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Listen to our September 1996 ECW show, reviewing the Sabu/RVD vs Kroffat/Furnas match

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1. Rob Van Dam & Sabu vs Doug Furnas and Dan Kroffat
Aired on the September 24th 1996 Hardcore TV

Some of ECW's best matches of 1996, and some of their best matches full stop really are just barmy, unexplianable... wild brawls. This pair of teams had two matches, and the second probably deserves a place in this list (although I've not seen it in it's entirity), but the match that aired on Hardcore TV in September was absolutely barmy. Sabu and Van Dam, as a new team, seemed to bring the best out of both men as they egged each other on and did more and more death defying shit against arguably the best tag team in the world at the time in Doug Furnas and Phil Lafon (Kroffatt). The match went to a 30 minute time limit draw, as big ECW matches often do... but go out of your way to see this one.


2. Rey Mysterio Jr vs Juventud Guerrera
Aired on the March 19th Hardcore TV

The second match in this list that actually happened twice (and, from people who've seen both, I've seen it suggested the New York match was actually better). But across the two night "Big Ass Extreme Bash" show in March Mysterio and Juventud had a pair of two out of three falls matches that were both, in a word, ridiculous. Much like the tag match above, ECW didn't want to book a decisive winner (each won one of the matches 2-1), but this was like the best of the WCW Crusierweights in front of a much more captive audience and not being ruined by Dusty Rhodes' commentary. The match in question here, the one that aired in full on Hardcore TV, was the second one from Philadelphia, but highlights of the first aired on TV too – both were great.


3. Shane Douglas (w/ Francine) vs Pitbull 2
Aired on the October 15th Hardcore TV

This feud almost won best feud of 1996, but it was certainly the best feud ECW put together all year. After Douglas legit broke the neck of Pitbull 1 that elevated a feud between him and the Pitbulls to a new height. This culminated with this exceptional spectacle in October – which while not the best in-ring match all year in ECW had a ludicrious amount of heat and drama, finished off when Douglas grabbed Pitbull 1 by his neck halo and yanked him down to the mat. The reaction was electric as multiple fans jumped the guardrail trying to pick a fight with Douglas – who ended up getting swept away in a torrent of ECW wrestlers before high-tailing it out of the building. Phenomenal spectacle, and probably the best match for both in ECW to date. 


4. Sabu vs Rob Van Dam – Hostile City Showdown (April)
Aired on the May 7th 1996 Hardcore TV

We rinsed this show on the podcast – a show full of arena wide walking brawls that frustrated far more than it entertained. Reports have it that these two actually had a better match in February, but as it never made it to air and we never reviewed the show it’s essentially dead to us. Still, this was a phenomenal match, with the right balance of “holy shit” without stretching it too far into the unbelievable. This is also the scene of a moment where a Van Dam threw a chair at Sabu which cannoned off the ring post and into the crowd. Sabu wins it with a springboard moonsault.


5. Sabu vs Too Cold Scorpio
Aired on the March 5th 1996 Hardcore TV

Like the first match in this list, (and, in fact, most Sabu matches), providing you're not too fussed about selling you can enjoy the hell out of some of his matches. This was a 30 minute war, my podcast notes for the match came in at nearly two pages long (easily the longest I'd taken) and were just a series of batshit crazy stuff involving weapons, dives and big moves. Sabu also busted out a new move, a triple jump moonsault, when he laid Scorpio on a table beyond the guardrial, got in the ring, ran up to a chair, vaulted from it to the top rope, then from that into the crowd. Only shame was Sabu had moved... still, the spot was great, so was the match. Another time limit draw – but after all of that I'm not sure I minded.


