Chad's Top 100 Matches of 1990

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1990 was a year that started off solid if unspectacular but morphed into a great in ring year from Mid - August on. Each promotion also took many turns throughout the year. I ranked 261 matches overall.

Honorable Mentions:

105. Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu (AJPW 7/7/90)
104. Ric Flair vs. Tom Zenk (Power Hour 2/2/90)
103. Brian Pillman vs. Rip Rogers (WCWSN 11/10/90)
102. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi (AJPW 6/30/90)
101. Larry Zbyszko vs. Masa Saito (NJPW/AJPW 2/10/90)

I will begin by admitting that the first four picks are sentimental choices. I will argue that all 4 are good matches but they had something in them that propelled them over the plethora of good matches below them.


Personal Pick (**1/2)

 

100. Jerry Lawler vs. New York Mauler (USWA 4/28/90)

This was my favorite Lawler heel feud. Southern as can be and an angle that has played out numerous times before but damn if Valiant and the King sell the hell out of it and it had the studio fans rocking.

Personal Pick (***)

 

99. Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger (Cage Match) (Capital Combat 5/19/90)

I feel like I have talked about this match way too much but it is amazing with how much they did with so much shit surrounding it. Wonderful performances by both Flair and Luger to rise above the crap. I think this match looks better in retrospect after seeing the Starrcade debacle.

Personal Pick (***)

 

98. Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake (SSLAM 8/27/90)

My first wrestling memories will always be near and dear to me. It has carried me for 23 years in my life and is a part of my life. I really liked this feud and thought it built perfectly to a great Summerslam showdown. Hogan was someone that you might have thought of as stale by this point but he still seemed pretty fresh in 1990 and this feud was a big reason why. Tenta did a great job in the match and they made a countout finish seem like a big accomplishment for the Hulk.

 

***1/2

97. Ric Flair vs. Sting (GAB 7/7/90)

Should have been longer but I still liked this as a standalone match and a passing of the torch performance. Stings offense looked good and for this night he seemed destined to be a big star.

96. Jushin Liger vs. Pegasus Kid (NJPW 8/19/90)

Good intro for guys that will dominate the 1990's. The mat work here was real impressive and focused and I was overall impressed with how polished Benoit was at this early stage in his career. One of the few Japanese junior gems on this set.

95. Riki Choshu vs. Animal Hamaguchi (NJ 6/12/90)

A match that puts a smile on my face thinking about. Two old guard members going to war in a bloody spectacle. I compared this to 6/9/87 Fuji/Choshu in the comments and agree with that. A very fun match to watch if you have 15 minutes to kill.

94. Scott Steiner vs. Bobby Eaton (Power Hour 9/21/90)

Speaking of fun short matches, you have this one. Eaton was starting to step out into more singles around this time and proved he could go with this great match as part of the gauntlet series. He fed into Steiners power moves tremendously and its matches like these that kept me interested in WCW despite the horrid booking int he second half of the year.

93. Hart Foundation vs. Rockers (SNME 4/28/90)

SNME is a show I am not nostalgic towards because its hey day was far removed by the time I watched, and I wasn't allowed to stay up anyway. 1990 was the peak of SNME though from what I have seen from a skit and in ring perspective. This was my favorite tag team feud in the WWF in 1990 and I think this match is tighter and more exciting than the more hyped Demos/Harts Summerslam match.

92. Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger (Clash 9/5/90)

Capped off the end to their great rivalry. 15 minutes of nonstop action. Flair was a little erratic in this match because of the condensed time but the action was relentless and the crowd was nuclear. Shit finish keeps this from going higher.

91. Doom vs. Rock & Roll Express (GAB 7/7/90)

Fuck this crowd. I don't know why this match didn't mean jack shit to anyone in attendance but it was really good and told a great story. Doom started to look like major players in the division and the Rock & Rolls were worthy challengers that took Doom's power moves very well. This was my favorite Doom control segment on the set.

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90. Rick & Scott Steiner vs. Midnight Express (WCWSN 10/13/90)

 

I bad mouthed the Steiners on the podcast and constantly ragged on Rick. Then a funny thing happen, they had my favorite run of them as a team from Sept-Oct 1990. This match was one of the final shout outs for the Midnights as a team and they packed everything they could into the time allotted. Eaton was amazing in this match flying all over the place and adding new stuff in. Rick was also actually smart in this match!

