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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 13, 2019 11:56:57 GMT -5
19. WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship Last Woman Standing Match: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Charlotte – WWE Evolution 10/28/18
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| I’ve seen some call this an overdone mess and others call it the Match of the Year. I’m not fully in either camp. I saw a match that had moments of being absolutely brutal and hated filled. I also saw a match that kind of fell into some of the tropes that hurt this stipulation in the past, like a lot of time spent counting women down in the early stages when the match clearly wouldn’t end and overkill at some late spots. Charlotte’s ability to get up from so much came across as the overkill. This isn’t a knock on her, as WWE has done it in almost every match like this, including with AJ Styles earlier this year. That out of the way, this was great. The violence level was high and we got some truly stellar spots like the announce table leg drop, stuff with the ladder, and some loud kendo stick shots. I loved how Becky didn’t become a coward late. When she couldn’t keep Charlotte down, she just moved on to try a bigger spot and it eventually worked with a powerbomb off the top and through a table outside, ending this at 28:38. One other issue was the officiating. Charlotte wasn’t truly up after getting buried in chairs, but was credited with beating the count. She got up further in the end, but lost. Strange. Still, a fitting end to a great rivalry. [****½] |
*This is the final match from Evoluion.
2017 Match #19: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/21/17 2016 Match #19: CMLL World Lightweight Championship: Dragon Lee (c) vs. Kamaitachi – NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania 1/24/16 2015 Match #19: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/9/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 13, 2019 13:07:23 GMT -5
18. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5/4/18
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| It has been called the greatest rivalry in pro wrestling history. While I disagree, there’s no denying that it ranks near the top. Most of their battles are classics. Their 2013 match at King of Pro Wrestling is legitimately in my top three all time. But, this was about 2018. Kazuchika Okada bested Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom in 2016 (in their worst match) and was officially the new “ace.” Tanahashi was not one to go away quietly, though. He is still called the “ace” by many, including himself. Okada had broken almost every IWGP Title record imaginable. Tanahashi stood in the way of the one left, for most defenses in a single reign. Of course, it was also Tanahashi who held that record. Ever the master, Tanahashi avoided the tired Okada formula in this. Okada, again at his best when forced to do something different, was aggressive and a cocky prick. Douchebag Okada is the best Okada and Tana was as resilient as ever. When Okada did his trademark Rainmaker pose, Tanahashi stood up in his face, defiant as ever. He wasn’t going down without a fight. They called back to their previous match, a 30 minute draw in the G1 26, with the same exact moves at the same exact time. That takes something special to get right. The closing stretch was incredible, and we even got Tanahashi hitting Rainmakers of his own. Okada eventually retained after 34:36 in what was one of their best matches in history. A classic. [****½] |
*This is the final match from Wrestling Dontaku. *It is the last appearance of HIroshi Tanahashi.
2017 Match #18: NXT Tag Team Championship: The Authors of Pain [c] vs. #DIY vs. The Revival – NXT TakeOver: Orlando 4/1/17 2016 Match #18: Fenix and Pentagon Jr. vs. Heroes Eventually Die – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/3/16 2015 Match #18: NXT Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Becky Lynch – NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable 5/20/15
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Post by Jonathan Karate on Jan 13, 2019 14:08:03 GMT -5
A lot of matches I expected to be higher are now dropping out. This is going to be interesting.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 13, 2019 15:20:56 GMT -5
17. NXT Championship: Andrade Almas [c] vs. Aleister Black – NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 4/7/185/4/18
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| Aleister Black made his debut at TakeOver: Orlando and beat Andrade Almas. The crowd wasn’t very interested in it. Fast forward a year and Almas now reigned as a phenomenal NXT Champion, with Black hot on his heels. This match was masterfully done. Aleister had been unstoppable, so Almas and Zelina Vega came in with a plan. Whenever Black would get some momentum, she’d find a creative way to get involved. It’s a million times more entertaining than your traditional underhanded stuff. When she wasn’t doing her thing, Almas was showing that he could hang with Black in every facet. Aleister nearly won with Black Mass, only for Zelina to put Almas’ foot on the bottom rope. That set up an Almas double stomp to the outside, which was part of a wild series of back and forth offense from two of the best in the world. The Hammerlock DDT near fall was a thing of beauty. And when the finish actually arrived, it did so in PERFECT fashion. Almas’ title reign had seen Zelina play a major role and the same went for this match. Her attempted cross body was avoided by Black and Almas caught her. With Zelina in his arms, Almas had no defense for a Black Mass and we had a new champion after an outstanding 18:18. A legendary combination of storytelling and action. Almas deserves a standing ovation for his spectacular run as NXT Champion. [****½] |