6. Chris Jericho vs Too Cold Scorpio vs Pitbull 2 vs Shane Douglas
Aired on the July 23rd Hardcore TV

This is a weird assembly in some ways; Douglas and Scorpio got into it after they needed a reason, any reason, to get Douglas out of the World title picture. Pitbull at this stage hasn't really started the feud with Douglas and Jericho, for once, is just there. This match goes 40 minutes, a marathon by most ECW standards, but features some really nice wrestling, as you'd expect, but the real kicker here was the angle that kick-started the Douglas/Pitbull feud – which was the Francine turn to align with Douglas – it was barmy ECW as you'd expect. Francine did get put through a table, but Douglas did leave with the TV title.


7. Sabu vs Rob Van Dam – A Matter Of Respect (May)
Don't believe this match ever made television in its entirity

Numbers 1 and 2 in this list very definitely had alternates that probably belonged in this list, but as we didn’t see them in their entirety I left them out, but Sabu and Van Dam returns for another crack in this list – and also what I believe is the site of the first “You fucked up” chant in ECW (for something relatively minor – Van Dam losing his footing on the guardrail). Your usual stuff by this stage, great spots, a triple jump moonsault and even a shock surprise as Van Dam picks up the surprise win. Sabu left in horrid shape, but they bundled him back out for a post match angle where Sabu offers out a handshake (as per the stip), Van Dam turns it down and calls him a piece of shit.

 
8. Raven vs Sandman vs Pitbull 2 for the ECW Title – A Matter Of Respect (May)
Aired on the May 21st 1996 Hardcore TV

I mean… Raven vs Sandman for the entirety of the rest of the year was an absolute shit-show, but the addition of a third man made this match, strangely, really fun to watch. Pitbull’s presence opened up a lot of set piece opportunities that just wouldn’t have worked without him, but this match earns its place in the list thanks to the closing moments. We eliminated Pitbull, then with the help of Stevie Richards the closing moments were a series of great near falls with Sandman getting so close to winning the title, the gasps from the crowd were great. This was, by an absolute mile, the only time Raven and Sandman would get good (in the ring, at least) all year.
 

9. Pitbull #2 vs Chris Jericho
Don't believe this match ever made television in its entirity

A terrific little bout here. Pitbull #2 was somewhat thrown into singles action after the injury to Pitbull #1, but he has really run with the ball. Being in the ring with somebody as willing and able as Jericho also helped no end here. There are some truly breathtaking moves in this one: Pitbull #2's press-slam-into-a-Tombstone has to be seen to be believed, and Jericho's warp-speed moonsault to the outside is absolutely picture-perfect. After errant interference by Shane Douglas, Jericho hits a super rana off the top rope to get the three-count and secure the TV Title.

10. Mikey Whipwreck vs Cactus Jack – Big Ass Extreme Bash
Aired on the March 26th Hardcore TV

Cactus had been a heel in ECW for the prior six months, but given that his WWF debut was so immanent he was only really a heel in name by this stage. His final choice of opponent was the increasingly irrelevant Mikey Whipwreck, but the pair had a fun brawl around the arena that Cactus wins with a piledriver onto the chair mid-ring. This was probably more well known for Cactus’ post match promo, a funny and heartfelt speech making peace with the ECW crowd. Catcus signs off by praising the pair of “creative geniuses without which ECW wouldn’t exist”. He is, of course, talking about Stevie Richards and the Blue Meanie. 

Listen to our June 1996 WCW podcast, reviewing three of the matches in this list from the Great American Bash.

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1. Chris Benoit vs The Taskmaster – Great American Bash
What a wild match this was. The Benoit/Taskmaster feud was really in its infant stages at this point, but the two put on a real surprise of a brawl that quickly went high into the stands, onto the concourse and into the men’s toilets – much to the delight of Dusty Rhodes and many of the people in the vicinity. After some unique toilet brawling we made our way back to the ring, via Benoit being thrown down some stairs, before a big superbomb off of a table on the top turnbuckle for the finish. Combined with a great post-match angle, where the teased break-up of Benoit and Arn Anderson turned out to be a ruse, and you get a worthy best WCW match of 1996.
 
