WCW Nominees

[Phil Schneider]

Nominate matches below, let us know why you think something is good, lists of matches with no context will be deleted. Links are appreciated



THE LIST

1. Big Van Vader vs. Sting (WCW, 7/12) - 3 YES, 0 NO
2. Windham/Rhodes vs. Austin/Zbyszko (WCW, 2/29) - 3 YES, 0 NO
3. Dustin Rhodes vs. Rick Rude (WCW, 5/30) - 5 YES, 0 NO
4. Sting vs. Cactus Jack (WCW, 6/20) - 3 YES, 0 NO
5. Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham vs. Steve Williams & Terry Gordy (WCW, 9/21) - 3 YES, 0 NO
6. Steve Austin & Ric Rude vs. Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes (WCW, 7/12) - 3 YES, 0 NO


THE NOMINEES


1. Larry Zybysko & Bobby Eaton & Arn Anderson vs. Ricky Steamboat & Dustin Rhodes & Nikita Koloff (WCW, 5/23) - NO VOTES
2. Nikita Koloff & Ricky Steamboat vs. Terry Gordy & Steve Williams (WCW, 7/12) - 0 YES, 2 NO
3. Hiroshi Hase & Shinya Hashimoto vs. Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham (WCW, 7/12) - 1 YES, 2 NO
4. Sting & Steiners & Nikita Koloff vs. Ric Rude & Jake Roberts & Big Van Vader & Super Invader (WCW, 9/2) - NO VOTES
5. Ricky Steamboat/Shane Douglas vs. Brian Pillman/Barry Windham (WCW, 12/28) - 1 YES, 0 NO
6. Terry Gordy/Steve Williams vs. Rick Steiner/Scott Steiner (WCW, 6/16) - 2 YES, 0 NO
7. Brian Pillman vs. Jushin Thunder Liger (WCW, 2/29) - 2 YES, 1 NO
8. Ric Rude vs. Ricky Steamboat (WCW, 6/20) - NO VOTES
9. Ric Rude vs. Eric Watts (WCW, Worldwide '92) - 0 YES, 1 NO
10. Arn Anderson/Bobby Eaton vs. Greg Valentine/Dick Slater (WCW, 9/2) - 2 YES, 0 NO
11. Barry Windham vs. Dustin Rhodes (WCW, 12/29) - NO VOTES
12. Arn Anderson/Bobby Eaton/Larry Zbyszko vs. Ricky Steamboat/Dustin Rhodes/Nikita Koloff (WCW,5/23) - NO VOTES
13. Rick Rude/Arn Anderson/Bobby Eaton/Larry Zbyszko vs. Sting/Ricky Steamboat/Barry Windham/Dustin Rhodes (WCW, 2/22) - 1 YES, 0 NO
14. Jushin Liger and Brian Pillman vs. Beef Willington and Chris Benoit (6/16/92)

[Phil Schneider]

Steve Austin + Ric Rude v. Barry Windham + Dustin Rhodes 7/12

Dangerous Alliance vs. Steamboat/Windham/Rhodes/Sting et all is one of the coolest feuds in wrestling history. They had multiple great tags and single matches on TV every week, you could pretty much slot in any of the heels against any of the faces and it would be great. The Dangerous Alliance era of WCW was coming to an end, and this was a great PPV swansong for that feud. This was a mix of Watts style high impact heavyweight wrestling with traditional Southern tag wrestling. Lots of great looking high impact moves, Windham and Austin have one of the best double clothesline spots I ever seen, it looked like a double KO. Dustin and Rude also do the Dynamite/Sayama tombstone reversal which is impressive as fuck for a pair of big dudes like that. Not as much Dustin in this match as self proclaimed Natural mark like me would prefer, but you can't go wrong with Barry Windham face in peril. When Tomk and I watched a ton of this era for the Dustin of the Day you could really see Steve Austin grow, there was a point when he was clearly the least of the DA, but by now he was as good as anyone in this match, he and Rude are great at cutting off the ring and working over Windham and the crowd goes justifiably nuts for the tag. Totally loved this match.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3f0an_ra...austin-vs_sport
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3f0fn_ra...austin-vs_sport

[Phil Schneider]

Larry Zybysko/Bobby Eaton/Arn Anderson v. Ricky Steamboat/Dustin Rhodes/Nikita Koloff 5/23

This is yet another spectacular match from my favorite time in wrestling history, the first six months of 1992 WCW. This is 2/3 falls and has Ross and an ex-Raider on commentary so you had Ross in heaven as he gets to make dozens of football references. The opening couple minutes had a really nice Steamboat and Eaton match up for about 5 minutes, with Eaton working a headlock.

