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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 2, 2019 12:51:23 GMT -5
86. Asuka vs. Sasha Banks – WWE Raw 1/29/18
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| Sasha Banks was all over this list in 2015. She had a few appearances in 2016, but then really fell off the map in 2017. She returns this year thanks to this post-Royal Rumble banger. At the Royal Rumble, Sasha entered first and lasted 54 minutes, but it was Asuka who won it all. A confrontation to start this episode of Raw set them on the path to this match later in the evening. This bout kind of came out of nowhere and they gave us one of the best women’s matches all year. Despite being their first time against each other, their transitions and exchanges were smooth. Sasha found creative ways to pull Asuka into the Bank Statement. Asuka delivered brutal strikes. Both women took nasty spills to the outside that turned the tides at different points. While the outcome was never really in doubt, they gave us a lot to enjoy during this 14:32 encounter. It also had one of my favorite finishes of the year. Asuka, trapped in the Bank Statement, reached for the ropes. Sasha kicked the rope and rolled away, as she’s done in the past. Asuka did her homework and was ready, countering that into the Asuka Lock to remain undefeated for the time being. [****] |
*This is the final match from Monday Night Raw.
2017 Match #86: EVIL vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW G1 Climax 8/5/17 2016 Match #86: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA (c) vs. Jushin Thunder Liger – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5/3/16 2015 Match #86: WWE and United States Championships: Seth Rollins (c) vs. John Cena (c) – WWE SummerSlam 8/23/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 2, 2019 19:12:31 GMT -5
85. NEVER Openweight Championship: Hirooki Goto [c] vs. Juice Robinson – NJPW Road to Wrestling Dontaku 4/27/18
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| Once a source for classic hard hitting matches, the NEVER Openweight Championship has fallen from grace. Hard. The matches are often one of the worst parts of NJPW cards. Not on this night, though. Juice Robinson has spent his time in NJPW slowly building himself up. In 2017, he earned shots at the NEVER, Intercontinental, and United States Titles, yet came up short in each opportunity. This was his second opportunity at this title and his second attempt to defeat Hirooki Goto. The fans were firmly behind Juice and badly wanted to see him win his first title. Fitting of the title they fought for, both men threw hard shots at the other. You could feel Juice’s desperation to make his mark, but also Goto wanting to stay on top and not be someone’s stepping stone. Goto was forced to bust out Shouten Kai, which we haven’t seen in ages. Juice managed to survive that and came close to victory on more than one occasion. The crowd believed this was his night. Alas, it wasn’t. Goto used his GTR finisher to put away Juice after 26:36. It did go a bit too long, but the match was intense and they had the crowd in the palm of their hands. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Hirooki Goto. *It is the final match from Road to Wrestling Dontaku. *There are no more NEVER Openweight Title matches listed.
2017 Match #85: Open The Twin Gate Championship: CIMA and Dragon Kid (c) vs. Masato Yoshino and Naruki Doi – Dragon Gate Kobe Pro Wrestling Festival 7/23/17 2016 Match #85: Cedric Alexander vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 67 8/20/16 2015 Match #85: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW Dominion 7/5/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 2, 2019 21:25:04 GMT -5
84. Raw Women’s Championship Elimination Chamber: Alexa Bliss [c] vs. Bayley vs. Mandy Rose vs. Mickie James vs. Sasha Banks vs. Sonya Deville – WWE Elimination Chamber 2/25/18
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| I came into this match highly skeptical. Bayley and Sasha Banks hadn’t been on their game for a while, Mickie James hadn’t had a great match in a long time, Alexa Bliss wasn’t putting on classics, and the Absolution girls were inexperienced. But dammit if these six women didn’t do everything in their power to have a great match. What I appreciated here was how the WWE took a risk. Instead of going the obvious route like having Banks start and go the distance, they gave Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville a shot. Sonya and Bayley opened with a fine battle, before Mandy joined in to team up on Bayley. I remember not liking this segment the first time around, but on the second watch I felt the new girls did well. They got to work as a team and Mickie performed a dive off one of the pods, showing that they all belonged in this. I liked how it came down to Alexa being against Bayley and Banks. The ways she avoided them were creative and fun. Of course, that all went away when Sasha did her best Lion King and kicked Bayley off a pod. Great moment. In the end, Alexa used their issues against them to eliminate both and retain at 29:38. This was better the second time around. The action moved smoothly, they told several stories, and it was a fun half hour. The women bested the men in the chamber and again at MITB. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Mandy Rose, Mickie James, Sasha Banks, and Sonya Deville. *It is the final match from Elimination Chamber. *There are no more Raw Women's Title matches listed.
