The Top Ten 9.18.07: Free TV Matches

[HEIDENREICH]

Ето новата класация на бай Джулиън от мания.Напоследък нещо не съм много съгласен с класациите му,и тази седмица е така мачовете от Honorable Mention повечето са по добри от тези намерили място в топ 10,приерно мача на Беноа и Остин в Едмънтън-него ще го помня много време,също мачовете на Шон Майкълс и Марти Джанети от Рау-93-та и много други.

На първо място аз бих сложил Булдога срещу Оуен финала за европейската титла.

Good morning friends and welcome back to another free edition of The Top Ten. This week we're going to take a look at The Top Ten Free TV Matches and believe me when I say this was a hard list to come up with as I literally had about 50 matches off the top of my head that I felt could have been included on the list. This will be a quick column so no feedback or random thoughts this week, but I must make one quick point. Did Triple H set a new world record last night by managing to bury 5 people in one segment? He beat Cade & Murdoch (the TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS mind you) all by himself, then he disposed of Carlito and then he Pedigreed both London & Kendrick (who came out to HELP him) and then posed in the ring like a gigantic asshole. Would it have been so hard for these idiotic writers to have Carlito rush the ring to interfere in the handicap, have London & Kendrick make the save, and then make a six-man tag match which HHH, London & Kendrick could have won. That way Triple H still looks like a badass and London & Kendrick get a HUGE rub by teaming up with The Game. But no, fuck the tag teams, let's make sure that everyone doesn't forget that Triple H > 5 men. And then they wonder why their tag team division is in such a shitty state nowadays. Fuck the WWE and their idiot writers. Ok, rant over, let's get to the list.

The Top Ten Free TV Matches

Honorable Mention: Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit (Smackdown, 5/31/01)

This was a match for Stone Cold's WWE Championship and it was fought in Benoit's hometown of Edmonton so the crowd was firmly behind Benoit from the start. Benoit was all over Austin from the very beginning and had the Rattlesnake on the ropes constantly and at one point locked in the crossface three times in a row and each time Austin had to use a tremendous amount of energy to make the ropes. Benoit dominated the majority of the match until Austin focused on Benoit's injured ribs (which he suffered from an earlier attack) to try to regain control of the match. Austin was able to punish Benoit and introduce the title belt into the match, but Benoit was able to DDT Austin onto it and go up for the diving headbutt, but Austin put the title belt in the way and Benoit's head came crashing down onto the title belt. Somehow Benoit was able to kick out after that and deliver some hellacious suplexes to Austin and even apply the Sharpshooter (which the crowd, of course, went nuts for). Austin was able to get out of that and apply the Boston Crab, which Benoit fought out of, and once Austin went for the Stunner, Benoit countered by delivering TEN German Suplexes in a row. Nope, that wasn't a typo, it was TEN Germans in a row. Mr. McMahon, who was sitting at ringside, tried to attack Benoit with a steel chair, but instead Benoit took the chair from him and proceeded to beat the piss out of McMahon with it, but that allowed Austin to roll Benoit up from out of nowhere for the three count. This was an awesome match that is hard to find, but definitely worth the effort to see.

Honorable Mention: John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (Raw, 4/23/07)

This was the followup to their epic Wrestlemania encounter and this match surpassed the classic effort of that matchup. This is the first match in a long time that I can remember going an hour without being previously announced. It was a pleasant surprise to see a nice, long, classic wrestling match on free TV. Some people complained about the slow pace in the early going, but I feel that added to the intrigue of this matchup. It told a terrific story as both men kept on kicking out, refusing to give up until finally, after 55 grueling minutes, Michaels was able to connect with Sweet Chin Music and put down Cena for the three count. This is one of the best free TV matches I've seen in a while, not since the days of the heralded Smackdown Six have I seen such a great, long match for free. Now if the ‘E could just give us matches like this on a regular basis, I would have nothing to complain about. Nah, I'm sure I'd find something.