Then Dustin and Arn tag in and Arn runs off almost a comedy spotfest dive train. In the space of two minutes, he gets punched by Rhodes and does a knockout sell... complains to the ref about a closed fist ... throws his sweat at Steamboat ... does his asian stereotype bow then pops Dustin on the apron... he then avoids a chop by Steamboat by sliding outside, points to his head to show how smart he is, only to get drilled by Dustin ... he goes back into the ring and gets his boot caught, while Steamboat is holding his boot, Arn tries to call time, he then gets pinballed from corner to corner ... he then slides out and calls time, gets back into the ring and they tag in Nikita and Arn does his scared bug eyed Arn face .

10 great comedy spots, one after another, it was like watching 1995 Rey Mysterio Jr. .

First fall has some nice FIP work with Nikita. Nikita is a guy who most people think was useless, but during this period he was really effective as a power guy, sold well and timed his comebacks great. There is a Nikita v. Mr. Hughes WCWSN match from around this time which is also better then any Helmsley match ever. Sting was playing the same exact role in a bunch of other tags of this time period, and I think Nikita did it better.

Steamboat gets a quick bodypress on Larry for the first fall.

Dustin works some great sequences in the second fall, he pounds on Eaton with Eaton bouncing off the ropes back into more shots. Dustin then misses a lariat and clotheslines the post, and becomes face in peril. During the face in peril section Eaton hits one of the best top rope elbows I have ever seen. Zybysko throws in the phone and Dustin grabs in and smacks Larry for the DQ.

The third fall is based around working Steamboats broken nose, Anderson is just brutal here, as he just stomps directly on Steamboats face. I have written this before, but Arn is incredible at just shifting from a stooge to a killer. Moments before the broken nose section Arn does yet another amazing comedy spot, where he goes to the top to come off on Nikita ... Nikita cocks the sickle arm ... Arn sees that and stops his jump, but looses his balance and crotches himself. Total goofball stuff. Then moments later Ricky comes in and Arn transforms into a totally vicious mauler. Steamboat of course is masterful at selling, and you just buy the brutality of the shots to the face.

The finish is pretty great, as this sets up Zybysko leaving the Dangerous Alliance. Nikita makes the hot tag and cleans house. Arn grabs Nikita and Larry accidentally hits Arn with a forearm, Nikita then goes for the sickle and Larry ducks, so Arn gets drilled, and pinned. Watts comes in weeks later, and the party ends a bit as the Alliance breaks up, but man alive was this period of wrestling great.

[Phil Schneider]

Nikita Koloff + Ricky Steamboat v. Terry Gordy + Steve Williams 7/12

This was another damn good match, the opening had Steamboat do some very cool mat wrestling with both Doc and Gordy, which is an aspect of his game you don't see very much. He would squirm in and out of holds using his speed to avoid the power of the MVC. Gordy and Williams then have a long section of beating on Steamboat, and few give beatings like Gordy and Williams and few take them like Ricky Steamboat, Williams hits a nasty backbreaker, and Steamboat spends much of the FIP section selling his ribs. When he finally tags Nikita, Koloff comes in with some cool shoulder blocks, before being spiked head first into the mat by Gordy. They then work over Nikita until the big cluster finish with Williams hitting an awesome Stampede spinebuster. This was a little one sided, with MVC really dominating, but the bursts of Steamboat and Nikita offense were great and it never dragged.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3f3rm_ri...off-vs-dr_sport
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3f4gt_ri...off-vs-dr_sport

[Phil Schneider]

Hiroshi Hase + Shinya Hashimoto v. Dustin Rhodes + Barry Windham 7/12

Boy the matches keep getting better on this show.I love how all of the matches on this show start with solid mat wrestling. I have watched a ton of Dustin Rhodes matches over the last couple of years and I never seen him look this slick on the mat, lots of sharp little exchanges with Hase. There was a cool section between Hashimoto and Dustin (arguable the two 90's heirs to Dusty Rhodes throne) where Hash challenges him to a Karate stand off and Dustin pops him with the classic quick repeated right hands and bionic elbow combo. I imagine that must have been a Dusty/Kabuki spot. Dustin is face in peril here, and much like other great Dustin face in perils, he is always active, moving, slipping, firing back. Hash and Hase lay in a pretty solid beating including a classic high Hash elbow drop to the heart. Nice finish too, with Barry laying in the lariats for all.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3f51q_du...m-vs-hase_sport