 

89. Bull Power vs. Otto Wanz (CWA 6/30/90)

 

Two big hosses going at it with a triumphant finish for the hometown hero. This match was a simply as could be but worked expertly and the build to each of the bumps was amazingly well done.

 

88. El Satanico & El Dandy vs. Angel Azteca & Atlantis (EMLL 6/15/90)

 

Hot off the heels of two singles matches the previous two weeks, we get this tag match. This was probably in retrospect the last time the Dandy/Azteca feud was really at a peak and I really loved the interactions with Atlantis in this match. Atlantis was probably the most graceful flyer in all of 1990. Really well built tag match in a year filled with great matches for CMLL.

 

87. Lex Luger vs. Stan Hansen (Bullrope Match) (Starrcade 12/16/90)

 

Hansen shows he can go on American soil and Luger caps off a really good year for him. It will be interesting to see if I think 1989 Lex is better than 1990 Lex because I dug 1990 Lex a ton. This used the stipulation well and built to a finish that I was predetermined to hate until they swerved me in interesting fashion. Really fun feud overall and Hansen should have gotten a top run at the world title.

 

86. Terry Funk vs. Jerry Lawler (TWA 11/10/90)

 

I am not mistaken when I say this is the least of their two matches in 1990 that we saw complete portions of. This was a good glimpse into what the MSC would look like on Monday night. There was a lot of schtick concepts throughout this but Funk and Lawler both did well not rely too heavily on those tendencies and to provide a kick ass match.

 

85. Atsushi Onita & Tarzan Goto vs. Masa Kurisu & Dragon Master (Texas Death Match) (FMW 4/1/90)

 

Watching the death match origin was a fun theme of 1990. This match was my favorite of the bunch as it was the most cohesive and featured low tech weapons. They only used chairs and stuff around ringside but this was a chaotic brawl with hard shots and didn't overstay its welcome.

 

84. Midnight Express vs. Brian Pillman & Tom Zenk (WCWSN 3/10/90)

 

A feud that should have been so much more. This was a fabulous first chapter with the MX really working over Pillman. Zenk must get credit in this series for mainly staying out of the way and knowing his role. The MX were simply incredible in 1990.

83. Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior (Mania 4/1/90)

 

Not as good as I remembered but still a memorable main event in front of one of the biggest audiences in company history. The match was meticulous planned but they still delivered and credit must be given that whoever formed the match knew what the fans would want. After terrible build, I am glad I would still classify this match as good still.

82. El Hijo del Santo vs. Fuerza Guerrera (Hamada's UWF 6/7/90)

 

I think I had this higher than anyone else but I thought it was a load of fun and great showcase for El Hijo Del Santo. Fuerza is able to bring in some nasty offense and I find it a treat whenever Santo really feels in peril like he does here.

81. Ron Garvin vs. Greg Valentine (Submission Match) (Rumble 1/21/90)

 

Putting aside the goofy Garvin faces this was the WWF version of ANimal/Choshu with two old fucks just laying waste to each other. I doubt this match would have been on PPV with this amount of time by the end of 1990 but I am glad these guys were able to go out and have a long, stiff match.

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80. El Hijo del Santo, Ringo Mendoza & Lizmark vs. Konnan, Perro Aguayo & Ken Timbs (EMLL 9/21/90)

I may have been lower on Timbs that most for his appearances but he was really fun here in his scuzzy American roll. Konnan was also shockingly good mixing in some wonderful matwork. On the technico side, Santo and Lizmark had some graceful dives and worked well opposite Timbs. Really good undercard match for the Anniversary show.


79. Rock & Roll Express vs. Ric Flair & Arn Anderson (Main Event 2/18/90)

The highest ranked WCW tv match is a fitting one. Morton vs. either Anderson and Flair never disappoints and it of course delivered here. After a shaky turn, this also felt like the first time Flair and Arn gained their footing with the new reincarnation of the Horseman. Flair/Arn got more time in 1990 to work together as a tag team than in any other year and this was one of their highlights.

 

***3/4

78. Jerry Lawler vs. Eddie Gilbert (WWA 11/9/90)


This probably seems low to Loss and some but I did really enjoy this and am glad we got a full length match to go along with the feud of the year. This match had some great bumping and pacing from Gilbert with Jerry being an amazing babyface for the Philly crowd. I wish we could have all their MSC battles in full.

