|
Post by RybackV1 on Jan 5, 2019 19:11:32 GMT -5
I know Riddle hasn't been as active the past 12 months having signed with NXT, but pretty crazy seeing him featured for the last time already. I seem to remember his name flooding you're top 20-30 or so last year. Hopefully he's right up there again next year once he's found his feet in NXT. I'm sure he will. Riddle is one of the craziest new NXT wrestlers I've seen in a long time. Every match he does something that's got me like wtf
|
|
|
Post by marino13 on Jan 5, 2019 21:05:13 GMT -5
I expect names like Riddle & Lee to be featured more after the next round of post WM call ups. Just bidding his time at the moment.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2019 23:07:53 GMT -5
68. PROGRESS World Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Tyler Bate – PROGRESS Chapter 76: Hello, Wembley! 9/30/18
|
| It was PROGRESS’ biggest show ever. There were issues getting here and this was basically their backup main event, but it still felt like a big deal. WALTER got a special entrance where violinists played his theme live. It was cool. You’d consider Tyler the underdog based on size but he managed to match WALTER in power in a lot of spots early on. It looks cool because of the huge size difference, but Tyler is a STRONG BOI. It took a huge chop for WALTER to finally put him in his place. British Strong Style was at ringside to cheer on their buddy but they didn’t get involved. That made it a straight up main event with no frills. Bate found openings and noticed that whatever worked needed to be done more than once because WALTER is a tough man. It did cost him a few times as he went to the well too often. His airplane spin was a clear highlight. The closing set of counters, strikes, and near falls were incredible. It’s especially true for Bate’s wild German suplex, his second airplane spin spot, and the unbelievable Tyler Driver ’97 he busted out. I didn’t think that was even possible. I also lost it for the Bret Hart WM8/SS96 finish tease. Tyler fired up while in the choke, only to get hit with a Fire Thunder Driver that ended this after 30:08. A rocking match. Great exchanges and a fantastic story. [****¼] |
*This is the final match from Chapter 76.
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 6, 2019 9:25:50 GMT -5
67. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Hideo Itami vs. Mustafa Ali – WWE 205 Live 10/24/18
|
| There weren’t many wrestlers more consistently good in 2018 than Mustafa Ali. I’m talking across all promotions. You might not have expected it, but his finest moments came in specialty matches. Meanwhile, since turning heel, Hideo Itami has also been better thanks to a more aggressive style. I loved that this match made good use of the stipulation. Far too often, we get Falls Count Anywhere matches that are just your typical Hardcore match. This one saw most of the action take place outside of the squared circle. The fight went into the crowd, onto the ramp, and they barely spent time in the ring. That’s a good thing. Both wrestlers found ways to incorporate creative spots, like Ali running up the steel steps for a tornado DDT. Special shoutout to Itami for being the only guy to sell moving the steel steps like they really weigh hundreds of pounds. They saved their best for last in this 15:22 war. Ali delivered one of the best 450 splashes you’ll ever see, putting Itami through a table outside. It got him the win and added another feather to his cap for having one of the best 2018s of anyone in wrestling. [****¼] |
*This is the last appearance of Hideo Itami. *Is is the final Falls Count Anywhere match.
2017 Match #68: New Japan Cup First Round: Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/12/17 2016 Match #68: AJ Styles vs. John Cena – WWE Money in the Bank 6/19/16 2015 Match #68: Pentagon Jr. vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 8/30/15
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 6, 2019 11:08:08 GMT -5
66. Super Strong Style 16 Quarterfinals: David Starr vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 68: Super Strong Style 16 5/6/18
|
| Last year, Zack Sabre Jr. sent David Starr packing in the first round of this tournament in a very good match. They’re not exactly strangers to one another. Starr did what he could to stay competitive on the mat with Sabre. Though Zack is the master there, Starr more than held his own. As the match progressed, the level of violence and intensity picked up. At one point, they literally just beat the hell out of each other while in a submission. Starr’s leg became the focus for Sabre. It was worked over to the point where Starr couldn’t even stand. Still, Starr fired up with the best lariats he could throw. Sabre wouldn’t stay down. He showed the kind of resilience you’d expect from his straight babyface days. The closing minutes were spectacular. Sabre only survived a Blackheart Buster because Starr’s leg was too busted up to cover instantly. Unfortunately for Starr, he relied too much on trying to hit Product Placement. Sabre had it scouted at every turn and countered one attempt into Orienteering with Napalm Death. The deadly move was enough to secure a win for Sabre in 15:57. A fantastic match with great selling, hard strikes, and dramatic exchanges. [****¼] |
*This is the last appearance of David Starr. *Is is the final match from Super Strong Style 16.