[Phil Schneider]

Big Van Vader v. Sting 7/12

Truly a classic match, this was their first big match up and it was truly epic. It really felt like a heavyweight title match, like Rumble in the Jungle if Foreman won. Match started with a really cool face off with both guys doing some shit talking. Sting then explode with some big offensive combos which sent Vader flying out of the ring. The whole match was built around Sting landing fast combos and moves and Vader cutting him off with one shot. Sting could land five, but Vader only needed one. Vader's beatdown on Sting was nasty, this was a show full of big dude laying in asswhippings, but Vader is Vader. Stings comebacks looked great though, a crazy koppo kick, awesome looking samoan drop, and an incredible German suplex, his big moves were big moves. The German suplex was especially neat, as Pee Wee Anderson got bumped briefly which led him to be a second too late on the count, one of the better realistic ref bumps I have seen. The finish is legendary, as Sting has Vader rocking, he goes for a Stinger splash and slip and slides on Vaders back off into the ring post. Powerbomb and it is over. You rarely ever saw faces lose title matches that clean, and it really silenced the crowd. Amazing, amazing stuff and as good an WCW title match as that belt ever had.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1d7ne_gr...ting-vs-vad_fun

[ditch]

Vader vs Sting 7/12

YES. Chronologically this is the first Vader match I really dig. Wasn't fond of his early '90s IWGP matches, his G-1 '91 matches, the Hansen matches, or even his tags in NJ with Bigelow. It's also one of the five best Sting matches. They bring the best out in one another, the end result being a satisfying match that elevates Vader, keeps Sting looking like he belongs in the title scene despite the loss, and helps bring the title out of the doldrums of Flair's departure.

[Mike187]

Vader vs Sting 7/12 - YES

I prefer their strap match, but this is good enough to make the list. It was great seeing Sting throw everything he had at Vader. You wouldn't expect to see a cookie-cutter US babyface bust out a koppo kick and german suplex. Amazing finish with Vader casually stepping aside and avoiding Sting's punches before killing him with a powerbomb.

[Mike187]

Nikita Koloff + Ricky Steamboat v. Terry Gordy + Steve Williams 7/12 - NO

This had some high end amateur matwork that I wouldn't mind rewatching. Steamboat should have done more fireman's carries during his career and less pathetically weak karate head chops. Match was a little too one-sided for me to give it a yes vote. Also have to disagree with Phil as I thought Koloff's hot tag looked goofy as hell.

[Mike187]

Nominate: Sting vs. Cactus Jack – 6/20/92, WCW
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1paqd_wc...each-blas_sport

The brawling was nonexistent, but that's not a problem since we're treated to a crazy, out of control bump literally every 30 seconds. Foley came across as an unstoppable lunatic who'd do anything to win. I'm not exactly a Foley fan, but that was a great performance by him.

[Phil Schneider]

Dustin Rhodes + Barry Windham v. Steve Williams + Terry Gordy 9/21

I wasn't in love with their match at the Bash, but this is a classic. Just hard hitting bad ass tag wrestling. Everything the MVC was just brutal looking, and both Dustin and Barry were awesome at face in peril, Dustin especially took a huge beating and had a great babyface fired up selling, I loved the really hot finish, with pandemonium breaking out and Dustin able to hit the flash bulldog so Barry could get the pin. WCW 1992 is so amazing, but this is right up there with the best of the year

http://www.dailymotion.com/related/5768966...deswindham-9219

[Mike187]

Dustin Rhodes + Barry Windham v. Steve Williams + Terry Gordy 9/21 - YES

First half was an epic struggle, while the second half was tremendous with Windham being a great face in peril and Dustin getting mauled. Love Windham's staggering desperation punches. Ending was indeed great as you got the sense that the babyface team had nothing left. Pixelation occasionally hurt the match.

