25 Best Wrestling Shows EVER

6. WCW Great American Bash 1989

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WWE

Ric Flair Vs. Terry Funk headlined the best wrestling show of the 1980s: a decade defined now by a fake nostalgia driven through faulty memory. 

Wrestling was never believable back then, and selling obviously still happens - but watching Flair Vs. Funk now, it’s hard not to reckon with the fact that something is missing. Fire, soul, grit. The animosity and agony conveyed in that main event renders a lot of what is seen today more choreographed and synthetic and showy. 

Weirdly, the WarGames semi-main was one of the relatively poorer genre efforts of the day, despite the inclusion of world-class brawlers Terry Gordy and Steve Williams, but it was still a super-loud blast of a melee. 

Sting Vs. the Great Muta was mind-flowing futuristic action for its time, and is still a wonderful sprint between two of wrestling’s most memorable and cool characters now. Lex Luger Vs. Ricky Steamboat was a lively bit of business as well. Steamboat guided Luger through it, but Luger kept pace in a lean ripper that never stopped moving. 

The undercard wasn’t great, few were in that era, but it did yield a breezy violent showcase of the Steiner Brothers at their rawest. 

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!