Most Compelling Matches?

[PsychoBlack]

With the brackets being released just a few minutes ago I decided that I'd start my research now. Ive chosen two matches from each bracket except the ECW one where i have chosen three, that regardless of seeding should come down to the wire.
WWE Region

Dory Funk Jr Vs Arn Anderson.
I had to choose this match because it's two different era's of old school clashing. In the 60's and 70's Funk was the NWA's go to guy and held the title for about 4 years. However despite never winning a world title Arn was always a top draw and has the respect of almost all wrestling fans for his dedication and passion for this business. My pick is Funk simply because of his worldwide dominance.

Jushin Liger Vs Ron Simmons
Liger may be the greatest in ring performer of all time. Now with that being said he's never been in a huge match against someone with the size power and speed combo that Simmons' possesses. Simmons from around 1992 to to 1997 when the Nation ended was a BEAST if it wasn't for the rise of Austin he very well could have been the first black WWE champion, however during his prime I dont know if he ever went one on one with anyone that was as fluid and smooth in the ring as Liger. This should be a good one and if everyone does their research Simmons should win he's way to much for liger's offense and no one would believe him winning.

WCW Region

Edge vs Pat Patterson
These two in their prime could sell out any arena in North America. Edge may be one of the smartest competitors to ever step inside the ring, but Pat patterson just put it on people all throughout his career. If you were making a dream card you might consider having an angle between these two. I feel like Edge will go over due to his success as a face and Patterson's inability to beat the top guys.

Mitsuharu Misawa Vs Kenta Kobashi
If i have to explain this one you should probably pick a new hobby. Kobashi wins here just because i always thought he was leagues ahead of Misawa.

ECW Region

Sting Vs Ed Lewis
Sting has "IT". Whatever "IT" is Sting has it. I dont think there has ever been anyone like Sting in the entire industry ever. He played the colorful face and quickly turned to the dark fuck the world type of character and did it perfectly. He wouldn't have been around though if it weren't for people like Lewis though his contribution to wrestling can never be questioned. Regardless i have to take Sting here just because of the "IT" factor

Samoa Joe vs Chris Jericho
The Chris Jericho from around 2000 up until 2004 going up against Samoa Joe from 2005-2007 would put on a match that would be simply orgasmic. The back and forth action would keep fans on the edge of their seat all throughout. I have to go with Jericho here just because of what Joe has became recently.

Scott Steiner vs Tully Blanchard
I'm not quite sure which Scott Steiner everyone is envisioning here. I'll go with his early 90's persona you know when he was still good. Scott Steiner and Tully Blanchard are two of the best technical marvels of the last 40 years and this match would also be an instant classic. Tully goes over here due to the 4 horseman leading to a Steiner Bro's Vs Horseman feud.

International Region

Batista vs Yokozuna
This might be the only match in the tournament where I'm clueless as to who would win. Batista's biggest strength in the ring is just that his strength. Yokozuna however is sort of an immovable object. Batista became great in 2008 after his feud with Taker but I still dont see how he would be able to do anything with Yoko.

Stan Hansen vs Kerry Von Erich
This one comes down to a fight. thats what these to did, give ass kickings and take them. Hansen should go over though due to his success against superior opponents

 

[Peoples_Champ]

Those are all going to be close, but I would add one more

Jeff Jarrett vs. Rick Rude - Two great performers, both with their own fans and positives. I gotta think that votes will be split on these two.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Most of the first round matches are obvious, but there are a few very compelling match-ups I'm excited to see play out.

Booker T vs Christian: Two upper-mid card guys that have been around the block for quite a long time. Booker T's WCW accomplishments should be enough to put him over, but you never really know with things like this. People REALLY like E&C, and with last year's World Title run there's a good chance Christian could pull out the slight upset.