[Mike187]

Steve Austin & Ric Rude vs. Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes (WCW, 7/12) - YES

I may have enjoyed this more than the 9/21 tag. Austin looked good for the most part, bumping around and timing everything nicely. I especially liked his big boot to Windham's face. I had forgotten what a sleazy carny heel Rude was. Austin cowering when Windham raised his hand spot is why you watch wrestling. Crazy lucha over the top rope bump by Rude also ruled.

Hiroshi Hase & Shinya Hashimoto vs. Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham (WCW, 7/12) - NO

Good, but a little bland. I dug Hashimoto wanting to have a showdown with Dustin only to get punched in the face. The matwork in the beginning was neat since you had a bunch of different styles mixing together. Not really a MOTYC.

[Phil Schneider]

Sting + Steiners + Nikita Koloff v. Ric Rude + Jake Roberts + Big Van Vader + Super Invader 9/2

http://www.dailymotion.com/related/8012703...even_shortfilms

This was the main event of the Clash and was worked Survivor Series style. Big dudes hitting some big stuff. Match was highlighted by Rick Steiner hitting some awesome looking Suplexes on Vader, it also had a very cool crazy finish. With Vader sacrificing himself and Rude by crushing Rude and Sting with a top rope splash.

[El Guapito Bandito]

austin/rude v rhodes/windham

yes. basic wrestling match made good by great heel work by the alliance. the texicans were good as poor faces getting cheated and hitting big moves when they got their chance. good finish. cheaters never win

[Phil Schneider]

Dustin Rhodes v. Rick Rude 5/30

http://www.shareonall.com/Rude_vs_Rhodes_5...92_cfnm_avi.htm

These Worldwide shows are really great, I imagine if someone got their hands on a run of WCW Main Events they would be as great. Dustin starts the match working on Rude's back so we get a bunch of great Rude comedy selling. Back and forth big spots, great tombstone reversals, and an awesome Jerry Estrada bump by Dustin. Cool finish with the Medusa distraction

[Hijo del Parties]

BIG VAN VADER vs. STING (WCW, 7.12) : YES

Wrote this before reading Phil's write-up, surprised at how much of the same stuff's mentioned, but there it is.

In main events, where sequences and switches of momentum are so used and reused they become cliches, nuances separate those which feel tacked on to cards and those which feel like that event's major attraction, worthy of the wait (yeah yeah I know this wasn't actually the last match on the card). This is an instance of inventive nuances creating something not seen before. Vader implements the brick wall strategy well here, using Sting's momentum to create impact when he lets Sting's offense literally bounce off him without selling shit. The Stinger Splashes he does hit later as a result are as fierce as any I've ever seen, making it truly believable that he could have actually K.O'ed himself diving onto the post with one of them. Race is great here, a true manager whispering strategy, getting pissed at the cameramen, etc. Vader along with the MVC on this show illustrate how well dominant heels can be used in wrestling, how great it can occasionally be to take the air out of the audience with a clean heel win, and what a great story that is given time, the eventual moment of the face getting the win back meaning so much more when overcoming that much more.

Really awesome, believable ref bump here. Randy Anderson (is it Anderson?) gets grazed by Sting's foot as Sting reverses a suplex attempt by Vader. Anderson goes down, Sting now behind Vader hits a sweet German, but instead of the obvious “ref is too dazed after gingerly getting swatted” spot, Anderson quickly shakes the cobwebs in enough time to make the two count on cue. Yet Ross notes aloud that even those one or two seconds Anderson was out of it would have meant a win for Sting. Interesting to hear the loud pop Vader got from the crowd after the win, and the announce team for whatever reasons trying to play it off as stunned silence.

“What do you think about the champion of the world?”

[Hijo del Parties]

RHODES/WINDHAM vs. HASE/HASHIMOTO (WCW, 7.12): YES.

Goddamn Dustin is phenomenal here. Perhaps even moreso than prime Windham, he is a tall dude who's infinitely more coordinated and fast than every other dude in wrestling who's that tall. His matwork with Hase here is pitch perfect. The slow burn of this works too, the Texicans showing such sportsmanship while the NJs, particular Hase, slowly implement stiffer kicks and get into it with the crowd, with Windham finally getting pissed and coming in for saves. Hase takes an insane bump missing a double knee dive off the top. Well choreographed finish to boot.

I also find it sort of precious that Ventura is a guy who willingly trades football analogies with Ross on commentary. You can imagine J.R off-camera afterwards bein' all, “You like Ted Hendricks too? Really?”

