Tag Archives: WWE

The Best Matches I’ve Watched This Month (November 2023)

By Grimmas on December 6, 2023 | 2 Comments

It was a very light month in November, probably because I spent too much time watching The Traitors. I did get a top-25 match, though!

#25
Chikayo Nagashima & Sugar Sato vs Sonoko Kato & Toshie Uematsu
GAEA Break Out!
September 16, 1996

Intense, quick tags, lots of brawling, and a high-paced tag match. A lot of fun!

Rating: 7/10

#24
Gunther (c) vs The Miz
“WWE Intercontinental Championship”
WWE Survivor Series
November 25, 2023

The story of Miz trying to work the leg to take down the unstoppable Gunther was good and it was sold well by Gunther. The big near-fall off the Eddie Guerrero hijinks was really fun. The knee almost took Gunther out, but he was too good and put The Miz down!

Rating: 7/10

#23
Tito Santana (c) vs Paul Orndorff
“WWF Intercontinental Championship”
WWF at Kiel Auditorium
September 1, 1984

From my review of The Best of The WWF Volume II:

It feels like they wanted to show the St. Louis crowd a more NWA-style match, as WWF just took over the territory. The structure was not typical for a WWF match from the time, and it had lots of cool nearfalls, a non-WWF structure, and a lot of action. Tito is one of the best babyface workers ever, and seeing him work from underneath is great. His hope spots are tremendous. The comeback was intense by Tito, as usual. They fought back and forth down the stretch, leading to a time-limit draw.

Rating: 7/10

#22
Rhea Ripley (c) vs Zoey Stark
“WWE Women’s World Championship”
WWE Survivor Series
November 23, 2023

I kind of loved this. It was intense, hard-hitting, and dramatic. Zoey stepped up and used her power but was overcome as it wasn’t enough. Perfect title defense.

Rating: 7/10

#21
Hiromi Yagi vs Jaguar Yokota
JWP on September 8, 1996

Jaguar continues to look great, no matter what year it is. This has a lot of fun stuff, and I loved the sudden submission finish out of nowhere!

Rating: 7/10

#20
Strike Force, The British Bulldogs, The Killer Bees, The Rougeau Brothers, & The Young Stallions vs The Hart Foundation, Demolition, The Bolsheviks, The New Dream Team, & The Islanders
“Elimination Match”
WWF Survivor Series
November 26, 1987

A match filled with a lot of action, quick tags, and a logical format, and I loved the story of the underdog Stallions surviving with the Bees.

Rating: 7/10

#19
Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja, & Templario vs Atlantis Jr., Mascara Dorada 2.0, & Mistico
“Best 2/3 Falls”
CMLL Grand Prix De Amazonas
October 27, 2023

This had exactly what you wanted, with spectacular moves, a hot crowd, and a good story about the feud between Templario and Mistico. Dorada continues to impress!

Rating: 7/10

#18
Bayley vs Bianca Belair
WWE SmackDown
October 27, 2023

A tremendous match, with Bayley working over the back and Belair selling it well. The highlight was a great segment that started on the apron and continued outside, and the finish was really good as well.

Rating: 7/10

#17
La Catalina vs Zeuxis
“CMLL Universal De Amazones Title Tournament Final Match”
CMLL Blue Panther 45. Aniversario
October 20, 2023

They both fought hard to win this tournament, and it was an exciting match.

Rating: 7/10

#16
The Powers of Pain, The British Bulldogs, The Hart Foundation, The Rockers, & The Young Stallions vs Demolition, The Bolsheviks, The Brain Busters, Los Conquistadores, & The Fabulous Rougeaus
“Elimination Match”
WWF Survivor Series
November 24, 1988

It is similar to the previous year but with more action, more stories, and the really fun Conquistadores surviving against all odds. Plus, a double turn!

Rating: 7/10

#15
Chigusa Nagayo, Sakura Hirota, Sonoko Kato, & Toshie Uematsu vs Chikayo Nagashima, Mayumi Ozaki, Reiko Amano, & Sugar Sato
GAEA Endless Summer
August 18, 1996

Nagayo and Ozaki were awesome in this, controlling everything, but the rookies really came out to shine, and this was a blast!

Rating: 7/10

#14
Bryan Danielson vs Rush
AEW Dynamite
February 8, 2023

The first 2/3 of the match was great, with Rush just destroying an injured and bloody Danielson and being a cocky asshole about it. Danielson’s selling was great, and he was such a massive underdog. The comeback was good, too, but once we got to the longer finishing sequence, it fell apart a bit for me.

Rating: 7/10

#13
Chaparita ASARI vs Kyoko Inoue
“Japan Grand Prix”
AJW Japan Grand Prix
July 28, 1996

This was a blast. To start, they did the I’m taller than you exchange, with each standing on different things to get an advantage in a test of strength until it ended with ASARI hitting a top rope dropkick onto Inoue, who was standing on a steal chair. Immediately, ASARI sat in the chair while Inoue rolled to the floor and sat in a chair at ringside. A perfect start to the match. The rest was fun, too, with Inoue hitting one of the fastest giant swings ever and ASARI having tremendous spots throughout. It ended with Inoue’s death offense for the win.

Rating: 7/10

#12
Dynamite Kansai (c) vs Mayumi Ozaki
“JWP Openweight Championship”
JWP on August 10, 1996

This was dramatic and had a lot of great struggle between the two. The crowd brawling was awesome here, too.

Rating: 7.25/10

#11
The Usos (c) vs Drew McIntyre & Sheamus
“WWE Raw & SmackDown Tag Team Championship”
WWE SmackDown
January 6, 2023

This told a great story of McIntyre and Sheamus outmatching the Usos regarding power and being one-on-one, but the Usos are the superior team. Usos are also the masters of tag nearfalls, and the crowd was insane for them in this one. I love the classic cheating tag finish and Sami and Roman’s reactions while watching in the back while eating popcorn.

Rating: 7.25/10

#10
Rie Tamada & Yumi Fukawa (c) vs Chikayo Nagashima & Sugar Sato
“Japanese Tag Team Championship”
AJW The Rising Generation Queens Carnival
September 1, 1996

Oz Academy (Nagashima and Sato) do some wild Sabu shit, and it’s so much fun as they are the highlight of this really good tag match that comes down to a very exciting finishing sequence.

Rating: 7.5/10

#9
CM Punk vs Ricky Starks
“Owen Hart Foundation 2023 Men’s Tournament Final Match”
AEW Collision
July 15, 2023

Punk is a master of playing the crowd and Starks is very charismatic and has the crowd with him, and the crowd was amazing here in Calgary! Punk really went out of his way to make Starks a superstar in this, and the finish was a perfect payoff.

Rating: 7.5/10

#8
Aja Kong & Dynamite Kansai vs Devil Masami & Kyoko Inoue
JWP The Ryogoku Big Project
October 13, 1996

These two amazing teams have an amazing match, to nobody’s surprise. It started intense, with everyone hitting vicious lariats, but only kept it up all match. It built really well with a lot of great action and the main takeaway is this match looked like it hurt a lot.

Rating: 7.75/10

#7
Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair & Shotzi vs Asuka, Bayley, IYO SKY & Kairi Sane
“War Games”
WWE Survivor Series
November 25, 2023

I was a little apprehensive about the babyfaces winning the advantage as it goes against everything I know about War Games. When each person entering brought a new weapon, my skepticism was super high, but luckily, they salvaged things and turned it into a great match.

Bayley held everything together and worked her ass off. It was so nice to see KAIRI having so much fun upon returning to WWE too! Of course Io Shirai took some nutty bumps, including the jump off the top of the cage in a garbage can. The finish was very satisfying!

Rating: 7.75/10

#6
Gunther (c) vs Chad Gable
“WWE Intercontinental Championship”
WWE Raw
August 21, 2023

I had completely forgotten that Chad Gable existed, but it turns out he is the perfect Gunther opponent. Gunther, in the middle of the best IC Title run ever, faced an unrelenting technical wrestler who had the power to match up with him. He pushed and pushed Gunther and finally got the shock count-out win, setting up a rematch. It’s a perfect way to give Gunther his first loss in the WWE.

Rating: 8/10

#5
Orange Cassidy (c) vs Swerve Strickland
“AEW International Championship”
AEW Dynamite
June 7, 2023

Although Cassidy can do amazing moves, amazing comedy, and garner amazing amounts of sympathy, the real key to his amazingness is the little things. The ability to stay in character in almost any situation. Like sitting on the apron trying to avoid getting hit by slowly scooting out of the way. That said, this match hits on all of his levels of amazing, and Swerve is no slouch and a really good opponent for him as he can keep up on those levels and is a great counterpoint to him. It was an awesome match that got a lot of time and built from a great character-driven match into a match filled with amazing spots and such an awesome finishing sequence where each looked like the winner, and it had a perfect finish.

Rating: 8/10

#4
Bison Kimura vs Li Fua
Jd’ Star on July 30, 1996

I had no idea that Li Fua was Jaguar Yokota until days after I watched this, so that adds to the awesomeness here.

Li Fua is a deranged Chinese masked woman who spent most of the match cheating and stabbing Bison, making her bleed everywhere. It’s a violent brawl that goes all over the ringside area and involved many weapons. It even involved Fua doing a moonsault from the stage to the floor onto Bison. This match is insane.

Afterward, Fua cuts her own head and pours the blood into Bison in some kind of ritual. A must-watch match!

Rating: 8/10

#3
Pedro Morales (c) vs Don Muraco
“WWF Intercontinental Championship”
WWF on MSG Network
January 22, 1983

From my review of The Best of The WWF Volume II:

Muraco attacks before the bell, and Morales fights right back. The really cool being thrown into the corner and turning it into a sunset flip by Morales is awesome. The early goings are just Morales destroying Muraco and Muraco selling his ass off. He’s such a chicken shit that when Morales looks to jump off the top to the floor on him, Muraco hides under the ring. A massive low blow by Muraco brings things even, and that’s when Muraco can finally remove his shirt. Of course, Muraco uses it to choke Pedro, only for Pedro to low-blow him back!

Muraco ducked, and Morales hit the turnbuckle with his knee, which finally evens the tides and led to some good knee work by Muraco. After a pushoff of the figure-four, Morales has a comeback and does a backbreaker onto his hurt knee like an idiot. The Boston Crab he does is too close to the ropes, and his leg is too hurt to keep it on. Muraco still can’t control it, though. Morales keeps fighting, but the cross body by Muraco is caught, only for Morales’s leg to give up, and Muraco wins the belt.

It is a great, short, and intense brawl with amazing transitions that tell a wonderful story. I love these two against each other.

Rating: 8.25/10

#2
Aja Kong vs Kyoko Inoue
“Japan Grand Prix Final”
AJW Japan Grand Prix
August 30, 1996

Kong is out for death in this match, and Inoue is a perfect underdog with tremendous selling throughout. It’s intense from the start to the tremendous run of nearfalls down the stretch. Every lariat and every throw and hit just look like they hurt; it’s on another level. A great match that seems to be forgotten if you listen to Cagematch.

Rating: 9.25/10

#1
Gunther (c) vs Chad Gable
“WWE Intercontinental Championship”
WWE Raw
September 4, 2023

You know a match is special when the WWE uploads it to YouTube immediately.

This played off the previous match and built upon it. Gable knew he could win, and Gunther had doubts for almost the first time in his reign. Gable again fought from underneath, but here, his hope spots meant more. The comeback and the Gable’s attempts to win were electric. This had the best ankle lock submission nearfalls I have ever seen. When Gunther finally survived and got back on offense, there was no back-and-forth bullshit. He delivered a bunch of vicious offense and just pinned him clean. The camera immediately moved to Gable’s daughter crying in the first row. This might be my match of the year.

With this win, Gunther has become the longest-reigning IC Champion ever!

Rating: 9.25/10

Twitter

You can discuss this on Twitter!

Discord

We also have a lovely discord community to discuss the greatest wrestler ever project and anything else under the sun. It’s an open and welcoming group, and I am very proud of it. Everyone is welcome:

Join:

https://t.co/0pOARzaXHD

We also do weekly watch-along parties with chat!

How Can You Help?

Callen-Lorde is the global leader in LGBTQ healthcare. Since the days of Stonewall, we have been transforming lives in LGBTQ communities through excellent comprehensive care, provided free of judgment and regardless of ability to pay. In addition, we are continuously pioneering research, advocacy, and education to drive positive change around the world because we believe healthcare is a human right.

Please donate to Callen Lorde!

Posted in: Best Matches I've Watched This Month, Reviews | Tagged: aew, Aja Kong, angel de oro, Arn Anderson, Asuka, atlantis jr, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, bison kimura, boris zhukoff, Bret Hart, brian blair, Bryan Danielson, Carlos Amano, chad gable, Chaparita ASARI, charlotte flair, Chigusa Nagayo, Chikayo Nagashima, CM Punk, CMLL, conquistadores, davey boy smith, Demolition, Devil Masami, dino bravo, don muraco, Drew McIntyre, Dynamite Kansai, dynamite kid, GAEA, Greg Valentine, gunther, Haku, Hiromi Yagi, Io Shirai, jacques rougeau, jaguar yokota, jd' star, jim brunzell, Jim Neidhart, jim powers, jimmy uso, joshi, JWP, KAIRI, Kana, Kyoko Inoue, la catalina, lucha libre, marty jannety, mascara dorada, Mayumi Ozaki, Mistico, niebla roja, nikolai volkoff, Orange Cassidy, paul orndroff, paul roma, Pedro Morales, raymond rougeau, Rhea Ripley, rick martel, ricky starks, Rie Tamada, Rush, sakura hirota, shawn michaels, sheamus, shotzi blackheart, sonoko kato, Sugar Sato, swerve strickland, tama, the barbarian, the miz, TIto Santana, Tully Blanchard, WALTER, warlord, wrestling, WWE, WWF, yumi fukawa, zeuzis, zoey stark

The Best of The WWF Volume II (Coliseum Home Video)

By Grimmas on November 7, 2023 | 1 Comment

Picking up where I left off in 2016, it’s finally time for the second in the Best of the WWF series. This is a heavy nostalgia area for me. This whole series was available at the video rental store in my home city (Max Videos), and I’d always get them. It was the only way to see wrestling outside WWF TV for me as a child.

It’s pretty wild to put Mr. Fuji on the cover in 1985, but here we go!

We start with the classic Coliseum Home Video intro video with the scrolling words leading to WWF clips mixed with ancient Roman pictures and great music. My second favourite WWF open, next to the symbol appearing over clouds with Gene Okerlund saying, “The WWF. It’s what the world is watching!”

Gorilla Monsoon is the host this time, so it’s a big step up from Vince. He really sells it as great historical footage and great matches from today put together just for me. For me? How nice of them.

Rocky Johnson & Tony Atlas (c) vs Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch
“WWF Tag Team Championship”
WWF Championship Wrestling
April 17, 1984, aired May 26, 1984
Commentary By: Vince McMahon & Gene Okerlund

It’s a fun little match where Atlas and Johnson dominate, but some confusion leads to Adonis rolling Johnson from behind to win the belts. I really liked Altas doing a gorilla press on the floor to Murdoch, with Johnson punching him from inside the ring, leading to that finish.

Atlas and Johnson were so over and cool. They really should have been a big team going into the mid-80s.

Rating: Solid/10

Pedro Morales (c) vs Don Muraco
“WWF Intercontinental Championship”
WWF on MSG Network
January 22, 1983
Commentary By: Gorilla Monsoon & Vince McMahon

It is a great, short, and intense brawl with amazing transitions that tell a wonderful story. I love these two against each other.

Rating: 8.25/10

Killer Kowalski vs Pedro Morales
WWWF at Madison Square Garden
July 22, 1974
Commentary By: Jesse Ventura

Into the vault. I love Gorilla giving background over the first few minutes of the match before they go to the actual commentary. He goes on about Killer’s Claw and how dangerous it is.