James Storm vs Roddy Piper: So here's the thing... If you compare their careers this should be a no-brainer. Piper's legacy should be more than enough to outweigh Storm's few good years in TNA. But there's so many ways people like to take the Wrestlezone tournament. If it were just a matter of who the better wrestler is, Piper wins. But if you put them in the ring together TODAY, Storm would probably go over. I guess we'll see what happens. My money is on Piper though.

Bret Hart vs Daniel Bryan: The 10 seed vs the 119 seed. The best there was, is, and ever will be going head-to-head with the current World Champion, Ring of Honor legend, potential future of the industry, Mr "Yes", etc. So will the forum readers go with legacy over current status? Will they jump on the Daniel Bryan bandwagon? Yes, yes, yes? Once again it just comes down to how the readers cast their vote. It's improbable, but I think Bryan has a better chance now than he ever has before...

Owen Hart vs Eddie Guerrero: Well, not to be cruel, but you don't have to worry about this coming down to a battle of who would win TODAY... this could be the battle of the whole damn tournament if all goes as expected. They are seeded within two of each other. They were both fantastic in-ring performers. Again, not to be cruel, but their deaths blew up their careers and catapulted them to levels of success they may have never reached on their own. Personally I'll be rooting for Eddie Guerrero, as I was never a huge Owen fan and Eddie was one of my all-time favorites. But I could understand completely if this comes down to the wire. It's just too bad that if he DOES make it past Owen Hart, he won't make it past Hulk Hogan...

Also, assuming the first round pans out as expected, the showdown between Randy Savage and Brock Lesnar should be interesting. Macho Man should see a LOT of support trying to get him to #1, but Lesnar is usually a favorite and with his most recent return to Raw I'm honestly not sure who ends up winning this. So many other interesting 2nd round matches could potentially happen, including Mysterio/Benoit, Booker T/Steve Austin (the winner SHOULD be obvious, but they do have a long history together), Big Show/Vader, etc. I'm especially excited to see what happens if CM Punk and Edge face off, and then to see the winner of that match-up go on to face either Daniel Bryan or Bret Hart. Literally any combo of those 4 is going to be tough...

 

[Diet Soda]

Undertaker vs. Vince McMahon
One of the most accomplished superstars of all time, or the man without whom none of this would be happening?

 

[Larry]

Mitsuharu Misawa Vs Kenta Kobashi - I have to agree wholeheartedly with the OP on this match, no explanation necessary, and if you do need an explanation you should probably find another hobby. This is like Godzilla vs King Ghidorah. I really have a hard time making a decision here, but in the end I just can't go against Misawa. How do you? Not to downplay Kenta at all, but Misawa is arguably the greatest Japanese wrestler of all time. Flip a coin though, this one is toooootally in the air.

Speaking of anyone named Kenta though, Where was Kobayashi in the mix? What about Toshiaki Kawada? Jun Akiyama? Shinya Hashimoto? Jumbo Tsuruta? Genichiro Tenryu? Shinjiro Ohtani? Akira Taue? Koji Kanemoto? I'm sure I'm missing some but you get the idea. Japan has a lot more than the few that made it in. I guess you've got to make sure there are more familiar faces in there. I doubt a lot of people are familiar with a lot of these guys. BUT, it would still be cool to see some more of them involved some time in the future.

Stan Hansen vs Kerry Von Erich - This is another first rounder that is going to be electric. Stan Hansen is one of the ultimate legit bad asses of all time and an under appreciated legend in his own right. Kerry Von Erich, we unfortunately didn't get to see really meet his full potential at least not at the highest levels of the sport. Maybe it's a sentimental thing or an element of sadness about his death, but I feel that Von Erich would come through on this one after a very rough battle against The Lariat. I have no doubt in my mind that this could easily go to Hansen as he is obviously the more prolific tough guy here, but Kerry Von Erich was probably a better all around wrestler, and I also have to take into account that he was a much better physical specimen in immaculate shape which in my mind gives him an edge. Not solely because he looks to be in better shape, but since he is, I'd have to imagine that when Hansen runs out of steam, Von Erich is hitting 5th gear.

