Ryan's Dive into '95 - The Year-End Special!
A final look back at the year that was 1995, with the top matches, MVPs, and fashion critiques.
How ya now?
With Part 52 in the rear window, my examination of the world of wrestling in 1995 is complete. Before we fully close the book on this project, though, I wanted to compose one last article to tie everything together.
What Happened in 1995?
Well, a LOT, as it turned out. Despite a terrible year for both the WWF and WCW in terms of finances and overall quality, we saw the onset of the Monday Night Wars via the debut of WCW Monday Nitro. That little gambit from Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff would go on to completely change the course of the business and would usher in the next boom period within the next few years. This year also saw and increased focus on PPVs and television product over selling house shows.
Elsewhere in the US of A, Extreme Championship Wrestling had a significant rise in popularity. This is thanks to popular storylines like the Raven/Tommy Dreamer saga, a grittier product compared to the Big Two's more kid-friendly presentation, and memorable character work and promos. The Land of Extreme also benefitted greatly from an in-ring product that infused state-of-the-art technical wrestling and lucha libre into their brand of hardcore violence. ECW was, as the kids say today, “for the sickos”.
The Southern territories, on the other hand, saw diminishing fortunes thanks to the Monday Night Wars. Despite a great interpromotional rivalry, Smoky Mountain Wrestling closed its doors in November, and the USWA began a slump from which they would never fully recover.
AAA had an excellent year in terms of match quality and overall fun, and produced major international stars in Rey Misterio, Jr. and Psicosis. CMLL was fairly quiet for the most part, with match quality that paled in comparison to their rivals. However, they did get El Hijo del Santo back, so that was a major bead in the win column.
Despite some drops in ticket sales, All Japan Pro Wrestling continued to put on some of the best wrestling on the planet, peaking with what some consider the greatest tag match of all time on June 9th. You’ll see many entries from All Japan in the top ten matches later on in this article. New Japan Pro-Wrestling, who actually won Promotion of the Year in the Wrestling Observer, may have been overshadowed by AJPW from a match quality perspective, but The Lion did have a great year of their own. We saw magnificent in-ring action in both the heavyweight and junior ranks, and a lucrative interpromotional feud with UWF International that broke box-office records.
Unfortunately, the high grosses were not enough to completely save UWFi. Nobuhiko Takada's worked-shoot promotion saw a steep decline due to talent losses, the emerging popularity of actual mixed-martial arts in Japan, and failed publicity stunts that resulted in reputational damage. Meanwhile, Pro-Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi would cease to exist as everyone but Yoshiaki Fujiwara himself left to form BattlARTS, and Fighting Network RINGS would pivot to becoming a full-fledged MMA outfit.
The Joshi scene would see major title changes, like the end of Aja Kong's historic WWWA Championship reign. We also got incredible match after incredible match from AJW and JWP, and the first shows from Chigusa Nagayo’s GAEA Japan promotion and Jaguar Yokota's JDStar took place.
People sometimes look at 1995 as a bad year for wrestling, and that is very much true if you consumed only WWF and WCW like many of us did back in the day. However, once you look beyond that, there is a veritable feast of top-tier graps.
For the rest of this article, I'll go over my personal MVPs, the best matches, and even marvel at (or rag on) some attire.
1995's Sensational Six MVPs
For my six MVPs, I'm mainly looking at a combination of ring work (which I will weight most heavily), promo and character work, impact on the business, the value they brought to wherever they plied their trade, and just general vibes. I'll also keep the six varied to incorporate multiple styles and regions. Otherwise, I would EASILY fill it with All Japan pillars and Joshi.
“Nature Boy” Buddy Landel
I wanted to spotlight Landel because he was this year's most pleasant surprise for me. I've been generally ambivalent on the subject of Budro over the years, and his ring work is pretty unspectacular, albeit solid. However, his run with Smoky Mountain Wrestling won me over with some of the top promo work of the year. Buddy’s promo from the 7/29 episode of Smoky Mountain’s TV show in particular was one of the top promos of the decade. Hell, not only was he able to make you think and feel, but he could make you laugh your ass off. The biggest belly laughs I got from doing this series was from Buddy’s vignettes at Classy Motors. Even though his year ended with a serious injury just as he was apparently set for a decent push in the WWF, the rest of his year converted me into a Budro Believer.
