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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 29, 2017 11:46:15 GMT -5
124. Kazuchika Okada vs. Tiger Mask W – NJPW 45th Anniversary 3/6/17
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| Before a fun run in the G1 Climax, Kota Ibushi spent some of 2017 playing the real life version of the anime character Tiger Mask W. To main event one of NJPW’s 45th Anniversary events, he went toe to toe with the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. While watching the G1 Climax, I truly noticed how similar most Okada matches are. This followed that formula early, with some back and forth in the ring, before Okada’s cross body over the guardrail spot on the outside. Luckily, it went away from that typical formula for the most part. Tiger Mask W escaped Red Ink, which should be a finish sometimes if they want to make fans believe Okada could win with it. In tags or some G1 bouts. Like everyone else, Tiger Mask W countered the first Rainmaker attempt, but with a sweet snap German. This was mostly a friendly match with no animosity or backstory, but that changed late. They traded angry strikes, the referee was tossed aside and Tiger Mask W delivered some rather disrespectful stomps. That added fuel to a great finishing stretch that included a SUPER TIGER DRIVER near fall. In the end, we got the Rainmaker, wrist hold, Rainmaker, counter, Okada move, Rainmaker segment to give Okada the win at 27:03. Some parts were lame, but I liked how things got heated and they built drama in what was a wacky match on paper. Ibushi is so good. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of the Tiger Mask W character.
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Post by marino13 on Dec 29, 2017 13:54:15 GMT -5
I ran it by the moderator when I started this two years ago to make it sure it was okay.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 29, 2017 14:12:41 GMT -5
123. Mae Young Classic Semi-Finals: Kairi Sane vs. Toni Storm – WWE Mae Young Classic 9/4/17
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| Throughout the Mae Young Classic, Kairi Sane felt like a huge star. Toni Storm didn’t showcase a ton early, but delivered in the Quarterfinals and was set for this huge clash. A staple of the tournament was battles of size against speed, which came into play here. Storm had the power upper hand and used it to her advantage and wore down Sane’s arm. It was a solid strategy to take Sane’s biggest weapon, the elbow drop, away from her. Sane rallied and hit a huge cross body to the outside, smacking her face on the ramp and concussing herself. Still, she competed at a high level for the rest of the 12:23 and sold everything Storm did very well. Storm’s offense looked great, especially a vicious armbar and bridging Muscle Buster. Sane busted out a desperation spinning back fist and went to the top for the elbow. She clutched at it, but risked it all to win and it worked. It was the best match of the tournament, featuring a hot crowd, smart work and a real sense of urgency. It truly felt I was watching something important. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Kairi Sane. *It is the final match from the Mae Young Classic.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 29, 2017 16:23:26 GMT -5
122. Evolve Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. [c] vs. Jaka – Evolve 87 6/25/17
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| A few months after winning the Evolve Title in Queens, Zack Sabre Jr. returned to defend it against one half of the Evolve Tag Team Champions. The night before this, Jaka wrestled Fred Yehi. Yehi attacked Jaka’s bare feet and Sabre used that strategy here. It allowed Sabre’s submissions to look even better, as he could show us all the added torque on the feet. Each time Jaka got something going, Sabre found a way to trap him in a submission. Despite being at a size disadvantage, Sabre managed to battle Jaka in strike exchanges. There was a great spot where Sabre opened his chest to give Jaka a free shot. Getting in Jaka’s head didn’t work, because the challenger responded with a headbutt. Midway through the match, the fans were split. It was rare to see the bigger guy as the underdog, but it worked here. Jaka survived two PKs and nearly upset Sabre right after. However, the champ used his European Clutch pin to escape with the win in 14:46. It was Jaka’s coming out party, as he had his best match and went toe to toe with the champion. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Jaka.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 29, 2017 19:01:00 GMT -5
121. The London Riots vs. War Machine – PROGRESS Chapter 51: Screaming for PROGRESS 7/9/17
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| Big. Lads. Wrestling. This is what happens when four big, bad dudes just go at it. War Machine had lost to the London Riots in the past, but times had changed. War Machine entered as the IWGP Tag Team Champions and wanted their win back. Knowing what the crowd wanted and what their strengths were, the teams agreed to throw the rulebook out the window. That allowed them to have one of the craziest matches of the year. For 16:02, these two teams beat the hell out of each other in and out of the ring. They did big lad things, like Hanson nailing a powerbomb/world’s strongest slam combo on Lynch or everyone participating in a massive German suplex/powerbomb tower of doom spot. They also showed off their athleticism, with insane dives and even some springboard spots that got a standing ovation. Some of the near falls down the stretch blew my mind. If you like watching big dudes hammer each other, this is the match for you. Unbelievable. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of the London Riots.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 29, 2017 22:08:06 GMT -5