77. Vader vs. Stan Hansen (NJPW/AJPW 2/10/90)

Another big burly slugfest akin to Wanz/Vader but with more a spectacle aspect. This being in the dome had really good atmosphere as they played to the strengths of a crowd that big. Vader's eye mishap is still gruesome to watch and shows how much of a bad MFer he is.

76. Bill Dundee, Chris Adams & Eric Embry vs. Billy Travis, Gary Young & Skandor Akbar (USWA TX 1/19/90)

The hype for the USWA Texas stuff set me up for a minor disappointment (for instance I liked Tony Atlas promo but think I was down on them more than most because of the hype going in instead of if I had seen them cold). However, the territory really shined for me and at any given moment had 2-3 hot feuds firing off. This was an early example of greatness to come with heel BJT being amazing, Dundde/Adams/Embry work so well as a southern babyface trio. This had a lot of elements of southern style but it was perfected to the tv formula and was a load of fun to watch.

75. Terry Funk vs. Jerry Lawler (USWA Title Tournament 10/8/90)

My favorite squash match of all time. Lawler gets about 3% of offense in. Funk instead of being goofy crazy is straight up batshit crazy here and is legimately scary just wailing away on Lawler with some of the damnedest punches you have ever seen. The way this played into the overall story of the tournament and down the road with Funk winning the belt work well but standalone this is one of the greatest asskickings I have ever seen in wrestling.

74. Akira Hokuto & Suzuka Minami vs. Yumiko Hotta & Mitsuko Nishiwaki (2/3 Falls) (AJW 5/13/90)

Joshi had many more downs than ups in 1990 which I rehashed over and over but this match was a pleasant surprise. Really well done and featured two workers who were unfamiliar to me but made a good impression based on this match. I also so far in what I have watched in 1990-1994 do not get the hate on Hotta. She was really good here and sold admirably.

73. Midnight Express vs. Rock & Roll Express (Main Event 4/22/90)

This match came out of nowhere and was amazing. You shouldn't be surprised by a MX/R&R match but it is a pairing you have seen so much that you kind of already know what to expect. This had an amazing pace and features the best ref interaction spot in a match I have ever seen. These are four guys that do tag team wrestling proud.

72. Ric Flair & Arn Anderson vs. Doom (Havoc 10/27/90)

Again the crowd wasn't crazy about Doom, but I was. This match featured Doom becoming defacto faces and was a great heavyweight semi main match built on a PPV. Havoc featured three unique tag matches all represented on my top 100. 1990 overall was a really interesting year to dissect if you are a fan of tag wrestling. I usually prefer singles but 1990 helped change that opinion slightly.

71. Ric Flair vs. Brian Pillman (WCWSN 2/17/90)

The last match of the month long Flair match tour with great stuff vs. Eaton, Z Man, and Pillman. Pillman is certainly a great babyface and I thought Flair was amazing in this match making him look credible but not letting him do too much and always having assertion that he is the main man in the company.

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70. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson & Sting vs. Buzz Sawyer, Dragon Master & Great Muta (Power Hour 1/26/90)

 

Oh what could have been of the babyface faction Horseman. I have watched two yearbooks now that started with face Flair. Once he has turned, it has taken a while for him to recover and he has lost his way. This match was fun as hell with a nuclear crowd. WCW had a decent stable of heels to pick from and could have always brought in people like Hansen or even turned Lex to feud with the Horseman.

69. El Hijo del Santo, Yoshinari Asai & Gran Hamada vs. Negro Casas, Blue Panther & Fuerza Guerrera (WWA 1990)

 

The first match on the set is a great exhibition into lucha. Everything looks good and everything is hit crisply. You also get to see young Ultimo and the original gangster in Hamada doing his great spots.

 

68. Atlantis, Angel Azteca & Javier Cruz vs. El Dandy, Emilio Charles Jr & Satanico (EMLL 8/24/90)

 

The final straw in Dandy vs. Axteca/Atlantis and the seeds of dissention on what his next feud will be. All 3 main pairings worked very well for me and this was the match where Satanico made the leap in my eyes to becoming one of the best workers in the world in 1990.

 

67. Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace (JIP) (AJPW 9/29/90)

 

The Ace/Kobashi team came out of nowhere in September and had a great month run. This match really showed Kawada/Misawa solidifying as a team and had Kobashi really setting out to prove himself.