Rey Misterio, Jr
I was extremely tempted to have Psicosis on this list as my lucha MVP as he had an absolutely excellent year, but I had to give the nod to Misterio. In 1995, he and Psicosis took their match around the world and won many a new fan over with their thrilling and innovative brand of lucha libre. What puts Rey over the top is that he was more or less the ‘featured’ performer of those matches. Rey achieved feats of athleticism around this time that likely weren’t even imagined at that point. As well, not only did he have the series with Psicosis, but he had some terrific bouts with Juventud Guerrera in another rivalry that really helped popularize their version of the art form on a global scale.
Bret “Hitman” Hart
I could have gone with Shawn Michaels because of his great string of performances after the babyface turn, and for being part of the best WWF match of the year (the ladder match with Razor Ramon from SummerSlam). However, The Hitman wins out as he had a more consistent year overall. Bad WrestleMania match aside, Bret did what he could with what he was given, even if it was meager scraps. Newcomers with varying degrees of potential and silliness of gimmicks were paired with Bret in the hope that he could elevate them. Bret was up to the task, having standout matches with Hakushi and Jean-Pierre Lafitte, and ensuring Isaac Yankem, DDS didn’t completely embarrass himself on live PPV. Also, his matches with Diesel and the British Bulldog were top-shelf.
Cactus Jack
Mrs. Foley’s baby boy worked everywhere from NWC, to Smoky Mountain Wrestling, to IWA Japan, evening winning the much tape-traded King of the Deathmatch tournament. However, it was his ECW tenure that cemented Cactus Jack’s future legend. He had some notable brawls against other hardcore mainstays like Sabu and Terry Funk, but Cactus had one of the absolute best years ever when it came to character work and promos. “Cane Dewey” is often cited as one of the most greatest promos of all time, and that was just one of many god-tier segments he had that year. The anti-hardcore gimmick is an excellent example of Foley’s genius, being able to work the smarter-than-thou ECW fans into a hateful frenzy.
Manami Toyota
The Wrestling Observer’s Most Outstanding Wrestler for 1995, Toyota had an absolutely incredible year between the ropes. The Flying Angel racked up FOUR five-star matches in ‘95 and several matches that came extremely close, notably tag matches against Double Inoue. Very few have been able to be as effective an underdog babyface as Toyota. Extremely creative, exciting, and consistent, Toyota continued to solidify her case for being one of the greatest of all-time, regardless of gender.
Kenta Kobashi
If I were ordering these, it would be a dead heat between Kobashi and Toyota, but Orange Crush as THE MVP of 1995 just feels right. Frankly, I could have slotted any of the Pillars here. Misawa and Kawada had absolutely stellar showings, and even Taue had arguably his best year in terms of match quality. However, in the best match of the year and one of the greatest matches of all time, Kobashi had THE standout performance. It was one of the greatest individual performances I have ever seen, and it was only one of several top-tier performances Kobashi’s had this year.
Plus, he’s my favorite Pillar and I’m biased as fuck.
Top Ten Matches of the Year
This list will definitely feature less variety than the MVP ranking because I’m going straight to my ratings to generate this list. I rated over 260 matches for 1995, and awarded the coveted five stars to eleven matches. All but one in my top ten are from Japan. Sure, there were many, many 4*+ matches in the US and Mexico, but Japan was where the best action happened.
#10. The Pitbulls vs. Raven & Stevie Richards (ECW, 9/16)
I never would have thought that a match featuring THESE guys would share company with the AJPW Pillars and some of the greatest female wrestlers in history, but 1995 was a strange year. This is definitely not on the list because of flawless execution or logical selling, but it’s here because of the booking and because of how much FUN it is. This match is an absolute blast, with big spots and a ludicrous parade of run-ins, but everything is woven together so expertly that it all just WORKS. The fact that so many storylines were paid off in one match is seriously impressive. It’s the ultimate example of a dog-and-pony show done right.
