WWE.com's Top 20 WCW Matches

[FlairFan2003]

The list is hard to gauge because of when you draw the line between when the NWA ended the company and assets functioned entirely on their own as WCW. Officially Turner Broadcasting took control from Jim Crockett Promotions in Dec 1988. However, the lose association with other smaller promotions (already being phased out by Crockett at the end of his tenure) continued and the company, assets, etc still operated as the NWA through all of 1989-90. The actual re christening and re branding of the company as WCW doesnt start till Jan 91 following Ric Flair's title win over Sting.

It seems here that WWE is going back to 1989, the first year Turner owned and operated the company even though it was still known as NWA. Still, while that makes the Flair-Steamboat Trilogy eligible for inclusion it excludes all the great matches from the NWA during The Crockett years since Magnum TA vs Tully Blanchard, Flair vs Dusty, Flair vs Barry Whyndam, Rock & Roll Express vs Midnite Express, Road Warriors vs Midnite Express, Sting vs Flair (88 Clash of Champions), Piper vs Valentine, Magnum vs Nikita Kolloff, etc.

This list seems to be an attempt to combine really big event matches with more entertaining bouts. The two dont always go hand in hand. For example, Flair vs Hogan at Bash 94 was a good match and had historical significance, personally I thought their wild re match at Clash of Champions (Aug 94) was better, as well as their Aug 96 Clash tilt when Hogan was a heel fresh off his NWO turn and Flair was a fan fave, their first battle in such roles. And none of these were as good as Flair's match on Nitro vs Eddie Guerrero (May 96) or Brett Hart (Souled Out 99).

I am surprised Sting vs Vader gets no mention, that was a major feud. Also missing was Ron Simmons World Title win, the 1st African American to win the title. Im sure WWE didnt want this to turn into a "Best of Flair" collection either although Flair vs Funk is a strong candidate. Several posters have mentione the I Quit Match which was impressive since TV censors re stricted the use of blood, weapons, etc beforehand (taking away much of the impact of a match that only ends when one guy beats his opponent into submission) but Im partial to their Great Am Bash 89 bout, a good mix of technical wrestling and brawling, with branding irons, outside interferrence, several near falls, the specter of Flair's career threatening neck injury, and one of the greatest port match brawls in wrestling history.

Finally, Goldberg should have at least one mention. My pick would be his title win vs Hogan but his Halloween Havoc 98 title defense vs DDP may have been his best match.