 

66. Genichiro Tenryu & Tiger Mask vs. Riki Choshu & George Takano (NJPW/AJPW 2/10/90)

 

Choshu vs. Tenryu is always a pairing that can disappoint me but always seems to shine in tag settings. It was great here with an electric dome crowd. This was also Tiger Mask's best performance before Misawa lost the match and showed that Takano was not some stiff as we will see later on in the SWS stuff. The best match from a really good card overall.

 

65. Riki Choshu vs. Shinya Hashimoto (NJPW 11/1/90)

 

This took all the aspects of their earlier match in the year and bested them. It followed a typical Choshu big match structure but he is so well at keeping the opening mat work engaging and then bringing it in for a climatic finish. Hashimoto was a little under the radar for parts of 1990 but got to shine well here even in defeat.

 

64. Lightning Kid vs. Wellington Wilkins Jr. (PWA 11/90)

 

Lightning Kid proves he can do it all in 1990 by being a great sympathetic babyface after being a dick in his series with Lynn. Wilkins is a gritty wrestler that really had you believing in the upstart/veteran theme of this match. 1 of 4 really good Lightning Kid matches in 1990.

 

63. Steve Austin & Jeannie Clark vs. Chris & Toni Adams (USWA TX 7/20/90)

 

This feud kind of seems like an afterthought by the end of 1990 with the TV being cut from TX. However, it dominated 4 months of the promotion and this was the highpoint in ring for all major players involved. The 7/4 mixed tag and blowoff cage were disappointments but this mixed in the right amount of hate and interactions from the ladies. Austin definitely had "IT" for many portions of 1990 but sometimes he was too inexperienced to put it all together. He actually had this problem until 1996 in my opinion. He does give a splendid performance in this match however.

62. Jeff Jarrett & Billy Travis vs. Sweet Daddy Falcone & Chico Torres (USWA TX 7/4/90)

 

I had never heard of Falcon or Torres. They turned in probably their career match in this match. Falcone was actually a scuzzy heel I enjoyed a good bit. Torres was mostly shit but I did kind of like the hot sauce angle he took. This match is mostly about the great babyface team of Jarrett and BJT. BJT was one of my favorite finds of 1990 and was great as both a face and heel. This match followed a real southern structure and was given plenty of time to develop into something special.

 

61. El Hijo del Santo, Eddy Guerrero & Satanico vs. Los Brazos (EMLL 9/14/90)

 

This match made me eagerly anticipate the Brazos/Guerrero stuff in 1991 as Eddy's interaction with especially Porky was grand. We also got some hatred from Oro and Santo building up to their wager match. Really good trios match with a lot of interesting developments.

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60. Steve Austin vs. Chris Adams (USWA TX 8/3/90)

 

The best singles match from this feud. The gimmick of the football and karate outfits is hokey on the surface but the wrestlers made it work and actually provided a smart psychology laden match around it. This to me felt like the blowoff of the feud.

 

 

59. Yoshinari Asai vs. Negro Casas (Hamada's UWF 6/7/90)

 

Casas best singles effort of 1990. Taking a young Ultimo and leading him to the match of his life up to that point and one of the better Ultimo matches I have ever seen. Casas had a knack of being able to reign in Asai and just allow him to display his strengths.

 

 

58. Stan Hansen vs. Steve Williams (AJPW 6/5/90)

 

Another match with not a lot going on but just two guys wailing on each other. I had been pretty down on Williams NWA stuff up until this point and didn’t know if he really developed into anything good until 1992, but he was a monster here. This was also one of my favorite Hansen performances of the year and showed Williams was primed for one of the top foreign spots in the promotion.

 

57. Vader vs. Riki Choshu (NJPW 8/19/90)

 

I loved this match. Short, violent, and featuring Choshu working in his comeback. This is yet again a match with a simple storyline but it was played out well. That is more of a reoccurring theme in 1990 than I remembered until I started counting down this list. I think 1994 had more psych heavy matches but 1990 was just straightforward wrestling stories done well.

 

56. Manami Toyota vs. Bull Nakano (AJW 7/21/90)

 

Short but great in the time given. Toyota had a vastly different demeanor in how she performed in 1990 to what I was accustomed to in her later work. Bull looked like the true ace of the promotion in this match.

 

55. Genichiro Tenryu & Takashi Ishikawa vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu & Isao Takagi (SWS 9/9/90)

 

Great debut match for the promotion. This did have an overreaching finish of the beatdown on Takagi eventually causing the match to be stopped. Both Ishikawa and Tenryu were vicious in their attack and Yatsu showed more fire than at any other point in the year.

