|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 4, 2016 6:34:06 GMT -5
28. Lucha Underground Championship All Night Long: Prince Puma (c) vs. Johnny Mundo – Lucha Underground 6/17/15 | | On the first ever episode of Lucha Underground, Prince Puma and Johnny Mundo were the main event. Then, to crown the first ever Lucha Underground Champion, the Aztec Warfare match came down to Mundo and Puma, with Puma coming out on top. There was respect between the two rivals, which changed after Mundo turned heel. Dario Cueto, the best authority figure in wrestling since Vince McMahon, liked this new attitude and put them in the first ever All Night Long match. I wouldn’t really consider this an Ironman match since there was no set time, but they were basically given Ironman match rules. For the entire duration of an episode of Lucha Underground, Mundo and Puma would compete and the winner would be the man to win the most falls in that time. The entire thing ran for 38:35 and almost never stopped. It was one of, if not the smartest worked match in Lucha Underground history. Mundo used a lot of tricks to take a commanding 4-1 lead. While he was cunning enough to take the lead, his ego was too big to be wise the rest of the way. He wanted to hurt Puma and set up some tables. This would cost him as both men went through it and Puma cut the lead to 4-3. Mundo realized he made a mistake and started to be smart, running away to let the clock expire. Alberto El Patron returned and attacked Mundo, leading to the tie score. With three minutes remaining, both guys tried many pin attempts until finally, Puma was able to score on the 630 and retain. Keeping viewers completely enthralled throughout is a testament to both men and how the match was laid out. ****¼ |
*This is the last appearance of both Prince Puma and Johnny Mundo on the list.27. NXT Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Kevin Owens – NXT TakeOver: Rival 2/11/15 | | The story of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens is one of my favorites ever, dating back to Kevin Steen vs. El Generico. After finally winning the NXT Title at R-Evolution, Owens turned on his best friend, setting the stage for this match. Despite only being in NXT for a short time, Owens goaded Sami into putting the belt on the line here. An angry Sami came out firing but made some mistakes and fell victim to just how vicious and brutal Kevin Owens can be. He beat Sami from pillar to post, prompting Corey Graves to compare it to the Brock Lesnar/John Cena beating from SummerSlam 2014. Sami is the best at playing the face in peril though and made some spirited rallies to the crowd’s delight. He blocked the apron bomb that took him out in the past and hit a moonsault, but his head snapped back onto the steel ramp. That made him too dizzy to do some things and he ran into a popup powerbomb. Sami would kick out, so Owens relentlessly pummeled him and hit four more powerbombs causing the referee to stop the match at 23:27. A fantastically told story that solidified Owens as a dominant heel, while keeping Sami as the resilient babyface. ****¼ |
*This is the last appearance of Sami Zayn on the list. *This is the last match from TakeOver: Rival on the list.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 4, 2016 9:01:16 GMT -5
We're now moving into the elite, ****1/2 territory. 26. NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Beginnings in Sendai 2/14/15 | | Shortly after I had to cancel my New Japan World account early in the year, this show was held. I heard nothing but incredible things about the NEVER Openweight Title match between Tomoaki Honma and Tomohiro Ishii. I was finally able to check it out and didn’t really enjoy it the first time around, though I blame that on me being preoccupied when I saw it. I’ve see it twice more now and think it’s great, but I’ve never gotten the full five star vibe from it that a lot of people had. So, Togi Makabe was the NEVER Champion but was out injured and these two wrestled for the vacant belt. It was a brutal affair, with both guys just going to war with each other. The crowd absolutely loves Honma, meaning they are not only completely into everything he does, but they bite on every near fall, despite his terrible win/loss record. That red hot crowd reaction added to this. The match goes 24:46 which is not the usual case for my favorite matches these guys have. They both, especially Honma, excel in the G1 style shorter matches, but this was pretty great. Ishii won back the title with a Brainbuster after they beat the hell out of each other for the whole match. ****½ |
