Best Individual Performance in a Match

[elliott]

We've got all sorts of threads related to "great matches." We've got the Match of the Decade and Match of the Year Threads, the 5 Star thread, threads covering the 80s, 90s, 00s, specific regions etc etc.

 

But in GWE, we often talked about how "great performances" were more important than "great matches." So figure we need the "great performances" thread as well.

 

With that said, what are some of your favorite or what do you think are some of the the best individual performances in matches?

 

Additionally, what are some of the matches yall think of when you think of "great performances in not-great matches?"

 

 

[Microstatistics]

Great Topic

 

Greatest Individual Performances in an All time Classics/Great matches:

 

Kenta Kobashi vs. Misawa (1/20/1997) - Pretty much perfect in terms of selling, offense, character work, intensity, emotion etc etc. He was flawless for 42 minutes straight.

 

Jushin Liger vs. Sano (8/10/1989) - The best and most consistent limb selling ever

 

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Maeda (8/13/1989) - Maybe the best example of someone being able to effectively tell a complete story through facial expressions and body language

 

Terry Funk vs. Lawler (4/6/1981) - The best character driven match ever.

 

Nick Bockwinkel vs. Martel (9/20/1984) - Unbelievably great selling - damage, fatigue, desperation etc

 

 

I'll go with those as Top 5 for now

 

 

Greatest Individual Performances in not-great matches (this was much much harder)

 

Dick Murdoch w/ Adonis vs. Briscoes (12/28/1984) - Very good match to be fair but felt like a one man show at times

 

Shawn Michaels vs. Vince McMahon (4/2/2006) - Probably a weird pick. Far far from the best thing you'll see, overbooked to hell too, but a pretty outstanding performance to get a decent match out of this mess, with a non-wrestler too.

[Mrzfn]

Is it wrong to say Bobby Heenan at the '92 Rumble?

[Cap]

I think the match is still great, but it is almost despite JBL and his efforts. My favorite individual performance ever (curtain to curtain) is Eddie Guerrero in the Judgement Day match. I know I have harped on it elsewhere, but I think its quality match because Eddie's performance is one of the best and most gutsy performances - and in a way that is not contrived at all - I have ever seen.

 

I am sure others will come to mind later

[TonyPulis'Cap]

I think you can make a case for AJ Styles in the Elimination Chamber last month. It's a match that can lend itself to great individual performances, like Mysterio in 2009.

 

I'd also highlight Mick Foley in the Hell in a Cell from KOTR 98. What you think about what goes on in that match may vary, but given the ridiculous bumps and punishment he endures that is one hell (pun slightly intended) of an individual effort. On that note, Shawn Michaels in the first Hell in a Cell is a tremendous individual performance getting beaten from pillar to post but managing to do it without eliciting sympathy for what's happening to him.

[AJS]

Is it wrong to say Bobby Heenan at the '92 Rumble?

One of the all time great performances on commentary. Heenan added so much to that match.

[stomperspc]

Diamond Dallas Page versus Goldberg at Halloween Havoc 1998. In that one match he did more to get over the title and Goldberg as big deals than the rest of WCW did at any other time during that period. Beyond that, it is an incredibly smart and well-crafted match. DDP was able to plant doubt that Goldberg might actually lose (even though there should have been little doubt) while still managing to put Goldberg over huge. Everyone else working Goldberg around that time was just putting him over quickly or building the match to make themselves look good (the Hogan match to an extent). DDP got that Goldberg would come out even stronger if the match showed that he could take a bad break (the shoulder posting) and weather the strong game plan of his opponent to still come out on top. DDP benefited because he looked crafty and tough, but did so without beating down Goldberg for 5 minutes. Goldberg still dominated, just in a different than usual manner. The Diamond Cutter reversal out of the Jackhammer is an all-time great spot in terms of ingenuity and timing. Goldberg played his part but DDP is the clear reason why this match stands well above any other Goldberg WCW singles match.

[Superstar Sleeze]

AJ Styles vs Bobby Roode Final Resolution 2012. AJ deserves all the awards in the world for that performance. A match that would not win best picture but AJ deserves Best Actor!

[ShittyLittleBoots]

Here's a few that haven't been mentioned yet, all from my ****3/4 - ***** match list:

Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (09/01/90)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (07/24/98)

Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle (08/19/01)

Paul London vs. AJ Styles (06/14/03)

Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA (09/16/06)

Shawn Michaels & Triple H vs. Edge & Randy Orton (01/07/07)

Bryan Danielson & Tyler Black vs. Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards (04/18/09)

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena (04/29/12)

Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan (12/16/13)

Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan (04/06/14)

Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns (02/22/15)

Kenny Omega vs. Hirooki Goto (08/14/16)

Brian Kendrick vs. Kota Ibushi (08/26/16)
Minoru Suzuki vs. Kazuchika Okada (02/05/17)

[Mr. Lacelle]

Bret Hart did okay vs DBS @ SS 92.

[Ricky Jackson]

And also against Tom Magee if the legend is true

[topropepodcast]

The one that immediately comes to mind for me is Pillman in War Games '91. He's just absolutely fucking incredible in a really great match.

