10 Hidden Gems & Curiosities From WWE Network
2. Nick Bockwinkel Vs. Curt Hennig - SuperClash II (1987)
As old-school as it gets on the network, this AWA championship bout from SuperClash II in 1987 pits veteran grappler Bockwinkel against a pre-Mr Perfect Hennig. Its rest holds and wear-down spots break into bouts of fast, muscular, extremely hard-hitting action as both men batter each other with some frightening realism.
It's a study in how to make body slams and arm drags look devastatingly impactful, played out in front of an increasingly hyped-up Cow Palace crowd. Bockwinkel was all presence and power, while the younger Hennig got to show off his technical game as he took control of the late match.
As well as being a rock-solid match in its own right, it's an example of a style of wrestling soon to die out among the glitz and caricatures of the WWE. The athletic young Hennig and the ageing, methodical Bockwinkel are as good a metaphor for the past and future of wrestling in 1987 as you could hope to get.