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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 13, 2020 9:17:41 GMT -5
50. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 8/3/19
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| When Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi face each other, you’re almost guaranteed to get something special. They came into this with a strong G1 Climax history, meeting in 2015, 2017, and then in last year’s finals. By this point in the tournament, a lot was on the line. A loss for Tanahashi would effectively eliminate him and that would mark his earliest exit from G1 contention ever. That added a sense of drama to this match that some others from this part of the tournament were lacking. As always, these two put on a match filled with crisp encounters and great action. The story here was that Tanahashi was a better and smarter wrestler but that didn’t matter because Ibushi is kind of a freak of nature. Even after having his bad leg worked over he would find a way to get something going. His body could overcome any issues. In trouble, Tanahashi resorted to slaps but was outdueled that way as well. Ibushi hit Kamigoye to eliminate him after 15:53. They went out and told a story you don’t often see but it worked. As good as Tanahashi is, his time has passed and Ibushi is next in line. [****¼] |
2018 Match #50: British Strong Style vs. The Undisputed Era – WWE United Kingdom Tournament 6/25/18 2017 Match #50: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 1/4/17 2016 Match #50: CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship: Trevor Lee (c) vs. Cedric Alexander – CWF Worldwide 5/18/16 2015 Match #50: NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Tomoaki Honma – NJPW Power Struggle 11/7/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 13, 2020 11:25:52 GMT -5
49. NEVER Openweight Championship: KENTA [c] vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW Power Struggle
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| As soon as I heard that KENTA was coming to New Japan, a bunch of match possibilities ran through my head. One that stood out was him against Tomohiro Ishii. We got it when KENTA turned on him during a tag and they began feuding. Their first meeting at Royal Quest was hampered by KENTA getting concussed in the early stages. While it was still good, it didn’t live up to the high expectations I had for it. Thankfully, their rematch at Power Struggle fixed pretty much all of the past issues. Both men were healthy for this one. It also didn’t get dragged down by a bunch of Bullet Club shenanigans. Instead, it was a straight up fight between two badass wrestlers. Ishii hits as hard as anyone in the business and KENTA was ready to give it right back to him. Except he did it while being a complete bunghole. That’s when KETNA is at his best. KENTA was ruthless without needing any help. That’s the kind of champion he needs to be. KENTA eventually hit the Go to Sleep to retain in a hard hitting 20:12. This is the NEVER Openweight Title that I know and love. [****¼] |
*This is the final match from Power Struggle. *It is the last appearance of KENTA. *There are no more NEVER Openweight Title matches.
2018 Match #49: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW Sakura Genesis 4/1/18 2017 Match #49: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yuji Nagata – NJPW G1 Climax 8/1/17 2016 Match #49: WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins – WWE Battleground 7/24/16 2015 Match #49: Open the Twin Gate Championship: Verserk (c) vs. Monster Express – Dragon Gate The Gate of Destiny 11/1/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 13, 2020 15:06:09 GMT -5
48. Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/30/19
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| I’ve seen these two make serious magic with each other. Their 2016 match at EVOLVE during WrestleMania weekend was one of the best things I saw that year. They’ve followed it up with strong outings in places like RevPro and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. The G1 Climax this year gave them their first shot to meet in New Japan and they delivered what was possibly their second best match together. With their knowledge of one another, it made the slow start sensible. And it wasn’t just slow and boring. They stuff they did made sense and was about gaining the upper hand. Sabre grew frustrated at his inability to outwrestle Ospreay. That’s supposed to be his wheelhouse but his rival was right there with him. Sabre also got more vicious as he targeted Will’s bad neck. Making that the focus of Will’s G1 was a good move because he didn’t have to try and sell the leg while still getting in his offense. It’s a better option for him. Ospreay stayed alive with hope spots and the occasional big move. He went for Storm Breaker but had it countered into an Octopus Hold. The neck work was too much and Ospreay had to submit in 20:02. One of the stronger G1 matches of the year. [****¼] |
2018 Match #48: NXT Tag Team Championship: The Undisputed Era [c] vs. Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan – NXT TakeOver: Chicago 6/16/18 2017 Match #48: Cueto Cup Finals: Pentagon Dark vs. Prince Puma – Lucha Underground 8/23/17 2016 Match #48: World of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai (c) vs. Mayu Iwatani – Stardom Gold 5/15/16 2015 Match #48: Kazuchika Okada vs. Yuji Nagata – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 13, 2020 17:54:50 GMT -5