2017 Match #84: Evolve Championship: Timothy Thatcher [c] vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 79 2/25/17 2016 Match #84: WWE Tag Team Championship: The New Day (c) vs. AJ Styles and Chris Jericho – WWE Raw 3/7/16 2015 Match #84: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 7/26/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 2, 2019 23:24:36 GMT -5
83. NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler [c] vs. Kairi Sane – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn
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| In the finals of the first Mae Young Classic, Kairi Sane bested Shayna Baszler. However, Shayna made it to the top of the women’s division before Kairi and dominated as champion for most of 2018. They came into this tied in their series 1-1. Shayna was the vicious champion we’ve come to know. She wrecked Kairi’s leg at every turn. Shayna twisted, kicked, and stomped on the leg. It all looked brutal. The fight from Kairi as she rallied was great. She showcased the killer instinct Shayna said she lacked by busting out multiple Insane Elbows and it still wasn’t enough. When they went into battling Sane’s Anchor submission against Shayna’s Kirifuda Clutch, it was awesome. I loved the finish, too. Kairi went for a third Insane Elbow, but Shayna got her foot up and kicked her in midair. The way Shayna gets up after this is just gangster. She felt like she had Kairi where she wanted her. But, when she applied the Kirifuda Clutch, Kairi slipped free and countered into a pin to capture the title at 13:34. Not Shayna’s best match of the year, but another in a string of great ones. Meanwhile, it was the best we’d seen from Kairi. They told a terrific story in front of a molten crowd. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Kairi Sane.
2017 Match #83: IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Special in USA 7/1/17 2016 Match #83: Ricochet vs. TJ Perkins – Evolve 58 – 4/1/16 2015 Match #83: Global League Finals: Naomichi Marufuji vs. Shelton X Benjamin – NOAH Global League Finals 11/8/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2019 9:26:31 GMT -5
82. SANADA vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/21/18
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| How good was the B Block in this year’s G1 Climax? We’re talking all-time levels of stellar. This match, between two absolute studs, went on second of five matches, telling you how loaded the block was. Zack Sabre Jr. forced SANADA to submit en route to winning the New Japan Cup earlier in the year. SANADA hadn’t forgotten. He came in prepared and outwrestled Sabre in the technical game to start. This is a place where Sabre traditionally dominates, so getting bested there threw him way off his game. Not only was each exchange crisp, but nearly every single one featured some kind of cool moment. The fans reacted perfectly to each spot or near fall throughout the 10:52 runtime. One sequence saw them go from Sabre Driver into Skull End into the European Clutch. It was outstanding. The finish was also tremendous, with SANADA countering one of Sabre’s signature pinning combinations into one of his own to seal the deal. A fantastic display of wrestling with a simple, coherent story being told. [****] |
2017 Match #82: AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor – WWE TLC 10/22/17 2016 Match #82: WWE Championship: Triple H (c) vs. Dean Ambrose – WWE Roadblock 3/12/16 2015 Match #82: Ricochet vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 8/29/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2019 12:01:31 GMT -5
81. Mae Young Classic Semi-Finals: Meiko Satomura vs. Toni Storm – WWE Mae Young Classic 10/24/18
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| In 2017, Toni Storm was my pick for the Female Wrestler of the Year. Her 2018 didn’t have as many highs, but was still great. One performance that caught everyone’s eye was in the semi-finals of the Mae Young Classic. Last year, Toni lost in this round to eventual winner Kairi Sane in a match that made my year end list. This go around, the obstacle in her way was the legendary Meiko Satomura. This started at a slow pace, with Toni not wanting to make a mistake and lose out again just before the finals. Meiko picked it up with a slap and that quickened the pace and added some intensity. Following some submission work, they just began throwing bombs at one another. Meiko survived a Storm Zero, while Toni kicked out of a Death Valley Driver and Scorpion Kick. The fans were jumping around and out of their seats for the final few exchanges. Toni managed to advance by hitting a second Storm Zero at 13:06, capping a fantastic match filled with emotion. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Meiko Satomura. *It is the last match from the Mae Young Classic.
