. Kawada & Fuchi vs. Nagata & Iizuka 12-14-00 NJPW ***** - This match rocked on all cylinders. It reminds me of one of the epic, but not heavily analyzed or dissected AJPW tags in the 90s. It’s the best match for Kawada in this decade, and the same for Nagata and the other two performers. I wish Kawada & Fuchi had been a full-time tag team, as they play the perfect dick heads and grizzled veterans who’ll give you a shoot brainbuster on the floor if you fuck with them.

11. Super Dragon vs. Necro Butcher 9-2-06 PWG ***** - Sweet Jesus, mother of all things epic is this match brutal. I had low expectations before watching this match, but this time around, my instincts were completely FUBAR. Necro takes bumps in the match that’d make Foley wince in pain and feel uncomfortable. Super Dragon is no slouch either, he takes his licks like a Timex watch, but keeps coming back for more.

12. Steen & Generico vs. Briscoe Brothers 9-15-07 ROH Ladder ***** - Another match that has many cringe inducing bumps and moments. I sincerely believe that the Briscoe Brothers have a death wish, and that crazy El Generico dude wants to perish. Some definite career ending and shortening bumps are displayed here. I don’t think I’ve ever rewound a match as many times as I did with this one.

13. CM Punk vs. Chris Hero 2-7-03 IWA MS ***** - I’ve always kept this rating to myself about this match, but yeah, it’s a 5* match. I used to hate it back when it first came out, because then I was all about spot/spot/bump/bump/headrop. Now, I prefer stuff like this…well-paced, technically sound matwork, and long buildups of dramatic action. Sure, it is ridiculously long, like 93 minutes long, but imagine the level of cardiovascular conditioning it requires to work a wrestling match for that amount of time. It’s insane.

14. TLC I 8-27-00 WWF ***** - Six men walked into a ring and decided to shorten all of their careers by a decade so they could make fans scream and lose their bowels because of the death defying spectacle they were about to witness. It isn’t surprising that four of the six ended up on the shelf, needed surgeries, and became addicted to illegal substances to alleviate the excoriating pain. Entertain us you meat puppets!

15. Bryan Danielson vs. Paul London 4-12-03 ROH ***** - Danielson shows early in his career that he is a superworker as he carries a stoner like London to a marvelous, psychologically sound epic match. This was Ring of Honor’s finest match until Danielson outdid himself later on.

16. Randy Orton vs. Cactus Jack 4-18-04 WWF Falls Count Anywhere ****3/4 – Foley shows why he deserves so many Bruiser Brody WON awards, he carries a very green, yet seemingly capable Randy Orton to a career match when the WWF was still promoting excessive and brutal violence. Foley takes some bumps that a man with his medical history should be avoiding, and Orton, one of the future faces of the WWF takes some equally disturbing bumps in route to securing victory.

17. Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA 10-13-08 NOAH ****3/4 – They take their battle back to NOAH, where this time, Danielson is far more established and allowed to work a longer and more competitive match than in their 2006 bout in NOAH. Sure, it isn’t up to the level of their ROH matches, but very few matches in this decade are. In this match though, you’ll see lots of awesome bodywork, stiff exchanges, top rope to floor ghetto stomps, and a stupid crowd.

18. Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness 8-12-06 ROH ****3/4 – Nigel made this match terrifyingly brutal with his sickening headbutts to the ring post. His head was swollen like a prizefighters after a grueling fight. They did lots of awesome work throughout and some particularly awesome hatred spots and pro like selling of damage.

19. Benoit vs. HHH vs. Michaels 3-14-04 WWF ****3/4 – Even though I despise what Benoit did to his family, I choose to remember the man as a superworker. This is probably the best three way match of all-time, as everyone steps up their game and delivers an epic tale of shortcomings and an inescapable glass ceiling that is finally pushed aside. Add in the fact that Benoit wins a World title, at WrestleMania 20; by making Triple H submit in the center of the ring cleanly to the crossface.