47. WWE Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar [c] vs. Finn Balor – WWE Royal Rumble
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| It’s no secret that Brock Lesnar works better with smaller opponents. Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, CM Punk etc. Or maybe he just has no respect for Braun Strowman and chooses to squash him each time out. Anyway, given his track record, it should come as no surprise that Lesnar put on a stellar match with Finn Balor. I saw some people complain that Balor didn’t bring out the “Demon.” While I get that it would help him, he has mostly used it for bitter rivalries since leaving NXT and this wasn’t that. Balor came out with a dropkick to try and overwhelm Lesnar. Brock turned the tide but then Finn got an opening when one of Brock’s weaknesses got hit. He hit the announce table and saw his diverticulitis flare up. There’s that, kicks to the dick, banging his head into the ring post, and steel steps. His only weaknesses. Having that cause problems meant Brock couldn’t dominate the way he usually does. It allowed Balor to score some near falls and give fans hope that he might pull this shocker off. Balor also brought a little something extra for every bit of offense he got. Alas, he got caught in the Kimura and tapped out in 8:36. One of the best sprints of all time. They told a hell of a story in under ten minutes, gave us great action, and I bought into some of the drama. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of both Brock Lesnar and Finn Balor.
2018 Match #47: WWE Cruiserweight Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Cedric Alexander vs. Roderick Strong – WWE 205 Live 3/13/18 2017 Match #47: Best of the Super Juniors Finals: KUSHIDA vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 6/3/17 2016 Match #47: NEVER Openweight Championship: Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 10/10/16 2015 Match #47: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW Destruction in Kobe 9/27/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2020 10:40:48 GMT -5
46. EVIL vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku
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| If there’s one recipe for a great match that I love, it’s when two brutal guys just beat the hell out of each other. Before this encounter, EVIL and Tomohiro Ishii had split two very good matches in their past. One even made this list back in 2016. But this one had the most intense build. Each time they saw each other, it was a war. This started by picking up where those brawls left off. They just wailed on one another as soon as the bell rang. In a tag match the night before, EVIL beat Ishii with a Scorpion Death Lock, so it made sense that he targeted the knee in this one. He saw a weakness and wanted to exploit it. Ishii remains one of the best in the world at selling. Even the moments where he was desperately trying to get to the ropes was tremendous. You believe in everything he does. Everyone popped when he turned the tables and applied his own Scorpion Death Lock. The final stretch saw a series of stiff shots and counter wrestling. It’s the kind of thing that Ishii is made for. It was all done in a way that felt believable, which you don’t often get. Ishii pulled out the win with the Brainbuster after a fantastic 23:08. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of EVIL. *It is the last match from Wrestling Dontaku.
2018 Match #46: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki – NJPW G1 Climax 7/14/18 2017 Match #46: WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship: The New Day [c] vs. The Usos – WWE SummerSlam 8/20/17 2016 Match #46: Marty Scurll and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. SANADA and Tetsuya Naito – RPW Global Wars UK 11/11/16 2015 Match #46: Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 48 8/16/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2020 13:17:57 GMT -5
45. Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy – WWE TLC
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| I talk often about how matches don’t need to be long to be great. This is a shining example. Aleister Black and Buddy Murphy at TLC was a simple setup. These are two of the best wrestlers on the planet who were underutilized in 2019. But they were given the opportunity to shine on the final pay-per-view of the year and they made the best of it. They were given 13:40 and put on an incredible show. Murphy showed no intimidation and sat across from Black at the bell. That set the tone for a fantastic back and forth contest. Black was busted open within minutes. I loved how they managed to work around their usual spots when the other guy countered them. Like when Black blocked a sunset flip bomb so Murphy just unleashed a fury of superkicks instead. The near falls late were tremendous, particularly the one after Murphy’s Brainbuster. The finish was also one of my favorites of the year. They went into an incredible exchange of kicks and strikes, with Black hitting Black Mass from out of nowhere. An outstanding gem that should catapult both guys into the next level of superstardom. [****¼] |
*This is the final match from TLC. *It is the last appearance of Buddy Murphy.
