Horrible matches between great wrestlers

[Judy Bagwell]

stole this idea from WTBBP

I have to nominate Rude and Jake from WM4, given both guys talents this match had no right to suck as much air out of the Trump plaza as it did.

any other nominations?

 

[Gutenberger]

Big Bossman vs. Al Snow Kennel from Hell match...

 

Nah, just kidding!

[gordi]

Would you count Pat Patterson vs. Gerald Brisco in the Evening Gown Match?

 

Definitely should consider the bizarrely one-sided Bob Backlund vs. Harley Race: Unification Match (9/22/80) - MSG. Pretty sure Loss did a great write-up of that one.

[Loss]

Oh, jdw actually did that write-up. I have yet to see the match, believe it or not.

 

The Shawn Michaels-Mr. Perfect match at Summerslam '93 is abysmal, and not only that, but their house show run (as we have it on handhelds) in the months leading into that match is pretty bad too.

[El-P]

Rick Rude vs Masa Chono, Halloween Havoc. These are the same two guys having a MOTYC at the G1 climax earlier in the same year.

[AJS]

Bret Hart Vs the Undertaker RR 96. Although i'm aware that a lot of people don't think the Undertaker was great.

[TonyPulis'Cap]

Bret Hart Vs the Undertaker RR 96. Although i'm aware that a lot of people don't think the Undertaker was great.

 

Definitely. The One Night Only match from the UK PPV in 1997 is fantastic, and shows what they could do together, but this one is so plodding and boring, coming just before the Mankind Series in 96, where Taker was able to progress to do more than choke, punch and sit up. The fact it ends in a DQ I think also doesn't help this one.

[C.S.]

The Shawn Michaels-Mr. Perfect match at Summerslam '93 is abysmal, and not only that, but their house show run (as we have it on handhelds) in the months leading into that match is pretty bad too.

Damn it, Loss, you posted what I came in here to post.

 

Seriously though, yeah, I remember being super disappointed by this match.

 

Does Savage vs. Warrior at SummerSlam count? Like we're seeing with AJ Styles and Gallows/Anderson now, they built up a big storyline (which one is buddy-buddy with Flair?) that ended up leading to nothing, and on top of that, the match ended in a DQ or something unsatisfying like that.

 

I realize Warrior was no workrate king and Savage was past his prime by then, but they'd had a great match previously.

 

(BTW, I realize the AJ and Gallows/Anderson stuff is ongoing, but I'll be shocked if it actually leads to much. At least, I don't think we'll end up getting either of the scenarios everyone wants - AJ reforming some version of Bullet Club with them or Finn Balor coming in and aligning with them as Balor Club. But we'll see.)

[fxnj]

Jumbo vs Windham

Muta vs Windham

Hogan vs Chono

Bret vs Tiger Mask (I and II)

[Jingus]

Rick Rude was still kinda green at the time, but his match with Ricky Steamboat at Royal Rumble '88 was mystifyingly terrible. It was mostly one long chinlock, and the few bits of "action" all seemed counterintuitive in their design and dull in their execution. Maybe the worst match I've ever seen Steamboat have.

 

The inexplicably awful Bret vs Sting match from Halloween Havoc '98 comes to mind as well. They botched half the spots, nothing made any sense, and they did one of the dumbest ref bumps I've ever seen where Bret laid out the official in the middle of the ring and then proceeded to superplex Sting right on top of the poor fucker.

[Death From Above]

The Barry Windham/Steve Williams match at Starrcade 1987. Either the whole thing was just layed out very strangely, or they cut the match short because Doc actually got hit in the groin and couldn't go. Either way, what a shame.

[supremebve]

 

The Shawn Michaels-Mr. Perfect match at Summerslam '93 is abysmal, and not only that, but their house show run (as we have it on handhelds) in the months leading into that match is pretty bad too.

Damn it, Loss, you posted what I came in here to post.

 

Seriously though, yeah, I remember being super disappointed by this match.

 

Does Savage vs. Warrior at SummerSlam count? Like we're seeing with AJ Styles and Gallows/Anderson now, they built up a big storyline (which one is buddy-buddy with Flair?) that ended up leading to nothing, and on top of that, the match ended in a DQ or something unsatisfying like that.

 

I realize Warrior was no workrate king and Savage was past his prime by then, but they'd had a great match previously.

 

(BTW, I realize the AJ and Gallows/Anderson stuff is ongoing, but I'll be shocked if it actually leads to much. At least, I don't think we'll end up getting either of the scenarios everyone wants - AJ reforming some version of Bullet Club with them or Finn Balor coming in and aligning with them as Balor Club. But we'll see.)

 

I actually think the Savage vs. Warrior match is really good for a overbooked mess of a match. I think Warrior looks more like a competent wrestler in this match than he did in the Wrestlemania VII match. The mania match is Savage and Sherri doing everything possible to make Warrior look good, but the Summerslam match is more back and forth and Warrior actually carries his weight. It isn't the best match, but I thought they got the absolute most out of what they had to work with under the circumstances.

[victory]

Warrior vs Savage from Summer Slam 92 shouldn't be part of the list. That is almost as good as the WM match despite the shenanigans. Warrior might of been at his best due to being lighter and more mobile.

[The Russian Daydream]

The Shawn Michaels-Mr. Perfect match at Summerslam '93 is abysmal, and not only that, but their house show run (as we have it on handhelds) in the months leading into that match is pretty bad too.

