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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2017 13:19:40 GMT -5
29. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Michael Elgin (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW Destruction in Kobe 9/25/16
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| This was about more than the Intercontinental Title. It had to do with respect. Michael Elgin dreamt of working in Japan for years and has found success there. He loves it. Tetsuya Naito disrespects NJPW as often as possible, from attacking officials to badmouthing top stars to treating the Heavyweight Title like garbage when he held it earlier in the year. Elgin didn’t want that to happen to the Intercontinental Title and he was out to teach Naito some respect. There were some early mind games with Naito avoiding Elgin and taunting, only for Elgin to return the favor. Naito made Elgin’s leg his target, which made sense since it was attacked often during the buildup to this match. Elgin sold the leg well and struggled to hit some of his power moves because of it. Naito continually wore it down with his knee bar submission. When it looked like Elgin had things in control, out came LIDJ only for Elgin’s buddies KUSHIDA and Tanahashi to make the save. With things back to one on one, Elgin survived Destino and again was on the brink of a win. Naito would counter the Elgin Bomb into Destino and add a third to win the title at 30:36. The crowd ate this up. The match had twists, turns and was full of drama. The win made Naito the only man to win the IC, Heavyweight, NEVER, Tag and Jr. Tag Titles, as well as the New Japan Cup and G1 Climax tournaments. ****½
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*This is the last match from Destruction in Kobe.
*It is the last appearance of Michael Elgin. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2017 14:30:05 GMT -5
28. The Brian Kendrick vs. Kota Ibushi – WWE Cruiserweight Classic 8/31/16
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| File Brian Kendrick under the list of guys that I never thought I’d see on this list in 2016. Not because he isn’t good, but because I didn’t see him returning to the WWE. He did though and was a great addition to the CWC. Kendrick brought a different style to the show. While there were mat technicians, hard strikers, fun charismatic guys and high fliers, Kendrick was the wily veteran who did whatever it took to win. Kota Ibushi was a heavy favorite to win it all though. Knowing he was outmatched in a lot of ways, Kendrick played mind games, trying to get in Kota’s head. He did little things like trapping Kota’s foot in the guardrail to try and steal a countout win. He targeted Kota’s neck, hitting a neckbreaker on the ring post. I’ve never seen that before and it made sense considering Kota’s neck surgery. He hit Sliced Bread and a goddamn BURNING HAMMER for two very close near falls. You could just feel his desperation. The reaction when Kota missed a Phoenix Splash and Brian immediately applied the bully choke was perfect. Ibushi proved to be too much though, escaping that and winning with the sitout powerbomb at 13:57. An incredible match that got better on a second viewing. Not only was the action top notch but the story of Kendrick’s last stand and the neck work were excellent. Extra points to Daniel Bryan for trying to will his friend to victory on commentary. ****½
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*It is the last appearance of The Brian Kendrick. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2017 16:02:23 GMT -5
27. Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 60 5/6/16
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| Zack Sabre Jr. is almost always in control. In Evolve, he has beaten pretty much everyone there is to beat but Chris Hero remains a thorn in his side. Evolve billed this main event as “the rivalry comes to Maryland”. While the matches are great, it is a pretty lopsided rivalry. I’ve said it before but their styles come together so well. Hero bullied Sabre, who responded by trying to twist Hero up at every opening. No matter how hard he tried though, Sabre remained a step behind. Hero again nailed every interaction. His trash talk was in top form with both Sabre and the fans. “YOU MAY BE THEIR FAVORITE BUT YOU AIN’T crapTO ME!” Both guys worked the arm with Sabre being more technical and Hero being brutal. Sabre doesn’t always sell great but he did a good job here and you felt his desperation whenever he’d manage a hope spot. Sabre survived several piledrivers and his pinning combinations made you believe he’d finally get one over on Hero. Finally, a third piledriver kept Sabre down at 29:06. It was honestly one of the sickest I’ve ever seen and I thought Sabre broke his neck. This told a simple story of one man trying everything and showing a ton of heart but being unable to get past the man who has his number. My favorite match in their series and I can’t wait for more in 2017. ****½
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*This is the final match from Evolve 60. |
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Post by Jonathan Karate on Jan 3, 2017 17:27:46 GMT -5