120. Juice Robinson vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW G1 Climax 8/5/17
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| In his G1 Climax debut, Juice Robinson beat the legendary Satoshi Kojima. Unfortunately for him, five straight losses followed. That left the 1-5 Juice to take on the 5-1 Kenny Omega, fresh off becoming the first ever IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion. Juice fought hard in all his losses, but they took their toll and he entered most matches, including this one, limping. In the early stages, they took this outside and Kenny busted out the ring post figure four, which will always make me mark out. The leg work continued and Juice sold like a champ. Juice’s comeback had a lot of fire. He excels at that. They both had counters ready, with Kenny blocking Pulp Friction and Juice blocking the V-Trigger. They also countered each other’s finishers, before Omega connected on a reverse rana and V-Trigger. However, Juice turned the One Winged Angel into a cradle to score the upset and biggest win of his career at 15:36. An awesome moment to cap a great match. I love that it didn’t follow the typical Omega big match formula, he didn’t have to throw a million V-Triggers and they kept it short. The post-match reactions added a lot, with Juice shocked and amazed, while Omega was frustrated at possibly blowing the tournament. [****] |
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Post by marino13 on Dec 29, 2017 23:33:12 GMT -5
I'm going to keep this short to prevent any confusion... NOBODY is forcing you to read this thread. Skip it if you don't like it. I know it's not 100% WWE related, but a good portion is. And whether you agree or not, just appreciate the amount of time and effort something like this takes.
I deleted the complaining, the offensive posts have been reported, and I hope we're all good from here on out.
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Deleted
Joined on: Apr 26, 2024 18:09:42 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2017 23:48:32 GMT -5
Nice list so far. I'll check back frequently
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 30, 2017 0:17:01 GMT -5
119. WWE Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. Jinder Mahal – WWE Clash of Champions 12/17/17
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| I never got behind the Jinder Mahal push. When it started, I felt he wasn’t ready and I still hold that position today. His feuds with Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura were pure crap (though I attribute part of it to Shinsuke and Randy putting in lackluster efforts). However, it was the AJ Styles feud that helped turn some stuff around. Their match in the UK where AJ captured the title was very good and they bested it here. Styles understood the best way to work as Jinder’s opponent. He allowed Jinder to use his power and control a good portion of the match. AJ bumped and sold the ribs very well, making Jinder’s heat segment better than most others would have. When the Singh brothers got involved, it made sense and wasn’t overdone. It also didn’t lead right to the finish, which happened too often in prior Jinder matches. Jinder teased using the Styles Clash, but AJ countered into the Calf Crusher to retain after 22:57. The best match of Jinder’s career and it proved that he could deliver rather well in the right setting. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Jinder Mahal. *This is the final match from Clash of Champions.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 30, 2017 9:20:13 GMT -5
118. Gauntlet of the Gods Elimination Match: Cage vs. Jeremiah Crane vs. Mil Muertes – Ultima Lucha Tres 10/18/17
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| I’ll be the first to admit I don’t care for Sami Callihan. But, Jeremiah Crane is a different story. He’s the definition of a guy who works better in the Temple setting. This match stemmed from Cage winning the Gauntlet of the Gods. With a weapon that wields such power, Catrina wanted it, which got Mil Muertes involved. Crane got involved because he’s been in love with Catrina since they were kids. There’s more to it than that, but I’m not gonna spend a ton of time on the angle. The match itself was the wild one I hoped for. Crane was overmatched and got busted open within minutes, so he brought weapons into play. He still took the first big bump, getting chokeslammed through a table. Mil and Cage hossed it out, though Mil busted out a tilt-a-whirl headscissors that had me jumping out of my seat. The best part was Cage superplexing Crane to the outside through two tables that Mil was laid out on. Pure insanity. Cage eliminated Crane with Weapon X shortly after, leaving the hosses to do battle. Unfortunately, their exchange lacked and didn’t last long, with Mil hitting a Flatliner on a chair to win in 14:04. Despite the finish not being great, this was a rad, violent brawl. [****] |
*This is the final match for the Gauntlet of the Gods.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 30, 2017 10:51:27 GMT -5
117. PWG Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) vs. Fenix & Penta El Zero M vs. Matt Sydal & Ricochet – PWG Nice Boys (Don’t Play Rock n’ Roll) 3/18/17