20. KENTA vs. Naomichi Marufuji 10-29-06 NOAH ****3/4 – Another really long bout with the two young aces of NOAH trying to one up each other, and their own previous efforts in past matches. Some truly grueling bumps in this epic match that left me rewinding continuously.

 

 

21. Triple H vs. Cactus Jack 1-23-00 WWF Streetfight ****3/4 – This crazy brawl just missed my top twenty, and on a different day, it would have likely made my top twenty…but today isn’t that day. 2000 was Triple H’s year in the WWF, and Foley was particularly inspired to get concussion, stitches, and make his best buddy Hunter look like a million bucks.

22. CM Punk vs. Chris Hero 2-9-02 IWA MS Tables & Ladders ****3/4 – This is an incredible spectacle of a gimmick match. Nearly an hour long and filled with career shortening bumps and spots. The best part is that it’s in front of a small, but appreciative IWA MS crowd.

23. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels 2-13-05 TNA ****3/4 30 minute Iron Man – This is the greatest match in TNA history. Styles and Daniels work together like some other fantastic pairings (think Flair and Steamboat, Kobashi & Misawa). Too bad we have to listen to the stupid announcers TNA has employed.

24. KENTA & Ishimori vs. Marufuji & Ibushi 7-15-07 NOAH ****3/4 – What a crazy, fast paced, non-stop thrill ride of a match this was – the interactions between all four are marvelously exploited and it really seems refreshing.

25. Steve Austin vs. Triple H 2-25-01 WWF ****3/4 Three Stages of Hell – Austin and HHH put on a brawling clinic, and they both bleed buckets and bust their asses. The booking is questionable though, as the win did nothing for Triple H, because Austin went onto WM to win the title from the Rock in another stellar match.

26. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H 8-25-02 WWF Streetfight ****3/4 – This match should have honestly been Michaels first and last match back. It was only downhill from here, and it would have saved many jobs for dudes like Jericho. Michaels comes back and acts as he’d never left and his back was never hurt to begin with. Awesome streetfight, which sees HBK smartly wear jeans – a small, but awesome detail.

27. Kobashi & Shiozaki vs. Sasaki & Nakajima 11-5-05 NOAH ****3/4 – I had never seen and barely heard of the two smaller named dudes before this match, but man oh man, can they deliver the goods alongside Sasaki and the always awesome Kobashi.

28. America’s Most Wanted vs. Triple X 12-5-04 TNA ****3/4 Cage – This is probably the greatest tag team cage match of all-time. Watch as Skipper attempts suicide on top of the cage.

29. Kenta Kobashi vs. Kensuke Sasaki 7-18-05 NOAH ****3/4 – This is a man sized match. Another bona fide dream matchup between two world-beaters in Kobashi and Sasaki. There is a lot of pain and punishment in this match…more than one chest bursting chop is thrown.

30. KENTA & Marufuji vs. Kanemaru & Sugiura 6-6-05 NOAH ****3/4 – Like I’ll always say, KENTA & Marufuji rock the house as a team, an almost guaranteed 4* a match team. They have excellent chemistry, stiff offenses, and sound workrate capabilities. That Kanemaru guy is okay, same goes for Sugiura.

 

 

31. Styles vs. Daniels vs. Joe 9-11-05 TNA ****3/4 – Probably the greatest three way match in wrestling history. I can believe Joe as a world-beater in this match…because HE’S BIGGER than Styles & Daniels. Styles is just an incredible talent, not much he cannot do in the ring. Daniels brings the heelness of the match and is awesome.

32. Bryan Danielson vs. Low Ki 3-30-02 ROH ****3/4 – The main event of the second ever Ring of Honor show displayed these two extremely talented, and bitter old rivals to the rabid Philadelphia crowd…and they loved ‘em.

