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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 9, 2020 12:36:42 GMT -5
68. WWE Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar [c] vs. Seth Rollins – WWE SummerSlam
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| The build for this match was atrocious. After Seth Rollins beat Brock Lesnar in a few minutes at WrestleMania, Brock won back the title by cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase. Brock spent the following weeks abusing the former champion at every turn. Seth looked like a joke and fans were left wondering what the plan was. Needless to say, expectations were low coming into this title fight. Rocking the DDP tape on his ribs, Rollins came in with a target that Brock went after. Then Rollins showed fire with an early Curb Stomp that let us know how this would go. They were going to throw everything at one another. Rollins found his biggest opening after Lesnar hit the ring post and he then put him through a table with an insane frog splash. Lesnar survived a bit more but then Rollins hit enough Curb Stomps to keep him down after 13:19. This was one hell of a contest that played to both of their strengths. Despite the lackluster build, the crowd was completely into it. It had drama, memorable moments, and was a shining performance in an up and down year for Rollins. [****] |
*This is the final match from SummerSlam.
2018 Match #68: PROGRESS World Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Tyler Bate – PROGRESS Chapter 76: Hello, Wembley! 9/30/18 2017 Match #68: RPW British Heavyweight Championship: Katsuyori Shibata [c] vs. Matt Riddle – RevPro High Stakes 1/21/17 2016 Match #68: Chris Hero vs. Matt Riddle – Evolve 71 10/16/16 2015 Match #68: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: reDRagon (c) vs. The Time Splitters – NJPW Destruction in Kobe 9/27/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 9, 2020 14:51:37 GMT -5
67. NXT North American Championship: Roderick Strong [c] vs. Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee - WWE NXT 10/23/19
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| The rivalry between Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic has kind of become the stuff of legend. They have met across various promotions including EVOLVE, PWG, and now NXT. Some of their past matches have even made this list before. When a shot at the North American Title was put on the line during one of their matches, champion Roderick Strong interfered. It backfired as he was forced to defend the gold against both behemoths. He proved to be that little something extra to freshen up their wars. We still got to see the ridiculous feats of strength and athleticism from Lee and Dijakovic. But Strong was always around to change up the formula just enough. The Tower of Doom spot where everyone nearly died was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen in a wrestling ring. At one point, Strong was taken out of the equation to allow for the traditional Lee/Dijakovic stuff. But he returned at the most opportune moment, sweeping in and stealing this after a super bomb by Lee to retain the title in a fantastic 18:21. The North American Championship has been a gold mine for great matches since its inception. [****] |
*This is the last appearance of Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic.
2018 Match #67: Falls Count Anywhere Match: Hideo Itami vs. Mustafa Ali – WWE 205 Live 10/24/18 2017 Match #67: New Japan Cup First Round: Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/12/17 2016 Match #67: AJ Styles vs. John Cena – WWE Money in the Bank 6/19/16 2015 Match #67: Pentagon Jr. vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 8/30/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 9, 2020 17:01:36 GMT -5
66. WWE Raw Tag Team Championship: The Revival [c] vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. Bobby Roode and Chad Gable – WWE Fastlane
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| Oh, look. It’s WWE tag team division delivering yet again. They aren’t the best written division but they consistently entertain. These six men proved that. Aleister Black and Ricochet once again showed why they were one of the best random pairing in wrestling history. The Revival reminded the world that they’re one of the greatest teams alive. Chad Gable and Bobby Roode proved that both men are at their best in the tag team setting. This was easily the best Roode has looked in years. The match only went 10:49 and they packed so much action into it. Ricochet flying around. Aleister lighting people up with strikes. The Revival showcasing tag team excellence. At one point, Ricochet jumped clear over the turnbuckle in one of the better spots you’ll see anywhere. Shortly after that, Gable got hit with the Shatter Machine and the Revival retained. It was an outstanding tag match featuring stellar teams and stuffed into a gloriously compact package. You would have been hard pressed to find better tag team wrestling anywhere in the world at this time. [****] |
*This is the last appearance of both Bobby Roode and Chad Gable. *It is the final Raw Tag Team Title match.