Jesus Christ. Chris Hero is appearing WAY more than I expected this year. He really went above and beyond this year, so  ing good. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2017 17:49:26 GMT -5
26. PROGRESS Championship No Disqualifications Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Marty Scurll – PROGRESS Chapter 25 1/24/16
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| The rivalry between Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay has spanned several promotions including Rev Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor and PROGRESS. Considering the title on the line and the no DQ stipulation, this was their biggest and most heated altercation. Within the first few minutes of this 30:16 war, Ospreay was bloodied and Scurll had used his signature umbrella as a weapon. They did a wonderful job of blending their past battles of counter after counter with several hardcore aspects. Ospreay’s moonsault off a railing and the two men both taking powerbombs through tables were great. Their chemistry is always top notch and it showed during several fast paced moments of back and forth. After a referee bump, Ospreay applied a crossface with an umbrella for added leverage. Scurll tapped but of course no ref saw it. Scurll would retaliate with some barbaric shots with umbrellas. When Ospreay refused to stay down, Scurll retrieved handcuffs and trapped the champion. He proceeded to beat the hell out of him with umbrella after umbrella. Ospreay was defiant as ever and spat at Scurll. Even with more umbrella strikes, Ospreay still found a way to barely get his shoulder off the mat. Scurll finally used the chicken wing and the referee called the match, giving Scurll the title. This was a grand match with a lot going on. It felt like the kind of match I’d do with my action figures as a kid in the best possible way. ****½
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*This is the final match from PROGRESS Chapter 26.
*This is the last PROGRESS Championship match.
*It is the final match from PROGRESS.
*It marks the final appearance for Marty Scurll. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2017 19:18:38 GMT -5
25. Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW G1 Climax 7/24/16
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| When the G1 Climax blocks were announced, this was instantly my most highly anticipated match. Katsuhiko Nakajima is my favorite NOAH guy and, while Katsuyori Shibata is only my second favorite NJPW guy, I knew their styles would make for a great match. It's two guys that hit and kick hard and they don’t hold anything back. Shibata started with stiff shots, but Nakajima gave them right back, including to Shibata’s taped shoulder. Shibata sold it well, rolling back outside to rest right after Nakajima brought him in. Nakajima began to do some of Shibata’s offense, playing the brash youngster heel role. That was actually when he was at his best in this tournament. They would pop up after offense from the other to show how evenly matched they were. Despite Shibata firing up and kicking ass, Nakajima found himself in control down the stretch. He got too big for his britches though because when he tried to win with Shibata’s Penalty Kick, Shibata caught it. He withstood shots from Nakajima, slapped on the sleeper hold and won with the PK at 14:09. I know people loved a lot of the last few days of the G1, but this was my favorite G1 match this year. Shibata has earned that distinction two straight years now. ****½
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*This is the last appearance for Katsuhiko Nakajima. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2017 22:21:07 GMT -5
24. Open the Dream Gate Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. YAMATO – Dragon Gate Kobe World Pro Wrestling Festival 7/24/16
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| Admittedly, I don’t watch a ton of Dragon Gate. Even so, one guy that always gets talked about is YAMATO. The champion entering this match, Shingo, is my favorite Dragon Gate guy ever since I saw him live at an ROH show back in 2006. Shingo has been a fixture at the top of the company for a long time. This match came off as something of a passing of the torch. Before we get to that though, I must point out that this match is nuts. For 33:46, YAMATO and Shingo went to war. There are so many twists and turns throughout and I can only imagine how it would have made me feel if I was more invested in the company’s stories. YAMATO went after the arm and the crowd was on the edge of their seat each time he applied the cross armbreaker. The challenger came in with a game plan and had Shingo well scouted. The sheer amount of close calls and near falls down the stretch here was breathtaking. Shingo survived the armbreaker, a rana and several enziguris. YAMATO did the same on last falconry and a pumping bomber. Finally, YAMATO won after a second gallarea. Not only did he win the title, but it cemented him as the new ace of Dragon Gate. The match was special and needs to be seen. ****½
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*This is the last appearance for both Shingo Takagi and YAMATO.
*It is the last match from Kobe Pro Wrestling Festival.
*It is the last Open the Dram Gate Title match.
