Top Rated Matches / Best Match You Have Ever Seen

[jackwebster]

4 hours ago, jchapman said:

Randy Lewis vs Tom Brands 1988 Olympic Team Qualifier

Tom learns about double over hooks.

I guess he forgot to tell his brother about it re 1996 ott vs Cross

[mspart]

I lived in MN at the time when the NCAAs were in Minneapolis.   I made a big deal about it and my parents, my wife's parents and her brother came.   Only the males went to the championships.   Anyway, I saw Les Gutches for the first time, I think he won his second.   My in laws are from Oregon and my brother in law was really watching Gutches the whole time.  

I remember that the hwt final was between Walter of WI and Hardy of UNC.   Hardy kept clubbing the Walter, actually throwing punches.   Walter kept his composure through a brutal match that I don't remember any takedowns.   There could have been.  I was just so impressed that the other guy kept his cool and as a result won.  Worst case of poor sportsmanship I  have ever seen in wrestling.   The UNC coach would have done well to pull him off the mat.   It was stupid.  Everyone was booing and when the match ended they cheered extremely loudly for the winner.  

It would have been the 1996 championships.   I just watched it and it looked worse from the stands.   Ha ha. 

My other favorite was the McIlravy match he lost in the finals to Marianetti.   Great match.   Very similar to the Gable Owings match.  

mspart

[mspart]

I also attended the 1980 championships in Corvallis.   The last match of hte night was an incredible match.   Howard Harris of Oregon State Pinned Big Bruce.   Harris pinned his way through the tourney and also won the Gorrarian award and Outstanding Wrestler.  

mspart

[KCMO2]

Waters vs Gilman.  Two guys who can't stand each other,  illegal slam by Gilman and the ref in advertently calling it on Waters and giving Gilman a point, Gilman attacking Waters legs about 5 seconds after the whistle, Waters shoulder checking a Hawkeye on his way off the mat.

[blueandgold]

2 minutes ago, KCMO2 said:

Waters vs Gilman.  Two guys who can't stand each other,  illegal slam by Gilman and the ref in advertently calling it on Waters and giving Gilman a point, Gilman attacking Waters legs about 5 seconds after the whistle, Waters shoulder checking a Hawkeye on his way off the mat.

Real negativity >>>>>

[JimmyBT]

Gable Steveson Olympic gold medal match. What a finish. 

[11986]

Going back a bit Gene Mills over Joe Gonzalez 16-13 ‘79 finals. 

[Fadzaev2]

19 hours ago, blueandgold said:

Drop your top rated matches here or any match that you would consider the best you have ever seen... I have a few matches rated on a five-star scale with a criteria that factors story, competitiveness, talent, ranking, and stage. I've got a few to share.

 

Five Star Matches (Greatest of All Time)

• Lincoln McIlravy vs. Gerry Abas 3/20/1993 Ames, IA - NCAA Division I Championships, 142 lb. championship
• Mark Ironside vs. Cary Kolat 1/29/1996 Iowa City, IA - NWCA All-Star Classic, 134 lb. match
• Darrion Caldwell vs. Brent Metcalf 3/21/2009 St. Louis, MO - NCAA Division I Championships, 149 lb. championship
• Jayson Ness vs. Daniel Dennis 3/20/2010 Omaha, NE - NCAA Division I Championships, 133 lb. championship

4.75 Star Matches (Near-Perfect)

• Kyle Dake vs. David Taylor 1/2/2013 Chattanooga, TN - Southern Scuffle, 165 lb. championship
• Isaiah Martinez vs. Jason Nolf 3/6/2016 Iowa City, IA - Big Ten Championships, 157 lb. championship
• Isaiah Martinez vs. Jason Nolf 3/19/2016 New York City, NY - NCAA Division I Championships, 157 lb. final
• Seth Gross vs. Tariq Wilson 3/16/2018 Cleveland, OH - NCAA Division I Championships, 133 lb. semifinal
• Nick Suriano vs. Daton Fix 3/23/2019 Pittsburgh, PA - NCAA Division I Championships, 133 lb. championship
• Yianni Diakomihalis vs. Joey McKenna 3/23/2019 Pittsburgh, PA - NCAA Division I Championships, 141 lb. championship
• Matt Ramos vs. Spencer Lee 3/17/2023 Tulsa, OK - NCAA Division I Championships, 125 lb. semifinal

4.5 Star Matches (Instant Classic)

• Kyle Dake vs. David Taylor 11/3/2012 Washington D.C. - NWCA All-Star Classic, 165 lb. match
• Logan Stieber vs. Tony Ramos 3/23/2013 Des Moines, IA - NCAA Division I Championships, 133 lb. Championship
• Kyle Dake vs. David Taylor 3/23/2013 Des Moines, IA - NCAA Division I Championships, 165 lb. championship
• Zain Retherford vs. Logan Stieber 12/15/2013 State College, PA - Penn State vs. Ohio State Dual, 141 lb. match
• Isaiah Martinez vs. Dylan Ness 3/8/2015 Columbus, OH - Big Ten Championships, 157 lb. championship
• Myles Martin vs. Bo Nickal 3/19/2016 New York City, NY - NCAA Division I Championships, 174 lb. championship
• Kyle Snyder vs. Nick Gwiazdowski 3/19/2016 New York City, NY - NCAA Division I Championships, 285 lb. championship
• Yianni Diakomihalis vs. Jaydin Eierman 3/16/2018 Cleveland, OH - NCAA Division I Championships, 141 lb. semifinal
• Yianni Diakomihalis vs. Bryce Meredith 3/17/2018 Cleveland, OH - NCAA Division I Championships, 141 lb. championship
• Gable Steveson vs. Mason Parris 3/8/2020 Piscataway, NJ - Big Ten Championships, 285 lb. championship

 

There are so many more I'm missing, but I'm having a brain fart and can't think right now. Drop yours here.

