With This Ring #16: Best of the Best

In this edition of With This Ring, Ryan and Cindy look back at their previous deep dives for the GWCW lists and the matches that Cindy picked as her #1 for each show. Then the pair discuss how the lists turned out and the uniqueness of WCW.  Plus, the GWCW wrestler poll and how it is an exercise to find out who is the second greatest WCW wrestler. Enjoy!
 
RIC FLAIR VS. RANDY SAVAGE (GREAT AMERICAN BASH 1995)
RIC FLAIR VS. RICKY STEAMBOAT (CHI-TOWN RUMBLE 1989)
REY MYSTERIO JR & JUVENTUD GUERRERA VS. PSYCHOSIS & LA PARKA (12/08/97, NITRO)
EDDIE GUERRERO VS. REY MYSTERIO (HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1997, MASK VS TITLE)
RICKY STEAMBOAT & SHANE DOUGLAS VS. STEVE AUSTIN & BRIAN PILLMAN (CLASH XXII, TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH)
SHINJIRO OTANI VS. EDDY GUERRERO (STARRCADE 1995)

With This Ring #15: Starrcade

In this episode of With This Ring, Ryan and Cindy look at the NWA/WCW Granddaddy of them all, Starrcade! They concentrate on 1988, when it became the Christmas time tradition. Also the duo talk about Ric Flair’s deceptive age, Lex Luger’s booby dance, the Lethal Lottery, the King of Cable tournament being decided not on cable, Charlotte Flair’s PPV debut, WCW Cruiserweights, and the Latino World Order. There is also a discussion on WCW card structure becoming very front-loaded with good matches early, and then the matches with focused storylines tending to suffer.  Plus the fun Sid/Arn Anderson stabbing incident! So hang your stockings, draw the names for the Lethal Lottery and enjoy the podcast!
 
RIC FLAIR VS. LEX LUGER (STARRCADE 1988, NWA WORLD TITLE MATCH)
BATTLEBOWL BATTLE ROYAL 1991 (STARRCADE 1991)
STING VS. VADER (STARRCADE 1992, KING OF CABLE FINAL)
VADER VS. RIC FLAIR (STARRCADE 1993, WCW WORLD TITLE MATCH)
SHINJIRO OTANI VS. EDDY GUERRERO (STARRCADE 1995)
JUSHIN LIGER VS. REY MYSTERIO JR. (STARRCADE 1996)
KIDMAN VS. JUVENTUD GUERRERA VS. REY MYSTERIO JR (CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE TRIPLE THREAT MATCH, STARRCADE 1998)
KIDMAN VS. EDDY GUERRERO (CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE MATCH, STARRCADE 1998)

With This Ring #14: Clash of the Champions

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)
 
 

With This Ring #13: Halloween Havoc

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)
 

With This Ring #12: Best of Nitro

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

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)

With This Ring #10: GWCW Matches

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)

With This Ring #9: Best of the Rest

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