Eyes On Attitude Era: 5 Classic Matches From 1998

By @TrueGodImmortal

The Attitude Era was special. It was a special time in wrestling and it gave the WWF the biggest boom period it had seen thus far. Stars were made, legends were born, and the WWF would prosper beyond belief. So, it is interesting to at times look back at the biggest era of wrestling and reflect on the matches that made it special. Today, we revisit 5 classic matches from the Attitude Era that have turned 20 this year. Which matches make the list? Let's find out.

*Kane vs The Undertaker
(Wrestlemania 14)

-So, the stage was essentially set. Kane, the long lost brother of Undertaker was ready to take his sibling out for good at Mania. The story had been building up for quite some time, with Kane debuting at the Badd Blood 1997 PPV and dismantling Taker. There would be a moment where Taker would be hesitant to fight his brother, but with enough pushing, Kane finally got what he wanted, or at least what he thought he wanted. Taker and Kane would go at it for 15 minutes, giving each other everything they had. In the end, Taker would end up with the victory, but at a huge cost. Taker remained undefeated at Mania and Kane was still a strong monster who it took three tombstone piledrivers to finally beat.

*Triple H vs The Rock
(Summerslam 1998)

-In terms of the main event scene, this was probably the best match of the year, as Rock and Triple H put together a near classic match that showcased their talents and continued to fuel the bad blood they allegedly had for each other. With a Ladder in place, a beef between Chyna and Mark Henry, along with a few other elements including DX vs The Nation, this match had the potential to be a classic and it was just that. Rock would end up winning over the crowd more and more as the match went on, and the action was top notch overall. Rock hit the People's Elbow on the ladder, Triple H hit the pedigree and would eventually climb the ladder and win the IC Title away from The Rock. This was the beginning of the new era in wrestling that will have have effects later.

*Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Shawn Michaels
(Wrestlemania 14)

-Austin and HBK had impeccable chemistry. I sometimes wish we got more from the two, because they would only have two big one on one matches on PPV, one at King Of The Ring 1997 and this battle that headlined Mania. This match was the perfect storm and could have been the biggest classic we had seen. Mike Tyson was the special guest enforcer, which was a nice touch for this match. HBK was limited due to injury, but he still managed to put on a good show with Austin. This was the best match of the biggest show in WWF for the year, and it started the Austin run and momentum, so it is a must we discuss that match and moment in time.

*The Undertaker vs Mankind
(King Of The Ring 1998)

-So, with The Undertaker and Mankind having such a brutal rivalry, one that went through a Boiler Room Brawl, betrayal, and many other things in between, it was only right their last big PPV battle culminate in hell. While many would look at the match as one of the best Hell In A Cell contests, what I remember this match as is the match that put a few years on the career of Mick Foley and likely was a big factor in him retiring in 2000 for a few years. Simply put, Foley was taken through enormous pain and damage for this match and then some. With the loss of a tooth, the huge falls off the cage and through it, as well as the iconic moment where Foley is smiling through the pain, this match is easily one of the most important matches of the year and the entire Attitude Era.

*Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Dude Love
(WWF Over The Edge 1998)

-At the time, Austin was the man in the company and he was running the era essentially. Because of this, Dude Love was turned heel and sided with Vince McMahon in this pretty entertaining feud. The feud would lead to a match with Vince as the special guest referee stacking the deck against Austin, but Stone Cold would make it through just fine. Add in the physicality of the match, the Undertaker appearing and Stone Cold retaining and you have a near classic that resonates with many fans of various eras, much like the others here.

-True

Read More

Eyes on the Ring 5:25 AM  No comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: 5 Classic RAW Tag Team Matches

By @TrueGodImmortal

Raw 25 is a week away and many of us are excited I'm sure. With that in mind, I wanted to briefly take a look at 5 matches that were classic during the history of RAW. RAW has had some amazing matches and the list is extensive, but these 5 choices are some of the absolute best. Let's get into it.

*TLC 4
(Kane vs Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley vs Christian and Chris Jericho vs Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam)

-When we look back at this match, there is a lot to discuss. For one, Kane was without his partner The Hurricane. Two, this match features three men who took part in the first three TLC matches, but with new partners. Three, this was a part of the Raw Roulette that went down, so this match was a special treat. The spots were well executed and the crowd was live for this one, as each team attempted to walk away with the RAW tag team championships, but only one man was left standing: Kane. That's right. TLC 4 ends with Kane defeating the other 3 teams to hold onto the tag titles. Of the era of RAW that many people disliked (2002-2003), this was a definite highlight.

