Wrestling's better when we work together. Or fight each other in direct competition. That works too. These are the 10 Greatest Cross-Promotional Matches Ever.
00:00 - Start
00:41 - 10
01:43 - 9
02:47 - 8
03:51 - 7
04:50 - 6
05:53 - 5
06:53 - 4
07:44 - 3
08:31 - 2
09:28 - 1
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00:00 - Start
00:41 - 10
01:43 - 9
02:47 - 8
03:51 - 7
04:50 - 6
05:53 - 5
06:53 - 4
07:44 - 3
08:31 - 2
09:28 - 1
SUBSCRIBE TO partsFUNknown: https://bit.ly/2J2Hl6q
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/partsfunknown
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/partsfunknown/
Buy wrestling merchandise here: https://www.wrestleshop.com/
Read more Feature content here on WrestleTalk.com: https://wrestletalk.com/features/
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SportsTranscript
00:00 "I just wish we could all get along like we used to in middle school.
00:02 I wish I could bake a cake made of rainbows and smiles and we could all eat it and be
00:06 happy."
00:07 With mainstream appeal, major promotions across the world showcasing an array of styles, and
00:11 a thriving independent scene, there's never been a better time to be a wrestling fan.
00:15 But because fandom can't exist without tribalism, there'll always be a raging debate over which
00:20 is the best thing.
00:21 "I love this," says Player One.
00:23 "You are less clever than me," replies Player Two.
00:25 Copy and paste to everything ever.
00:27 However, very occasionally, we can have nice things, as promotions come together to share
00:31 their resources and put on a show that feels extra special and lives long in the memory.
00:36 I'm Dan hailing from PartsFunknown, and these are the 10 Greatest Cross Promotional
00:40 Matches Ever.
00:41 10.
00:42 Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega - Wrestle Kingdom 12
00:44 Now, there is some debate in the office as to whether this is or isn't cross promotional.
00:49 Technically, Jericho wasn't under WWE contract at the time, but given that he'd spent nearly
00:53 two decades performing under the WWE umbrella, seeing a man who had previously stated he'd
00:58 never wrestle for anyone other than Vince McMahon walk into the Tokyo Dome was quite
01:02 something.
01:03 Challenging for the IWGP United States Championship, Jericho gave himself a new nickname for the
01:08 occasion.
01:09 "Alpha vs. Omega" was video game billing for a match that at one stage felt like it
01:13 could only ever happen in a video game.
01:16 And then the match went and lived up to the hype.
01:17 A brutal contest as much about personal grudge as finding the real best in the world, watching
01:22 it feels like a bridge between two eras, a face of the old guard squaring up to a face
01:26 of the new, especially when we think about what happened in wrestling next.
01:30 A five star banger, the importance of this match can't be understated.
01:33 Not only did it bring a lot of new eyes to the Japanese product, it was also another
01:37 milestone on the path to a revolution in North American wrestling that led to the creation
01:41 of AEW.
01:42 9.
01:43 Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Steen - Ring of Honor, New Japan, War of the Worlds 2014
01:48 A supercard from a time when we still called streaming events "iPay-per-views", the partnership
01:53 between Ring of Honor and New Japan had the wrestling world abuzz after one of arguably
01:57 the most creatively frustrating years in the history of mainstream American wrestling.
02:01 And the War of the Worlds card more than delivered.
02:03 I could have picked from a number of contests here.
02:05 How do you fancy Adam Cole defending the ROH title against Jushin "Actual Thunder" Genuine
02:10 Liger?
02:11 Perhaps you'd like to partake in some AJ Styles against Michael Elgin and Kazuchika
02:14 Okada for the IWGP title?
02:16 But the one I've picked is Shinsuke Nakamura taking on Kevin Steen, now Owens, in large
02:21 part because it was after this match that Steen announced he'd be leaving Ring of Honor
02:24 and would soon sign his developmental deal with WWE.
02:27 So going back to watch it, with both men now prominent members of the Monday Night Raw
02:31 roster having achieved varying degrees of success in the quote-unquote "big leagues"
02:35 over the years, gives it a little feathered edge of hindsight.
02:39 And the match, wrestled in front of a New York crowd, is a brilliant showcase of two
02:42 stars sitting on the edge of a much-needed sea change in the industry.
02:46 8.
02:47 Art Bar and Eddie Guerrero vs Octagon and El Hijo De Santo - When Worlds Collide
02:51 This is not only an outstanding match, it's also an opportunity for me to correct a past
02:55 misdeed.
02:56 When Worlds Collide is an unbelievable show that's notoriously hard to find a copy of,
03:01 and back in 2004, while I was training at NWA UK Hammerlock, a chap named Tad gave me
03:06 his copy because I wanted to learn more about being a smaller man in the ring.