Owen Hart vs Eddie Guerrero - This match could possibly be a show stealer on any card. With two athletes of this caliber, two talented wrestlers like this, there's no doubt in my mind that this would be a highly competitive match from both men. In my mind at aleast, no amount of lying, cheating, and stealing would allow Eddie Guerrero to get past The King of Harts, Owen Hart. Owen was just so good, and not just good in comparison to the guys he wrestled, but on any level Owen was phenomenal. I always hated his character, but could never deny how damn good he was. This one could go either way, and to be honest I don't think either outcome is exactly a travesty.

 

[NSL]

I think the expected SECOND ROUND match of Kurt Angle versus Jake Roberts is the most compelling. Anyone cum as hard as I did, when they saw that??

I know the posters here will vote Angle handily, but think about it...A Roberts DDT on that neck? It could be over in an instant. The world might explode if that match really took place in their primes...

 

[Loveless]

Just interested in seeing the voting patterns so far and which match has gotten the most interest. I'll be updating this as further results come in.

Chris Jericho vs. Samoa Joe - 114
Kane vs. William Regal - 111
Harley Race vs. Umaga - 110
Roddy Piper vs. James Storm - 100
Bret Hart vs. Daniel Bryan - 98
Jerry Lawler vs. Brian Pillman - 97
Sting vs. Ed Lewis - 94
Rob Van Dam vs. Gene Kiniski - 93
Shawn Michaels vs. Ernie Ladd - 91
John Cena vs. Carlos Colon - 90
Edge vs. Pat Patterson - 89
Ultimate Warrior. vs. Jim Duggan - 86
Andre the Giant vs. Animal - 86
Rikidozan vs. Goldust - 85
Dory Funk Jr. vs. Arn Anderson - 85
CM Punk vs. Pedro Morales - 85
Lex Luger vs. Davey Boy Smith - 84
Ultimo Dragon vs. Steve Williams - 82
Verne Gagne vs. Shane Douglas - 79
Nick Bockwinkel vs. Sid Vicious - 78
Bob Backlund vs. Ken Shamrock - 73
Jack Brisco vs. Billy Graham - 72
Mitsuhara Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi - 69
Bruiser Brody vs. Blue Demon - 66


-------------------------------------------
Dallas (American Airlines Center)
Hulk Hogan vs. Hawk
Owen Hart vs. Eddie Guerrero
AJ Styles vs. Big Daddy
Curt Hennig vs. John Bradshaw Layfield

Los Angeles (Staples Center)
El Santo vs. Don Muraco
Mil Mascaras vs. Sgt. Slaughter
Jushin Liger vs. Ron Simmons
Mick Foley vs. Jerry Lynn

Charlotte (Time Warner Cable Arena)
Undertaker vs. Vince McMahon
Jeff Jarrett vs. Rick Rude
Dusty Rhodes vs. Raven
Giant Baba vs. Taz

Minneapolis (Target Center)
Kurt Angle vs. Honky Tonk Man
Jake Roberts vs. Barry Windham
Stan Hansen vs. Kerry Von Erich
Antonio Inoki vs. Magnum TA

San Francisco (Cow Palace)
Randy Savage vs. Masahiro Chono
Brock Lesnar vs. Antonino Rocca
Chris Benoit vs. Frank Gotch
Rey Mysterio vs. Abdullah the Butcher

St Louis (Scottrade Center)
HHH vs. Bubba Ray Dudley
Kevin Nash vs. Jeff Hardy
Batista vs. Yokozuna
Ricky Steamboat vs. Tiger Mask #1

Chicago (Allstate Arena)
Steve Austin vs. Sabu
Booker T vs. Christian
Ted DiBiase vs. Big Bossman
Great Muta vs. Rick Martel

East Rutherford (Meadowlands)
Lou Thesz vs. Nikita Koloff
Diamond Dallas Page vs. Greg Valentine
Goldberg vs. Jimmy Snuka
Bruno Sammartino vs. Larry Zbyszko