2017 Match #81: Bobby Fish vs. Jay Lethal – ROH 15th Anniversary Show 3/10/17 2016 Match #81: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 6/7/16 2015 Match #81: NXT Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Charlotte – NXT 7/15/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2019 14:24:40 GMT -5
80. WWE Championship Six Pack Challenge: AJ Styles [c] vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn – WWE Fastlane 3/11/18
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| There was worry coming into this. The WWE seemed to just throw a bunch of guys into one match for the sake of it and that often doesn’t work. Luckily, all six men in this one were game to give us the best possible main event. As soon as the bell rang, John Cena began spamming Attitude Adjustments like he gave himself unlimited finishers in a video game. Cena was an interesting part of this match. After failing to win the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber, he was desperate to win and earn a spot at WrestleMania. It played into most of his spots. Owens and Zayn got a great story moment where Zayn laid down for Owens, only to roll him up. It led to one of their classic hockey style fights. There was definitely a sense of urgency. The pace never slowed for the entire 21:52 duration and everyone got ample opportunity to strut their stuff. We did get the trope of two guys wrestling while everyone else rested until someone came in to break up the pin and it happened a lot. Thanks to Shane McMahon’s feud with Owens and Zayn, he got involved late and ended up costing both of them the match at different points. The wild closing minutes saw AJ finish it off with the Phenomenal Forearm on Owens to retain. A great main event to the final single brand PPV. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Kevin Owens. *It is the last match from Fastlane. *There are no other Six Pack Challenges included.
2017 Match #80: Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/23/17 2016 Match #80: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA (c) vs. BUSHI – NJPW New Beginning in Niigata 2/14/16 2015 Match #80: Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Tomohiro Ishii – World Tag League 11/21/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2019 16:23:10 GMT -5
79. NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler [c] vs. Toni Storm – NXT United Kingdom Tournament 6/26/18
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| Toni Storm earned this shot on the first night of this set of shows. Shayna Baszler had proved to be a dominant champion since winning the title, but well-traveled Toni wasn’t backing down at all. In fact, Shayna even seemed impressed at how confident Toni was. Toni more than held her own on the mat. That forced Shayna to go to her vicious striking game and that’s where Toni began to struggle. She hits hard, but Shayna is on a different level. She destroyed Toni’s leg, which was sold brilliantly. The only point where she used her leg for power was on a German suplex and even then it was more out of adrenaline than anything else. Climbing the turnbuckles and running the ropes, simple things, were almost impossible for Toni. The fans were way behind her and her European Clutch near fall was incredible. It seemed like the end when she was trapped in the Kirifuda Clutch, only for Toni to reach the ropes to a pop. Shayna knew Toni was trouble and rolled outside to put the submission on out there. She let go and returned inside to retain via countout in 12:07. This was masterful. It told a great story, protected both women, the crowd was great, and both ladies played their roles perfectly. Toni’s selling was among the best you’ll see anywhere. It also left the door open for a rematch. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Shayna Baszler and Toni Storm. *It is the last NXT Women's Title match. *That's the end of the **** matches.
2017 Match #79: CIMA, Dragon Kid, Eita, Naruki Doi & Takehiro Yamamura vs. Brother YASSHI, El Lindaman, Punch Tominga, Shingo Takagi & T-Hawk – Dragon Gate Glorious Gate 3/8/17 2016 Match #79: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW Invasion Attack 4/10/16 2015 Match #79: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Michael Elgin vs. Kazuchika Okada and YOSHI-HASHI – World Tag League 11/21/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2019 22:48:21 GMT -5
78. IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Jay White [c] vs. Juice Robinson – NJPW G1 Special in San Francisco 7/7/18
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| A little less than a month before this match, Jay White broke Juice Robinson’s left hand. That’s Juice’s dominant hand. On the shows leading up to this, Jay attacked that hand every chance he got. That meant Juice entered at a disadvantage, couldn’t use his cast as a weapon, and was in a match that he “couldn’t” win. See, Juice had already lost two NEVER Title matches, an Intercontinental Title match, and a match for this title. He couldn’t win the big one. Though Juice came out aggressive, the champion quickly found himself in control. Jay continued to nail the character stuff, mocking Juice and being aggressive throughout. There was the infamous moment where Jay knocked Jim Ross over by throwing Juice into him. That caused Josh Barnett to get up from commentary and threaten Jay. Whether it was real or staged, it added something to the match and the crowd was hot for the rest of it. With the intensity revved up, Jay hit a low blow, so Juice responded by using the illegal left hand to a huge pop. Though Pulp Friction didn’t end it, he countered Blade Runner into a rollup to finally win the big one in 23:22. A great match filled with emotion and intensity, capped by a feel good moment. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Jay White. *It is the last IWGP United States Heavyweight Title match. *There are no more matches from the G1 Special in San Francisco.