*This is the last match from New Beginning in Sendai on the list.25. Evolve Championship: Timothy Thatcher (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 47 8/15/15 | | What we have here is two of the very best technical wrestlers in the world. Wisely, this match was booked to be a technical masterpiece. Zack Sabre Jr. has been making waves for a while now and had just racked up big wins on previous Evolve shows against Roderick Strong and TJ Perkins. Timothy Thatcher had just become a double champion by beating Drew Galloway to become Evolve and Dragon Gate Open the Freedom Gate Champion. This was his first title defense and it was against someone that beat him in Evolve previously. As for the match itself, it was stalemate after stalemate. For the most part, neither guy grabbed a clear advantage. It was Sabre who first ventured to something else, delivering some big slaps and even going up top, just looking to try something different. Both men are known for their armbar finishers and tried to one up each other with it. Sabre went to the armbar well one too many times though. While Thatcher looked for the armbar, he also targeted Sabre’s ankle throughout. After countering Sabre’s armbar once again, he applied an ankle lock and Sabre tapped out at 23:54. Just a tremendous match that showed Thatcher was the man who could even beat Sabre at his own game. ****½ |
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 4, 2016 15:40:06 GMT -5
24. Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/15 | | After their match at New Beginnings in February, people were clamoring for the rematch. Many gave that match five stars and consider it a legit Match of the Year contender. On a show featuring two of the top three guys in New Japan, Shinsuke Nakamura and Kazuchika Okada, these two guys were given the main event slot. As noted before, the G1 style fits the style of a guy like Tomoaki Honma, who works best in short, hot bursts. They had a great match in the G1 Climax the year before as well but of all of their matches, this was my favorite. As you’d expect from these two, this was the hard hitting contest they’ve become well known for. The chops they dish out to each other are just absolutely brutal. To give some added intrigue here, Honma went winless in the G1 in 2014 and was winless coming into this match. The crowd is always red hot for him but this was on another level. One of the main reasons Honma loses so often is his over reliance on the Kokeshi headbutt. He misses it so often, especially in big moments. Finally, after 16:13, nearly twenty G1 losses in two years and multiple Kokeshi headbutts, HONMANAIA RAN WILD and he scored his first ever G1 win. Having it happen in the main event in Korakuen Hall was such an added bonus making this one of my favorite moments all year long. ****½ |
*This is the last Tomoaki Honma match on the list.23. NXT Women’s Championship Ironman Match: Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks – NXT TakeOver: Respect 10/7/15 | | Coming off their classic in Brooklyn, fans were eager for a rematch between Sasha Banks and Bayley. We got what we wanted and more because not only was it going to be the first ever women’s Ironman match, but the first time ever that two women got to main event a TakeOver special. Naturally going thirty minutes is one thing, but executing an Ironman match can be tricky. These matches have been hit or miss throughout history. They did well working with the time. Things started slowly, before building to bigger and better things. Sasha scored the first fall with an eye poke and rollup and then Bayley tied it with the Bayley to Belly. It was here that the match moved into a “phase two” of sorts. It got physical, with the steel steps coming into play and Sasha going full on heel. She talked trash to Bayley superfan, Izzy, in the front row. After throwing Bayley into the stage, another rather brutal spot, Sasha stole Izzy’s headband and got a countout fall, making the little girl cry. That is just fantastic heel work that isn’t seen often enough now. Bayley tied it with a rollup, and time began to trickle down. The fight went outside again for more big spots like a steel step assisted clothesline and Bayley to Belly on the floor. Finally, Bayley survived the Bank Statement and pulled out a submission we’d never seen her do before. It took stomping on Sasha’s head before the former champion quit with three seconds left. To give it an even bigger feel, the locker room emptied to give them a standing ovation. Sasha’s sendoff from NXT was well done and well deserved, ending with a great match and tears. ****½ |
*This is the last match from TakeOver: Respect.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 4, 2016 18:28:43 GMT -5
