5 Best Wrestling Matches of 1996

Things were getting much more competitive and vicious in wrestling in 1996. WWE had lost two of its biggest stars to WCW (a recurring theme over the years), and WCW was taking full advantage of its relationship with other companies to showcase different wrestling styles that weren’t seen in WWE. Several now-famous wrestlers, especially from Mexico and Japan, became household names thanks to this approach that really helped WCW grow into – for a time – the #1 wrestling promotion in North America.

Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart were still the best in-ring workers WWE had at the time, but backstage issues and politics made more than one match between them impossible. Other stars like Mankind and Steve Austin rose up instead, taking part in great matches of their own.

In Japan, meanwhile, the rivalry between AJPW and NJPW continued, bitter as ever. All Japan kept its same core of top heavyweight wrestlers, while New Japan’s junior heavyweights continued to blow every other similar division out of the water.

Although many wrestlers tried to show the world how good they are, only a small handful succeeded. The ones that did are the ones that put on the following five legendary matches…

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5. Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind - In Your House 10

When Shawn Michaels became WWF/E Champion, many people criticized him for being a ‘pretty boy’ who didn’t have the innate toughness needed to carry an entire company on his shoulders. But HBK proved those naysayers wrong with this unbelievable battle against Mankind.

The match is intense from the opening bell as both guys proceed to destroy each other with very interesting moves and spots. These include several spots involving exposed concrete, a suplex into steel steps, Mankind getting his head smashed into the ring-post, and a Mandible Claw being used while Mankind was being choked on the ropes.

If this match proved anything, it’s the following two points. First, Mankind/Mick Foley is absolutely crazy, as he got smashed into metal objects (and apparently onto concrete as well) several times and kept going. This was long before his famous cell match, but even at this point, Mankind was believable as the biggest damage sponge in WWE.

And second, Michaels is a genius in terms of ring psychology. Not only does he destroy Mankind’s legs to prevent Mankind from having and power or speed, but he spends a good amount of time attacking Mankind’s mandible hand, down to even ‘snapping’ Mankind’s fingers and biting the very hand that was allegedly in his mouth moments prior. He does these things to weaken Mankind’s finisher, thus giving Michaels a better chance of winning.

This is wrestling storytelling at its absolute best.

4. Rey Mysterio vs. Psicosis – Bash at the Beach 1996

Bash At The Beach is usually remembered as the night on which The New World Order was born. What is sometimes forgotten, however, is that the opening match was one of the greatest matches put on in 1996.

Once again, Mysterio and Psicosis had another show-stealing performance. The WCW commentators did a brilliant job of introducing these two wrestlers to the world and explaining why this match is so important.

This was Rey’s first big match in WCW, so he and Psicosis treated this as an introduction to lucha libre for an audience that likely had no idea what they could do. Mysterio launched himself around the ring, flying higher and faster than anyone the WCW fans had ever seen.

The fans watching went nuts when Mysterio hit a Hurricanrana to the outside, as such a thing was completely foreign to the southern wrestling style of WCW’s main roster. Psicosis, meanwhile, lived up to his name by hitting – among other things, a diving senton from the top rope to the outside.

Like most Mysterio matches, this one ended due to a lightning-quick reversal from the top rope, which only further proved that Rey was arguably the best natural wrestler in the world in 1996.

3. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin – Survivor Series 1996

Two legends squaring off for the first time

This was Bret Hart’s return match after an eight-month hiatus. Austin had spent months taunting Hart, claiming to be the new top star in the company. As a result, these two fantastic wrestlers clashed at Survivor Series with the goal of proving who was the better wrestler.

Any claim that Bret had ring rust was thrown out the window within the first few minutes. Bret still showed the same technical precision and perfect timing that had defined his career before his hiatus. However, Austin told a great story of being the more prepared wrestler because he was wrestling full-time.

Vince McMahon described this match perfectly as a ‘see-saw’ match, because the momentum and control shifted back-and-forth between Hart and Austin several times. Austin tried several different moves to try and put Bret away, including a flapjack into the ropes, a Texas Cloverleaf, and even a Bow & Arrow submission hold to try and beat Hart at his own game.

But Hart wouldn’t be denied as he kept digging down and kicking out of Austin’s biggest moves. This culminated in Bret pinning Austin while Austin had Bret locked in the Million Dollar Dream, which was yet another example of Bret’s perfect knowledge of ring psychology.

Although most people think their encounter six months later is the better encounter between them, this one is great in its own right and should be watched by anyone that considers themselves a fan of either wrestler.

2. Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs. Steve Williams & Johnny Ace

Imagine if Shawn Michaels & Razor Ramon were challenged by Bret Hart and Chris Jericho, with Jericho having only four years’ worth of experience. In this match, Williams and Ace are Michaels and Razor, Misawa is Bret, and Akiyama is Jericho. And Akiyama/Jericho proceeds to break the glass ceiling and grab the proverbial brass rings in one match.

The entire purpose of this match is to elevate Jun Akiyama to a main-event level and does it ever succeed. Akiyama more than holds his own against both ‘Dr. Death’ (a former world champion) and Ace (who was actually very good in the ring in Japan).

Of course, this being a Misawa match, there are some vicious head drops and high-impact suplex variations that highlight why AJPW’s wrestling style was so dangerous. At the same time, Steve Williams was the perfect heel in this match, slapping his opponents’ heads and bad-mouthing them while hitting them with stiff strikes and power moves that could knock the wind out of you in an instant.

By the time it was over, the crowd was firmly behind Akiyama and believed every near-fall as a match-ender. Both teams came so incredibly close to winning that it almost exhausted the crowd by the time it was over. When it ended, Akiyama had reached the main-event, had become a new star, and had even managed to get his finisher, the Exploder Suplex, over as a big match-ending move.

All in all, this was a fun and dramatic match that was put together perfectly and accomplished its initial goal effortlessly.

1. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrerra – 2 of 3 falls – ECW Big A** Extreme Bash

Rey Mysterio is one of the best of all time

Once again, Rey Mysterio proved to the world just how awesome he was in his prime. In this match, Mysterio switched one masked opponent for another, as he faced Juventud Guerrera in a 5-star, 2-out-of-3 falls match in ECW, in front of the famously-hot ECW faithful.

Mysterio & Guerrera were absolutely spectacular in this match. The execution of moves was laser-precise, with both men showing off some of the most unique near-falls and pinning sequences ever seen. They were so ahead of their time and so lightning-quick that the match had more drama in the first five minutes than most of today’s matches have in twenty minutes.

Rey’s offense was unbelievable. He executed hurricanranas with pinpoint precision, he dove out of the ring while also jumping over the referee, and even executed some power moves that he rarely used while in WWE.

Guerrera was just as crazy, pulling off some amazing moves of his own, including a springboard moonsault over the barricade and into the first row of fans and Powerbombing Mysterio onto the hood of a car.

For any fan of cruiserweight wrestling, this match couldn’t possibly come with a higher recommendation. With this match, Mysterio and Guerrera gave even greater exposure to cruiserweight wrestling and stole the show with this match. If you wanted to thank anyone for helping cruiserweights become top stars in today’s wrestling, thank these men.