Honorable Mention: Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar (Smackdown, 9/18/03)

This was an Ironman match for the WWE Championship that saw Brock Lesnar absolutely desperate to try to regain the WWE Title. Brock decided to use some good old fashioned heel tactics to win the match rather than actual wrestling skill. Brock killed Kurt with a steel chair about 10 minutes in which gave Kurt a 1-0 advantage, but Kurt was so loopy at that point, Lesnar was able to hit him with an F-5 to even the score and then applied the Anklelock, which Angle tapped out to and allowed Lesnar to go up 2-1. Angle tried to fight back, but Lesnar delivered an F-5 to the floor and Angle was unable to make it back into the ring before the ten count which gave Brock a 3-1 advantage. All hope seemed to be lost for Angle until he hit an Angleslam out of nowhere to make the score 3-2. The ref was soon knocked down and Lesnar took advantage of that by knocking out Angle with the title belt and covering him for the pin and went up 4-2. Lesnar soon hit a superplex to go up 5-2 with about 20 minutes left and it seemed as if Angle had no chance in hell (cue Vince's music). Lesnar began to get cocky, which enabled Kurt to F-5 Lesnar's knee into the ringpost and left Brock in some serious pain. Brock tried to attempt a SSP from the top rope, but Kurt ran up the ropes to deliver a superplex and get the pin to make the score 5-3 with 10 minutes to go. Lesnar realized Angle was getting close to tying him up, so he delivered some German suplexes to try to slow Angle down, but Angle reversed that into some Germans of his own and then applied the Anklelock which forced Lesnar to tap out with 4 minutes left and made the score 5-4. Lesnar tried desperately to get away from Angle in the final few minutes, but Angle was able to catch up to him and hook in the Anklelock, but Lesnar was able to hold on until time expired and thus picked up the WWE Title. This match had great action throughout and I believe it is like a fine wine because people weren't too enamored with it at the time, but everytime I watch it, it gradually gets more enjoyable for me to watch.

Honorable Mention: The Midnight Express vs. The Fantastics (Clash Of Champions 1, 3/27/88)

Many people remember Clash I for Flair/Sting or the tag match between Barry Windham & Lex Lugar against Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson, but in my opinion THIS was the match that stole the show. This match was just an all-out brawl with both teams hitting each other with whatever they could get their hands on including tables and chairs and featured some insane action like Bobby Eaton delivering a mother f-ing bulldog to Tommy Rogers through a table. The Midnights secluded Rogers for the majority of the match until Rogers was able to get the hot tag (which the ref missed and got promptly thrown on his ass for) and that made the match break down into a PIER SIX BRAWL!~! The ending came when Jim Cornette accidentally hit Bobby Eaton with the RACKET OF DOOM which allowed the Fantastics to hit The Rocket Launcher on him for the three count. But then the ref that was initially thrown out on his ass for missing the hot tag came back in the ring and DQ'd The Fantastics for putting their hands on him. This was just a hotly contested match that featured some brawling that was way ahead of its time and showed why The Midnights weren't just the best tag team of their day, but maybe the best tag team ever.

Honorable Mention: Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit vs. Edge vs. Kurt Angle (Smackdown, 12/5/02)

This was a match to determine the #1 contender for The Big Show's WWE Title and this match was fought under elimination rules. Edge started the match with a disadvantage after being attacked in the back and having his knee pretty badly hurt. The first portion of the match featured the other three competitors in the match focusing on Edge's leg to try to weaken it even more, but after Edge hit a desperation spear on Eddie, Benoit was able to lock in the crossface on Guerrero to get him to tap out. That of course angered Eddie and he came back in the ring to clock Benoit with a belt which allowed Edge to spear Benoit and eliminate him from the match. That left Angle and Edge and the awesomeness picked up from there. Angle immediately started to torture Edge by putting him in the Anklelock, but once Edge was able to escape that, Angle got frustrated and busted Edge open on the ring steps. Edge tried furiously to fight back, but kept on getting suplexed for his troubles. Angle tried to finish Edge off by applying a sleeper, but Edge was able to get a suplex of his own to regain control of the match. Angle proved resilient, though, by kicking out of a rollup and a spear. The final few moments were fast and furious as Edge hit a missile dropkick which only got a two count, Angle countered a spear with a kick to the face and an Angleslam which only got two, Angle applied the Anklelock which Edge countered with an enziguri and an Angleslam (which only got two), and finally Angle hit an Angle Slam from the top rope to finally pick up the three. This was an excellent match filled with a ton of near falls that kept fans on the edge of their seat during the entire duration.