2. Dean Malenko vs The Ultimo Dragon – Starrcade
The near perfect match in many ways. With a hot, fresh crowd these two delivered a great match that rode the line perfectly of big spots without being excessive. Malenko slows things down in the middle, as he always does, but this gets to a crescendo of Malenko hitting a series of big looking moves, none of which won him the match. Still, the action continues to build with a crowd willing to go with it and Dragon wins the match with a double underhook bridging German suplex. Of all of the cruiserweight matches we cover, this one probably had the right balance.
 
3. Ric Flair and Arn Anderson vs Steve “Mongo” McMichael and Kevin Greene – Great American Bash
Yikes – this match really had no right to be any good. Instead, in the semi-main event of what would turn out to be one of WCW’s best pay per views ever, two footballers opposed two Horsemen in a match that went about as well as anyone could’ve possibly expected. Greene and Mongo were well rehearsed and had enough training to get through the basic spots. With Flair and Arn seemingly fit for this kind of match (see last year), it was thoroughly entertaining and the angle that it finished with – Mongo turning on Greene and joining the Horsemen was another job well done.
 
4. Psicosis vs Rey Mysterio Jr – Bash At The Beach
I mean, given what happened at the conclusion of this show it was a hell of an ask for anything else to have stuck, but it says a lot that Psicosis and Rey Mysterio (in the opener, no less) were able to produce a barmy match that set a tone for a historic night for the company. We’ve seen these two work crazy matches in ECW previously, so it shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise but the number of logic defying stunts and moves in this match still took your breath away. Mysterio picks up the in with a reverse-a-rana off the top.
 
5. Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan vs Sting, Lex Luger and Randy Savage – Bash At The Beach
This isn’t a great match, on another night it’s barely even good (we saw this at Hog Wild the next month) but such was the fervor generated around the Outsiders angle that this match from start to finish felt like a big deal. Executed perfectly too, with Lex Luger being taken out early leaving it 2 on 2, it’ll forever be remembered for the match where Hulk Hogan turned heel and created the group that would go onto dominate the wrestling world for the next couple of years. For that, and for a match that lived up to very high billing, it deserves it’s place.
 
6. Lord Steven Regal vs The Belfast Bruiser – Uncensored
This, as it turned out, was an abominable pay per view, but it didn’t always feel like it was going to be. After a very nice opener between Eddie Guerrero and Konnan we moved onto a proper European style brawl with Finlay managing to break Regal’s nose not long into the fight. This was a rough, tough hitting style that you just didn’t see very often and even if it lacked context/build it was a very fun fight to watch if you’re into that kind of style. Shame about the rest of the show.
 
7. The Steiner Brothers vs Fire and Ice (Scott Norton and Ice Train) – Great American Bash
In amongst one of WCW’s best show was another hard hitting physical brawl. Logically, after being in their most interesting match in WCW ever, the company split up Fire and Ice into two singles acts that didn’t really mean much of anything. Still, in this context this was a real fun, hard hitting tag match to watch with four powerful dudes exchanging big moves. Scott Steiner drops Norton on his shoulder with a big suplex, Norton returned that receipt later in the match in an example of where an error adds to the enjoyment of the match. Speaking of out of control, they attempted to finish it with Scott doing a frankisteiner on Norton – it ended up looking like Norton powerbombing Scott but a finish is a finish. Hell of a physical brawl.
 
8. Diamond Dallas Page vs Johnny B Badd – Superbrawl
This wasn't quite as good as their pair of matches that crept into the end of the top ten WCW matches of 1995, but this was still a really nice match between two guys (on the evidence of three matches within six months) have really good chemistry. At this stage in the game, being the best match on a WCW pay per view didn't necessarily mean much, but we're at that part of the list (the next two are, as well). Badd picks up the win with a tombstone piledriver – winning the WCW TV Title and $6.6m for Diamond Doll. Shame Badd buggered off to the WWF the next month, if nothing else as it resulted in one of the worst matches of the year.

9. Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit – Fall Brawl
September was probably the first month of a run through the rest of the year where WCW pay per views were generally quite high on quality, if meaningless, matches – followed by main event matches that were high on star power and flat on quality. Jericho vs Benoit stood on sandwiched between two other cruiserweight matches, and perhaps stands out retrospectively given the two men involved. In Horsemen country Benoit was heavily favoured against the new and vanilla Jericho. As if there wasn't enough reasons to like this match, Benoit actually won it with a superplex, which is something that never works anywhere near enough.

10. Chris Jericho vs Nick Patrick – World War 3
OK... yeah, there were plenty of better matches in WCW in 1996 but, can a match truly make the list if I can't remember it. This match makes the list because 1) it was about as good as any match involving Nick Patrick could possibly be and 2) Nick Patrick is excellent. Jericho worked the match with one hand tied behind his back, but still largely had the upper hand as Patrick's facial expressions and all around excellence keep the match interesting for the 6-7 minutes it runs. Did I mention Nick Patrick is great? No word of a lie – this was probably the best match on the pay per view, mind. 

Listen to our June 1996 WWF podcast, reviewing King Of The Ring - probably WWF's best show of the year.

Subscribe to the podcast via: iTunes | RSS Feed | Email Newsletter
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1. Shawn Michaels vs Diesel – In Your House: Good Friends Better Enemies
Sometimes circumstances can help make a wrestling match better – Shawn Michaels vs Diesel was planned out to be the big WWF feud of the summer with Bret Hart going away... then Diesel handed in his notice. It curtailed a summer long program (one that likely would've involved 2 or 3 matches) into a straight blow-off. The anything goes stipulation allowed both guys to brawl around ringside, including a great visual of Shawn getting encased in monitors as he went crashing through the announce table. The match finished with Diesel whipping off Mad Dog Vachon's false leg, before Shawn superkicked him with it, then the real thing to emphatically retain his title. 

2. Shawn Michaels vs Mankind – In Your House: Mind Games
The In Your House pay per views can sometimes feel like filler shows, with little star power to go around at this point a monthly pay per view meant that sometimes main events needed to be manufactured, rather than built. Shawn Michaels vs Mankind was just that, a filler selection for a September show with Shawn theoretically still feuding with Vader and Mankind occupied with Undertaker. What we got, on an otherwise dire show, was a barmy 25 minute main event complete with Mankind putting his body through hell and a pace that rarely relented. The big spot was a countered belly to back where Shawn ended up planting Mankind through a table on the outside. It eventually ended in a run in, but for the crazy action before that, this one earns its place. 

3. Bret Hart vs Steve Austin – Survivor Series
To think this match (and feud) never would've happened had Bret joined WCW in 1996. Still, on his return he called out Steve Austin and lit the touch-paper that would see Austin as the biggest star within the industry within two years. While Austin was beginning to tear it up on TV, it was this match that really started it all, the one where he finally looked like he belonged. While it's not a criticism, at all, not that much happened in the match, for a match that's so highly revered this stands out because of its efficiency – Bret and Austin just working a really good match for 25 minutes, with Austin more than holding his own in Bret's first match on American soil since Wrestlemania. Perhaps overrated by some, but this is a fine match and one that absolutely achieved what it set out to. 
 
4. Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart – In Your House: Rage In The Cage
In another example of a filler pay per view, IYH: Rage In The Cage was sandwiched between the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania after a Rumble show where Bret had retained his title and Shawn had won the Royal Rumble. This show setup Bret defending his title against Diesel and Shawn Michaels, arbitrarily, putting up his Wrestlemania shot because Owen Hart goaded him into it. Shawn billed it as the biggest of his career (even though he never had to accept it), and fit that billing perfectly by dancing to the ring and exchanging pleasantries with fans. This was really nice, both guys were entertaining and the action built as both attempted to out-do the other. After Shawn reprised the collapse angle from a few months earlier (that justified the match) he hit Owen Hart with a sweet chin music for the emphatic three.
 
