Big Footy Match of the Week club

[nobbyiscool]

I want to start the BF Wrestling Board’s version of book club.

This is an idea that I’ve been thinking about to try and foster a bit of a community & discussion, and maybe a bit of increased communal wrestling nerddom/sense of history. (I started thinking about it after I watched Rey vs Eddie from Halloween Havoc last week and wished I had someone to discuss it with.)

The idea is that each week we have a historical match that is memorable (not necessarily for positive reasons) and we all watch it & chat about it.

If the idea takes off we might be able to do a poll for future matches. But for now, if you want to make a suggestion, please go for it and I’ll either pick the most popular one or the one I think will be most interesting.

(Yes, I’ll even accept noms from people I have on block!)

I have a first match in mind (not Eddie & Rey) - but before we go with it I wanted to see if anyone had any nominations.

You’re welcome to post suggestions from any fed, any time - but hopefully at least 3 out of 4 weeks a month we can do a match that’s easily available. Once every 1-2 months we might do something a touch more obscure so we can broaden our collective horizons.

For younger fans, I promise it’s not going to be all matches from when I was a boy - in fact the match I’m thinking of doing first is from WWEs COVID era, so not that long ago at all.

 

[Nicho50]

I want to start the BF Wrestling Board’s version of book club.

This is an idea that I’ve been thinking about to try and foster a bit of a community & discussion, and maybe a bit of increased communal wrestling nerddom/sense of history. (I started thinking about it after I watched Rey vs Eddie from Halloween Havoc last week and wished I had someone to discuss it with.)

The idea is that each week we have a historical match that is memorable (not necessarily for positive reasons) and we all watch it & chat about it.

If the idea takes off we might be able to do a poll for future matches. But for now, if you want to make a suggestion, please go for it and I’ll either pick the most popular one or the one I think will be most interesting.

(Yes, I’ll even accept noms from people I have on block!)

I have a first match in mind (not Eddie & Rey) - but before we go with it I wanted to see if anyone had any nominations.

You’re welcome to post suggestions from any fed, any time - but hopefully at least 3 out of 4 weeks a month we can do a match that’s easily available. Once every 1-2 months we might do something a touch more obscure so we can broaden our collective horizons.

For younger fans, I promise it’s not going to be all matches from when I was a boy - in fact the match I’m thinking of doing first is from WWEs COVID era, so not that long ago at all.

Sounds like a good idea, would be time permitting for me and outside of being on WWE network would have to be able to you tube it or something like that for mine.

 

[royboy2]

Sounds like a good idea to me

 

[nobbyiscool]

Sounds like a good idea, would be time permitting for me and outside of being on WWE network would have to be able to you tube it or something like that for mine.

The idea is that most of them are available on YouTube, or maybe free on Vimeo… occasionally we might go one that’s free on Fite, but I know not everyone subscribed.

The fact that wrestling matches go for about 20-30 mins hopefully makes it easy for people to watch along


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[nobbyiscool]

There are many things that men, women or non-binary people can waste their time in the name of entertainment.

Professional wrestling is the best of those things.

I thought that, for one thread, we could put aside squabbles about AEW & WWE, and put aside what a terrible person Vince McMahon is, and just reminisce about and discuss some of the matches that made us love it.

We didn’t get any noms for week 1, so we’re going with my idea.

I’ve chosen something recent so as to make it relatable to everyone - no one will join in if it’s all WCW & All Japan from the 90s - and it’s a match that I think is one of the most creative and “discussable” matches I’ve ever seen.

If you haven’t seen this in 2 years, I implore you to go watch it again - you still pick up stuff every time you watch it, and it’s still a fun treat if you haven’t seen it in a while.

This link is the best I found - however it’s still not great, and doesn’t have the hype video (although that can be found online too). So if you have the dvd, network, or other methods, go watch it that way.

Big Footy Match of the Week Club - Week 1 - Bray Wyatt vs John Cena (Firefly Fun House Match, Wrestlemania 36)



I don’t want to kill discussion by leaving my extensive thoughts and making you reply to me, instead I’ll give you some questions to think about.

• what did you think of this match at the time?
• how do you think this match has aged?
• does this match leave a legacy, either from a storyline or workrate perspective?
• star ratings if you believe in them (although if any match in history was exempt from a typical Meltzer star rating system, it’s this one.)
• what could’ve been better?

-
A couple of questions specific to this match that you might like to think about:

• should they have done more in prosthetics to more accurately reflect Cena’s hair throughout the years? Were you distracted by his hair hat?
• does the subsequent year of The Fiend character, followed by Wyatt’s release, impact your enjoyment of the match?
• does the fact that John Cens has been back on WWE tv since this match, without this detailed deconstruction of his character and what a terrible person he & his character is impacting his character even 1% impact your enjoyment of the match?

And finally:

- do you have a match you’d like to suggest for a future week?

