Post by TheShowJordanRichards on Aug 24, 2018 6:20:52 GMT -5
This thread is devoted to the iconic programs that were considered "blood feuds," but are best known for the workrate of the matches involved as opposed to the "violence" of the feud itself.
With that in mind, my two favorite rivalries in that regard are:
1. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat ~ I think it can be said safely that this is the standard-bearer for all feuds with great matches, anywhere in the world or in any era. While the angle had more violence in the seventies than any other time (e.g. Steamboat face-scrubbing incident), their matches were known for the awe-inspiring action between the ropes. The program ran off and on from 1977-1994, making it one of the longest and most storied rivalries in all of wrestling lore. They never had a bad match and they had dozens, if not hundreds, of instant classics. In fact, Dave Meltzer's very first 6-star rating was for a 3/16/1989 Landover, MD afternoon title defense by Steamboat against Flair (FYI, they did a night shot in Philly the same day that got a 4.75 rating). My all-time favorite matches ever are their "Night of Champions" battle in New York on 5/29/1984 and the Clash of the Champions 56-minute affair on 4/2/1989 in New Orleans.
2. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi ~ These two Japanese legends lit it up in "King's Road" classics of mythic proportions from the mid-nineties through the early 2000s. Misawa owned the series, as he was considered the ace. But, I always had a soft spot for Kobashi, who I thought was the better overall worker (personal preference). They've had too many great battles to list, but my favorite was 3/1/2003, when Kobashi bested Misawa in one of the stiffest, yet most well-worked title matches ever to capture the NOAH Global Honored Crown.
So, what are your all-time favorite rivalries that burned up the mat???
Now remember, the criteria for this thread is workrate-based feuds. So, no Abdullah the Butcher vs. Carlos Colons or The Sheik vs. Bobo Brazils mentioned here. While those were classic feuds, they didn't produce classic matches.
So, keeping that in mind, let's get nostalgic!