London 02 Arena
The Rock vs. One Man Gang
Scott Hall vs. Dynamite Kid
Vader vs. Gory Guerrero
Big Show vs. Bam Bam Bigelow

Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena)
Ric Flair vs. Giant Haystacks
Scott Steiner vs. Tully Blanchard
Randy Orton vs. Tito Santana
Terry Funk vs. Dean Malenko

 

[Danger Burger]

Just incase you guys missed it, with three minutes to go, i'm putting AJ vs BIG DADDY as extremely compelling! Tied with 65 votes either way!! Wowzers its a tough one!! Not sure if thats what this thread is for, but that was/is one of the most heated i'v seen here!! Pure entertainment!!

 

[Loveless]

AJ Styles vs. Big Daddy - 130
Chris Jericho vs. Samoa Joe - 114
Kane vs. William Regal - 111
Steve Austin vs. Sabu - 111
Harley Race vs. Umaga - 110
Undertaker vs. Vince McMahon - 109
Booker T vs. Christian - 104
Roddy Piper vs. James Storm - 100
Bret Hart vs. Daniel Bryan - 98
Jerry Lawler vs. Brian Pillman - 97
Owen Hart vs. Eddie Guerrero - 95
Batista vs. Yokozuna - 95
Sting vs. Ed Lewis - 94
Curt Hennig vs. John Bradshaw Layfield - 93
Rob Van Dam vs. Gene Kiniski - 93
Jeff Jarrett vs. Rick Rude - 92
Kevin Nash vs. Jeff Hardy - 91
Shawn Michaels vs. Ernie Ladd - 91
John Cena vs. Carlos Colon - 90
Edge vs. Pat Patterson - 89
Dusty Rhodes vs. Raven - 89
Ultimate Warrior. vs. Jim Duggan - 86
Andre the Giant vs. Animal - 86
Rikidozan vs. Goldust - 85
Dory Funk Jr. vs. Arn Anderson - 85
CM Punk vs. Pedro Morales - 85
Lex Luger vs. Davey Boy Smith - 84
Ultimo Dragon vs. Steve Williams - 82
Verne Gagne vs. Shane Douglas - 79
Nick Bockwinkel vs. Sid Vicious - 78
Giant Baba vs. Taz - 77
HHH vs. Bubba Ray Dudley - 77
Bob Backlund vs. Ken Shamrock - 73
Scott Hall vs. Dynamite Kid - 73
Jack Brisco vs. Billy Graham - 72
Mitsuhara Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi - 69
Ted DiBiase vs. Big Bossman - 68
Hulk Hogan vs. Hawk - 68
Bruiser Brody vs. Blue Demon - 66
Ricky Steamboat vs. Tiger Mask #1 - 66
The Rock vs. One Man Gang - 66
Jake Roberts vs. Barry Windham - 65
Vader vs. Gory Guerrero - 64
Big Show vs. Bam Bam Bigelow - 63
Kurt Angle vs. Honky Tonk Man - 58
Antonio Inoki vs. Magnum TA - 54
Great Muta vs. Rick Martel - 53
Stan Hansen vs. Kerry Von Erich - 52


-------------------------------------------

Los Angeles (Staples Center)
El Santo vs. Don Muraco
Mil Mascaras vs. Sgt. Slaughter
Jushin Liger vs. Ron Simmons
Mick Foley vs. Jerry Lynn

San Francisco (Cow Palace)
Randy Savage vs. Masahiro Chono
Brock Lesnar vs. Antonino Rocca
Chris Benoit vs. Frank Gotch
Rey Mysterio vs. Abdullah the Butcher

Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena)
Ric Flair vs. Giant Haystacks
Scott Steiner vs. Tully Blanchard
Randy Orton vs. Tito Santana
Terry Funk vs. Dean Malenko

