I know exactly how I feel about 09-12 Christian, but I need to figure out when he got good enough to matter on my list. In the '16 list, that was enough well for him to do very well, but I'm putting so many new wrestlers on. I did catch an 06 match vs Corino tonight which was a good babyface performance with some of the key elements but you got the sense Corino was driving it more.

I do think it’s a good thing Christian’s back and can add to his career, because otherwise I could see him as someone that might have to be a harsh cut to make room for those that have staked a claim since 2016.  At the moment he’s probably around 80-100 in my head, but could well drop off entirely.

I did recently rewatch the Orton feud and came away thinking there were a number of matches that Orton was the better performer in, which changed the narrative i used to have for that feud that Christian was bringing Orton up to his level.

I had Christian at number 72 in 2016, and it's one of the placements that felt crazy high going over my list recently, but reading through the thread again maybe I never had him too high after all. If I'm honest he probably falls off in 2026, as I'm kind of whatever on the period he was great in. That said, he was GREAT for a minute there and worked as veteran gatekeeper about as well as anybody, producing awesome stuff on a weekly basis. Actually, fuck it, he might get back on after all because he was having those great tv matches built around amazing body part work/body part selling that nobody else in the company was, so they usually felt unique and I don't think there's any question he put a ton of thought into laying out those matches. Like, I'm a nerd who places a lot of value on strong transitions and nobody was working better transitions into their matches week to week than Christian. The tag run with Edge is more fun than great - or even particularly good - but I can still throw on one of the ladder/TLC matches and enjoy it for a wild propfest. I also liked that Taka match from Judgment Day 1998 that I haven't seen in about twenty years. Don't know anything about the TNA run. I'd say I might check some of it out but I respect each and every one of you too much to lie straight to your faces like that. 

 

CHRISTIAN YOU SHOULD WATCH:

w/Edge v The Dudley Boys v The Hardy Boys v Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho (WWF Smackdown!, 5/24/01)

v Jack Swagger (WWECW, 2/24/09)

v William Regal (WWE Breaking Point, 9/13/09)

v Drew McIntyre (WWE Smackdown!, 7/30/10)

v Randy Orton (WWE Over the Limit, 5/22/11)

His TNA run is excellent and that WWECW and beyond run doesn't exist without it. 

 

Christian vs Monty Brown Turning Point 2005

Christian vs Jeff Jarrett Against All Odds 2006

Christian vs Abyss Lockdown 2006

Christian vs AJ Styles Genesis 2006

Christian vs Abyss vs Sting Turning Point 2006 and Final Resolution 2007

Christian vs Kurt Angle Against All Odds 2007

Christian vs Joey Samoey Destination X 2007 

 

 

Basically without exaggeration, almost all of his singles/triple threat PPV matches in TNA are worth watching outside of some of the extra gimmicky multi man matches that are skippable in general. Dude's run in TNA was every bit as good as his return to WWE. I think he actually has better matches with Joe and Angle than they had against each other, great matches with AJ, carrying Sting to probably his best TNA matches. Definitely at least watch Christian vs Kurt/AJ/Joe matches.

How the hell do we have a Christian thread and there's not 1 post from his biggest fan @C.S.???

3 hours ago, Jmare007 said:

How the hell do we have a Christian thread and there's not 1 post from his biggest fan @C.S.???

LOL. I didn't participate in the GWE in 2016 and won't be participating in 2026. It's an awesome idea, and I love reading all the threads as a lurker and spectator, but it sounds like way too much work for me to actually participate in.

Didn't things apparently get toxic toward the end too and end up driving great members away from PWO? (I could be wrong about that part.)

If we ever do GCE (Greatest Commentator Ever), sign me up for that - Mamma Mia! 

(Seriously though, even that would be tough with all the regional commentators most people weren't exposed to that have been lost to time forever.)

Greatest commentators ever

 

The guy who did the Chicago NWA matches in the 50s/60s

Lance Russel 

Tony Schiavone

Ed Walen

 

1 hour ago, strobogo said:

The guy who did the Chicago NWA matches in the 50s/60s

Dennis James was commentator for DuMont's wrestling and boxing shows in the late 40s-early 50s, so it might not be the guy you're thinking of, but he used to snap chicken bones into the mic when a grappler would lock on a hold (this may be apocryphal, though). Wiki says, "James often addressed the TV audience as "Mother", a practice he had begun when discussing the finer points of wrestling during his sports broadcasts. He feared the men in the audience would be insulted by the implication that they didn't already know the rules (even if they didn't), but would accept that James was merely explaining things for the benefit of women viewers."

I know this is entirely on ringwork, but I do think we need to take into account that Christian was one of the five biggest stars of the Attitude era.

8 minutes ago, Dav'oh said:

Dennis James was commentator for DuMont's wrestling and boxing shows in the late 40s-early 50s, so it might not be the guy you're thinking of, but he used to snap chicken bones into the mic when a grappler would lock on a hold (this may be apocryphal, though). Wiki says, "James often addressed the TV audience as "Mother", a practice he had begun when discussing the finer points of wrestling during his sports broadcasts. He feared the men in the audience would be insulted by the implication that they didn't already know the rules (even if they didn't), but would accept that James was merely explaining things for the benefit of women viewers."

I'm thinking of the guy on all the Chicago Film Archives matches on Youtube. That guy is a delight.

Russ Davis is the Chicago guy, and that is...definitely a minority opinion, I think. I have no real opinion of him but a lot of old-timers hated him.

Hey, no thread drift in the Christian thread.

I will watch these TNA matches. I will.

What about Indy matches during that era. Jimmy Rave for JAPW? Tyson Dux for BSE? Xavier for NEW? PCO/Styles/Christian for Great North Wrestling? Sabin for NEW?

Any of this out there?

13 hours ago, PeteF3 said:

Russ Davis is the Chicago guy, and that is...definitely a minority opinion, I think. I have no real opinion of him but a lot of old-timers hated him.

Old timers suck. That guy is a treat to listen to. Gets over psychology, explains what holds are doing and why they're being done, injects some personality and color when needed. 

Christian was good at psychology. Discuss.

If you want to discuss wrestling announcers, create a thread elsewhere.

Russ Davis is the Christian Cage of 1950s announcers. Discuss.

I believe there’s a strong argument that Christian’s heel run in AEW has been the best work of his career

No "misused by WWE" guy has vindicated his fans in AEW more than Christian.

Honest to God Christian would be on more top 10 lists if McMahon had followed through on his impulse to digitally insert a blue dot over his face in the 90s. That’s one of my favorite Crazy Vince anecdotes.

His Collision run has been excellent. The Darby matches and the Bryan match have been great additions to his catalogue.

What are the best pre-TNA Christian matches not counting the ladders stuff?