[sek69]

I think the match is still great, but it is almost despite JBL and his efforts. My favorite individual performance ever (curtain to curtain) is Eddie Guerrero in the Judgement Day match. I know I have harped on it elsewhere, but I think its quality match because Eddie's performance is one of the best and most gutsy performances - and in a way that is not contrived at all - I have ever seen.

 

I am sure others will come to mind later

 

 

Agreed. I think it will take a lot for Eddie to get topped in this category for me.

[brockobama]

 

Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (09/01/90)

 

 

I'll echo this and add John Cena vs. Umaga in that Last Man Standing match for Royal Rumble 2007. Cena is broken and vulnerable, both mentally and physically. "Shook" as the kids say. Every one of his movements evidences how resolute he is as the defending champion, but he'd never been as beaten as he was in this match and hasn't since, and it shows every step of the way. He sells the stipulation and outcome incredibly well, making for something of a haunting moment after the bell. Lovely stuff.

[joeg]

I'm going

 

Hart vs Davey Boy at SS 92.

Terry Funk in the Funk Brothers vs Abby and Sheik feud in All Japan. Terry's what made those matches.

DDP vs Goldberg- closest thing to a great Goldberg match

Genki Horiguchi at El Numero Uno 2003, The 4 matches he had that night... not all the matches were great or even good, but the show, it should have been a star making performance

[Cap]

While i think Warrior actually deserves some credit in the following cases, I always thought Savage's performances in both the SS and WM matches against Warrior were pretty stand out. Those matches were both probably a lot better than they had any business being.

[sek69]

Also I think the Rude match probably doesn't get the credit it should for making Warrior look like a top guy and not just the roidbag of the month.

[Cap]

Very True

[elliott]

There are a bunch of performances that come to mind especially when you look at the 5 star matches thread and MOTD thread.
But I wanted to mention two matches that I always seem to bring up and I'm probably higher on than just about anyone.

 

1. Invader I vs Ron Starr 09/19/86 WWC - From the chairshot by the valet on, this is my single favorite performance I've ever seen. Invader I's stumbling, weeble-wobble, desperate to make a comeback selling is completely entrancing. It all starts with, in all honesty, one of the weakest chairshots I've ever seen which ends up making the performance even more impressive because he manages to convince the viewer that it was this devastating blow from which he couldn't recover. I can't even properly rate the match or analyze it structurally or whatever. Ron Starr has been one of the biggest discoveries for me watching 80s sets and I will often search for his matches now. But I don't even see him when I watch this match with Invader. Best sell job in the history of wrestling easily.

 

2. El Satanico in the 09/23/01 Infierno en el Ring with Averno, Mephisto, Tarzan Boy, Rey Bucanero, Ultimo Guerrero & Mascara Magica. I know I'm a broken record on Satanico at this point. But this is a major match that could in theory have gone really poorly (7 dudes 3 on 4 in an escape the cage match) and it turned out to be an all time classic with the 50+ year old dude, who was probably 20+years older than everyone else in the match, not only being the focus of the match, but the obvious standout performer. He literally kept the whole thing tied together from start to finish both offensively and defensively.

 

Those are my two, but I could probably add "Every match Kazunari Murakami had from 2000-2001."

 

[The Chief]

If I'm reading the OP's question correctly, I'll say Dick Murdoch vs. Afa from MSG, late 1984.

 

It's literally Murdoch wrestling nothing for twenty minutes and somehow making it entertaining. It's the wrestling equivalent of a Warner Brother's cartoon. Great, great match. Murdoch was so good when he wanted to be.

[Ricky Jackson]

Great call. That match is the very definition of wrestling a broomstick

[Rah]

Cesaro vs Kofi Kingston (30/04/2013)

[brocklock]

Rey Mysterio in the Raw Elimination Chamber at No Way Out 2009. A masterclass in bumping and selling.

[Superstar Sleeze]

The one that immediately comes to mind for me is Pillman in War Games '91. He's just absolutely fucking incredible in a really great match.

Great pick! He is a beast in that match!

[Quentin Skinner]

Bryan Danielson vs Zack Sabre Jr. - 3/2/2008 Wrestling In Europa. It's Danielson working a green as hell ZSJ in a small bar room in the Midlands and he turns it in to something special. It's a magnificent heel performance from Danielson, picking ZSJ apart, building great sympathy for him and allowing him to get enough shine to make it a coming out party for himself.

 

Sami Zayn vs Adrian Neville - 12/11/2014 NXT. Sami Zayn gives the performance of his life in the culmination of a year long build. He conveys the emotion of it being his last chance at the title and leaving if he comes up short. His facial expressions here take you on a journey of focus, self-doubt and eventual triumph.

 

Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa - 4/15/95. Taue's urgency here when facing the ace of the company and his by any means approach is the highlight of his standout 1995 run.

 

Kiyoshi Tamura vs Nobuhiko Takada - 2/13/1993 UWFi. It's the quintessential young punk match to me. Tamura disrespects his boss and gets the shit kicked out of him for it, but doesn't go down without a fight.

 

Team Austin (Shawn Michaels) vs Team Bischoff - 11/16/2003. Shawn's performance as the sole survivor here is something I've watched back so many times at this point and I never get tired of it.