5. Shawn Michaels vs The British Bulldog – King Of The Ring
The main event of the WWF's best pay per view in 18 months, the re-match after Shawn and Bulldog both perceived they'd let themselves down after their aborted encounter at the In Your House: Beware Of Dog show. This was just a really fun match, Shawn is great (if you can't tell already by how often he's appearing in this list) but Bulldog has the ability to look a million bucks (or should that be pounds?) in with the right opponent. Bulldog uses his arsenal of power moves on a guy of the size who can really do them justice before Shawn puts him away with a big superkick. 
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6. Shawn Michaels vs Vader – Summerslam
Seriously – you could dine out on Shawn's PPV matches in 1996. If this match wasn't so overbooked, it really could've been match of the year – Shawn getting the opportunity to work with a much bigger guy who has the ability of Vader doesn't happen very often. Still, the action here was excellent and Vader kicking out of the superkick (probably the first guy to do it) was a great touch. But the count-out -> restart -> DQ -> restart (Vader won both) followed by Vader losing after missing a moonsault was, while quite good storytelling, of slight detriment to the overall match. More the shame, really, that we never got to the rematch; they were clearly planning it. 

7. Shawn Michaels vs Sid – Survivor Series
Well, as if this match was far better than it had any right to be? Going into the match at Madison Square Garden, all interest was on how the audience would treat both guys, given that Sid by this stage was arguably the biggest face they had. The reaction they got at the start when they came out was pretty even, but by the end it was overwhelmingly pro-Shawn. The match, it should be said, was just really fun to watch. A perfect storm of Shawn having his working boots on and Sid being motivate knowing what was coming. A really fun match and one that, even if the finish (Jose Lothario having a fake heart attack after Sid hit him with the camera) was probably a bit overdramatic – we got a big pop for a title change. Quite right too, this was a better finish away from being higher up the list. 

8. Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart – Wrestlemania
Shawn's seventh and final appearance in this list, and perhaps a little controversial. The hour long match with Bret was a massive gamble and one that, in all honesty, probably didn't pay off. But we cannot overlook that, in the circumstances, this is a highly memorable match and one very different from almost everything else going on at the time. Shawn and Bret went for an hour without a fall and the match stayed in one piece. Sure it had its flaws, it was predictable too quickly and Shawn's insistence on not going for his finish (before hitting it twice in ninety seconds of overtime) was a bit odd, but it would be wrong to have a list like this without including it. I wrote a full piece on the match here.

9. Mankind vs The Undertaker – King Of The Ring
For what was, by some margin, the best feud of 1996, Mankind and The Undertaker really only had one really good match. For the boiler room brawl – which was a bad match, and the buried alive match – which was OK – this was really the only quality pairing these two had, more the shame to an extent that it was their first. The major change up here from your standard Undertaker match was that, as he was losing, he was on offense for most of the match – which was a real improvement, particularly as Mankind can go. A proper walking brawl with a clean finish as Mankind puts Undertaker away with the Mandible Claw. 

10. Shawn Michaels, Ahmed Johnson & Sid vs Vader, Owen Hart, Bulldog – In Your House: International Incident
One more appearance for Shawn, I suppose! Couldn’t keep him away that long. This match was meant to see The Ultimate Warrior team with Johnson and Michaels before Warrior got suspended. Given how the WWF tapes TVs, they basically had to completely splice in a storyline reveal of their new partner – pulling a rabbit out of the hat getting Sid in for the match. Cut forward to the match and Sid, inexplicably, is the most over guy in the building. Given the state of the rest of the card and how stacked the main event was, this match had time and it ended up being a show saver and a really fun match. Every participant got lots of time in a match that ebbed and flowed, and thanks to a bit of interference from Jim Cornette Vader picks up the pin ahead of his match with Michaels.