Lou Thesz vs. Nikita Koloff
Diamond Dallas Page vs. Greg Valentine
Goldberg vs. Jimmy Snuka
Bruno Sammartino vs. Larry Zbyszko

 

[Loveless]

AJ Styles vs. Big Daddy - 130
Chris Jericho vs. Samoa Joe - 114
Kane vs. William Regal - 111
Steve Austin vs. Sabu - 111
Harley Race vs. Umaga - 110
Undertaker vs. Vince McMahon - 109
Booker T vs. Christian - 104
Roddy Piper vs. James Storm - 100
Bret Hart vs. Daniel Bryan - 98
Jerry Lawler vs. Brian Pillman - 97
Owen Hart vs. Eddie Guerrero - 95
Batista vs. Yokozuna - 95
Sting vs. Ed Lewis - 94
Curt Hennig vs. John Bradshaw Layfield - 93
Rob Van Dam vs. Gene Kiniski - 93
Jeff Jarrett vs. Rick Rude - 92
Kevin Nash vs. Jeff Hardy - 91
Shawn Michaels vs. Ernie Ladd - 91
John Cena vs. Carlos Colon - 90
Edge vs. Pat Patterson - 89
Dusty Rhodes vs. Raven - 89
Ultimate Warrior. vs. Jim Duggan - 86
Andre the Giant vs. Animal - 86
Rikidozan vs. Goldust - 85
Dory Funk Jr. vs. Arn Anderson - 85
CM Punk vs. Pedro Morales - 85
Lex Luger vs. Davey Boy Smith - 84
Ultimo Dragon vs. Steve Williams - 82
Verne Gagne vs. Shane Douglas - 79
Mick Foley vs. Jerry Lynn - 79
Jushin Liger vs. Ron Simmons - 78
Nick Bockwinkel vs. Sid Vicious - 78
Giant Baba vs. Taz - 77
HHH vs. Bubba Ray Dudley - 77
Chris Benoit vs. Frank Gotch - 75
Bob Backlund vs. Ken Shamrock - 73
Scott Hall vs. Dynamite Kid - 73
Jack Brisco vs. Billy Graham - 72
Rey Mysterio vs. Abdullah the Butcher - 72
Scott Steiner vs. Tully Blanchard - 72
Mitsuhara Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi - 69
Terry Funk vs. Dean Malenko - 69
Ted DiBiase vs. Big Bossman - 68
Hulk Hogan vs. Hawk - 68
Bruiser Brody vs. Blue Demon - 66
Ricky Steamboat vs. Tiger Mask #1 - 66
The Rock vs. One Man Gang - 66
Randy Savage vs. Masahiro Chono - 65
Jake Roberts vs. Barry Windham - 65
Vader vs. Gory Guerrero - 64
Big Show vs. Bam Bam Bigelow - 63
Diamond Dallas Page vs. Greg Valentine - 62
Goldberg vs. Jimmy Snuka - 61
Ric Flair vs. Giant Haystacks - 59
Kurt Angle vs. Honky Tonk Man - 58
Lou Thesz vs. Nikita Koloff - 57
Brock Lesnar vs. Antonino Rocca - 56
Bruno Sammartino vs. Larry Zbyszko - 54
Antonio Inoki vs. Magnum TA - 54
Great Muta vs. Rick Martel - 53
Mil Mascaras vs. Sgt. Slaughter - 53
Stan Hansen vs. Kerry Von Erich - 52
Randy Orton vs. Tito Santana - 51
El Santo vs. Don Muraco - 45

I don't think anyone would have expected that to be the most voted match but it turned into a war. UK Vs USA, old school vs new school, flyer vs brawler.
Obviously the lower voted matches were due to non contests but still, you wouldn't expect to see Orton, Lesnar, Angle, Flair, Goldberg that low.

 

[Davi323]

ROUND 2

These matches piqued my interest the most in anticipation of reading the round 2 debates.