2017 Match #17: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. Dragon Lee – NJPW New Beginning in Osaka 2/11/17 2016 Match #17: KUSHIDA vs. Kyle O’Reilly – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/21/16 2015 Match #17: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/15/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 13, 2019 16:44:59 GMT -5
16. Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/4/18
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| Forget Kazuchika Okada. It was Tomohiro Ishii who had the best trilogy with Kenny Omega in 2017. Entering this match, Kenny Omega was a perfect 6-0 in the G1 Climax. A year earlier, he suffered the largest points differential upset in Osaka when he lost to Juice Robinson. Back in Osaka, Omega hoped to avoid the sequel. I’ve criticized Kenny for often working a match like he’s in a WWE 2K game. He throws big move after big move in hopes of pumping up his star ratings, rather than doing some that makes sense, is great, and concise. However, like he did in the previous match against Zack Sabre Jr., this was a much different and better Kenny. Coming in on a hot streak, he was arrogant. He slapped Ishii around like a dick to start. After Sabre kicked his ass and he still won, Omega most likely felt bulletproof. But, he wasn’t ready for this different kind of Ishii tonight. The man was possessed. He literally sat and smiled when Omega kicked him in the back. Finding himself in trouble, Kenny threw a whopping 13 V-Triggers, but it felt like he was doing it out of desperation. Ishii wasn’t staying down and he exhausted a lot of his arsenal. When Ishii no sold some of them, Omega was at a loss. He threw more big offense, but once he got hit with a Brainbuster, Ishii had done just enough to win after 22:42. Kenny going from cocky to shocked, Ishii’s fire, the molten hot crowd, Kenny’s busted lip. It all added up to something great. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Tomohiro Ishii.
2017 Match #16: Super Strong Style 16 Finals: Travis Banks vs. Tyler Bate – PROGRESS Chapter 49: Super Strong Style 16 5/29/17 2016 Match #16: Aztec Warfare II – Lucha Underground 3/23/16 2015 Match #16: KUSHIDA vs. Kyle O’Reilly – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Finals 6/7/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 13, 2019 18:14:55 GMT -5
15. WWE Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins [c] vs. The Miz – WWE Backlash 5/6/18
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| Seth Rollins made a strong case for being WWE’s top wrestler of 2018. So did The Miz. Actually, The Miz has been doing that for years now. Put them together and you got magic. The Miz had just moved to Smackdown, which had the United States Title. Add in how Seth only just won the Intercontinental Title about a month earlier and the outcome to this encounter was obvious. That often takes away from a match because it lacks drama. Nobody told these two. They completely made me believe Miz was walking out as champion on more than one occasion. Both times he nearly won with the Skull Crushing Finale were fantastic. He found creative ways to hit the move each time. I loved the spot where Seth missed the Kingslayer knee and hit the post. It looked and sounded brutal. Miz took instant advantage with a Figure Four and it came late enough in the match that Seth had already done some of his offense that required the leg so there was no selling issue. The finish was tremendous, with Seth finding a way out of a series of rollups to hit the Curb Stomp, complete with him stopping to sell, and retain in 20:30. An underrated gem. One of the best Intercontinental Title matches to ever happen. It was that goddamn good. Both men are incredible wrestlers. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Seth Rollins. *It is the last match from Backlash. *There are no more WWE Intercontinental Title matches.
2017 Match #15: NXT Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: The Authors of Pain [c] vs. #DIY – NXT TakeOver: Chicago 5/20/17 2016 Match #15: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. AJ Styles – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 1/4/16 2015 Match #15: Open the Dream Gate Championship: Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Shingo Takagi – Dragon Gate The Gate of Destiny 11/1/15
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Post by marino13 on Jan 13, 2019 18:32:28 GMT -5
Final appearance of Seth Rollins, but not the Miz? Hmm...
