Place to Be Wrestling Network

In this episode, Ryan and Cindy continue assembling their GWCW list, looking at some classic matches from Clash of the Champions over the years. After a brief discussion of origins of Clash of the Champions, Cindy is unimpressed by the Midnight Express and has an interesting viewpoint on Terry Funk. They have a lengthy discussion on Ricky Steamboat as he has three matches in a row, not even counting Clash VI! The pair veer into a brief discussion of wrestler’s rights and Andrew Yang’s thoughts on the issue, plus a tangent into the Hollywood Blondes and the debacle that was the Disney Tapings. They then talk about how Ryan’s favorite WCW wrestler might just be Vader and his great little gem of a match with Dustin Rhodes. Finally, the duo then talk TBS’s Dinner and Movie and how a vignette that cooked during movies on TBS turned heel and joined the nWo. So enjoy some Macho Nachos and WCW cream puffs and listen to With This Ring!

• MIDNIGHT EXPRESS VS. RIC FLAIR & BARRY WINDHAM (CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS IV)
• RIC FLAIR VS. TERRY FUNK (CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS IX I QUIT MATCH) 
• ENFORCERS VS. RICKY STEAMBOAT & DUSTIN RHODES (CLASH XVII, TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH)
• RICKY STEAMBOAT & SHANE DOUGLAS VS. STEVE AUSTIN & BRIAN PILLMAN (CLASH XXII, TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH)
• STEVE AUSTIN VS. RICKY STEAMBOAT (CLASH XXVIII, UNITED STATES TITLE MATCH)
• VADER VS. DUSTIN RHODES (CLASH XXIX)

In this special Halloween episode, Ryan and Cindy look at WCW’s spookiest Pay-Per-View of the year, Halloween Havoc! They check out some tricks and treats of matches, some that will make the GWCW list and some that should be nowhere near it. The couple talk how WCW’s operations were always off just a bit, was the Chamber of Horrors really that bad, how Ryan just loves seeing Vader and Cactus Jack throw bombs at each other, how Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair’s chemistry continued after their first match, what exactly is a Monster Truck Sumo Match but more importantly, what should a YET-AY look like anyway?? Then they get into the WCW/nWo era and look at a possible #1 WCW match and another fun chapter in the DDP/Macho Man feud. And finally, a discussion of possibly the worst WCW match ever plus a great Goldberg/DDP match. Do the monster mash, trick or treat candy from the Candy Man and enjoy!

STEINER BROTHERS VS. NASTY BOYS (HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1990, UNITED STATES TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH)
STING, STEINER BROTHERS & EL GIGANTE VS CACTUS JACK, ABDULLAH THE BUTCHER, VADER & DIAMOND STUDD (HALLOWEEN HAVOC, CHAMBER OF HORRORS)
VADER VS. CACTUS JACK (HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1993, TEXAS DEATH WCW WORLD TITLE MATCH)
HULK HOGAN VS. RIC FLAIR (HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1994, WCW WORLD TITLE RETIREMENT CAGE MATCH)
HULK HOGAN VS. THE GIANT (WCW WORLD TITLE MATCH, HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1995)
REY MYSTERIO JR VS. EDDY GUERREO (CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE VS MASK MATCH, HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1997)
DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE VS. RANDY SAVAGE (NO DISQUALIFICATION MATCH, HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1997)
HOLLYWOOD HOGAN VS. WARRIOR (HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1998)
GOLDBERG VS. DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE (WCW WORLD TITLE MATCH, HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1998)

In this episode, Ryan and Cindy continue going through the GWCW list, this time looking at some of the biggest matches in Nitro history. From the Mall of America in September of 1995 to the Boardwalk Beach Resort in Panama City in March of 2001, they search throughout the history of Nitro for the best and biggest matches and moments. The duo talk about Goldberg and his huge run in 1998, the luchadores and what they meant to WCW for match quality, Ryan’s affinity for La Parka, plus the nWo and how groundbreaking their antics were. Along the way they detour into talks about the Monday Night War and about how much WCW fans loved throwing trash into the ring. So switch the TV to TNT and enjoy the show! 