This is clipped a lot, but we get a lot of Kowalski working over Morales’s leg, and it looks good, as does Morales selling. Morales is so over, and his punching comeback is fucking awesome, with Kowalski falling all over the place for it. Kowalski’s reaction to getting bit by just running around and stomping in annoyance is awesome and hilarious. Eventually, they fight on the floor for a double countout.

Rating: Fun/10

We get a graphic that says:

Midget Madness

Little Brutus & Sky Low Low vs Billy the Kid & The Jamaica Kid

Heavily clipped, and outside of the comedy moments, they did a lot of good stuff here from what we could see. If they didn’t force the comedy on these guys, they would have been stars. Weirdly, they cut away mid-match, and we are just in another match.

Little Brutus & Sky Low Low vs Joey Russel & Sonny Boy Hayes

We got a few minutes of a nineteen-minute match, so there’s not much to say except it looked awesome. We literally got the end of a fall and a minute of the next.

Chief Jay Strongbow vs Prof. Toru Tanaka
WWWF on MSG Network
December 19, 1977
Commentary By: Lord Alfred Hayes

The ring looks tiny! Gorilla builds up Tanaka and then tells us to look out for Chief’s War Dance and how boring the match will be because it’s old.

We are joined in progress and clipped. Gorilla was right; it was boring, but the crowd loved Strongbow! A DQ ends it.

Rating: Whatever/10

A WWF Musical Interlude

Captain Lou Albano plays the piano for under 30 seconds. That is followed by Gene Okerlund playing piano and singing “Tutti Frutti” on TNT, with Hogan playing bass with the band and the band all wearing stupid, trucking WWF hats.

Tito Santana (c) vs Paul Orndorff
“WWF Intercontinental Championship”
WWF at Kiel Auditorium
September 1, 1984
Commentary By: Vince McMahon

Rating: 7/10

Some Surprise Endings!!!

That appears on the screen, and we get a few clips of surprise match endings.

Don Muraco vs Rocky Johnson

Rocky is beating up a bloodied Muraco until Muraco pulls the referee in front of him, causing Rocky to punch the referee out! Rocky gets disqualified.

Bobo Brazil vs Freddie Blassie

Blassie’s leg gets trapped on the rope while trying to get into the ring and gets counted out.

Andre the Giant vs The Black Demon

Andre accidentally unmasks Demon, to which Demon runs away, covering his face after the match.

Rick Martel & Tony Garea (c) vs The Moondogs
“WWF Tag Team Championship Texas Death Match with Gorilla Monsoon as Referee”
WWF on PRISM Network
February 14, 1981
Commentary By: Lord Alfred Hayes

Gorilla takes no fucking shit and stops The Moondogs from cheating. We only got about the last two minutes of this match, but it was a fun finish.

Rick Martel & Tony Garea (c) vs Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito
“WWF Tag Team Championship”
WWF Championship Wrestling
October 13, 1981, aired October 31, 1981
Commentary By: Vince McMahon & Pat Patterson

We open with a long shine by the Garea and Martel team as they pick apart both Fuji and Saito before eventually Saito just overpowers Garea, and we get a face-in-peril segment. It’s pretty well down with Fuji and Saito constantly tagging and wearing him down. There are some decent nearfalls, too. It’s really a classic WWF tag structure, which leads to a hot tag by Martel, who is really one of the best at those. The finish rules as Garea is being removed from the ring, and Martel goes to the top for a cross-body win. However, Fuji tosses some salt into his eyes, Saito rolls him up, and the referee turns around to count the pin for the new Tag Team Champions!

Rating: Fun/10

Some post-credit scenes hype up future Coliseum Home Video tapes.

Final Thoughts

This tape had two matches for my spreadsheet, which is pretty damn good. The bad stuff was mostly clipped, and there was some cool old footage here. You really can’t complain about this tape.

Twitter

You can discuss this on Twitter!

Discord

Join:

https://t.co/0pOARzaXHD

We also do weekly watch-along parties with chat!

How Can You Help?

Please donate to Callen Lorde!

Posted in: Coliseum Home Video Reviews, Reviews | Tagged: Adrian Adonis, Chief Jay Strongbow, don muraco, Killer Kowalski, Masa Saito, Mr. Fuji, Paul Orndorff, Pedro Morales, Prof. Toru Tanaka, rick martel, Rocky Johnson, TIto Santana, Tony Atlas, Tony Garea, wrestling, WWE, WWF, wwwf

The Best Matches I’ve Watched This Month (October 2023)

By Grimmas on October 31, 2023 | 2 Comments

I was really all over the place in October, but one thing kept me excited, and that was going through WCW’s 1996. We are in 1996 for our Joshi weekly watches, and I thought I’d get a head start on the rest of the world. Other GWE years I want to tackle are just not clicking with me right now.

Also, 2023 is turning out to be pretty damn cool, eh?

#25
John Morrison (c) vs CM Punk
“ECW Heavyweight Championship”
ECW on SciFi
September 1, 2007, aired September 4, 2007

These two had a long series, so they knew each other well and did a lot of counters. The crowd is really hot, and it’s a very exciting match with a great finishing stretch.

Rating: 7.25/10

#24
La Catalina vs Stephanie Vaquer
“CMLL World Women’s Championship”
CMLL Noche de Campeones
September 29, 2023

Vaquer’s offense outside the ring was so vicious. They both worked stiff and had a very intense match that was a great counterpoint to a lot of the more high-flying of the rest of the card.

Rating: 7.25/10

#23
Bruno Sammartino (c) vs Stan Hansen
“WWWF Heavyweight Championship Steel Cage Match”
WWWF on August 7, 1976

A famous match with Bruno getting revenge after Hasnen broke his neck. The crowd is so into Bruno’s revenge, and he gets it here with lots of blood and violence.

Rating: 7.25/10

#22
Becky Lynch (c) vs Lyra Valkyria
“NXT Women’s Championship”
NXT Halloween Havoc
October 24, 2023

A tremendous main event, with Valkyria playing the big underdog against the legendary Lynch. It was filled with hope spots and nearfalls for Valyria, and Lynch did a great job of controlling the action and trying to find ways to put away the underdog. Some of my favourite types of wrestling matches, and this was a good version of that.

Rating: 7.75/10

#21
Mistico (c) vs Virus
“World Historic Middleweight Championship”
CMLL Noche de Campeones
September 29, 2023

Mistico is so spectacular, and Virus is so well grounded they make a perfect counterpoint for each other and a beautiful match to watch.

Rating: 7.75/10

#20
Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) vs Super Calo
WCW Fall Brawl: War Games
September 15, 1996

Calo works over Rey’s arm so well and also hits some great dives and throws for the first large portion of this match. Rey sells his arm all the way through his comeback. A great stretch of nerfalls and Rey hits a double springboard hurrcanrana for the win utilizing the double ring. It was one of the better Cruiserweight matches in WCW history.

Rating: 7.75/10

#19
Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Duncum (c) vs The High Flyers
“AWA World Tag Team Championships”
AWA on July 7, 1977

It’s a really hot crowd in a very classic tag team format match. Lazna and Duncum bumped huge when The High Flyers were on offense, and The Flyers sold great on defense. It got more exciting as it went along to a great finish.

Rating: 7.75/10

#18
Dean Malenko (c) vs Rey Mysterio Jr.
“WCW World Cruiserweight Championship”
WCW The Great American Bash
June 16, 1996

I’ve felt this match was odd because it’s Rey’s WCW debut, and Malenko grounds him for 3/4 of it by working his arm. The comeback is tremendous, though, and the arm work is really good. Truly the start of the new WCW cruiserweight era.

Rating: 7.75/10

#17
Natsupoi vs Tam Nakano
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
September 30, 2023

Former enemies and current teammates can be really cool in a match against each other, and this one was that. It started with the know each other so well spots, but then they started to dig back into their former hatred. There were great nearfalls before a finish that was a little bit of a surprise, with Natsupoi pinning the Champion.

Rating: 8/10

#16
Suzu Suzuki vs Tam Nakano
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
September 9, 2023

It was an excellent GP match, with Suzuki going for death and Nakano’s amazing selling leading the way. The last third was a tremendous run to the finish.

Rating: 8/10

#15
Umaga (c) vs Jeff Hardy
“WWE Intercontinental Championship”
WWE The Great American Bash
July 22, 2007

It was an amazing David vs Goliath match, with Hardy having awesome hope spots while Umaga killed him throughout. When it got to Jeff’s comeback, it was electric, and when Umaga did the run for the finish, it was death. Perfect wrestling.

Rating: 8/10

#14
Hazuki vs Suzu Suzuki
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
September 23, 2023

It’s all killer, no filler heated GP match.

Rating: 8/10

#13
Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) vs Dean Malenko
“WCW World Cruiserweight Championship”
WCW Halloween Havoc
October 27, 1996

After an amazing shine segment by Rey where he got his stolen mask back, Dean grounds him. The leg attacks are great, as well as Rey’s selling. In 1996, few had better comebacks than Rey. The finishing stretch is so great, ending with a vicious super bomb by Dean!

Rating: 8/10

#12
Mei Seira vs Nanae Takahashi
“Passion Injection”
Stardom New Blood 11
September 29, 2023

One of the highlights of 2023 is Nanae vs younger wrestlers, injecting them with passion. Mei was amazing, fighting to take it to Nanae and pushing her to the limits. Nanae was also great pushing back against it.

Rating: 8/10

#11
Maika vs MIRAI
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
September 30, 2023

The winner wins the Blue Stars block, so there is extra drama here in this awesome hoss battle.

Rating: 8/10

#10
Aja Kong vs Yumiko Hotta
“Japan Grand Prix”
AJW Japan Grand Prix
July 14, 1996

Kong completely brutalizes Hotta’s leg in the most violent way possible, and Hotta sells it so well. Hotta worked from underneath and had some good hope spots. For some reason, Hotta always really steps up against Kong!

Rating: 8.5/10

#9
Mistico vs Templario
“Best 2/3 Falls”
CMLL Super Viernes
October 13, 2023

Mistico might be the best babyface in the world right now. Being so over really helps, but the great selling and hope spots, added with the spectacular moves, make him so loveable. I love that Mistico dominated for a large early portion of this match until Templario got a lucky comeback in the second fall, leading to him destroying Mistsco. The finishing sequence and the comeback by Mistico ruled! I don’t want to discount Templario here; he’s a great rudo, too.

Rating: 8.5/10

#8
Antonio Inoki (c) vs Andre the Giant
“Real World Martial Arts Championship”
NJPW Toukon Series
October 7, 1976

It was a tremendous David vs Goliath contest that was really focused on the strategy of both. Inoki was amazing at finding his spots where Andre would leave an opening.

Rating: 8.5/10

#7
Maika vs Suzu Suzuki
“5STAR Grand Prix: Final”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
September 30, 2023

A surprising final, which had to be changed due to the injuries. However, it added an extra level of excitement because the winner could have been anyone. It was an intense, stiff, and exciting match, with both stepping up their game to win the 5STAR! It was really a perfect tournament final match, as either could have won throughout, and they played it as two equally matched competitors.

I’m very excited to see how far Suzuki can go at such a young age!

Rating: 8.5/10

#6
Ultimate Dragon (c) vs Rey Misterio Jr.
“J-Crown Championship”
WCW World War 3
November 24, 1996

Most of the match is a squash, with Dragon unleashing amazing offense, including one of the best and most brutal running power bombs ever. Rey is amazing at selling, and when he gets a comeback near the end, it’s electric with spectacular moves. The finish is otherworldly, with Rey attempting to complete the comeback with a springboard rana, only for Dragon to catch him and slingshot Rey off the top rope into a vicious sit-down power bomb for the win. It is a classic and very cool, for it does not follow the usual formula.

Rating: 8.75/10

#5
Becky Lynch (c) vs Tiffany Stratton
“NXT Women’s Championship Extreme Rules Match”
NXT No Mercy
September 30, 2023

Stratton is very impressive, with amazing physical skills and tremendous presence. She wasn’t just carried along by Lynch but added a lot. This was one of the better all-over-the-arena weapons matches I can recall from the WWE in a long time. The spots were violent and vicious, and the nearfalls were unbelievable. Great finish, too.

Rating: 8.75/10

#4
Manami Toyota vs Meiko Satomura
“Battlefield WAR Tournament Second Round”
Sendai Girls Live Vol. 8
May 6, 2007

It was really cool to see generational legends go at it, and they delivered. The early portions of Toyota using her veteran status to keep control of Meiko was really great. As they build up to the match, they had a great bomb-throwing segment and finishing rush.

Rating: 8.75/10

#3
Antonio Inoki vs Big Van Vader
NJPW Wrestling World In Tokyo Dome
January 4, 1996

Two legendary though guys stand up and fight each other on the biggest stage with a red-hot crowd. This is amazing. Both really go for the kill throughout, and the Vader German Suplex spot is incredibly memorable.

Rating: 9/10

#2
Titan (c) vs Mascara Dorada
“CMLL World Middleweight Championship”
CMLL Noche de Campeones
September 29, 2023

I haven’t seen too much of the new Mascara Dorada, but for a wrestler who debuted in 2021, he is insanely good. He reminds me of Rey Mysterio Jr., who came around and blew everyone away with his flying, but it never looked like he was showing off, but always competing in a match. Dorada is the same way.

Titan is no slouch, as he’s been great for a long time. With all the great flying, the spot that really hit me was Titan doing a double stomp from the top rope to Dorada on the apron. As it built towards the finish, all the submission nearfalls were amazing. It was a great match and probably in my top ten matches of the year.

Rating: 9/10

#1
Combat Toyoda (c) vs Megumi Kudo
“FMW Independent Women’s & WWA Women’s Title No Ropes Barbed Wire Current Blast Death Match”
FMW Fighting Creation: 7th Anniversary Show
May 5, 1996

Not much to say. It’s the best deathmatch and the best FMW match in history. It’s dramatic, it’s emotional, and it’s great.

Rating: 9.66/10

Twitter

You can discuss this on Twitter!

Discord

Join:

https://t.co/0pOARzaXHD

We also do weekly watch-along parties with chat!

How Can You Help?

Please donate to Callen Lorde!

Posted in: Best Matches I've Watched This Month, Lists | Tagged: Aja Kong, AJW, Andre the Giant, antonio inoki, AWA, Becky Lynch, blackjack lanza, bobby duncum, Bruno Sammartino, CM Punk, CMLL, combat toyoda, dean malenko, deathmatch, FMW, greg gagne, Hazuki, jeff hardy, jim brunzell, john morrison, joshi, la catalina, lucha libra, Lyra Valkyria, Maika, Manami Toyota, mascara dorada, Megumi Kudo, Mei Hoshizuki, Mei Seira, Meiko Satomura, MIRAI, Mistico, Nanae Takahashi, natsupoi, NJPW, NXT, puroresu, rey mysterio jr, Sendai Girls, Stan Hansen, STARDOM, Stephanie Vaquer, super calo, suzu suzuki, tam nakano, templario, Tiffany Stratton, titan, ultimo dragon, Umaga, Vader, Virus, WCW, wrestling, WWE, wwwf, yumiko hotta

High Flyers (Coliseum Home Video)

By Grimmas on October 13, 2023 | Leave a comment

One of the first things I did when I started this blog years ago was review Coliseum Home Videos because that was what I grew up on. The blog has morphed and changed over the years, but those videos are still pure nostalgia for me. I’ve always wanted to revisit them. Since I’m in some kind of watching slump, I decided now was the time!

This particular tape is the only one I owned as a child. On a trip, we came across a store with them on sale. I had no idea you could buy them. I thought they were only rentals. This tape had Savage, The Blue Blazer, and Jumping Bomb Angels, probably the reason I picked it out.

What does it look like with Steven’s 2023 eyes? Let’s find out!