22. Evolve Championship: Timothy Thatcher (c) vs. Johnny Gargano – Evolve 51 11/6/15 | | Sami Zayn made a special appearance at Evolve 50 and called Johnny Gargano the “face of WWNLive”. The reigning Evolve Champion, Timothy Thatcher, took offense to that, which led to this main event. This wasn’t just about the Evolve Title, it was basically a fight to be the ace of Evolve. It went on for 28:26 and for a good 95% of the match, it was wrestled in Thatcher’s style. Gargano adapted to it and credit to him for it because he didn’t seem out of place in that style. He looked comfortable taking it to the mat with a guy that specializes in it. Gargano went after Thatcher’s knee and Thatcher pretty much destroyed Gargano’s arm. They sold those body parts expertly, with it affecting their offense. Gargano couldn’t do anything with his arm and Thatcher ran into trouble with knees. It’s simple, but so effective. Gargano tried to wrestle the style of the new top guy in the company and, while the effort was tremendous, it wasn’t enough. Thatcher made him tap to an armbar, cementing his spot as THE man in Evolve right now. A great old school wrasslin’ match that told a damn good story and featured fantastic selling. ****½ |
*This is the last match of both Timothy Thatcher and Johnny Gargano on the list.21. PWG Championship: Roderick Strong (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PWG Don’t Sweat the Technique 4/3/15 | | My first look at PWG in 2015 was this match. I had heard some rave reviews and made sure to find a way to give it a look. Despite the hype, it managed to deliver. Both Roderick Strong and Zack Sabre Jr. had tremendous 2015s and they saved their best work for each other. The PWG audience is almost always boisterous but they were on another level for this. The atmosphere really added to this, giving it a big fight feel. The setup was simple as Sabre, with his Kimura finisher, attacked the arm and Roderick, with his backbreakers and Stronghold, went after the back. The work done on both body parts combined with the selling was enough to take that basic concept and really make it work. It’s kind of a master class in pro wrestling for the most part that kicks into high gear near the end. For the final ten or so minutes of the 24:25, the fans are completely on their feet and buying into every close call. Heel Roderick proved to be too vicious, stomping on Sabre and going into a badass flurry before making him tap out to the Stronghold to retain. The best thing I saw in PWG all year long. ****½ |
*This is the last PWG match on the list.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 5, 2016 6:52:12 GMT -5
20. Hair vs. Hair: Ethan Carter III vs. Rockstar Spud – TNA Impact 3/13/15 | | The lone TNA match to make the list is this Hair vs. Hair match from back in March. Ethan Carter III is pretty much the lone thing TNA has done right in the past year or two. Along with Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens, he’s been the best heel in wrestling in recent memory. His former little buddy Rockstar Spud met him in this main event match. The atmosphere in England was electric, as the crowd was firmly behind the home country underdog in Spud. This was well laid out, with them building to bigger things that the crowd ate up. They got Tyrus and Mr. Anderson involved, which made sense given the feud coming into this match. Jeremy Borash also got in, hitting a low blow, which again played into the rivalry. Carter would use his arm brace to bust Spud open, giving the rest of this contest a great visual. Seeing Spud take a beating, only to rally with a crimson mask, completely added to this. It was the kind of star making performance for both men that the company could use more often. After 17:03, Carter won but had a concerned look on his face. He seemed to cut a positive promo about Spud, only to stay in full heel mode and turn it right back around on him, attacking him. He’s such a dick and it’s wonderful. ****½ |
*This is the last TNA match on the list *This is the last match on the list featuring both Ethan Carter III and Rockstar Spud.19. Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/9/15 | | Since I began watching New Japan Pro Wrestling, two guys that are almost always a guarantee for a good to great match are Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii. So when I looked at the G1 Climax schedule and saw they were going to main event a show in the Korakuen Hall, I was stoked. They went out and, for 17:11, showed that they belonged in a top spot with one intense battle. I really enjoyed their chemistry together as things just clicked between them. Ishii is one of my favorite sellers in all of wrestling, which he got to showcase here. Goto, the reigning IWGP Intercontinental Champion and with a win over IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, looked to have a ton of confidence. While both men are versatile enough to work different styles, they went strong style here, which is their strong suit. The action was stiff, the crowd was hot, the exchanges were great and the near falls were believable. There were multiple times where I noticed my jaw was hanging because they just went so hard. Goto won in yet another performance that proves he deserves a higher spot in New Japan. I believe I underrated this the first time around. ****½ |
*This is the last Hirooki Goto match on the list.