Matches include:

Brian Pillman vs. Jushin Thunder Liger (09/04/95)

Eddie Guerrero vs. Ric Flair (05/20/96)

Lex Luger, Randy Savage & Sting vs. Ric Flair, Chris Benoit & Steve McMichael (07/29/96)

Macho Man Randy Savage vs. La Parka (07/07/97)

Rey Mysterio Jr. & Juventud Guerrera vs. La Parka & Psychosis (12/08/97)

Goldberg vs. Raven (04/20/98)

Goldberg vs. La Parka (06/01/98)

Goldberg vs. Hollywood Hogan (07/06/98)

Diamond Dallas Page vs. Sting (04/26/99)

Ric Flair vs. Sting (03/26/01)

WITH THIS RING #11 JCP MATCHES 

In their second trip into Ryan’s GWCW list, Ryan and Cindy go deep into what many consider the top JCP matches of the 1980s. They look at some of the big US title feuds of the early 1980s and staples of the first few Starrcades. And in the second half we turn to the Man, looking at classic Ric Flair title matches in 1987 and 1989 along with the first ever War Games match. We talk about the differences in modern wrestling and southern wrestling in the 1980s, wrestling matches based around injuring someone’s ear, commercial breaks during matches, how War Games works as a match, wired microphone technology, and The Killers vs. String Cheese Incident, which concert would you rather see at the UIC Pavilion? 

Matches include:

RODDY PIPER VS GREG VALENTINE (07/09/83 HOUSE SHOW)

RODDY PIPER VS GREG VALENTINE (STARRCADE 1983, DOG COLLAR MATCH)

MAGNUM TA VS TULLY BLANCHARD (STARRCADE 1985 I QUIT CAGE MATCH)

RIC FLAIR VS BARRY WINDHAM (01/24/87 WORLDWIDE)

RIC FLAIR, ARN ANDERSON, TULLY BLANCHARD, LEX LUGER & JJ DILLON VS DUSTY RHODES, NIKITA KOLOFF, ROAD WARRIORS & PAUL ELLERING (WAR GAME, GREAT AMERICAN BASH 07/04/87)

RIC FLAIR VS RICKY STEAMBOAT (CHI-TOWN RUMBLE, NWA WORLD TITLE MATCH)

After working their way through the GWWE list, it’s time for Ryan and Cindy to set their sights south and begin work on the Greatest WCW match ever list. Ryan gives Cindy a very brief history lesson on the NWA/JCP/WCW timeline, before settling into looking at some matches. They look at a group of Great American Bash and Beach Blast/Bash at the Beach matches. The duo also discuss Sting and his similarity to the Ultimate Warrior, the Dayton metropolitan area, Dusty Rhodes on commentary, a very young Rey Mysterio plus possibly the two most important WCW matches of all time. So sit back, enjoy and watch out because there might be a LADY! A LADY IN THE MEN’S BATHROOM!

• VADER VS. STING (WCW TITLE MATCH, GREAT AMERICAN BASH 1992)
• RIC FLAIR VS. RANDY SAVAGE (GREAT AMERICAN BASH 1995)
• DEAN MALENKO VS. REY MYSTERIO JR. (CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE MATCH, GREAT AMERICAN BASH 1996)
• KEVIN SULLIVAN VS. CHRIS BENOIT (FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE MATCH, GREAT AMERICAN BASH 1996)
• KEVIN GREENE & STEVE MCMICHAEL VS. RIC FLAIR & ARN ANDERSON (GREAT AMERICAN BASH 1996)
• DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE VS. RANDY SAVAGE (FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE, GREAT AMERICAN BASH 1997)
• STING VS. CACTUS JACK (FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE ON THE GULF COAST, BEACH BLAST 1992)
• HULK HOGAN VS. RIC FLAIR (WCW TITLE MATCH, BASH AT THE BEACH 1994)
• REY MYSTERIO JR VS. PSYCHOSIS (BASH AT THE BEACH 1996)
• nWo VS. STING, LEX LUGER & RANDY SAVAGE (BASH AT THE BEACH 1996)