WWE
(4) El Santo vs. (13) Mil Mascaras
-Admittedly, I know very little about either wrestler, however based on their reputations as two of the greatest luchadors of all time, I gotta admit, I am looking forward to just reading the arguments.

(7) Bob Backlund vs. (10) Nick Bockwinkel
-This one has upset written all over it. Nick Bockwinkel should have been higher than a 10 seed, but, it is what it is. As a 10 seed, I can see quite an argument as to why he should go over Backlund in what would technically be an upset.

WCW
(5) Bruno Sammartino vs. (12) Goldberg
-MORE POWER!!!!!! Actually, I just want to see the young'ns try to argue why Goldberg would somehow destroy Bruno in a match. Should be good for a few laughs.

(6) Edge vs. (11) CM Punk
-This one also has upset written all over it, given the current love fest with CM Punk going on. I would probably go with Edge overall, but Punk is going to get a lot of votes just because he is CM Punk.

ECW
(8) Big Show b. (9) Vader
-Battle to determine who the 2nd best big man is (behind Andre). This would be a true clash of the Titans.

(6) Chris Jericho vs. (11) Jerry Lawler
-I have no idea who I am going to vote for here, I just know that I would pay a lot of money to watch these two guys wrestle in their primes against each other.

INTERNATIONAL
(5) Antonio Inoki vs. (12) Stan Hansen
-Greatest Japanese wrestler ever vs. Hansen, probably the best American to wrestle long term in Japan? I'd watch.

(2) Randy Savage vs. (15) Brock Lesnar
-This one worries me. A lot. I have Savage winning the entire tournament, but to have his opponent be Brock Lesnar? I can only pray that people remember just how damn good Savage was, and realize that Lesnar the wrestler =/= Lesnar the MMA fighter. This won't be a close vote. Either Savage will dominate Lesnar, or Lesnar will dominate Savage.

 

[Loveless]

Might as well


Most Popular Matches of Round 2
(11) CM Punk b. (6) Edge: 116
(14) Rob Van Dam b. (3) Harley Race: 103
(8) Curt Hennig b. (24) Big Daddy: 98
(2) Randy Savage b. (15) Brock Lesnar: 95
(7) Rey Mysterio b. (10) Chris Benoit: 93
(11) Batista b. (6) Ricky Steamboat: 89
(3) John Cena b. (14) Rikidozan: 89
(1) Hulk Hogan b. (17) Eddie Guerrero: 88
(7) Roddy Piper b. (10) Kane: 84
(12) Randy Orton b. (5) Terry Funk: 83
(3) Triple H b. (14) Kevin Nash: 82
(2) Shawn Michaels b. (15) Bruiser Brody: 81
(5) Mick Foley b. (12) Jushin Thunder Liger: 79
(5) Bruno Sammartino b. (12) Goldberg: 77
(6) Ultimate Warrior b. (11) Dory Funk Jr.: 76
(8) Big Show b. (9) Vader: 76
(6) Chris Jericho b. (11) Jerry Lawler: 76
(3) Bret Hart b. (14) Ultimo Dragon: 75
(4) Lou Thesz vs. (13) Diamond Dallas Page: 74
(2) Andre the Giant b. (18) British Bulldog: 71
(10) Verne Gagne b. (7) Mitsuharu Misawa: 71
(1) Steve Austin b. (17) Christian: 71
(9) Ted DiBiase b. (8) Great Muta: 67
(2) Sting b. (18) Billy Graham: 65
(1) The Rock b. (17) Dynamite Kid: 64
(1) Undertaker b. (17) Rick Rude: 63
(9) Dusty Rhodes b. (8) Giant Baba: 61
(7) Bob Backlund b. (10) Nick Bockwinkel: 61
(4) Ric Flair b. (13) Scott Steiner: 61
(4) El Santo b. (13) Mil Mascaras: 50
(5) Antonio Inoki b. (12) Stan Hansen: 50
(4) Kurt Angle b. (20) Barry Windham: 44