This is from the Collector’s Series and starts with Gene Okerlund telling us what is on it.

Randy Savage (c) w/ Miss Elizabeth vs Virgil w/ Ted DiBiase
“WWF World Championship”
WWF Superstars
May 10, 1988, aired May 21, 1988

Virgil attacks before the bell, and when Savage makes a comeback, DiBiase distracts. This match is really about Savage selling and DiBiase being a dick. Savage eventually makes the comeback for real for the win.

Rating: Fun/10

The Rockers vs Los Conquistadores
WWF on July 9, 1988, at Boston Garden

Sean Mooney, Superstar Billy Graham, and Lord Alfred are a mix of commentators I love. They have such fun energy and distinct personalities.

This is a typical house show tag match but with a lot of energy from both teams. The shine segment is a little long by The Rockers, but that’s every Rockers match. Marty was a great face in peril here, and I love Los Conquistadores control segment. The comeback was nicely teased, and the hot tag was great. Rockers win using high flying!

Rating: Borderline Recommendation/10

The Jumping Bomb Angels (c) vs The Glamour Girls
“WWF World Women’s Tag Team Championship”
March 12, 1988 at The Spectrum

The blatant racism of Sean Mooney asking how to tell the Bomb Angels apart is something else.

This is such a great mix of Southern tag wrestling and Joshi wrestling. You have the structure from the USA but the constant fighting back and hope spots from Joshi. Glamour Girls are vicious and awesome, and Bomb Angels live up to the name of the tape, bringing pure excitement. The pinfall in chaos is great and leads to further matches as the Champions retain. One of my favourite WWF feuds of the 1980s.

Rating: 7/10

The Young Stallions vs The Shadows
May 9, 1987 at The Spectrum

When Demolition started in early 1987, Smash was played by one of the Moondogs. However, everybody knew it was a Moondog and chanted that at him. That would ruin Demolition, so The Moondog was promised another badass team gimmick, and Barry Darsow became the new Smash. Demolition went on to rule, and The Moondog tagged as The Shadows for a few months, wearing a full body suit and a mask jobbing around the country. Life is not always fair.

This was a solid WWF tag match, with everyone playing their roles well, but none exceptional. Shadows kept jobbing, and The Young Stallions got a small push.

Rating: Solid/10

The Blue Blazer & Koko B. Ware vs Danny Davis & Jose Estrada
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
January 4, 1989, aired January 23, 1989

We get the future High Energy three years in advance!

This was odd as it had two face-in-peril segments and a long finishing sequence. Owen was the most high flyer on this tape, but he doesn’t do much in this match outside of a big splash for the finish and a few small things during the match. The heels were boring in their control segments. Lord Alfred’s commentary was the true highlight.

Rating: whatever/10

Final Thoughts?

Overall, this is a pretty fun tape. One match for my spreadsheet and another that could go on. Outside of that, nostalgia raged through me, bringing good vibes, so it’s a win.

Twitter

You can discuss this on Twitter!

Discord

Join:

https://t.co/0pOARzaXHD

We also do weekly watch-along parties with chat!

How Can You Help?

Please donate to Callen Lorde!

Posted in: Coliseum Home Video Reviews, Reviews | Tagged: blue blazer, conquistadors, danny davis, glamour girls, Itsuki Yamazaki, jim powers, jose estrada, joshi, judy martin, jumping bomb angels, koko b. ware, leilani kai, marty jannetty, noriyo tateno, owen hart, paul roma, rockers, shawn michaels, virgil, wrestling, WWE, WWF

The Best Matches I’ve Watched This Month (September 2023)

By Grimmas on September 30, 2023 | 1 Comment

I took a little break from GWE watching; I only had two 76/77 matches on the list this month. I was off-wrestling this month, but I got in a lot of the Stardom 5STAR and started to get back into CMLL.

#25
Superstar Billy Graham (c) vs Dusty Rhodes
“WWWF Heavyweight Championship Texas Death Match”
WWWF
October 24, 1977

This was bloody, with a superheated crowd in an intense brawl. It doesn’t really hit high gear, though, and the finish stunk, but a damn good match worth watching.

Rating: 7/10

#24
Hazuki, Shinobu Kandori, & Takako Inoue vs Natsupoi, Saori Anou, & Tam Nakano
Stardom MidSummer Fes
August 19, 2023

It’s a fun match, putting legends with current starts. All the legends hit their stuff and looked awesome, but the current stars carried the bulk of the work. It’s a textbook and is well worth watching stuff here.

Rating: 7/10

#23
Chigusa Nagayo vs Megumi Kudo
FMW New Year Generation
January 10, 1996

An amazing-paced 7-minute match where they fought with a great struggle like warriors! The power bomb finish was brutal!

Rating: 7/10

#22
Kaoru Ito & Manami Toyota vs Double Inoue
AJW Zenjo Strongest
January 3, 1996

This was just a super fun tag with a really hot finishing sequence and an insanely fast giant swing by Kyoko.

Rating: 7.25/10

#21
Akira Hokuto & Mima Shimoda (c) vs Double Inoue
“WWWA Tag Team Championship Best 2/3 Falls”
AJW Ota Ward Champion Legend
January 22, 1996

LCO work as psychotic heels against the sympathetic Double Inoue team, and it helps this tag for the first couple of falls. The third fall is tremendous action.

Rating: 7.25/10

#20
MIRAI (c) vs Konami
“Wonder of Stardom Championship”
Stardom 5STAR Special In Hiroshima
September 3, 2023

I really dug this title defense. Konami’s arm offense and kicks were on point, and MIRAI’s selling was tremendous. I loved her comeback and the finishing sequence, too. MIRAI’s lariats are so brutal.

Rating: 7.25/10

#19
La Jarochita & Lluvia vs Stephanie Vaquer & Zeuxis
“CMLL World Women’s Tag Team Title Match”
CMLL 90 Aniversario
September 16, 2023

A great opener to the Aniversario and a really fun tag match with some amazing dives and great double-team moves. There was a viciousness to this that made it extra appealing.

Rating: 7.25

#18
Momo Watanabe vs Saori Anou
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 15, 2023

It was a real blast where Momo was trying to knock out Anou all match, from an opening sneak attack to using her baseball bat and vicious heavy offense. Anou is pretty good from fighting underneath, so it’s worth watching.

Rating: 7.25/10

#17
Mariah May vs Mina Shirakawa
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 15, 2023

These two have been the most improved wrestlers on earth in the last two years, and they went out and had a good match between teammates. Mina’s leg work was on point as ever, and Mariah has developed some killer offense.

Rating: 7.25/10

#16
Mayu Iwatani vs Syuri
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Special In Hiroshima
September 3, 2023

These two are just great, and even in an undercard match, they will deliver something awesome. It was intense and stiff and led to a great finish.

Rating: 7.5/10

#15
Aja Kong vs Combat Toyoda
FMW New Year Generation
January 10, 1996

A wild brawl all over the arena with Combat bleeding and weapons. It’s a real fun hoss battle well worth your time.

Rating: 7.5/10

#14
Hazuki vs Syrui
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 15, 2023

A full-throttle intense 10-minute sprint that I loved. Two of my favourites doing everything to win their tournament match, but not in an epic way, but in a that put the other away as soon as possible way.

Rating: 7.5/10

#13
Manami Toyota (c) vs Kyoko Inoue
“WWWA World Championship”
AJW Wrestling Queendom
March 31, 1996

Putting aside the horrible design to not have Kyoko win and to have her lose to her own finish, this match was pretty damn good. The crowd really wanted Kyoko to win, which made every nerafall hot. The nerafalls all felt big, and it got better and better as it went.

Rating: 8/10

#12
Bomber Hikari, Chigusa Nagayo, & Sonoko Kato vs Eagle Sawai, Jenn Yukari, & Michiko Nagashima
LLPW
March 12, 1996

This is a rematch from a GAEA match higher on the list, and although it’s still pretty wild and a great match, it doesn’t hit the high levels the other match hit. The clipping makes it harder to rank, too.

Rating: 8/10

#11
Mayu Iwatani vs Tam Nakano
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 15, 2023

Two legends of Stardom go at it for 15 minutes straight, trying to knock the other out. It’s as good as a 15-minute tournament match draw could be, really. These two need a big title match one day.

Rating: 8/10

#10
KAIRI & Saori Anou vs Unagi Sayaka & Sareee
AJPW Giant Series
September 8, 2023

Outside of the novelty of seeing these four, some of my favourites, in an AJPW ring, the match delivered. It was a great tag match where everyone was stepping up their game. Each team had really good team chemistry and double-team moves, too. The last few minutes were absolutely tremendous stuff.

Rating: 8/10

#9
CM Punk (c) vs Samoa Joe
“Real World Championship”
AEW All In London
August 27, 2023

This was a great opener and the only match I wanted to watch from this show. There were some nice nods to their previous matches with the headlock before Joe killed Punk into the table and blooded him up. Punk worked amazingly from underneath, and his comeback was fun, especially the Wrestlemania III tribute. A fun finishing stretch ended it. Punk then posed with a trans flag to push the match up even higher!

Rating: 8/10

#8
AZM vs Utami Hayashishita
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 15, 2023

The main event in Korakuen Hall delivered in a big way as teammates fought in the 5STAR. AZM used her high speed skills to try to sneak in a victory, while Utami used her power to pick her apart. It was a perfect power vs speed match.

Rating: 8.25/10

#7
Lince Dorado & Samuray del Sol vs. Soberano Jr. & Titan
“Best 2/3 Falls”
CMLL 90 Aniversario
September 16, 2023

The Lucha House Party makes a surprisingly good gringo rudo tag team here, and this was a dynamic, exciting tag. The first two falls were perfect, with great spots and good build-up. The third fall got a little extra, but this was filled with spectacular spots and some good playing character work.

Rating: 8.25/10

#6
Dragon Rojo Jr. vs Templario
“Mask vs Mask”
CMLL 90 Aniversario
September 16, 2023

There’s nothing like a mask vs mask match to end a CMLL Anniversary show, and this was a good one. I loved Dragon Rojo Jr. on offense for the first half; he kind of reminded me of Kikuchiyo in his movement. Templario’s comeback had a lot of spectacular dives, but the finishing stretch seemed like a letdown from what they were building.

Rating: 8.5/10

#5
Angel de Oro vs Volador, Jr.
“Hair vs Hair”
CMLL 90 Aniversario
September 16, 2023

A dramatic and great hair vs hair match made even better with Volador’s shoulder injury, making all his moves look more spectacular. I love these high-stakes matches. It makes everything feel way more important. This wasn’t just a spot fest. There was some great hate and submissions mixed in there.

Rating: 8.75/10

#4
Bomber Hikari, Chigusa Nagayo, & Sonoko Kato vs Eagle Sawai, Jenn Yukari, & Michiko Nagashima
GAEA War Is A Friday Night
February 16, 1996

This is as fun as a wild all over the arena crazy brawl can be. Chigusa and Eagle just killing each other in the audience is a blast, but the story of Kato losing her shit was amazing. Blood and brawling, GAEA is such a great promotion.

Rating: 8.75/10

#3
Jaguar Yokota, Momoe Nakanishi, & Nanae Takahashi vs Momo Watanabe, Starlight Kid, & Yuu
Stardom MidSummer Fes
August 19, 2023

This was an exciting trios match main event. There was so much great action with everyone, especially the legends, getting their chance to shine. The action was really classic Joshi. I’m so blown away by how great Nakanishi was after 18 years of not wrestling a real match. She looked like she could main event today on a consistent basis. Unbelievable.

Rating: 9/10

#2
Terry Funk (c) vs Jumbo Tsuruta
“NWA World Heavyweight Championship Best 2/3 Falls”
AJPW NWA Champion Series”
June 11, 1976

One thing I immediately loved about this match was each fall was built like a regular match, albeit the later ones got shorter and went quicker toward finishing sequences. It has that great feel-out segment that leads to them figuring out what to do. Funk doing Jumbo’s finisher to him was fascinating, as I had no idea people were doing that before the 2000s. It is just tremendously well-built, and once it going going, it is an exciting match.

Rating: 9/10

#1
“Match of the Month”

Becky Lynch vs Trish Stratus
“Cage Match”
WWE Payback
September 2, 2023

This was a perfect WWE cage match. It was not built around trying to do cool moves; it was built around the feud and legacy. For once, no blood, after being rammed into the cage, was perfectly covered, as Trish had a giant welt on her forehead. The tributes to the first-ever WWE women’s cage match and other cage matches in WWE history were perfectly done. They were even somewhat subtle, like the Bret-Owen superplex and the outside interference door slamming into the face. I loved the finishing sequence so much, where Becky had enough of Trish’s lackey, so she locked her in the cage too and took her out, leading to catching Trish on the top of the cage and hitting a super Manhandle slam. It was a brilliant match and will be near the top matches of 2023 for me!

Rating: 9/10

Twitter

You can discuss this on Twitter!

Discord

Join:

https://t.co/0pOARzaXHD

We also do weekly watch-along parties with chat!

How Can You Help?

Please donate to Callen Lorde!

Posted in: Best Matches I've Watched This Month | Tagged: aew, Aja Kong, AJPW, AJW, Akira Hokuto, angel de oro, azm, Becky Lynch, billy graham, bomber hikari, Chigusa Nagayo, CM Punk, CMLL, combat toyoda, dragon rojo jr, dusty rhodes, Eagle Sawai, FMW, GAEA, Hazuki, jaguar yokota, jenn yukari, joshi, Jumbo Tsuruta, Kairi Hojo, Kaoru Ito, Konami, Kyoko Inoue, la jarochita, lince dorada, LLPW, lucha libre, Manami Toyota, mariah may, Mayu Iwatani, Megumi Kudo, michiko nagashima, Mima Shimoda, mini shirakawa, MIRAI, momo watanabe, Momoe Nakanishi, Nanae Takahashi, natsupoi, Samoa Joe, samuray del sol, Saori Anou, Sareee, Shinobu Kandori, soberano jr, sonoko kato, STARDOM, starlight kid, Stephanie Vaquer, Syuri, Takako Inoue, tam nakano, templario, Terry Funk, titan, Trish Stratus, Unagai Sayaka, utami hayashishita, volador jr, wrestling, WWE, Yuu, zeuxis

1995 Match of the Year List

By Grimmas on August 18, 2023 | Leave a comment

1995 as a year of wrestling is freaking awesome, even if WWF and WCW were not at their best. Joshi, Puro, Lucha, and Deathmatches were all at peaks, while the emergence of ECW was all happening at once.

Honourable Mentions

El Hijo del Santo vs Psicosis, AAA, May 3
Kyoko Inoue vs Manami Toyota, AJW, May 7
Blue Panther, Fuerza Guerrera, Pentagon, & Psicosis vs El Hijo del Santo, Octagon, La Parka, & Rey Mysterio Jr., AAA, June 18
Aja Kong vs Dynamite Kansai, AJW, August 30
Aja Kong vs Bison Kimura, AJW, September 2
Akira Hokuto vs Manami Toyota, AJW, September 2
Raven & Stevie Richards vs The Pitbulls, ECW, September 16
Dynamite Kansai vs Manami Toyota, AJW, December 4
Bret Hart vs British Bulldog, WWF, December 17

The List

#10
Bad Nurse Nakamura vs Chigusa Nagayo
GAEA Hearts On Fight
July 29
Korakuen Hall

From my “Best Matches I’ve Watched This Week” post:

This is the most shocked I have ever been by a match being great. The story of this classic is that Bad Nurse and her second Shark just destroy Chigusa with weapons and brawling, bloodying her up until Chigusa calls her out as a chicken and challenges her to wrestle. Nakamura takes up the challenge and argues with Shark leading to her throwing away the weapon and grabbing a headlock. Chigusa makes a comeback and, after some tremendous nearfalls, wins with a Running Three into a Dominator-type move that looked vicious.