 

54. Fantastics vs. Joe Malenko & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (AJPW 9/1/90)

 

Vicious stuff form the Fantastics. They were relentless in attacking Kikuchi and mixed in brawling techniques with high spots. This match sustained a breakneck pace and told a great story. Malenko was used as the glue to hold everything together. Perfect undercard match on this show.

 

53. Mr. Perfect vs. Tito Santana (SNME 7/28/90)

 

The best match on SNME in 1990. Tito is someone I hated as a kid but have came around in a big way. He timed the highspots and nearfalls so well in this match that he had me believing even though I knew the finish. Perfect toned down some of his huge bumps for this match and concentrated on making a better match overall instead of a one man show performance.

 

52. Midnight Express vs. Brian Pillman & Tom Zenk (Capital Combat 5/19/90)

 

#52 is the worst MX match on PPV in 1990. Truly amazing stuff. The gimmick worked well with Cornette being in the cage and the MX worked this match so smartly being disorganized before rallying together to pick up the win. I think this is the best Pillman looked in a match in 1990.

 

51. Midnight Express vs. Ricky Morton & Tommy Rich (Havoc 10/27/90)

 

This match and #50 are right on the breaking point for what I would call great matches but are probably the two matches I had the most fun with throughout the year. This is the ode to my favorite tag team of all time and they go out doing what they do best and whipping Ricky Mortons ass. Eaton was insane in this match taking huge bumps to the ramp and busting out different stuff. This match has a finality aspect to it that is not often duplicated in wrestling.

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****

 

50. Randy Savage vs. Genichiro Tenryu (WWF/AJPW 4/13/90)

Loved seeing this match in context. Savage was saddled with a bunch of shit in 1990 and this was his gem from an in ring standpoint. I think 1990 is a solid case for him as an overall worker and performer because he really went all in on his promos and work regardless of the situation in 1990. This matches features him doing his Macho heel thing in japan and it working brilliantly with the crowd. Sherri also adds a lot to the atmosphere. Tenryu is on his way out of All Japan and delivers a great native performance.

49. Kazuo Yamazaki vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF 4/15/90)

This match built on the previous two on this card but featured another great 1990 Fujiwara performance and featured a finish that felt like a great upset. Again shoot style matches are usually the hardest for me to articulate but this was very well done from a story standpoint.

48. Roddy Piper vs. Mr. Perfect (MSG 12/28/90)

Very hyped hidden gem WWF match that delivers. Two personalities that clash really well but actually great wrestling work with Perfect showing off his sick bumps and turning in his best performance of 1990. The finish sucked to protect both men but this is a great example of the WWF style being mixed in with really good wrestling.

47. Genichiro Tenryu vs. George Takano (SWS 10/11/90)

Another great SWS slugfest match. Takano looked like a big time player in his 1990 matches and delivered a real good performance here. Tenryu looks like the ace of the promotion and this again showcased how SWS could differentiate in its main events from the other major Japanese promotions.

46. Akira Maeda vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF 2/9/90)

This is the first indication that 1990 Fujiwara would be something special. Very mat based and grounded but a lot of fun attention to detail elements that is worth paying close attention to.

45. Jumbo Tsurtua vs. Kenta Kobashi (All Japan 8/31/90)

One of the narratives of 1990 going into the set was "out with the old, in with the new" that each promotion was trying to acomplish. That being said it didnt feel like to me we got as many underdog vs. heavy favorite matches in 1990 that was such a dominant narrative in 1994 (hash vs. Liger, Kid vs. Bret). This was probably the best example of that as this is Kobashi's biggest singles to date and he does a great job in being a young lion trying to prove himself vs. the ace. Even though Kobashi is below Misawa, Jumbo isn't taking any chances on another upset and cuts Kobashi off brilliantly throughout the match.

44. Ric Flair vs. Ricky Morton (WWW 3/24/90)

A feud I love and their last chapter together. This also spelled an end to Flairs run as the best wrestler in the first quarter of 1990 and his great run of tv matches. The crowd was getting behind Morton and this felt like a 1986 Crockett match in 1990 which is not a bad thing.

43. Angel Azteca vs. El Dandy (EMLL 3/23/90)

This feels like an appetizer to their main course match but a great match in advancing the feud and I loved the stuff with the tempers flaring up and the great mixture of wrestilng and brawling.