33. KENTA & Marufuji vs. Hidaka & Fujita 5-8-05 NOAH ****3/4 – This was once my favorite juniors tag team bout, but 6-6-05, and then 7-15-07 changed that. Still, for my money, this is an epic junior’s match, one of the best juniors tag matches of all-time, as KENTA & Marufuji are arguably the greatest junior tag team of all-time.

34. Mysterio Jr & Edge vs. Benoit & Angle 10-20-02 WWF ****3/4 – This is one of the better WWF tag team matches ever held, which actually might be the second best of all-time, as the 1980s and 90s aren’t ringing any true masterpieces.

35. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit 1-21-01 WWF Ladder ****3/4 – This is the ladder match to remember from the WWF, and in particular, the tope suicida that is met with a chair to the skull.

36. Genichiro Tenryu vs. Satoshi Kojima 7-17-02 AJPW ****3/4 – Tenryu is an old man, an old man shouldn’t be doing things like this…imagine your father doing this kind of stuff. But Tenryu is that cool old dude who does extraordinary things, like defy the laws of physics and known medical science. Tenryu is that good.

37. TLC III 5-24-01 WWF ****3/4 – Benoit’s suicidal table bump, and then taking a con-chairto to the mid-section afterwards made this match. I think Mr. Benoit broke his neck here.

38. Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles 12-11-05 TNA ****3/4 – Fantastic big little man versus little man match, but again, I have to endure TNA’s God awful announcing.

39. Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness 4-29-06 ROH ****1/2 – Lots of awesome matwork with very few big bombs and no-selling exchanges that mare a lot of ROH matches.

40. Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA 12-2-06 NOAH ****1/2 – The crowd definitely sucks in this match, and their unusually slow start doesn’t help much either, but once they get going, their work is crisp, stiff, and believable. All things I love about professional wrestling, brother!

 

 

41. Ki vs. Daniels vs. Danielson 2-23-02 ROH ****1/2 – The first main event for the first Ring of Honor show…and it’s an epic three way match between the three musketeers of the indie scene.

42. Yoshihiro Takayama vs. Kenta Kobashi 4-25-04 NOAH ****1/2 – I’ve decided that Kobashi is a modern miracle in both medicine and science. How he’s able to perform at a level so advanced for so long is just awe inspiring, incredible, and scary. Takayama beats the living hell out Kobashi, but the Orange Crush will not stay down.

43. Yuji Nagata vs. Akira Taue 6-6-03 NOAH ****1/2 – Akira Taue always played in the shadows of the more talented Kawada, Misawa, and Kobashi in AJ in the 90s, but Taue was always a gifted and talented worker capable of unleashing a 5* classic. Taue takes some ridiculous abuse in this match, and Nagata doesn’t suck like he typically does.

44. Chris Benoit vs. William Regal 10-8-06 WWF ****1/2 – Everything a Benoit and Regal fan could ask for: solid matwork, stiff exchanges, forehead knife edge chops, slow and methodical build, physicality, unusual intensity, and a clean finish.

45. KENTA vs. Naomichi Marufuji 1-22-06 NOAH ****1/2 – Long match with lots of cool and dangerous spots and bumps and shiny ring attire and screaming excited Japanese people and it’s just the match to watch on a rainy Sunday, it’ll brighten your day.

46. KENTA & Marufuji vs. Liger & Murahama 7-16-03 NOAH ****1/2 – Liger, KENTA, Marufuji, and an inspired Murahama together in the same ring will result in awesome things…which is what happens here.

47. Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar 2-15-04 WWF ****1/2 – Eddie was motivated to perform on this night…just look at the fancy NJPW styled match he presented with all of the high tech and long lost and forgotten submission holds, plus he wins a World title.

48. KENTA vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru 7-18-05 NOAH ****1/2 – One of the premier junior matches of the decade, as KENTA is especially motivated and Kanemaru can be such a prick.

