'Good' Pro Wres Streaming Links

[LWPD]

Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels 11/25/92

tinyurl.com/qeqll

Of all the matches these two have had with one another over the years...this was my personal favorite. At the time a combination of the steroid controversy and a falling out with 'first choice' the Ultimate Warrior had propelled Vince to elevate from with-in. Bret and Shawn were two of the primary beneficiaries. Arguably 1 and 1a in terms of in ring ability it was here where they were handed the ball in the main event of Survivor Series 92...the biggest test of either man's career. The pressure was on and you can judge for yourself how well they did under the spotlight.

Like Watching Paint Dry (good opening promo by the Hitman...with a lot of truth thrown in)

"No doubt both men are proponents of integrated conditioning....ICO-PRO!"

-Vince plugging his then supplement venture

[LWPD]

Hulk Hogan vs Great Muta 5/3/93

tinyurl.com/e6gzu

This from New Japan and was the main event of Wrestling Dontaku '93. This occurred at the tail end of his WWF run and just before his WCW stint. To build hype Hogan declared in a promo that the IWGP tile was 'more prestigious' than the WWF title. This stands as an eye opener as to how much more Hogan was capable of doing in the ring...when he wanted to. Muta was in his prime here and brings a nice mix of old school psychology, explosive athleticism and the 'sports entertainment' elements that he came to master during his tours of America.

Like Watching Paint Dry (as the headline match Hogan/Muta did 55,000 at the Fukuoka Dome...a credit to both men's legacies)

[LWPD]

Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs 1/26/87

tinyurl.com/mokjn

This was from the old WWF Superstars weekend show. A short but effective story used to transition the tag titles. Dynamite Kid had injured his back so severely that Vince ordered him to be piggy backed to the ring so he'd at least be 'visible' during the switch. He was physically incapable of working in the ring due to the pain do DBS did the match by himself. As a side story 'controversial' referee Danny Davis was in the midst of his heel turn with VKM doing a great job of putting over his 'bias'.

Like Watching Paint Dry (these were two of the best teams of the 80's...and some of their archived house show matches are worth the effort to track down)

[LWPD]

Abdullah The Butcher vs. Bruiser Brody 6/86

tinyurl.com/pbzj3

This is from World Class Championship Wrestling based out of Texas. It's the standard Abby/Brody 'brawl throughout the arena' match. The formula they developed worked for what it was as they battle to an 'inconclusive finish' as a teaser for a gimmick style rematch to be sold off television at local house shows. Throughout the early to mid '80's the two men would often take their 'act on the road' as they drew money working the territories, Japan, Puerto Rico and tons of other gigs. Looking back one would be hard pressed to find a program that drew more money in as many different places for as long as the Brody/Abby formula match did.

Like Watching Paint Dry (this makes for a good 'compare and contrast' with the Samoa Joe/Necro Butcher match to see how styles and match content can change over the years while trying to get over the same principal story)

[LWPD]

Jumbo Tsuruta, Yoshinari Ogawa & Masanobu Fuchi vs Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, All Japan 7/26/91

tinyurl.com/pjxxx

This was an excellent showcase of 'young guns' Misawa & Kawada working with Jumbo at the tail end of his peak. Also featured is a very young Ogawa sandwiched with solid vets Fuchi and Kikuchi. Six solid all around performers that hint at the sheer depth of the All Japan roster of the day in this great 6 man tag.

LWPD (from purely an 'in ring talent' perspective this period for All Japan would prove very difficult to beat)

[LWPD]

Bruno Sammartino vs Ivan Koloff 1/18/71

tinyurl.com/ezy3u

This is archive footage from MSG. At the time Bruno had demanded the title be taken off him as he wanted away from the road so he could spend more time with his family. Ivan Koloff was an excellent in ring performer who remains underrated to this day. Here he was pegged to play the role of a transitional Champion. IK would drop the strap to Pedro Morales just 3 weeks later at the next MSG show.

LWPD (Ivan's flying knee drop was very high end for the era and would fit right in with what passes for aerial offense today)

[Chad Olson]

That Hennig - Bock feud is one of my favorites. I have great memories of the title chase and double turn that took place. The 60 minute match is great; I only hope it will find it's way on the upcoming WWE AWA DVD release.