*This is the last Dragon Gate match on the list. |
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Post by Funk The Revival on Jan 3, 2017 23:14:06 GMT -5
30. RPW British Heavyweight Championship: Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Chris Hero – RPW Global Wars UK 11/11/16
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| Less than 24 hours after winning the title, Katsuyori Shibata had a big defense of the RPW British Heavyweight Championship. Shibata dethroned Zack Sabre Jr. on night one of the Global Wars events and his scheduled match for night two with Chris Hero became a title bout. Now, if I had to choose two guys from NJPW for Hero to wrestle, it would be Tomohiro Ishii (who Hero wrestled on night one) and Shibata. Kudos to RPW for delivering. They worked the mat early but things quickly got to the strike exchange that I wanted from these two. Hero tried to do his usual bullying act but Shibata was having none of that crap, giving it right back to the challenger. For 13:18, this was just a war. Hero’s reactions to being hit as hard as he can dish out were perfect. Down the stretch, it felt like Hero would win the title with a piledriver. A lot of people expected it since he’s more of a Rev Pro regular than Shibata, but the new champion kicked out. He then applied the sleeper hold to wear down Hero before finishing him off with the penalty kick. They worked a Shibata style match so well. I winced several times at the vicious strikes, which is just what we needed from these two. ****¼
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*This is the last match from Global Wars.
*It is the last RPW British Heavyweight Title match on the list.
*It is the last match at ****1/4. We're hitting the elite ****1/2 territory.
Can't wait to see Shibata - Riddle at the end of the month at RPW. Shibata is the GOAT. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2017 23:44:18 GMT -5
23. WWE Intercontinental Championship: The Miz (c) vs. Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn – WWE Extreme Rules 5/22/16
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| An Intercontinental Title match featuring four of the WWE’s top performers in 2016? Yes, please. There were so many things to love about this. The Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn feud came right into play with a Helluva Kick after the opening bell. Cesaro then laid out Miz and gave us a renewal of the excellent Zayn/Cesaro rivalry from their NXT days. Besides the existing feuds being touched upon, each guy played their role perfectly. Owens was a total bunghole, Zayn was the fiery babyface, Cesaro ran wild with his crowd pleasing offense and Miz played the cunning heel. Again, there were some great moments like a massive tower of doom spot to Cesaro German suplexing Zayn who was hitting Miz with an exploder. Owens did a cool cannonball barrage after Cesaro’s trademark uppercut train. These incredible sequences all featured some perfect timing from everyone involved. The fans totally bit on a Skull Crushing Finale near fall down the stretch. Miz tapped to Cesaro’s Sharpshooter but a Maryse distraction saved him. Not only did they expertly tease a Cesaro win, they had Miz nearly steal it several times. So much that it was to the point where you thought it wouldn’t happen. Just when Sami hit the Helluva Kick on Cesaro, Owens pulled him outside and they brawled, allowing Miz to sneak in and retain at 18:18. They nailed everything in this match. I love how they played with the emotions of the fans. The quality of IC Title matches dipped for the next two PPVs, but picked up for the rest of the year. ****½
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*This is the last appearance for both The Miz and Cesaro.
*It is the last WWE Intercontinental Title match.
*It is the final match from Extreme Rules. |
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Dr. Mantis Toboggan MD
Main Eventer
I need a monster condom for my magnum sized dong.
Joined on: Nov 25, 2011 16:25:54 GMT -5
Posts: 4,713
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Post by Dr. Mantis Toboggan MD on Jan 4, 2017 2:22:25 GMT -5
44. WWE World Heavyweight Championship Extreme Rules Match: Roman Reigns (c) vs. AJ Styles – WWE Extreme Rules 5/22/16
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| Similar to John Cena, a lot of Roman Reigns matches feature a hot, vocal crowd. Especially when he’s going against someone that is as popular as AJ Styles. After their first title match got overbooked and ended like a wet fart, they were given another PPV main event, with an Extreme Rules stipulation. Since Payback, their rivalry had escalated and they worked this match to fit that story. They fought through the crowd, by the kickoff panel and AJ took a ridiculous back body drop through an announce table. AJ bumped like a madman, taking that spot, a sick powerbomb in the ring and being thrown into the barricade, apron and another table. Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and the Usos all got involved to help their respective buddies. Styles scored on the Styles Clash for a near fall that most fans really bought into. He hit a second on the chair and one of the Usos broke up the pin, making him the most hated guy in the building. My main gripe with this was that Reigns kind of superman shrugged a lot of the work done to him throughout the match to pick up the win at 22:12. This was better than I remembered. A great match and easily the best singles Reigns performance of the year. ****¼
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*this is the last Extreme Rules match on the list.YOU SCAMMER, SITUATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Deleted
Joined on: Nov 15, 2024 21:48:53 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2017 4:53:36 GMT -5
Woops.
