126. Team WCW (Roddy Piper, Diamond Dallas Page, The Warrior) vs. Team NWO Wolfpack (Kevin Nash, Lex Luger, Sting) vs. Team NWO Hollywood (Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Stevie Ray). (War Games Match for a Shot at the WCW Championship, WCW Fall Brawl 1998)

WarGames 2000 was an atrocity, a besmirchment on the very gimmick of War Games. Just when I thought I couldn’t scrape the barrel anymore, I watched the War Games match from 2000 (click here for my review). This one was the traditional, two cage set-up that War Games 2000 ignored in favour of three tiers of cages. But Fall Brawl 1998 version of War Games featured just as much nonsensical booking, lacklustre action, and unnecessary complications as War Games 2000.

125. Team Russo (Kevin Nash (c), Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, Vince Russo & The Harris Brothers (Ron & Don Harris)) defeat Sting, Goldberg, Booker T & KroniK (Brian Adams & Bryan Clarke) (War Games Match for the WCW Championship, WCW Nitro 4/9/2000)

This Saturday night, it’s WWE Survivor Series: War Games! Yes, with Papa H in charge, War Games have been taken from NXT and been promoted to the big leagues! The WWE Network has a few War Games specials on, even a ‘Best Of War Games.’ But I ignored that and went for the last War Games on WCW programming: in the dying days of WCW in 2000 on an episode of WCW Nitro! Subtitled ‘Russo’s Revenge’ (yes, really), this was emblematic of the people problems WCW was facing towards its ends. Overbooked, over-stuffed, over-complicated, and plain ridiculous at times, this War Games match sullies the very gimmick!

120. Vader (c) vs Cactus Jack (Texas Death Match for the WCW Championship, WCW Halloween Havoc 1993)

Just in time for Halloween, WWE has put The Best of WWE : Halloween Havoc’s Most Hellacious Matches on the WWE Network! One match immediately caught my eye: Vader vs Cactus Jack for the WCW Championship…in a Texas Death Match! I had a vague idea of the definition of a Texas Death match, but I was more interested in Vader vs Cactus Jack! These two put each other through hell in the mid-90s. I assumed it would be an hellacious match…but does that mean it was worth watching?

100. Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs The Warrior (WCW Halloween Havoc 1998)

For match #100 on this compendium of wrestling reviews, I had to watch something rather special, didn’t I? Now, I’ve watched Meltzer’s highest rated bout ever, in the form of Okada/Omega at NJPW Dominion 2018. Rather than seek out a great bout, I skewed to the other end. I wanted to find one of the worst (mainstream) bouts ever. Meltzer has rated five bouts -5*, if you can believe it. The one that piqued my interest was Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs The Warrior at WCW Halloween Havoc 1998. Let’s find out if it is as bad as he rated it…

31. Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger vs Chris Benoit (Starrcade 1995)

Yes, I was disappointed with Jushin Liger’s dream match against Rey Mysterio Jr. But I went into that bout with high expectations of both wrestlers flying around the ring at 100 miles per hour. There’s Liger’s more famous opening bout against Brian Pillman, but that’s in the WWE Network’s Best 100 Matches To Watch Before You Die. His match against Chris Benoit, at Starrcade 1995, however, is a hidden gem.

30. Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. (WCW Starrcade 1996)

I never knew these two all time great high flyers had collided! This match came up on Youtube as a Recommended video (along with a few Idiots in Cars videos; I’m addicted!). AS the previous year’s Starrcade gave us WCW vs NJPW, Starrcade 1996 would give us a few more matches pitting WCW vs NJPW. Already, early on the careers of Rey Mysterio and Jushin Liger, this was considered a dream match. And while it was good, even very good, I felt disappointed by it by the end…

29. Eddie Guerrero (WCW) vs. Shinjiro Otani (NJPW) (w/Sonny Onoo) (WCW Starrcade 1995)

Just one question…who is this Shinjiro Otani?!? I have never heard od him before! 30 years on from this PPV, he has retired now. But I’m going to have to seek out more of his matches. I chose this match to see a young Eddie Guerrero in action. While he was very good, Otani was even better!

Review: WWE Network’s 100 Best Matches To See Before You Die: #27 Ric Flair vs. Sting (NWA World Title, NWA Clash of the Champions I)

(Here’s the link for the match on the WWE Network: http://network.wwe.com/video/v32286157?contextType=wwe-show&contextId=clash_of_the_champions&contentId=73027582&watchlistAltButtonContext=series )

Another Ric Flair match? Of course! He’s on the WWE Network’s 100 Best Matches…List no less than thirteen times. That would be unlucky for some, but it’s lucky for one of the all-time wrestling greats. On this list, we’ve seen him wrestle other wrestling greats to wrestling green as grass big men (see #94 against Lex Luger, and click here for my review!). Here, he fights another fairly green man, in the guise of Sting. It’s obvious that Sting was catapulted to the top of the card due to his look, size and popularity. But not his wrestling. It’s a testament to Flair that this match is very good, but unfortunately Sting drags the contest down. He simply doesn’t have the ability to make his offence interesting for this drawn-out match.

Review: WWE Network’s 100 Best Matches: #56 Sting vs. Big Van Vader (King of Cable Tournament Finals, WCW Starrcade 1992)

(Here’s the link for the match on the WWE Network: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31673703/?contentId=31673703&contextType=wwe-show&contextId=starrcade)

One of the pleasures of trawling through a 100 Best Matches…List for anything is finding gems that you otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to find. For me, going through the WWE Network’s 100 Best Matches…Kust has shown me the delights of WCW. I’m familiar with most of the WWE matches on the list, but when it comes to WCW (and ECW), I’ve only seen ones that have been included on WWE DVDs. #55 was yet another delight from early ‘90s WCW that I doubt I would have come across without this list!

Review: WWE Network’s 100 Best Matches: #65 Sting vs Cactus Jack (Falls Count Anywhere Match, WCW Beach Blast 1992)

(Here’s the link for the match on the WWE Network: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31312961)

We have yet another appearance from Mick Foley at #65, against a pre-Crow Sting. Yet again, it is a brutal match, full of big bumps (from Cactus Jack) on the concrete floor and ramp. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a match where someone takes so many bumps on the concrete in such a short period of time. For that reason alone, this match is worth watching. Not only that, but they are both in or reaching their prime. Although it’s a short match, there’s plenty of stuff packed into it. The standards of a hardcore match are high nowadays (if you look elsewhere than the WWE), but the sheer amount of damage Jack takes is a sight to see.