•  

 

 

I'd put Mark Schultz vs. Ed Banach '82 NCAA Finals, near the top.  Both 3 timers.

 

Edited January 19 by Fadzaev2

[CHROMEBIRD]

5 hours ago, blueandgold said:

So, I stole my star rating scale from Jim Cornette and Weasel Dooley. When they would review pro wrestling matches, they said they only did four stars because that’s what the TV Guide used to do for the movies. A zero-star would be known as a “dud,” a one-star was crappy, two stars was average, three was pretty good, and four stars meant they tore the house down. The five-star match rating was introduced when Terry Funk and Jerry Lawler had a blow away match in the 1970s and they deemed it superior to anything they’d ever seen.
 

Over time, Dave Meltzer picked up the concept and added half and quarter-star ratings to the scale. So, I retained the half and quarter-star thing, but added in certain factors to make separation clear, those being story, ranking, competitiveness, talent level, and stage.

 

On my scale, anything 4 and above is outstanding, but 4.5-5 range means it’s more memorable to me and has something specific that took it to that level. A 5-star match also just means without a doubt it’s the best match I’ve seen. What held a match like Yianni and Joey McKenna back from being five stars was because of the questionable call that put a sour taste on the match or the extremely long injury time for Ramos and Lee. It’s really nitpicking at a certain point, but it works for my brain. I hope I explained that decently.

Whoops, I was reading too quickly and thought this was Wkn's list. It looked like something he'd try to quantify. I appreciate your method and picks all the same, though!

[wrestle87]

20 hours ago, flyingcement said:

Rohn vs Lambrecht

This one gets my vote.  The greatest comeback of any ncaa final ever.

[wrestle87]

Slay beating saitiev in the 2000 olympics could also be up there for me.  

And snyder’s early world runs against gadisov and sadulaev.

[KennyEBHS]

Joseph - Martinez, first NCAA championship for Joseph

[alex1fly]

Piccinnini vs Lee was pretty epic. Picc was aggressive, Lee was patient but still so in control until the loudest pin(fall?) Gallagher Iba Arena has ever experienced!

[ionel]

1 hour ago, alex1fly said:

Piccinnini vs Lee was pretty epic. Picc was aggressive, Lee was patient but still so in control until the loudest pin(fall?) Gallagher Iba Arena has ever experienced!

Well the Mitch Shelton Dr Death pin was pretty darn loud, prob only ~8k vs 13k but the roof was much lower then.  Was there for both, better seat for Picc up at the rafters for Mitch.  The Death pin was end of Bedlam, Picc beginning Iowa, I'd say Bedlam pin louder.  8k already standing at start of Shelton Williams match because Bedlam on the line.  13k jumped out of their seats when Picc pinned Lee.

Edited January 19 by ionel

[Wrestleknownothing]

4 hours ago, ionel said:

Well the Mitch Shelton Dr Death pin was pretty darn loud, prob only ~8k vs 13k but the roof was much lower then.  Was there for both, better seat for Picc up at the rafters for Mitch.  The Death pin was end of Bedlam, Picc beginning Iowa, I'd say Bedlam pin louder.  8k already standing at start of Shelton Williams match because Bedlam on the line.  13k jumped out of their seats when Picc pinned Lee.

From a pure volume standpoint the best for me was Kemerer v Starocci at CHA in 2022. It was 1-1 after regulation. There had been a couple of great scrambles from both wrestlers that had not resulted in a score.

Starocci shot with 0:20 left and Kemerer stoned him, starting another scramble. When the ref signaled for the TD with zeros on the clock in SV (later waived off) the explosion of sound was disorientating. It actually made me dizzy. I have never experienced anything like that.

It was awesome. 

[jackwebster]

5 hours ago, ionel said:

Well the Mitch Shelton Dr Death pin was pretty darn loud, prob only ~8k vs 13k but the roof was much lower then.  Was there for both, better seat for Picc up at the rafters for Mitch.  The Death pin was end of Bedlam, Picc beginning Iowa, I'd say Bedlam pin louder.  8k already standing at start of Shelton Williams match because Bedlam on the line.  13k jumped out of their seats when Picc pinned Lee.

Re Dr. Death: all you could see were his hands and feet. 

[ionel]

14 minutes ago, jackwebster said:

Re Dr. Death: all you could see were his hands and feet. 

but ya knew it was over ... sit down Abel!!@ 

[jmoney]

J.Jaggers vs Mendes in National Finals 2008- the heart Jaggers showed is a major reason I still watch college wrestling today. It changed me from a “catch some matches every few years” guy to a legit college fan.