*Owen Hart and British Bulldog vs Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin
(May 1997)

-This match is one of the greatest tag matches in the history of the show, but it is a stand-alone classic as well. Owen and Bulldog were the tag team champions and Austin and HBK were a makeshift team that many didn't expect to work well. This match took place on my birthday, and I remember watching this live. I was excited to see Austin and Shawn team up and what we would get is an amazing match between four men who were at the top of their game. The whole aspect of the Hart Foundation being involved and Bret Hart in the wheelchair during the match was great and the moment that HBK hit the Sweet Chin Music and the three count was made, the crowd erupted for a legendary RAW moment. The beginning, the end, and the aftermath of this match is truly classic.

*Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H vs Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit
(May 2001)

-One of the toughest matches to revisit for multiple reasons, this is the greatest match in RAW history IMO. It is not only the greatest match in RAW history, but in terms of tag team matches, it might be top 3 of all time. Benoit and Jericho were hitting their primes in the ring and Austin was in the middle of his greatest year in the ring while Triple H was still at the top of his game. Through 20 minutes of intense action, it seemed as if neither team would budge. Unfortunately, following Triple H suffering his quad injury, the match would end soon after, with Benoit and Jericho picking up the victory. Truthfully, I wish the Triple H injury never happened, as I believe we could have seen 2 to 3 more minutes of this legendary bout.

*Stone Cold Steve Austin And The Rock vs Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Hulk Hogan
(March 2002)

-The NWO was a force to be reckoned with. Austin and Rock had teamed before, but they had never seen a force like the NWO. With Nash, Hogan, and Hall going against Austin and Rock, two of the greatest ever were at a disadvantage, but they held their own for most of the match. The action was just electric, as seeing Hogan and Austin do battle, Rock and Nash, as well as Austin and Nash was a lot of fun and with Hogan vs Rock on the horizon, the finish would likely be tied into that match and sure enough, Hogan would pick up the 1-2-3 over Rock in this battle. This is still one of my favorite matches on RAW and a true dream match at that. 

*Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and Edge vs Evolution
(August 2004)

-A slept on match (and I think the elimination match between the teams a few months prior was just as good), this showed the volatile battles that these men would have and how the end of Evolution was fast approaching. With Edge and Orton coming off their match for the IC Title, and Benoit getting ready for his battle at Summerslam with Orton, this match was intense and would set the tone for what was to come. From Flair and Benoit trading chops to Batista imposing his will and strength, as well as Jericho adding his element of speed and skill, this match had it all. Orton picks up the win for his team after the RKO on Benoit.

-True 

Read More

Eyes on the Ring 2:07 AM  No comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: The 5 Greatest Survivor Series Teams

By @TrueGodImmortal

With Survivor Series on the way, and such an emphasis placed on Survivor Series teams, I figured what better way to celebrate this than to give you something different for the Tag Team Tuesdays article. Let's take a look at the 5 best teams that were assembled for Survivor Series.

5. Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, The Dudley Boyz, Booker T
(Survivor Series 2003)

-On paper, this might be the best collection of talent ever, unfortunately, this team came up a little short in their Survivor Series. This team wrestled for the honor of Stone Cold Steve Austin, as the stipulation for their match said that if Austin's team lost the match, then Austin would lose his job. Regardless, I still think this team was a solid one, with a ton of talent who normally would have easily won any elimination match they were in. I actually think this was a better assembled team than the one that actually beat them.

4. Triple H, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, and The Hardy Boyz
(Survivor Series 2006)

-This is an actual team that won their match, and as a matter of fact, they absolutely dominated the contest they took part in. This collection of talent is absolutely ridiculous, and looking back, the Hardy Boyz ended up being the least important pieces of this team. Labeled Team DX, this team would take on Team Rated RKO, which consists of Edge, Randy Orton, Johnny Nitro, Mike Knox, and Greogry Helms. Mike Knox was eliminated early, then Johnny Nitro, followed by Gregory Helms, and then of course near back to back final eliminations of Edge and Orton, sweeping the competition for this group of extremely talented wrestlers. This team is an All Time great Survivor Series team.

3. Stone Cold Steve Austin, Rob Van Dam, Shane McMahon, Kurt Angle, and Booker T
(Survivor Series 2001)

-It's a bit strange having teams on here that didn't win their respective matches, but look at this team and tell me that there is another team not on this list that possesses this type of star power, draw power, and legacy. Booker T? Legend. Kurt Angle? Legend. Stone Cold? Legend. Shane and RVD at the time provided a different element to this team and as a result, I thought they were a well oiled machine. They would take part in the greatest Survivor Series match ever, but of course, they fell short. Still, this is another dream team in Survivor Series history that would have garnered a win against any other team.

