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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2017 10:44:35 GMT -5
14. Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/6/16
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| In 2013, these two had a damn good G1 Climax match but disappointed against each other in last year’s tournament. Here there broke out with what was easily their best outing together. Coming into this match, the seventh for each guy, Kazuchika Okada had been coasting through the G1. A lot of lackluster matches with minimal effort from Okada but that all changed on this night. Okada looked like he was going to take his CHAOS stablemate lightly but Ishii woke him up with an early lariat. Both men countered each other’s finishers within the first minute, setting the tone for the match. Ishii laid in the chops and Okada tried to man up and take them but he’s no Shibata or Honma, so he couldn’t. In one of my favorite moments all year, Okada’s Rainmaker pose was interrupted by a chop from Ishii. Sometimes you just gotta shut the cocky prick up. The fans and commentators lost their minds several times as Ishii just is a master at getting you emotionally invested. Having the champ well scouted, Ishii countered three more Rainmakers and nailed two headbutts. He followed with the Owen Hart Driver and a lariat for an insane near fall. Ishii nailed a brainbuster to finally score the win at 18:47, defeating the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in arguably the match of the tournament. Instead of giving us a rematch, Gedo chose to book Okada vs. Fale again the following month. Tomohiro Ishii is incredible and a top five wrestler in the world. ****½
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*This is the last appearance of Kazuchika Okada. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2017 11:37:21 GMT -5
13. Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 58 4/1/16
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| As part of Zack Sabre Jr.’s “Best in the World Challenge”, he took on the “flyer” in Will Ospreay. The two Brits stole the entire WrestleMania weekend with this match. Sabre went to his strength on the mat, but Ospreay had a surprising advantage there at times. Will extended his upper hand by using his athleticism and frustrating Sabre. Not one to be in trouble for long (unless against Chris Hero), Sabre turned it around and twisted Ospreay like a pretzel. He gained confidence with this, even stopping to pose during one submission. Ospreay’s comeback wowed the audience with some sick displays of high flying ability. Sabre survived the Oscutter and a middle rope Phoenix splash, leading to a “both these guys” chant. Ospreay popped up from a tornado DDT but had his standing shooting star press caught into a triangle choke in a ridiculous sequence. After an awesome 16:32, Sabre won when Ospreay kicked out of a Liger Bomb and he turned it into an absurd double armed submission. Not only was my favorite match in Evolve history and the best of Mania weekend, I think it was an important match that helped cement the fact that European wrestling (which was already hot and gaining popularity) is here to stay. ****½
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*This is the last appearance of Zack Sabre Jr.
*It is the final match from Evolve 58.
*It is the last match from Evolve. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2017 12:43:12 GMT -5
12. Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/13/16
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| People were pissed at my original rating for this match. Granted, I still don’t believe it’s five stars but I have bumped up the score after watching again. On the final night for the B Block, it all came down to this match. Kenny Omega had to win here to take the block, while a win or tie would put Naito in the finals. Omega can be very goofy at times and it hurts his character. He came into this 100% serious and it made everything better. Early on, Omega tweaked his knee and did a great job of selling it throughout. He’d pull up lame, limp and have trouble hitting key moves. Naito did a great job of targeting the knee while selling Omega’s power advantage. Omega hit a powerbomb into the crowd and then took a big bump by somersaulting into the front row onto Naito. Omega hit a bridging tiger suplex and was wise enough to lift his injured leg off of the bridge, which may have cost him the pin. Naito went into his offense and hit Omega with nearly everything he had. He countered the One Winged Angel into his patented knee bar for a great close call. Just went it seemed like Omega had it won, Naito again counted the One Winged Angel, this time into Destino. Omega’s legs just weren’t strong enough to finish until he finally mustered enough strength to hit the One Winged Angel and win at 26:17. The back half of this match is ridiculously good. It’s the second best heel vs. heel match I can recall (Styles/Suzuki from the G1 24 is first). This was, far and away, the best performance of Kenny’s career. I still say Naito deserved this win way more but that’s not an argument I feel like getting into anymore. ****½
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*This is the last appearance of Kenny Omega.