 

[Cleavy]

is it technically a match?

 

[Nicho50]

It was ok but wasn’t as impressed as the Bone Yard cinematic match.

Don’t think it was needed for both the Fiend or Cena.

The way the whole fiend stuff played out ruined the character and anything he did really.

If I was to nominate a match for review I’d suggest a couple of classics that are ultimate story telling Bret Hart v Stone Cold WM match and Bret v Owen WM

 

[Calcium]

Boneyard match, stadium stampede, and Darby Allin/Sting v Cage and Starks all miles better for cinematic matches.
This started well but didn’t really get where it went and what was the point. Had Potential

 

[nobbyiscool]

This is starting to feel like failed idea already…

Surely if there’s 1 match to engage people, this is it - no one doesn’t have a strong opinion on this match!

Is it a match? Undoubtedly. The idea of the Match of the Week Club was to eventually start exploring different types of wrestling. Cos one of the cool things about wrestling is that it can be almost whatever you want it to be.

I think comparing it to the Boneyard match or Stadium Stampede does all 3 of those matches a great disservice - all of them entertaining, fun and original. But that, along with the fact that they were all cinematic matches is the only thing they have in common. It’s like comparing it to the stupid Gargano/Ciampa finale - yeah, they’re cinematic matches, but it’s the only thing they have in common.

I love Fire Fly Funhouse. I thought it was so creative, and even now I watch it and pick up new things that impact your understanding. Just the other day I was watching this, and the very start of it, when Cena comes out with the “Welcome to Wrestle…” then he’s lost in the fire fly funhouse… he’s lost without the fans. Which feeds into the entire deconstruction of how he ruined Bray Wyatt by refusing to lose or to turn heel at WM.

The bit at the end about “ending the career of the most over rated, over hyped…” - which obviously ends up being about Cena himself… it necessitated a change next time we saw him, and it didn’t happen.

While this was an incredible way to write Cena off tv, the problem was that no one believed it was the end, and no one expected this would change anything.

To me that was the only disappointment. The whole story - his fears of failure, fear of commitment, fear of losing his fans, fear of not being the top guy… having had all that shown to him, his character had to change and it didn’t.

I put the discussion question about Wyatt’s release impacting the legacy of this match cos I thought it did.

All of his feuds pre-Goldberg were all intricately told stories, with the Fiend’s “gift” being that he showed people their own failures and weaknesses - Fire Fly Funhouse was a much more literal interpretation of all his feuds really.

That had to be the next phase of the story. But we had Goldberg, the pandemic and Strowman… and it felt by then that Wyatt had lost control if the character. The Goldberg and Strowman feuds died a death because they were rushed, and we missed those intricate stories of exploring his opponents failing.

That had to be the 2nd half of the story - people coming to terms with their failings as a method of overcoming him, and exploring a feud with Roman, who apparently didn’t have any failings.

That was the real bummer. Everything about this match-movie was incredible… but in hindsight it should’ve served as the end for the Fiend, because that was the character they needed an “out” for. It was never going to be Cena who changed as a result.

 

[nobbyiscool]

Despite the less than enthusiastic response im convinced the idea has legs when I find the right match.

Unfortunately I couldn’t take @Nicko50 ‘s suggestions. Wanting to stick to YouTube this week made it quite limiting.

I promise you a banger though!



BF Match if the Week Club, week 2. Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle from Wrestlemania 21.

Maybe some questions to prompt conversation, but don’t let me limit you.

• what did you think of it at the time?
• what do you think now / how has it aged?
• where do you think this ranks among Angles WM matches with Guerrero, Wrestlemania & Baron Corbin?
• how does it fare against HBK vs Razor, vs Undertaker x2, WM20, Cena, and his forgotten classic with Jericho?
• has this also reached “forgotten classic” status?
• how long would it take you to move if you splashed from the 2nd rope to the announce table that doesn’t break?

 

[Cleavy]

Despite the less than enthusiastic response im convinced the idea has legs when I find the right match.

Unfortunately I couldn’t take @Nicko50 ‘s suggestions. Wanting to stick to YouTube this week made it quite limiting.

I promise you a banger though!



BF Match if the Week Club, week 2. Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle from Wrestlemania 21.

Maybe some questions to prompt conversation, but don’t let me limit you.

• what did you think of it at the time?
• what do you think now / how has it aged?
• where do you think this ranks among Angles WM matches with Guerrero, Wrestlemania & Baron Corbin?
• how does it fare against HBK vs Razor, vs Undertaker x2, WM20, Cena, and his forgotten classic with Jericho?
• has this also reached “forgotten classic” status?
• how long would it take you to move if you splashed from the 2nd rope to the announce table that doesn’t break?

Angle’s WM match with WrestleMania was pretty tops. Assume you meant Brock? Obviously the match is way above the Corbin match.

 

[nobbyiscool]

Angle’s WM match with WrestleMania was pretty tops. Assume you meant Brock? Obviously the match is way above the Corbin match.