Honorable Mention: Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit vs. Los Guerreros (Smackdown, 10/17/02)

This was a semi-final match in the WWE tag team title tournament and it was a hell of a match that helped set the stage for future classic matches between these teams as well as Edge & Rey Mysterio. This match actually started off with Edge & Rey attacking both teams which left both teams stunned for a while. By the time the match was able to resume, Los Guerreros was in firm control but Angle was able to counter both with a pair of hiptosses and then tagged in Benoit who proceeded to wail on the Guerreros with some stiff elbows and suplexes. The match was even for the majority of it with both teams trading some high impact offense and displaying some great counter moves. The ending came when Eddie blocked a superplex with a frogsplash, but Benoit locked in the Crossface while Eddie covered Angle and all four men ended up on the outside where Eddie was able to lock in the El Paso Lasso on Angle which Angle reversed into an Anklelock. Chavo got a steel chair to try to hit Angle with, but Benoit fooled Chavo into thinking he was going to turn on Angle and instead smashed Chavo over the head with the chair which allowed Angle to hit the Angleslam for the 3 count. This was an action paced, exciting match that displayed the greatness that was The Smackdown Six.

10) TLC III (Smackdown, 5/24/01)

This was the third ever TLC match and the first ever on network TV. It was made by Mr. McMahon as a way of insuring that Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho would lose their newly won tag team titles after defeating the Two Man Power Trip of Stone Cold and HHH. This match featured some absolutely insane spots including Jeff Hardy delivering a leg drop from the top of a ladder through Bubba Ray Dudley on an announce table and Chris Benoit landing sternum first through a table after attempting a diving headbutt. After that bump, Benoit's ribs were injured and he had to be taken to the back, leaving Jericho alone to fight for their tag team gold. Jericho put on a valiant effort, but it seemed as if the numbers were going to be too much for him. Suddenly, Benoit came back out to the ring with his ribs taped up and showed some tremendous courage by fighting off members of the opposing teams, but once E&C gave him a conchairto to the ribs, it seemed as if Benoit's night was over. Jericho was able to stave off the teams long enough for Benoit to recover and climb the ladder to retain their tag team gold. This was a great match that lived up to the insanity of the previous TLC matches and what made it even better is that we got to see it for free.

9) Eddie Guerrero vs. Rob Van Dam (Raw, 5/27/02)

This was the infamous ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship and it would become one of the most memorable ladder matches in wrestling history. Eddie entered the match as champ after defeating RVD at Backlash for the title. This match saw both men take an insane amount of high risks and bruising moves including a sunset flip powerbomb from the top of the ladder. The match also saw an idiot fan run into the ring which got him an ass whipping directly from Latino Heat. This match is still fondly talked about by many fans to this day and it's no surprise because these two men went out and busted their ass for our entertainment and gave us a match to remember them by for a very long time.

8) Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels (Raw, 12/29/03)

This was the main event on the last Raw of 2003 and boy oh boy, did these two give us a great way to remember the year 2003. These guys went out and gave a performance that was worthy of main eventing any PPV, including Wrestlemania. This was a match for HHH's World Heavyweight Championship and HBK came out with guns ablazing to take that Championship off The Game. The match was so back and forth and included so many near falls that the crowd was on the edge of their seat for every moment. The match ended when HBK delivered Sweet Chin Music out of nowhere to pick up the win, but since his shoulders were also on the mat when he made the pin, Eric Bischoff reversed the decision and declared the match a draw. Despite the screwy ending, this was still an awesome match that was a great gift to WWE fans at the end of 2003.