2018 Match #68: Super Strong Style 16 Quarterfinals: David Starr vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 68: Super Strong Style 16 5/6/18 2017 Match #68: Donovan Dijak vs. Keith Lee – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/3/17 2016 Match #68: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA – NJPW Power Struggle 11/5/16 2015 Match #68: AJ Styles and the Young Bucks vs. Kazuchika Okada and Roppongi Vice – ROH Global Wars 5/16/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 9, 2020 19:41:13 GMT -5
65. Gauntlet Match: AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton vs. Samoa Joe – WWE Smackdown 2/12/19
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| This is really where KofiMania began. With Mustafa Ali out of the Elimination Chamber match, a member of New Day replaced him. The trio selected Kofi Kingston and it wasn’t official until he stepped in the ring for this match. The winner would earn the final entry in the Chamber. Kingston started against WWE Champion Daniel Bryan, previewing their WrestleMania clash. Most fans probably expected Bryan to make quick work of Kofi. He was an afterthought, after all. But Kofi fought through it all and pinned the WWE Champion, giving us one of the year’s earliest shockers. Following that, Kofi eliminated Jeff Hardy but then was faced with getting past the vicious Samoa Joe. When all hope seemed lost, Kofi countered the Coquina Clutch into a pin to stun Joe. The run for Kofi finally ended when AJ Styles made him submit to the Calf Crusher. It was the first of many standout performances for Kofi. It came down to Styles against Randy Orton. And all Orton had to do was sneak in with an RKO out of nowhere to win the whole thing after 60:58. It protected the AJ/Orton Mania match, so it was a perfect ending. As great as that was, this was all about Kofi Kingston and he shined.[****] |
*This is the last Gauntlet match on the list.
2018 Match #65: WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander [c] vs. Buddy Murphy – WWE Super Showdown 10/6/18 2017 Match #65: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/17/17 2016 Match #65: Eita vs. Jimmy Susumu – Dragon Gate King of Gate 6/2/16 2015 Match #65: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. KUSHIDA – NJPW Dominion 7/5/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 9, 2020 23:17:15 GMT -5
64. WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship: The Usos [c] vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. The Bar vs. Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura – WWE WrestleMania
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| I know people harp on WWE’s tag team division and I admit it is far from perfect. But they often put on great matches. Especially for the Smackdown Tag Team Titles. It happened again with this WrestleMania. The Bar were consistently good, Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura worked better as a team than you’d expect, and the Usos are the best tag team of all-time. And then there’s the Aleister Black/Ricochet pairing. I recall people complained that they were a team but they were incredible together. Every single second of this 10:04 was fantastic. It was the ideal multi-man sprint. Each person was given a highlight or two. Cesaro swinging Ricochet as Sheamus beat on everyone for about a minute was a highlight, as was everything Ricochet did. Dude is seriously something special. When he hit the 630, I thought it was over but everyone broke up the pin. That really showed the desperation each team felt. The Usos retained with stereo splashes soon after, capping one of my favorite matches all year. There were clearly plenty that were better but this is a personal favorite. I loved it. [****] |
*This is the last Smackdown Tag Team Title match. *It is the final appearance of Rusev, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sheamus, Cesaro, and the Usos.