|
|
|
Post by Raskovnik on May 5, 2016 11:29:14 GMT -5
That might have been my favorite Goto match from the last year. The guy is just so good in the ring. I want to believe he'll have an awesome showing in the G1 this year.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 5, 2016 11:37:37 GMT -5
18. NXT Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Becky Lynch – NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable 5/20/15 | | I love this match. There have been better and there are some I love more, but dammit, there’s something about this one that I truly enjoy. I wrote an article about this being a masterpiece and months later, it remains the case. Everything about this was so well done. Becky Lynch, who was in her first singles TakeOver match, came out amped and was very jumpy. Sasha Banks, the champion, was as cool as the other side of the pillow because she knew she belonged. The match didn’t begin as something too physical because they respect each other and the prestigious NXT Women’s Title. As the match progressed, it got more intense and both girls worked the arm. They didn’t do so and randomly forget about it, instead making sure every offensive attack involved it. Masterful selling from both women throughout and after the match. Sasha made Becky submit to the Bank Statement at 15:33, but in no way did Becky look like a loser. In fact, this showed you how far Sasha had come. Just three months into her reign, she helped make Becky with the NXT crowd, who sung Becky’s theme in honor of her after the bell. ****½ |
This is the last Becky Lynch match on the list. *This is the last match from TakeOver: Unstoppable on the list.
|
|
|
Post by Raskovnik on May 5, 2016 11:51:04 GMT -5
That match was actually by far my favorite women's match last year and I feel it's a bit underrated compared to all the others.
|
|
the2ndevil
Grimlock
Super Seducer Survivor
Where Is Your Santa, Now?
Posts: 13,629
|
Post by the2ndevil on May 5, 2016 13:27:59 GMT -5
The crowd singing to Becky's music for her after the match was quite possibly my favorite NXT moment last year.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 5, 2016 18:36:51 GMT -5
17. Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/15/15 | | Sometimes, all you need in wrestling is for two big dudes to collide and just go to war. That’s what this was. Michael Elgin silenced tons of doubters with a phenomenal G1 Climax run and was arguably the MVP considering his consistency. Tomohiro Ishii is almost always someone to count on for good to great matches. Pair them together, given their size and styles, and you’re treated to the best hoss match of the year. Thank the G1 style for giving this the perfect amount of time at 14:33. I was in awe at some points, watching these two guys hammer away on each other. This wasn’t the typical “no selling” that some point to, rather it was two guys that can take punishment. Elgin got to shine, hitting an apron Death Valley driver, deadlift falcon arrow and a running powerbomb into the guardrail. Ishii sold the damage well even if he did have to power up a few times to get some shots back. Ishii couldn’t put Elgin down with some lariats, so he did so with a Brainbuster. Elgin should just move to Japan because he’s so good there and this was his best match of the whole year. ****½ |
*This is the last match for both Tomohiro Ishii and Michael Elgin on the list.16. KUSHIDA vs. Kyle O’Reilly – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Finals 6/7/15 | | The first time I watched this, I thought it was great, but not on the level that a lot of people saw it. The second time around, I loved it more and bumped up the rating. These are two of my favorite juniors, while also being two of my favorite wrestlers period. With no animosity in this tournament final, they shook hands at the start before going to the mat. The things they did were so seamless while working the ground game. They both targeted the arm since Kyle O’Reilly is known for the armbar and KUSHIDA has the hoverboard lock. There was a sequence where they just traded attempts to get these on. When they graduated from the mat work, it led to some fantastic spots. KUSHIDA hit a Brainbuster on the apron, Kyle busted out a bunch of suplexes and, in a massive highlight, KUSHIDA went for a moonsault, but Kyle caught his arm in an armbar. It was perfectly done. I even marked a bit seeing KUSHIDA use his partner’s Sliced Bread finisher. Finally, after so many phenomenal back and forth moments, KUSHIDA won with the hoverboard lock at 30:45. Maybe shave a few minutes off and put this in front of a hotter crowd and we could be talking five stars. As it stands, it’s still a tremendous outing from both men. I’d like to see Kyle win next year and KUSHIDA be junior champion, to set up the rematch. ****½ |
*This is the last match for both KUSHIHDA and Kyle O'Reilly on the list. *It is the last match from the Best of the Super Juniors.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 6, 2016 6:35:25 GMT -5