The Bruno - Ivan footage was pretty sweet too, thanks for sharing!

[LWPD]

isuchado said:

That Hennig - Bock feud is one of my favorites. I have great memories of the title chase and double turn that took place. The 60 minute match is great; I only hope it will find it's way on the upcoming WWE AWA DVD release.

The Bruno - Ivan footage was pretty sweet too, thanks for sharing!

What impresses me most about Bockwinkel during the 80's was how effective a performer he was given his age. It's a shame that little in the way of footage is available of NB's work in his prime years during the 70's.

LWPD (who wonders how much of the vast history of the AWA was preserved from what Vince brought from Verne....and how much will ever see the light of day)

[canadianpittbull]

These are some great matches! Oh here is one I found that is really cool!



A rare match held in 1983 in New Japan pro wrestling between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Some great stuff!

[LWPD]

Sting vs Cactus Jack 6/20/92

tinyurl.com/rqnz4

This is from a WCW PPV called Beach Blast 92. It takes place under Falls Count Anywhere rules. Cactus Jack is played by a young Mick Foley who was a chronic bump taker in his early years. At this stage CJ was able to achieve acclaim in some circles for his work ethic and exemplary use of 'patching together' stand out spots. While Sting tends to be underrated as a limited wrestler who had to be carried....looking back one will find many instances where he was able to carry his share of the load and put on solid matches when motivated. Here Sting shows a willingness to work a brawling style and takes some high end bumps for the time frame. It's a good look at a pre-ECW era 'garbage style' match without blood or too many excessive risks involved.

LWPD (even back then Mick Foley was among the best promo men in the business...and was able to use his talent to 'get himself over' in spite of very poor creative support)

[Chad Olson]

"What impresses me most about Bockwinkel during the 80's was how effective a performer he was given his age. It's a shame that little in the way of footage is available of NB's work in his prime years during the 70's.

LWPD (who wonders how much of the vast history of the AWA was preserved from what Vince brought from Verne....and how much will ever see the light of day)"

I have most of the AWA PPVs that were available before WWE bought the footage. From what I understand, a lot of those have been recycled by the WWE on their 24/7 shows. There wasn't a lot of Bock's matches on their, but that could have been due to who they chose to spotlight; Hogan, Ventura, Warriors & the Rockers, and not due to availability.

I do have a few tapes I've traded for with Bock in some great matches against Jim Brunzell. Plus, there's always his All Japan stuff against Jumbo Tsuruta. I'd like to see footage of his early 80s Mid-Atlantic tour vs. Rick Steamboat, but I've never tracked anything down.

[LWPD]

Randy Savage & Lanny Poffo vs. The Rock n' Roll Express 6/25/84

tinyurl.com/o56al

This was from the Mid Southern promotion out of Memphis and stands as a reminder of just how strong the young talent pool was during the 80's territorial system. Morton and Gibson would go on to have a lengthy money run for Jim Crockett Promotions...while Randy Savage would achieve super stardom as a singles performer. Lanny as seen here was very acrobatic with good psychology...yet for whatever reason he never lived up to his full potential. This was a very fast paced match that became 'famous' due to the piledriver spot on the outside...a very high end bump for it's time.

LWPD (on the outside Angelo Poffo....local legend and father to Randy and Lanny...can be seen making an appearance)

[Big Bri]

The greatest hyperlink ever.

[LWPD]

The Destroyer vs Stan Hansen 10/30/75

Part 1
Part 2

This was divided up into two parts to preserve video quality and runs about 15 minutes in total. The Destroyer is shown working in his prime and at this point had become a legend in All Japan. He faces a very 'green' Stan Hansen who only had about 2 years experience in the business and was making his first tour for Baba. SH shows his 'go go' style work ethic was there from the start while Beyer does an excellent job of guiding the athletic yet at times awkward youngster to an entertaining contest.

