I don't get the love for the tag match at all. Must be something wrong with me.

Undertaker/HBK by miles.

If this were elementary school, I'd be calling mercy rule on the HBK/Taker v. Tag Match matchup. That voting window remains open, but the result is clear and resounding. I'm gonna throw today's matchup up.

NORTHWEST REGION SEMIFINAL

#1 SEED: RANDY SAVAGE VS. RICKY STEAMBOAT (WRESTLEMANIA III)

Whole match: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv3OBWwxX_0

Breezing along so far, this match is clearly one of the favorites in the competition, and through two rounds only one total vote has been registered against it. And that vote was cast by 12ressi. Get him, boys.

At WrestleMania III, which was built around Hogan vs. Andre, Savage vs. Steamboat stole the show in a very big way and put on what many would still agree to be the greatest Intercontinental Title match in WWF history. Obviously two of the greatest all-time workers, and they outshined even their usual standard here. Absolute nonstop action, great ending, hot crowd, Jesse and Gorilla on commentary…this match has it all.

VERSUS

#4 SEED: RANDY SAVAGE VS. THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR (RETIREMENT MATCH, WRESTLEMANIA VII)

Whole match: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjs...emania-7_sport

Savage/Warrior had a cakewalk in the first round, taking out the indy-rific edition of Punk vs. Rey vs. Eddie. It showed some staying power by outlasting the great Bret Hart v. Mr. Perfect match from King of the Ring '93. The competition just ramped up though...this one goes to 11.

Randy Savage cost The Ultimate Warrior the WWF Title at Royal Rumble in his match against Sgt. Slaughter, and this led to a career vs. career match at WrestleMania. I guess this was just to set up a long vacation since neither wrestler was actually anywhere near done with their careers yet.

This is arguably the finest match in Warrior’s career. I’d certainly call it that. The match itself delivers really well, and the Savage/Liz reunion in the post-match is an all-time great moment in wrestling. It still makes me happy to watch it.

VOTING ON THIS MATCH IS NOW OPEN. POLLS WILL CLOSE AT 12:34 P.M. EST ON WEDNESDAY THE 8TH.

It doesn't make me happy to vote against Savage/Warrior, but I just can't see a justification for doing otherwise. Savage/Steamboat needs to be in the Final Four.

Savage/Steamboat AINEC.

Savage-Steamboat

The other match was Warrior's best. Of course, it had Warrior in it. This one isn't close IMO.

Beyond being Warrior's finest, I would also argue it to be Savage's second finest. Still, his second finest is running directly into its superior here, and I agree that it isn't close.

Regardless, we're getting into the part of the competition where I feel the need to give a pat on the back to a lot of the matches that I'm voting against on their way out.

Exactly this. Savage vs Steamboat.

These are my two favourite matches of all time, so this one hurts. I rewatched both of them just to be sure.

They both had awesome crowds, both being at a WrestleMania, both heavily invested in seeing the face take out his frustrations on the heel Savage. Both were extremely well-worked, with Savage-Steamboat cutting a frenetic pace never before seen, and Savage-Warrior more measured (the crowning touch on Savage-Warrior was Warrior walking to the ring for the only time ever, signalling the importance of the match and how Warrior would approach it). Savage-Warrior had more of an emotional impact. Savage-Steamboat obviously more influential.

In the end, though, Savage-Steamboat gets my vote. Of course.

I think Savage/Flair is better than Savage/Warrior. Savage/Steamboat by a mile.

How did Savage/Warrior make it to the final 16 anyhow? Savage vs Steamboat not even remotely close.

By being awesome.

(Not that I voted for it last round or anything.)

I almost went with Warrior/Savage I mean that match was truly elite, but Savage/Dragon GOAT.

HBK v. Undertaker moves on with absolute dominance.

Executive decision, subject to change if it's significantly unpopular: if a match gets a lead of 10 votes or more, I'm posting the next matchup.

The purpose of just doing one match per 24 hour period is to give each matchup ample spotlight and time to be decided properly, but some of these matchups are going to be absolute blowouts, so we might as well keep things rolling. Few of our matchups have hit 20+ votes, so if one match gets up by 10 the writing is clearly on the wall.

Of course, this doesn't mean I'll close the blowouts-in-progress. I'll give them their full time clock as initially announced.

Also, this decree applies to this round only. From the Elite Eight on, we'll be doing things a bit differently, with each matchup getting its own thread with the 2p2 poll function in use and everything. Now that we're not sharing our space with the boxing/MMA folks, I think having individual threads on the front of the forum is fine; it only makes for four additional threads total (making for seven, rather than three).

Comments as always are welcome. Few of my decisions for purposes of this contest are set in stone.

Savage-Steamboat

savage/steamboat

Also I like your idea LKJ. The quicker, the better.

Yeah, I mean there's no huge hurry, but there also doesn't seem to be a lot of point in spending 15-18 hours just waiting for something to do in it when the only question left in the current matchup is whether it will be a shutout.

Anyway, I'll go ahead and post the next matchup.

NORTHWEST REGION SEMIFINAL

#3 SEED: SHAWN MICHAELS V. RAZOR RAMON, LADDER MATCH I (WRESTLEMANIA X)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xl4...the-year_sport

Shawn Michaels had, in kayfabe, refused to defend his title for over 30 days, so he was stripped of it. It was vacated and a battle royal was held on Raw to determine who would fight for the belt. The last two in the battle royal were Razor Ramon and Rick Martel, and Razor defeated Martel the following week to become champion. Michaels returned saying he was the real champion and had never lost the belt, so this was the unification match at WrestleMania X.

This was the first ladder match in WWF history, and it obviously delivered in a huge way. If it hadn't, who knows how difference that wrestling history since then would have been given how the ladder match and its offshoots (TLC, Money in the Bank) have been absolutely integral to a lot of the good that has happened since.

VERSUS

#7 SEED: JOHN CENA VS. CM PUNK (MONEY IN THE BANK ’11)

Whole match: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1i1bkhDcIs

I hardly need to describe this one for you guys since you’ve undoubtedly all seen it in the past six months…but it was awesome. One of the most incredible crowds of all time, a great underlying story, excellent work on commentary where Cole ditched the character and just called it straight (and did better than he usually did before his heel turn), the whole thing was extremely well done and left our cynical selves going on and on about how no matter what happens going forward, nothing can spoil the amazing show we just watched. I stand by that assessment and don’t think that the bungling and meddling of Punk’s storyline since then takes anything away from this. Especially if you watched it live, you know how it felt to see it play out.

VOTING ON THIS MATCH IS NOW OPEN. POST YOUR VOTE IN THIS THREAD; THE POLL WILL CLOSE AT 8:03 P.M. EASTERN TIME ON WEDNESDAY THE 8TH.

Punk/Cena. I haven't supported it thus far, but it clearly wins out here.

I am actually pretty torn by this one, more than I thought I'd be. I'm waiting to cast my vote.

Easy vote for Punk/Cena though I do love the ladder match.

Punk Cena. Not hard either. If you watched the ladder match when it first happened then i can see why you might still love it, but its really dated, not exciting as far as either ladder matches or HBK matches go and this is a tournament to select the greatest match of all time, not the most influential.

I mean, one of these matches being in the Elite Eight while Flair/Steamboat I can't escape the second round is just...



Whatever, I can't just stop running this thing out of protest, and I don't want to start spite-voting like some idiotic Ms. OOT voter, so here goes: I vote Punk/Cena.