2018 Match #45: NXT Championship vs. Career Match: Andrade Almas [c] vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT 2/21/18 2017 Match #45: Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 77 1/28/17 2016 Match #45: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/18/16 2015 Match #45: WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns – WWE WrestleMania 3/29/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2020 15:28:32 GMT -5
44. Taichi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/11/19
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| Believe me. I never expected to find a Taichi match on my year-end list. But here we are. His history with Tomohiro Ishii wasn’t one that I was fond of. They usually had pretty good matches but nothing great. That all changed on the final night of the G1 Climax. Though neither man could win the tournament, Taichi came in with a lot on the line. A win over the NEVER Openweight Champion could earn him a shot and it would keep him out of the bottom of the standings. That’s probably why he came out with his biggest offense. This wasn’t your typical Taichi. There were no shenanigans or BS. He stepped in that ring and went to war with Ishii. Throw in the back story relating to their past training and you could understand why this became such a fight. Pride was on the line and it was clear. They packed so much intensity into 11:56 and I appreciated that. The near falls in the final two or three minutes were fantastic. Taichi picked up the win with Black Mephisto in what was, hands down, the best performance I have ever seen him put on. G1 sprints are the best. [****¼] |
*This is the last appearance of Taichi.
2018 Match #44: Moustache Mountain and Ricochet vs. The Undisputed Era – NXT 6/27/18 2017 Match #44: WWN Championship: Matt Riddle [c] vs. Kyle O’Reilly – Evolve 84 5/20/17 2016 Match #44: WWE World Heavyweight Championship Extreme Rules Match: Roman Reigns (c) vs. AJ Styles – WWE Extreme Rules 5/22/16 2015 Match #44: AJ Styles vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 1/4/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2020 17:01:48 GMT -5
43. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Supercard
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| I spent most of the G1 Supercard waiting for the show to get great. The dumpster fire that is Ring of Honor kept dragging the show down while New Japan was dealing out solid stuff. It picked up with Sabre/Tanahashi but peaked with this encounter. Tetsuya Naito and Kota Ibushi can make magic together in the ring. Their match in the G1 Climax 27 is one of my all-time favorites. They can also scare the hell out of anyone watching them. Within minutes, they were dumping each other on their heads for the Madison Square Garden faithful. Everything looked fantastic, terrifying, and enthralling. It’s a strange mix that only these two seem to manage to pull off. The pace down the stretch was absolutely ridiculous. Their chemistry always wows me. Destino wasn’t enough to win because that’s just who Naito is at this point. Ibushi went nuts in the final moments, hitting all sorts of knee strikes and offense. He ultimately used Kamigoye at the 20:53 mark to finally win the Intercontinental Title. Not their best work but that just shows how great these two are when they’re together. [****¼] |
*This is the final IWGP Intercontinental Title match. *It is the last match from G1 Supercard.
2018 Match #43: Kenny Omega vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 8/1/18 2017 Match #43: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. Ricochet – NJPW Wrestling Toyonokuni 4/29/17 2016 Match #43: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 7/30/16 2015 Match #43: ROH World and Television Championships: Jay Briscoe (c) vs. Jay Lethal (c) – ROH Best in the World 6/19/15
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Post by TheSystem 1.5 on Jan 14, 2020 18:24:20 GMT -5
You’re making me want to get NJPW World
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2020 19:39:23 GMT -5
42. The Revival vs. The Undisputed Era – NXT 11/20/19
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| Survivor Series didn’t turn out to be a stellar show on its own. However, it did provide us with some great moments (like Shayna Baszler’s staredown with Becky Lynch) and dope matches. This was easily the best of them all. The Revival and the Undisputed Era have strong cases to be made as the best tag teams in all of wrestling. It was the kind of dream match that we didn’t expect to get, especially when New Day won the Smackdown Tag Team Titles from the Revival and replaced them in the Survivor Series match. Thankfully, this episode of NXT saw the Revival return to where they started. The match was just 24:49 of pure tag team excellence. It was like watching a masterclass as two teams showed us how you do tandem wrestling. It was beautiful. The Revival played the de facto babyfaces and didn’t miss a beat. Everything was seamless and smooth, making for one of the best straight up tag matches all year long. The final few minutes features incredible drama, a hot crowd, and some fantastic close calls. Scott Dawson fell to the high/low combo from the Undisputed Era to end something special. Just give us a rematch in 2020, please. [****¼] |
*This is the last appearance of the Revival.
