ECW gets so much love from people. I didn't watch when it was a thing. Looking back on this Barely Legal PPV, the production value was terrible. I know that's not what I'm supposed to be writing about, but it had to be said. The presentation is terrible.
The match however, is something much more. These guys were clearly super comfortable working together. I had just watched Sasuke and Michinoku wrestle at Canadian Stampede earlier in the day. They impressed me there. This was no different. The level of athleticism they displayed is phenomenal. Michinoku flops all over the ring.
The pace of the match was so different from everything else at this time. Sasuke flies off the ropes with such speed that it looks like the ropes won't hold him. He's so crisp with his transitions. Things were fast, but they sold when they needed to. This is the exact kind of wrestling you see on the independent circuit today.
Honestly, find me a better six-man tag. I'm pretty sure the Shield vs. Wyatts will make the list and I can't wait to watch that again. But this one was damn good. I knew almost none of the guys and came out of it wanting to see more of all of them. Just a phenomenal amount of talent in the ring at one time.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Sunday, March 17, 2019
#99 - Goldberg vs. Diamond Dallas Page – WCW Championship Match: Halloween Havoc 1998
Have you seen a Goldberg match? If so, then you've seen them all. Except this one. This is the best match Goldberg ever had. DDP brought it and Goldberg delivered his A game. There's really not a whole lot to say about this one other than to talk about that spear. Goldberg hit DDP so hard it you could hear it. In interviews, DDP said Goldberg hit his head on the mat and was out of it for the rest of the match. You can see it happen. It's a thing of beauty.
I am no fan of Goldberg's in-ring work. This match is the exception because it's great. He hits arm bars, suplexes and then finishes it off with the Jackhammer.
Great choice of match because it really captures that moment in WCW history so well.
I am no fan of Goldberg's in-ring work. This match is the exception because it's great. He hits arm bars, suplexes and then finishes it off with the Jackhammer.
Great choice of match because it really captures that moment in WCW history so well.
#100 - Neville vs. Sami Zayn – NXT Championship Match: NXT TakeOver: R Evolution
I remember watching this match live. We watch NXT religiously. It's the best wrestling around and far away the best wrestling content WWE produces. For a hardcore NXT fan, this match is like opening a time capsule. It's from when the Takeovers were still done in the studio and not big arenas. You've got Corey Graves learning the color commontary game. And that NXT crowd!
The match starts off slow as you'd expect a match of this length. There's a series of chain wrestling holds that flow so smoothly. It speaks volumes to Sami Zayn's ability because he's not thought of as a chain wrestler. Neville is no slouch here either. They both move through the holds effortlessly and make them look like they hurt.
Steve Austin always says that a babyface needs to have fire and a heel needs to have a vicious streak. You can't ask for more from the players here. When Zayn fires up, the crowd reacts. He can elevate a crowd with the smallest of gestures or mannerisms. In the same way, Neville plays his role perfectly here. He's nastier than he had been in previous matches. This is a babyface/babyface match at heart because Neville hadn't really been turned. He still does a great job of playing the heel although a stronger heel character would have elevated the match even more. He's a master at taking a powder which is a lost art.
The ref bump spot is great. It shows Zayn being the good guy, checking on the ref. When he turns around, Neville lands a superkick that looks PAINFUL. This is where the match really starts to kick into high gear. There's a second ref bump (which the crowd just hates) and Sami is put in a situation where he could cheat to win. The interplay of Zayn sticking to his morals makes for a great story. Sami didn't want to win this one in a way that would compromise his character. It's really compelling, especially when it almost costs him the victory.
When you watch this, you can't help but think how bad WWE blew it with both men. Neville has gone on to hopefully better things. Zayn is still there, for now. Hopefully WWE either capitalizes on the potential of Zayn or they let him go elsewhere to maximize his career.
And then there's the aftermath. Everyone is celebrating Sami and Kevin Owens comes in and just destroys him. It could not have been done any better.
The match starts off slow as you'd expect a match of this length. There's a series of chain wrestling holds that flow so smoothly. It speaks volumes to Sami Zayn's ability because he's not thought of as a chain wrestler. Neville is no slouch here either. They both move through the holds effortlessly and make them look like they hurt.
Steve Austin always says that a babyface needs to have fire and a heel needs to have a vicious streak. You can't ask for more from the players here. When Zayn fires up, the crowd reacts. He can elevate a crowd with the smallest of gestures or mannerisms. In the same way, Neville plays his role perfectly here. He's nastier than he had been in previous matches. This is a babyface/babyface match at heart because Neville hadn't really been turned. He still does a great job of playing the heel although a stronger heel character would have elevated the match even more. He's a master at taking a powder which is a lost art.
The ref bump spot is great. It shows Zayn being the good guy, checking on the ref. When he turns around, Neville lands a superkick that looks PAINFUL. This is where the match really starts to kick into high gear. There's a second ref bump (which the crowd just hates) and Sami is put in a situation where he could cheat to win. The interplay of Zayn sticking to his morals makes for a great story. Sami didn't want to win this one in a way that would compromise his character. It's really compelling, especially when it almost costs him the victory.
When you watch this, you can't help but think how bad WWE blew it with both men. Neville has gone on to hopefully better things. Zayn is still there, for now. Hopefully WWE either capitalizes on the potential of Zayn or they let him go elsewhere to maximize his career.
And then there's the aftermath. Everyone is celebrating Sami and Kevin Owens comes in and just destroys him. It could not have been done any better.
Here's the list!
Not the List of Jericho. The list of the 100 best matches to see before you die.
https://www.wwe.com/article/100-best-matches
Keep in mind this list is put together by WWE so don't expect to see anything from ROH, Impact, or anything WWE doesn't own the rights to.
We're going to work our way through this list and write about each match as we watch. If you like wrestling and want to discuss this, please post your comments. I'd love to have discussions about the matches.
https://www.wwe.com/article/100-best-matches
Keep in mind this list is put together by WWE so don't expect to see anything from ROH, Impact, or anything WWE doesn't own the rights to.
We're going to work our way through this list and write about each match as we watch. If you like wrestling and want to discuss this, please post your comments. I'd love to have discussions about the matches.
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