#9
Bull Nakano vs Kyoko Inoue
AJW Destiny
September 2
Nippon Budokan

From my “Best Matches I’ve Watched This Month” post:

This match was built around a huge struggle between the two. Every Inoue power bomb took so much effort. Every attempt by Inoue to win was a huge challenge. Wrestling may have peaked when Bull did a series of leg drops from the apron to the floor. Inoue finally getting her win on her fourth try was a great conclusion.

#8
Keiji Muto vs Scott Norton
“IWGP Heavyweight Championship #1 Contedership”
NJPW Fighting Spirit
February 3
Nakajima Sports Center

Although this started off a little slow, with Muto trying to keep grounded, it sure delivered. After Norton got control, the match was a classic. The offense by Norton was just vicious! The hope spots were so well planned out, and the cut-offs by Norton were perfect. The crowd was rabid for Muto. He got in some nice nearfalls as the match built to the finish, with some that had me bite. The finish was so well done, with Norton just having enough of Muto, who wouldn’t go away, so he goes to the top. Must watch match.

#7
Dynamite Kansai vs Mayumi Ozaki
“Street Fight”
JWP Jazz and Soul
March 17
Hakata Starlanes

From my “Best Matches I’ve Watched This Week” post:

This match was a wild street fight that was bloody and violent, and out of control. The ring was destroyed, and they used a chain like it was a dog collar match just because they wanted to kill each other, not because of the stipulations.

This escalated so well and never lit up. The finish was kind of a surprise, but I kind of dug it. An excellent match!

#6
Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa
“Champion Carnival Final”
AJPW Champion Carnival
April 15
Nippon Budokan

Taue was on a mission to chokeslam his way to winning the Carnival, and he wasn’t letting the ace of AJPW stand in his way! Tremendous relentlessness from Taue here.

#5
Psicosis (c) vs Rey Misterio Jr.
“WWA World Welterweight Championship 2/3 Falls”
AAA
September 22
Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera

From my “Best Matches I’ve Watched This Month” post:

After two great falls built around trying to one-up each other with matwork, submissions, and rolls, we get to one of the most insane third falls ever. Unreal dives left and right by both and huge moves everywhere, all set up in a logical fashion. This is the best lucha and felt really ahead of its time. No wonder this match was exported all over the world.

#4
Manami Toyota vs Yumiko Hotta
“Japan Grand Prix Final Match”
AJW Japan Grand Prix
September 3
Korakuen Hall

From my “Best Matches I’ve Watched This Month” post:

Hotta was really feeling it tonight and was just plain mean! Early she stopped Toyota every time she got momentum with brutal kicks. When Toyota finally makes a comeback, she is brutal as well. The rest of the match was just insane, with some of the most killer suplexes ever. Straight Jacket German Suplex from the top rope? Another unbelievable spot was Toyota diving off the top to try to put Hotta through a table, but Hotta got her feet up into her face. There was a Ganso Bomb as well. It all ends with a Super Ocean Cyclone Suplex Bomb with the largest bridge ever. What a brutal classic!

#3
Chigusa Nagayo & Dynamite Kansai vs Devil Masami & Mayumi Ozaki
GAEA Memorial First Gong In Korakuen
April 15
Korakeun Hall

From my “Best Match of the Week” post:

This is the main event of the very first GAEA show, and it’s the perfect way to establish a promotion!

I find it really interesting that Kansai and Nagayo are dressed normally, but Masami is dressed as Super Heel Masami, and Ozaki is dressed for a street fight. Ozaki knew what was up because this was one of the most violent wild, bloody brawls I have ever seen.

It was so out of control the ring crew started taking apart the ring mid-match, and the wrenches they used became a weapon for Ozaki. The sight of a half-destroyed ring with brawling everywhere is a great sight!

The match keeps escalating, and many times you think it is over, but it, instead, just gets more violent! All of this leads up to an all-time great finish, where Nagayo goes for the Running Three on Ozaki, but Masami on the outside just stabs Nagayo with a sword, allowing Ozaki to counter into a rollup

#2
Diesel (c) vs Bret Hart
“WWF World Championship No Holds Barred”
WWF Survivor Series
November 19
USAir Arena

I love this for the drama but more so for the logic. Bret looked at brawls and table spots, said what would actually make sense, and produced a classic around that. Still one of my favourite table bumps ever. Next-level wrestling is seeing a wrestler come into a match with a plan and execute it.

#1 “1995 Match of the Year”
Kenta Kobashi & Mitsuharu Misawa (c)
vs
Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada

“AJPW World Tag Team Championship”
AJPW Super Power Series
June 9
Nippon Budokan

It’s a famous match you probably know if you are reading this. My joy from this match is from Kobashi trying desperately to save Kobashi and Taue, bringing death at every move.

Coming Soon

The top 25 wrestlers of 1995 list should be ready shortly, plus at the end of every month, I’ll write up the top 25 matches I watched during it.

Twitter

You can discuss this on Twitter!

Discord

Join:

https://t.co/0pOARzaXHD

We also do weekly watch-along parties with chat!

How Can You Help?

Callen-Lorde is the global leader in LGBTQ healthcare. Since the days of Stonewall, we have been transforming lives in LGBTQ communities through excellent comprehensive care, provided free of judgment and regardless of ability to pay. In addition, we are continuously pioneering research, advocacy and education to drive positive change around the world, because we believe healthcare is a human right.

Please donate to Callen Lorde!

Posted in: Match of the Year List, Reviews | Tagged: AAA, AJPW, AJW, Akira Taue, Bret Hart, Bull Nakano, Chigusa Nagayo, Devil Masami, Dynamite Kansai, GAEA, Great Muta, joshi, JWP, Kenta Kobashi, kevin nash, Kyoko Inoue, lucha libre, Manami Toyota, Mayumi Ozaki, Mitsuharu Misawa, psicosis, puroresu, rey mysterio jr, Scott Norton, Toshiaki Kawada, wrestling, WWE, WWF, yumiko hotta

The Best Matches I’ve Watched This Month (July 2023)

By Grimmas on August 1, 2023 | 2 Comments

July has been a great month of watching. I finished my 1989 watching, and I had so many more matches than 25 I had to cut a couple dozen matches.

#25
Natsupoi vs. Saori Anou
“Indian Strap Match”
Stardom MidSummer Champions
July 2, 2023

I love the creativity here, but the stips hurt this from hitting real highs. The first part was worked around the strap, but they used it very violently later. The stip of getting a pin and then having to touch each corner is something that will hurt every match, though.

Rating: 7.75/10

#24
Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas (c) vs Joe Malenko & Kenta Kobashi
“All Asia Tag Team Championships”
AJPW October Giant Series
October 11, 1989

I love the double teamwork of Kroffat & Furnas. It’s really on an all-time great level. Joe and Kenta were pretty damn good in their babyface roles here, getting in great hope spots and fire. Awesome tag work.

Rating: 7.75/10

#23
The Brain Busters vs The Rockers
WWF
January 23, 1989

It’s a really good Southern tag match where the face-in-peril, hot tag, and finish were all really good. I didn’t like the opening third of The Rockers embarrassing The Brain Busters for so long. The shine went on sooo long. After that, though, it was all excellent.

Rating: 7.75/10

#22
Dynamite Kansai (c) vs Takako Inoue
“WWWA World Championship”
JWP
October 31, 1995

Inoue tried her hardest to bring the AJW Title back home, but she couldn’t put Kansai down no matter how much she threw at Kansai or how close the nearfalls were. Lovely wrestling.

Rating: 7.75/10

#21
Giulia, Mayu Iwatani, Syuri, & Tam Nakano vs Maika, MIRAI, Saya Kamitani, & Suzu Suzuki
“Generational Struggle Elimination Match”
Stardom
July 9, 2023

This was a lot of fun with a hot crowd. Pitting the current top talent vs the future top talent is a great concept that allows delivers. It took its time before eliminations, and all the eliminations were creative. A lot of fun moments with different talents interacting that may not always face each other too. A really good tag match!

Rating: 7.75/10

#20
Andre the Giant & Haku (c) vs Demoltiion
“WWF World Tag Team Championship”
WWF
December 28, 1989

I love how Andre and Haku work because it’s unlike any other tag team. Haku is a badass and does most of the work, and Andre is tagged in when it’s time to drop the big bomb to end things. This match has a great deviation from that formula, as Andre’s first bomb misses causing him to be attacked for a while. The match builds from there with awesome heat and a cool finish of Andre just destroying Smash for the win.

Rating: 7.75/10

#19
Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu (c) vs Genichiro Tenryu & Toshiaki Kawada
“AJPW World Tag Team Championships”
AJPW Excite Series
February 23, 1989

Another great match in the Tsuruta-Tenryu series. Yatsu needs a lot of credit in this series as well, as he more than holds his own on his quest to kill Tenryu. Kawada is the plucky underdog brought around in this match and does a good job after Tenryu keeps him calm. A very exciting tag match that is a real harbinger of things to come for AJPW.

Rating: 8/10

#18
Demolition (c) vs The Brain Busters
“WWF World Tag Team Championship Best 2/3 Falls”
WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event
July 18, 1989, aired July 29, 1989

I have a lot of nostalgia for this match, as it’s one of the very first Saturday Night’s Main Event I remember my dad taping for me, and I couldn’t wait to watch it on Sunday morning.

Outside of that, it’s a tremendous match with great structure. Demolition is clearly the more dominant team, but The Busters are sneaky and frustrating. Demolition dominates to start until some double teaming gets a Smash face-in-peril, but Ax breaks everything up and gets an easy first-fall win. In the second fall, Demolition is dominant again, but now The Busters cheat like crazy until a super hot tag to Ax, and it looks like an easy match, but they double team too much and are disqualified and frustrated. The final fall is more Demolition dominance, but Andre slips a chair to Tully, who kills them, and they steal the titles. Perfect wrestling!!

Rating: 8/10

#17
Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu (c) vs Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen
“AJPW World Tag Team Championship”
AJPW Championship Carnival
April 4, 1989

Tenryu is so over, and this really helped this match, but what put it over the top was how locked in everyone was to destroying each other. Lariats were killing fools left and right, and they were devastating. The finish, although a countdown, was great as Jumbo saw his partner was in trouble, so he suplexed Tenryu through a table to get the count-out win!

Rating: 8/10

#16
Willow Nightingale (c) vs Giulia
“NJPW Strong Women’s Championship”
NJPW STRONG Independence Day
July 5, 2023

This was an awesome match focused on big power vs underdog fire, and I loved it. They worked to all the big moves well, and both played their rules tremendously well. The finishing sequence was amazing, and it finished the story perfectly!

Rating: 8.25/10

#15
Jushin Liger (c) vs Black Tiger
“IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship European Rounds”
NJPW Summer Fight Series
July 12, 1989

The European Rounds rules break the Junior Heavyweight style and make this feel more unique. Add in Mark Rocco playing a legit heel, and it just feels great watching it. It’s intense and dirty and has some outstanding spots. A real delight.

Rating: 8.25/10

#14
Chigusa Nagayo vs Shark Tsuchiya
GAEA Never Ending Bump
November 3, 1995

The feud between Chigusa and FMW wages on, as Shark kills her from the very start. Puts her through a table and brawls throughout the crowd. She uses every weapon she can, but every time Chigusa comes back. However, every Chigusa comeback has a Shark underling run-in and cut it off. Barbed wire, sticks, boards, etc… This was a great brawl that kept this feud going and made it even better.

Rating: 8.25/10

#13
Nanae Takahashi vs Starlight Kid
Stardom MidSummer Champions
July 2, 2023

Takahashi injects some passion into Starlight Kid, who stepped up and fought a Takashiashi match that was full of vicious strikes and, well, passion. I loved Kid having Momoe Nakanishi in her corner too.

Rating: 8.5/10

#12
Bob Backlund & Owen Hart vs Bret Hart & The British Bulldog
WWF Action Zone
January 25, 1995, aired February 26, 1995

A great traditional tag team matches with Bret playing the perfect face in peril, Owen and Backlund being an amazing asshole tag team, and Bulldog having a great hot tag. Bret keeping the Sharpshooter on the floor while Budllog won in the ring was a tremendous and memorable finish.

Rating: 8.75/10

#11
Genichiro Tenryu (c) vs Yoshiaki Yatsu
“AJPW Triple Crown Championship”
AJPW Summer Action Series
July 18, 1989

I’m not sure why these two are so competitive against each other, but their chemistry is unreal. I saw so many cool bulldogs in this match, which was a highlight. Yatsu fought tooth and nail to overcome Tenryu, but it wasn’t enough. A great story and a great match.

Rating: 8.75/10

#10
Ricky Steamboat vs Terry Funk
NWA Clash of The Champions VII “Guts And Glory”
June 14, 1989

This is great fun. It was a short, heated main event where they worked stiffly and held nothing back. Heck, Funk even did a running piledriver on the floor! Scoff at the finish if you want, but it works well with Funk’s character and his frustration for being unable to put down The Dragon.

Rating: 8.75/10

#9
Atsushi Onita (c) vs Hayabusa
“FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship No Ropes Barbed Wire Current Mine Explosion Time Bomb Death Match”
FMW Atsushi Onita Memorial Retirement Tour Last Fight ~Final Chapter~ April Series – Tag 20: 6th Anniversary Show
May 5, 1995

From the opening entrances, I was all in on this match. The stipulation makes the work all so meaningly, and all of the explosion spots were great. The countdown to the ring blowing up worked so well, and the match was on pace to be an easy Greatest Match Ever lock until the conclusion. Onita was retiring, and Hayabusa was going to be the new ace and the whole match was built around the dethroning, but instead, it ended with an Onita win. Wrestling polictics suck.

Rating: 8.75/10

#8
Akira Hokuto vs Manami Toyota
AJW Destiny
September 2, 1995

This match felt dangerous, and the table spots were brutal, but it didn’t hit the high levels I’d expect from a big Hokuto match. The finish was weird, with Toyota just hitting Hokuto’s finisher out of nowhere for the win.

Rating: 9/10

#7
Bull Nakano vs Kyoko Inoue
AJW Destiny
September 2, 1995

This match was built around a huge struggle between the two. Every Inoue power bomb took so much effort. Every attempt by Inoue to win was a huge challenge. When Bull did a series of leg drops from the apron to the floor, wrestling may have peaked. Inoue finally getting her win on her fourth try was a great conclusion.

Rating: 9/10

#6
Lioness Asuka (c) vs Bull Nakano
“WWWA World Championship”
AJW
May 14, 1989

This was chaotic madness, and I loved it. After Lioness got off a really fast giant swing, the match broke into a Chigusa-Dump match, with Bull using every weapon she could find to pick her apart, including breaking the ring to use it as a weapon with the ring post hook and digging into her bloody forehead. Sadly, the referee threw it out after Bull chucked a heavy briefcase at his head because of a finish here, and it could have been an all-time classic.

Rating: 9/10

#5
Psicosis (c) vs Rey Misterio Jr.
“WWA World Welterweight Championship 2/3 Falls”
AAA
September 22, 1995

Rating: 9.25/10

#4
Jushin Liger (c) vs Naoki Sano
“IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship”
NJPW Fighting Satellite 1989 Japan vs USA vs Soviet Union Battle Series Part II
August 10, 1989

I thought I watched the right Sano-Liger match a month ago, but I was wrong because this ruled. Sano destroys the arm, and Liger sells it so well for the rest of the match. After that destruction, Liger is able to counter a move into a superplex onto the apron and then the floor, which makes the rest of the match pure desperation by both. They do their best to put the other away, but both are severely hurt, and the drama is amazing. A beautiful, gritty fight that could make my top 100 matches ever!

Rating: 9.25/10

#3
Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa vs The Usos
“Bloodline Civil War”
WWE Money in the Bank
July 1, 2023

One of the best tag team matches in WWE history and great WWE wrestling. It worked so well playing off storylines and building drama setting up the finish of what the fans wanted, which sets up a huge match down the line.