49. Chris Benoit vs. Steve Austin 5-31-01 WWF ****1/2 – I loved this match as a sixteen year old mark, and didn’t fully understand the significance of the screwy non-finish. Now that I am older and wiser to the business, I understand the finish, which makes me hate Vince McMahon even more…exactly as it’s supposed to do. I’m such a mark!

50. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kensuke Sasaki 10-9-00 NJPW ****1/2 – This was always a dream match for me as a young puro watcher…and the best part? It delivered. Sasaki had never been that great of a singles competitor, more of a tag team specialist, but the AJPW style seasoned Kawada leads him by the hand and bashes his brains in with the trademarked AJPW stiffness.

 

 

51. Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle 6-11-01 WWF Cage ****1/2 – This was an awesome cage match; off the cage moonsault and diving headbutt, second rope German suplex, and Austin on commentary.

52. Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue 9-10-04 NOAH ****1/2 – Taue has another fantastic match when most people had given up on him…and it helps when 37 year old Kobashi doesn’t mind getting beaten from pillar to post and bumping around like a 20 year old junior.

53. The Rock vs. Steve Austin 4-1-01 WWF ****1/2 No DQ – Austin is having the year of his career in the ring, and this match helps cement that point. The Rock was always game in big matches, and this was a huge match. The ending is another questionable booking decision in two big matches in 2001.

54. Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness 11-22-08 ROH ****1/2 – Another chapter to their awesome ROH feud and barn burning matches.

55. Benoit vs. HHH vs. Michaels 4-18-04 WWF ****1/2 – Watch as Benoit gains revenge for Bret Hart as he makes Shawn Michaels submit, in Canada, to the sharpshooter. Repent your sins motherfucker!

56. KENTA vs. Naomichi Marufuji 10-25-08 NOAH ****1/2 – Most snarky DVDVR fans dislike this match, but me, I love it. KENTA and Marufuji always produce quality wrestling, and this is no exception.

57. Masato Tanaka vs. Shinjiro Ohtani 7-13-01 Zero One ****1/2 – This is similar to a 90s AJ heavyweight slugfest between Misawa & Kobashi…just brutal exchanges, heat, build, pacing, psychology, and dramatic near falls.

58. Keiji Muto vs. Genichiro Tenryu 6-8-01 AJPW ****1/2 – This is the apex of the Muto’s transformation into the “shining one” and Tenryu’s return to AJPW after years absence. Oh, and the match is tubular.

59. Bryan Danielson vs. Low Ki 2-24-01 ECWA – I first saw this match after downloading the file, the VQ sucked, but the match was incredible. Both dudes are still young to the business, but that doesn’t stop them from annihilating each other with gruesome kicks and strikes.

60. Jushin Liger vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru 7-10-04 NOAH ****1/2 – Liger’s best singles performance of the decade, and probably since 1999

 

 

61. TLC II 4-1-01 WWF ****1/2 – Most prefer this one, but there is just something more special about the first one. Don’t get me wrong, this one is insane too, definitely career shortening and life threatening, but missing that touch of insanity the first one possessed.

62. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kensuke Sasaki 1-16-05 AJPW ****1/2 – One word epitomizes this match easier than any others: stiff. Really, stiff.

63. Edge vs. Ric Flair 1-16-06 WWF TLC ****1/2 – I think I am overrating this…scratch that, I know I’m overrating it. Flair was old when I first started wrestling in 1990, and this is sixteen years later. Flair is old as dirt here and it really shows, but he takes bumps men helf his age are afraid to take and he bleeds like a NWA 1980s champion.

64. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Shinya Hashimoto 2-22-04 AJPW ****1/2 – Shinya’s overhead chops versus Kawada’s kicks and the top prize in AJPW is up for grabs, the illustrious Triple Crown.

65. Bryan Danielson vs. Low Ki 7-21-01 ECWA ****1/2 – Another epically stiff and gruesome match between two of the most talented young performers at the time – it also has Ricky Steamboat as the special guest referee.

66. CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe 10-16-04 ROH ****1/2 – There is just something about Samoa Joe being packaged as a world-beater and a man-child that bothers me. I guess it’s seeing him dwarfed in size and height compared to a lot of TNA talent, and Kobashi. The match is fine and dandy, but the crowd and announcers are always a fucking pain in the ass. They tried to work a Misawa versus Kawada styled match, but no one can really replicate that kind of perfect symmetry, chemistry, and hatred. Meltzer was on a Samoa Joe match automatically gets a few extra *s, but I’m no mark for the chubby man.

67. Kurt Angle vs. Steve Austin 8-19-01 WWF ****1/2 – The miracle year for Austin continues, but this time, its opposite of the always capable Kurt Angle. Austin takes some risqué moves for a man with a spinal system that’s comparable to an 80 year old.

68. Steve Corino vs. Homicide 11-29-03 ROH ****1/2 Barbed Wire – Not anywhere near as gruesome as the Funk versus Sabu barbed wire match from 97, but it’s in the same realm of sheer terrifying moments of brutality and uncomfortable moments.

69. Masato Tanaka vs. Mike Awesome 6-12-05 WWF ****1/2 – Two past their prime warriors working a similar styled match they did six years before and never missing a beat or a table.

70. Triple H vs. Umaga 10-28-07 WWF ****1/2 Streetfight – HHH is good in streetfights, as evidenced by his classics with Foley and Michaels. Umaga is a perfectly capable brawler, but the thing I disliked the most about this match, is how HHH’s punches were sold more by Umaga than Cena’s haymakers. Just a minor imperfection to a terrific hate inspired brawl that made Umaga look strong, but not as strong as the aftermath with Cena.

 

 

71. Naomichi Marufuji vs. Tatsuhito Takaiwa 12-9-01 NOAH ****1/2 – Marufuji has an epic singles match without KENTA and in 2001? Yes on both accounts. Takaiwa is my favorite dick headed junior this side of Kanemoto and Ohtani. The pupil learned well from his masters.

72. Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge vs. Angle vs. Benoit 12-5-02 WWF ****1/2 Elimination – Fantastic match that is once again, given away free. This match, had been on a PPV, with a few more minutes, would be a 5* match.

73. Morishima & Rikio vs. KENTA & Marufuji 7-16-06 NOAH ****1/2 – Fantastic big versus small match with the big boys unleashing hell, while the smalls retalitate with small nice comebacks and stiffness.

74. Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero 9-26-02 WWF ****1/2 No DQ – Edge and Guerrero tear SmackDown apart in this fantastic giveaway match.

75. Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe 8-6-06 ROH ****1/2 – Joe’s performance was absolutely match killing.

76. Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett 1-11-09 TNA ****1/2 Grudge – I never used to like Jarrett, either as a worker or a human being, but after what the man endured with his wife, I have a new found respect for the veteran from Memphis origins. Angle is his usual self here, kicking ass and looking bad assed, while Jarrett brings about some Memphis inspired themes.

77. Kenta Kobashi vs. Yuji Nagata 9-12-03 NOAH ****1/4 – Watch Nagata be all-mean and stuff with his painful submissions and kicks to the well-known terrible legs of Kobashi. What an asshole. God I love Nagata.

78. Giant Bernard vs. Yuji Nagata 4-30-06 NJPW ****1/4 – This is Bernard’s best match ever.

79. KENTA vs. SUWA 9-18-05 NOAH ****1/4 – KENTA is awesome in this, and SUWA becomes otherworldly mean and all dick headed like.

80. Genichiro Tenryu vs. Kensuke Sasaki 1-4-00 NJPW ****1/4 – I don’t know what it is, but I really enjoy watching old Tenryu get the ever loving hell beat out of him by younger powerhouses like Sasaki.

 

 

81. Kurt Angle vs. Nigel McGuinness 11-15-09 TNA ****1/4 – This was an excellent coming out match for the recently debuted McGuinness. What better person to work with than Kurt Angle in your first PPV match.

82. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Genichiro Tenryu 10-28-00 AJPW ****1/4 – Brutally stiff match considering Tenryu is in his fifties by this point…Kawada seems to have legit KO'd at the end with the scoop brainbuster.

83. Cactus Jack vs. Triple H 2-27-00 WWF ****1/4 Hell in the Cell – While this isn’t as great a spectacle as the 1998 Mankind Hell in a Cell against the Undertaker, it serves its purpose for getting HHH over as a world-beater and the ace of the promotion. Oh, and Foley takes some abnormal bumps in this match too.

84. Ten man tag 2-7-00 WWF ****1/4 – The work wasn’t as great as it could have been, only if Eddie hadn’t gotten injured, he could have been on the team instead of X-Pac, and Rikishi and Too Cool are all terrible in their own suckiness. It’s the heat the match got is what makes it so memorable…off the chains.

85. John Cena vs. Edge 9-17-06 WWF ****1/4 TLC – John Cena is terrific in this match, as he takes some serious bumps for a promotion-carrying superstar. Can’t forget Edge…the dude returned from spinal fusion and he’s falling off ladders, being put through numerous tables, and being brained for a living…incredible.

86. Jushin Liger vs. Makoto Hashi 3-6-04 NOAH ****1/4 – One of Liger’s finest performances in this decade, and Hashi, he’s going to be a superstar someday…I think.

87. Kawada & Tenryu vs. Hansen & Kea 7-23-00 AJPW ****1/4 – This match was an awesome tag team event that happened after Misawa’s dissension gutted AJPW of its roster and greatness. Hansen, who is way past his prime here, can still work better than any FCW worker can, and even better than most seasoned WWF workers can. I believe this is Mr. Puroresu’s return to an AJPW ring.

88. Chris Benoit vs. Finlay 5-21-06 WWF ****1/4 – A good match, but I disliked the quickness of the submission victory – I think there should have been some more struggling and refusal to quit.

89. Eddie Guerrero vs. John Bradshaw Layfield 5-16-04 WWF ****1/4 – A super bloody, and super intense match between Guerrero and the evil Nazi storm walking JBL who is an underrated heel and worker in general…the entire mat, JBL, and Guerrero are covered in blood at the end of the match.

90. KENTA vs. Low Ki 12-17-05 ROH ****1/4 – I may be underrating this match, but to me, it was just an exhibition of who could kick who the hardest and at the craziest angle. There wasn’t many potatoes to the meal, just some chunks of undercooked meat.

 

 

91. Marc Briscoe vs. Jay Briscoe 5-19-01 CZW ****1/4 – Okay, this match is literally insane. Marc is just old enough to drive a car, while Jay is just old enough to drive past 10PM. They unleash some primal brotherly animosity on each other and it’s awesome to see this young hormonally imbalanced teenagers giving out headrop suplexes.

92. Triple H vs. Chris Jericho 7-23-00 WWF ****1/4 Last Man Standing – Everyone knew Jericho didn’t stand a chance against Galactus Triple H, but he put on a hell of a show and gave “the man” a run for his money.

93. Austin Aries vs. Samoa Joe 12-26-04 ROH ****1/4 – Aries ends Joe’s ridiculously long title reign in a rather mediocre match considering the “year” Joe had been having by making Punk look inept. Still, the ending sequences of this match are memorable as Aries lifts more than twice his body weight and spikes Joe with a particularly nasty looking brainbuster. Maybe Joe was too big for Aries to handle safely.

94. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels 12-29-03 WWF ****1/4 – Super long free TV match that showed Michaels was still Michaels…meaning he busted his ass a little harder when he was working with his buddy.

95. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels 4-3-05 WWF ****1/4 – HBK kills this match from being much higher in my list and garnering a larger amount of stars. HBK insists on being Angle’s peer in wrestling forte, when everyone (but Shane McMahon and HBK) that Angle is the most superior shooter the WWF has. If HBK had stuck to his crappy lucha style, the match would have been easily ****3/4.

96. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Takeshi Morishima 3-5-06 NOAH ****1/4 – Morishima brings a big league fight to Misawa, and the old vet shows he can still hang.

97. John Cena vs. the Great Khali 5-20-07 WWF ****1/4 – What is incredible about this match, is that Cena carries an embarrassment to professional wrestling to an enjoyable and suspenseful match.

98. Kenta Kobashi vs. Samoa Joe 10-1-05 ROH ****1/4 – This was surely disappointing. It wasn’t a good match, well, not 5* good like the WON rated it and so many others have as well. It was just largely disappointing. I mean, like terribly disappointing. Kobashi is a legit world-beater and unquestionable world-class wrestler any year…but Joe? He’s overrated. His selling sucks, and so does his pacing. Kobashi is the redeeming quality for this match.

99. Austin Aries vs. Nigel McGuinness 12-29-07 ROH ****1/4 – I liked the beginning of the match, but when McGuinness was legit hurt after being rammed head and face first into the barricade shoot style, the match should have been discontinued. It was apparent that Nigel had suffered a concussion, and the ridiculously long stalling section of the match so Nigel could regain some sort of composure did nothing but ruin a potential masterpiece in the ring.

100. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada 7-18-05 NOAH ****1/4 – Obviously by this point, both men had lost a few steps in the ring with years of hard bumps, nasty strikes to their bodies, and numerous injuries…but it’s still Misawa & Kawada.

 

Statistical Breakdown

 

34 WWF matches 34%

25 NOAH matches 25%

18 ROH matches 18%

6 AJPW matches 6%

6 TNA matches 6%

4 NJPW matches 4%

2 IWA MS matches 2%

2 ECWA matches 2%

1 CZW match 1%

1 PWG match 1%

1 Zero One match 1%

 

* ROH appeared four times in my top ten, with one in the top five, and seven times in my top twenty. ROH also secured the #2 spot on my list. Thirty-five percent of the top twenty matches were ROH.

 

* WWF appeared three times in my top ten, with two in the top five, and five times in my top twenty. The WWF also secured the #1 spot on my list. Twenty-five percent of the top twenty were WWF matches.

 

* NOAH appeared twice in my top ten, with both in the top five, and four times in my top twenty. NOAH also secured the #3 spot on my list. Twenty percent of the top twenty were NOAH matches.

 

* Bryan Danielson appeared in fifteen matches, four matches in the top ten, one in the top five at the #2 spot, and seven total matches in the top twenty, which is thirty-five percent.

 

* KENTA appeared in fifteen matches, with four matches in the top twenty, and two matches in the top ten.

 

* Chris Benoit appeared in twelve matches, three are in the top twenty, with two in the top ten, while one of those in the top five at #4.

 

* Triple H appeared in eleven matches, with two inside the top twenty, and one in the top ten.

 

* Kenta Kobashi appeared in eight matches, with two matches in the top ten, which happened to be in the top five as well, and the #3 match overall.

 

* Kurt Angle appeared in eight matches, with only one match inside the top twenty, which is in the top ten and five, at #4.

 

* John Cena appeared only three times in the list. He is in the #1 match, but is not on the list again until #85 and then #97.

 

* Umaga appeared in only two matches on the list. He is also in the #1 match, but he did not return until #70.

 

* Mitsuharu Misawa appeared in three matches, one of which is in the top five at #5, but he didn’t return to the list until #96 and then the final match, #100.

 

* Ten wrestlers who appeared in the top ten also appeared in the bottom ten.

 

* Bryan Danielson versus KENTA appeared three times within the top twenty, twice in the top ten, and a total of four times in the top forty.

 

* KENTA vs. Naomichi Marufuji appeared once in the top twenty, but in all, three times in the top sixty matches.

 

* Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness appeared twice in the top twenty, with once in the top ten, and a total of four times in the top sixty.