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 6, 2019 14:30:52 GMT -5
65. WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander [c] vs. Buddy Murphy – WWE Super Showdown 10/6/18
|
| When I think about the two best and most consistent junior heavyweights/cruiserweights in the world my mind doesn’t go to KUSHIDA, Will Ospreay, Marty Scurll, or even Cedric Alexander. The top two in 2018 were Hiromu Takahashi and Buddy Murphy. Yes, that same Buddy Murphy who was most known for a short NXT Tag Title run and being in a relationship Alexa Bliss. When he got his chance to shine on 205 Live, he made the most of it, having fantastic matches on a weekly basis. He lost in a great title match against Alexander in Cedric’s hometown earlier in the year. He earned another shot with the tables turned, now in his hometown of Melbourne. That instantly took the previously unbeaten in 2018 Alexander off his game. He wasn’t used to not being the favorite. For 10:33, these two just threw everything at one another. They emptied their arsenals to give us a phenomenal sprint. Alexander’s avalanche Michinoku Driver was one of the best spots of the year. When Murphy kicked out of the Lumbar Check, the fans erupted and Alexander was at a loss. Murphy cut off his springboard attempt and hit Murphy’s Law. The Juggernaut won the title in a tremendous match in front of his hometown. What a moment. [****¼] |
*This is the last match from Super Show Down.
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 6, 2019 16:23:49 GMT -5
64. Hell in a Cell: Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton – WWE Hell in a Cell 9/16/18
|
| Who the hell decided this was going to be so good? Randy Orton has been lifeless for years and Jeff Hardy was basically just a fun nostalgia act for me since his return. So, when they were put in a Hell in a Cell (a strangely bright red one at that), my hopes weren’t high. But these two went out and had one hell of a match. Orton was sadistic and violent in ways that we haven’t seen from him before. Watching him put a screwdriver through Hardy’s gauges and twist it was one of the more horrifying things I’ve ever seen in a WWE ring. It was as if vicious Orton was the perfect person to put against a Jeff Hardy who is willing to take a beating. Tables, ladders, and chairs (OH MY) were used throughout this. Orton also took punishment as he left the match with some painful looking gashes on his back and leg. Jeff made a mistake he’s made throughout his career that resulted in the finish. He tried to do too much. As he swung from the top of the cell to splash Orton through a table, he missed and Jeff crashed and burned. The referee wanted to stop the match, but Orton forced him to count the three after 24:52. To anyone who says you can’t have a violent match in a PG world, simply watch this barbaric match. [****¼] |
*This is the last Hell in a Cell match. *It is the final appearance of Jeff Hardy.
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 6, 2019 17:57:03 GMT -5
63. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2/10/18
|
| If you want to understand the wackiness level of this rivalry, just know that the video package featured a ton of cats and a clip where these guys hand fed one another. Yea, it got weird. More often than not, Will Ospreay puts together nice looking moves, but lacks in a lot of the other things that make a match work. The way he screamed when Hiromu hit a belly to belly into the guardrail was comically bad. Thankfully, other than a handful of small issues like that, this was fantastic. These are two wrestlers who like to throw everything at each other and don’t seem to care about their well beings. The pace was quick and they went to war. It was a case of both men knowing how much punishment the other could take and being willing to take it to that level. Even if there wasn’t a ton of animosity in the feud, they grasped what needed to be done. We were treated to huge spots and creative counters, keeping the viewers on our toes. Like a lot of Ospreay matches, he survived a TON thrown at him. It bordered on overkill at points. Will used a big forearm and, after having it countered more than once, finally hit the Oscutter to retain in 20:05. [****¼] |
*This is the last match from The New Beginning in Osaka.