42. Rick & Scott Steiner vs. Nasty Boys (Havoc 10/27/90)

The match that made me not hate the Steiners. Four powerhouse guys just laying it in for a huge ass brawl. I still prefer the 1994 Nasty tags but this is one of their better matches and was just a heavyweight tag team slugfest.

41. Jushin Liger vs. Aoyagi (NJPW 6/12/90)


Liger had a slightly disappointing 1990 and this was another match of his with a slightly different style from the more traditional junior style that I preferred throughout the year. The rounds system built up the aggression and Liger snapping was really well done. Aoyagi was made to look strong with him trying his hardest not to give in to Ligers pounding offense.

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40. Aja Kong, Grizzly Iwamoto & Bison Kimura vs. Honey Wings & Manami Toyota (Hamada's UWF 6/4/90)

Really fun match that didn’t have the emotional impact of my favorite high end joshi, but mixed in a ton of spots and had a really hot finishing stretch between Aja and Toyota which would become an integral feud of the 1990’s.

39. Akira Hokuto & Suzuka Minami vs. Manami Toyota & Kyoko Inoue (2/3 Falls) (AJW 11/14/90)
This felt like the best traditional tag in joshi in 1990. It was my favorite Hokuto and Kyoko performance. It also told a really good story and was a great wrestling match to have below the emotional cage main.


38. Barry Windham & Arn Anderson vs. Doom (Street Fight) (Starrcade 12/16/90)
Ten minutes of these guys beating the shit out of each other mixing up a bunkhouse brawl and ECW streetfight. Good to see Windham look so good as he was MIA for much of 1990 and Doom really feels like a big deal in the upper card of the promotion at the time.

37. The Rockers vs. Hart Foundation (Ft. Wayne 10/30/90)
I love Bret Hart in face vs. face matches. This match had a few flubs but they also worked around some severe obstacles and it features the uniqueness of the Rockers winning the titles. I especially love the tempers flaring in the first fall based around solid mat work and one upping.

 

****1/4

36. El Dandy, Ringo Mendoza & Sangre Chicana vs. El Satanico, MS-1 & Ken Timb (EMLL 11/16/90)
I was not huge on Timbs in 1990 but this was a good showing for him. Chicana and MS-1 felt like long standing rivals in this match not willing to relinquish anything and Dandy and Satanico further their great feud being showcased in the 3rd caida.

35. Rockers vs. Powers of Pain (MSG 1/15/90)
I have written a lot about this match but I think it is the perfect mixture of big vs. little and the right amount of offense was taken by the Rockers. I don’t think you could have booked a better 12 minute tag between these four than this. One of my favorite matches maybe of all time.

34. Manami Toyota vs. Yumiko Hotta (AJW Grand Prix 6/17/90)
I didn’t like this quite as much as Loss but it was still really great and had Toyota showing a lot of features that she loses as the 1990’s progress. She seemed more focused and grounded in the 1990-91 stuff so far which is refreshing. Hotta is a person I never really understand why she gets the amount of hate she does and is really good in this match to and does sell well.

33. Akira Maeda vs. Masakatsu Funaki (UWF 10/25/90)
Main event of maybe the best shoot style show of all time featured Funaki really feel like a big guy in the promotion for the first time on the yearbook. Maeda gave him a lot and worked in the hope sequences real well. Probably my favorite Maeda performance of 1990 and he had kind of an under the radar good year.

32. Masa Fuchi vs. Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (AJPW 7/12/90)
The junior version of Misawa vs. Jumbo. Great hate and intensity is on display and we saw attributes from both men that would endear us with their work for decades to come. I love prick Fuchi so much.

31. Akira Maeda vs. Nobuhiko Takada (UWF 6/21/90)
Big time main event feel that delivered a brilliant worked shoot style match. This felt like a WM main event on the shoot style stage. Takada was probably a top 10 worker in 1990.

30. Lightning Kid vs. Jerry Lynn (PWA April 1990)
I came in expecting a Guerrero/Malenko respect –fest match that didn’t hold up. I was not expecting a hate filled fight filled with loony highspots that would make the Briscoes blush. This is my 2nd favorite match between these two and a match that opened my eyes to how great Lightning Kid was this early on.

El Satanico, El Dandy & Emilio Charles Jr vs. Atlantis, Javier Cruz & Angel Azteca (EMLL 5/11/90)
My favorite Mexico trios for the year. Up to this point, I was kind of disappointed in the work performed in the trios matches and some of the tough to follow booking. Everything came together here for a beautiful match featuring most of my favorites for the year. I again though Atlantis and Dandy were the highlights with their sequences but Azteca also interacted really well with everyone.