2018 Match #42: WWE Raw Tag Team Championship: Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre [c] vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins – WWE Hell in a Cell 9/16/18 2017 Match #42: Donovan Dijak vs. Keith Lee – Evolve 81 3/31/17 2016 Match #42: ROH World Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs. Lio Rush – ROH Supercard of Honor 4/1/16 2015 Match #42: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kazushi Sakuraba – NJPW Dominion 7/5/15
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Post by rkmo: 9 Month Warning on Jan 14, 2020 19:50:20 GMT -5
*This is the last appearance of the Revival. In more ways than one, possibly lol
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Post by TheSystem 1.5 on Jan 14, 2020 22:03:22 GMT -5
*This is the last appearance of the Revival. In more ways than one, possibly lol Why must you hurt me
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 14, 2020 23:07:25 GMT -5
41. RevPro British Heavyweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii [c] vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13
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| I love when these two wrestle. Their styles are so different but they manage to complement each other incredibly well. I loved how Zack Sabre Jr. came out aggressively. It was a way to match Tomohiro Ishii, yet it also showed how Ishii’s wins over him in the past took him off of his game. Sabre did come in with the goal of destroying Ishii’s arm. It was his sole focus. That’s a good move because it negates a lot of Ishii’s power strikes. He would bait Ishii to try strikes so he could catch the arm and work it. Still, Ishii had all sorts of counters ready. It made for a gripping match filled with twists and turns, regardless of the straightforward setup of it all. In the end, Sabre Jr. caught Ishii in his ridiculously named double armbar stretch, called “Hurrah! Another Year, Surely This One Will Be Better Than the Last; The Inexorable March of Progress Will Lead Us All to Happiness.” Yes, that’s the name. Ishii tapped out, making Sabre the champion after 11:30. Just good old fashioned wrestling. Technically proficient and filled with late drama. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Zack Sabre Jr. *It is the last RevPro British Title match.
2018 Match #41: Ricochet vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: Chicago 6/16/18 2017 Match #41: Kazuchika Okada vs. Satoshi Kojima – NJPW G1 Climax 7/27/17 2016 Match #41: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn – WWE Payback 5/1/16 2015 Match #41: Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Fastlane 2/22/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 15, 2020 0:34:14 GMT -5
40. Best of the Super Juniors Finals: Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 6/5/19
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| Unless you’ve been living under a rock this year, you’ve heard about this match. As soon as it ended, folks were taking to their keyboards and running to their rooftops to shout about how this was the match of the year. I disagreed, people got upset, and it became a whole thing. Kind of like when I gave Omega/Naito in the G1 26 less than five stars and people called for my head. Anyway, Shingo Takagi entered as something special. An undefeated, unstoppable monster. In his way was Will Ospreay, Gedo’s golden gaijin (this was his third finals in four years). Early, they played up how Ospreay was nearly Shingo’s equal in power. He could hold his own there when almost no other junior could. That forced Shingo to pivot and try uncharacteristic things like a dive to the outside. He was shaken. It gradually moved from that into the big NJPW finish with all of the slick counters and big offensive bombs. The match reached its peak…but then it kept going. It fell into the NJPW trap of going long for the sake of it. Will won in 33:36. This was great but for it to have been a MOTY contender, I think it needed to be trimmed closer to 25 minutes. Either way, this is certainly worthy of making the list. [****¼] |
2018 Match #40: Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Stephanie McMahon and Triple H – WWE WrestleMania 34 4/6/18 2017 Match #40: Flash Morgan Webster, Jimmy Havoc and Mark Haskins vs. Pete Dunne, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate – PROGRESS Chapter 44: Old Man Yells at Cloud 2/26/17 2016 Match #40: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/3/16 2015 Match #40: Aztec Warfare – Lucha Underground 1/7/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 15, 2020 10:57:19 GMT -5
39. New Japan Cup Semifinals: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/23/19
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| There aren’t many rare matches left in New Japan. Everyone has seemingly faced each other tons of times in various tournaments and title matches. That’s especially true when it comes to Kazuchika Okada. That’s what happens when you’re at the top of a company for so long. Interestingly enough, Tomohiro Ishii hasn’t faced him a lot. Their previous meeting, during the 2016 G1 Climax, was excellent and saw Ishii score an upset. Kazuchika “defend my title against everyone” Okada never gave his CHAOS buddy a proper title shot after that loss. Some friend he is. Their next meeting was here, with a spot in the finals of the New Japan Cup on the line. We got bunghole Okada here and that’s easily the best version of the Rainmaker. He didn’t give a clean break and he disrespectfully kicked at Ishii’s head. It pissed off Ishii and led to him showing Okada up by no selling his strikes. I loved the way they played off of the G1 match. For example, Ishii popped up during the Rainmaker pose in that one, so Okada was ready for it here and leveled him. Ishii using the armbar was great. It was a nod to Shinsuke Nakamura and is the only move Okada has ever tapped out to. This suffered from getting a little too formulaic late but they strayed from it enough for most of the 21:20. Ishii brought out the best in Okada, who ultimately won, and we all benefitted. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Kazuchika Okada.
