It's pretty close to being a reality. It's an insanely loaded year. When we realized that the Cibernetico is followed by the Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi Carnival finals, and that's followed by the famous Austin/Bret streetfight on RAW, it really put in perspective how ridiculously good this year was. Many things that are borderline picks would be strong picks in just about any other year, and many things we'd normally include for filler just won't find their way on to this set. We'll end up leaving many good matches on the cutting room floor, but I think we're going to really capture what 1997 was all about, and the end result is that this should be the highest-quality yearbook we have ever done. If there's a promotion in the world other than AAA that wasn't having a banner year, I sure don't know about it.

It's pretty close to being a reality. It's an insanely loaded year. When we realized that the Cibernetico is followed by the Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi Carnival finals, and that's followed by the famous Austin/Bret streetfight on RAW, it really put in perspective how ridiculously good this year was. Many things that are borderline picks would be strong picks in just about any other year, and many things we'd normally include for filler just won't find their way on to this set. We'll end up leaving many good matches on the cutting room floor, but I think we're going to really capture what 1997 was all about, and the end result is that this should be the highest-quality yearbook we have ever done. If there's a promotion in the world other than AAA that wasn't having a banner year, I sure don't know about it.

If the match quality is that high, 1997 sounds like a good candidate for a supplemental set down the road if/when it sells well enough to warrant it.

I'm so damn pumped for this. I was just talking to Chad last night and asking him if he had heard when it would come out. Easily my favorite year in wrestling and my peak as a fan. The match listing alone will be a sight to see

Yes. Should be a great time all around. The two things I am most interested going in will be the lucha which is a discovery on every yearbook set since I am a novice in lucha and the joshi since 1997 seems like one of the highest quality years post the golden age with GAEA coming into its own and AJW still cranking out some great stuff.

Should be fun/bittersweet to see the dying days of USWA as well. So many great WCW B show matches too, this set is assured to be the easiest set to get through

If you're interested in rare stuff, also expect to see some ECWA, OMEGA, Music City and IWA Mid South.

Now you're just blue balling me

Hayabusa is a wrestler I'm looking forward to seeing in 1997, along with Kintaro Kanemura and Masato Tanaka. FMW had really good in-ring years in 1995 and 1996. I love Onita death matches, but Hayabusa did change the tone of the promotion. The violence was still there, but there was a lot more wrestling to go with it. I think that only increases as the decade goes on, to a point where FMW may be the only promotion in the world by 1999 that's better at the end of the decade than it was at the beginning of it.

 

For Japanese indies, we also get our first glimpse of Big Japan, and Michinoku Pro continues their hot run. Lucha has CMLL and (very little, if any) AAA, but also has Promo Azteca, with famous Rey/Santo and Santo/Psicosis matches, along with the famous riot.

 

Joshi is more splintered too. Soup mentioned AJW and GAEA, but I'm happy with the choices for JWP, LLPW and even Jd' as well. There are also a couple of women's matches from FMW.

So is this in the finishing stages now? Are we looking at days or maybe weeks before the listing comes out. Just wondering

It's hard to say because we're still waiting on a few things to arrive, but we've gone line-by-line through 2/3rds of the year at this point. We usually have to do that 2-3 times before we've got it at 30 discs.

I'm actually going to throw this question to the group.

 

Is it critical that Bret vs Undertaker from Summerslam '97 be included in full? Or can it just be the finish? Obviously, the angle was huge, but I have no idea about the match quality itself.

I could go either way. The match was fine to me but maybe a joined in progress sort of thing would work.

Their One Night Only match will be on, right? Doesn't it kind of have to be?

 

Honestly, I don't see any reason to include that and the full SummerSlam match, which is really, really long when you throw in entrances and the post-match (I think about 40 minutes total). The SummerSlam ending would be just fine.

 

Comparing the two matches in full would be an interesting exercise but it's probably one to save for those who really want to do it. With such a loaded year it's a cut that can be easily made.

Thanks. That helps. That's a match we'd include in full in a normal year, but I'm fine cutting it. Yes, One Night Only will be on in full for sure.

Yea i liked the One Night Only match a bit better. Maybe the last ten minutes of the Summerslam match is all you need.

On the flip side, I do think Hogan/Rodman vs Luger/Giant should be in full, because of the announcers flipping out about every single thing Dennis Rodman does. I think finish only there would be wrong. We will also include Hogan vs Sting from Starrcade in full even though it's not really a good match.

Yea the Rodman match is fun if anything else. Also shows how main stream the NWO was.

I tend to think SS97 is pretty dull when lined up with ONO as far as quality goes. The only significant parts, in terms of story, would be the Bret-Shawn exchanges, but that's something that can still be captured with the finish, which is probably all you need.

 

I'd argue One Night Only in full is more essential. Probably Taker's best singles of the year and one of Bret's best too.

What about War Games? Obviously, you want the Curt Hennig turn, but what about the match in full?

Agree with another vote for clipping down Taker vs. Bret. I do think the Hart Foundation 1997 is something I wont object to some slight cherry picking around since Will has already done a pre-existing set that is comprehensive. For instance if its SS 97 in full vs. a LLPW match, I lean LLPW since a. its unlikely I will pick up whole shows of that in the future and b. given the market it seems unlikely that there will ever be comprehensive Joshi 1997 or CMLL 1997 sets at this point.

War Games is trickier for me that Bret vs. Taker because there is not a superior version like One Night ONly is for Bret vs. Taker but I still lean towards clipping it for some cool hidden gems beneath the surface enough. I trust you and Will's judgement as so far you both have done an amazing job of finding some totally unique stuff but also including the mainstream US promotions where no outside individual could be off put by picking up the set.

 

Also even if stuff doesn't make it on here, that is what the errata is for.

I personally liked the whole War Games match so i'd vote for it in completion but wouldnt be pissed if it was clipped.

The other match I'll ask about is Owen vs Vader at One Night Only. Does it need to go on at all? I like the match, but I think Bret/Undertaker and Shawn/Davey Boy are the two must-have things from that show.

 

Soup, we definitely won't forsake any of the more rare stuff. I just want to make sure we don't take the WWF/WCW clipping too far.

 

I really like Ultimo vs Alex Wright from Fall Brawl, but that doesn't feel essential either, even though it is a very good match.

The Wargames might be worth having in full, just because its the last proper one that WCW ever ran. The 1998 one was the 3man/3team mess and 2000's was Russo's clusterfuck that was Wargames in name only.

 

Owen/Vader was great, but is not essential when talking about ONO.

 

Dragon/Wright was great too. I think it could be included under the reasoning that WCW was going through a stage where they were putting more emphasis on the undercard with longer matches.

 

I think I need to get in this yearbook.

I would like to have Owen vs. Vader on the set because Owen working as a hot face underdog versus a big heavyweight is pretty unique (at least for his WWF run). And it's not as if it is a very long match (15 minutes tops, I would guess).