Matches of the decade and what makes them so

Having an amazing in ring match is comparable to a guy getting a woman who's a 10, when at best he's a 7.

Basically the guy showered, took off his Starbuck Sucks...in bed t-shirt, (A Battlestar Galactica reference Matt!) and managed shave off his creepy teenage mustache just enough to make him presentable to the opposite sex. He worked what little charm he had, managed to woo her, and now he's banging at a semi regular rate. When he's not playing WOW. (that's World of Warcraft to you noobs. And to my girlfriend who has undoubtedly read this by now...yes i threw away the Starbuck t-shirt...)


It's a rare feat when that happens, and it's a rare feat when a phenomenal in ring match occurs as well.

There are many factors which determine if a match is worthy of praise. I'll describe as best I can.


1. In ring chemistry -- The most basic factor is that the two or more wrestlers in the ring, are actually good wrestlers. Not if they can make the crowd cheer or boo, or posing in the ring. It's whether these guys can hit each other, put each other in holds, and make it look real. It sounds easier than it actually is however. The other wrestler getting hit or put in the maneuver must "sell" the move, or make it look like it's hurting them in a semi-realistic manner. I can't tell you how many blown spots and bumps that just take me and the crowd completely out of the match, then afterwards want to make me go take a piss or get food. It's very bad for business.

2. The feud -- Back in the territory days, (before the WWF became popular, regions of the United States had their own territories or promotions that would be exclusive in that particular part of the country) the promoters would take their champions and develop feuds with other wrestlers to cross promote and garner more revenue with their company. Feuds would extend by having tease matches (non-title matches) that would have their champion lose but not lose their title. These would last over months, and months until finally there would be the climactic match to end the feud and draw a ton of money. Within a company, most wrestlers have matches because of feuds. Why else would these guys go in a ring and grapple with each other? A Popeyes Chicken dinner? Most feuds these days occur within company. Some for titles, some for personal gain, and some that make no sense at all but their fun regardless. In order for a match to be successful, the feud, however large or trite it may be, must work in the eyes of the fans. Without a good feud, there cannot be a good match.

3. Stakes -- This can be something as little as a war of words, or a championship. (I'll say title or championship a lot. Obviously since matches are predetermined, it sounds a little silly when I say "This match was for such and such title" or whatever, but the champion of a promotion is actually essential for the wrestling business. It's a sign that says that a particular wrestler is the best guy we have, or the guy that can draw the most money and biggest reaction whether it be cheers or boos.) The stakes are huge. Why else would these guys pretend to hurt each other? The one guy stole each other's lunch money? Called their Moms a ho? Stepped on someone's Pumas? A less than stellar matchup stakes, will kill a feud, a match and possibly the wrestler being taken seriously. We as an audience have to care about what these guys are fighting for.

4. High spots -- Do me a favor. Fall on your back on your living room floor. OK you done? Kind of hurt didn't it? That's called a bump in wrestling. These guys take twenty to thirty bumps a match. In fifteen minutes. That's the norm. Needless to say, it hurts these guys aloe. Without going above and beyond the call of duty. (Modern Warfare 2 comes out soon!!! Sorry geekout...) A high spot is when a wrestler goes all out for a bump that potentially hurts him or herself permanently but wows the crowd and makes them gasp. Something that gets the crowd going already more than they already were. I cannot stress this enough; THESE GUYS RISK DEATH FOR THESE SPOTS JUST TO HEAR A CROWD REACTION. One great high spot, can change the complexity of a match, and make it far more interesting than it should have been. (See the Jeff Hardy vs CM Punk Swanton Bomb high spot for a good example)

5. Blood -- I love blood. Not in a True Blood/Twilight goth vampire stupid way. Actual blood. Blood in a match always raises the stakes for me. It makes the match seem more real. You get punched solidly in the face in real life, you're bleeding. In wrestling it can happen for like twenty minutes and nothing. But when blood comes out, it's an understanding that the match has gone to another level. It's a real feud! They're really hurting each other! They hate each other! It raises stakes. You raise stakes, the audience cares more. Simple as that.

6. The crowd -- The crowd at times can make or break a match. If they're amped, it ups the atmosphere, raises the stakes, and makes the match seem more important than it is. (See there's a pattern here) If they're dead, the whole match can seem more flat and uninteresting. Very simple.

These factors combined make or break a match.

So with that being said, I'm slowly going to reveal what I think are the matches of the decade. I'm sticking with American matches primarily. (WWF, TNA, and Ring of Honor) If you have any curiosity to check them out, then great. More than likely no one cares, so whatever. So you're just going to hear me rant regardless out of some masochistic pleasure you derive from it.

Enjoy?