Our rewind series comes to a close with the match that sits atop the STAR rating board. We are of course talking about the final episode from season 3, Kazuchika Okada with Gedo vs Kenny Omega with the Brothers Jackson for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
The match that famously caused Big Dave to turn that star dial all the way to six for the first time in a long time and collectively melted the minds of every fan watching Wrestle Kingdom 11.
We want to thank you once again for joining us on this Rewind series as we looked back into our TIA past before we set off into our WGW future with the first episode of season 10.
Remember gang, Watch Great Wrestling -- same flavor, new wrapper!
[Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada, Wrestle Kingdom 11, January 4 2017]
Our TIA Rewind series is nearly over as we look back to the very first episode of the accursed season 9 of This is Awesome and one of the best matches in the history of the original NXT.
This is Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate for the NXT UK Championship from NXT TakeOver: Chicago, and features all the joint manipulation and mustache twirling that any warm-blooded wrestling fan could ever desire.
It is wild that both of these guys put on this kind of display considering how young they both were. The sky is truly the limit with both performers.
[Pete Dunne vs Tyler Bate, NXT TakeOver: Chicago, May 20 2017]
Live from Comiskey Park in Chicago, it is a 2 out of 3 falls contest for the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship and the season 5 entry in our TIA Rewind series!
"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers takes on champion Pat O'Connor. Don't let the black and white or the fact that this match is from 1961 but feels like it is from 1941 - this is practically a Cover Girl match. If you skipped it the first time we released this don't make same mistake twice. Incredibly watchable even 60+ years later.
And, because we're shameless, who better to discuss the "Match of the Century" that ends with one of the most infamous botches in pro wrestling history than Maffew Gregg of Botchamania.
If you're looking for a bite sized discussion of this mat classic, look elsewhere. We talk too much.
[Buddy Rogers vs Pat O'Connor, June 30 1961]
Can a match that is over an hour long be defined by a single moment? If this entry in our TIA Rewind series is to judge, the answer is absolutely not.
From all the way back in season 4 of TIA, this is the 2008 Royal Rumble match. A fun episode that explores what makes a great rumble match, and why.
Two major milestones for our (*patent pending) STAR rating system - not only is our very first zero given by one of our guests, but this match also has the distinction of being the lowest rated match on the big board.
Enjoy!
Our rewind series takes us back to season 7 and our first visit to CMLL -- its Lucha de Apuestas. Volador Jr and Negro Casas lucha their hearts out in front of a rabid crowd for the right to continue to occasionally rock an epic pony.
Reminder, this was recorded before anyone knew that Joey Ryan was a reprehensible monster garbage person so please disregard any and all of our recommendations to check out his stuff.
[Negro Casas vs Volador Jr., CMLL Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, March 18 2016]
Our TIA Rewind series continues with one of our favorite episodes of Season 2 that marked our show's first look at All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Featuring one of our favorite guests, Will Wiesenfeld, this hard hitting tag match is of course an absolutely classic with four dudes just absolutely pounding on eachother and truly showing their audience what the term "fighting spirit" is really all about.
If you are new to All Japan or the four gentlemen in this match, our guest also provides fun nicknames to help you identify each competitor. No spoilers, but these may or may not involve some Pokémon.
Enjoy this episode and we'll catch you next time at Watch Great Wrestling!
[Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue, AJPW, December 3, 1993]
This rewind takes us back to the height of our pandemic-era sessions that saw at least one of our cohosts recording most of the episodes in a closet.
Today we are flashing back to season 8 and the Risa Sera 60 minute Iron Woman gauntlet death match that also happens to double as our main star's birthday present to herself. While much more tame than our previous deathmatch flashback, this one still carries a minor content warning, especially for those of you who are squeemish about the consumption of raw eggs.
There is chaos energy all over this episode, particularly coming from Joaquin who may or may not have been driven mad by this strange Joshi classic. Enjoy this as well as the incredible art that Joaquin designed in tribute!
[Risa Sera vs X, 60 Minute Iron Woman Gauntlet Death Match, Ice Ribbon/Risa Sera 4th Product Last Death Match, November 14 2017]