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 6, 2019 23:01:10 GMT -5
62. Chris Ridgeway vs. Jordan Devlin – PROGRESS Chapter 78: 24 Hour PROGRESS People 11/11/18
|
| There was a lot of hype coming into this one. Chris Ridgeway had been on a solid role, while Jordan Devlin had one hell of a 2018. Check out the latter’s matches with guys like Pete Dunne and Will Ospreay. The atmosphere for this was insane. Clearly, though neither guy is at the top of the card, the crowd loves them. They opened this by just kicking the hell out of each other. Devlin realized that was a mistake because he doesn’t have the advantage there. Once they moved away from that, it became a battle of two guys throwing their best at one another. You felt like you were watching two men trying to steal the show and leave their mark. Ridgeway’s Brainbuster roll through into a submission was outstanding. The match ended with a fantastic closing stretch of counters. Devlin won with the Package Piledriver at 10:15. A tremendous sprint between two guys who feel like they’re a major part of the future. You don’t always get breakthrough performances from both parties in a match, but that’s exactly what this felt like.. [****¼] |
*This is the last match from Chapter 78. *It is the final appearance for both Chris Ridgeway and Jordan Devlin.
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2019 9:11:44 GMT -5
61. The Golden Lovers vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay – NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome 12/15/18
|
| For the most part, I sit out the final month of the year for NJPW. Most of their post-G1 Climax stuff is kind of just there and December means the World Tag League, which is uninteresting. However, the Road to Tokyo Dome show on 12/15 sounded interesting. Mainly due to this main event. Working as a preview for Wrestle Kingdom 13, it pitted Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay against IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega and NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay. As expected, this was filled with great exchanges from four quality wrestlers. It felt like it was meant as a showcase for Ospreay, as he was given many of the hope spots and big moments. Fans were treated to plenty of awesome tandem offense, great near falls, and some of the best pacing in a tag match in recent years. Ospreay landed on his feet on a super rana was indeed a memorable moment. Not for the athletic move itself, which has been done over and over, but because of the camerawork. People overlook how much that can add to a match. Ospreay fell to the Golden Trigger after 28:46, wrapping up one hell of a tag team match to set up one of the biggest nights of the year. [****¼] |
*This is the last match from Road to Tokyo Dome..
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2019 10:29:38 GMT -5
60. Johnny Gargano vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT 9/5/18
|
| In January, Johnny Gargano beat Velveteen Dream in a match that nearly made this list. Months later, Gargano was going through a lot after another loss in an NXT Title match, while Dream was riding high as arguably the hottest star in NXT. Gargano wanted to be Johnny Wrestling again, while Dream called him Johnny Failure. One thing Dream has excelled at in his big matches is the character stuff. He was spectacular there again. His mind games just bothered Johnny and threw him off. Still, Gargano showed the heart we’ve come to expect from him and found ways to turn the tide. As the match neared the end of the 16:54 runtime, Gargano began throwing caution to the wind in an effort to find something to get his career back on track. It cost him, as his knee became a problem and it gave out on him. A deranged Johnny put the Gargano Escape on outside and yelled, “IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?” He snapped out of it but the conflict was clear. The same went for his idea to hit a DDT onto the outside. This was no longer the good boy Johnny Gargano we always knew. Dream kept poking at him by calling him a failure. It proved to be a stroke of genius as he goaded Johnny into the Dream Valley Driver for the finish. Two master storytellers having a match that told a great story. Go figure. [****¼] |
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2019 11:46:28 GMT -5
59. Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 8/11/18
|
| On the final night of B Block action, Tetsuya Naito was alive and well. A win and a Kenny Omega loss would earn him a spot in the finals. In his way stood Zack Sabre Jr., who admitted he hates Naito and wanted nothing more than to ruin his tournament. Naito beat Sabre in the G1 27, while Sabre made him tap during the New Japan Cup. Naito played mind games early, frustrating Sabre until the submission specialist grabbed his “tranquilo” arm and wrapped it up with ease. Sabre took full control and it wasn’t until he mocked the tranquilo pose that Naito seemed to turn things on. Since Sabre had an answer for everything Naito did, it forced Naito to dig deep and find something new. That right there is why Sabre matches usually deliver. He forces his opponents out of their comfort zone and it’s great. Naito survived all the submissions, refusing to quit because the tournament meant too much to him. After hitting Destino, he made a mistake by going for another. Sabre countered and won with the Zack Driver in 18:17. Both men played their characters perfectly and gave us a match built around that, with the added story of Sabre stopping Naito’s G1 Climax dreams. [****¼] |