28. Ric Flair vs. Bobby Eaton (Main Event 1/7/90)
My favorite WCW tv match of the year. Face Flair vs. a spry Eaton for 15 minutes exchanging holds. I wish this was a 3-4 match feud in the same vein of the Zbysko/Regal stuff from 1994. As a standalone, it is a great match that showed how good Flair was as a face at this point and how much of utility player Eaton can be.

27. Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada & Jumbo Tsuruta & Akira Taue (AJPW 12/7/90)
A sprint match for them with hot action and no breaks. Really satisfying finish given the narrative of the feud so far. A perfect cherry on the top of a feud that catapulted the promotion from the doldrums.

26. Great Muta vs. Hiroshi Hase (NJPW 9/14/90)
I again was shocked at how good this match was. Blood poured but the story behind the blood was really solid and the actual wrestling was as well. Muta was certainly as capable as the big 3 in All Japan at this point in having a real good match on his own.

25. Nobuhiko Takada vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF 2/27/90)
My two favorite shoot style workers in 1990 having the first match of 2 that will be featured on this list. I really liked the strikes transitions in this and of course, Fujiwara does so many little things to add to a match.

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I have decided to just throw up my top 25 and then I can edit in comments later on.

24. Hulk Hogan vs. Stan Hansen (WWF/AJPW 4/13/90)
I still think this may be my favorite Hogan match of the 90’s. A wonderful effort that mends strong style and US heavyweight main events together. It does look better in retrospect coming off the disastrous Ted/Warrior match but in an alternate universe this is what I imagine numerous WWF or AWA events of the 80’s being headlined with.

23. Aja Kong, Bison Kimura, Madusa Miceli, Tarantula & Xochilt Hamada vs. Manami Toyota, Mariko Yoshida, Kaoru Maeda, Mika Takahashi & Esther Moreno (Hamada's UWF 11/17/90)
I agree with the notion that this is joshi doing a M-Pro style match in 1990. All action but everything was hit well and Aja looked like a monster. This was also my first glimpse at Moreno and made me anticipate her on the 1991 set.

22. Jerry Estrada vs. El Satanico (Hair Match) (EMLL 3/23/90)
Satanico starts off a fabulous year with a great match vs. Estrada. Estrada in a hair match just screams crazy bumps and this didn’t disappoint. In another year, this may be one of the lucha highlights of the year.

21. Pirata Morgan vs. El Faraon (EMLL 11/16/90)
Pirata Morgan is always my favorite performer when he has a chance to shine. He did great in this match. The way this match escalated from nice technical to gritty brawling with Morgan’s gusher amped up the drama.

20. Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi & Akira Taue vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Great Kabuki & Masa Fuchi (AJPW 5/26/90)
The start of the war and the beginning of a new day in All Japan. Hatred is on display and already in this match Misawa feels like a new person without the mask. Amazing start to a feud that carries the promotion for years to come.

19. Keiji Muto & Masa Chono vs. Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki (NJPW 11/1/90)

You really got a sense that New Japan new breed of guys was comparable and even maybe superior to the All Japan counterparts at this point and time. Misawa was really good by this point but Kawada was inconsistent and Kobashi was still fiery but didn’t have much depth. This tag match featured 4 guys really rising above to create a great tag. 1991 has continued this theme so far as well.

****1/2

 

18. Midnight Express vs. Southern Boys (GAB 7/7/90)

Probably the most well known MX 1990 match and a really great one. I do like the kung fu off between Smothers and Lane and think this mixed most of the elements of what made 1990 MX matches so fun together.

17. Lightning Kid vs. Jerry Lynn (No DQ) (PWA 10/90)

I am not surprised by the athletic ability of this match although it is impressive. These are two younger guys that were very quick. I am however surprised with the overall maturity of this match especially in regards to Lightning Kid. It is amazing that a teenager would be able to have the confidence and ability to be so "perfect" in a wrestling match at this point in their career. Every mannerism and choice he made in this match was the correct one. Lynn was really good here as well (in fact has he ever been this good again?). Just a great conclusion in 1990 for a wonderful rivalry and something people really should seek out.