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Post by marino13 on Jan 4, 2017 7:52:30 GMT -5
That neck-breaker on the turnbuckle and the Burning Hammer should have damn near kill Ibushi. The fact he is still walking shows how good both him & Kendrick are.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 4, 2017 10:57:49 GMT -5
22. NEVER Openweight Championship: Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2/11/16
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| People can give all their praise to the Tanahashi/Okada rivalry, but for my money, this is the best rivalry I’ve ever witnessed in terms of pure in-ring quality. I’ve watched all their matches since 2013 and have never gone lower than ****¼ on one. Though they had a match I gave the full five to back in 2013 (in this same city no less), their two matches this year were among the best they’ve ever done. After stealing a show a month earlier at Wrestle Kingdom, this was Tomohiro Ishii getting his rematch for the NEVER Title. Ishii and Shibata know what works for them and they deliver it each time. For 18:47, they beat the living hell out of each other for our enjoyment. They follow a similar pattern but each time out feels unique. For example, this time around, there was an emphasis on submissions as they built to the climax. At one point, Shibata hit a spinning back fast that made me gasp loudly. They’re known to trade big strikes so they upped the ante and traded brainbusters. They’re that insane. The closing moments were nuts and Shibata finally hit a shot hard enough to knock Ishii loopy. He used the sleeper hold and penalty kick to retain the title in another fantastic war between two incredible wrestlers. ****½
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*This is the last match from The New Beginning. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 4, 2017 14:32:06 GMT -5
21. WWE World Championship: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. AJ Styles – WWE Backlash 9/11/16
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| After beating John Cena cleanly at SummerSlam, the next logical step for AJ Styles was to challenge for the WWE World Championship. Styles and Dean Ambrose had a simple but effective buildup to this match and it worked. This felt like a big fight. Like the matches against Cena, Styles was in control for a good chunk of the 24:56 outing. AJ nailed every cocky mannerism as he just continued to be a step above everyone else in the world. Dean more than held his own though and his wild offensive style made for a great contrast to AJ. There were some scary moments in this, like a super back suplex spot and AJ taking a ridiculous bump into the ring post. I’m honestly surprised he didn’t injure himself on it. AJ worked the leg to set up some great Calf Crusher teases, though Dean’s selling of it could have been slightly better. Both guys busted out the big spots, from AJ’s springboard 450 splash to Ambrose’s diving elbow into the crowd. The final few minutes of this were among the best in WWE all year. Styles hit the Pele and Dean answered with the rebound lariat. Some people didn’t like the finish but I loved it. Sure Styles used a low blow before winning with the Styles Clash, but it wasn’t like he came off as a weak heel who needed it. It felt like he was capable of beating Dean and was a cunning enough competitor to take advantage when he found one. AJ’s win cemented his legacy. Everywhere he goes, he reaches the top. TNA Champion. IWGP Heavyweight Champion. WWE World Champion. Phenomenal is more than just a moniker for him. ****½
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*This is the last match from Backlash.
*It is the last WWE World Title match on the list.