2018 Match #64: Hell in a Cell: Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton – WWE Hell in a Cell 9/16/18 2017 Match #64: JML vs. The South Pacific Power Trip – PROGRESS: Orlando 3/31/17 2016 Match #64: New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/4/16 2015 Match #64: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly – ROH Final Battle 12/18/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 10, 2020 0:30:00 GMT -5
63. Two Out Of Three Falls Match: Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio – WWE Smackdown 1/22/19
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| One of the best things to come about Rey Mysterio’s return to WWE this year was his rivalry with Andrade. The two put on an instant classic in their first meeting a week prior to this one. It was so well-received that a Two Out of Three Falls rematch was booked here. Could they recreate the magic? Not quite but dammit if they didn’t try. While their first meeting built to bigger stuff, this one was kind of nuts out of the gate. Rey was trying Code Reds in the opening couple of minutes. I liked it because some matches with this stipulation get off to slow starts but they weren’t holding back. Andrade’s first fall victory on a super powerbomb was outstanding, as was Mysterio tying things up with a sick modified Destroyer. For the third fall, both men still had their finishers in their back pockets. The exchanges were great but it was like neither could hit it. Andrade added to the emotion by doing an Eddie Guerrero style taunt at one point. Unfortunately, we were kept from getting a clean finish to this one. Samoa Joe ran in and attacked both men, resulting in a disqualification at 22:14. Up until that point, this was tremendous. [****] |
*This is the final **** match.
2017 Match #63: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2/10/18 2017 Match #63: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 8/1/17 2016 Match #63: WWE Intercontinental Championship Last Man Standing Match: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Royal Rumble 1/24/16 2015 Match #63: WWE Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Payback 5/17/15
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Post by TheSystem 1.5 on Jan 10, 2020 0:32:13 GMT -5
Andrade and Rey are two of those workers I could watch have matches together for hours
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 10, 2020 9:54:33 GMT -5
62. NXT North American Championship: Velveteen Dream [c] vs. Pete Dunne vs. Roderick Strong – NXT TakeOver: Toronto
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| You ever just look at a match and realize how unbelievably talented the WWE roster is? That’s the case here. Roderick Strong is one of the best wrestlers of the past decade and a half. Pete Dunne is brilliant and helped popularize British wrestling. Velveteen Dream is the complete package, mixing outstanding character work with great wrestling. And they met on the big stage for the North American Championship. I loved how each guy was used here. Strong got annoyed that the other two kind of overlooked him, so he started throwing backbreakers. Dream did everything with a little bit of flair, which this match needed since Dunne and Strong are no frills kind of guys. And Dunne was just happy to beat on anyone in sight. There were great spots up and down this match, from a triple slugfest to a double Strong Hold. You couldn’t turn away from the action because you were almost guaranteed to miss something awesome. The drama was high at the end as Strong and Dream kept hitting big moves on Dunne and tossing each other over the top. It was Dream who finally hit the Purple Rainmaker to retain after a fantastic 17:24. [****¼] |
2018 Match #62: Chris Ridgeway vs. Jordan Devlin – PROGRESS Chapter 78: 24 Hour PROGRESS People 11/11/18 2017 Match #62: Ben-K, Big R Shimizu and Kotoka vs. Eita, Kaito Ishida and Takehiro Yamamura – Dragon Gate Scandal Gate 8/8/17 2016 Match #62: Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay – Evolve 59 4/2/16 2015 Match #62: ROH World Television Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs. Roderick Strong – ROH Glory by Honor XIV 10/23/15
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King of Harts
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Jun 21, 2017 14:49:16 GMT -5
Posts: 126
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Post by King of Harts on Jan 10, 2020 12:40:35 GMT -5
That fatal four-way tag match is what won me over with the Usos. I never much minded them, but for some reason, from their entrance on, I just found myself siding with them 100%, and I totally left a fan that night.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 10, 2020 13:21:21 GMT -5
61. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Dragon Lee [c] vs. Taiji Ishimori – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku
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| At the G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden, Dragon Lee became IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion. He dethroned Taiji Ishimori but there was a caveat. It was a Triple Threat match and Lee pinned the third participant, Bandido, to become champion. With the Best of the Super Juniors on the horizon, Ishimori got a one on one shot to regain the title he technically never lost. They were given a big opportunity, headlining the first night of Wrestling Dontaku. The Jr. Heavyweight Title hadn’t had that honor in just shy of three years. Like everything involving Dragon Lee, this moved at a ridiculous pace. It’s a style that suits Ishimori as well so it is kind of a match made in heaven. Think Hiromu Takahashi vs. Dragon Lee but not quite as crisp. There was an odd moment where Lee had his leg damaged when he crashed into the guardrail and it didn’t come into play during the match. It just ended up feeling out of place. Outside of that, we got to see some of the coolest moves you’ll find anywhere. And they weren’t just moves for the sake of it. There was a sense of intensity to the late stuff that you need from an important title match. After 25:53, Lee retained by hitting Desnucadora. The late near falls were among the best of the year. [****¼] |
*This is the last appearance of Taiji Ishimori.
