25 Days Of WrestleMas

8th December.

Hope for the Future
Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito - March 4th 2012

When you see how far this pair have come since they were on their TNA excursion trips, its amazing. Okada is turning into a bonafide Japanese star and Naito is a firm fan favourite. This is one of the best matches from last year, due to the showmanship, selling, storytelling & athleticism they perform. The ususally meek Japanese crowd won't shut up throughout and are split rooting for their winner. This is the first defence of Okada's IWGP Title and he won't give it up without a battle.

[youtube]VDF1uKY1tqQ[/youtube].

9th December.

Good Ol' Fashioned Rasslin'
Jerry Lawler vs. Curt Hennig - 9th May 1988

In a true battle of north vs. south. A near perfect, Curt Hennig puts his AWA World Title on the line & The King puts his career at stake. The Mid-South Coliseum is rocking to see their hero, Lawler try to take the belt away from Hennig and win his first true world title. Hennig is a methodical bumping machine, whilst using calculating offence to ground Lawler. The Kings counters as the underneath babyface for the fans to get behind and try to overcome the odds.

Match starts 20 minutes in
[youtube]zjp8f4xNp9Q[/youtube].

Last edited by Rossman (Mon-9-Dec-2013 21:26:02)

10th December.

A Forgotten Gem
Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind - 9th September 1996

I'm usually of the persuasion that if you want to get a spectacular match out of Mick Foley you need him to incorporate in a gimmick. Although this match is for the most part, an exception to the rule and shows Mankind can entertain without the need of weapons. It also helps when your opponent is Shawn Michaels who can athletically, pretty much do anything. The match is a technical brawl with added essences of acrobatics. Its an impressive encounter where the plucky romeo tries to tame the incensed madman.

[youtube]U9W87F_tmTg[/youtube].

Own this match, one of Foley's best for sure. Not a fan of the finish

11th December.

Tag Team Synergy
Rock 'n' Roll Express vs, Ivan Koloff & Krusher Kruschev - 13th July 1985

If you want to play on an American's xenophobia, give a couple of big heels a gimmick of Russian communists. Instant heat. Add in your smaller, more agile, teenage heart-throbs and we're off to the races. This is Ricky & Roberts first chance of tag team gold in Jim Crockett Promotions and the girls are going wild for them to win. Kruschev (pre Demolition Smash) & Koloff play the cold, villainous Russians to perfection whilst the Express fight as the under guys, vying for that hot tag to bring the intensity for the win.

[youtube]2BzSn-SpKOQ[/youtube].

12th December.

Exchanging Talent
KENTA vs Bryan Danielson - 13th October 2008

2006 to 2008 was such a great period on the independent scene for discovering new talents. Promotions such as NOAH and Ring Of Honor were swapping their best wrestlers to gain experience in foreign climes. Not only did the wrestlers win but the fans did too with plenty of dream matches taking place. After meeting each other three previous times, this was the fourth encounter between KENTA & Bryan Danielson and one of their best. By this stage, Danielson was known as "best in the world" due to his scientific but ruthless technical mat-work & firing comebacks. KENTA was running at his popularity peak now due to mass exposure in both Japan & the US. Himself was more known for the stiff strikes and kicks and flying agility. Their styles may have differed but they meshed very well. They never had a poor match together and this one is no exception.

[youtube]jOXflTy9weQ[/youtube].

13th December.

Super Lucha Libre
Mistico vs Último Guerrero - 25th February 2005

A lot has been made of Mistico & how he never lived up to the hype surrounding him in WWE. None of that really concerns me, if you put him in more comfortable surroundings, he's going to wow the crowds. Here he takes on a really talented lucha libre star in Ultimo Guerrero. Guerrero is bigger than most but he can move and fly with aplomb. In the muddled up style of lucha the story can ususally be lost, that's if there is one to start with. Here its quite clear Guerrero plays the big bully and Mistico is the whipping boy. Once Guerrero gets injured doing his own power move, he's at the mercy of Mistico.

[youtube]ZISJrRcXDvU[/youtube].

14th December.

Working With Mountevans Rules
Johnny Saint vs. Dave "Fit" Finlay - 9th April 1988

If you would like to see wrestling done in a different way. Take a look at how the British use to hold their bouts. Five, three minute rounds with extra rounds if the match finished a draw. The style is technical but athletic with a hint of comedic slapstick. It feels purely harmless but still legit as an entertainment product. Johnny is an absolute master at working holds, he's like an escapologist, getting in and out of holds in such a unique way. By this point, Finlay was a fourteen year veteran and it would still be seven years before he was off to America. On the basis of this match, he looked ready to travel the world now.

[youtube]52DyOdMTcZU[/youtube].

15th December.