#9. Super Generation Army vs. Steve Williams & Johnny Ace (AJPW, 3/4)
While Misawa, Kobashi, and *sigh* even Ace held up their end, this was The Steve Williams Show. Dr. Death wasn’t so much a wrestler as he was a malevolent force of nature here. Whenever he was in, he absolutely chewed up the opposition, and the Super Generation Army ended up having to isolate Ace, not so much for strategic reasons, but for survival. Amazing stuff.
#8. Mayumi Ozaki vs. Dynamite Kansai (JWP, 3/17)
I love me a heated, insane, bloody brawl, and Ozaki and Kansai delivered that and MORE in this Dress Up Wild Fight. Even the NAME of the match is fucking awesome. The dynamic was great, with the bigger Kansai mauling the small-yet-scrappy Ozaki, and Ozaki having to get sadistic in order to survive. The violence escalated throughout, everything built well, and you can feel the hatred in every chain-assisted choke or backdrop driver. It was also paced very well, which is something that these types of matches tend to struggle with.
#7. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 1/19)
The first five-star match of the year came courtesy of two of my favorite Pillars. It was a wonderful slow burn, and the story of the rising star looking to get his first win over the veteran Kawada was expertly told. It went the full 60 minutes, but it never got dull. You know a match is good when I’m shouting at my TV and leaping out of my seat for a nearly three-decade old match.
#6. Manami Toyota vs. Akira Hokuto (AJW, 9/2)
I initially had this at ****3/4, but upon further reflection, I just had to give it the full five. Everything about this was exceptional, from the entrances to the beautifully simple story. It was basically two of the greatest wrestlers in the world throwing bombs at each other with minimal downtime. The action was sensational, and the finishing sequence was absolutely bonkers.
#5. Super Generation Army vs. Holy Demon Army (AJPW, 1/24)
While they’d have an even better contest further along in the countdown, the 1/27 match is another stone-cold classic from these four. Another 60-minute match with the Pillars, this one again never hit any kind of sustained lull, and featured layered storytelling and amazing performances. All the big moves and heart-racing near-falls that you could want were here.
#4. Manami Toyota vs. Aja Kong (AJW, 6/27)
Their second five-star match of the year, this one beat out their earlier contest due to generally better execution of moves and some extra wrinkles involved in the storytelling. This one featured a ton of aggression and intensity mixed in with the classic David vs. Goliath formula. Aja Kong was an absolute monster, while Toyota was an incredible underdog foil. Plus, the MOVEZ.
#3. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Akira Taue (AJPW, 4/15)
The Champion Carnival final is not only considered Taue’s finest effort by many, but some say that it’s one of Misawa’s best ever singles performances. Going into the final with a broken orbital bone, Misawa looked more vulnerable than he had in a very long time, and Taue took complete advantage of this with relentless attacks. This was an incredibly well-told story.
#2. Manami Toyota vs. Kyoko Inoue (AJW, 5/7)
Coming in second is the Wrestling Observer’s Match of the Year for 1995. While it doesn’t take the top prize here, it’s undoubtedly one of the wildest displays of athleticism I’ve ever witnessed. Both ladies went an entire hour with minimum downtime, told an engrossing story with tight psychology, and supplied believable near-fall after near-fall. Go out of your way to watch this one.
#1. Super Generation Army vs. Holy Demon Army (AJPW, 6/9)
Well, what else could be here? Only the greatest tag team match ever wrestled, and one of the greatest matches ever in general. A match that didn’t feel nearly as long as its 40+ minutes, it brilliantly weaved together many story threads, featured excellent selling and high-impact offense, incredible performances, and a highly satisfying finish with Kawada finally getting a clean pinfall victory over longtime rival Misawa.
The Best (and Worst) Dressed
I'm gonna put on my Amy Hay hat and critique some damn fashion. Check out Amy's Substack, by the way. The Gear of The Year stuff is always a quality read.