2018 Match #61: The Golden Lovers vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay – NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome 12/15/18 2017 Match #61: AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar – WWE Survivor Series 11/19/17 2016 Match #61: Michael Elgin vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 7/24/16 2015 Match #61: RPW Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay – RPW Uprising 10/2/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 10, 2020 15:40:44 GMT -5
60. Jeff Cobb vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/13/19
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| You can usually bet on two or three bangers to start the G1 Climax. This year, the best of the bunch from the first two nights came from Jeff Cobb and Tomohiro Ishii. It was a highly anticipated bout because of their styles. Both guys can hit hard and Ishii is usually incredible in hoss fights (though he’s outstanding in everything). Consider this one of the Tomohiro Ishii G1 Specials. That's when he and another tough guy just batter each other for about 15 minutes and we lose our minds watching it. That’s just what they did here. Cobb may not have handled the strike exchange as well but he started throwing Ishii around with ease and the fans ate it up. They love a powerful gaijin and that’s where Cobb excels. The closing minutes were the expected wild ride you get in a G1 Climax match. Lots of hard strikes and big counters. After 18:33, Ishii was able to keep Cobb down for good with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster. It was the first in a series of strong G1 outings this year for Ishii and the high point for Cobb’s New Japan run. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Jeff Cobb.
2018 Match #60: ohnny Gargano vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT 9/5/18 2017 Match #60: New Japan Cup Semi-Finals: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/17/17 2016 Match #60: Number One Contender’s Two Out of Three Falls Match: Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe – NXT 3/9/16 2015 Match #60: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. AJ Styles – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 10/12/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 11, 2020 12:50:01 GMT -5
59. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/18/19
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| New Japan has run this match into the ground by this point but I’m usually up for G1 meetings. This is where guys typically don’t go for the epic and instead give us a killer compact outing. Both men came into this with 0-2 records in the G1, so they desperately needed to win to stay alive. With no TAKA Michinoku in his corner, Sabre Jr. spent a lot of this G1 getting frustrated and losing his cool. This was the first time it really showed during a match. He dominated at times but couldn’t put Tanahashi away. His desperation to not fall to 0-3 was clear. Tanahashi used that to keep things close. This whole thing was filled with crisp wrestling, smooth counters, and some flash pin near falls that the fans were enthralled by. Tanahashi is always great when fighting from behind. He put himself in position for High Fly Flow but Sabre Jr. caught it into a triangle. However, Tanahashi was prepared due to all of their previous meetings. He rolled it over into a cradle to steal this after 13:56. They told a smart, wonderful story based on their past and desire to get that first win. And they did it with some exceptional exchanges. [****¼] |
2018 Match #59: Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 8/11/18 2017 Match #59: WWN Championship: Matt Riddle [c] vs. Keith Lee vs. Tracy Williams vs. WALTER – Evolve 91 8/12/17 2016 Match #59: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/16 2015 Match #59: NEVER Openweight Championship: Togi Makabe (c) vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Destruction in Okayama 9/23/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 11, 2020 14:45:25 GMT -5
58. Drew Gulak vs. Isaiah Scott – WWE 205 Live 7/23/19
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| There’s a very good chance that Isaiah “Swerve” Scott is one of the breakout stars of 2020. He could be what Ricochet was to 2019. An athletic dude who wows the crowd and puts on great matches. His first true opportunity to showcase his skills came on this episode of 205 Live against Drew Gulak. Though Gulak was Cruiserweight Champion at the time, the title wasn’t on the line. I loved the story they told about Gulak being someone who trained Scott. However, they threw in a twist by saying Gulak was vicious and a bully as a trainer. That was a nice wrinkle to add to the intensity here and keep Gulak’s heel persona strong. Despite Scott being new to 205 Live, he hung tough with the champion. They knew what to expect from each other and had to dig deep to gain the upper hand. Scott weathered the storm of having his hand targeted for most of the match. As they neared the conclusion, they managed to make me believe that Scott could pull off the upset. Alas, Gulak proved to be too much for him to overcome, winning in 14:08. This came from out of nowhere and was probably the most overlooked great match of 2019. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Drew Gulak and Isaiah Scott. *It is the last match from 205 Live.