It started pretty traditionally with a great shine by The Usos, followed by a face in peril by Jey, including an amazing hot tag tease where Jimmy was pulled off the apron by Solo at the last second. After a fun hot tag, the match started building towards the finish with no silly kick-outs, as partner’s made the saves. There was a great near fall where Roman stacked both The Usos, only for them to kick out. I loved Roman not sure what to do, and in shock, Solo just starts kicking ass and is like Roman, what the fuck? After some more great action, we got the big shocking finish. Awesome.

Rating: 9.25/10

#2
Manami Toyota vs Yumiko Hotta
“Japan Grand Prix Final Match”
AJW Japan Grand Prix
September 3, 1995

Hotta was really feeling it tonight and was just plain mean! Early she stopped Toyota every time she got momentum with brutal kicks. When Toyota finally makes a comeback, she is brutal as well. The rest of the match was just insane, with some of the most killer suplexes of all time. Straight Jacket German Suplex from the top rope? Another unbelievable spot was Toyota diving off the top to try to put Hotta through a table, but Hotta got her feet up into her face. There was a Ganso Bomb as well. It all ends with a Super Ocean Cyclone Suplex Bomb with the largest bridge ever. What a brutal classic!

Rating: 9.5/10

#1 “My Match of the Month”
Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu (c) vs Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen
“AJPW World Tag Team Championship Real World Tag League Finale”
AJPW Real World Tag League
December 6, 1989

This is one of the biggest tag war matches I have ever seen in a non-gimmick match. It was violent and bloody and so dramatic. Although the story would seem, on the surface, to be focused on Tenryu vs Tsuruta, it turns out the real main character was Yoshiaki Yatsu! The dude comes in with padded headgear, which gets ripped off, and later replaced with wraps. He was hurt and was out to prove himself against the other aces. There were so many great neat touches, great nearfalls, and drama. I loved this; it is my favourite Real World Tag League final ever!

Rating: 9.75/10

Twitter

You can discuss this on Twitter!

Discord

Join:

https://t.co/0pOARzaXHD

We also do weekly watch-along parties with chat!

Trans Rights!

It’s a horrible time to be trans right now, so please donate to the lovely folks here who save lives!

Posted in: Best Matches I've Watched This Month, Lists | Tagged: AAA, AJPW, AJW, Akira Hokuto, Andre the Giant, Arn Anderson, Atsushi Onita, black tiger, bob backlund, Bret Hart, bull nakanoo, Chigusa Nagayo, davey boy smith, deathmatch, Demolition, doug furnas, Dynamite Kansai, FMW, GAEA, Genichiro Tenryu, giulia, Haku, hayabusa, joshi, Jumbo Tsuruta, Jushin Liger, JWP, Kenta Kobashi, Kyoko Inoue, Lioness Asuka, lucha libre, Maika, Manami Toyota, Mayu Iwatani, MIRAI, Nanae Takahashi, Naoki Sano, natsupoi, NJPW, NWA, owen hart, psicosis, puroresu, rey mysterio jr, Ricky Steamboat, rockers, Roman Reigns, Saori Anou, Saya Kamitani, Shark Tsuchiya, solo sikoa, Stan Hansen, STARDOM, starlight kid, suzu suzuki, Syuri, Takako Inoue, tam nakano, Terry Funk, Toshiaki Kawada, Tully Blanchard, usos, willow nighingale, wrestling, WWE, WWF, Yoshiaki Yatsu, yumiko hotta

The Greatest Wrestlers of 1989

By Grimmas on July 29, 2023 | 4 Comments

In route to putting together my top 100 list of the Greatest Wrestlers Ever, I am going through each year and putting together a list for that particular year. Previously, on the podcast “Maybe Not Taue”, I put together a list for 1985, 1990, 1997, & 2021. You can listen to those here. 1983, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015, 2019, & 2022 are on the blog.

1989

One of the all-time great years in wrestling history!

The List

All of the below stats are from Cagematch. Yes, they are not perfect.

The recommended matches are not a definitive list. It’s a list of matches I have watched for this process, plus matches on my spreadsheet from before. Each wrestler probably had more matches I could recommend, but I limited it to keep this cleaner.

The matches listed are all 7/10 or higher; if they are bolded, they are 8/10 or higher.

As an added bonus, I used AI to create poems about each wrestler, and they are as bad as you may expect!

Honourable Mentions

Dan Kroffat
Greg Valentine
Lioness Asuka
El Satanico
Tito Santana

#25
Bad News Brown

Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1994, & 1997
Matches: 130
Place Worked: WWF
Tournaments: WWF Royal Rumble & WWF King of the Ring

n ’89, Bad News ruled the scene,
Cool and badass, wrestling’s dream.
With aura intact in the cartoon world,
A force to reckon, flag unfurled.

Their presence fierce, no foe defied,
In every battle, they’d abide.
A legend’s spirit, bold and true,
Bad News Allen, a mighty brew.

Recommended Matches:

vs Randy Savage, WWF, January 16
vs Brutus Beefcake, WWF, April 22

#24
Sting

Previous Ranking: 1993 (34th)
Years Unranked: 1990, 1994, & 2010
Matches: 172
Places Worked: NWA & AJPW
Title Won: NWA World Television Championship
Tournament: NWA Iron Man Tournament (winner)

In ’89, Sting rose with might,
Evolved into a good hand’s light.
Exciting, like a bolt of thunder,
In the ring, a spellbinding wonder.

A wrestler, fierce, and full of zest,
A force that put fans to the test.
With every move, hearts would soar,
Sting’s presence, wrestling’s uproar.

Recommended Matches:

vs The Great Muta, NWA, July 23
vs Lex Luger, NWA, December 23

#23
Tully Blanchard

Previous Ranking: 1985 (11th)
Years Unranked: 1983 & 1994
Matches: 121
Place Worked: WWF
Title Won: WWF World Tag Team Championship w/ Arn Anderson
Tournament: WWF Royal Rumble

In ’89, Blanchard’s cunning mind,
The Brain Busters, a tag team bind.
Ruling the scene, with skill untold,
WWF’s gold, their hands would hold.

A perfect counter, cocky and sly,
Cheating smart, the crowd’s “Oh my!”
In the ring, a villainous flair,
Tully Blanchard, a presence rare.

Recommended Matches:

w/ Arn Anderson vs The Rockers, WWF, January 23
w/ Arn Anderson vs Demolition, WWF, July 18
w/ Arn Anderson vs The Hart Foundation, WWF, August 28

#22
The Great Muta
aka The Super Black Ninja

Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 1985, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 158
Places Worked: NWA & WCCW
Title Won: NWA World Television Championship
Tournament: NWA Iron Man Tournament

In ’89, The Great Muta came,
A mysterious presence, fame aflame.
Unique, they graced the NWA’s stage,
Unseen moves, a mystic’s sage.

With misty shroud and skillful grace,
In the ring, they’d leave a trace.
A wrestling enigma, a sight to behold,
The Great Muta’s tale, forever told.

Recommended Matches:

vs Sting, NWA, July 23
vs Lex Luger, NWA, December 13

#21
Jacques Rougeau

Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 1983, 1985, 1993, 1994, & 1997
Matches: 114
Place Worked: WWF

In ’89, Jacques Rougeau took the floor,
Unreal heat, fans’ hatred poured.
Pretending to be American, the act so sly,
Boos and jeers, they’d amplify.

The Fabulous Rougeaus, a tag team grace,
In the ring, they’d leave a trace.
Perfectly paired, their chemistry shone,
A wrestling legacy, forever known.

Recommended Matches:

w/ Raymond Rougeau vs The Hart Foundation, WWF, February 3
w/ Raymond Rougeau & Rick Martel vs Tito Santana & The Rockers, WWF, August 28
w/ Raymond Rougeau vs The Rockers, WWF, October 13

#20
Shawn Michaels

Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 1985, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2004, & 2010
Matches: 151
Place Worked: WWF
Tournament: WWF Royal Rumble

In ’89, Shawn Michaels’ star did gleam,
A wrestling heart with a dream.
With charisma and moves so fine,
He graced the ring like a divine.

From Rockers’ days to solo flight,
A superstar rising, shining bright.
In ’89, his journey began,
A legend’s path, a wrestling fan.

Recommended Matches:

w/ Marty Jannetty vs The Brain Busters, WWF, January 23
w/ Marty Jannetty vs The Fabulous Rougeaus, WWF, October 13
w/ The Ultimate Warriors vs The Heenan Family, WWF, Survivor Series, November 23 (#4 MOTY)

#19
Big Van Vader
aka Bull Power

Previous Ranking: 1993 (4th) & 1994 (17th)
Years Unranked: 1985, 1990, 1997, & 2001
Matches: 95
Places Worked: NJPW, UWA, EMLL, & CWA
Titles Won: IWGP Heavyweight Championship (twice), CWA World Heavyweight Championship, & UWA World Heavyweight Championship
Tournament: IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament (winner)

In ’89, Big Van Vader stood tall,
A wrestling monster, mighty and all.
With power and force, he’d dominate,
In the ring, none could emulate.

The IWGP Heavyweight Title, his claim,
A gaijin legend, forging his name.
In NJPW, he’d leave his mark,
Big Van Vader, fierce and dark.

Recommended Matches:

vs Tatsumi Fujinami, NJPW, February 9
w/ Bam Bam Bigelow vs Riki Choshu & Tatsumi Fujinami, NJPW, May 24
vs Salman Hashimikov, NJPW, July 13

#18
Big Boss Man

Previous Ranking: 1990 (24th) & 1993 (30th)
Years Unranked: 1994, 1997, & 2001
Matches: 148
Place Worked: WWF
Tournament: WWF Royal Rumble

In ’89, Big Boss Man held his reign,
A part of Twin Towers, wrestling’s domain.
With Akeem, they struck a fearsome pose,
A tag team power that surely rose.

Feuding with Mania, an epic clash,
A story told with a thunderous crash.
As a big man who bumped, he’d amaze,
In the ring, he set hearts ablaze.

Boss Man’s prowess, an awe to see,
In ’89, a wrestling legacy.

Recommended Matches:

w/ Akeem vs Demolition, WWF, July 10
w/ Akeem & Andre the Giant vs Jim Duggan & Demolition, WWF, August 28

#17
Andre the Giant

Previous Ranking: 1983 (15th)
Years Unranked: 1985 & 1990
Matches: 122
Place Worked: WWF
Title Won: WWF World Tag Team Championship w/ Haku
Tournament: WWF Royal Rumble

In ’89, though broken, Andre stood tall,
A wrestling mind, wise like a thrall.
Picking his shots with measured grace,
Each move he made left a lasting trace.

With The Colossal Connection, gold they’d claim,
WWF Tag Team Titles, etching their name.
A giant’s heart, a legend’s might,
In ’89, Andre’s wrestling light.

Recommended Matches:

vs Bret Hart, WWF, April 10
w/ Heenan Family vs The Ultimate Warriors, WWF, Survivor Series, November 23 (#4 MOTY)
w/ Haku vs Demolition, WWF, December 28

#16
Bull Nakano

Previous Ranking: 1985 (14th), 1990 (1st), 1993 (7th), & 1994 (8th)
Years Unranked: none
Place Worked: AJW
Title Won: AJW All Pacific Championship
Tournaments: AJW Tag League The Best w/ Beastie & AJW Japan Grand Prix

In ’89, Bull Nakano’s star did rise,
A wrestling force, a fierce surprise.
From the shadows, they found their look,
A transformation, a bold rebuke.

With strength and style, they’d take the stage,
A rising star, a wrestling sage.
In ’89, their journey did unfold,
Bull Nakano, a story to be told.

Recommended Matches:

vs Akira Hokuto, AJW, April 23
vs Lioness Asuka, AJW, May 14 (#6 MOTY)
w/ Aja Kong vs Akira Hokuto & Suzuka Minami, AJW, October

#15
Chigusa Nagayo

Previous Ranking: 1983 (16th), 1985 (1st), 1994 (22nd), & 2001 (15th)
Years Unranked: 1997, 2004, & 2019
Place Worked: AJW
Titles Won: IWA World Championship & WWWA Tag Team Championship w/ Lioness Asuka

In ’89, Chigusa reached her peak,
A wrestling legend, bold and unique.
In the ring, she’d shine so bright,
A force to reckon, pure delight.

“The Day the Music Died,” she bid adieu,
A farewell that touched hearts anew.
Until then, at the top she’d reside,
A legend retiring with unmatched pride.

Recommended Matches:

vs Lioness Asuka, AJW, January 29
vs Akira Hokuto, AJW, March 19 (#7 MOTY)
w/ Lioness Asuka vs Akira Hokuto & Suzuka Minami, AJW, April 2

#14
Akira Hokuto

Previous Ranking: 1990 (4th), 1993 (1st), 1994 (9th), 1997 (24th), & 2001 (9th)
Years Unranked: none
Places Worked:
Title Won: WWWA Tag Team Championshi w/ Suzuka Minami
Tournaments: AJW Tag League The Best w/ Etsuko Mita & AJW Japan Grand Prix

In ’89, Akira’s stardom soared,
A wrestling queen, her reign assured.
A rising star, a force untamed,
In the ring, her fire inflamed.

The Dangerous Queen, she would become,
A persona fierce, a wrestling drum.
In ’89, her legend grew,
Akira Hokuto, a sight to view.

Recommended Matches:

vs Chigusa Nagayo, AJW, March 19 (#7 MOTY)
vs Bull Nakano, AJW, April 23
w/ Suzuka Minami vs Aja Kong & Bull Nakano, AJW, October

#13
“Ravishing” Rick Rude

Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, & 1994
Matches: 132
Place Worked: WWF
Title Won: WWF Intercontinental Championship

In ’89, Ravishing Rick Rude stood tall,
A wrestling heart that enthralled.
With charm and muscles, he’d impress,
A ravishing persona, none could suppress.

In the ring, a masterful display,
Each move, a captivating ballet.
A true heel, he played the part,
Ravishing Rick Rude, a work of art.

Recommended Matches:

vs Tito Santana, WWF, February 11
vs Ultimate Warrior, WWF, August 28
vs Roddy Piper, WWF, December 28

#12
Jushin “Thunder” Liger

Previous Ranking: 1990 (12th), 1993 (32nd), 1994 (16th), 1997 (19th), & 2004 (14th)
Years Unranked: 1985, 2001, 2010, 2015, & 2019
Matches: 87
Places Worked: NJPW & UWA
Title Won: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

In ’89, Jushin Liger’s thunder roared,
IWGP Junior Heavyweight title he scored.
A legend born with a striking sight,
Cool they looked, a dazzling light.

Feuding with Sano, a clash for the age,
In the ring, they’d fiercely engage.
A masked marvel with moves that inspire,
Jushin Liger, a wrestling fire.

Recommended Matches:

vs Black Tiger, NJPW, July 12
vs Naki Sano, NJPW, July 13
vs Naoki Sano, NJPW, August 10 (#5 MOTY)

#11
Bret “Hitman” Hart

Previous Ranking: 1985 (23rd), 1990 (18h), 1993 (9th), 1994 (1st), & 1997 (1st)
Years Unranked: 1983 & 2010
Matches: 152
Place Worked: WWF

In ’89, Bret “Hitman” Hart took flight,
A singles push, a wrestling delight.
Excellence of execution, they’d acclaim,
In the ring, he played a masterful game.

The Hart Foundation, strong as steel,
In tag team glory, hearts they’d steal.
A wrestler with grace, skill, and heart,
Bret Hart’s legend, forever a part.

Recommended Matches:

vs Ted DiBiase, WWF, March 8
vs Andre the Giant, WWF, April 10
w/ Jim Neidhart vs The Brain Busters, WWF, August 28

#10
Demolition Ax

Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, & 2010
Matches: 144
Place Worked: WWF
Title Won: WWF World Tag Team Championship w/ Smash
Tournament: WWF Royal Rumble

In ’89, Ax of Demolition’s might,
A tag team force that shone so bright.
Despite his partner’s lackluster sway,
Demolition ruled, come what may.