On this edition of With This Ring, Ryan and Cindy put a bow on the GWWE lists by looking at the 6 matches on Ryan’s top 100 GWWE ballot that they have yet to cover. They talk about Bret Hart and Owen Hart and how it related to the Ladder Match from the same night and how both matches shaped the future of the WWF. They talk about Mick Foley’s ridiculous spring into summer of 1998. The couple also discuss John Cena’s best two matches and look at the similarities between them. They go over Sami Zayn’s NXT career and what he meant to the brand. Ryan wraps up his top 100 list, going over the top appearances and how many times certain shows had matches show up. Enjoy!

Matches include:
Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart - WrestleMania X
Steve Austin vs. Dude Love - WWF Title Falls Count Anywhere Match - Over the Edge 1998
Undertaker vs. Mankind - Hell in a Cell Match - King of the Ring 1998
John Cena vs. CM Punk - WWF Title Match - Money in the Bank 2011
John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan - WWE Title Match - SummerSlam 2013
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn - NXT Takeover Dallas

In this edition of WIth This Ring, Cindy and Ryan look at 6 women’s matches.  They briefly talk about the history of women wrestling in the WWE, going from Moolah to Wendi Richter and the Spider Lady screwjob. Then breeze through the Alundra Blayze and Attitude Era runs with the title before getting down to the actual matches. The couple talk about the Trish Stratus/Lita rivalry and how these matches are viewed nowadays. Also, talk Armed and Famous and Trish’s turn on the show. The duo take a brief detour to a Wet n’ Wild match between Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle featuring water balloons and squirt guns! Then it's down to NXT to see how the Women’s Revolution in WWE started. They talk about the Charlotte/Sasha Banks/Bayley/Becky Lynch Fatal 4-Way from Takeover, Bayley/Sasha from Brooklyn and Asuka/Nikki Cross in a Last Women’s Standing match. For a more recent bout, they check out Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks from Hell in a Cell and discuss if the WWE dropped the ball with Sasha Banks and Asuka. Also, is Becky Lynch as big a star as a woman can become?  Sit back and pay respects to the innovator of the Women’s Revolution, Stephanie McMahon and enjoy the show!

Trish Stratus vs. Lita - WWE Women’s Title Match - Unforgiven 2006
Candice Michelle vs. Torrie Wilson - Wet and Wild Match - Monday Night Raw 6/12/06
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks - NXT Women's Title Match - NXT Takeover: Rival
Bayley vs. Sasha Banks - NXT Women’s Title - NXT Takeover: Brooklyn
Asuka vs. Nikki Cross - NXT Women's Title Last Woman Standing Match - NXT 7/13/17
Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks – Raw Women’s Title Hell in a Cell Match – Hell in the Cell 2019

In this edition of With This Ring, Cindy and Ryan look at 5 Royal Rumble matches. They talk about the beginnings of the Royal Rumble, as just another chance for WWF to screw with Jim Crockett Promotions, the rough going early on and how things really got cooking with the 1990 event and the Hulk Hogan/Ultimate Warrior showdown. They discuss how star-studded both the 1990 and 1992 Royal Rumbles are, Jack Tunney’s questionable Presidential decisions, and how Ric Flair has the best Royal Rumble performance. Cindy is shocked to hear that Shawn Michaels sings his own music! Then, they discuss an Attitude era Rumble with 2001, Kane’s possible finest hour in the WWF, a hardcore Rumble segment, and how Austin/Rock compares to Hogan/Warrior showdown. Ryan and Cindy then go to 2005 and discuss the changing of the WWE and the infamous Vince McMahon quad blow-up. They end up in 2010, looking at C.M. Punk’s sermons, DX exploding, and Edge returning. Listen to how Cindy’s final fours are not great. Sit back and with a tear in your eye, PUT THAT CIGARETTE OUT!