[Tim Cooke]

Nominate

Windham/Rhodes vs. Austin/Zybisko (02/29/92 - Superbrawl) - best US tag of 1992, maybe the best tag of 1992. Austin is the least guy and he is still really good, especially at throwing lariats for Dustin to eat. Zybisko is motivated and working hard, being a great dick - he really has no redeeming qualities that would make a fan want to cheer him. And Windham/Rhodes are a lost great tag team.

[ditch]

Windham/Rhodes vs. Austin/Zybysko - YES. I forget what DVDVR this was reviewed on, but it was one of those times when my thoughts mirrored what was written. Both teams are good at their respective roles, while working in the little touches to keep it interesting. I have no particular love for generic tag formula with generic mainstream US moves in a match going almost 20; this was much more than that.

[Mike187]

^tag

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5rlck_ba...-vs-steve_sport
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5rlim_ba...-vs-steve_sport

[Mike187]

Windham/Rhodes vs. Austin/Zybysko - YES

Rhodes getting obliterated by Austin's lariats may be the best thing to come out of 1992. If anyone's doubting the greatness of Rhodes, watch this match. Zybysko could really do no wrong here, whether it was running his mouth on the apron, throwing a savate kick or hopping up after a move. Great heel performance. Windham also looked good, throwing his body around and making the hot tag. Another high-end WCW tag.

[ohtani's jacket]

Sting vs. Cactus Jack (Falls Count Anywhere), 6/20/92, YES

Great match. Foley gave an awesome performance. Just a tight, well worked match. Foley made Sting look fantastic here, not only because of how hard he bumped but because of how smart the match was. In theory it could've gone all over the arena, but Foley kept it simple and Sting gets over as a champ who'll take on any challenger & sign on for any match.

Barry Windham/Dustin Rhodes vs. Larry Zbyszko/Steve Austin, 2/29/92, YES

Awesome tag match, which is a little surprising since Austin was green at this point and Larry is Larry, but this was just a great, great fight.

Barry Windham/Dustin Rhodes v Steve Williams/Terry Gordy, 9/21/92, YES

My comment on this at smarkschoice is simply "an excellent title change." Sorry!

Barry Windham/Dustin Rhodes vs. Larry Zbyszko/Steve Austin, 2/29/92, YES

Awesome tag match, which is a little surprising since Austin was green at this point and Larry is Larry, but this was just a great, great fight.

[ohtani's jacket]

Nominating:

Ricky Steamboat/Shane Douglas vs. Brian Pillman/Barry Windham, 12/28/92

Another of the true WCW Classics. Southern style tag team wrestling at it's best. I love how Jesse's old bias towards Steamboat creeps into this.

Terry Gordy/Steve Williams vs. Rick Steiner/Scott Steiner, 6/16/92

Great match. I love how Watts brought in Williams and Gordy and how legit they seemed... This is one of the best Steiners matches I've seen. Great matwork building to hard hitting spots. Man did these guys go at it.

Brian Pillman vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Superbrawl II

Great match. Make sure you watch the full version on dailymotion, not the edited, commercial tape version on youtube (which was a great editing job, as an aside.) This is on par with anything from the cruiserweight division. Ross and Ventura do a great job of putting over Liger, Pillman and the lightweight class. Class

Ric Rude vs. Ricky Steamboat, Iron Man, Beach Blast '92

Ric Rude was an awesome heel and a great worker, but it never seemed to come through in his matches. The first Steamboat match is good, but a little pedestrian considering the angle that lead up to it... The Steamboat Iron Man match is awesome... An Iron Man match is a great idea in theory, but really difficult to execute because of the pinfall situation. I don't think seven falls in 30 minutes is a problem. Rude/Rhodes had two falls in 30 minutes and it was overwhelmingly disappointing considering some of their TV match-ups.

Ric Rude vs. Eric Watts, Worldwide '92

This is only partially shown on youtube, but what's there is IMMENSE. Awesome performance from Rude (sadly withOUT a moustache.) If I can find this in full, I reckon it would be a top 20 match.

[Mike187]

Ric Rude vs. Eric Watts, Worldwide '92

No, I hate clipped wrestling and this didn't even have a finish. What was shown was good, though. Rude worked stiffer than I expected and Watts had a few nice little comebacks.