*It is the last G1 Climax match. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2017 14:09:34 GMT -5
11. Cedric Alexander vs. Kota Ibushi – WWE Cruiserweight Classic 8/10/16
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| Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa easily had the best match of the first round of the Cruiserweight Classic. It was here, in the second round, where things were taken to the next level. The hype surrounding this after it was taped was enormous. Sometimes that doesn’t translate well since the live atmosphere adds a lot. It was all justified here though. This was two guys putting on incredible performances and creating magic. They put the crowd in the palm of their hands early and only got them more invested at the match went on. At times, Cedric Alexander made you believe he would pull off the upset. He had Kota Ibushi well scouted, avoiding kicks and the triangle moonsault, following up with a tope con hilo. They even made you believe that it could end in a time limit draw for a moment. Cedric’s near fall after a sick brainbuster and then another after a kick to the head were perfectly done. The one on his incredible snap Michinoku Driver was great too. Kota avoided a diving double stomp, snapped off a German suplex, hit another kick and won with the Golden Star powerbomb after 14:59 of grueling action. Not only was this a phenomenal match, it was a coming out party for Cedric. After ROH wasted him, he appeared all over, having damn good matches and this was his crowning moment. The “please sign Cedric” chants afterwards led to him joining the cruiserweight division, though they’ve failed to capitalize on the main roster. Kota may have won but Cedric gained more from this. I’m dying to see a rematch. ****½
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*This is the last appearance of Cedric Alexander. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2017 15:45:10 GMT -5
10. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA (c) vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Invasion Attack 4/10/16
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| Will Ospreay’s first appearance in NJPW was a video of him announcing that he joined the CHAOS stable and challenging KUSHIDA for the Jr. Heavyweight Title. Not a bad way to make your in-ring debut with a company. Ospreay came into this match in the midst of a string of awesome performances in the first half of 2016, while KUSHIDA has been the MVP of the juniors for a long time now. It hasn’t even been close to be honest. Onto the match, KUSHIDA had a game plan and made it work. He viciously attacked the arm, starting by kicking it in the middle of an Ospreay handspring. It worked on two levels because it took away some of Ospreay’s offense while setting up the Hoverboard Lock. Ospreay tried to handspring again but couldn’t due to the limb damage. Because Ospreay is a freak of nature, he did a handspring off the ropes WITH NO HANDS! It was brilliantly bananas. Ospreay went for the Rainmaker but KUSHIDA countered into the Hoverboard Lock and with the arm damage so bad, Ospreay scrambled to the ropes. Sometimes Will’s selling isn’t good but when he wants to, like here, it can be masterful and it makes all the difference. After some incredible exchanges, KUSHIDA won with the Hoverboard Lock at 15:11. Ospreay gave it his all but couldn’t overcome the champion’s great strategy. This had it all. Hard strikes, high spots, intensity, a hot crowd, selling, storytelling and the list goes on and on. ****½
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*This is the last appearance for both KUSHIDA and Will Ospreay.
*It is the last match from Invasion Attack.
*It is the final IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title match. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2017 17:58:32 GMT -5
9. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5/3/16
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| Tetsuya Naito and Tomohiro Ishii are, in my opinion, the two best wrestlers in NJPW since Hiroshi Tanahashi is finally slowing down. They make magic together too. Other than the night Naito won the title about a month earlier, this was the most excited for an IWGP Heavyweight Title match I have probably ever been (I started following at Wrestle Kingdom 9). You had Naito’s first defense and Ishii’s first ever title shot. Naito brought LIDJ to ringside, while Ishii had his CHAOS buddies with him. I love how this played off their New Japan Cup match. Ishii’s hard hitting style wasn’t enough there, so he came into this with a plan to work Naito’s surgically repaired knee. Credit to Naito for selling the damage so well. There were times where he would just leave that leg limp like he couldn’t use it for anything. Seeing Ishii go for submission was such a great change of pace. They’ve had classics in the past, but this was a different match that showcased their versatility. EVIL got involved a few times until he and BUSHI were finally driven to the back by Okada and Gedo, leaving the final stretch of this match to be a one on one encounter. Those closing moments were the best. Coming into this, Ishii didn't seem to have a chance at winning but they sucked you in and made you believe it would happen. He came close so many times, especially on an incredibly reverse brainbuster. Finally, after having it countered all match long, Naito hit Destino and retained at 30:33. Incredible sequences, heart pounding drama, a hot crowd and even the interference worked. Ishii may never get another shot that the title and if so, he made it count, putting on the kind of match that fits his character perfectly. This was the freshness I wanted from the title picture. It was the best IWGP Heavyweight Title match all year. ****½
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*This is the last appearance for Tetsuya Naito.
*It is the last match from Wrestling Dontaku.