***SPOILER***
This was recorded back in January so please excuse the talk of WrestleMania 36 at the end. I know many PTBN members are still upset about not being able to go, so you might want to end the podcast with about 3 minutes left.

Royal Rumble Match 1990
Royal Rumble Match 1992
Royal Rumble Match 2001
Royal Rumble Match 2005
Royal Rumble Match 2010

In this super-sized episode of With This Ring, Ryan and Cindy double back on a premise from a few episodes ago, this time watching famous WrestleMania matches and then following up with rematches they had later. They look at the famous Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant match from WrestleMania and try to decide how to weigh historical significance with actual match quality. They also look back at Ryan’s first live watch of Pay-Per-View, with WrestleMania and Ryan’s favorite match of all time. They talk about ladder matches and how they would go on to influence so much over the next 15 years. Also, the duo takes a detour through wrestling theme songs when Cindy finds out that Shawn Michaels has sung his theme song for the past 27 years. Once again, hear Cindy fawn over a superstar’s bare ass, this time Heartbreak. In the second half, they compare the WrestleMania classics and rematches they had, all within a year and a half between their original match. Ryan and Cindy wonder if any matches can recapture the magic and how much of an edge the WrestleMania mystique adds. Enjoy all this and much more on the WrestleMania edition of With This Ring!

Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant - WWF Title Match - WrestleMania III
Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage - Career Ending Match - WrestleMania VII
Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels - WWF Intercontinental Title Ladder Match - WrestleMania X
Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle - WrestleMania 21
Undertaker vs. Batista - World Heavyweight Title Match - WrestleMania 23

Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant - WWF Title Match - The Main Event 2/5/88
Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior - WWF Title Match - SummerSlam 1992
Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels - WWF Intercontinental Title Ladder Match - SummerSlam 1995
Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle - Vengeance 2005
Batista vs. Undertaker - World Heavyweight Title Hell in a Cell Match - Survivor Series 2007

In this edition of With This Ring, Ryan and Cindy discuss some of the greatest Survivor Series matches in history. They have a quick rundown of the history of the event starting as a move against Starrcade and trying to capitalize on Hulk/Andre, talk about how the style of match was different from other events and how much the Invasion flopped. They discuss how 20 guys in a match, and more importantly, 18 guys on the apron are probably too many people and Cindy gets really excited about Paul Roma’s ass. The pair also look at how often Survivor Series matches had high stakes, including can Steve Austin stun people? Also, Sting’s debut and Cindy not understanding what that means. Plus, looking at NXT’s first version of War Games, while looking forward to our own journey to War Games which was a few days away at the time. Come for Paul Roma’s ass and stay for discussions about how the American Airlines Arena bathrooms originally faced the streets.

Strike Force, Young Stallions, Killer Bees, British Bulldogs & Rougeau Brothers vs. Islanders, Demolition, Hart Foundation, Bolsheviks & New Dream Team - Survivor Series 1987

Chris Jericho, The Rock, Kane, Undertaker & Big Show vs. Steve Austin, Rob Van Dam, Booker T., Kurt Angle & Shane McMahon - Winner Takes All Match - Survivor Series 2001

Chris Jericho, Christian, Mark Henry, Randy Orton & Scott Steiner vs. Booker T, Bubba Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley, Rob Van Dam & Shawn Michaels - Survivor Series 2003

John Cena, Big Show, Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan & Ryback vs. Kane, Luke Harper, Mark Henry, Rusev & Seth Rollins - Survivor Series 2014

Undisputed Era vs. Sanity vs. AOP & Rodrick Strong - War Games Match - NXT Takeover: War Games