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Post by RybackV1 on Jan 13, 2019 20:48:22 GMT -5
I have a feeling I know what your # 1 is but we will see
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 13, 2019 20:57:35 GMT -5
14. NXT Tag Team Championship: Mustache Mountain [c] vs. The Undisputed Era – NXT 7/11/18
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| During the Royal Albert Hall shows, Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong lost the NXT Tag Team Titles to Trent Seven and Tyler Bate. Citing luck and homefield advantage, Undisputed Era got their rematch in the friendly confines of Full Sail University, even though the fans there were pro-Mustache Mountain. Undisputed attacked before the bell, looking to get a cheap upper hand. The champions fought them off and took control until one big moment changed everything. Strong dropped Seven’s previously damaged left knee onto the steel steps. From there, this was an absolute master class of tag team wrestling. Undisputed worked the leg like sharks smelling blood. It was incredible. They deprived the fans of the hot tag to Tyler Bate at every single turn. Bate was a huge factor in the title change, so they couldn’t allow him to get in there. When it finally came, the place erupted and Bate did his thing. There’s a reason he’s one of the best in the world. However, Seven was still hurt and getting checked on by the medical staff. Bate found himself in trouble because of the two on one disadvantage and Seven got back on the apron to help his buddy. He tried his best but as the legal man, found himself back in submission predicaments. Despite his efforts and refusal to quit, Seven was in no man’s land. Bate waited and waited, but was forced to throw in the towel to save his partner’s career, yet lost the titles in 17:29. This is tag team wrestling, people. Utterly brilliant. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, Kyle O'Reilly, and Roderick Strong. *It is the last NXT Tag Team Title match and the last tag team match, period. *There are no more matches from NXT TV.
2017 Match #14: WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Finals: Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate – WWE UK Championship Tournament 1/15/17 2016 Match #14: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/6/16 2015 Match #14: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 1/4/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2019 9:11:39 GMT -5
13. Kenny Omega vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 8/11/18
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| Probably the most highly anticipated match in the G1 this year. Best friends, tag team partners, and golden lovers. With this being the final match on the tour, in typical Gedo fashion, the winner would win the entire block. Kenny Omega began 6-0, yet dropped two straight before this. His overconfidence was becoming a problem. His recent struggles forced him to be more aggressive than he originally planned against his buddy. Kota Ibushi came in for a friendly bout and had to adjust. Omega didn’t even hold back in terms of going after his friend’s surgically repaired neck. It sounds weird, but I love that this didn’t feel like they tried to have an epic. Too often does a match feel like wrestlers tried too hard. Instead, this had a natural flow that made for one of the better outings from either guy in 2018. Omega’s V-Trigger to the back meant extra because of Kota’s bad neck. The Kamigoye kick out was special because Omega was the first man to do it and Kota is the only men to ever kick out of the One Winged Angel. Kota was dropped on his head several times, but weathered it all to hit a super Tiger Driver. He followed up with Kamigoye and advanced to the G1 Finals in 23:13. I love the G1 because it forces NJPW to cut the crap and give us sub-30 minute main events. This was brilliant, telling an excellent story and giving us non-stop action. Their chemistry ensured this clicked, they threw bombs at each other, and I loved the story of Ibushi having to match the surprising aggression of his partner. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Kota Ibushi. *It is the last G1 Climax match.