The Colourful Age of Black And White
Buddy Rogers vs. Pat O'Connor - 30th June 1961

Lets rewind the clock fifty years and go back to the time of gentleman grapplers. The days of yore where the perception was real and the action was raw. O'Connor was a thoroughbred athlete and technician, the Bryan Danielson of his day. He could physically do everything and more. In my eyes, Buddy Rogers was really the first all round great wrestler. He had the arrogance, the bottle blonde, bronzed body, the moves. His heel psychology is still the blueprint of what is used today. This match set an attendance record in 1961 and it took twenty years for it to be broken. Its two out of three falls for the NWA Heavyweight Title.

[youtube]lTDizsQRLmQ[/youtube].

16th December.

Issuing In the Attitude Era
The Rock vs. Triple H - 25th July 1999

This was such a fun period in the WWF, Austin was established as a main guy and The Rock & Triple H were coming up behind, thick & fast to sit on top of the mantel too. Helmsley has hit his game changer promo and now evolved into the more edgier Triple H. Rock is spilling out catchphrases like they're going out of style and from the fans approval, he's ready to run with the ball. The pair have already had their Ladder Match & Steel Cage Match in the past year. So this No.1 contenders, Strap Match ends their rivalry for now, until they meet later on down the road.

[youtube]W3XGrmj6U8w[/youtube].

17th December.

How Do You Top This?
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. - 26th October 1997

To have an opponent where you have such impeccable chemistry with is so hard to come by these days. It was like Eddie & Rey could read each others minds in how this match was going to unravel and make it seamless & faultless. I think this is my favourite incarnation of Eddie Guerrero. His sleaziness & arrogance really shone through and he was a lot more agile, before he bulked up later on. Rey looks as great as usual. 1997 & 1998 were big years for him in terms of climbing to the top of the cruiserweight pile. The two of them were in top form at the tail end of 1997 and when they collided, magic was made.

[youtube]XJSfVsKLD4Q[/youtube].

18th December.

How Strong Is Strong Style?
Masato Tanaka vs. Tomohiro Ishii - 19th November 2012

This match is a spectacular showing of Strong Style wrestling. Tanaka & Ishii are alpha bulls basically having a game of "can you top this?" for ten minutes. The slaps, chops, lariats & forearms look and sound brutal. Ishii is short and stout but as strong as an ox. Tanaka is still as mad as the days of plundering through tables in ECW & FMW, I think he looks better now than he did fifteen years ago. Neither of them want to lose respect here and give up, which makes them even more dangerous.

[youtube]XXJg0SJpid4[/youtube].

19th December.

Then Meets Now
Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock - 17th March 2002

There are very few matches that flourish on the feeling of nostalgia. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18 sends you back to the time when you were a child, watching the Hulkster on early morning Superstars. Hogan may have slowed down a little but he could still do everything he did in his prime. He needed the Rock to bring the athleticism but for this match it didn't really matter. The crowd were acting like they were plugged into the mains, when the noise got funneled together it made the atmosphere electric. Hogan may be 0-2 in the Skydome, but Canada loves the Hulkster.

[youtube]AHoIm72F9Nc[/youtube].

20th December.

A Brutal Battle
Nigel McGuinness vs Bryan Danielson - 23rd February 2008

If you want to see a strong technical battle this ones for you. McGuinness comes in as the berated heel and Danielson is the babyface looking for his second ROH world title. Nigel is cheating every way he can to try and retain but Danielson is going the legit route. The crowd are rabid for McGuinness to drop the belt, sarcastically chanting "same old shit" when McGuinness goes for one of his plethora of lariats. In equal measure, the crowd are super hot for Danielson, cheering every time he hits or locks in one of his signature moves.

[youtube]Ne7rKXkFqaM[/youtube].

21st December.

Hardcore Homecoming
Chris Jericho vs. Lance Storm - 12th June 2005

ECW One Night Stand 2005 has to be one of the best PPV's in the last ten years. A stream of entertaining matches, a raucous crowd and shooting from the hip. The show started with an exhilarating ten minute match between best buddies, Lance Storm & Chris Jericho. Its all action and no filler from the pair. Storm had been in-ring retired for a year until this match but he's as quick and nimble as ever. His timing is on point, especially for his standing, leaping drop-kick. This is Jericho's last good match before his first WWE departure and delving deeper into his musical foray.

[youtube]d42Kz19iSfs[/youtube].

22nd December.