2018 Match #58: NXT Championship Last Man Standing Match: Tommaso Ciampa [c] vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/18/18 2017 Match #58: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Juice Robinson – NJPW Wrestling Toyonokuni 4/29/17 2016 Match #58: High Speed Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. Evie – Stardom vs. The World 2/21/16 2015 Match #58: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Money in the Bank 6/14/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 12, 2020 8:06:10 GMT -5
57. Shingo Takagi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/4/19
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| I have loved when members of Los Ingobernables de Japon meet in the G1 Climax. It usually makes for a good story and gives us a great match (EVIL/SANADA, Naito/SANADA are good examples). Shingo Takagi had an opportunity to beat the leader of his stable on this night. Neither guy was lighting the tournament on fire. Shingo had just 4 points while Tetsuya Naito scored only 6 despite being the Intercontinental Champion. In fact, Naito needed to win here to stay alive in the standings. Shingo wasn’t going to let him get two points easily. He had his leader scouted expertly and countered most of his stuff. Naito had come into the match saying he wanted to see a more aggressive Shingo and he got his wish. Shingo was all over him and you could sense his desperation to get two points. Naito had less energy behind him but that’s just who Naito is. Whenever Naito got momentum going, Shingo would just wallop him. Naito brought it harder in this than he did for the rest of the tournament. He threw himself into every bump and had extra snap on his own offense. He hit a Destroyer and Destino to score the win in 27:15. [****¼] |
2018 Match #57: WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander [c] vs. Buddy Murphy – WWE 205 Live 5/29/18 2017 Match #57: Dragon Lee vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/17/17 2016 Match #57: Number One Contender’s Match: Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay – RPW High Stakes 1/16/16 2015 Match #57: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 7/24/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 12, 2020 10:33:22 GMT -5
56. New Japan Cup Semifinals: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/23/19
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| SANADA is such an interesting case because he’s always teetering on greatness but never quite reaching it. If there’s one man who has brought out the best in him throughout his career, it is Hiroshi Tanahashi. And why not? He’s the Ace for a reason. Nobody makes SANADA look like a star the way Tanahashi has. Their two matches in 2016 both got ****¼ from me. SANADA had the crowd behind him as this was near his hometown but Tanahashi is wise enough to understand how to combat that disadvantage. The story of both men learning under Keiji Mutoh came into play once again. It always adds a nice bit of depth whenever they square off. They had each other well scouted which set up great exchanges. I loved Tanahashi getting a near fall when he got his knees up on a moonsault. It was simple yet worked because he knew SANADA plays that card often and because Tanahashi won an earlier tourney match with a flash pin. In fact, SANADA countered the pin that won that previous outing into the Skull End for the best moment of the match. That turned out to be the finish, as Tanahashi gave up after 24:11. Once again, this combination delivered a great match.[****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of SANADA.