7) Triple H & Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho (Raw, 5/21/01)

I remember this match as vividly as the day I watched it and I remember being absolutely blown away by it. This match featured the Two-Man Power Trip taking on the up-and-coming Canadian duo of Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit and the match these four men put on was an absolute classic. This match is mainly remembered for being the match where HHH tore his quad, but before the injury occurred, this was one of the best tag team matches I've ever seen. The action was hot all throughout and as the match progressed, the crowd got more into it with the realization that the Chris' might be able to pull it off. The ending of the match was one of the hottest endings I've ever seen where Y2J locked on the Walls Of Jericho to Triple H (with a torn quad) on the announce table while Austin hit Benoit with a Stunner. Jericho barely made the saved and hit the Lionsault which brought in HHH with a sledgehammer, but instead of hitting Jericho, he hit Austin which allowed Jericho to pin him for the three count. To say the crowd went nuts would be an understatement and this is a match that I will not forget anytime soon.

6) Edge & Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit (Smackdown, 11/7/02)

This was a 2/3 falls match for the WWE tag team titles that was a rematch of their No Mercy encounter, which was perhaps the best pure tag team match of the 21st century. These men had a lot to live up to following that classic performance and they delivered with this instantly memorable exhibition. The action in this match was way too fast to try to recap, but the first fall came after an alley-oop hurricarana by Edge & Rey onto Benoit which was followed up by a double-team powerbomb which put Benoit down for three and gave Edge & Rey a one fall advantage. A few minutes later, Edge got clocked with a title belt after attempting a spear and got caught in the Anklelock and had no choice but to tap which evened the match at one fall a piece. The next few minutes featured both teams desperately not trying to lose the deciding fall until Rey was able to roll up Angle for the three count, but Angle had his feet in the ropes which created a controversy. After a few minutes of deliberation, it was decided that the match must continue and that there would a fourth fall which would determine the winner. The match ended when Edge countered an Anklelock by rolling through and Rey hit Angle with a 619 from the floor which enabled Edge to hit him with a spear for the three count. This was a fantastic match that I could watch over and over again and never be bored of it.

5) Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero (Smackdown, 9/22/02)

This match was the culmination of the Edge/Eddie feud that included a fantastic match at Summerslam 2002. This match was No DQ and saw these two men beat the absolute crap out of each other. Some of the highlights of this match included Eddie delivering a hilo while Edge was sandwiched in between two ladders, Eddie deliver a sunset flip powerbomb from the top of a ladder, Eddie getting backdropped upside down into a ladder, and Edge hitting Eddie with an implant DDT from the top of a ladder. This was an absolutely insane match and one of the best matches I've seen on free TV EVER!

4) Owen Hart & The British Bulldog vs. Steve Austin & Shawn Michaels (Raw, 5/26/97)

Before Matt Hardy & MVP, Stone Cold and Shawn Michaels were the original wacky tag team partners that couldn't get along. On top of that, this match was Shawn's return to the ring in nearly four months after supposedly losing his smile. Shawn showed absolutely no ring rust as he jetted across the ring like a teenager and bumped like a madman. Austin showcased his rebellious attitude and got the crowd behind him and Michaels big time. Owen & Bulldog showcased some amazing skills and it is easy to see from this match why they are two of the most highly regarded wrestlers of their day. The end of the match came when HBK hit Sweet Chin Music on Bulldog and Austin covered for the win (and insisted that he did it all by himself in the process). This is an excellent match that seems to be forgotten about which is a shame because it is one of the best Raw matches I've ever seen.

3) Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk (Clash Of Champions 9, 12/15/89)

Five Letters. Two Words. I Quit. Those words spoken by the great Gordon Solie made it seem like uttering those words would be so simple, but these two warriors would engage in an intense battle before either one even thought to say it. Flair dominated early with some wicked chops, but Funk proved himself to be a tough son-of-a-bitch by absorbing those stiff blows and fighting back. Funk would then dominate the next portion of the match with some hard left hand shots and some insulting slaps to the face. Those slaps were enough to awaken Flair and from that point on, all hell broke loose. Flair chopped the hell out of Funk all around ringside and tried to get his hands on Funk's manager, Gary Hart, which enabled Funk to gain control. Then in a great little sequence, Funk asked Flair if he remembered about his injured neck (from the plane crash) and told the ref to ask Flair to quit before he piledrived him and when Flair refused to quit, Funk not only piledrived him in the ring, but piledrived him on the floor as well. Brutal stuff at the time. Funk continued to dominate and tried to set up a table, but Flair fought back and then, in one of the coolest spots ever, Flair threw Funk across the table and headfirst into a steel chair. It's hard to describe, but awesome to look at. Flair dominated the rest of the match, but Funk showed incredible resiliency by taking the onslaught by Flair and not quitting until Flair locked in the Figure-4 in the middle of the ring and Funk had no choice but to quit. A great, intense brawl that set the standard for all I Quit matches that followed.

2) Owen Hart vs. The British Bulldog (Raw, 3/3/97)

This was a match to decide the first ever European Champion and it was held in Germany. The German crowd got a treat in this classic match that rivals the quality of the Bret/Bulldog match from Summerslam '92. Owen and Bulldog were the tag champs at this time so they were playing nice with each other in the beginning, but it wasn't long until both men started beating the piss out of each other and started playing games of one-upsmanship. The pace of the match was frenetic and non-stop and the end came when Bulldog countered a sunset flip into a s it-down pin ala his match with Bret at SS '92 which was a brilliant play on continuity. Bottom line is that you MUST see this match, it is simply perfect.

1) Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (Clash Of Champions 6, 4/2/89)

This was the rematch to their classic encounter at Chi-Town Rumble and this match was contested under 2/3 falls rules. The first fall was intense as both men slapped each other in the face and chopped the shit out of each other before getting down to some frenetic action. The chops that these two gave each other sounded like gunshots going off, they were just absolutely VICIOUS. The first fall ended after Steamboat missed a missile dropkick which made Flair go for the Figure-4, but Steamboat was able to counter into a roll-up, but then Flair REVERSED that into a roll-up of his own for the three count. Steamboat started the second fall feverishly knowing that his back was against the wall. He delivered some wicked chops before dropping about 14 or 15 elbows in a row onto Flair's knee. Flair seemed dead to the world by that point until Steamboat locked in a Boston Crab which had Flair screaming in agony. Flair was able to fight out of it and get back into the match until Steamboat was able to hoist him up into a Double Chickenwing and that proved to be to much for Flair as he submitted and lost the second fall. That was monumental not only because it tied the match up, but because it was the first time Flair had ever submitted. Flair realizing that he was in bad shape, immediately went after Steamboat knee in the third fall and was soon able to cinch in the Figure-4. Steamboat was able to make the ropes, though, much to Flair's chagrin. Then, in one of my most markish moments ever, Steamboat sends Flair to the buckle but Flair does the Flair Flip and when he tried to run over to the other turnbuckle, Steamboat chops the shit out of him and knocks ‘Naitch down on the apron. I jumped out of seat and applauded the first time I saw that, great stuff. The fall continued with some great back and forth exchanges until Steamboat got Flair up in the Double Chickenwing again, but this time Steamboat's legs had sustained too much damage and they buckled underneath him. This made Flair land on top of Steamboat, put seeing that his shoulders were down, the referee counted the three count against Flair, despite the fact that his leg was under the bottom rope. Thus, Steamboat retained his championship, albeit under controversial terms.