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2019 14:19:44 GMT -5
58. NXT Championship Last Man Standing Match: Tommaso Ciampa [c] vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/18/18
|
| The story told between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa ranks near the top in all of wrestling over the past few years. Hell, in the entire history of wrestling. After wars in New Orleans and Chicago, they had their rubber match with higher stakes. This time, the NXT Championship was on the line after Ciampa captured it a few weeks earlier. Also, this wouldn’t involve pinfalls or submission, instead having the Last Man Standing stipulation. They brought the intensity we’ve come to expect from the rivalry, throwing everything at each other. It wasn’t just violence, though. You could tell the story behind each and every shot. Are their spots a bit overdramatic? Sure, but I’ll take overdramatic storytelling over a battle of who can do more fancy moves any day of the week. The idea that Ciampa is a sadistic bastard and Gargano was willing to do whatever it took to get revenge and the title played into pretty much everything they did. I appreciated how they found ways to give us some creative spots while playing off their past. Near the end, they got to the point where Johnny handcuffed Ciampa by the stage. The acting and drama did go overboard here, but I liked the finish. Johnny was obsessed with hurting Ciampa and it cost him. He messed up and flew off the stage, hurting his knee. All while the man he cuffed was able to roll off the stage and barely onto his feet, retaining in 33:38. It had some diminishing returns from their previous similar matches, but still had a lot working for it. The storytelling was top notch and it was brutal. Honestly, watching the character arc of Gargano since the #DIY split has been fascinating. [****¼] |
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2019 15:48:33 GMT -5
57. WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander [c] vs. Buddy Murphy – WWE 205 Live 5/29/18
|
| Long before they stole the show in Australia, Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy had a Cruiserweight Title match on 205 Live. In contrast to the Super Show Down outing in Buddy’s hometown, this was in Cedric’s home of Charlotte, North Carolina. In the early stages of this 20:08 affair, Murphy was interested in showing that he could match Alexander in terms of ring skill and athleticism. When Cedric began taking control, he got pissed. The “Juggernaut” came out. Buddy dropped him on the announce table and threw him into the guardrail. Of course, after Murphy beat on the champion for a while, he used his aerial ability and the heart he’s known for to rally. This guy was unbeaten for most of the year for a reason. Things escalated and the action only got better as they neared the conclusion. From trading big shots to desperation offense by the champion, this ruled. Alexander’s title reign was in more jeopardy than ever before. Maybe due to the energy from his hometown fans, Alexander withstood a lot and retained with the Lumbar Check. I love the story of Buddy being a killer against Alexander’s fiery babyface who just won’t quit. [****¼] |
*This is the final Cruiserweight Title match listed.
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2019 17:57:43 GMT -5
56. Number One Contender’s Match: WALTER vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 67: Bourbon Is Also A Biscuit 4/7/18
|
| I love WrestleMania weekend. It’s basically wrestling Christmas. There’s so much great stuff happening over the course of a handful of days. This match may have been the best of the entire weekend. We all appreciate a well told long term story, but there are times when you can just throw two great wrestlers in the ring and let them do their thing. With a shot at the PROGRESS World Title on the line, they had that added intrigue as well. It opened with traditional grappling until Sabre chose to slap WALTER. That’s something you just don’t want to do. WALTER responded by destroying him with a barrage of brutal chops. Sabre kept coming for them, causing WALTER to question his sanity. Sabre caught one and kicked the arm into the guardrail. It became his target and you could see him smile a bit as the chops began to have less sting behind them. However, WALTER could still chop with his other hand and Sabre was in trouble again. He remained a defiant jerk until he grew desperate. He attempted several pinning combinations but then had one countered into a rear naked choke. Sabre tapped immediately, losing in 12:51. I think a more dramatic ending would’ve helped this, but it was still some top notch wrestling from two of the best in the world. [****¼] |
*This is the final match from Chapter 67.
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
|
|
|
Post by marino13 on Jan 7, 2019 18:10:17 GMT -5
I know people rag on 205 Live, and I hear a lot of jokes about how talent should avoid the place. But they have been constantly having great matches since Vince gave the show over to Trips. Buddy Murphy alone has went from somebody not featured on NXT to being one of the best talents in all of wrestling. Give 205 some new talent, feature them more on RAW, and stop forcing them to PPV pre-shows, and I think they could make it something very special.