2017 Match #13: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. KUSHIDA – NJPW Dominion 6/11/17 2016 Match #13: Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 58 4/1/16 2015 Match #13: Roderick Strong vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 45 7/10/15
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Post by marino13 on Jan 14, 2019 10:30:40 GMT -5
I love Mustache Mountain. They're fantastic in ring storytellers. I'd kill to see them have a series of matches with The Revival.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2019 10:46:09 GMT -5
12. Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz – WWE SummerSlam 8/19/18
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| The most excited I’ve been about a match in years. Daniel Bryan and The Miz are two of my favorite wrestlers of all time. Everything they’ve done together has been golden. From the first season of NXT to Bryan winning the United States Title from Miz to their Talking Smack beef to the build for this match. Here, with eight years of background, they made it all work. The little things were perfectly handled. Miz busted out the Nigel clothesline which he used in their Night of Champions 2010 match. Miz used his cunning personality to take control and when Bryan rallied, it was by using the style he’s famous for. The style he chastises Miz for not using. When Miz did the “YES” kicks, Bryan leaned into them as if to tell Miz that his kicks are nothing more than cheap knockoffs. The tease of Bryan, wrestling master, tapping out to Miz, reality TV star, was so well done because it came right after Bryan kicked the ring post hard and was put in the figure four. I loved Bryan’s hatred for Miz coming out as he punched him in the head while using the Yes Lock. I loved Miz desperately biting Bryan’s hand to break the hold. And then the finish. Masterful. Miz was handed a foreign object by Maryse at ringside. Bryan went for a tope suicida and got hit with it, giving Miz the win in 23:22. How beautiful is it that Bryan took a risk and the smart, safe wrestler used it against him? Miz, the guy willing to do whatever it takes to win, like he told Bryan in the build, did just that and won. I may still be underrating this, that’s how good it was. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Daniel Bryan and The Miz. *It is the last SummerSlam match.
2017 Match #12: Aleister Black vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: War Games 11/18/17 2016 Match #12: Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/13/16 2015 Match #12: Kazuchika Okada vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW G1 Climax 8/15/15
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Post by Jonathan Karate on Jan 14, 2019 11:52:32 GMT -5
Didn’t see that one coming. Fantastic match.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2019 12:17:19 GMT -5
11. NXT Championship: Tommaso Ciampa [c] vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: War Games 11/17/18
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| The Velveteen Dream has been a star on the rise since last year’s TakeOver: War Games. He and Aleister Black put on a classic. Fast forward one year and Dream found himself in the NXT Title match against the most hated champion in recent memory, Tommaso Ciampa. We were lucky enough to be treated to something special. Dream came out dressed like Hollywood Hogan setting the tone for his actions throughout the contest. Dream sees himself as a legend already. He busted out offense from legends like Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, and even Hogan himself. It was fitting for who he is as a character. Meanwhile, Ciampa is a paranoid champion who will do anything in his power to remain on top. They had a great back and forth in terms of mind games. Ciampa stole Dream’s “Hollywood” headband, so Dream took the title, messing with what Ciampa loves most. Dream’s use of moves popularized by others could end up being the thing that cost him and he may need to regroup following this. Some of the near falls late went a bit overboard for me, but the fans ate them all up. They were engaged throughout. Dream missed a huge Purple Rainmaker on the apron, ultimately leading to Ciampa hitting the draping DDT onto the steel platform holding the two rings together at 22:25. I love how they keep finding innovative ways to do that DDT. Great match and another performance that showed why Dream is one of the best in the world. [****½] |
2017 Match #11: WWE Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. John Cena – WWE Royal Rumble 1/29/17 2016 Match #11: Cedric Alexander vs. Kota Ibushi – WWE Cruiserweight Classic 8/10/16 2015 Match #11: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Dominion 7/5/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2019 15:29:41 GMT -5
10. PROGRESS World Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 77: Pumpkin Spice Progress 10/28/18
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| WALTER is kind of the perfect opponent for Sabre. The challenger likes to apply submissions to different parts of the body at the most opportune times. He managed wrap up WALTER’s arms, which took away his brutal strikes, but then transition to the leg, to chop down the champion, and it all made sense. Zack was brilliant in this. He goaded WALTER into chops, taking damage so he could eventually catch one and wrench at his hand. WALTER sold the arm by having to change up his chops, saving them for when he was in trouble. This didn’t rely on a ton of finishers and near falls, instead focusing on the little things throughout that built up to a big finish. Sabre’s technical acumen against WALTER’s strength. Though neither advantage overwhelmed the other, they worked as game changers. Sabre would turn the tide with a hold, while WALTER did the same with a strike. The closing few minutes were outstanding and just when Sabre went for his European Clutch, his neck gave way. It was damaged by a pissed off champion earlier in the match. WALTER pounced like a shark smelling blood. He pounded on him and retained with the Fire Thunder Driver in 29:26. It was the best PROGRESS Title match I can ever recall. They just made every little detail work, nothing was wasted, and it had nearly everything you could want in a match. [****¾] |
*This is the final appearance of Zack Sabre Jr. *It is the last match from Chapter 77. *There are no more PROGRESS World Championship matches.