LWPD (today both men could legitimately be referred to as legends...which makes this 'before Stan Hansen was a star' match fun to watch in retrospect)

[LWPD]

Rey Mysterio Jr vs Juventud Guerrera 4/25/95

tinyurl.com/nh7ns

This was from the AAA promotion in Mexico. The two feuded early in their careers in the context of a family rivalry. Note the depth of both men's mastery of the basics combined with high end move sets, athleticism and rapid pacing made the two 'state of the art' for their time. They would be among the first of the luchadores Eric Bischoff would recruit into WCW

LWPD (the Rey/Juvi matches from any promotion hold up very well with time...and while it can be argued that Rey has become a much 'smarter' worker over the years...I much prefer watching him in earlier matches like this)

[canadianpittbull]

bigbri said:

The greatest hyperlink ever.

OMG!! I love it! Man that was hilarious! I think that guy had a better promo than some of the guys in the WWE! Classic!

[LWPD]

Kurt Angle vs Taz 1/23/00

tinyurl.com/hnej9

This took place at the 2000 Royal Rumble and stands as a strong debut that ultimately led to nowhere. At the time Kurt Angle was doing the 'undefeated streak' gig as Taz came in as his mystery opponent... a mystery many in attendance at MSG had already solved through putting together the hints of the lead in videos. It's a mystery of the mind why there really was no creative follow through with the Taz push.

LWPD (Taz had a natural charisma that really can't be taught ...had he been taller the sky would have been the limit for him)

[LWPD]

Hulk Hogan vs Antonio Inoki 4/83

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

This match is from the New Japan promotion and is broken up into 'four parts' that run about 37 minutes in total. It plays to a packed house between touring gaijin superstar Hulk Hogan and native legend Antonio Inoki. Note the TREMENDOUS crowd reaction from start to finish as the pre-Hulkamania era Hogan does an excellent job of playing the arrogant 'foreign' heel to Inoki's 'hero defending his turf' act. While Inoki was never renowned for his in ring skills...he was a master showman who's stage presence, natural charisma and uncanny ability to build rapport with the audience really come to the forefront in this sampling. It's ironic that these were the very same traits Hogan himself would come to master during the WWF national expansion....where he was handed the ball and provided the platform to play the role Inoki is seen performing here.

LWPD (while in retrospect neither Inoki or Hogan would rank very high on the 'work rate' scale...few in pro wres ever did better box office than the numbers these two consistently put up over their careers...an International example of the fact that making real money in the business has very little to do with the 'rasslin' content in and of itself)

[LWPD]

Antonio Inoki vs Chota Chochoshvili 4/24/89

tinyurl.com/pyks8

This 'worked' Mixed Martial Arts match took place for the New Japan promotion with-in a circle shaped ring sans the ropes. It was the main event of the very first NJPW Tokyo Dome card and did a monster gate for the time. CC was a legit Sport Sambo practitioner who had never before done a pro wres style match...making the in ring content very interesting to say the least. This stands as a harbinger of Inoki's later flirtations with mixing and matching MMA and pro wres while using other NJPW wrestlers as human guinea pigs.

LWPD (ever the smart business man Inoki would later get his 'win back' in a rematch as the two main evented another money show....the mysterious Chochoshvili has since faded from the public eye)

[LWPD]

Barry Windham vs 2 Cold Scorpio 6/16/93

tinyurl.com/fdu6z

This was from the WCW Clash of Champions XXIII. At the time WCW would hold sporadic 'prime time specials' sans using enhancement talent to serve as a promotional teaser for their PPV and house show programs. Here Barry Windham defends the NWA World Title against challenger 2 Cold Scorpio. BW was among the best working big men of his generation. A second generation star who had excellent timing, athleticism and a technical proficiency matched by few. Scorpio was known for using high end acrobatics...but was prone to 'drifting' and losing focus both inside and outside the ring. Was the master ring general Windham capable of guiding a game Scorpio to the point of producing a memorable match? Judge for yourself if this stands the test of time.

LWPD (it's a shame that back in 89 BW missed out on his big WWF singles push as 'The Widowmaker' ... he was in the best shape of his life but was forced to leave due to FBI Agents following him from town to town while investigating his alleged connection with his father's money laundering scheme...thereafter injuries and a slew of personal problems would keep him from ever realizing his immense potential)