*It is the final IWGP Heavyweight Title match. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2017 19:45:44 GMT -5
8. Kota Ibushi vs. TJ Perkins – WWE Cruiserweight Classic Finals 9/14/16
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| My two favorite competitors in the Cruiserweight Classic were Kota Ibushi and TJ Perkins. I knew there was a chance they could meet in the semi-finals but didn’t believe it until it became official. Perkins was a cocky son of a gun throughout the tournament, but with so much at stake, he was serious here. No dabbing, no nonsense. He was the first person to check Kota’s kicks, bringing a game plan to this big match. He had an answer for everything and targeted the knee to eliminate Kota’s brutal kicks and set up the knee bar. This got better as it progressed. Their exchanges were tremendous, while the strikes and near falls all delivered. The reaction to TJ kicking out of the Golden Star Bomb was one of my favorite things in 2016. Perkins would counter a second powerbomb attempt into the knee bar. When that wasn’t enough, he trapped Kota’s other leg and then added torque to Kota’s surgically repaired neck. Kota had to tap at 14:50, putting TJ in the finals and cementing a major upset. Originally, I gave this match the full five star treatment but I was just on a high from my guys killing it. It isn’t quite that great but is still a phenomenal match between two of the best. Incredible stuff. ****¾
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*This is the last appearance for both Kota Ibushi and TJ Perkins.
*It is the last match from Cruiserweight Classic. |
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Post by YES! YES! YES! on Jan 5, 2017 19:58:42 GMT -5
The Cruiserweight Classic was easily one of the best things of 2016.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2017 21:50:13 GMT -5
7. Lucha Underground Championship: Mil Muertes (c) vs. Fenix – Lucha Underground 3/16/16
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| The highest rated Lucha Underground match on my list last year was between Fenix and Mil Muertes. They did it again in 2016. This wasn’t a stipulation match like last year, but it had the added high stakes of being for the Lucha Underground Championship. Despite being at a size disadvantage, Fenix traded blows with Muertes. These two are tailor made for one another. The “Man of 1,000 Deaths” against the Fenix that always rises from the ashes. In a callback to season one, Mil ripped away at Fenix’s mask. He brought a chair into play and busted Fenix open before again calling back to their past and powerbombing him on the announce table. Fenix rallied and, in a great twist of fate, ripped Mil’s mask. Catrina, Mil’s manager, was excellent at ringside, nailing every facial expression and emotion throughout. Fenix used Mil’s power against him, using the chair to block a punch and then used the chair himself. He found a way to chop the monster down to size. Fenix busted out a sweet German suplex and a 450 splash but Mil wouldn’t stay down. The champion got back in control and went for his trademark Flatliner only for Fenix to counter into a clutch rollup for the three at 13:38. As a standalone it may not be on the level of some other matches here. But it had the perfect amount of violence and storytelling and when adding in their history and the emotion of Fenix winning the big one, this was Lucha Underground at its finest. ****¾
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*This is the last appearance for both Mil Muertes and Fenix.
*It is the last Lucha Underground Championship match.
*It is the final Lucha Underground match. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2017 22:51:33 GMT -5
6. NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 1/4/16
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| Most of the Wrestle Kingdom 10 card lacked in a way that Wrestle Kingdom 9 didn’t. It wasn’t until this match, the seventh of nine on the card, that the show picked up. As I mentioned earlier in the list, I love the rivalry between Tomohiro Ishii and Katsuyori Shibata. It’s a manly feud featuring two guys beating the hell out of each other. Just like their G1 Climax 23 match (which I gave five stars), they came out and went to war from the opening bell. This was a prideful tight fight. There was a point where they literally asked for harder strikes from their opponent. The things they normally do seemed like it wouldn’t be enough so we had moments like Ishii busting out a missile dropkick. Both men collapsed to the mat in exhaustion a few times because they were giving everything for the title. I saw so many stiff strikes and headbutts here that I can’t believe they went so hard for the entire 17:19. It felt like two guys willing to kill each other and that’s a great quality in a title match. After tons of great moments, Shibata won with the Penalty Kick to capture his first singles title in NJPW. He got his moment on the biggest stage possible and it was awesome. NEVER Title matches feel so different from IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Title matches in the best way. Shibata and Ishii embody what that title has become and I could watch them beat the crapout of each other until the end of time****¾
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*This is the last appearance for both Katsuyori Shibata and Tomohiro Ishii.
*It is the last match from Wrestle Kingdom.
*It is the last NEVER Openweight Title match.
