August 4, 201510 yr Author comment_5690061 The first guys that came to mind were Bill Dundee, Arn Anderson, Dustin Rhodes, and Regal. Will have some thoughts later when I see who some other folks come up with.
August 4, 201510 yr comment_5690066 Bill Dundee is #1 on the list. I would add Ron Garvin to the list as well.
August 4, 201510 yr comment_5690068 Was Flair ever not phenomenal when he would actually show up on TV in a match during the 80s and early 90s? Relatively rare, but a lot of stand outs whenever he did. Buzz Sawyer gets at least an honourable mention from me. TBS studio setting for GCW.
August 4, 201510 yr Author comment_5690070 Buzz Sawyer gets at least an honourable mention from me. TBS studio setting for GCW. Great call. Can't believe I forgot Buzz.
August 4, 201510 yr Author comment_5690077 I thought about mentioning Buddy Rose but I didn't on purpose. Technically, yes. He absolutely belongs and is probably #1. But he was usually working super long tv main events every week which were major matches in his territory. I can't explain it but it feels weird to have him in the discussion. Probably because I think the Portland house show main events that Buddy and Piper worked probably looked like the TV main events that Buddy and Piper worked together. Bill Dundee worked differently in the studio than he did in the MSC. But yeah. Buddy Rose was awesome on TV.
August 4, 201510 yr comment_5690148 Barry Windham was the quintessential TV match wrestler for me in the late 80s and early 90s in terms of hidden gems.
August 4, 201510 yr comment_5690156 If you're talking about a TV studio setting then Tully Blanchard is my favourite. If it's matches filmed for TV then Steve Grey is my pick.
August 4, 201510 yr comment_5690158 Rey is my pick, and I don't think it's close. He was a guy you could plug in against almost anyone, on any level show (A show, B show, syndicated t.v., WWE C-shows, et.) and you would get something fun 99% of the time. It didn't matter if he was working a hoss, a mid-card technician, a main eventer, a tag worker, a luchador, et. and it didn't matter how much time you gave him - he was going to work hard and give you something entertaining at minimum. I doubt very seriously that there is any wrestler in history who has more good t.v. matches than Rey as his run of greatness in this regard started with the Monday Night Wars and went straight into the (continuing) over saturation years with the WWE. It would probably be feasible for me to come up with 100 guys Rey has had t.v. matches with that I thought were good which is pretty astounding.
August 4, 201510 yr comment_5690159 My favorite thing about Christian was how he would switch up the entry points to his offense.
August 19, 201510 yr comment_5692769 This is something that should be broken up by decade with the way wrestling has changed.
August 28, 201510 yr comment_5695425 I think Diamond Dallas Page, Rey Mysterio Jr., and Dean Malenko were the best TV workers of the Monday Night Wars. DDP got over from having entertaining matches with everyone on the roster, and finding a new way to hit the Diamond Cutter. His matches were always a topic of conversation during me and my friends Tuesday morning wrestling conversations. Dean Malenko was another guy who could work with everyone on the roster and have an entertaining match. His style doesn't hold up as well as Rey's, but he was just as instrumental in the success of the cruiserweight division as Rey. His style let everyone get their moves in while holding the match together so it didn't turn into a spot fest. Rey Mysterio Jr. could be argued as the best wrestler of the last 20 years. He delivered no matter where he was on the card. He was as great in the six minute opening television match as he was in the 20 minute main event. He worked a style that was almost totally unique in that it was fast paced and high flying, but could adapt to any opponent. Most of the guys who work that high flying style have a fairly low ceiling that doesn't translate when pushed up the card, but Rey could make it work with everyone. I think the most underrated part of WCWs domination during the Monday Night Wars was that they had matches people wanted to watch every week. Me and my friends talked about Mysterio, Malenko, DDP, Eddy, and Benoit, just as much if not more than the NWO. They won't get the credit, but they were a huge part of their success.
August 28, 201510 yr comment_5695427 Rey, Benoit... Savage did a good few "proto-Nitro" matches in the 80s... Also, the NJ Jrs were far more fun JIP, if that counts. And when television wrestling is brought up I can't not tip my hat to whomever edited the AJW TV shows.
August 29, 201510 yr comment_5695683 I'll just agree with everyone else here and go with Rey. That whole WCW cruiserweight division delivered good-great stuff on TV every week, but Rey was delivering for years with any type of opponent.
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