15. Open the Dream Gate Championship: Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Shingo Takagi – Dragon Gate The Gate of Destiny 11/1/15 | | Dragon Gate is another promotion that I need to find a way to see more of in 2016. I’ve been interested in what they do ever since I went to ROH Final Battle 2006 and saw Shingo and CIMA do some incredible things. While I haven’t been able to follow them, when I heard the buzz about this match, I made sure to find a way to watch it. When I did and finally finished the entire 24:54, I was pretty much in awe. Masaaki Mochizuki is 45 years old but didn’t look like it here. He took everything that the hard hitting Shingo dished out, and he survived. It was as if Mochizuki was determined to show everyone that his age was just a number and he wasn’t going to go down easily. Due to that, I was totally okay with him taking a second rope Death Valley Driver and getting to his feet. It didn’t come off as him not selling, it came off as him powering up because he just would not die. His final push is phenomenal. While I’m going on and on about Masaaki’s performance, Shingo was fantastic here too. He would win with Last Falconry finally keeping Masaaki down. Seriously, go watch this match. ****½ |
*This is the last match for both Shingo and Masaaki Mochizuki on on the list. *It is the last Dragon Gate match on the list.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 6, 2016 15:18:49 GMT -5
14. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 1/4/15 | | This is one of the greatest rivalries in pro wrestling history. Each time these two meet, it’s pretty much a guarantee you’ll get something that is four stars or better. Their match at King of Pro Wrestling 2013 is a top three match that I have EVER seen. This wasn’t quite on that level, but it was still a fantastic main event. With this being the main event of the biggest show of the year and featuring the top two guys in the company, it was given 30:57. They made sure to use as much of it as possible, going through a long feeling out process. It wasn’t the most exciting thing but it made sense given how well they know each other. Getting an advantage was a struggle. Tanahashi hit a massive High Fly Flow to the outside in the biggest highlight of the match. The second half of this was spectacular. Okada was a dick at times, so Tanahashi was one right back to him. Tanahashi had Okada and the Rainmaker in particular, very well scouted. When he finally got hit with one, he kicked out. This wasn’t your ordinary finisher kickout. This was how it should be because the Rainmaker is such a protected move that when someone does get up, it’s a big deal. A flurry of High Fly Flows made Tanahashi 2-0 against Okada at Wrestle Kingdom after an all-around awesome match. ****½ |
|
|
|
Post by Raskovnik on May 6, 2016 15:46:20 GMT -5
Seeing that HFF in person was insane, and I definitely loved the match, but it also kind of felt like an extended squash to me, complete with Okada getting sent home crying. I understood they were going for but it never quite clicked for like it did for other people. Then again, their WK10 match was my favorite of their series while most people didn't care for that one as much from what I've seen.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 6, 2016 16:04:50 GMT -5
Seeing that HFF in person was insane, and I definitely loved the match, but it also kind of felt like an extended squash to me, complete with Okada getting sent home crying. I understood they were going for but it never quite clicked for like it did for other people. Then again, their WK10 match was my favorite of their series while most people didn't care for that one as much from what I've seen. Yea it was my least favorite of their matches. KOPW 13 is hands down the best to me. Different strokes though.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 7, 2016 9:44:27 GMT -5
13. Roderick Strong vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 45 7/10/15 | | Talking pure technician, Zack Sabre Jr. is probably the best I’ve seen since the ROH days of Bryan Danielson. He’s that good. After their highly touted PWG Championship match in April, this was their first rematch. They managed to take what was already a great match and do enough to slightly improve on it. Like any great technical match, the holds they exchanged early on weren’t just done for the sake of doing things. It all had a purpose. However, this isn’t just a technical battle. It evolves, pun intended, into more of a physical fight. As the match draws to its 28:22 conclusion, both guys are exhausted. It is a grueling encounter. Roderick Strong falls behind because of Sabre’s ability on the mat, so he starts to deliver strikes, knowing he has the upper hand there. Sabre does his best to hang there but goes back to what he’s best at. He survives a flurry from Strong, ending with a sick kick, before applying a sick armbar variation to make Strong submit. They stand at 1-1 and, with Sabre winning the BOLA and Strong as the PWG Champion, the rubber match should go down in 2016 and is must-see. ****½ |
*This is the last match for both Roderick Strong and Zack Sabre Jr. on the list. *It is also the last Evolve match on the list.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 7, 2016 16:10:48 GMT -5