2. Hulk Hogan, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and Demolition
(Survivor Series 1989)

-This is my bias: The fact that Hogan and Jake teamed up makes this no. 2 on my list. Hogan was on top of the world honestly, as the champion and face of the company and this team would end up being a bigger deal than expected. Being backed by Hogan helped, but the thing that makes this team so special to me is how well they actually worked together. Facing off against Ted Dibiase, Zeus, and the Powers of Pain, the Hulkamanicas would emerge victorious and I still can't believe that Hogan teaming with Jake didn't lead to a big feud between the two over the WWF Championship. What a waste.

1. The Rock, Chris Jericho, Kane, Big Show, The Undertaker
(Survivor Series 2001)

-There is no other team in Survivor Series history with this collection of talent in it. Not even close. The Rock, an all time legend. Chris Jericho, an all time legend. The Undertaker, an all time legend. Kane, another legend. Big Show, a legend in his own regard. This was one of the most stacked teams of all time and they would face off against my third pick on this list in the greatest Survivor Series main event in the history of the event. I loved watching the battle back and forth between those two teams, but more importantly, seeing all of those legends on one team is now a moment in time. This is without a doubt, the greatest Survivor Series team of all time.

-True 

Read More

Eyes on the Ring 11:23 AM  No comment

Retrospective: MVP's WWE Run

By @TrueGodImmortal 

When we talk about that era of WWE when they seemed to be rejecting of transition and progressing, we always have to talk about the stars that WWE never really pulled the trigger with. That time period would be the 2005-2009 era where the only huge stars the WWE really made were Batista, Randy Orton, and John Cena. Edge would rise to prominence as well, but it was mostly guys like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho (here and there), Jeff Hardy, JBL, and a few other well known names kept the company alive. Before the company put focus into the next wave of guys, they had some interesting talent rise up who deserved a main event spot, but were never given them. During 2006-2009, no wrestler exemplified that other than MVP.

The thing about MVP was that he was brash, arrogant, and for me, a talented black wrestler. He had a gimmick that was pretty simple, but it still worked. His promo skills were natural given that he was a native of Miami, Florida (by way of Opa-Locka also), known for notorious shit talkers. Taking a gimmick that was a mix of the Rod Tidwell character from Jerry Maguire (I'm assuming Vince liked that movie) and Terrell Owens, MVP would be created. A self obsessed athlete that has all the money, lives luxuriously, and always has women around. This was the initial basis of his character and despite how stereotypical it was, it still seemed to work. When MVP was appearing on Smackdown to talk to Teddy Long, the WWE played it as if he was a "free agent", keeping with the sports theme of his character. A press conference would be announced and it was noted that MVP signed with Smackdown to the biggest contract in history. I'll admit, the earlier parts of this MVP story was just not executed the right way.

Fast forward to after his first feud with Kane (and subsequently The Undertaker alongside another promising upstart Mr. Kennedy), and MVP was slightly a disappointment. He was seen as over the top and a joke almost, as his inflated tunnel for his entrance and his odd attire (many called him a Power Ranger) made him very tough to take serious. MVP wrestled in what was supposed to a bodysuit made for athletes, though it didn't really look like that. After his Kane feud, he would attempt to move into a situation that led people to take him more serious. Enter Chris Benoit. Perhaps Benoit saw something special in MVP. Whatever the case, MVP and Benoit would begin a feud over the US Title leading into WrestleMania 23 and beyond. Though MVP would come up short at Mania and at the following PPV Backlash, he would win a two out of three straight falls match for the title over Benoit at Judgment Day 2007. This would be the final Benoit PPV match in his career. MVP then embarked on a big journey and a mini feud with a legend. His brief feud with Ric Flair was seen as a test I'd assume and MVP was up to the task. He could keep up with Flair somewhat on the mic and at Night of Champions, he would cleanly defeat Flair to retain the US Title, one of his most important wins in his career. It was after this feud however that MVP would reach the peak of his WWE career.

