Classic Matches

[dukes07]

Just watched the May 27th 02 RAW and the Ladder Match between Eddie and RVD for the IC Title was just awesome. This is stuff needs to be on TV more. It does not always have to be PPV quality but there could be and should be more wrestling; let it tell the story. The fans get all fired up, and more involved than at any other time in the show, so I am surprised more long as well as better matches are not on TV.

I will post my review and look back for some other classics too:

Match 6: Eddie Guerrero (c) v. RVD for WWE IC Title

Ladder Match!

(In Canada)

They go at it. Eddie clubs him on the back. But RVD fires back knocking Eddie to the floor. RVD leaps after him, but gets nailed. Eddie though is flung into post and then the barrier. He hammers Eddie, goes up onto the apron striking with a flying kick. Back in the ring Eddie comes back; he flings him around, striking with forearms and elbows. He works him over in the corner and then wraps the legs around the post. Eddie grabs a chair and uses it on the knee. He aggressively pounds the shit out of him. But a whip is reversed and RVD goes for a monkeyflip but not much there. Eddie drops him, nails him, and heads back to the floor where he grabs a ladder. RVD flies into him and both crash and burn after a moonsault onto the ladder and Eddie.....Benoit comes in with a ticket. Lawler squeals that it was a sellout and how did he get in. Guess it's not a sellout.

Commercial.

Eddie is in command. He has the ladder set up and he goes up but RVD dropkicks the ladder and down goes Eddie. RVD goes to work, grabs him, giving him a spinning backbreaker. He dumps him onto the ladder and then kills him and himself with some Rolling Thunder! They battle as the ladder is set back up, and are both on it. Eddie sunset flips to RVD's side and powerbombs his ass right the fuck off! RVD may be dead.

A fan runs in! A fat guy and security swarms. Eddie punched him for good measure! Lawler quips that this is Canada and essentially to be expected.

RVD is still laid out. Eddie hits him, climbs up the ladder and Frogsplashes into him! But he is slow to follow up; he tries to bash him into the chair but instead his head bounces off it. He is kicked and then RVD takes the chair and leaps into Eddie feet first. RVD places the ladder on top of Eddie and then moonsaults on top of it! He is up first. He sets it up, the ladder that is, and slowly makes the climb. He reaches for the belt but gets tossed off. Eddie tosses him into the ladder now. They brawl in the corner until Eddie is flung into the ladder. They battle some more in the corner. RVD is placed up to but he knocks Eddie back and then leaps into him before monkeyflipping him into the ladder. More Rolling Thunder onto the ladder! He slings Eddie into the corner, sets up the ladder but Eddie recovers quickly striking with a running dropkick to the knees. RVD has a chair and he kicks it back into Eddie! Eddie had the chair that is. Ladder is set back up. Frogsplash! But the ladder gives away and so it does not have quite the impact. Eddie climbs up top and gets kicked off the top and he crashes onto the floor. RVD makes the long, slow climb. Eddie slowly rolls back in but not in time. RVD WINS!

****1/2 HOLY SHIT!!

Eddie ambushes a celebrating RVD by bashing him with the ladder. Cue Austin! He hobbles down and chases down Eddie. He starts beating the piss out of him. Flair and Arn run down but get pasted. Benoit gets in the ring (I smell a rat!). The ring is already cleared and he is standing by and now behind Austin. Fans are riled up; and predictably Benoit attacks and beats down Austin! He receives some help Eddie as Flair and AA look on with shit eating grins on their faces. The Canadian fans seem a bit sad. So that is why he did not get involved in the match....

 

[Nadeem Ahmad]

Just watched the May 27th 02 RAW and the Ladder Match between Eddie and RVD for the IC Title was just awesome. This is stuff needs to be on TV more. It does not always have to be PPV quality but there could be and should be more wrestling; let it tell the story. The fans get all fired up, and more involved than at any other time in the show, so I am surprised more long as well as better matches are not on TV.

If matches such as the bout you reviewed were on televison for free, or on paid cable outside of "Pay-Per-View" more often, the viewers would accept them as the lowest standard, and they wouldn't be able to be topped.

For example, on episodes of WWF Superstars in 1991, somewhat famous wrestlers like Davey Boy Smith, also known as the British Bulldog, would fight crappy people with names like "Warlord" or Hercules, that were big men with little technical abilities, or less power than people of a similar size like a Goldberg or a Brock Lesnar from future generations. They were over on charisma, not necessarily grappling prowess.

Occasionally you would get a match pitting two fighters with above average skills, like Earthquake vs. Jake Roberts, and even they told a story in the ring without making it a superb "wrestling match". Then, later in the late nineties during the era of attitude, you saw matches with mega stars in them, like Rocky Maivia vs. Steve Austin, on a WWF Raw is War. What happened a few years later? People complain daily, not weekly nor monthly, about there being not enough "quality matches".

Anyway, yeah RVD vs. Eddie Guerrero with the ladders was pretty impressive.

 

[dukes07]

If matches such as the bout you reviewed were on televison for free, or on paid cable outside of "Pay-Per-View" more often, the viewers would accept them as the lowest standard, and they wouldn't be able to be topped.

For example, on episodes of WWF Superstars in 1991, somewhat famous wrestlers like Davey Boy Smith, also known as the British Bulldog, would fight crappy people with names like "Warlord" or Hercules, that were big men with little technical abilities, or less power than people of a similar size like a Goldberg or a Brock Lesnar from future generations. They were over on charisma, not necessarily grappling prowess.

Occasionally you would get a match pitting two fighters with above average skills, like Earthquake vs. Jake Roberts, and even they told a story in the ring without making it a superb "wrestling match". Then, later in the late nineties during the era of attitude, you saw matches with mega stars in them, like Rocky Maivia vs. Steve Austin, on a WWF Raw is War. What happened a few years later? People complain daily, not weekly nor monthly, about there being not enough "quality matches".

Anyway, yeah RVD vs. Eddie Guerrero with the ladders was pretty impressive.

I see where you are coming from. I probably did not make myself clear in my post. I just believe that there is not enough good wrestling on TV though I will say it has been getting better as of late. I watch WWE/TNA to see in ring action and not 20 minute promos. I know times have changed and it is what it is.

I don't expect a ladder match every week but I think you can have better matches. Look what WCW managed to do for years before becoming WWF-lite. WWE and TNA are capable of it too. Wrestling angles used to be told in the ring and in interviews. I understand that they have to mix it up a bit but I also feel that they have lost their way a bit. I just started watching Impact and 15 minutes in, not including commercials and we are finally getting to the first match. Seeing Aces trot down to the ring and give me a ten minute recap immediately turns me off from the show and then we get Brooke Hogan in the next segment. Hook me, start off with a match or a brawl....Anything but another boring promo.