2018 Match #56: Number One Contender’s Match: WALTER vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 67: Bourbon Is Also A Biscuit 4/7/18 2017 Match #56: Hell in a Cell: Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon – WWE Hell in a Cell 10/8/17 2016 Match #56: Prince Puma vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. – Ultima Lucha Dos 7/20/16 2015 Match #56: Trios Championship: Angelico, Ivelisse and Son of Havoc vs. The Crew – Lucha Underground 4/22/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 12, 2020 11:49:51 GMT -5
55. Bandido vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/23/19
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| Bandido and Will Ospreay are two guys with skill sets that should let you know exactly what you’re going to get when you watch them face off. It would be fast paced and feature action that will blow you away. And they did that in this much-hyped BOSJ meeting. It was fine as the athletic contest we expected. What really turned this into something special was when they started bringing out the power offense. We all know that Ospreay moved up to heavyweight status and had the strength to showcase. But Bandido outshined him in that department with an impressive one handed press slam. That’s just sick. Around 15 minutes in, both men were worn down from big offense and stiff strikes. They managed to expertly blend hard hitting action with the aerial stuff they’re probably most known for. Will did his best “land on my feet” spot when Bandido tried the 21 Plex. He hit Storm Breaker soon after and won in 18:03. Anyone who follows my reviews knows my feelings on this. Will Ospreay is at his best when he’s kept under 20 minutes and this was no different. Bandido looked great and should be brought back for the 2020 BOSJ. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Bandido.
2018 Match #55: NXT Tag Team Championship: The Undisputed Era [c] vs. Moustache Mountain – NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 8/18/18 2017 Match #55: Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 10/9/17 2016 Match #55: Money in the Bank: Alberto Del Rio vs. Cesaro vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn – WWE Money in the Bank 6/19/16 2015 Match #55: Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens vs. Rusev – WWE Raw 7/13/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 12, 2020 17:03:49 GMT -5
54. Jon Moxley vs. Shingo Takagi – NJPW G1 Climax 7/24/19
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| Hands down, the two most interesting names in this year’s G1 Climax were Jon Moxley and Shingo Takagi. The former was new to the company and brought something different from everyone else on the roster, while the latter is a phenomenal wrestler who moved up to the heavyweight division for the tournament. Though this was a first time match, they had history as members of the same faction in Dragon Gate USA. This got off to an intense start. There was an awkward moment when Moxley went for a tope suicida but the rest of this match came off pretty smoothly. I liked the continuing story of how Shingo’s offense that dominated the juniors wasn’t quite as effective against bigger guys. Like his sliding lariat just got caught and blocked. Moxley targeted the leg, being vicious with every attack. But when Shingo got going, he walloped Moxley and the Pumping Bomber near fall was great. They went all out with a ring post Figure Four, the use of tables and chairs, and some awesome drama late. Shingo rallied and you believed he might be the first one to beat Moxley. But the leg was too damaged and he submitted to a Texas Cloverleaf after 14:45. [****¼] |
2018 Match #54: Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/4/18 2017 Match #54: Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm – Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix 8/20/17 2016 Match #54: Daisuke Sekimoto and Yuji Okabayashi vs. Kohei Sato and Shuji Ishikawa – BJW Saikyo Tag League 10/31/16 2015 Match #54: NXT Championship Ladder Match: Finn Balor (c) vs. Kevin Owens – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/22/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 12, 2020 19:19:55 GMT -5
53. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Kota Ibushi [c] vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW Sengoku Lord
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| Man, New Japan likes to throw me curveballs with the names of their major events. Following the Madison Square Garden show, they needed a big show in Japan for April which led to Sengoku Lord. The night was headlined by Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. and that’s a pairing that I adore. They just work so seamlessly together. This was another of those encounters. Everything they did was just so smooth. It’s almost effortless. Sabre was vicious, applying submissions while Ibushi was on the guardrail and attacking his previously damaged neck. But Sabre got too cocky. He’d offer up a disrespectful slap or kick and that would open the door for Ibushi to rally because that’s his strong suit. The closing stretch of this awesome 28:58 battle was just what you’d expect from a big time New Japan match. It was filled with big counters, close calls, and drama that made me believe Ibushi might lose the title in his first defense. He ultimately retained with Kamigoye. It is saying something about their chemistry that this was probably only their third or fourth best match together. [****¼] |
*This is the final match from Sengoku Lord.