In tag team wrestling, he’d excel,
Psychology unmatched, they’d quell.
Their title run, a glorious stride,
Ax’s prowess, wrestling’s pride.

Recommended Matches:

w/ Smash vs The Brain Busters, WWF, April 25
w/ Smash vs The Twin Towers, WWF, July 10
w/ Smash vs The Brain Busters, WWF, July 18
w/ Smash vs The Colossal Connection, WWF, December 28

#9
Yoshiaki Yatsu

Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1994, & 1997
Matches: 145
Places Worked: AJPW & WWA
Title Won: AJPW Wolrd Tag Team Championship w/ Jumbo Tsuruta (twice)
Tournament: AJPW Real World Tag League w/ Jumbo Tsuruta

In ’89, Yoshiaki Yatsu took flight,
An amazing feud, a wrestling light.
With Tenryu, battles fierce and grand,
Bringing out the best, hand in hand.

Alongside Jumbo, as a tag team pair,
In the ring, a force beyond compare.
Yatsu’s prowess, a sight to see,
In ’89, a wrestling legacy.

Recommended Matches:

w/ Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu & Tohsiaki Kwada, AJPW, February 23
vs Genichiro Tenryu, AJPW, July 18 (#10 MOTY)
w/ Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen, AJPW, July 31
w/ Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen, AJPW, December 6 (#1 MOTY)

#8
Arn Anderson

Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, & 1994
Matches: 145
Places Worked: WWF & NWA
Title Won: WWF World Tag Team Championship w/ Tully Blanchard
Tournament: WWF Royal Rumble

In ’89, Arn Anderson’s star did gleam,
WWF Tag Team Titles, his dream.
With Tully, The Brain Busters’ reign,
A duo feared, a wrestling chain.

In every bout, he’d steal the show,
A masterclass, he’d make them glow.
With skill and wit, he’d take control,
Arn Anderson, wrestling’s soul.

Recommended Matches:

w/ Tully Blanchard vs The Rockers, WWF, January 23
w/ Tully Blanchard vs Demolition, WWF, July 18
w/ Tully Blanchard vs The Hart Foundation, WWF, August 28
w/ Heenan Family vs The Ultimate Warriors, WWF, Survivor Series, November 23 (#4 MOTY)

#7
Stan Hansen

Previous Ranking: 1983 (3rd), 1985 (9th), 1990 (22nd), 1993 (2nd), & 1994 (20th)
Years Unranked: 1997
Matches: 87
Places Worked: AJPW & WWA
Title Won: AJPW World Tag Team Championship w/ Genichiro Tenryu (thrice)
Tournament: AJPW Real World Tag League w/ Genichro Tenryu (winner)

In ’89, Stan Hansen’s might would rise,
Tag team glory, a fierce surprise.
With Tenryu, a force untamed,
A partnership that fiercely flamed.

In AJPW, his menace spread,
A bad ass presence, none would tread.
A wrestling beast, a force to fear,
In ’89, Hansen’s legend clear.

Recommended Matches:

vs Genichiro Tenryu, AJPW, March 29
w/ Genichiro Tenryu vs Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu, AJPW, July 31
w/ Genichiro Tenryu vs Giant Baba & Rusher Kimura, AJPW, November 29 (#2 MOTY)
w/ Genichiro Tenryu vs Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu, AJPW, December 6 (#1 MOTY)

#6
Jumbo Tsuruta

Previous Ranking: 1990 (3rd)
Years Unranked: 1983, 1985, & 1994
Matches: 148
Places Worked: AJPW & WWA
Titles Won: PWF Heavyweight Championship, NWA United National Championship, AJPW Triple Crown Championship (twice), AJPW World Tag Team Championship w/ Yoshiaki Yatsu (twice)
Tournament: AJPW Real World Tag League w/ Yoshiaki Yatsu

In ’89, Jumbo stood the test,
AJPW’s ace, a legend blessed.
With Tenryu, a feud for the age,
Classic battles, wrestling’s stage.

The Triple Crown, he’d claim with might,
Twice a champion, his wrestling height.
A legend’s legacy, forever known,
In ’89, Jumbo’s greatness shown.

Recommended Matches:

w/ Yohsiaki Yatsu vs Genichiro Tenryu & Tohsiaki Kwada, AJPW, February 23
w/ Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen, AJPW, July 31
vs Genichiro Tenryu, AJPW, June 5 (#3 MOTY)
w/ Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen, AJPW, December 6 (#1 MOTY)

#5
“Macho Man” Randy Savage
aka The Macho King

Previous Ranking: 1985 (18th) & 1990 (10th)
Years Unranked: 1983, 1993, 1994, & 1997
Matches: 150
Place Worked: WWF
Title Won: WWF King of the Ring
Tournament: WWF Royal Rumble

In ’89, Savage stood tall,
Carrying workers, one and all,
From the depths, he pulled out grace,
Elevating each wrestling space.

WrestleMania’s main event, a sight,
A match that soared to highest height,
Amidst the crap, he found his way,
A top 5 worker, none could sway.

Recommended Matches:

vs Bad News Brown, WWF, January 16
vs Ultimate Warrior, WWF, February 11
vs Brutus Beefcake, WWF, July 18
vs Jim Duggan, WWF, November 25

#4
Terry Funk

Previous Ranking: 1983 (1st), 1985 (12th), 1993 (17th), 1994 (5th), & 1997 (22nd)
Years Unranked: 1990
Matches: 79
Places Worked: NWA, PWF, WWA, & AWA

In ’89, Terry Funk, wild and bold,
Middle-aged and crazy, stories untold.
A classic feud, the NWA Title at stake,
Unpredictable, yet brilliance they’d make.

In the ring, a masterful spree,
Always great, setting spirits free.
A legend’s year, forever revered,
Terry Funk, a wrestling pioneer.

Recommended Matches:

vs Eddie Guerrero, NWA, May 9
vs Ricky Steamboat, NWA, June 14 (#8 MOTY)

#3
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Previous Ranking: 1985 (17th)
Years Unranked: 1983, 1990, 1993, & 1994
Matches: 71
Places Worked: NWA & AJPW
Title Won: NWA World Championship

In ’89, “The Dragon” soared,
NWA’s Champion, spirits roared.
Feuding for the title, a legend’s bout,
Classic after classic, without a doubt.

The perfect babyface, hearts would sway,
In the ring, they’d steal the day.
With honor, skill, and fire within,
Ricky Steamboat, a wrestling kin.

Recommended Matches:

vs Terry Funk, NWA, June 14 (#8 MOTY)
vs Lex Luger, NWA, July 23

#2
“The Total Package” Lex Luger

Previous Ranking: 1990 (13th)
Years Unranked: 1985, 1993, 1994, 1997, & 2001
Matches: 170
Place Worked: NWA
Title Won: NWA United States Championship (twice)
Tournament: NWA Iron Man Tournament

In ’89, “The Total Package” arose,
NWA’s US Champion, he chose.
As face or heel, he’d leave a mark,
Great matches, shining like a spark.

In every situation, he’d deliver,
A wrestling force, a relentless river.
A year of triumph, fame, and pride,
Lex Luger’s legacy, forever tied.

Recommended Matches:

vs Barry Windham, NWA, February 20
vs Ricky Steamboat, NWA, July 23
vs Tommy Rich, NWA, September 12
vs Steve Williams, NWA, October 8
vs Brian Pillman, NWA, November 15

#1
“1989 Wrestler of the Year”
Genichiro Tenryu

Previous Ranking: 1993 (10th), 1994 (4th), 2001 (12th), & 2004 (3rd)
Years Unranked: 1983, 1985, 1990, 1997, 2010, & 2015
Matches: 142
Places Worked: AJPW, NWA, & WWA
Titles Won: AJPW World Tag Team Championships w/ Stan Hansen (twice) & AJPW Triple Crown
Tournament: AJPW Real World Tag League w/ Stan Hansen (winner)

In ’89, Tenryu’s might,
AJPW’s star shining bright,
Triple Crown and Tag Team’s claim,
In dominance, they etched their name.

Three matches, best of the year,
In the ring, no peer to fear,
With Jumbo and Yoshiaki’s might,
Legendary feuds took flight.

Consistently, he’d ignite,
1989, his wrestling height.

Recommended Matches:

vs Stan Hansen, AJPW, March 29
vs Jumbo Tsuruta, AJPW, June 5 (#3 MOTY)
vs Yoshiaki Yatsu, AJPW, July 18 (#10 MOTY)
w/ Stan Hansen vs Giant Baba & Rusher Kimura, AJPW, November 29 (#2 MOTY)
w/ Stan Hansen vs Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu, AJPW, December 6 (#1 MOTY)

Upcoming!

Since the joshi watches of 1995 is ending, that will be the next list. A fascinating year as the Monday Night Wars started, AJPW was at it’s height, AAA was unreal, death matches were signing in Japan, and ECW was on the rise. Really looking forward to it.

Twitter

You can discuss this on Twitter!

Discord

Join:

https://t.co/0pOARzaXHD

We also do weekly watch-along parties with chat!

Trans Rights!

It’s a horrible time to be trans right now, so please donate to the lovely folks here who save lives!

Posted in: The Greatest Wrestlers of the Year List | Tagged: Akira Hokuto, Andre the Giant, Arn Anderson, Bad News Allen, big boss man, Bret Hart, Bull Nakano, Chigusa Nagayo, Demolition, Genichiro Tenryu, Great Muta, jacques rougeau, joshi, Jumbo Tsuruta, Jushin Liger, Lex Luger, puroresu, Randy Savage, Rick Rude, Ricky Steamboat, shawn michaels, Stan Hansen, Sting, Terry Funk, Tully Blanchard, Vader, wrestling, WWE, Yoshiaki Yatsu

1989 Match of the Year List

By Grimmas on July 25, 2023 | Leave a comment

Let’s cut right to the chase. There were many sexist, sexual abusers, racists, and bigots of many varieties in 1989, and I don’t want to promote or watch them. If you are going to say my list sucks because it doesn’t have the typical 1989 matches in it, ask why I would hype up a match that includes such an abuser?

Honourable Mentions

The Brain Busters vs The Hart Foundation, WWF, August 28
Lex Luger vs Tommy Rich, NWA, September 12

The List

The 1989 year was loaded with so much top-end wrestling that this is a very deep top 10!

#10
Genichiro Tenryu (c) vs Yoshiaki Yatsu
“AJPW Triple Crown Championship”
AJPW Summer Action Series
July 18
Shiga Prefectural Gymnasium

#9
Greg Valentine vs Ron Garvin
WWF
September 30
Madison Square Garden

A beautiful slugfest between two of the hardest hitters in wrestling history.

#8
Ricky Steamboat vs Terry Funk
NWA Clash of The Champions VII “Guts And Glory”
June 14
Fort Bragg Gym

#7
Akira Hokuto vs Chigusa Nagayo
AJW
March 19

The young Hokuto tries to take out the legend Nagayo and takes it to her with urgency. The selling is tremendous in this, and Hokuto looks like the future star she is, but of course, Nagayoholds everything together as the goat she is.

#6
Lioness Asuka (c) vs Bull Nakano
“WWWA World Championship”
AJW
May 14

#5
Jushin Liger (c) vs Naoki Sano
“IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship”
NJPW Fighting Satellite 1989 Japan vs USA vs Soviet Union Battle Series Part II
August 10
Ryogoku Kokugikan

Sano destroys the arm, and Liger sells it so well for the rest of the match. After that destruction, Liger is able to counter a move into a superplex onto the apron and then the floor, which makes the rest of the match pure desperation by both. They do their best to put the other away, but both are severely hurt, and the drama is amazing. A beautiful, gritty fight that could make my top 100 matches ever!

#4
The Ultimate Warriors vs The Heenan Family
“Elimination Match”
WWF Survivor Series
November 23
Rosemont Horizon

This is one of my favourite matches in wrestling history and one of the best stories the WWF ever did in the ring. Heenan is forced to dawn the tights as Tully is gone and steals the show. Hiding, taunting, and even getting a pin when Arn and Haku had the advantage. Arn and Haku look like the all-time lost great tag team in this. Of course, it leads to a perfect end of Warrior getting revenge. Perfect pro-wrestling.

#3
Jumbo Tsuruta (c) vs Genichiro Tenryu
“Triple Crown Championship”
AJPW Super Power Series
June 5
Nippon Budokan

From “The Best Matches I’ve Watched in June 2023” post:
“I hadn’t watched this match in many years, and with the focus on 1989 and the Greatest Match Ever, I figured I needed to. The nearfalls steal the show in this one, but consistent intensity and excitement make this a classic. Some really cool spots on the outside, too, that I loved.”

#2
Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen vs Giant Baba & Rusher Kimura
“AJPW Real World Tag League”
AJPW Real World Tag League
November 29
Nakajima Sports Center

This is all about the story! Tenryu wipes out Baba in the first moments, leading to Kimura having to try to fend off both Tenryu and Hansen on his own until Baba can make a comeback. This match is pure joy!

#1 “Match of the Year”
Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu (c) vs Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen
“AJPW World Tag Team Championship Real World Tag League Finale”
AJPW Real World Tag League
December 6
Nippon Budokan

Upcoming!

The top 25 wrestlers of 1989 will be coming soon!

Twitter

You can discuss this on Twitter!

Discord

Join:

https://t.co/0pOARzaXHD

We also do weekly watch-along parties with chat!

Trans Rights!

It’s a horrible time to be trans right now, so please donate to the lovely folks here who save lives!

Posted in: Match of the Year List, Reviews | Tagged: AJPW, AJW, Akira Hokuto, Andre the Giant, Bobby Heenan, Bull Nakano, Chigusa Nagayo, Genichiro Tenryu, Giant Baba, Greg Valentine, Haku, Jim Neidhart, joshi, Jumbo Tsuruta, Jushin Liger, Lioness Asuka, Naoki Sano, NJPW, NWA, Ricky Steamboat, rockers, Ron Garvin, Rusher Kimura, shawn michaels, Stan Hansen, Terry Funk, Ultimate Warrior, WCW, wrestling, WWE, WWF, Yoshiaki Yatsu

The Best Matches I’ve Watched This Month: Live @ AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door (June 2023)

By Grimmas on June 30, 2023 | 2 Comments

Doing this weekly was a little much, so we’ve moved it to a monthly affair. I will also cap the matches reviewed here to 25.

This post will include some of the awesome weekend I had going to Forbidden Door and some local shows! Plus, the Stardom pay-per-view, along with a few GME watches, Joshi Nights, and a 1989 focus!

#25
Bad News Brown vs Brutus Beefcake
WWF
April 22, 1989

I can’t believe I rated this match because, on paper, it’s kind of trash. In reality, it’s awesome. Bad News kicks ass; Beefcake gets in some nice hope spots and really has the crowd on his side before being cut down again. As Bad News is kicking ass, he grabs the mic, cuts a promo, then grabs scissors, and tries to cut Beefcake’s hair, only to be rolled up. Just awesome stuff.

Rating: 7/10

#24
Andre the Giant, Akeem, & The Big Boss Man vs King Duggan & Demolition
WWF SummerSlam
August 28, 1989

It’s so much fun and doesn’t go long enough to outstay its welcome. Ax body slams Akeem, and everyone gets a nice moment before a happy ending.

Rating: 7/10

#23
El Faraon vs El Satanico
“Best 2/3 Falls”
EMLL Super Viernes
June 30, 1989

A gritty lucha brawl, with Satanico standing out as an all-timer. The structure was pretty normal, but they did well with it. The only real drawback was how much the referee got involved. I loved the DQ finish.