*This is the final NJPW match on the list. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 6, 2017 7:53:54 GMT -5
5. AJ Styles vs. John Cena – WWE SummerSlam 8/21/16
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| Their first match at Money in the Bank was marred by interference from Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. With them on Raw after the draft, AJ Styles wanted another match with John Cena to prove that he was better. No excuses. Like their first encounter, AJ was confident and shouted “WE’VE BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE, YOU CAN’T STOP ME!” when getting the early upper hand. That overconfidence cost him a bit and Cena turned things around, leading to a fantastic back and forth display. They did go deep into the finisher kickout barrage, which I don’t always love, but they didn’t go overboard here. My favorite thing about this was that it was a straight up wrestling match. No nonsense, no bull. Just two of the best ever trying to see who the better man was. Cena’s middle rope Attitude Adjustment, which has beaten AJ before, failed. I totally bought that as the finish. Cena sold the disbelief perfectly. It was as if he realized, right there, that AJ was indeed better. AJ avoided another AA and hit the Styles Clash followed by the Phenomenal Forearm to end it at 23:10. An incredible match by two incredible performers. Their chemistry is off the charts and this did wonders for AJ. For all the guys that Cena never properly put over (Bray, Owens, Rusev, etc.), they got it completely right with AJ. He beat Cena clean and went on to win the WWE World Title. This was everything I want a dream match to be and more. ****¾
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*This is the last appearance for both AJ Styles and John Cena.
*It is the last match from SummerSlam. |
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Post by marino13 on Jan 6, 2017 8:01:33 GMT -5
AJ & Cena crushed it. And AJ going over clean was the cherry on top.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 6, 2017 8:51:07 GMT -5
4. Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NXT TakeOver: Dallas 4/1/16
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| It was the highly anticipated WWE debut of one Shinsuke Nakamura. Some matches don’t need a storyline or build. Just put two of the best on the planet together and sit back. I must start with the atmosphere. The Dallas crowd was one of, if not the best NXT crowd I can recall. They were hot all night but on another level for this. They treated both men like megastars. The reaction for Nakamura still gives me goosebumps as does his entrance here in general. Even Sami couldn’t help but smile during it. The match itself was the perfect introduction for Nakamura. It allowed him to showcase the things that make him work to the audience at home, while the live crowd reacted perfectly to everything. Sami Zayn brought all he could but the physical toll that Nakamura’s various knee strikes took on him was just too much. He managed to bust out the spots he had to, like the blue thunder bomb and tope con hilo, while Nakamura got all his crapin. Though there was no animosity between them, this felt like a fight. It was the match that spawned the “fight forever” chant and though it has been used since, it fit here better than ever. Nakamura won at 20:06 with Kinshasa. This was the best debut match I can recall. Nakamura came off looking like a star, while Zayn went toe to toe with the strong striker and added so much to this match. It was Zayn’s final NXT appearance and he made it count. He put Nakamura over, ending one era of NXT and setting the stage for the next. Incredible. ****¾
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*This is the last appearance for Shinsuke Nakamura.
*It is the last match from TakeOver: Dallas. |
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 6, 2017 10:18:59 GMT -5
3. CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship No Holds Barred Match: Roy Wilkins (c) vs. Trevor Lee – CWF Worldwide 3/9/16
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| 104:43. That’s how long Trevor Lee and Roy Wilkins wrestled here. That’s mind boggling. The stakes were high as more than just the title was on the line. If Lee lost, he would be forced to leave CWF Mid-Atlantic for good. The match could only end via pinfall or submission, which was notable because Lee couldn’t attempt to knock out Wilkins since the title wouldn’t change hands that way. I’d say that like a film, this match could be broken up into acts. They started with hold for hold grappling that hammered home how Lee is the superior technician. Lots of credit to Wilkins for understanding his role and not trying to showcase his own stuff. Since he was behind, he and his entourage cheating in the next section of the match made a ton of sense. As the match passed the one hour mark, all the All-Stars (Wilkins’ stable) got involved. My one gripe with the match was that this lasted a bit too long. Lee rallied from it, with some help, and it came back down to the two competitors as things closed. The final section of this is insane. They go to war in a way that would make you think they hadn’t just wrestled for over an hour. The best part of it is that all the work done throughout the match comes full circle and makes sense. Too often I see matches that go long for the sake of it and things happen with no rhyme or reason. Everything here made sense and paid off. Lee finally captured the title by making Wilkins submit. It’s not just one of the most incredible feats I’ve ever seen in wrestling, it’s also a spectacular match. I know a lot of people will scoff at the runtime and avoid this but I implore you to make time and give it a watch. You won’t regret it. ****¾
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*This is the last appearance for both Trevor Lee and Roy Wilkins.