*It is the final appearance for Dean Ambrose. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 4, 2017 16:18:50 GMT -5
20. NXT Tag Team Championship: The Revival (c) vs. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/20/16
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| 2014 was the year of great NXT Title matches. 2015 was the year of great NXT Women’s Title matches. 2016 was the year of the tag teams in NXT and The Revival was a large reason why. After regaining the titles from American Alpha, The Revival needed a new challenge. Enter Gargano and Ciampa, fresh off a great match against one another in the CWC. These two teams took what AA and the Revival did so well and managed to best it. Tag team wrestling is simple to get right. It’s about deprivation and hope spots and the Revival have mastered it. As for Ciampa and Gargano, they had the crowd in the palm of their hands. There was an emotional impact to this match (and their rematch) that other tag matches lacked. Ciampa left ROH a while back and his future was uncertain, while Gargano left a comfy spot as WWN’s ace. You felt that the fans badly wanted them to succeed here. #DIY were great sympathetic faces, while the Revival nailed every heel tactic and mannerism. I seriously can’t say enough about them. The false finishes were perfectly done. The reaction when the fans thought it ended but Dawson put Dash’s foot on the bottom rope at the last minute was priceless. Just when it looked like we’d have new champions, Dawson pulled Ciampa out and sent him into the post. An inverted figure four was placed on Gargano who desperately tried but had to give up at 19:10. A fantastic blend of indy style and old school tag work. The emotion of this put it over the top. It was one of those cases where the losers gained a ton. Gargano and Ciampa became stars on this night. ****½
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*This is the last match from TakeOver: Brooklyn. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 4, 2017 19:09:40 GMT -5
19. CMLL World Lightweight Championship: Dragon Lee (c) vs. Kamaitachi – NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania 1/24/16
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| Towards the end of last year, I kept hearing about this incredible series of matches between Dragon Lee and Kamaitachi in CMLL. I got to see a pretty great one after my 2015 list was finalized and was excited to see they’d do it again at this joint NJPW/CMLL event. This was apparently the tenth match between them and it was nuts. They knew each other so well that the pace throughout was bonkers. Their chemistry is a sight to behold. From Dragon double stomping Kamaitachi outside to Kamaitachi’s insane senton to the floor, the spots were out of this world. Seriously, this was one of the greatest spot fests I’ve ever seen. The crowd at Korakuen Hall ate it all up and added a lot to the atmosphere. There was a great intensity in the things they did and even if you didn’t know about the feud, you could buy into it by watching this. There is something truly special about these two together. Kamaitachi won the title after countering a Phoenix plex into a ridiculous flipping piledriver at 18:33. An absolute must see match. I would have done more play-by-play or talked more about specific moves but it wouldn’t have done it any justice. Kamaitachi would return to Japan for good at the end of the year and jump right into the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title picture. ****½
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*This is the last match from Fantasticamania.
*It is the last CMLL World Lightweight Title match.
*It is the last appearance of both Dragon Lee and Kamaitachi. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 4, 2017 21:35:27 GMT -5
18. Fenix and Pentagon Jr. vs. Heroes Eventually Die – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/3/16
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| Lucha Underground stars Fenix and Pentagon Jr. are brothers in real life though it isn’t mentioned on the show. It was front and center in this non-tournament tag match during PWG’s annual Battle of Los Angeles weekend. They sported matching masked that fused their normal masks together for a dope visual. Heroes Eventually Die consists of Chris Hero and Tommy End. Almost everything about this match ruled. Pentagon yelling obscenities in Spanish at everyone, Fenix and End going at each other viciously and the insane spots from the brothers. At one point, Pentagon launched Fenix up onto his shoulders and Fenix then moonsaulted off onto Hero and End on the outside. Heroes Eventually Die took over as the brute tag team, while Fenix and Penty got to play the resilient babyface duo. Fenix took a beating like a champ before doing some cool double team moves. In the end, it came down to Fenix and End, who just destroyed each other. Fenix scored on a super rana and then a springboard 450 splash to pick up the win at 18:22. This was the second-best tag team match of the year and the best match of PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles weekend. Pentagon Jr. and Fenix should team up more often around the indies because they are fantastic together. ****½
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*This is the last PWG match.
*It is the last appearance for Chris Hero, Tommy End and Pentagon Jr. Yea, I realized I messed up and said Tommy End was done on the list.