03:09 To make a long story short, the school moved and I wasn't able to go anymore.
03:12 It's now 20 years later and Tad, if you're watching, I have taken that VHS with me everywhere
03:18 I've ever lived and if we should ever meet again, I will gladly hand it back to you to
03:22 release me from my crushing guilt.
03:24 Anyway, WCW and AAA came together to produce the Mexican promotion's first show to be
03:28 broadcast in the US, and open a lot of American eyes to the superhero athletics of the Lucha
03:33 Libre style.
03:34 A pristine gem on an all-time great card, this match is contested in two out of three
03:38 falls rules, where both men had to pin or submit for the fall to become official, which
03:43 adds a brilliant extra wrinkle to the drama.
03:45 I love tag teams, I love Lucha Libre, I love these wrestlers, I love this match.
03:51 7.
03:52 Great Tsukki, Gran Hamada and Masato Yakushiki vs BWO Japan - ECW Barely Legal 1997
03:58 Another one that caused a chinwag in the office, but fully worthy of inclusion on this list.
04:02 In 1997, for their very first pay-per-view, ECW decided to hand a decent chunk of time
04:07 to a match showcasing an entirely different promotion.
04:10 Very in keeping with the scrappy-do nature of the land of extreme, Michinoku Pro Wrestling
04:13 was Japan's plucky upstart, an underdog promotion just five years old making their base outside
04:18 of the established Tokyo market.
04:20 The two promotions were a perfect match, and giving space on their show to highlight the
04:23 Japanese stars helped ECW show themselves as an intriguing alternative product to the
04:29 two major North American promotions.
04:31 The crowd are also really up for it, filling the ring with streamers before the opening
04:35 bell in a fantastic visual, which when followed by the match itself, could almost be seen
04:39 as a precursor for a style that would flood the indie scene in the turn of the century.
04:43 It's well worth seeking out, and it absolutely flies by.
04:47 The perfect example of what a showcase match should be.
04:50 6.
04:51 The Undertaker vs Jinsei Shinzaki - 1997 A delightful curiosity, this comes from the
04:55 brief period in '97 where Vince McMahon decided to, y'know, acknowledge other countries
05:00 exist.
05:01 WWF struck up a partnership with the fledgling Michinoku Pro Wrestling, and part of that
05:04 deal saw a talent exchange, with Great Suzuki and Taka Michinoku appearing stateside, while
05:09 the Deadman used his under-the-ring teleportation device to visit the Land of the Rising Sun.
05:14 Prior to the contest, Shinzaki had been unalived by the Great Muta, so he's wrestling here
05:18 to try to reclaim his soul.
05:20 He's brought to the ring by Japanese pallbearers, no not that one, and when the bell rings,
05:24 his lifeless body stirs, and he rises to his feet, his gear covered in blood.
05:29 The spectacle of the Deadman in a Japanese ring is a sight to behold, especially while
05:33 he's here playing an actual Grim Reaper, which is very cool, and Shinzaki is fully
05:37 leaning into the zombified version of himself.
05:41 When the match is over, Undertaker walks slowly to the back, and Shinzaki is returned to the
05:45 site of his grave to be entombed forever.
05:48 As a match, honestly, it's fine, but as a piece of theatre, it's utterly thrilling.
05:53 5.
05:54 Kenny Omega vs Rich Swann - Impact Rebellion - 2021
05:57 A shining star in one of the darkest times for professional wrestling, and obv the world,
06:02 but who needs reminding?
06:03 This is another example of two upstart promotions pooling their resources to draw more eyes
06:07 on their products and showcase the best of what they have to offer.
06:10 The story was that Omega was Don Callis' boy, and he brought him over to continue his
06:14 run as the belt collector to let him drape himself in more gold than a man named Terry
06:18 playing darts in an Irish pub in Benidorm.
06:19 I'm gonna be a basic fanboy here, but this is cool because it's Kenny Omega holding
06:23 the AEW Championship in Impact, and then he gets that belt as well, so the man has both
06:28 worlds.
06:29 Mauro Inala was calling the action which makes everything better "IMHO" "Mamma Mia",
06:33 and it ends up being the most watched pay-per-view in Impact for years.
06:36 The whole "forbidden door" thing became cliche really quick, and then naming an annual
06:40 show after it fully undercuts the "oh no, there's no way around the pun" impact.
06:45 But this is an example of something where you want to stop and rub your eyes to make
06:48 sure you're seeing what you think you're seeing, and we don't get enough of those,
06:52 so it's on the list.
06:53 4.
06:54 Mike Orsum vs. Mike Orsum - ECW 2000 At this stage, we all know the story.
