26 years ago today the HBK/Razor Ramon Ladder Match took place. This one holds a special place in my heart for a few different reasons..
I went to this show as a birthday present from my parents. This show literally fell ON ,my 11th birthday. My parents had already been divorced for three years and could barely stay civil with one another. BUT they knew that I loved wrestling and that I was begging them to take me to this show as my big birthday gift from the both of them. I remember telling them, pleading with them, that this is the only birthday present I want from the both of them. Just get me tickets to this show and I won't ask for anything else for my birthday...or even Christmas 9 months later.
Even though my parents were divorced and hated eachother at this time, they agreed to take me to this show as my birthday present. I sat between the both of them and was absolutely THRILLED to take my first ever trip to a WM AND to Madison Square Garden. The fact that this show literally fell on my birthday I kind of viewed as a calling that I was meant to be at this show one way or another.
This day is, to this day, one of my favorite days of my life. I'm very thankful to my parents for putting their differences aside for a few hours to take me to a show on my birthday for my birthday. I didn't know it back then as an 11 year old, but two legit all-time great matches in Bret/Owen and HBK/Razor and I got to see them both in the most famous arena in the world. Little did I know just how many wrestling shows in the future I would see at MSG. This was my first ever trip to MSG, and I'm glad it was on this occasion with my parents.
HBK/Razor will forever be my favorite ladder match. I know there have been alot more daring, crazier ladder matches after this one, and they all have their place. But this was one was different. Alot less spot-centric and alot more in the psychology and story-telling aspect that you can tell with a ladder. I wouldn't findout about who or what a Dave Meltzer was until years later. But I have to admit when I first foundout who and what he is and the fact that he gave this match 5 stars and his first 5 star rated HBK match took place on my birthday at a show I went to in my area (MSG was a 15 min drive from where I grew up in North Jersey), always was cool to me in the past. Now, I don't put much stock into his (or anyone else's) 'star ratings' anymore. But the fact is is that this is Shawn's first classic match of his career, first WM classic match of his career, and it took place on my birthday at a show I attended close to where I live. Perfect. Great times that you can never really get back..
I really wanted to write a review about this match, but with my wife being pregnant and giving birth a few days ago, it was impossible. Still, I wanted to at least share this story about this match and why it will always hold a special place in my heart.