*It is the last match from the Battle of Los Angeles. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 4, 2017 23:12:29 GMT -5
17. KUSHIDA vs. Kyle O’Reilly – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/21/16
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| In my opinion, the two best junior heavyweights in New Japan Pro Wrestling were KUSHIDA and Kyle O’Reilly until Kyle moved to heavyweight. In the finals of this tournament last year, these two faced off in the finals. KUSHIDA won and went on to win the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title because of it. In the first main event of this year’s tournament, they had their big rematch. Their finals match went 30 minutes so both guys tried for their signature submissions out of the gate. I loved the way O’Reilly altered his game after losing last year. He didn’t just go after the arm, instead adding in some leg work to hurt KUSHIDA as much as possible. Their work is so smooth together that watching them catch each other in various submissions is a thing of beauty. That even played into possibly my favorite spot of the year, when O’Reilly sat KUSHIDA in a chair and leapt off the apron to attack him, only to get caught in a mid-air armbar. It sounds so difficult to pull off but they nailed it perfectly. After some spectacular counter wrestling and playing off past matches, O’Reilly nailed a Brainbuster and took the kickout right into stomping on KUSHIDA’s face. He turned that into an armbar and made sure to grab at the leg, again playing off earlier work. KUSHIDA fought hard but fell into a tough position and had to tap at 20:08. Unfortunately, O’Reilly didn’t even make the finals, so we never got the NJPW tiebreaker. Still, this is a tremendous must see match. ****½
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*This is the last Best of the Super Juniors match.
*It is the last appearance of Kyle O'Reilly. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2017 7:53:52 GMT -5
16. Aztec Warfare II – Lucha Underground 3/23/16
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| Aztec Warfare is three for three in producing great matches. Season two’s edition was not just the best so far, it was also a top three Lucha Underground match ever. The reigning Lucha Underground Champion Fenix entered at one and the Temple came unglued when Rey Mysterio Jr. debuted at number two. That set the stage for a match filled with awesome moments. This match had a little bit of everything. Famous B at ringside scouting potential clients was hilarious, Joey Ryan being sleazy and handcuffing himself outside to avoid competing was perfect character work, the debut of Mysterio was handled expertly and several feuds were furthered. For example, Drago and Jack Evans continued their beef, while former champion Mil Muertes was taken out almost instantly thanks to interference from his rival Pentagon Jr. Pentagon wasn’t allowed to compete thanks to Mil’s manager Catrina, since she was running the Temple at the time. After all twenty participants entered and Mil (#20) was taken out, Catrina’s night got worse when Dario Cueto returned to take back his Temple. He brought out a 21st entrant, his debuting brother “The Monster” Matanza Cueto. Matanza proceeded to eliminate every remaining competitor in an incredibly dominant display before defeating Mysterio in the end to capture the title. When a match goes 52:49 (with commercials) and has non-stop action, while being an absolute blast, continuing existing stories and setting up future ones, you know you have something special. Even with everything I covered, there are still plenty of things I didn’t mention. This match was that awesome. ****½
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*This is the last Aztec Warfare match.
*It is the last appearance for Rey Mysterio Jr., King Cuerno, Argenis, Johnny Mundo, Joey Ryan, Prince Puma, Jack Evans, Taya, Cage, Mascarita Sagrada, Marty Martinez, The Mack, Drago, Chavo Guerrero Jr., PJ Black, Aerostar, Dragon Azteca Jr., Texano and Matanza Cueto. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2017 9:36:42 GMT -5
15. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. AJ Styles – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 1/4/16
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| Only one dream match remained in NJPW. The top guys (Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, etc.) had all wrestled each other repeatedly, except for one pairing. Nakamura and Styles. AJ finally challenged Nakamura and the match was set for NJPW’s biggest show of the year. On a major event that almost never felt special, this felt like a huge deal. Hell, this match was the main reason I stayed up to watch this show live. They had an awesome interaction where AJ did the Bullet Club gun taunt only for Nakamura to eat the bullet and spit it back up. It was small but really cool. AJ came in with a back injury and played possum after landing on it, giving him an upper hand. Nearly everything they did in this match came off well. The only move I saw them mess up was AJ’s moonsault DDT. They nailed everything else. Styles had Boma Ye well scouted, avoiding it three times before getting hit with it, but Nakamura was too hurt to cover. Though Boma Ye is Nakamura’s move, AJ struck with a knee that seemingly knocked Shinsuke out. AJ hit a variation of the Styles Clash but it wasn’t enough. After some incredible exchanges (including a second rope Michinoku Driver by Shinsuke), Nakamura retained with two more Boma Ye strikes at 24:18. Post-match, the men fist bumped in a show of respect before heading to WWE. Sometimes, you just know you’re witnessing something special. There was a lot of hype coming into this and they more than lived up to it. AJ Styles is the best in the world and when Nakamura wants to step up his game like he did here, he can be right on that level. ****½
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*This is the last IWGP Intercontinental Title match. |
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