The thing is, this match never really had a chance. Both these guys acts at the time were mainly based around them selling and bumping for other people's offence, and the match just didn't have the balance. They both needed someone to sell for on the other side of the match but neither seemed willing (or able perhaps) to be that guy.

The whole match really is like someone trying to run with two left feet.

[Matt D]

I don't think babyface Perfect in 93 was all that much based around the big bumping. He was even able to tap into some of the AWA-era offense in the Doink series.

[C.S.]

Surprised by the mystifying love for the Warrior-Savage rematch. I can only assume it's loved by people who didn't actually watch it at the time but discovered it later. That's just a guess though. I remember it being too short, with a horrible finish, and no payoff to the angle they devoted months of TV time to. This, to me, is one of those cases where watching matches "in a bubble" years after the fact paints an inaccurate portrait.

[Matt D]

(Also, the best match on the Summerslam 92 card is definitely Beverly Brothers vs Natural Disasters. Super Underrated match. I haven't said that for a while, so I'm saying it again).

[supremebve]

Surprised by the mystifying love for the Warrior-Savage rematch. I can only assume it's loved by people who didn't actually watch it at the time but discovered it later. That's just a guess though. I remember it being too short, with a horrible finish, and no payoff to the angle they devoted months of TV time to. This, to me, is one of those cases where watching matches "in a bubble" years after the fact paints an inaccurate portrait.

Rewatch it on the network, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I essentially forgot they wrestled on that card, until about 8 months ago. When I gave it a fresh look I liked it a lot.

[PeteF3]

Surprised by the mystifying love for the Warrior-Savage rematch. I can only assume it's loved by people who didn't actually watch it at the time but discovered it later. That's just a guess though. I remember it being too short, with a horrible finish, and no payoff to the angle they devoted months of TV time to. This, to me, is one of those cases where watching matches "in a bubble" years after the fact paints an inaccurate portrait.

 

It went an even 28:00 bell-to-bell, with a long post-match angle. I didn't think it was that great of a match but if anything it was too long, not too short.

[Phil Schneider]

My go to for this category is always the 2001 Kawada v. Fujiwara match, two guys who both made my top 15 wrestlers of all time, just shit the bed, here is my review for Segunda Caida

 

This is a match I a have watched several times. The first time I saw it was in 2001 and it ruined Fujiwara for me for years. I rewatched after getting into the Other Japan Fujiwara stuff, and then rewatched a third time for this project. It may be the most inexplicably bad match I have ever seen. I mean on paper this seems like it should rule, two of the greatest Japanese wrestlers ever, seemingly compatible styles, Kawada isn't a guy who did much shootstyle, but you always figured he would be great in it, and it isn't like Fujiwara can only work one way. Sure Fujiwara is past his prime a bit by 2001, and you knew this wouldn't be as good as it would have been in 1994, but this wasn't just a little disappointing, it was down right shitty.

As much as it pains me to say it, the blame goes pretty squarely on Fujiwara's shoulders. I have run across other bad Fujiwara matches in my travels, but no other match where he is the reason it is bad. He eats Kawada alive here. It is 2001 AJPW, Kawada is clearly the top guy in the promotion, and Fujiwara treats him like shit. He basically no sells almost all of Kawada's offense, Kawada will kick him in the face and he will just look at him, this isn't the Fujiwara tough it out sell, he just waves it off. At one point he gets German Suplexed, rolls out of it and goes on offense. There wasn't even a shitty Takiawa Fighting Spirt yell. He also takes a ton of the match, not really with cool mat holds or nifty punches, but mostly with JYD headbutt stuff. Even when he loses, he kicks out at the three count in a crappy keep his heat kind of way. Kawada seems to be trying pretty hard here, but Fujiwara just doesn't give a fuck. I don't know if this was a NJ v. AJ thing, or Kawada tried to fuck Thundercrack, but this was a total stinker.

[GOTNW]

I keep forgetting to do it but eventually I'm going to deconstruct that match in order to prove it's actually good as was Fujiwara's performance in it. Their tag from 1996 or whenever was way better though.

[JRH]

Arn Anderson vs Paul Orndorff at Cotc XI. I liked it when i first saw it, but later viewings of it left me cold.

[The Russian Daydream]

Really? I've not seen that match in a few years, but I really liked it. I'd be so disappointed if I rewatched it and it wasn't any good.

[AJS]

 

Bret Hart Vs the Undertaker RR 96. Although i'm aware that a lot of people don't think the Undertaker was great.

 

Definitely. The One Night Only match from the UK PPV in 1997 is fantastic, and shows what they could do together, but this one is so plodding and boring, coming just before the Mankind Series in 96, where Taker was able to progress to do more than choke, punch and sit up. The fact it ends in a DQ I think also doesn't help this one.

 

 

Yeah DQ definitely drags it down even further. Such a long dull match with nothing going on. I'm glad they managed to sort it out for future matches. Loved the ONO match and enjoyed SS 97 quite a bit too.

[kingliam]

The Barry Windham/Steve Williams match at Starrcade 1987. Either the whole thing was just layed out very strangely, or they cut the match short because Doc actually got hit in the groin and couldn't go. Either way, what a shame.

 

I heard that he ruptured a testicle/ripped his scrotum. May have been just putting two and two together, so to speak, but injury seemed fairly serious.