06:58 It's fabled in wrestling history, but a WWE guy beating a WCW guy in an ECW ring during
07:04 the apex of professional wrestling is every bit as juicy as it sounds.
07:08 After being stiffed for a sum of money rumoured to be in the $50,000 range, WCW made the ECW
07:13 champion Mike Orsum an offer he simply couldn't turn down.
07:17 But of course, because fiscal responsibility and providing for one's family is the biggest
07:21 heel work of all time, the ECW faithful turned right on him and blasted him as a sellout.
07:26 But never fear, here comes Taz to save the day and defend ECW's honour.
07:30 Never mind that he'd left ECW for a lucrative WWE contract a few months earlier, he's
07:34 not a sellout.
07:35 That's not logical inconsistency.
07:36 Don't look at me, ECW.
07:38 It's a brilliant bit of wrestling history, and a reminder that when the wrestling industry
07:42 is well populated, it's better for everyone.
07:44 3.
07:45 Bryan Danielson vs. Minoru Suzuki - AEW Rampage A dream match if ever there was one, and available
07:50 for free on YouTube.
07:51 Madness.
07:52 In one corner, you have arguably the most beloved star of our generation.
07:56 On the other, you have a proper legend, a pioneer in the art form, and someone who appears
08:00 to bathe in the fountain of youth.
08:02 Up to his forehead.
08:03 That was a cheap joke, and I'm sorry.
08:04 Danielson has trouble keeping the smile off his face at many points.
08:07 His style from day one was heavily inspired by the Japanese way of working, and Suzuki
08:11 is one of the best the country has to offer.
08:14 It's an exquisite piece of fan service from AEW, and those in the building are all too
08:18 happy to play their part, and they get rewarded for doing so by a match that is in every sense
08:22 of the phrase, a clash for the ages.
08:25 Finish this list off, watch 12 more of our lists, and then go and find it and enjoy yourself.
08:29 I simply dare you.
08:31 2.
08:32 Hulk Hogan vs. The Great Muta - 1993 Now then, we're all familiar with Hulk Hogan.
08:35 Walrus moustache.
08:36 Confusing haircut.
08:37 Point.
08:38 Listen.
08:39 Pythons.
08:40 But can I introduce you to the concept of Hulk Hogan in Japan?
08:43 Wrestling always seemed to take a backseat to the vitamins and the prayers and the America
08:47 of it all with 80s icon Hogan, but something about the Japanese air seemed to bring a clarity
08:51 to Hulk, who had a notable career on the islands long before he first stepped foot in the WWE
08:57 ring.
08:58 After stealing Bret Hart's thunder at WrestleMania 9, WWE in New Japan came to a rare accord
09:01 that allowed Hogan to take on The Great Muta in a champion vs. champion clash, and Hogan
09:05 busted out a genuinely brilliant encounter befitting of both stage and opponent.
09:10 Look, he's not doing 630 shooting star presses and Panama sunrises off the apron, although
09:15 let's take a second to enjoy the mental image of that.
09:17 But still, it's pretty fun.
09:19 Almost as fun as the press conference he does after the match, taking a red and yellow piss
09:22 all over the WWE title in front of the entire Japanese wrestling media, but that's a story
09:27 for another list.
09:28 1.
09:29 Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay - Wrestle Kingdom 17
09:32 It's borderline unfair for these two to have two genuine classics that could have made
09:35 this list in the space of six months, but I like my lists to have balance and since
09:39 this is Omega's third spot on this one, I've picked their first clash in the Tokyo Dome
09:43 for the IWGP United States Championship.
09:46 This match had a hell of an uphill struggle going in, two men whose very names have become
09:50 bywords for quality facing off at New Japan's biggest showcase.
09:54 It's a mark of their brilliance individually and their chemistry together that they met
09:57 the moment in such spectacular fashion.
09:59 On top of their reputation, the pair had been at each other's throats online for years in
10:03 the lead up, so anything short of a masterpiece would leave baying fans feeling a little disappointed,
10:08 but when the bell rang and the boiling point tension spilled over, a half hour marathon
10:12 played out with brilliant psychology and face-clutching brutality to deliver a match of the year just
10:17 four short days into January.
10:20 Because time is a cruel mistress that relentlessly marches on, we're edging closer to the time
10:23 when everyone starts putting together their best of 2023 lists, so smart money has this
10:28 one cropping up a lot and I dare you to disagree.
10:30 And that's our list!
10:31 It's far from exhaustive and lists of this kind are supposed to be celebrations of the
10:34 thing we all love, so pop your favourites in the comments below and while you're at
10:38 it, like and subscribe, and go and watch one of our other lists.
10:41 I recommend this one.