Greatest Wrestling Match Of 1990 - The Countdown

[Crocker]

1990 was a year with major historical events as we saw a reunified Germany and a unification of Yemen, the separation of Namibia from South Africa, the Baltic States declared their independence from the Soviet Union and the breakup of Yugoslavia began, all of which caused geography teachers everywhere to have to buy new maps for their walls.

Also in the news in 1990 Nelson Mandela was released from prison and Margret Thatcher resigned as the UK Prime Minister after eleven years.

Also in 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait which would eventually lead to the Gulf War in early 1991, and Tim Berners-Lee created the first web server.

Amongst the well known people who passed away in 1990 were Roald Dahl, Ava Gardner, Sammy Davis Jr & Jim Henson.

In music Madonna had her huge Blonde Ambition Tour, Mariah Carey released her debut album and Sinead O’Connor released ‘Nothing Compares to U’

In sport West Germanys last match as West Germany results in them lifting the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Argentina, San Francisco 49ers beat the Denver Broncos to win the Super Bowl and Buster Douglas caused one of the biggest sporting surprises ever as he knocked out Mike Tyson.

Amongst the biggest films of the year were Home Alone, Driving Ms Daisy, Ghost & Pretty Woman.

In wrestling The Ultimate Warrior & Sting were crowned the new faces of their respective companies as they beat Hill Hogan & Ric Flair to win their first World Titles.

But what is the greatest match from this year, so we got five full lists from myself @Apoho Creed @Jacob Fox @Hoss & @GARBAGE and the countdown of the top 25 matches(technically there’s 28 because five matches tied in 24th place) begins soon.

 

[Hoss]

Looking forward to see how things shake out

 

[Crocker]

24= Submission Match
Greg Valentine vs Ronnie Garvin
WWF Royal Rumble
January 21st
16 Points
Jacob Fox(10)



24= The Royal Rumble Match
WWF Royal Rumble
January 21st
16 points
Crocker(10)



24= Genichiro Tenryu vs Randy Savage
WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit
April 13th
16 points
Hoss(10)



24= Best Two Out of Three Falls
Animal Hamaguchi, Blond Outlaws, Masanobu Kurisu, Super Strong Machine vs Kantaro Hoshino, Kensuke Susaki, Kuniyaki Koboyoshi, Riki Choshu & Shiro Koshinaka
NJPW New Kokougikan Densetsu
June 26
16 Points
GARBAGE(10)

24= WWAA Tag Team Championship
Akira Hokuto & Suzuka Minami(c) vs Kyoko Inoue & Manami Toyota
AJW Wrestlemarinepiad
November 14
Apoho Creed(10)

​

 

[Hoss]

So essentially we all had a match ranked 10th that none of the others included on their lists at all? That's a crazy coincidence

 

[GARBAGE]

I had to do a double take because I thought there was no way I let that 5v5 slip down to #10 but I guess 1990 had more high end stuff that I assumed. Anyway that match rules like fuck and its one of the few matches I can think of, where I would have been fine with it going another 20 minutes for the hell of it. As long as we still got the payoff of Sasaki blasting Kurisu.

I sort of wish I made time to watch Tenryu vs. Savage, because I bet I like it way more now than I did 14 or whatever years ago. I watched a couple Valentine vs. Garvin matches last year from 1989 but didn't get around to rewatching the Rumble match for whatever reason. I always did like it though.

 

[Crocker]

=22 Harley Saito vsShinobu Kandori
JWP
July 19th
21 Points
GARBAGE(5)

=22 NWA United States Tag Team Championship
The Steiner Brothers(c) vs The Nasty Boys
NWA Halloween Havoc
October 27th
21 Points
Apoho Creed(14), GArBAGE(18), Hoss(25)



=20 NWA United States Tag Team Championship
Brian Pillman & Tom Zenk(c) vs The Midnight Express
NWA Capital Combat
May 19th
22 Points
Crocker(4)

=20 Best Two Out of Three Falls
Hair vs Hair
El Faraon vs Pirata Morgan
EMLL Super Viernes
November 16
GARBAGE(4)

​

 

[GARBAGE]

It took me a couple watches to really get it, but that Kandori/Harley match is just incredible underdog vs. world beater wrestling. Kandori is a really mean grappler in all the best ways. Pirata vs. Faraon is just one of the best brawls ever imo. And there are way worse introductions to classic lucha libre you could give someone, since the basics of what you need to know are "Faraon is a babyface in his 40s, Pirata is a heel in his 20s." I don't think I'd ever seen either of these matches before this project so them winding up in my top five is really cool.

Steiners vs. Nasty Boys is such an awesome match. I remembered it fondly for the epic bomb throwing and all that, but it's also a great 'traditional' tag in how it builds with Scott's FIP to Rick's hot tag. Rick coming to violently level one of the Nastys every now and then of course fits. Knobbs looking like he about broke his frigging neck and spiked his crown on the frankensteiner at the end is insane looking and a perfect finish. Haven't seen that Capital Combat tag in forever but MX can basically do no wrong and I've always adored 89-92 babyface Pillman so I assume it's still really good. Tom Zenk is also in the match I guess.

