Welcome to the Microscope Match of the Week. This note serves two purposes. I think for this week the second is more important than the first.

 

The first is to discuss the Ron Garvin vs Big Bubba match from Starrcade 86. It's a contentious match on the board namely because Dylan touts it and Will completely and utterly decries it. I understand that not everyone has immediate access to the match so I hope at least we can have Will (or any other detractor) list what elements/specifics they think are faulty in the match and then someone will try to counter that argument. Or vice versa. That said, I have a feeling this week will not be the indication of the success or failure of this endeavor.

 

The second is as a call for picks. The plan now is that I'll put up a new note every Sunday and we'll discuss one way or another for a week. I know I intend not to do my usual headache-inducing train of thought pbps but to pick out specific elements of the match that I think are interesting and discuss them, and I'd suggest people do the same. I don't have a lot of doubt that we can manage interesting conversation on non-conventional lines.

 

When making a pick, I do have one suggestion: Pick something that people will have seen or will be able to see. No, we are not going to give out youtube links. This isn't going behind a password wall. People can find things on their own, but you will get significantly more discussion about your match if you select something either from the thousands of matches available online (it's easy to check first), from a PPV/TV Show that people have recently likely watched or that is getting a lot of attention, from something like an 80s set (or Yearbook) that a large number of people have purchased, or of a match that may or may not be available online but that most of us have seen (something like the Tully vs Magnum - I Quit match), though that last one might not be quite as interesting unless it's a particularly contentious match.

 

Now, if this goes well over the first month or two, maybe we can get ahead on creating a list by 26 weeks, and a reasonable comp can be made and purchased for people who want to get in on the discussion for the season. Something like that. We'll see.

 

For now, I'll take suggestions/picks in post order, though I have the liberty of shuffling things up if we have four Mid-South matches in a row, or something. I'm happy maintaining a list of upcoming matches and starting notes. In my mind, anything is game. Joshi. Lucha. Indy. WoS. 1950s black and white. You name it. Just remember: if people can't access it easily or if it's a 92 minute chore to sit through, there's a good chance they can't or won't discuss it. That's just common sense. Stack the deck in your favor.

5/18/94 All Japan Misawa/Kikuchi/Kobashi vs. Hansen/Williams/Ace

 

I continue to tout this match as one of my favorite six mans from 1994 onward in All Japan. It on the surface level seems like a throwaway 6man but when watching you really can see the role that all 6 men will develop from that point forward in the year and in the future. It also didn't make the 1994 yearbook so it will still be fresh to people that bought that set.

11/23/1989 WWF Survivor Series Elimination Match: The Ultimate Warriors (Ultimate Warrior/Jim Neidhart/Rockers) vs. The Heenan Family (Andre the Giant/Haku/Arn Anderson/Bobby Heenan)

 

This remains as my favourite Survivor Series match ever and, perhaps, my most re-watched match ever. This match has an amazing story with Heenan replacing Tully Blanchard in the match and his actions in the match are the height of his greatest. Also, it has the best Gorilla-Jesse commentary ever as well. It's mostly a Rockers vs. Arn/Haku match with them doing the bulk of the work. It's 20 minutes of greatness. Bonus points is to watch the pre-match promo where Warrior grabs Neidhart's beard and puts The Rockers in a headlock.

Stan Hansen v. Carlos Colon - Bullrope match WWC

 

No fucking reason people shouldn't watch this as it is easy to find online, really helps the case for Hansen as GOAT, gives you a look at how shockingly good Colon was in gimmick matches, give people a taste of PR at it's best when it is a woefully under talked about territory, and also happens to be one of the best matches I've ever seen.

I would honestly want to see people's thoughts on The Fantastics vs. Eddie Gilbert and Ron Simmons from Clash 4. I just went wild for that match and it's not exactly pimped. I know Dylan is a fan of it

Murdoch and Koloff vs. Windham and Garvin from 3/14/87

If people are not commenting on it in the Puerto Rico thread or if there is a chance it would get more exposure here, the Scaffold match between Chicky Starr vs. Invader III is a must see and it is online as well!!!

I feel bad doing this to Dylan since we've been in agreement in a lot lately, but

 

My pick's going to be Real World Tag League AJPW - Funks vs Can Am Connection: 11/22/86 (I think it aired 11/29, but there's only one and it's not hard to find).

 

I think this match tells a great story based around Zenk being the odd man out and how the Funks decide to deal with that and then how Martel responds.

 

I might hotshot it up in between the two JCP matches to keep things fresh, but we'll see.

