5 Best Wrestling Matches of 1996

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.