2018 Match #39: Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE Survivor Series 11/18/18 2017 Match #39: NXT Women’s Championship Last Woman Standing Match: Asuka [c] vs. Nikki Cross – NXT 6/28/17 2016 Match #39: Trios Championship: Ivelisse and Son of Havoc (c) vs. The Crew and Joey Ryan vs. Dragon Azteca Jr., Rey Mysterio Jr. and Prince Puma vs. Fenix, Jack Evans and PJ Black – Lucha Underground 4/27/16 2015 Match #39: Chris Hero vs. Timothy Thatcher – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 8/29/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 15, 2020 13:09:01 GMT -5
38. NXT Women's Championship: Shayna Baszler [c] vs. Rhea Ripley – NXT 12/18/19
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| This match was gloriously built up. Shayna Baszler had been champion since the previous October. And outside of a short two or so month reign by Kairi Sane, you could go back to the previous April to see Shayna’s time as champion begin. She beat Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae, Io Shirai, Mia Yim, and everyone thrown in front of her. She even beat Bayley and Becky Lynch in the main event of Survivor Series. Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley quickly became the hottest thing in wrestling. She was scorching hot following wins at TakeOver: War Games and Survivor Series. Their singles meeting main evented a huge episode of NXT and more than lived up to the hype. Shayna’s usual tactics failed because Rhea wasn’t intimidated. She resorted to help from Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke but that wasn’t enough. Nearly taking Rhea out by injuring her arm still wasn’t enough. It seemed like the unstoppable champion would still prevail when she trapped Rhea in the Kirifuda Clutch. However, Rhea fought through and survived to the crowd’s approval. The avalanche Riptide that ended it in 20:50 was spectacular and led to one of the best moments of the year. Rhea Ripley is the future of wrestling. And yes, I purposely didn’t just say “women’s” wrestling. She’s that good. [****¼] |
*This is the final NXT Women's Title match.