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| For a while, the PWG tag division has been the Young Bucks and a revolving door of indy teams. Ricochet and Matt Sydal and The Lucha Brothers were more consistent fixtures than others, making for an intriguing match. I enjoy Pentagon, Fenix and Ricochet, but not the other three. This was insane and there’s no other way to describe it. Early on, the wild pace led to some timing issues on a few spots. That, and a comedy spot of “CERO MIEDO vs. SUCK IT” that went on WAY too long, were a few negatives in this one. However, this was the perfect match for the audience it catered to. A wild 20:02 of action that saw such madness as Ricochet doing a goddamn apron Canadian Destroyer and an SSP with such height that he hit a light fixture. He’d be my pick for the MVP of this one. There was a great moment where Fenix and Pentagon used a superkick barrage on the Bucks, which is how the Bucks beat them during BOLA weekend last year. They used a package piledriver into a spinning destroyer on Ricochet to win the titles, ending the Bucks’ 631 day reign as champions. This isn’t typically a style I love, especially when it involves the Bucks, but this was too much fun to ignore. [****] |
*This is the final PWG Tag Team Title match. *It is the final appearance of Matt Sydal.
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Post by Jonathan Karate on Dec 30, 2017 11:50:24 GMT -5
Absolutely loving this so far just like I do every year.
Your write ups are done so well man. I end up wanting to see the match by the end of it 9 times out of 10.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 30, 2017 12:58:46 GMT -5
116. No Disqualifications Match: Pastor William Eaver vs. Sebastian – PROGRESS Chapter 44: Old Man Yells At Cloud 2/26/17
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| One of PROGRESS’ best qualities is their long-term storytelling ability. The Eaver/Sebastian rivalry spanned 11 chapters. Sebastian cost Eaver the PROGRESS Championship at Chapter 33. Eaver finally got revenge at Chapter 36, but since it didn’t happen in a match, Sebastian threatened to sue him, blackmailing him to become his pawn. During that time, Sebastian stole a PROGRESS Title shot from him and became the most hated man in the company. Eaver had enough and attacked him at Chapter 43. On this show, Eaver found out that since it had been past 150 days, Sebastian could no longer press charges, so this impromptu match was booked. What followed was 11:33 of pure hatred and violence. Sebastian took a gross looking chair throw and was Crucifix Bombed into the audience. He crucified Eaver in return, and just wrecked him with kendo stick shots that ripped his back apart. He fired up and bested Sebastian with a lariat to win an awesome, bloody brawl. Perfect feud ender. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of both Pastor William Eaver and Sebastian.
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Post by TheSystem 1.5 on Dec 30, 2017 13:29:39 GMT -5
I'm going to keep this short to prevent any confusion... NOBODY is forcing you to read this thread. Skip it if you don't like it. I know it's not 100% WWE related, but a good portion is. And whether you agree or not, just appreciate the amount of time and effort something like this takes. I deleted the complaining, the offensive posts have been reported, and I hope we're all good from here on out. First of all Kevin great work again this year. Second the hell did did I miss?
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Post by marino13 on Dec 30, 2017 13:38:48 GMT -5
I'm going to keep this short to prevent any confusion... NOBODY is forcing you to read this thread. Skip it if you don't like it. I know it's not 100% WWE related, but a good portion is. And whether you agree or not, just appreciate the amount of time and effort something like this takes. I deleted the complaining, the offensive posts have been reported, and I hope we're all good from here on out. First of all Kevin great work again this year. Second the hell did did I miss? Some very disproportionate responses from one member.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 30, 2017 14:33:42 GMT -5
115. NXT Championship: Bobby Roode (c) vs. Hideo Itami – NXT TakeOver: Chicago 5/20/17
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| Hideo Itami was the most excited I was for an NXT signing, other than Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. More than Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka, or even Samoa Joe. I first saw him as KENTA in 2006 and I’ve been a big fan since. So, watching him get overshadowed by other guys and get injured right as he seemed to right the ship following a rocky start was hard. His second big injury didn’t help. Finally, Itami got an NXT Title shot and it would be in his first TakeOver match in 27 months. Personally, I haven’t loved Roode’s matches in NXT, so I wanted to see a great showing from both guys. They delivered. We got a wise GTS tease to pop the Chicago crowd early. Unlike the tired formula worked in Roode’s matches with Nakamura, Itami was the aggressor here and even took to taunting the champ. When Roode tried taunting back Itami leveled him with a slap. Itami was the better wrestler, but Roode was smarter. When he did get hit with the GTS, he rolled outside to avoid the pin. That was Hideo’s best shot, as Roode avoided the GTS twice more and hit two Glorious DDTs to retain in 17:43. The best match of either man’s WWE run. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of both Bobby Roode and Hideo Itami. *It is the final NXT Championship match.