I also know some hated the ending to Gargano vs Ciampa in the LMS match. But I personally loved it. I like how a simple mistake from Gargano cost him the match. And I enjoyed Ciampa acting like he earned the win. And the story NXT has told with Gargano's descent into madness is storytelling at it's finest.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2019 19:22:38 GMT -5
55. NXT Tag Team Championship: The Undisputed Era [c] vs. Moustache Mountain – NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 8/18/18
|
| The final leg in a trilogy of stellar tag team matches between these duos. Moustache Mountain took the first in their home country, while Undisputed regained the title in a classic at Full Sail. They saved the tiebreaker for NXT’s biggest show of the year. Their chemistry ranks among the best in terms of tag team wrestling in recent memory. Nearly every sequence put together is one that grabs you and the characters keep you enthralled. The champions cut off the ring, isolating Trent Seven. You’d expect the smaller team member to get isolated, but Seven had his knee worked on extensively in the previous match. Plus, STRONG BOI Tyler Bate is a great hot tag and he got to showcase his power on multiple occasions. He’s a freak of nature, especially for his age. That combination of strength and athleticism shouldn’t be possible. When Bate’s leg became a problem, Seven nearly threw in the towel, which was a beautiful callback to their last encounter. Down the stretch, we got a lot of false finishes to keep us totally engaged. The fans bit into so many of them. Undisputed retained with Total Elimination in 18:07. The second best match in their series. [****¼] |
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2019 21:42:45 GMT -5
54. Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/4/18
|
| These two had an incredible match in last year’s G1 that ranked in my top ten. What makes them work is that, not only are they two of the very best wrestlers in the world, but they’re willing to do serious damage to one another. I swear they both nearly broke their necks last year. Here, Tetsuya Naito was sure to bring back his heel tactics. We hadn’t seen them in a while, but he used them against Juice Robinson and here against Kota Ibushi. There was some early knee work in this that failed because they kind of just went away from it. However, when Naito targeted the neck, this picked up and didn’t die out until the bell rang after 25:09. Focusing on the neck is perfect against a guy with a history of problems there, while also setting up Destino. They eventually just threw bomb after bomb at one another. Of course, Ibushi survived Destino since nearly everyone does now. Talk about a finisher meaning nothing. There was an insane number of unsafe looking spots throughout. Ibushi busted out Boma Ye for a near fall before finishing things off with the Kamigoye. Not quite as good as last year, but still one hell of a match. [****¼] |
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2019 23:28:31 GMT -5
53. NXT Championship: Aleister Black [c] vs. Tommaso Ciampa – NXT 7/25/18
|
| NXT television might be better than it ever has been. We had several high profile bangers on Wednesday nights in 2018. None had higher stakes than this one. Since Aleister Black’s debut in 2017, he was on a collision course with the NXT Title. He got there a year later, but was never truly on top. That’s because his title win and defenses played second fiddle to the Tommaso Ciampa/Johnny Gargano rivalry. When Ciampa got a shot at Black and attacked him in the weeks leading up to the match, it set up an emotional title fight. There was an intensity that was clear right from the opening bell. Ciampa brings that kind of fire out of babyfaces. It was worked at a deliberate pace, with the best stuff being saved for the final stretch of this 22:18 encounter. We got treated to some seriously tense near falls, including one after Ciampa used his crutch as a weapon. We did get a ref bump, a usually tired trope, but it worked in this case. That meant the Black Mass couldn’t end this and it opened the door for the arrival of Gargano. He tried to stop Ciampa from using the title as a weapon, only to accidentally hit Black. That set up the title change after Project Ciampa, sparking a wild bunch of reactions from fans. A great, intense match that hit all the storytelling beats it needed to. [****¼] |
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
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 8, 2019 9:12:48 GMT -5
52. NXT North American and WWE United Kingdom Championships: Ricochet [c] vs. Pete Dunne [c] – NXT 9/19/18
|
| Two of the top wrestlers in NXT this year have been Pete Dunne and Ricochet. Ricochet has been a highlight since his debut WrestleMania weekend, while Dunne makes the most of every sporadic appearance. Both men held titles and wanted more, leading to this clash. I love the idea that these champions just wanted more gold. It should be about titles. Simple, yet effective. The match proved to be one of the best for either man this year. Ricochet was happy to play Dunne’s game early, wanting to show that he was more than high spots. It worked to an extent, until Dunne took things to the next level and picked him apart. Dunne’s time in control and Ricochet’s fiery comeback were both awesome, as they’re two wrestlers who give you little to no slow down in what they do. The closing stretch was out of this world. You felt the importance of this match in how hard these guys went, which is exactly what you want from something of this caliber. The late counters and exchanges were out of this world. I know a lot of people were upset at the finish, since the Undisputed Era ran in for a double DQ or no contest at 21:41, but I was okay with it. It served a purpose to build something coming up and isn’t something NXT relies on too often. Incredible pro wrestling. [****¼] |
*This is the final UK Championship match.
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
|
|