Rating: 7/10

#22
CM Punk, FTR, & Ricky Starks vs. Jay White, Juice Robinson & The Gunns
AEW Collision
June 24, 2023

A fun eight-man tag is a good way to main event a TV show. Punk was a tremendous heel, and I had forgotten how much I like Juice Robinson. They did a good job of giving everyone a moment to shine too.

Rating: 7/10

#21
Athena vs Billie Starkz
“Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Quater Final”
AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door: Zero Hour
June 25, 2023

Starkz makes such a great babyface, and Athena really pounded her down. The bump to the outside was ridiculous. It was the best match on the pre-show.

Rating: 7/10

#20
Trish Adora vs Vanessa Kraven
Smash X Femmes Fatales Girls Next Door
June 25, 2023

The strikes in this were vicious! What I enjoyed about this was the two power wrestlers going at each other, but they were different power wrestlers. Kraven is a monster, while Adora is just a powerful woman. It was a great contrast.

#19
Tatsumi Fujinami vs Big Van Vader
NJPW New Year Golden Series
February 9, 1989

Vader looked pretty good as a damn monster, and Fujinami’s hope spots were really good. Vader even sold very well to make Fujinami look good before destroying him.

Rating: 7/10

#18
Spike Trivet (c) vs Artemis Spencer
“DEFY Men’s Championship”
DEFY X PROGRESS
June 25, 2023

I had never seen either before, but Spike did a great job working over the hand all match and playing a great heel. Spencer did have some really fun high spots to give up hope before giving up.

Rating: 7/10

#17
Sting (c) vs The Great Muta
“NWA World Television Championship”
NWA The Great American Bash
July 23, 1989

A high-octane sprint that got the crowd wild. Although the finish was shit, the crowd was hot, and they hit a lot of great high spots.

Rating: 7/10

#16
Rick Martel & The Fabulous Rougeaus vs Tito Santana & The Rockers
WWF SummerSlam
August 28, 1989

This is well laid out, with Tito wanting revenge on Martel for turning on him, but Martel only got in there when his team had the advantage. In between that, The Rougeaus are the masters of heat, and all three of the French Canadians put so much heat onto Tito playing face in peril that the crowd can barely contain themselves when the hot tag is finally made. The ROckers have a great run of offence before everything breaks down, and it ends with some amazing heel shenanigans.

Rating: 7/10

#15
Akira Hokuto vs Mima Shimoda
AJW WWWA Champions Night Osaka Queen’s Holy Night
August 30, 1995

A fun battle with Hokuto shows Shimoda she’s still The Dangerous Queen. It included two vicious table spots and some fun time brawling.

Rating: 7/10

#14
Demolition (c) vs Akeem & The Big Boss Man
“WWF World Tag Team Championship”
WWF
July 10, 1989

The feud between these two teams was a lot of fun, just two powerhouse units going at it. It started off hot before a decent heat segment on Smash. The Twin Towers destroying someone is always fun. The hot tag to Ax was great, including Ax body-slamming Akeem! The knife stick comes into play to end this intense tag battle.

Rating: 7/10

#13
Bryan Danielson vs Kazuchika Okada
AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door
June 25, 2023

Yes, Bryan broke his arm in this, but it’s still a tremendous match. Some of the audibles after the arm break really helped, especially with a tired crowd five hours into a show with it past midnight. Bryan coming out to The Final Countdown was a nice touch.

Rating: 7.25/10

#12
Eddy Guerrero vs Terry Funk
NWA World Championship Wrestling
May 9, 1989, aired May 20, 1989

One of those matches I had heard about forever but never saw. Funk does a giant swing and the most bizarre baseball slide ever, so that puts this into a positive right there! Funk was doing everything to let Eddy look good, but Eddy pumping like a freak for Funk was also great. Funk looked like a killer, and Eddy looked like he had a bright future, which is everything you could want from a match like this.

Rating: 7.25/10

#11
Athena (c) vs Kiera Hogan
“ROH Women’s World Championship Chicago Street Fight”
ROH on HonorClub
June 17, 2023, aired June 22, 2023

This was a brutal street fight with thumbtacks and a bunch of other weapons. The real stand-out was just some brutal spots like a Super Bomb through a table and a superplex through about two billion chairs. Blood and violence and a good one.

Rating: 7.5/10

#10
Giulia, Mai Sakurai, & Thekla (c) vs Hazuki, Koguma, & Mayu Iwatani
“Artist of Stardom Steel Cage Match”
Stardom Sunshine
June 25, 2023

This was kind of an odd one, as it had escape rules. This meant if you left, your team had the advantage of being closer to winning, but also one less person in the ring. That said, there were a lot of tremendous spots, with things like Hazuki hitting a senton from the top of the cage onto Giulia. The finishing segment of Giuliua vs Iwatani was their usual tremendous bout.

Rating: 7.5/10

#9
Vert Vixen (c) vs Mercedes Martinez
“DEFY Women’s Championship”
Smash X Femmes Fatales Girls Next Door
June 25, 2023

Sadly, Masha Slamovich’s flight was cancelled, but thankfully Vixen is an okay substitute. They did an angle where Martinez got a title shot by destroying a young protege of Vixen’s earlier in the night. Vert sneak attacked on the stage for a great visual start. Martinez is such a smart worker and it’s the little things that make things so great. After a great worked contest, they did a good finish playing off the angle earlier, with the protege attacking Mercedes with a chair to cause her to win via DQ.

Rating: 7.75/10

#8
Lex Luger (c) vs Ricky Steamboat
“NWA United States Championship”
NWA The Great American Bash
July 23, 1989

This match is a joy to watch Lex Luger completely manipulate Steamboat to retain his title. First, he got the rules changed, so it was no longer “No DQ.” Then he egged Steamboat on all match to eventually get him to use the chair and cost him the match. Luger was a great dick the whole time, while Steamboat was a perfect fiery babyface.

Rating: 7.75/10

#7
MJF (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
“AEW World Championship”
AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door
June 25, 2023

I don’t think either of these two are very good, but hot damn, this match was good. Tanahashi not being able to move really limited them from doing all the stuff they would do, which annoys me. MJF went fully Larry, and Tanahashi is a charismatic babyface with great fire. Weirdly great old-school wrestling. Seeing Tanahashi and MJF on my spreadsheet is so weird, but there you go!

Rating: 7.75/10

#6
Stan Hansen (c) vs Genichiro Tenryu
“PWF Heavyweight & NWA United National Championship”
AJPW Championship Carnival
March 29, 1989

I loved the beginning portion of this match, with big offence from Hansen and Tenryu battling back. It remained good throughout but wasn’t at the level of the start. The finish was very lacklustre, but with that being said, it was still a damn good bout.

Rating: 8/10

#5
CM Punk vs Satoshi Kojima
“Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Quater Final”
AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door
June 25, 2023

CM Punk revelled in being the ultra heel and did such a great job of using every trick to up the ante. Aping a lot of Tenzan spots to get heat in 2023 is unique, but it really worked. Kojima being treated better in Canada, where he spent time as a rookie, than in Japan kind of warms your heart.

Rating: 8/10

#4
Aja Kong (c) vs Dynamite Kansai
“WWWA World Championship”
AJW WWWA Champions Night Osaka Queen’s Holy Night
August 30, 1995

Not much in wrestling is better than a fired-up Dynamite Kansai, and Aja Kong is also great in that role, so this was an awesome match. They brought the intensity from the get-go and went out to destroy each other, building towards a great Niagra Driver off the top for the finish! These two have had a great series of matches.

Rating: 9/10

#3
Jim Duggan vs Ted DiBiase
“Loser Leaves Town Coal Miner’s Glove On A Pole Steel Cage Tuxedo Street Fight”
Houston Wrestling
March 22, 1985

A tremendous brawl that uses its gimmicks extremely well to pay off a long storyline. It’s a famous match and sounds ridiculous on paper, but it works.

Rating: 9.25/10

#2
Queen’s Quest (AZM, Hina, Lady C, Miyu Amasaki, Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita) vs Oedo Tai (Momo Watanabe, Natsuko Tora, Rina, Ruaka, Saki Kashima & Starlight Kid)
“Loser Must Leave Unit Steel Cage 12 Man Tag Team Match”
Stardom Sunshine
June 25, 2023

I may have a new match of the year after this. The same rules as the other cage match, but the last person in the ring has to leave their unit this time. This works so much better because escaping saves your ass, even if it puts your team behind. Also, each escape felt like a huge accomplishment as they were all battles. After people escaped, they still battled the other unit on the floor!

It was tremendous storytelling with great hatred and drama between the teams. Utami establishing herself as Queen’s Quest’s ass was the stand-out story as she helps Kamitani escape putting herself alone two on-one. That led to a great finishing sequence with Utami bleeding, the teasing of a split between Utami and Kamitani, and Tora destroying Utami to leave, only to have Kashima be the final loser.

How could you not be happy with the love fest between Queen’s Quest to end the show? This was pro wrestling!

Rating: 9.25/10

#1 “Match of the Month”
Jumbo Tsuruta (c) vs Genichiro Tenryu
“Triple Crown Championship”
AJPW Super Power Series
June 5, 1989

I hadn’t watched this match in many years, and with the focus on 1989 and the Greatest Match Ever, I figured I needed to. The nearfalls steal the show in this one, but consistent intensity and excitement make this a classic. Some really cool spots on the outside, too, that I loved.

Rating: 9.75/10

Note

You may notice the Omega-Ospreay match is not on this list. It wasn’t for me. I don’t want to be negative, so we’ll leave it at that.

Twitter

You can discuss this on Twitter!

Discord

Join:

https://t.co/0pOARzaXHD

We also do weekly watch-along parties with chat!

Trans Rights!

It’s a horrible time to be trans right now, so please donate to the lovely folks here who save lives!

Posted in: Best Matches I've Watched This Month, Lists, Reviews | Tagged: aew, Aja Kong, AJPW, AJW, Akira Hokuto, Andre the Giant, artemis spencer, Athena, austin gunn, azm, bad news brown, billie starkz, Brutus Beefcake, Bryan Danielson, cash wheeler, CM Punk, colten gunn, dax haroow, Demolition, Dynamite Kansai, Eddie Guerrero, el faraon, El Satanico, emll, Genichiro Tenryu, giulia, Great Muta, Hazuki, hina, hiroshi tanahashi, jay white, jim duggan, joshi, juice robinson, Jumbo Tsuruta, kazuchika okada, kiera hogan, koguma, lady c, Lex Luger, lucha libre, Mayu Iwatani, Mercedes Martinez, Mima Shimoda, Miyu Amasaki, mjf, momo watanabe, natsuko tora, NJPW, NWA, One Man Gang, puroresu, ricky starks, Ricky Steamboat, rina, rockers, rougeau brothers, Ruaka, Saki Kashima, satoshi kojima, Saya Kamitani, shawn michaels, spike trivet, Stan Hansen, STARDOM, starlight kid, Sting, Tatsumi Fujinami, ted dibiase, Terry Funk, Thekla, TIto Santana, trish adora, utami hayashishita, Vader, vanessa kraven, vert vixen, wrestling, WWE, WWF

	Northern Lights Bomb… on ACTION – DEAN~!!! R…
	The Best Matches I… on ACTION – DEAN~!!! R…
	The Best Matches I… on WrestleMania XL Review
	IWA Japan Texas Bron… on IWA Japan Glass Grave Yard,…
	The Best Matches of… on WrestleMania XL Review

Tag Archives: WWE

#25Chikayo Nagashima & Sugar Sato vs Sonoko Kato & Toshie UematsuGAEA Break Out!September 16, 1996

#24Gunther (c) vs The Miz“WWE Intercontinental Championship”WWE Survivor SeriesNovember 25, 2023

#23Tito Santana (c) vs Paul Orndorff“WWF Intercontinental Championship”WWF at Kiel AuditoriumSeptember 1, 1984

#22Rhea Ripley (c) vs Zoey Stark“WWE Women’s World Championship”WWE Survivor SeriesNovember 23, 2023

#21Hiromi Yagi vs Jaguar YokotaJWP on September 8, 1996

#20Strike Force, The British Bulldogs, The Killer Bees, The Rougeau Brothers, & The Young Stallions vs The Hart Foundation, Demolition, The Bolsheviks, The New Dream Team, & The Islanders“Elimination Match”WWF Survivor SeriesNovember 26, 1987

#19Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja, & Templario vs Atlantis Jr., Mascara Dorada 2.0, & Mistico“Best 2/3 Falls”CMLL Grand Prix De AmazonasOctober 27, 2023

#18Bayley vs Bianca BelairWWE SmackDownOctober 27, 2023

#17La Catalina vs Zeuxis“CMLL Universal De Amazones Title Tournament Final Match”CMLL Blue Panther 45. AniversarioOctober 20, 2023

#16The Powers of Pain, The British Bulldogs, The Hart Foundation, The Rockers, & The Young Stallions vs Demolition, The Bolsheviks, The Brain Busters, Los Conquistadores, & The Fabulous Rougeaus“Elimination Match”WWF Survivor SeriesNovember 24, 1988

#15Chigusa Nagayo, Sakura Hirota, Sonoko Kato, & Toshie Uematsu vs Chikayo Nagashima, Mayumi Ozaki, Reiko Amano, & Sugar SatoGAEA Endless SummerAugust 18, 1996

#14Bryan Danielson vs RushAEW DynamiteFebruary 8, 2023

#13Chaparita ASARI vs Kyoko Inoue“Japan Grand Prix”AJW Japan Grand PrixJuly 28, 1996

#12Dynamite Kansai (c) vs Mayumi Ozaki“JWP Openweight Championship”JWP on August 10, 1996

#11The Usos (c) vs Drew McIntyre & Sheamus“WWE Raw & SmackDown Tag Team Championship”WWE SmackDownJanuary 6, 2023

#10Rie Tamada & Yumi Fukawa (c) vs Chikayo Nagashima & Sugar Sato“Japanese Tag Team Championship”AJW The Rising Generation Queens CarnivalSeptember 1, 1996

#9CM Punk vs Ricky Starks“Owen Hart Foundation 2023 Men’s Tournament Final Match”AEW CollisionJuly 15, 2023

#8Aja Kong & Dynamite Kansai vs Devil Masami & Kyoko InoueJWP The Ryogoku Big ProjectOctober 13, 1996

#7Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair & Shotzi vs Asuka, Bayley, IYO SKY & Kairi Sane“War Games”WWE Survivor SeriesNovember 25, 2023

#6Gunther (c) vs Chad Gable“WWE Intercontinental Championship”WWE RawAugust 21, 2023

#5Orange Cassidy (c) vs Swerve Strickland“AEW International Championship”AEW DynamiteJune 7, 2023

#4Bison Kimura vs Li FuaJd’ Star on July 30, 1996

#3Pedro Morales (c) vs Don Muraco“WWF Intercontinental Championship”WWF on MSG NetworkJanuary 22, 1983

#2Aja Kong vs Kyoko Inoue“Japan Grand Prix Final”AJW Japan Grand PrixAugust 30, 1996

#1Gunther (c) vs Chad Gable“WWE Intercontinental Championship”WWE RawSeptember 4, 2023

Twitter

Discord

How Can You Help?

Rocky Johnson & Tony Atlas (c) vs Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch“WWF Tag Team Championship”WWF Championship WrestlingApril 17, 1984, aired May 26, 1984Commentary By: Vince McMahon & Gene Okerlund

Pedro Morales (c) vs Don Muraco“WWF Intercontinental Championship”WWF on MSG NetworkJanuary 22, 1983Commentary By: Gorilla Monsoon & Vince McMahon

Killer Kowalski vs Pedro MoralesWWWF at Madison Square GardenJuly 22, 1974Commentary By: Jesse Ventura

Midget Madness

Chief Jay Strongbow vs Prof. Toru TanakaWWWF on MSG NetworkDecember 19, 1977Commentary By: Lord Alfred Hayes

A WWF Musical Interlude

Tito Santana (c) vs Paul Orndorff“WWF Intercontinental Championship”WWF at Kiel AuditoriumSeptember 1, 1984Commentary By: Vince McMahon

Some Surprise Endings!!!