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Joined on: Apr 26, 2024 18:09:42 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2017 15:38:26 GMT -5
119. WWE Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. Jinder Mahal – WWE Clash of Champions 12/17/17
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| I never got behind the Jinder Mahal push. When it started, I felt he wasn’t ready and I still hold that position today. His feuds with Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura were pure crap (though I attribute part of it to Shinsuke and Randy putting in lackluster efforts). However, it was the AJ Styles feud that helped turn some stuff around. Their match in the UK where AJ captured the title was very good and they bested it here. Styles understood the best way to work as Jinder’s opponent. He allowed Jinder to use his power and control a good portion of the match. AJ bumped and sold the ribs very well, making Jinder’s heat segment better than most others would have. When the Singh brothers got involved, it made sense and wasn’t overdone. It also didn’t lead right to the finish, which happened too often in prior Jinder matches. Jinder teased using the Styles Clash, but AJ countered into the Calf Crusher to retain after 22:57. The best match of Jinder’s career and it proved that he could deliver rather well in the right setting. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Jinder Mahal. *This is the final match from Clash of Champions.
Glad I wasn't alone being impressed with that match. Never been a Jinder fan, but AJ carried him to a pretty entertaining match that night.
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Joined on: Apr 26, 2024 18:09:42 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2017 16:22:22 GMT -5
Kevin ranked a Jinder match?!
AJ really does work wonders.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 30, 2017 16:36:59 GMT -5
114. Fenix, Flamita and Penta El Zero M vs. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/2/17
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| I was weary going into this match. It was the main event of night two of BOLA and last year’s night two main event got a TON of hype, only to wind up average. This got a lot of hype as well, but had much better participants. Omega is about a thousand times better than Adam Cole, while the lucha trio on the other end absolutely exceeds the trio from 2016. Anyway, the improved participants were the main reason why this was much better than the year prior. Just seeing Omega and Penta face off was something special. The action was incredibly fast throughout this match. Dives, kicks, huge offensive maneuvers and comedic moments were all sprinkled into a wild 27:06. Due to technical issues, this was filmed in one continuous camera shot. It was fine, but led to us missing a few things that other camera angles would’ve caught. I popped for Fenix and Pentagon’s double stomp/Package Piledriver combo, but it wasn’t the finish. That came after an IndyTaker and One Winged Angel. This match pretty much encapsulated PWG. Lots of big names, fast paced action and comedy spots. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of both Flamita and the Young Bucks.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 30, 2017 22:24:33 GMT -5
113. IWGP Tag Team Championship: TenKoji (c) vs. War Machine – NJPW Sakura Genesis 4/9/17
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| The New Japan tag team divisions are quite dire. The titles change hands frequently, the matchups are mostly stale and nothing seems to matter. That being said, this was the first time I think I’ve ever been excited about an IWGP Tag Team Title match since I started watching NJPW. Japan loves hoss gaijins (teams like Killer Elite Squad and stars like Vader, Hansen, etc.), so War Machine fit right in. These two teams went right to war and wrestled the kind of match I was hoping for. It was like two teams trying to see who was manlier. TenKoji’s veteran savvy combated the raw power of the challengers, making for an even contest. When War Machine managed to take control, they showcased their best offense, which the Sumo Hall crowd ate up. TenKoji weathered the storm and Kojima hit a massive lariat that led to the fans chanting his name. In a passing of the torch of sorts, War Machine captured the titles at 14:06, in the best IWGP Tag Team Title match I’ve seen. Tenzan’s match with Ishii last year might’ve been his final great singles match, but this proved there are still some high quality tags left in him. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of War Machine and Hiroyoshi Tenzan. *It is the final IWGP Tag Team Championship match.
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