10 Greatest Squash Matches In Wrestling History

7. The Ultimate Warrior Vs. The Honky Tonk Man - WWF SummerSlam 1988

Lance Archer
WWE

It's difficult to accurately put across just how much the people wanted to see the Honky Tonk Man lose that Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam 1988. It's difficult also to summarise how inspired the role was and how great Honky was in it.

The fans weren't ultra-committed or as discerning as they are now - and the vernacular wasn't in place to bury it - but there was a raw feeling of wrongness to the reign that intensified the longer it dragged on, and dragged is the word. It was a saga, and Honky needed to infuse earnest work with go-away heat, before it was even a thing, to keep the fans baying for his blood. He had to be as entertaining and irritating as all hell, and he was.

This wasn't the guiltiest of pleasures - Warrior was great in short bursts, but skewed too much into the reckless side of the all-important spectrum - but it was certainly the most effective. Warrior did look like a t*t in his celebrations, and more clumsy than clinical, but the work oddly suited the atmosphere.

His appearance came out of nowhere, as did his arsenal, and Honky barely had to sell how beleaguered he was.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!