2018 Match #53: NXT Championship: Aleister Black [c] vs. Tommaso Ciampa – NXT 7/25/18 2017 Match #53: WWE Raw Tag Team Championship: Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins [c] vs. Cesaro and Sheamus – WWE No Mercy 9/24/17 2016 Match #53: PWG Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly – PWG Thirteen 7/29/16 2015 Match #53: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Invasion Attack 4/5/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 12, 2020 20:50:31 GMT -5
52. Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: #DIY vs. The Undisputed Era – NXT 3/6/19
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| It’s one of the ultimate NXT dream matches. Two of the best tag teams in NXT history getting the one chance to square off. Tommaso Ciampa entered as NXT Champion and had Johnny Gargano back at his side after he lost the North American Title. The idea was that Ciampa was the key to Johnny’s success. The reaction from the crowd when they stopped on their way to the ring and the old #DIY theme hit was special. With two teams of this caliber, the expectations could not have been higher. Yet they lived up to them and then some. This was a classic filled with incredible tag team wrestling. They blended in the smooth wrestling with the high spots and the dramatic close calls. It was beautiful. And it all went down in just 14:04. They put together something outstanding without ever overdoing it. This peaked at the right moment and ended with #DIY hitting their old Meeting in the Middle finisher. Despite not having teamed in over a year, Gargano and Ciampa didn’t miss a beat. And we all benefitted from it. [****¼] |
*This is the final Dusty Rhdoes Tag Team Classic match.
2018 Match #52: NXT North American and WWE United Kingdom Championships: Ricochet [c] vs. Pete Dunne [c] – NXT 9/19/18 2017 Match #52: Best Friends vs. Leaders of the New School – PWG Nice Boys Don’t Play Rock n’ Roll 3/18/17 2016 Match #52: Matt Riddle vs. Will Ospreay – PROGRESS The Graps of Wrath 11/27/16 2015 Match #52: WWE Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: New Day (c) vs. Lucha Dragons vs. The Usos – WWE TLC 12/13/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 12, 2020 22:58:28 GMT -5
51. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Minoru Suzuki – NJPW Royal Quest
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| Kazuchika Okada as IWGP Heavyweight Champion is such a tired concept at this point. We’ve seen him wrestle against pretty much everyone in the company and his most recent title run failed to produce many great matches. But this one delivered. Minoru Suzuki is someone who usually works well as an Okada opponent outside of their 2017 title match. Here, they competed at a show in the United Kingdom and gave us one of the best IWGP Title matches of the year. It was a case where Suzuki dominated but not to the point of that 2017 debacle. That meant Okada’s ultimate comeback came across as more realistic and not cartoonish. Suzuki kept cutting off that comeback with vicious shots, including one to the back of the neck that will hurt you even as just a viewer. Still, Okada remained the cocky prick of a champion that he is. He knows he runs the company. Even the stiffest of shots couldn’t humble him. You believed Suzuki’s anger at being left out of the G1 Climax. He took it out on Okada. Alas, the champion went into Rainmaker mode and retained after 33:25. It didn’t need to surpass 30 minutes but the time kind of flew by and this was great. [****¼] |
*This is the last match from Royal Quest. *It is final appearance of MInoru Suzuki.
2018 Match #51: Charlotte vs. Ronda Rousey – WWE Survivor Series 11/18/18 2017 Match #51: PROGRESS World Championship: Travis Banks [c] vs. Matt Riddle – PROGRESS Chapter 58: Live Your Best Life 11/26/17 2016 Match #51: Six to Survive: Fenix vs. Ivelisse vs. Johnny Mundo vs. King Cuerno vs. Pentagon Jr. vs. Taya – Lucha Underground 6/15/16 2015 Match #51: Kazuchika Okada vs. Roderick Strong – ROH Field of Honor 8/22/15
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