wrestling / Columns
The Top Ten 08.21.08: My Fifty Greatest Matches EVER (Part 2)
Don’t forget to check out PART 1!
10) Steve Austin, Rick Rude, Larry Zybszko, Arn Anderson & Bobby Eaton vs. Sting, Barry Windham, Ricky Steamboat, Nikita Koloff, and Dustin Rhodes (WrestleWar ’92)
This is considered by many to be the greatest WarGames match ever and it’s hard to disagree with that statement. This match was the culmination of the Dangerous Alliance angle, which if you think about it was very similar to the nWo storyline except that it didn’t go on forever. Sting’s team represented WCW who were trying to rid WCW of the Dangerous Alliance for good. This match was insanely bloody with particularly Austin and Rhodes bleeding all over the place. The ending saw Sting lock in an armbar to Eaton, who had already severly hurt his arm in the match, for the submission. This was an absolutely fantastic, classic, can’t miss match.
9) Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (Royal Rumble ’03)
If you love technical wrestling, this may well be one of your favorite matches ever and I know many people who consider this the greatest pure wrestling match of all time. These two men went out and gave the Boston fans as well as the fans at home a match for the ages that people still talk about constantly to this day. Trying to even recap this match would be impossible because there’s so many awesome moves and counters that take place during in, that I would have to literally recap the entire match to do it justice. I must say that I do love that spot where they kept switching germans and Benoit germans Kurt completely over onto his face. Absolutely awesome. Anyhow, this match is an absolute classic that is required viewing for any wrestling fan.
8) Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit (Wrestlemania 20)
The greatest triple threat match of all-time. The best Wrestlemania main event ever. Perhaps the greatest match of all-time, period. These are just some of the accolades that many fans have given to this match and once you watch it, it isn’t hard to see why. These three men busted their ass for over 30 minutes to give us one of the most exciting matches I’ve ever seen. This match had everything from great technical wrestling to high risk maneuvers to tons of blood to a fantastic finish. Seeing Benoit make HHH tap out clean on the biggest show of the year to win his first World Heavyweight Championship is one of those moments that, while now tainted, will still live with me forever. This match took you on an emotional rollercoaster, but once the match was over and we saw Benoit celebrate in the ring with Eddie Guerrero, we all knew that it was well worth the ride.
7) Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (Chi-Town Rumble ’89)
This was the first encounter between Flair and Steamboat in their legendary 1989 series of matches and this match gave a sign of all the greatness that was to follow. Steamboat was a family man who wanted to bring honor and prestige back to the World Heavyweight Title and Flair was the stylin’, profilin’ Champion that thought of Steamboat as a bore. Steamboat was able to dominate early by winning some lightning quick exchanges and surprised Flair by just how quick he was. Flair was able to regain control later in the match with some wicked chop. Then these two men had one of the best exchanges I’ve ever seen as Flair flipped over the top rope and climbed to the top for a crossbody, but Steamboat was able to counter into a roll up for a two count and when both men got up, Flair was able to hit a reverse atomic drop and apply the Figure-4. That’s the kind of stuff that leaves you breathless as a fan, just a terrific exchange. Steamboat was able to get to the ropes to break the hold and after both men exchanged some stiff shots, Flair ran the ropes and crossbodied Steamboat over the top rope. Flair dominated from that point on and seemed to be on the verge of retaining his title until Steamboat fought back and came off the top rope with a crossbody that knocked not only Flair out, but the referee as well. With the ref out, Flair tried to take advantage, but Steamboat was able to roll him up to pick up the three count and the World Heavyweight Championship. Despite the ref bump, this match was absolutely flawless but who knew that these two would go on top this terrific performance.
6) Cactus Jack vs. Triple H (Royal Rumble 2000)
This is easily one of my favorite matches ever and I know many others who have a similar love for this match and it’s not hard to see why. This match had EVERYTHING. A great storyline, a hot crowd, insane action and two of the best in-ring performers of this generation. Cactus came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, but HHH was able to hold his own and the result was one of the best hardcore brawls that I’ve ever seen. If the images of Cactus getting jacked in the head with a steel chair, HHH getting smacked in the face with a 2×4 wrapped in barbed wire, HHH receiving a piledriver on a table that did not break, or Cactus getting Pedigreed in thumbtacks aren’t enough to get your blood pumping, I don’t know how you can call yourself a wrestling fan. This was a fantastic match that cannot be forgotten by anybody who sees it.
5) The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (Badd Blood ’97)
This was, of course, the first Hell In A Cell match and it lived up to its name by the end of this contest. This match came about after HBK had cost The Undertaker the WWE Title at Summerslam by accidentally cracking him in the head with a steel chair and instead of apologizing, decided to become a total dick. That led to their great match at Ground Zero and once that resolved nothing, this match was made to ensure that Michaels had nowhere to run. After some early domination by Taker, HBK was able to fight back and get control of the match but soon Taker started to prove too much for Michaels and he had to find a way out of the cage. That way came by an injured cameraman in the cell who had to be taken out and once that door opened, Michaels tried his best to escape. Taker followed him and proceeded to ram his head repeatedly into the unforgiving steel cell. After that Michaels was busted wide open and his face was drenched in blood. I mean you would have thought his skin color was red with the amount of blood he was bleeding. The ending of the match saw the debut of Kane who dropped his brother on his head which allowed a bloody and fatigued Michaels to cover for the three count. This match will be remembered as one the greatest ever and I’ll never forget the blood that engulfed the face of HBK in it.
4) Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat (Wrestlemania 3)
Whenever you think of all-time great Wrestlemania matches, this has to be one of the first to come to mind. Not only did they have an excellent storyline attached to this match, but both of these combatants put on one hell of a show in front of the Silverdome crowd. This was a great back and forth contest that saw an unbelievable amount of near falls and the crowd was left on the edge of their seat during the entire match because it seemed like it could end at any moment. The end came when George “The Animal” Steele knocked Macho off of the top rope and by the time he recovered to pick up Steamboat for a scoop slam, Steamboat was able to counter into a rollup for the three count. This is a great, timeless match that has to be viewed by anybody who calls themselves a fan of wrestling.
3) Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (Wrestlemania 13)
This is perhaps the most historical and important match of the 1990’s. It completely changed the landscape of wrestling and was the beginning of the rise of the WWE and the fall of WCW. This was about as personal as a match could be as Stone Cold and Bret Hart absolutely hated each other and wanted to resolve their issues with a submission match where one man would have to tell the other he quits and face the ultimate humiliation. This match was just off-the-wall intense as both men beat the holy shit out of each other. These men brawled in the ring, on the floor, through the crowd, and pretty much anywhere they could get their hands on one another. They truly made you FEEL their hatred for one another and you were instantly sucked in. This is one of those matches that I never like to be interrupted while watching it because you don’t want to take your eyes of it. It is just that damn good. The ending of this match is one of the best I’ve ever seen as Bret locks in the Sharpshooter and a bloody Austin tries to muster up all the strength he has to get out of it and has blood pouring down his face in one of the most famous images ever in pro wrestling. Austin wasn’t able to break the hold, but he didn’t give up. He instead passed out from the pain and while Bret may have won the match, Austin’s refusal to give up despite being in such overwhelming pain made him seem like a true badass. Soon the fans would turn their backs on Bret and side with Austin and this match was the reason for it. This is a historical, brilliant match that shot Austin stock into the stratosphere on his way to becoming the most popular wrestler this generation has seen.
2) Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (Clash Of The Champions 6)
This was the rematch to their classic encounter at Chi-Town Rumble and this match was contested under 2/3 falls rules. The first fall was intense as both men slapped each other in the face and chopped the shit out of each other before getting down to some frenetic action. The chops that these two gave each other sounded like gunshots going off, they were just absolutely VICIOUS. The first fall ended after Steamboat missed a missile dropkick which made Flair go for the Figure-4, but Steamboat was able to counter into a roll-up, but then Flair REVERSED that into a roll-up of his own for the three count. Steamboat started the second fall feverishly knowing that his back was against the wall. He delivered some wicked chops before dropping about 14 or 15 elbows in a row onto Flair’s knee. Flair seemed dead to the world by that point until Steamboat locked in a Boston Crab which had Flair screaming in agony. Flair was able to fight out of it and get back into the match until Steamboat was able to hoist him up into a Double Chickenwing and that proved to be to much for Flair as he submitted and lost the second fall. That was monumental not only because it tied the match up, but because it was the first time Flair had ever submitted. Flair realizing that he was in bad shape, immediately went after Steamboat knee in the third fall and was soon able to cinch in the Figure-4. Steamboat was able to make the ropes, though, much to Flair’s chagrin. Then, in one of my most markish moments ever, Steamboat sends Flair to the buckle but Flair does the Flair Flip and when he tried to run over to the other turnbuckle, Steamboat chops the shit out of him and knocks ‘Naitch down on the apron. I jumped out of seat and applauded the first time I saw that, great stuff. The fall continued with some great back and forth exchanges until Steamboat got Flair up in the Double Chickenwing again, but this time Steamboat’s legs had sustained too much damage and they buckled underneath him. This made Flair land on top of Steamboat, put seeing that his shoulders were down, the referee counted the three count against Flair, despite the fact that his leg was under the bottom rope. Thus, Steamboat retained his championship, albeit under controversial terms. This classic match would then be followed up by….
1) Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (WrestleWar ’89)
Many people prefer their Clash VI match, but I still think that this match is the best pure wrestling match I’ve ever seen. This match also had a clean finish unlike their two previous encounters, which ended in controversy. This contest also started to signal a babyface turn for Flair as the crowd was behind Steamboat, but you heard some very audible cheers for The Nature Boy. This was a great back and forth contest where it seemed like either man at any given moment was going to pick up the win. The near falls left you breathless because they were so believable. The ending was great and an homage to Steamboat’s match against Randy Savage as Steamboat scooped up Flair for a slam, but Flair was able to counter the slam into a rollup for the three count. The carnage that followed this match is equally as memorable as Terry Funk, who was a ringside judge, went on a vicious assault of Flair (including a piledriver on a table) for not granting him a title shot. All in all, this is one of the greatest matches ever wrestled for one of the greatest feuds ever and, in my opinion, it is easily the best match in the history of WCW.
Well you know I couldn’t leave you guys without giving you for one last time:
Well that does it for me folks. It has been a pleasure serving and I’ll be seeing you again. Until then, go wash your ass!