Rick Martel & Tony Garea (c) vs The Moondogs“WWF Tag Team Championship Texas Death Match with Gorilla Monsoon as Referee”WWF on PRISM NetworkFebruary 14, 1981Commentary By: Lord Alfred Hayes

Rick Martel & Tony Garea (c) vs Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito“WWF Tag Team Championship”WWF Championship WrestlingOctober 13, 1981, aired October 31, 1981Commentary By: Vince McMahon & Pat Patterson

Final Thoughts

Twitter

Discord

How Can You Help?

#25John Morrison (c) vs CM Punk“ECW Heavyweight Championship”ECW on SciFiSeptember 1, 2007, aired September 4, 2007

#24La Catalina vs Stephanie Vaquer“CMLL World Women’s Championship”CMLL Noche de CampeonesSeptember 29, 2023

#23Bruno Sammartino (c) vs Stan Hansen“WWWF Heavyweight Championship Steel Cage Match”WWWF on August 7, 1976

#22Becky Lynch (c) vs Lyra Valkyria“NXT Women’s Championship”NXT Halloween HavocOctober 24, 2023

#21Mistico (c) vs Virus“World Historic Middleweight Championship”CMLL Noche de CampeonesSeptember 29, 2023

#20Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) vs Super CaloWCW Fall Brawl: War GamesSeptember 15, 1996

#19Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Duncum (c) vs The High Flyers“AWA World Tag Team Championships”AWA on July 7, 1977

#18Dean Malenko (c) vs Rey Mysterio Jr.“WCW World Cruiserweight Championship”WCW The Great American BashJune 16, 1996

#17Natsupoi vs Tam Nakano“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”Stardom 5STAR Grand PrixSeptember 30, 2023

#16Suzu Suzuki vs Tam Nakano“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”Stardom 5STAR Grand PrixSeptember 9, 2023

#15Umaga (c) vs Jeff Hardy“WWE Intercontinental Championship”WWE The Great American BashJuly 22, 2007

#14Hazuki vs Suzu Suzuki“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”Stardom 5STAR Grand PrixSeptember 23, 2023

#13Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) vs Dean Malenko“WCW World Cruiserweight Championship”WCW Halloween HavocOctober 27, 1996

#12Mei Seira vs Nanae Takahashi“Passion Injection”Stardom New Blood 11September 29, 2023

#11Maika vs MIRAI“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”Stardom 5STAR Grand PrixSeptember 30, 2023

#10Aja Kong vs Yumiko Hotta“Japan Grand Prix”AJW Japan Grand PrixJuly 14, 1996

#9Mistico vs Templario“Best 2/3 Falls”CMLL Super ViernesOctober 13, 2023

#8Antonio Inoki (c) vs Andre the Giant“Real World Martial Arts Championship”NJPW Toukon SeriesOctober 7, 1976

#7Maika vs Suzu Suzuki“5STAR Grand Prix: Final”Stardom 5STAR Grand PrixSeptember 30, 2023

#6Ultimate Dragon (c) vs Rey Misterio Jr.“J-Crown Championship”WCW World War 3November 24, 1996

#5Becky Lynch (c) vs Tiffany Stratton“NXT Women’s Championship Extreme Rules Match”NXT No MercySeptember 30, 2023

#4Manami Toyota vs Meiko Satomura“Battlefield WAR Tournament Second Round”Sendai Girls Live Vol. 8May 6, 2007

#3Antonio Inoki vs Big Van VaderNJPW Wrestling World In Tokyo DomeJanuary 4, 1996

#2Titan (c) vs Mascara Dorada“CMLL World Middleweight Championship”CMLL Noche de CampeonesSeptember 29, 2023

#1Combat Toyoda (c) vs Megumi Kudo“FMW Independent Women’s & WWA Women’s Title No Ropes Barbed Wire Current Blast Death Match”FMW Fighting Creation: 7th Anniversary ShowMay 5, 1996

Twitter

Discord

How Can You Help?

Randy Savage (c) w/ Miss Elizabeth vs Virgil w/ Ted DiBiase“WWF World Championship”WWF SuperstarsMay 10, 1988, aired May 21, 1988

The Rockers vs Los ConquistadoresWWF on July 9, 1988, at Boston Garden

The Jumping Bomb Angels (c) vs The Glamour Girls“WWF World Women’s Tag Team Championship”March 12, 1988 at The Spectrum

The Young Stallions vs The ShadowsMay 9, 1987 at The Spectrum

The Blue Blazer & Koko B. Ware vs Danny Davis & Jose EstradaWWF Prime Time WrestlingJanuary 4, 1989, aired January 23, 1989

Final Thoughts?

Twitter

Discord

How Can You Help?

#25
Chikayo Nagashima & Sugar Sato vs Sonoko Kato & Toshie Uematsu
GAEA Break Out!
September 16, 1996

#24
Gunther (c) vs The Miz
“WWE Intercontinental Championship”
WWE Survivor Series
November 25, 2023

#23
Tito Santana (c) vs Paul Orndorff
“WWF Intercontinental Championship”
WWF at Kiel Auditorium
September 1, 1984

#22
Rhea Ripley (c) vs Zoey Stark
“WWE Women’s World Championship”
WWE Survivor Series
November 23, 2023

#21
Hiromi Yagi vs Jaguar Yokota
JWP on September 8, 1996

#20
Strike Force, The British Bulldogs, The Killer Bees, The Rougeau Brothers, & The Young Stallions vs The Hart Foundation, Demolition, The Bolsheviks, The New Dream Team, & The Islanders
“Elimination Match”
WWF Survivor Series
November 26, 1987

#19
Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja, & Templario vs Atlantis Jr., Mascara Dorada 2.0, & Mistico
“Best 2/3 Falls”
CMLL Grand Prix De Amazonas
October 27, 2023

#18
Bayley vs Bianca Belair
WWE SmackDown
October 27, 2023

#17
La Catalina vs Zeuxis
“CMLL Universal De Amazones Title Tournament Final Match”
CMLL Blue Panther 45. Aniversario
October 20, 2023

#16
The Powers of Pain, The British Bulldogs, The Hart Foundation, The Rockers, & The Young Stallions vs Demolition, The Bolsheviks, The Brain Busters, Los Conquistadores, & The Fabulous Rougeaus
“Elimination Match”
WWF Survivor Series
November 24, 1988

#15
Chigusa Nagayo, Sakura Hirota, Sonoko Kato, & Toshie Uematsu vs Chikayo Nagashima, Mayumi Ozaki, Reiko Amano, & Sugar Sato
GAEA Endless Summer
August 18, 1996

#14
Bryan Danielson vs Rush
AEW Dynamite
February 8, 2023

#13
Chaparita ASARI vs Kyoko Inoue
“Japan Grand Prix”
AJW Japan Grand Prix
July 28, 1996

#12
Dynamite Kansai (c) vs Mayumi Ozaki
“JWP Openweight Championship”
JWP on August 10, 1996

#11
The Usos (c) vs Drew McIntyre & Sheamus
“WWE Raw & SmackDown Tag Team Championship”
WWE SmackDown
January 6, 2023

#10
Rie Tamada & Yumi Fukawa (c) vs Chikayo Nagashima & Sugar Sato
“Japanese Tag Team Championship”
AJW The Rising Generation Queens Carnival
September 1, 1996

#9
CM Punk vs Ricky Starks
“Owen Hart Foundation 2023 Men’s Tournament Final Match”
AEW Collision
July 15, 2023

#8
Aja Kong & Dynamite Kansai vs Devil Masami & Kyoko Inoue
JWP The Ryogoku Big Project
October 13, 1996

#7
Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair & Shotzi vs Asuka, Bayley, IYO SKY & Kairi Sane
“War Games”
WWE Survivor Series
November 25, 2023

#6
Gunther (c) vs Chad Gable
“WWE Intercontinental Championship”
WWE Raw
August 21, 2023

#5
Orange Cassidy (c) vs Swerve Strickland
“AEW International Championship”
AEW Dynamite
June 7, 2023

#4
Bison Kimura vs Li Fua
Jd’ Star on July 30, 1996

#3
Pedro Morales (c) vs Don Muraco
“WWF Intercontinental Championship”
WWF on MSG Network
January 22, 1983

#2
Aja Kong vs Kyoko Inoue
“Japan Grand Prix Final”
AJW Japan Grand Prix
August 30, 1996

#1
Gunther (c) vs Chad Gable
“WWE Intercontinental Championship”
WWE Raw
September 4, 2023

Rocky Johnson & Tony Atlas (c) vs Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch
“WWF Tag Team Championship”
WWF Championship Wrestling
April 17, 1984, aired May 26, 1984
Commentary By: Vince McMahon & Gene Okerlund

Pedro Morales (c) vs Don Muraco
“WWF Intercontinental Championship”
WWF on MSG Network
January 22, 1983
Commentary By: Gorilla Monsoon & Vince McMahon

Killer Kowalski vs Pedro Morales
WWWF at Madison Square Garden
July 22, 1974
Commentary By: Jesse Ventura

Chief Jay Strongbow vs Prof. Toru Tanaka
WWWF on MSG Network
December 19, 1977
Commentary By: Lord Alfred Hayes

Tito Santana (c) vs Paul Orndorff
“WWF Intercontinental Championship”
WWF at Kiel Auditorium
September 1, 1984
Commentary By: Vince McMahon

Rick Martel & Tony Garea (c) vs The Moondogs
“WWF Tag Team Championship Texas Death Match with Gorilla Monsoon as Referee”
WWF on PRISM Network
February 14, 1981
Commentary By: Lord Alfred Hayes

Rick Martel & Tony Garea (c) vs Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito
“WWF Tag Team Championship”
WWF Championship Wrestling
October 13, 1981, aired October 31, 1981
Commentary By: Vince McMahon & Pat Patterson

#25
John Morrison (c) vs CM Punk
“ECW Heavyweight Championship”
ECW on SciFi
September 1, 2007, aired September 4, 2007

#24
La Catalina vs Stephanie Vaquer
“CMLL World Women’s Championship”
CMLL Noche de Campeones
September 29, 2023

#23
Bruno Sammartino (c) vs Stan Hansen
“WWWF Heavyweight Championship Steel Cage Match”
WWWF on August 7, 1976

#22
Becky Lynch (c) vs Lyra Valkyria
“NXT Women’s Championship”
NXT Halloween Havoc
October 24, 2023

#21
Mistico (c) vs Virus
“World Historic Middleweight Championship”
CMLL Noche de Campeones
September 29, 2023

#20
Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) vs Super Calo
WCW Fall Brawl: War Games
September 15, 1996

#19
Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Duncum (c) vs The High Flyers
“AWA World Tag Team Championships”
AWA on July 7, 1977

#18
Dean Malenko (c) vs Rey Mysterio Jr.
“WCW World Cruiserweight Championship”
WCW The Great American Bash
June 16, 1996

#17
Natsupoi vs Tam Nakano
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
September 30, 2023

#16
Suzu Suzuki vs Tam Nakano
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
September 9, 2023

#15
Umaga (c) vs Jeff Hardy
“WWE Intercontinental Championship”
WWE The Great American Bash
July 22, 2007

#14
Hazuki vs Suzu Suzuki
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
September 23, 2023

#13
Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) vs Dean Malenko
“WCW World Cruiserweight Championship”
WCW Halloween Havoc
October 27, 1996

#12
Mei Seira vs Nanae Takahashi
“Passion Injection”
Stardom New Blood 11
September 29, 2023

#11
Maika vs MIRAI
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
September 30, 2023

#10
Aja Kong vs Yumiko Hotta
“Japan Grand Prix”
AJW Japan Grand Prix
July 14, 1996

#9
Mistico vs Templario
“Best 2/3 Falls”
CMLL Super Viernes
October 13, 2023

#8
Antonio Inoki (c) vs Andre the Giant
“Real World Martial Arts Championship”
NJPW Toukon Series
October 7, 1976

#7
Maika vs Suzu Suzuki
“5STAR Grand Prix: Final”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
September 30, 2023

#6
Ultimate Dragon (c) vs Rey Misterio Jr.
“J-Crown Championship”
WCW World War 3
November 24, 1996

#5
Becky Lynch (c) vs Tiffany Stratton
“NXT Women’s Championship Extreme Rules Match”
NXT No Mercy
September 30, 2023

#4
Manami Toyota vs Meiko Satomura
“Battlefield WAR Tournament Second Round”
Sendai Girls Live Vol. 8
May 6, 2007

#3
Antonio Inoki vs Big Van Vader
NJPW Wrestling World In Tokyo Dome
January 4, 1996

#2
Titan (c) vs Mascara Dorada
“CMLL World Middleweight Championship”
CMLL Noche de Campeones
September 29, 2023

#1
Combat Toyoda (c) vs Megumi Kudo
“FMW Independent Women’s & WWA Women’s Title No Ropes Barbed Wire Current Blast Death Match”
FMW Fighting Creation: 7th Anniversary Show
May 5, 1996

Randy Savage (c) w/ Miss Elizabeth vs Virgil w/ Ted DiBiase
“WWF World Championship”
WWF Superstars
May 10, 1988, aired May 21, 1988

The Rockers vs Los Conquistadores
WWF on July 9, 1988, at Boston Garden

The Jumping Bomb Angels (c) vs The Glamour Girls
“WWF World Women’s Tag Team Championship”
March 12, 1988 at The Spectrum

The Young Stallions vs The Shadows
May 9, 1987 at The Spectrum

The Blue Blazer & Koko B. Ware vs Danny Davis & Jose Estrada
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
January 4, 1989, aired January 23, 1989

#25
Superstar Billy Graham (c) vs Dusty Rhodes
“WWWF Heavyweight Championship Texas Death Match”
WWWF
October 24, 1977

#24
Hazuki, Shinobu Kandori, & Takako Inoue vs Natsupoi, Saori Anou, & Tam Nakano
Stardom MidSummer Fes
August 19, 2023

#23
Chigusa Nagayo vs Megumi Kudo
FMW New Year Generation
January 10, 1996

#22
Kaoru Ito & Manami Toyota vs Double Inoue
AJW Zenjo Strongest
January 3, 1996

#21
Akira Hokuto & Mima Shimoda (c) vs Double Inoue
“WWWA Tag Team Championship Best 2/3 Falls”
AJW Ota Ward Champion Legend
January 22, 1996

#20
MIRAI (c) vs Konami
“Wonder of Stardom Championship”
Stardom 5STAR Special In Hiroshima
September 3, 2023

#19
La Jarochita & Lluvia vs Stephanie Vaquer & Zeuxis
“CMLL World Women’s Tag Team Title Match”
CMLL 90 Aniversario
September 16, 2023

#18
Momo Watanabe vs Saori Anou
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 15, 2023

#17
Mariah May vs Mina Shirakawa
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 15, 2023

#16
Mayu Iwatani vs Syuri
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Special In Hiroshima
September 3, 2023

#15
Aja Kong vs Combat Toyoda
FMW New Year Generation
January 10, 1996

#14
Hazuki vs Syrui
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 15, 2023

#13
Manami Toyota (c) vs Kyoko Inoue
“WWWA World Championship”
AJW Wrestling Queendom
March 31, 1996

#12
Bomber Hikari, Chigusa Nagayo, & Sonoko Kato vs Eagle Sawai, Jenn Yukari, & Michiko Nagashima
LLPW
March 12, 1996

#11
Mayu Iwatani vs Tam Nakano
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 15, 2023

#10
KAIRI & Saori Anou vs Unagi Sayaka & Sareee
AJPW Giant Series
September 8, 2023

#9
CM Punk (c) vs Samoa Joe
“Real World Championship”
AEW All In London
August 27, 2023

#8
AZM vs Utami Hayashishita
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 15, 2023