You shouldn't put 2 All Japaan matches back to back. freshen it up.

With me inserting mine between the two JCPs, we'd have

 

2/10/13: 11/23/1989 WWF Survivor Series Elimination Match: The Ultimate Warriors (Ultimate Warrior/Jim Neidhart/Rockers) vs. The Heenan Family (Andre the Giant/Haku/Arn Anderson/Bobby Heenan) (Grimmas)

2/17/13: Stan Hansen v. Carlos Colon - Bullrope match WWC (Dylan)

2/24/13: The Fantastics vs. Eddie Gilbert and Ron Simmons - Clash 4 (JvK)

3/3/13: Funks vs Can Am Connection: 11/22/86 (Me)

3/10/13: Murdoch and Koloff vs. Windham and Garvin - 3/14/87 (Mike Campbell)

3/17/13: Chicky Starr vs. Invader III (Will)

 

Which means we have an All Japan - WWF - PR - JCP - All Japan - JCP - PR cycle here. I think that's not so bad and it takes us into Mid March.

Looks like Murdoch/Koloff vs Windham/Garvin is down so I'm going to run with the PR match this week. I think it's pretty much a failed experiment at this point, but since people cared to suggest matches, I'm still going to watch what i can and post for the last 1-2 depending on whether or not the other match shows back up in the next week or I can otherwise find it.

 

I suppose moving forward, if anyone has a match that they REALLY want to immortalize this way, then they can post it here and I'll take the time to watch it and give a few talking points Otherwise, things can just peter out.

I feel bad as I like the concept of this with watching a random non yearbook match and commentating on it but I just never got around to watching something from the subject. That's just me being busy with other stuff to watch and not being much of a fan of watching matches through the internet on my computer. I was in the middle of the Colon/Hansen match but bailed on it when people talked about needing to watched their earlier matches first to understand feud. Hopefully I get around to watching all these at some point.

I think this concept should be revisited once the WWE Network starts. I think most people here will end up subscribing so it'll be easier to pick a match that everyone can easily access.

Full agree. Thought this was a neat idea but didn't go on too long sadly

So are people ready to revisit this now? I'm actually interested myself in going back and watching some of the things I didn't care for in 2002 and seeing whether they were better/the same/worse than I thought. Stuff like Austin vs. Jericho from No Way Out and HHH vs. Hogan from BackLash. Obviously there's better matches on the Network though.

I am going to remain networkless for the near future, so if someone else wants to take the reins, be my guest and I will jump in when I can.

I'll play along. I am rolling deep in 00s Puro, WCW 90s midcard and HHH in '99-'01, but down for whatever.

Ok, so I have the network for at least the first period.

 

Let's start suggesting matches, people.

 

Otherwise you guys are going to get Natural Disasters vs Beverly Brothers from Summerslam 92 or Harley vs Haku from Royal Rumble 89 or a random tag team turmoil from Backlash 05 because I want to talk about Tajiri and Regal as a team.

I will say this... if a match is already in the yearbook folder, no reason to start a new thread to talk about the exact same match. If it is a match from 1990-1997 we need to revisit, this forum would be great for that. If it is a match that Loss feels should be included in the yearbook forum, we will move the match over there if it warrants moving.

I'm holding you to your pledge to eventually review DeNucci vs the Baron from 10/11/80 Spectrum, Matt.

I remember actually not getting into this match when it first happened, even though it got a lot of praise on the internet so I'm going to nominate: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. HHH "Three Stages of Hell" No Way Out 2001.

If you guys hate that nomination so much just nominate something else

I just got through a pretty rough patch at work. So yes, in the next week I Will watch that terrible WWWF match people want me to watch and I think we'll just charge forth with goc's suggestion probably on Monday. why the hell not? It's considered one of Hunter's more high-end matches and we've talked a decent amount about him in the last few months.

 

I'll look at how Loss is setting up the individual topics for matches and try to keep his formatting, and we'll just do it there. In the meantime, people can suggest away and if we have another suggestion by next Monday I'll just run with that.

I guess I haven't participated because we've set up a format where people can chime in on anything at any time. Post on demand. Having a match of the week sort of locks everyone into a timeframe to view it.

For accuracy, it's a WWF match (they dropped the "Wide" around March 79).

 

Terrible? Well, if you look at it as a match between two once proud performers who have been wrestling each other for 20 years and are now reduced to curtain jerking and jobbing every night, you'll find some beauty in it.

 

Otherwise, yeah, it's crap.