2017 Match #78: WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships: The Usos [c] vs. The New Day – WWE Battleground 7/23/17 2016 Match #78: WWE Intercontinental Championship vs. Career Match: The Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler – WWE No Mercy 10/9/16 2015 Match #78: Hell in a Cell: Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Hell in a Cell 10/25/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 4, 2019 8:41:29 GMT -5
77. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. El Desperado – NJPW Kizuna Road 6/18/18
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| During the Best of the Super Juniors Tournament, these two had one of the best matches all year long. You’ll see it later on this list. El Desperado won that one, while Hiromu Takahashi won the tournament and the Jr. Heavyweight Title. It set up this rematch, which just so happened to go down in the same building, Korakuen Hall. After Dominion (when Hiromu won the title), these two had a strange interaction. It played into the opening moments here, as Hiromu brought out a guitar case with flowers for Desperado. The mind games between them were reaching new levels. This was a brawl in the same vein as their BOTSJ outing. I appreciated that because it’s not typical for this division. Variety is good. Both men are known for being sneaky and wild, making this style ideal. They played off their last match for some cool moments, callbacks, and counters. Sometimes, matches get hurt by run-ins, but when Yoshinobu Kanemaru tried to do so and got thwarted by BUSHI, it worked. It furthered the feud between factions and made sense for their characters. Another thing I loved was Desperado getting his mask removed and not trying to hide his face, because the title meant that much to him. In the end, Hiromu retained with the Time Bomb in 28:16. Though it went a bit long, they delivered a worthy sequel. [****¼] |
*This is the last match from Kizuna Road.
2017 Match #78: GHC Heavyweight Championship: Katsuhiko Nakajima [c] vs. Go Shiozaki – Pro Wrestling NOAH Great Voyage in Yokohama 3/12/17 2016 Match #78: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Michael Elgin – NJPW Road to Wrestling Dontaku – 4/27/16 2015 Match #78: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Karl Anderson – NJPW Power Struggle 11/7/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 4, 2019 11:19:44 GMT -5
76. WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne [c] vs. Zack Gibson – NXT United Kingdom Tournament 6/26/18
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| A night prior, Zack Gibson won the United Kingdom Tournament to earn this title shot. Pete Dunne entered as the dominant champion, having reigned with the title for over a year. These guys had such a fantastic dynamic. Dunne is wildly popular, while Gibson is the most hated wrestler in the United Kingdom. Hell, he might be most hated in the entire world. The fans were so into this, there was a “IF YOU HATE GIBSON, SHOES OFF” chant that led to many fans taking off their shoes. Gibson won the tournament by being aggressive, so he kept that up here. Dunne brought that same energy and it led to some great, intense exchanges from both. They survived the big shots from the other (Bitter End and Helter Skelter), but when Dunne got put in the Shankly Gates, the fans believed that was it. That’s how well the move was put over during the tournament. While Dunne survived, Gibson made a crucial mistake of not taking immediate advantage. Dunne snapped his fingers and hit the Bitter End to retain in 17:45. Two men who played their roles perfectly and did so in front of a hot crowd. It’s simple, yet effective. [****¼] |
*This is the last appearance of Zack Gibson.
2017 Match #76: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/6/17 2016 Match #76: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Yuji Nagata – NJPW G1 Climax 7/30/16 2015 Match #76: NEVER Openweight Championship: Togi Makabe (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 10/12/15
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Post by Some Baritone guy IS REDEEMED! on Jan 4, 2019 12:25:36 GMT -5
76. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. El Desperado – NJPW Kizuna Road 6/18/18
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| A night prior, Zack Gibson won the United Kingdom Tournament to earn this title shot. Pete Dunne entered as the dominant champion, having reigned with the title for over a year. These guys had such a fantastic dynamic. Dunne is wildly popular, while Gibson is the most hated wrestler in the United Kingdom. Hell, he might be most hated in the entire world. The fans were so into this, there was a “IF YOU HATE GIBSON, SHOES OFF” chant that led to many fans taking off their shoes. Gibson won the tournament by being aggressive, so he kept that up here. Dunne brought that same energy and it led to some great, intense exchanges from both. They survived the big shots from the other (Bitter End and Helter Skelter), but when Dunne got put in the Shankly Gates, the fans believed that was it. That’s how well the move was put over during the tournament. While Dunne survived, Gibson made a crucial mistake of not taking immediate advantage. Dunne snapped his fingers and hit the Bitter End to retain in 17:45. Two men who played their roles perfectly and did so in front of a hot crowd. It’s simple, yet effective. [****¼] |
*This is the last appearance of Zack Gibson.
