1001 MATCHES: EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE

Posted on May 25, 2018 12:00 PM by Phil

(by PHIL RIPPA)

When working on this project the one??? biggest??? rule I have followed was one instituted in DVDVR #100 and that was “no repeat” matches. (IE: only pick one match between two guys). I have skirted that a few times already for a variety of reasons. Here I just blatantly ignore it because getting to 1001 is fucking hard.

766) RIC FLAIR vs. RICKY STEAMBOAT – NWA “CHI-TOWN RUMBLE” (02/20/89 – NWA World Heavyweight Title)

767) RIC FLAIR vs. RICKY STEAMBOAT – NWA “WRESTLEWAR:MUSIC CITY SHOWDOWN” (05/07/89 – NWA World Heavyweight Title)

Original Match Picked in DVDVR #100 (Clash of the Champions XI – 04/02/89)

There are the same amount of Flair/Steamboat matches as there are stars in the night sky. Schneider picked the two out of three falls match from Ragin’ Cajun – these two are the other matches of the trilogy that occurred over the three month span. WWE.com did a round table with the two years ago talking about the matches.

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768) SHAWN MICHAELS vs. RAZOR RAMON – WWF WRESTLEMANIA X (03/20/94 – Ladder Match, Intercontinental Title)

Original Match Picked in DVDVR #100 (Summerslam 1995)

Schneider (again) picked the Summerslam Ladder match as the better of the of two. I probably agreed at the time. It has been an eternity since I have watched either so who knows where the truth lies anymore.

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769) BELFAST BRUISER (FIT FINLAY) vs. STEVEN REGAL – WCW “UNCENSORED ’96” (03/24/96)

Original Match Picked in DVDVR #100 (WCW Sat Night – 04/27/96)

I picked one of the Saturday Night Matches just because I wanted to be too cool for school since everyone remembered the Parking Lot Brawl. Now I picked the PPV match that clearly NO ONE cared about but me. Long form Regal/Finlay is the best.

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770) THE GLADIATOR (MIKE AWESOME) vs. MASATO TANAKA – FMW (09/28/97 – FMW “Double Titles” (FMW Independent & Brass Knuckles Titles)

https://youtu.be/Zd9A50Xe4hY

Original Match Picked in FIRST AND LAST (ECW “One Night Stand” 2005)

My hand was somewhat forced in picked their first match due to the theme I had chosen. This is just a reminder that long before they were attempting to murder each other in ECW, they were attempting to murder each other in FMW.

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771) AJA KONG vs. MEIKO SATOMURA – GAEA (09/15/99 – AAAW Title)

Original Match Picked In THE LADIES~! (GAEA 12/05/01)

I mentioned when picking a different match that I would probably be choosing between Aja/Meiko and Finlay/Regal as my all time favorite feud. Aja/Meiko might get the nod now since they are still beating on each other.

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772) TRIPLE H vs. CACTUS JACK – WWF “ROYAL RUMBLE ’00” (01/23/00 – Street Fight, WWF World Heavyweight Title)

Original Match Picked in DVDVR #100 (WWF RAW – 09/22/97)

I think if we had put DVDVR #100 out six months later, this would have been the MSG street fight match that Ray picked and not the RAW one.

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773) AMERICAN DRAGON vs. LOW KI – ALL PRO WRESTLING “KING OF THE INDIES” (10/27/01 – Finals)

Original Match Picked in 7 TO 100 (Super 8 2001 Finals)

I stated when I picked the Super 8 Finals that it was because we were there live. Technically the same could be said for this match – the FAR most famous one (and arguably most important indie match of all time) – as Schneider was there live.

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774) KENTA KOBASHI vs. MITSUHARU MISAWA – NOAH (03/10/03 – GHC Heavyweight Title)

Original Match Picked in WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG (01/20/97)

Funnily, much like the other Misawa/Kobashi match was the impetus for the last theme, this one was a big factor in this theme. I struggled a bunch making my original choice so this was my way of cheating. Also a noteworthy reminder of Kobashi’s return with basically no knees to be the best wrestler in the world for a few years.

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775) BAYLEY vs SASHA BANKS – NXT “RESPECT” (10/07/15 – 30 Minute Ironman, NXT Women’s Championship)

Original Match Picked in 2015 (PART THREE) (NXT Brooklyn I)

Boy, do these matches seem like another lifetime ago.

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776) KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. KENNY OMEGA – NEW JAPAN “DOMINION ’17” (06/11//17 – IWGP Heavyweight Title)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6e44xt

777) KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. KENNY OMEGA – NEW JAPAN “G1 CLIMAZ ’17” (08/12/17 – Block B)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5ws38v

Original Match Picked in WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG (Wrestle Kingdom 11)

Fitting to complete this trilogy in the same piece I complete the Flair/Steamboat one considering how much time was spent in Internet circles comparing the two. Side tangent: It is WAY easier to consume all these matches now when you aren’t feeling the immediate pressure of needing to have a hot take opinion on them since everyone has already moved on.

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778) KEITH LEE vs. DONOVAN DIJAK – PWG “BOLA ’17” (09/03/17 – Quarterfinals)

Original Match Picked in PLAIN JANES (BEYOND 05/29/16)

So Lee and Dijak had the that of Mania 16 week. The next year the had the Indie Match of the Year at BOLA. If the WWE is smart – these two will end up in a Takeover match against each other.

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779) IO SHIRAI vs. MEIKO SATOMURA – SENDAI GIRLS (04/19/18)

Original Match Picked in 2015 (PART FOUR) (Stardom 12/23/15)

I have been doing this project so long that folks are have matches almost three years later that make me regret my original pick .

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780) HIROSHI TANAHASHI vs. KAZUCHIKA OKADA – NEW JAPAN “WRESTLING DONTAKU ’18 DAY 2” (05/04/18 – IWGP Heavyweight Title)

Original Match Picked in 5 STARS (Wrestle Kingdom 10)

Might as well put all the scale breaking Okada matches out here. A totally different Okada/Tanahashi match. Funnily, will probably get forgotten in six months when MOTY results are coming out.

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