FanPost

The coveted Five Star rating: Do these matches deserve it? Heartbreak Cactus (Part 4)

WWE.com

Welcome to the next installment of "Do They Deserve Their Stars."

This time, we have a bit of a mixed bag with two matches involving Shawn Michaels, two matches involving Cactus Jack, and two matches involving our favorite big man, Vader.

Enough talk. Let's go!

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Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart: Survivor Series 1992

Best of a Bunch

Hart HBK Sur Ser 92

Without a doubt, one of the most famous rivalries in WWE history is the one between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. This rivalry spanned from the early 1990s all the way to Survivor Series 1997, and it lasted many more years in real life due to the Montreal Screwjob of 1997. This rivalry gave us some truly iconic matches, including the classic Iron Man match from WrestleMania XII (something that should be seen at least once) and the Montreal Screwjob.

This gem from Survivor Series 1992, however, has got to be the best of the bunch.

You see, in 1992, both Bret Hart AND Shawn Michaels were in the true prime of their lives, and it really showed here. For the better part of 20 minutes, these two went back and forth in a technical, fast-paced match that showcased both men's wrestling prowess as well as Michaels' heeling (which was put into good use here). As the match went on, Michaels got more and more desperate to win, and it really showed in his tactics. In the end, however, Bret Hart was able to lock Michaels in the Sharpshooter for the submission win.

The early 90s were a hell of a time for professional wrestling, and this match showed us exactly why.

Meltzer's and Bacon's rating: 4.5

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Sting vs Cactus Jack: Beach Blast 1992

The Concrete Always Wins

Sting Cactus Beach Blast

The idea of a "Falls Count Anywhere" match was new in 1992. However, Cactus Jack was a man to take full advantage of this stipulation multiple times, and this 1992 match with Sting is one of the more memorable examples. Although there was some in-ring action, the vast majority of the match took place on the outside...on unprotected concrete.

The result is a match that could get hard to watch at times due to the big bumps taken on the exposed concrete. In particular, Jack landed full-force on the concrete multiple times, and both men hit their heads off the concrete a few times.

Brutality and lasting effects aside, this match as a whole felt off. Now I know that matches like these, which are always brawls, have different pacing than your traditional in-ring match, but it felt like this one never really got going. Instead, it felt more like twelve minutes of taking advantage of the stipulation rather than telling a coherent wrestling story.

I know that these types of matches were in their infancy in 1992, but this one really shows its age.

Meltzer's rating: 4.5; Bacon's rating: 4

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Vader vs Cactus Jack: Halloween Havoc 1993

A Texas-Sized Bloodbath

Cactus Vader Halloween

If you thought the previous match in this post wasn't violent enough, then this is the match for you. This was one of those matches where any and all wrestling was hurled out the window and replaced by a bunch of blood and brutality.

Makes sense why this is called a "Texas Deathmatch", doesn't it?

The action in this match, as I mentioned earlier, was brawly, brutal, and bloody, even by Attitude Era standards. Both men were quite bloody by the end of the match, and there were a bunch of hard spots on the concrete floor as well as some unprotected chair shots to the head. There was also some funny imagery in this match when Vader climbed out of his own prop grave and also when Cactus Jack used a prop cactus to hit Vader.

Despite the action, I had a few problems with this match. First of all, like the last match on this list, it hasn't aged well. When you watch it in 2014, it really starts to drag on at points. This is not helped by the crowd, who couldn't care less about the match going on in front of them. The final nail in the coffin for this match was the underwhelming ending when Harley Race used a stun gun to keep Jack from answering the referee's ten count, giving Vader the win.

I know that this match was probably the best thing ever in 1993. However, in 2014, it just feels outdated, boring, and annoying, especially at the end.

Meltzer's rating: 4.75; Bacon's rating: 4

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Shawn Michaels vs Marty Jannetty: Raw: July 19, 1993

The Proper Way for a Team to Explode

HBK Jannetty Raw

January 11, 1992: The day that Marty Jannetty tried to escape Shawn Michaels by diving through The Barber Shop's window. We knew that The Rockers would explode, but we weren't prepared for how they would explode. Over a year later, Michael and Jannetty would face off at Royal Rumble 1993, but the match they had was quite underwhelming considering the men involved.

"Disappointing" was an understatement.

However, fast-forward to July 19, 1993, and Michaels vs Jannetty was booked as an Intercontinental Championship match. Now when I looked at the star rating Meltzer gave this particular match, I was a bit skeptical considering the fact that Michaels vs Jannetty at Royal Rumble was an underwhelming match.

However, this match absolutely blew away the blew away me.

On this night, both Michaels and Jannetty were on the absolute top of their game, and it really showed in this match. The action was fast-paced and back-and-forth for the entire time, and the false-finish that occurs really brings the drama up a few clicks. Michaels' heeling was in full-effect again, which is always a plus since he is a damn good heel.

The end comes abruptly when Jannetty, in a fit of desperation, crashes and burns after a diving move misses Michaels and launches Jannetty over the top rope onto the floor. Diesel is able to hoss Jannetty into the ring where Michaels pins him for the win.

When you think of matches involving tag partner vs tag partner, you expect them to be excellent. However, this was on a whole new level that has not been replicated since.

That begs the question: This was on free TV? Why yes, yes it was, and the world is so much better because of it.

Meltzer's rating: 4.75; Bacon's rating: 5

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Vader vs Ric Flair: StarrCade 1993

The Legend Comes Home

Flair Vader StarrCade

After a brief stint in WWF, Ric Flair returned home to WCW until the company's 2001 demise. Who was waiting to greet Flair? None other than Vader, who was the WCW World Heavyweight Champion at the time. To add to the stakes, a stipulation was added that required Flair to retire should he lose to Vader.

Needless to say, the odds were overwhelmingly against Flair, and this was the case for most of the match when Vader hossed Flair all over the place. Vader dealt massive amounts of punishment to Flair, but Flair wouldn't stay down.

Instead, Flair just kept coming back for more punishment. After a while, the momentum of the match shifted in favor of Flair (a few chair shots may have helped this along a bit). In the end, Harley Race tried to attack Flair, but this backfired when Flair dodged a diving Race. Race hit Vader, and Flair was able to take Vader off his feet and pin him for the win, which made the hometown crowd go insane for Flair.

This match was definitely an emotional return for Flair, and he was welcomed by mostly open arms.

Meltzer's and Bacon's rating: 4.5

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That is it for this edition of "Do They Deserve Their Stars." Next time, we examine the classic year of 1994!

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Cageside Seats readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cageside Seats editors or staff.