We know Matt Hardy as a genius in wrestling, from his Version 1 days to his BROKEN brilliance, Matt has always been able to make gold out of anything in wrestling. He would end up feuding with MVP after his Flair feud and they would end up making pure magic. After a decent match at the Great American Bash, it was believed that health/injury issues (MVP had a heart condition) caused the feud to slow down for a seconf, in terms of in ring action. While they didn't really have one on one matches for a little while, there were moments that we were treated to, such as Evander Holyfield appearing to get involved, a beer drinking contest that saw Stone Cold stun MVP, and much more. MVP was also given his own talk segment with a full set up, called the VIP lounge and MVP used this to hone his promo skills and further his feud with Matt. Shortly after Summerslam, Matt and MVP would be put into a makeshift tag team and they would end up winning the tag team titles in their first go round from Deuce and Domino. Eventually, Hardy and MVP would start to get along as tag champions, leading to the hilarious odd couple style tag team that we had seen before in WWE. Regardless, for months, MVP and Matt would go back and forth as tag champions, winning matches and getting over with the fans. This is where the MVP popularity began to take off as he was a double champion (Tag and US Titles), but the truth was he was just holding this title until he and Matt broke up, then dropping the belt to Matt. However, an injury would put a halt into those plans, as Matt would be sidelined for months with an appendix issue. Matt and MVP would drop their tag titles, MVP would turn on Matt and be a full fledged heel again, then Matt would take some time away to heal and rest up.

During this time, MVP edged in short but fun feuds with Rey Mysterio, Ric Flair (again), and entering himself into the Money In the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 24. Matt Hardy made his return and the feud rekindled briefly. At Backlash the next month, MVP would drop the US Title to Matt, ending his interesting reign at 343 days. Throughout this time, MVP began honing his look even more. Adding a durag and more black bodysuits into his attire, MVP felt closer to himself than the athlete gimmick he was given. The WWE would go back to this gimmick again a bit when it was realized that due to lack of success, MVP didn't get his "incentive bonus" and would soon lose his inflated tunnel. 2008 was a rough year for MVP, despite him being pretty popular and over with fans as a heel/tweener, he was forced to go on an unnecessary losing streak, which I assume was to put him in better favor with the fans. He would get a shot at the WWE Title once in this time, going for the belt in a Championship Scramble, but for whatever reason, he didn't even get any follow up after this match. He we struggling on Smackdown until Triple H helped him win his first match in months over the Big Show which helped MVP turn into a fan favorite sort of.

Still, the transition was done oddly and it didn't register as much. He was still over, but it seemed like fans had a slightly rough time taking to him this go round. Still, he managed to win the US Title again as 2009 was getting underway, defeating Shelton Benjamin and engaging in a small feud with him during this time. MVP would be in another MITB match at Mania 25, but come up short again, though many wanted him to win. It seemed like WWE didn't see the potential in MVP that he really had. MVP was moved to RAW in the Draft and would end up kicking off his arrival with a mini battle against Randy Orton, who was the WWE Champion, but it meant nothing as he was sent back into the mid card soon after. After dropping the US Title to Kofi Kingston, MVP was once again lost in the WWE shuffle as he had been prior to his Benoit feud and after losing the US Title the first time.

MVP would be put with Mark Henry briefly in a strange pairing for a tag team, but the short lived partnership didn't seem to have any success. Following that small tag team run, MVP would get into a solid feud with the Miz, yet again over the US Title, and that was how he ended up starting 2010, his final year with the company. He wouldn't Winn the US Title back, and sure enough, the WWE would have him in yet another MITB match at Mania 26, but MVP would be successful yet again. At this point, it seemed like WWE had given up on him, despite being popular still amongst the fans. The WWE ended up sending him back to Smackdown, but it was clear the WWE didn't know what to do with MVP or his talent. He had a brief feud with CM Punk and Luke Gallows alongside Rey Mysterio, but that was quickly scrapped and MVP did nothing for months.

He would be on the Smackdown show usually, but would miss the PPVs or be stuck doing dark matches, like when he lost to Zack Ryder in a dark match at Fatal Four Way or defeated Chavo Guerrero in a dark match at two different PPVs on the year. It was an embarrassing moment to see WWE waste him and his talent like that but also not a surprise. WWE was centered on Batista, Taker, HHH, Jericho, Cena, Orton, HBK, and Edge during the heyday of MVP and he was never going to get a fair chance in that era. He would end up asking for his release after a horrible showing at Survivor Series 2010 where he was the first man eliminated at the 5 on 5 match. Despite a shot at the Intercontinental Title against Dolph Ziggler, MVP was given no other opportunities and after getting his release from WWE, he would never look back. If anything, this story will let you know that the WWE is capable of letting good talent go to waste. MVP wasn't the greatest, but he was fun to watch and had something sort of special. It's a shame WWE never really gave him the shine he deserved beyond the US Title picture.

-True

Read More

Eyes on the Ring 3:39 AM  No comment