THE BEST
Ultimo Dragon (WAR, 7/7)
I could pick one of the outfits Ultimo wore during the Super J-Cup, but I wanted to highlight this number as it’s a big departure from his usual gear while still looking cool. The short trunks and the coat with tails evokes The Fantastics, the mask does away with the frills while still being striking, and the Mexican color scheme is a fitting tribute to his early career.
Shawn Michaels (WWF SummerSlam)
Say what you will about him (please do), but Shawn has always had great gear (Survivor Series 2002 aside). I could have went with the white and gold scheme from In Your House 2, but I’ve always enjoyed the turquoise-ish gear from SummerSlam. The black tiger stripes and white boots help the colors pop.
Akira Hokuto (AJW, 9/2)
Akira Hokuto rocked this BAD ASS “Dark Bride” entrance attire ahead of her match with Manami Toyota. This tweet from Shea McCoy sums it up far better than I can.
British Bulldog (WWF In Your House 5)
I greatly enjoy it when gear is used for psychological warfare, and Davey Boy using the long boys that he wore in his SummerSlam 1992 win over Bret (or ones similar to them) was delightful.
Cactus Jack (ECW November to Remember)
The airbrushed Dungeon of Doom shirt (and the “Forgive Me, Uncle Eric” shirt underneath) were peak WCW toady Cactus Jack, and it was amazing. I unironically want one of these.
Jerry Lawler (USWA, 12/16)
Now, this sweater is truly hideous, but I can’t help but love it. If you ever wanted a sweater that incorporated almost literally every color on the spectrum, there it is. It had to have been crafted by a poor grandmother who was told that she had to use up all the yarn in her possession under penalty of death. The King looks like he's ready to tell us about the Supermarket Sweep shopping list.
THE WORST-DRESSED
Tekno Team 2000
Apparently, the year 2000 was the year of gray and maroon. Rocking repurposed barbecue covers as vests and tights that look like TV static, the future looked rather bleak for Troy and Travis. And, well, it was.
Ric Flair (WCW Uncensored)
WCW Uncensored was not a good night for the Nature Boy. Not only did he have to do the job in a match he wasn’t even in, but earlier in the evening, he had to do a run-in while wearing drag. I adore the art of drag, but Ric was just not serving here. No originality, no illusion, just black and bland with hideous makeup. I hope you studied the lyrics to “Fantasy” by Mariah Carey, Ric, because you’re about to lip-sync for your life.
Gedo (WAR Super J-Cup)
Gedo had looked awful for years, but for the finals of the Super J-Cup, he decided to REALLY up the faux-pas factor by donning gear reminiscent of rancid mustard. It especially looks awful with Gedo’s bleach-blonde hair. The royal purple robe is pretty cool, but you’re just putting lipstick on an overpushed pig at this point.
Goldust (In Your House 4)
Goldust would refine his gear and makeup over the years and produce some really fascinating looks, but his debut? Egads. Goldy was sporting some very dull tights that left LITTLE to the imagination, and the choices with the facepaint are a bit questionable. The ears being painted black is especially egregious.
Avatar
If you input “Hayabusa with horrendously garish colors” into an AI generator, you’ll probably get the unfortunate Avatar gimmick “gifted” to Al Snow during his initial run in the WWF. The only thing uglier was Avatar’s debut match against Brian Walsh.
Mantaur
MOOOO, BITCH! GET OUT THE WAY!
Yeah, I know, the WWF had a lot of entries for Worst-Dressed this year, but they earned the SHIT out of those spots. Now, I have a fondness for Manuel Taur, and I got some truly stupid amusement (a-moo-sment?) out of his initial bull’s head attire. However, things got REALLY dumb when they decided to do the painted-on horns. That’s just foolishness! Add that on top of his chocolate brown singlet, and there was no coming back.
Now that we’ve put a big fat ribbon on 1995, you’re probably wondering where we go next. Well, I have another few Goodhelmet Yearbook sets, so I won’t be short of material anytime soon. I also have some other projects coming up, so the Ryan’s Reviews train will keep chugging for a long time to come.
See you again soon!