12. Kazuchika Okada vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW G1 Climax 8/15/15 | | The G1 Climax 24 last year was the greatest wrestling tournament I had ever seen. The finals that year was between these two men. Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakamura are the top two members of the CHAOS faction, so there isn’t really animosity there. Last year, Okada won. This year, he entered this match with just one loss, while Nakamura had two (including a forfeit one). The winner of this would win their block. As noted, this wasn’t the kind of match you’d see any personal war in, but there were some interesting moments. After early exchanges, both men got a bit cocky and taunted each other. Later on, Okada stole a signature move of Nakamura’s but things still didn’t get too heated. Okada nailed a tombstone on the outside but, out of respect for his friend, chose not to get the countout win, instead rolling Nakamura back inside. Near the end of this 23:31 battle, Nakamura went for the Boma Ye but ate a gorgeous dropkick from Okada. That began a tremendous finishing stretch that was among the best all year long. With the Boma Ye failing, Nakamura countered the Rainmaker into a sick armbar. Okada tried to get free, but rolled over into a worse situation, with the camera perfectly capturing his look of desperation before tapping out. Nakamura advanced to the finals in a match that was better than their G1 final last year. I think there’s a phenomenal tiebreaker coming up somewhere down the line. ****½ |
11. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Dominion 7/5/15 | | Headlining a stacked Dominion show, the main event between IWGP Champion AJ Styles and Kazuchika Okada had to deliver. It did exactly that as, in my opinion, it was the best part of the card. A lot of Bullet Club matches feature an overabundance of interference. Early on, this seemed to be headed down that path, but Red Shoes ejected them and even hit them with a classic “SUCK IT!” Once they were booted, the match really started to click. Styles went from extremely cocky to seemingly vulnerable and worried. He knew that one on one with Okada, he was in trouble. The chemistry between them has become so great over time that their exchanges are effortless. There are some near falls in this that are incredibly close. Okada nails the Rainmaker, a very protected finish, and immediately goes for a second. AJ counters this one and it looks like Okada may have blown his chance. They continued to counter each other, making for a tremendous closing stretch that came to an end after another Rainmaker at 26:16, giving Okada his third IWGP Heavyweight Title. Styles and Okada are two of the greatest wrestlers alive and this was their best encounter together. ****½ |
*This is the last match for Kazuchika Okada on the list. *It is the last match from the Dominion on the list.
|
|
|
Post by Raskovnik on May 7, 2016 16:20:31 GMT -5
I LOVE Okada vs Nakamura matches and wish we got a few more of them. They have this weird, amazing chemistry that just sucks me in. Okada has this subtle, cocky aura about him and Nakamura is Nakamura. Seeing the way they play off each other is just plain exciting. That was such an awesome match. Nakamura was on fire last year, wasn't he? One of the very best years I can think of for a performer, including that Tanahashi G1 final that more than made up for their previous matches never being anything more than just okay, IMO and of course the Ibushi and Goto matches.
|
|
the2ndevil
Grimlock
Super Seducer Survivor
Where Is Your Santa, Now?
Posts: 13,629
|
Post by the2ndevil on May 7, 2016 20:41:46 GMT -5
I think number 11 was just shown on AXS a few weeks ago. It was actually my first "new" episode of NJPW I saw.
Forgetting about the Delay between match happening and US airing, it was preceded by the episode from the week before which had KUSHIDA winning the Jr. Heavyweight title from Kenny Omega and Nakamura vs. Goto in the Intercontinental Championship match.
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on May 8, 2016 9:50:24 GMT -5
10. AJ Styles vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 7/26/15 | | Of the many, many matches that come with the G1 Climax each year, a few always stand out when you see them on paper. This was absolutely one of them. As seen earlier, they had an IWGP Heavyweight Title match earlier in the year at Invasion Attack, which was great. However, they bested it with the rematch. Playing off of that, both men were able to counter a lot of the things the other would do even more than in their first match. Kota Ibushi used his quickness and athleticism to overwhelm AJ Styles, who is not the same man he was ten years ago. Now, AJ is a much smarter worker and it showed in the way he turned things around. At one point, Ibushi hits a backflip kick only for AJ to respond with a Pele, showing he’s still got it. Everything done in this match made sense and they built to a fantastic finish. Ibushi continually avoided the Styles Clash, but AJ had an answer for a lot of the big spots Ibushi tried, like a top rope rana and deadlift German. Ibushi would survive Bloody Sunday and win with the Phoenix Splash that was countered in their first match at 19:11. This made Ibushi only the fourth man in New Japan to pin Styles, joining Okada, Tanahashi and Naito. ****½ |
|
|
|
Post by Raskovnik on May 8, 2016 9:59:36 GMT -5
Phenomenal match. I was so excited for Ibushi's future after that but we know how that went...
|
|