*It is the last match for the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title.
*It is the last CWF match. |
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Post by marino13 on Jan 6, 2017 11:28:47 GMT -5
Notice it wasn't the last match for Sami Zayn. The plot thickens!!
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 6, 2017 11:36:33 GMT -5
2. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn – WWE Battleground 7/24/16
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| Former best friends and tag team partners, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn went on to be even better rivals. Their main roster story saw Zayn eliminate Owens from the Royal Rumble and their feud cost each other the Intercontinental Title and the Money in the Bank briefcase. Owens beat Zayn at Payback, but this was billed as the end of the rivalry, for now at least. Sami went for the Helluva Kick at the opening bell but Owens avoided it. Owens wore him down and in classic Owens fashion, so he even made a simple chinlock entertaining. A scary moment came when Sami tried a springboard moonsault and landed badly on his previous injured shoulder. Brilliantly, they worked it into the story when Owens attacked it. There were so many callbacks to their past and fantastic sequences in this. Sami busted out a freaking apron brainbuster! I loved that Sami didn’t kick out of the Popup Powerbomb either, since matches tend to rely on the finisher kickout gimmick too much. Instead, he got his feet on the ropes. Surviving, not overpowering. What put this match over the top was the emotion and story. Owens shouting for his former best friend to “STAY DOWN”, only for Sami to catch him in two suplexes was great. Even better was Sami stopping to close his eyes and take in the Helluva Kick he was about to hit. He caught a falling Owens and played the conflicted role so well. Did he want to win there or did he want to inflict more punishment? That moment made you think Sami was going to be compassionate but he finally decided to get his revenge, hitting a second Helluva Kick to win at 18:21. This had the hot crowd, intense exchanges, great story, emotional impact and all around excellence. When done right, wrestling can be a beautiful thing. ****¾
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*This is the last appearance for both Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.
*It is the last match from Battleground. |
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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 6, 2017 13:41:34 GMT -5
My bet is on Shelly Martinez vs Rebel.
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Deleted
Joined on: Nov 15, 2024 21:14:51 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2017 13:49:38 GMT -5
Wow I thought Ishii vs Shibata at Wrestle Kingdom would be #1, What a Twist!
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 6, 2017 13:54:06 GMT -5
1. NXT Tag Team Championship 2 Out of 3 Falls: The Revival (c) vs. #DIY – NXT TakeOver: Toronto 11/19/2016
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| When done right, tag team wrestling is one of the best things in the world. This wasn’t just tag team wrestling done right though. It was done perfectly. It’s honestly hard to sit here and fully express everything about this match that worked. They had an absolute classic and the best tag match in WWE in the past decade plus a few months prior, only to build upon that and best it here. The two out of three falls stipulation is perfect for the old school style of the Revival. The first fall was great and saw #DIY a step ahead, but not quite able to put the champs down. From out of nowhere though, Gargano ate a Shatter Machine and they fell behind 0-1. The second fall was the Revival doing what they do best. They dominated with the best tag work on the planet. They’ve mastered it. Since this was in Toronto, they even busted out the Hart Attack (while wearing punk and black). Ciampa finally got the hot tag and it led to DIY hitting their finish to tie it up. The final fall was incredible. Non-stop action with breathtaking near falls and close calls. Gargano got trapped in the submission he lost to in Brooklyn but survived this time around. The Revival tried doing #DIY’s finisher, only to have it cut off. #DIY then did the Shatter Machine and I absolutely believed it was over, but it was broken up. The finish was brilliant too. #DIY locked in stereo submissions and the Revival stopped each other from tapping before giving up at the same time at 22:16. Everything here clicked. The crowd was hot, the work was crisp, the callbacks to their past, the storytelling and the underlying tease of Gargano possibly failing again and Ciampa turning on him, which was possible considering the Brooklyn match and the CWC. Being invested in characters always helps and #DIY’s win was emotional, hard earned and beautiful. I loved every single second of this. *****
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China Claus
Main Eventer
I can feeel your sensitivity
Joined on: Apr 17, 2012 20:05:15 GMT -5
Posts: 2,737
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Post by China Claus on Jan 6, 2017 14:49:48 GMT -5
I've gotta say, this list was very well written, thoughtful, and extremely informative. I imagine it took some time to compile, and watch all these matches! But, I salute you, for a fantastic list of matches I loved, and many I'll have to check out!
Hope I see this again next year!
Great job!
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