Lol. Was corpsing (corbsing?) hard when I wrote that

I was going to include Vince McMahon among the Shawn Michaels matches that I listed, but I thought it’d give up the gag.

 

[PVF]

At the time I thought it was match of the night at WM 21 and it stands up even better today when you compare it to modern wrestling.

The start was a struggle between two competitors and the match built up from there. It didn't look like a planned routine that most matches nowadays look like.

And the way they lay in the moves here are fantastic. The punches look like proper punches, the "rest holds" look like they are causing damage, the submission were great. This is one of those matches you show new wrestlers to teach them how to work.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

At the time I thought it was match of the night at WM 21 and it stands up even better today when you compare it to modern wrestling.

The start was a struggle between two competitors and the match built up from there. It didn't look like a planned routine that most matches nowadays look like.

And the way they lay in the moves here are fantastic. The punches look like proper punches, the "rest holds" look like they are causing damage, the submission were great. This is one of those matches you show new wrestlers to teach them how to work.

My thoughts to a tee. Close enough to perfection. I watched it a mate’s house (with beer and Indian food - great combo) and the whole room was totally engaged in the match. We forgot it was a work for a bit there - the hallmark of a great bout.

 

[Cleavy]

I'll raise this question. Which was better: Angle vs HBK at WM21 OR the rematch at Vengeance?

 

[nobbyiscool]

And the way they lay in the moves here are fantastic. The punches look like proper punches, the "rest holds" look like they are causing damage, the submission were great. This is one of those matches you show new wrestlers to teach them how to work.

I thought I was writing somewhere the other day, but couldn’t find it - did workers get s**t cos of rapid camera cuts, or the other way around?

Cos that’s one of the things that strikes me about this match - it looks so real.

I'll raise this question. Which was better: Angle vs HBK at WM21 OR the rematch at Vengeance?

I really liked the one they had on Raw too - I think it was a Homecoming to USA show?

I think this is the best of them though. I love this match. It was Angle at his crazy best and Shawn Michaels at his peak. I loved it at the time - I think I love it more now.

I pulled out the Best of TNA Kurt like 3 weeks ago, but haven’t even put it in the DVD player. I’m just not sure I wanted to watch it cos it was the worst/most drug-addled of Angle. Which makes the HBK matches probably the last really great ones he had.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Cleavy]

I thought I was writing somewhere the other day, but couldn’t find it - did workers get s**t cos of rapid camera cuts, or the other way around?

Cos that’s one of the things that strikes me about this match - it looks so real.

I think regarding strikes it’s a bit of both, and wrestlers having to be more mindful of where the camera is, rather than the operator being in the right spot to film. Throwing a proper worked punch is becoming a lost art.

 

[nobbyiscool]

God I love this match. I still think it’s the best 3-way match ever (I’m not counting tag matches among 3-ways). It does so well to overcome that trope of throw one guy out, he nonsensically naps for 5 minutes, the other 2 fight.

I do watch all these matches before I post them - in 2022 it’s a slight bummer seeing how the WWE audience never saw the best of these guys. Especially Joe, he was bonkers in this match.

The context of this is so important too, it gave them such a buzz going into their SpikeTV deal and heading into the 2005 Bound for Glory show - a show that I personally don’t think TNA ever topped despite Christian debuting the following month and Angle the following year. For many, this Unbreakable show was the first TNA show they ever saw, cos their Spike debut was the following week. (Might even dig that up tomorrow.)

• what do you think of this match?
• did you see it in 2005? What did you think then?
• how do you think it’s aged?
• what do you think in the context of AJ & Joe’s WWE careers?
• how do you think it matches up with other 3 ways? WM20 & ECW’s Douglas vs Funk vs Sabu & Barely Legal 3-ways are probably the other 3 really memorable ones? (In therms of memorable you can argue WM30 & WM32, but I don’t think those matches were as good. And tbh I haven’t watched the WM20 match in over 15 years, I still can’t watch “his” matches. Don’t think I ever will. I know too much about CTE that watching his matches stops wrestling being fun.)
• this one I’m really curious about - what do you think of Mike Tenay & Don West’s commentary in hindsight?

 

[nobbyiscool]

I thought I might bump this idea and give it another chance... albeit having taken the lesson that people aren't interested in discussing classic TNA.



I was so pleasantly surprised to see this available on WWE's youtube page. I'm not sure I've seen a WWE match that I like more than this since it happened.

What do you think of the match?
What do you think of the commentary?
You might remember that Bryan had just turned heel to win the title - how do you think that impacted this match (aside from the fact that the match doesn't happen if Bryan doesn't have the belt) ?

And finally, a big statement/question - is this the best big man/little man match that WWE ever had? I know Mysterio has had a few, but most of his best matches (IMO) were with main eventers who were more mid-sized like Guerrero and Angle.