 

[Crocker]

19 NWA World Middleweight Championship
Best Two out of Three Falls
Angel Azteca(c) vs El Dandy
EMLL Super Viernes
June 1st
GARBAGE(3)



18 Arn Anderson & Ric Flair vs The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express
NWA Main Event
February 18th
24 Points
Crocker(13) Jacob Fox(15)



17 Brian Pillman vs Ric Flair
NWA Saturday Night
February 17th
25 Points
Jacob Fox(13), Crocker(15), Hoss(21)



16 IWGP Tag Team Championship
Keiji Moto & Masahiro Chono(c) vs Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Susaki
November 1st
28 Points
GARBAGE(15), Apoho Creed(17), Hoss(18)


​

 

[Hoss]

I definitely feel I shoulda delved into more lucha libre before making my list. Having watched that Pirata vs. Faraon match earlier today, I can honestly say it probably woulda made my list in hindsight. And now I see Garbage has this Dandy vs. Azteca match as his third best match of the year... gonna go ahead and assume it's a badass match as well.

 

[GARBAGE]

It is! Although it's mat-based instead of a violent brawl, and lucha mat work can be more alienating depending on familiarity with it (whereas 'two dudes whack each other and bleed' like Pirata/Faraon is about as inviting as wrestling gets). I sort of, kind of think I had Dandy/Azteca too low at #3 (lmao) but my #1 and 2 just hyped me up too much.

That NJPW tag is SO awesome. One of the most fun things I watched for this, the crowd are pure electricity by the end of it. #15 actually felt a little low for it too but like I said earlier, 1990 just has some CRAZY great matches. I forgot that Flair/Arn vs. RNR match even happened, I probably would have checked it out again had I not. The Pillman match is a blast. Flair's first few months of 1990 are really fantastic, maybe unsurprising given the legendary 1989 he had.

 

[Crocker]

15 WWF Intercontinental Championship
Mr Perfect(c) vs Tito Santana
Saturday Nights Main Event
July 28th
34 Points
Crocker(7), Apoho Creed(11)



14 Super Generation Army vs Tsuruta-gun
October Giant Series
September 30th
42 Points
GARBAGE(7), Hoss(11), Apoho Creed(18)

13 Best Two Out of Three Falls
Hair vs Hair
El Dandy vs El Santanico
EMLL Jucio Final
December 14th
43 Points
GARBAGE(1), Apoho Creed (12), Crocker(22)



12 IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Pegasus Kid(c) vs Justin Thunder Liger
NJPW Dream Tour
November 1st
46 Points
Apoho Creed(6), Crocker(9), Hoss(17)

​

 

[Crocker]

10= Jumbo Tsurata vs Mitsuharu Misawa
AJPW Summer Action Series II
September 1st
53 Points
Hoss(7), GARBAGE(8), Apoho Creed(13), Jacob Fox 23



10= The Great Muta vs Hiroshi Hase
NJPW Explosion Tour
September 14th
53 Points
Hoss(6), Apoho Creed(7), Jacob Fox(12)

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[GARBAGE]

There are a lot of matches you could point to that represent "hatred" in wrestling, but I had Satanico/Dandy at #1 because its going to be one of my first examples going forward. Pure vitriol and disdain in a way that lucha often does best. Both guys were obscenely good throughout the year and capping it off with a blood match between the two is the kind of fortune that the wrestling gods rarely lay upon us. It's almost a perfect brawl to me, and has a finish that should not work but just does in the context of the feud.

The 9/30 All Japan tag is fascinating because Misawa had only really just become the "new hero" a few months earlier, but he and Kawada were basically in a more heel role here. Whether or not they were justified because of Taue defecting to Jumbo's group is up to the viewer, but they got plenty of boos at multiple points by basically being bullies that made Taue/Jumbo in a way feel more like the team to root for. A bleeding Taue struggling to get a grip was totally engrossing. Match maybe didn't need 45 minutes but I didn't think they wasted time. Goes without saying why I would have Misawa/Jumbo II high at #8.

Definitely a fan of Hennig/Santana. One of the first matches I would name that I'd like to have without a commercial break because it's wrestled at such an exciting pace. Santana had an all time great babyface run between 84 and 87, and this felt like it fit right in there with his peak. Top 5 SNME match, surely. You could say the the best and I wouldn't argue. I would have considered listing Muta/Hase if we submitted top 30s, the competition was just a little too stiff but I'm perfectly ok with it landing in the overall (tied) top ten. I don't remember that Benoit/Liger match at all, unsure I ever watched it. Their August match on the Chris Benoit DVD I gave 5 stars to as a YOUNG LAD and I don't know if I've watched it since but I assume all their matches are at least good.

 

[Crocker]

9 NWA World Heavyweight Championship
Ric Flair(c) vs Lex Luger
NWA WrestleWar
February 25th
56 Points
Crocker(3), Hoss(3), GARBAGE(19), Jacob Fox(23)

​

 

[Hoss]

9 NWA World Heavyweight Championship
Ric Flair(c) vs Lex Luger
NWA WrestleWar
February 25th
56 Points
Crocker(3), Jacob Fox(3), GARBAGE(19), Jacob Fox(23)

​

For the record it was me who had it 3rd, not Jacob Fox.

Also... what can you say? Flair in 89/90 is God tier. A level that few will ever match. This is hands down the best match Lex Luger ever had.