16. Midnight Express vs. Rock & Roll Express (Wrestle War 2/25/90)

On the short list of matches I would show someone that wants to see how a tag match should be worked. Amazing that a heated rivalry this long in its lifespan can still do a match like this that seems so fresh and exciting. The transition from comedy to wrestling is flawless. A formula perfected by 4 men.

15. Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano (NJPW 1/31/90)

Gritty junior battle is not all that common in Japan but was certainly the case here. The desperation of the finish was done well with the shooting star press making an appearance. Liger gives his first big performance of many for the decade.

14. Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue & Masa Fuchi (AJPW 8/18/90)

Built off the first 6 man into another war where Kikuchi takes a beating like only Kikuchi can. This is probably my second favorite Jumbo performance for the year.

13. Bull Nakano & Grizzly Iwamoto vs. Aja Kong & Bison Kimura (AJW 8/19/90)

Memorable match with scenic weapon shots and hate being portrayed. Kong vs. Nakano was no always "on" in their 1990 feud but when they were it was magic.

12. Rayo de Jalisco vs. Cien Caras (Mask vs. Mask) (EMLL 9/21/90)
Mask vs. mask may be my favorite match and this one had all the pomp and circumstances you would expect. Fitting match to hold the attendance record in my eyes and the best money drawing and big show match of 1990 including the Ultimate Challenge.

11. Riki Choshu, Kantaro Hoshino, Kuniaki Kobayashi, Kensuke Sasaki & Shiro Koshinaka vs. Higo Hamaguchi, Super Strong Machine, Tarzan Goto, Hiro Saito & Masanobu Kurisu (NJPW 6/26/90)

You have to love New Japan multi mans and this one was a wonderful find including superb performances from lesser known guys like Kurisu and Hoshino. Animal vs. Riki was as heated as ever as well.

10. Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada & Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue & Masa Fuchi (AJPW 10/19/90)

My favorite 6 man of the year. May have not been as frantic or loose as the two previous but to me it tightened up the focus and hit all the high points of the previous 6 mans and then some. I think Kobashi has a lot to add to this series by this point in proving himself.

9. Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Nobuhiko Takada (UWF 10/25/90)

Up there with Vader vs. Takada as my favorite shoot style match of all time. Takada was great in this but Fujiwara really bolstered his case of being one of the best workers of at least the 80's - early 90's with his performance here.

8. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW 6/8/90)

A match that may draw criticism from some but I really enjoyed it and think it played off wonderfully. The match is a little rough around the edges but that goes along with the youthful exuberance and changing of the guard aspects this match creates. And that finish destroys me every time knowing what Jumbo would become after this and how he was officially on the downswing of his storied career.

7. Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger (Wrestle War 2/25/90)

Me and Loss have chatted about this match endlessly and will some more on an upcoming WTBBP (cheap plug) but I do feel in some ways this was the last night where Flair was the "man" of the 80's and the rest of his career is just sprinkled moments and callbacks to greatness.

 

****3/4

6. Jumbo Tsurtua/Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa/Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW 9/30/90)

This 45 minute draw flew by and never felt tiresome. This was also my favorite Kawada performance of 1990 and when I felt like he truly first belonged in this rivalry.

5. El Dandy vs. El Satanico (EMLL 10/26/90)

This match plays into another one higher up but what can you say about two of the greatest wrestlers of all time mixing up a variety of styles and weaving together a classic.

4. Aja Kong vs. Bull Nakano (Cage Match) (AJW 11/14/90)

A stunning climax and triumphant victory for Bull. Tides were turning in other promotions but Bull was able to proclaim her dominance in AJW and humble her main rival and challenger in the process. Emotional match to watch.

 

*****

3. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW 9/1/90)

Jumbo saying that he is not washed up yet. Misawa was great in this match. Jumbo gave one of the best performances of his career and proved he was still the Ace to a certain extent. I want to commend this match for not feeling like 50/50 booking coming off of 6/8

2. El Dandy vs. Angel Azteca (EMLL 6/1/90)

Classic lucha wrestling personified. This feels less like a wrestling match to me in some ways than a beautiful painting or composed piece of classical music. Two masters showing the artufl skill of wrestling.

1. El Dandy vs. El Satanico (EMLL 12/14/90)

The best lucha match I have ever seen. A true war and my #1 and #2 Wrestlers of the year for 1990.

[soup23]

Bumping this because I finished commenting on all the matches. I love coming back to this yearbooks around 90 days after completion and reflecting back on the memories and matches. Also cool to see a few new commenters going through the set right now.