2017 Match #10: Death Match: Jimmy Havoc vs. Mark Haskins – PROGRESS Chapter 55: Chase The Sun 9/10/17 2016 Match #10: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA (c) vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Invasion Attack 4/10/16 2015 Match #10: AJ Styles vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 7/26/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2019 16:37:29 GMT -5
9. NXT North American Championship Ladder Match: Adam Cole vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 4/7/18
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| NXT TakeOver: New Orleans is honestly the best top to bottom wrestling show I have ever seen. Four of the five matches were ****+. It all began with this. Give six talented guys a bunch of ladders and let them crown the first ever North American Champion. There was a lot to juggle here. You had the red hot Velveteen Dream and Adam Cole. The monsters in Killian Dain and Lars Sullivan. And two guys making their debuts in EC3 and Ricochet. They made it all work. Ricochet was given plenty of room to show off his aerial offense, while EC3 may have taken more bumps than anyone. The big guys destroyed people. Everyone played their part perfectly. And this wasn’t just guys doing spots. They all spent early moments going for the title, but kept getting cut off. From there, it was clear they needed to take each other out to win, which set up the bigger offense we eventually saw. It’s a brilliantly layered match. There were just so many action filled moments, great character stuff, and some truly creative spots. I’d be here forever if I tried listing them all. Just know there were a ton and this match was madness. It seemed like Ricochet had it won, only for Cole to sneak in and knock him off, pulling down the title after 31:16. An absolute war and one of the greatest ladder matches of all time. [****¾] |
*This is the final appearance of Adam Cole, EC3, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, Ricochet, and The Velveteen Dream. *It is the last North American Title match and the final Ladder Match.
2017 Match #10: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/11/17 2016 Match #10: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5/3/16 2015 Match #10: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Elimination Chamber 5/31/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2019 18:35:48 GMT -5
8. IWGP Heavyweight Championship Two Out of Three Falls Match: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW Dominion 6/9/18
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| After giving their first match six stars, breaking his own scale, and killing his limited credibility, Dave Meltzer continued to up the ante for matches between Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega. This one got seven stars. I’ll start by getting the reason why it’s not a perfect match out of the way. The one time Kenny beat Okada was when he overwhelmed him with a quick pace in the G1 Climax. Considering he never beat Okada at a slower paced game and how he bragged about having the stamina advantage, it would make logical sense for him to bring that high energy right off the bat. Instead, they didn’t play enough off their G1 meeting and that didn’t make sense. With that out of the way, let’s praise this match. In the first fall, Omega kept having Okada’s usual formulaic stuff scouted. He understood his opponent in that sense. Knowing he beat Okada the one time he hit the One Winged Angel, Omega went for it too often and Okada countered into a rollup to take the first fall in 28:47. Okada became cocky, knowing he had barely been pinned in two years, so getting pinned twice in one match seemed unlikely. Omega tried new things out of desperation before tying it with the One Winged Angel at 47:47. The final fall beautifully showed how exhausted these guys were. They were dazed, would fall over after moves, and looked to be way out of it. Omega hit two more One Winged Angels to finally end Okada’s reign at the 64:50 mark. It isn’t the greatest match ever, but it’s a fantastic one. Great callbacks, exceptional pacing, quality action, and they didn’t try to go overly long and set some kind of record for the sake of it. Neck and neck with their G1 outing for their best work. [****¾] |
*This is the final appearance of Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega. *It is the last IWGP Heavyweight Title match. *There are no more matches from Dominion.