2018 Match #38: WWE Intercontinental Championship: The Miz [c] vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins – WWE WrestleMania 4/8/18 2017 Match #38: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 1/4/17 2016 Match #38: Chris Hero vs. Tomohiro Ishii – RPW Global Wars UK 11/10/16 2015 Match #38: KUSHIDA vs. Roderick Strong – ROH War of the Worlds 5/12/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 15, 2020 15:49:21 GMT -5
37. Dragon Lee vs. Shingo Takagi – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/23/19
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| It’s not often that a champion in New Japan is the underdog during one of their round robin tournaments. But IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Dragon Lee found himself in that position when he collided with Shingo Takagi. That’s because Shingo had been unstoppable since arriving in New Japan. Coming into the tournament, Shingo hadn’t been pinned during his tenure with the company and he had a distinct power advantage over the rest of the division. It was the ultimate power vs. speed battle. However, Lee wasn’t backing down. He possesses sneaky strength and wanted to go toe to toe with Shingo. Lee got off to a slow start but rallied with his signature high octane offense. It was marvelous. Shingo kept bringing the big bombs and Lee continued to survive each shot. The fans started to believe and bit on every Lee near fall late. But after 17:20, Shingo proved to be too much. He kicked out of a dramatic knee strike, escaped Desnucadora, and won with Last of the Dragon. It was a case where one guy unloaded his best shot and the other was just too good. Shingo is special. [****¼] |
2018 Match #37: Extreme Rules Match: Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black – NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia 1/27/18 2017 Match #37: Number One Contender’s Match: Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Seth Rollins – Raw 5/1/17 2016 Match #37: Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown – WWE Survivor Series 11/20/16 2015 Match #37: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 7/20/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 15, 2020 17:02:42 GMT -5
36. NXT Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan vs. The Forgotten Sons vs. The Street Profits vs. The Undisputed Era – NXT TakeOver XXV
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| When the Viking Raiders were moved to Raw, they were still the NXT Tag Team Champions. So, the decision was made for them to give up the titles. In need of new champions, four of the top tandems in NXT were put into this ladder match. They proceeded to come incredibly close to stealing the show on this particular evening. I love the Undisputed Era, really like Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, and think the Street Profits are so much fun. The Forgotten Sons were there, as well. For 21:30, these guys put their bodies on the line and gave us a hell of an entertaining affair. There were so many great moments in this and the pace never slowed. Even though I dissed the Forgotten Sons, they were welcome because the crowd hated them. Whenever they got close to winning, the fans were engaged as they desperately wanted them to fail. Plus, it allowed Jaxson Ryker to get involved and he added another wrinkle to this when everyone teamed up to take him out. In the end, the Profits came out as the champions. It wasn’t just a great moment because the popular duo deserved it. There was the added bonus that this was Angelo Dawkins’ first TakeOver appearance despite being signed to NXT for several years. The win and celebration were special. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Danny Burch, Oney Lorcan, the Forgotten Sons, Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish, and the Street Profits. *It is the last ladder match.
2018 Match #36: Juice Robinson vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 7/21/18 2017 Match #36: PROGRESS Atlas Championship: Matt Riddle [c] vs. WALTER – PROGRESS Chapter 51: Screaming for PROGRESS 7/9/17 2016 Match #36: Lucha Underground Championship: Mil Muertes (c) vs. Pentagon Jr. vs. Prince Puma – Lucha Underground 3/9/16 2015 Match #36: NXT Women’s Championship: Charlotte (c) vs. Bayley vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks – NXT TakeOver: Rival 2/11/15
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Post by marino13 on Jan 15, 2020 17:06:08 GMT -5
I don't get to watch much NJPW, but I always dug Dragon Lee.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 15, 2020 21:22:23 GMT -5
35. Worlds Collide Tournament Finals: Tyler Bate vs. Velveteen Dream – WWE Worlds Collide 2/2/19
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| The concept of WWE’s Worlds Collide Tournament is a great one. Take wrestlers from their loaded rosters and put them in matches they wouldn’t usually compete in. The finals came down to Tyler Bate and Velveteen Dream. It’s something we had seen once before but Dream had grown exponentially as a competitor since then. He entered this match with his ribs taped like DDP. It was an interesting change of pace since Tyler Bate was the guy who had the injury going into the UK Championship Finals in 2017. Dream sold the hell out of those ribs throughout this 16:09 encounter. Even when he’d hit offense, he’d have to stop and regroup. Having him as the guy fighting from behind against the smaller Bate was an interesting and unexpected take that I loved. This felt important and you got the sense that both guys were feeling the effects of the tournament. That’s always key in the finals of any setting like this. Dream nearly passed out from a vicious Boston Crab but survived and weathered the storm of Bate offense. He won soon after with the Purple Rainmaker and used the title shot he earned to become North American Champion. Two ridiculously talented wrestlers who should be on top of this business for years to come. [****¼] |
*There are no more matches from Worlds Collide.
2018 Match #35: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi [c] vs. Minoru Suzuki – NJPW The New Beginning In Sapporo 1/27/18 2017 Match #35: Andrade Almas vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/19/17 2016 Match #35: NEVER Openweight Championship: Yuji Nagata (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW Dominion 6/19/16 2015 Match #35: Adam Cole vs. AJ Styles – ROH War of the Worlds 5/12/15
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