Last of the Five Stars
Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama - 10th July 2004

AJPW & NOAH are synonymous with three names: Akiyama, Kobashi & Misawa. If you take any Japanese match which had a glowing review from the nineties through to the mid noughties, it had one of their names in it. Here Kobashi faces off against Akiyama in their last Observer rated five star match. This match is a pure exhibition of strong style wrestling and as the match progresses they both exude their fighting spirit. Kobashi is on fire for this one, unleashing machine-gun like, rapid fire chops, spinning backhand chops & Orange Crushes. Akiyama surges a comeback with a series of Exploder Suplexes from the top rope and from the 2nd rope to the outside. They have no regard for their own bodies and the Tokyo Dome crowd are ecstatic for it. They are sucked into this one through the sheer tenacity of the combatants as the blood spills and the sweat flies.

[youtube]XzOXMjmq-68[/youtube].

23rd December.

Insane Chemistry
Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat - 2nd April 1989

If you need to see two wrestlers who are molded to fit each other its Steamboat & Flair. I was never the biggest fan of Flair when I was younger, mainly because I grew up with the mid 90's Nature Boy who was past his prime. But now I've seen the 80's Flair I've grown a new admiration for him. He was a cardio-machine who could go for an hour at full speed. Steamboat was exactly the same, he had the endurance and agility to make a long match exciting. Their rivalry was a simple construction of braggadocios bad guy & clean cut good guy at war. This match is the middle piece of their three match series and its a joy to watch.

[youtube]KEtpf_I7tLk[/youtube].

[youtube]9L_HBSf5pcg[/youtube].

[youtube]T4hSCqT2BNQ[/youtube].

[youtube]rk8dQCJoCN4[/youtube].

24th December.

Champion vs. Champion
Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior - 1st April 1990

Normally two babyfaces working together doesn't make a good match. Not only do the Warrior & Hogan put on an exemplary contest, both come out the other end with their heat intact. Its the story and psychology which makes this match so special. Warrior is the first babyface in the Hulkamania era who is a legitimate threat to becoming the top babyface and beating Hogan. Usually Hogan's opponents are trying to destroy Hulkamania but Warrior wants the Hulkamaniacs & the Warriors to join together and be stronger. Its all or nothing as both the Heavyweight & Intercontinental belts are at stake.

[youtube]vTKSFfnEpr8[/youtube].

Last edited by Rossman (Tue-24-Dec-2013 17:11:34)

25th December.

The Christmas Cracker
Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat- 29th March 1987

There is no better match to end on, than this fine extraordinary encounter from Wrestlmania Three. It may have been formulated to a tee but its the blueprint on how to construct a perfect match. Savage was the essential amount of agility and arrogrance, with an overflowing amount of showmanship. Steamboat could take everything and keep coming back, he had the fire to turn the tide of any match.

[youtube]meyVNlbBdZM[/youtube].

Really great thread

I've got a couple of matches left over I wanted to fit in, so here's some for New Years.

31st December.

Knockdown Drag Out Affair
Ted DiBiase & Terry Taylor vs. The Fabulous Freebirds - 12th October 1986

Their peers describe the 80's as the wild west of wrestling. Even more so in the south where they were running hot and heavy throughout the decade. Mid South/UWF TV always had something different to other territories. Where most wrestling TV shows were superstar vs. jobber. Mid South were putting on competitive action-packed matches each week featuring all of their top stars. Here we get to see a nearly million dollar Ted DiBiase team up with Terry Taylor and they take on a very feisty Fabulous Freebirds in a whipping match. Its ten minutes of pure carnage, they're beating the tar out of each other with the belts and its a pier six brawl. Jim Ross is on solo commentary and he's straining his larynx, evoking the emotion and pain that they're going through.

[youtube]8klGjKe8I5w[/youtube].

Really great thread, you deserve credit for the work you've put in here. Well done, Ross.

As for the matches, there are a fair few matches here that I wouldn't have bothered checking out myself without this thread. Mainly the Japanese matches and the indie matches because I've gone off wrestling for the most part. The ones you've linked are works of art in their own way though. The diversity you have here brought back a feeling of appreciation for wrestling that has gone now and probably won't come back unless Brock Lesnar makes a one-off appearance or The Rock shows up and I thank you for that.

I hope this thread gets pinned or moved to a multimedia section because it's been a fun ride.

Indeed. Great work, thanks for doing it. Some hidden gems, some obvious greats.

Cheers breh! I've enjoyed doing it.

1st January.

Its All About The Story
Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho - 30th March 2003

There's something about this match that deserves more love than it gets. Its an unforgettable match to begin with, but the multitude of layers of storylines make it so distinctive. I don't think there has ever been a match where the master faces off against his student but the student has accomplished just as much as the master. Then factor in this is Shawn Michael's first WrestleMania in five years and he's facing a prime Chris Jericho who wants his moment with Mr. Wrestlemania. The taunting, the posing, replicating Michaels' moves, Jericho is pulling off the obnoxious superfan to a T. And finally the lower back, its a game changer for Michaels and for Jericho to exploit, which he does to turn the match.

[youtube]83rQntTkxpY[/youtube].