2017 Match #8: WWE Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar [c] vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe – WWE SummerSlam 8/20/17 2016 Match #8: Kota Ibushi vs. TJ Perkins – WWE Cruiserweight Classic Finals 9/14/16 2015 Match #8: ROH World Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs. AJ Styles – ROH Final Battle 12/18/15
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Post by Evil Abed on Jan 14, 2019 19:04:54 GMT -5
Very intrigued to see what comes out as #1, im guessing it has to be either Gargano/Ciampa from New Orleans or something non WWE. NXT killed it this year but really having a hard time recalling any amazing WWE matches.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2019 20:26:35 GMT -5
7. PROGRESS Atlas Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Timothy Thatcher – PROGRESS Chapter 62: Fear No More, Come To Dust 1/28/18
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| These guys are tag team partners as part of Ringkampf. Most fans assumed this would be friendly competition for a championship. But, as soon as Timothy Thatcher refused a handshake at the opening bell, you could feel the energy change in the room. Right there, we all understood that these guys were just going to lay into each other. Within minutes, Thatcher’s chest was bloodied. Thatcher found his opening when he ducked a chop outside and WALTER hit the ring post. That changed everything because it negated WALTER’s best weapon. What would he do now? He’d have to use his brain. Thatcher was in control, but WALTER would do something small like shift his weight on a belly to belly to land on Tim, or stop him in his tracks with a brutal lariat. And something like that lariat was a believable near fall because of who WALTER is. His left handed chops were still tough, but nowhere near the right handed quality. He sold Thatcher’s armbar like his title reign was over, but managed to escape. In the end, Thatcher got his hands up to block a chop, so WALTER just CHOPPED HIM IN THE FACE INSTEAD! That was one of the wildest things I saw all year. Shortly after, WALTER ended this with a powerbomb after 21:39. I love that this didn’t rely on near fall shock value as there were barely any until the end. They knew it would take a lot to beat their partner. Violent, dramatic, and the best match in PROGRESS history. [****¾] |
*This is the final appearance of WALTER and Timothy Thatcher. *It is the last PROGRESS Atlas Title match. *There are no more matches from PROGRESS.
2017 Match #7: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/17 2016 Match #7: Lucha Underground Championship: Mil Muertes (c) vs. Fenix – Lucha Underground 3/16/16 2015 Match #7: Grave Consequences: Fenix vs. Mil Muertes – Lucha Underground 3/18/15
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Post by Evil Abed on Jan 14, 2019 20:51:21 GMT -5
7. PROGRESS Atlas Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Timothy Thatcher – PROGRESS Chapter 62: Fear No More, Come To Dust 1/28/18
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| These guys are tag team partners as part of Ringkampf. Most fans assumed this would be friendly competition for a championship. But, as soon as Timothy Thatcher refused a handshake at the opening bell, you could feel the energy change in the room. Right there, we all understood that these guys were just going to lay into each other. Within minutes, Thatcher’s chest was bloodied. Thatcher found his opening when he ducked a chop outside and WALTER hit the ring post. That changed everything because it negated WALTER’s best weapon. What would he do now? He’d have to use his brain. Thatcher was in control, but WALTER would do something small like shift his weight on a belly to belly to land on Tim, or stop him in his tracks with a brutal lariat. And something like that lariat was a believable near fall because of who WALTER is. His left handed chops were still tough, but nowhere near the right handed quality. He sold Thatcher’s armbar like his title reign was over, but managed to escape. In the end, Thatcher got his hands up to block a chop, so WALTER just CHOPPED HIM IN THE FACE INSTEAD! That was one of the wildest things I saw all year. Shortly after, WALTER ended this with a powerbomb after 21:39. I love that this didn’t rely on near fall shock value as there were barely any until the end. They knew it would take a lot to beat their partner. Violent, dramatic, and the best match in PROGRESS history. [****¾] |
*This is the final appearance of WALTER and Timothy Thatcher. *It is the last PROGRESS Atlas Title match. *There are no more matches from PROGRESS.
2017 Match #7: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/17 2016 Match #7: Lucha Underground Championship: Mil Muertes (c) vs. Fenix – Lucha Underground 3/16/16 2015 Match #7: Grave Consequences: Fenix vs. Mil Muertes – Lucha Underground 3/18/15
This is why I love this list, gives me a chance to see stuff outside NXT and WWE that I normally wouldn't know to see otherwise. Just watched this for the first time and it was absolutely brutal.
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