2017 Match #76: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/6/17 2016 Match #76: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Yuji Nagata – NJPW G1 Climax 7/30/16 2015 Match #76: NEVER Openweight Championship: Togi Makabe (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 10/12/15
Um, Kevin I don't think that's Desparado and Takahashi...
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 4, 2019 16:19:55 GMT -5
75. Three and In Finale: Mark Haskins vs. Tyler Bate – PROGRESS Chapter 75: These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends 8/27/18
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| With NJPW pulling Zack Sabre Jr. from the Wembley show, a new World Title contender had to be set up for that show. PROGRESS put on a “Three and In” series, where someone had to win three straight matches to get in. These were the only two left with a chance, so the winner would go on to face WALTER in Wembley. Bate came in with a bad leg and that was the story of the match. He’s been on a tear since 2017, but the injury held him back, giving Haskins an opening. Being the technical master he is, Haskins wisely went after the leg. Bate sold it beautifully. His one-legged kip up was wonderful. It’s the little things and Tyler gets them. Usually, leg work in a match gets forgotten about but these guys went all in on it. Even with Bate as the clear favorite, the injury was handled in a way that made you believe he might not get it done. The big spots came later, including a Haskins Destroyer and Bate doing all he could to get an Airplane Spin going. The Sharpshooter counter from that move made for a great moment. Bate survived the hold and delivered the Tyler Driver ’97 to win in 19:14. Fantastic match. Top notch wrestling, from the psychology to the selling to the late drama. All of it worked. [****¼] |
*This is the last appearance of Mark Haskins. *It is the final match from PROGRESS Chapter 75.
2017 Match #75: RPW British Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. [c] vs. Will Ospreay – RevPro Global Wars UK 11/10/17 2016 Match #75: Number One Contender’s Match: AJ Styles vs. Cesaro vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Raw 4/4/16 2015 Match #75: Falls Count Anywhere: Cage vs. The Mack – Ultima Lucha 7/29/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 4, 2019 19:34:04 GMT -5
74. Tornado Tag Team Match: Buddy Murphy and Tony Nese vs. The Lucha House Party – WWE 205 Live 8/21/18
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| Until this year, I just couldn’t get into Tony Nese. He felt like Diet Neville for a while and had nothing that interested me. That changed thanks to his partnership with Buddy Murphy. And the reasons why were never more clear than during this banger of a tornado tag. They worked so well together and the Lucha House Party were great opponents. They were willing to take all the bumps for their larger opponents, making Buddy and Tony look like beasts. I also want to point out how much I appreciate that Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado got to represent the Lucha House Party here. Kalisto usually gets the most shine of the group, but these two can flat out go. For 17:19, these four showed why they rank among the best cruiserweights/junior heavyweights in the world. It was packed from start to finish with great moments. The combo of spots from a Nese top rope German to Metalik walking the ropes into a dropkick to Murphy hitting Meteora was special. You won’t see that often. The same goes for Metalik’s rope walk rana sending Nese into Murphy. The whole match was wild. More importantly, each guy got to play their roles perfectly. The finish saw Metalik hit Code Red for a surprising result. Sure, this was a spot fest of sorts, but those can work when done right. Like this. [****¼] |
*This is the last appearance of Tony Nese and the Lucha House Party. *It is the final tornado tag team match listed.
2017 Match #74: Anthony Henry vs. Fred Yehi – Style Battle S1:E5 6/16/17 2016 Match #74: WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Gran Metalik vs. TJ Perkins – WWE Cruiserweight Classic 9/14/16 2015 Match #74: WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose – WWE Money in the Bank 6/14/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 4, 2019 23:27:51 GMT -5
73. RevPro British Heavyweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii [c] vs. Minoru Suzuki – NJPW Power Struggle 11/3/18
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| I never got to watch their Strong Style Evolved UK match because the stream on NJPW World messed up on all three attempts. I hear it was good enough to make this list. Anyway, you just know what you’re going to get from these two. A fight. And they always manage to make it work. They beat the hell out of each other for most of the match with some of the stiffest shots you’ll see anywhere. I loved the story of Ishii refusing to show signs of weakness. Suzuki would hit him and he’d struggle to remain on his feet, but wouldn’t go down. There were points where you had no clue how he was still standing. When he finally did fall, it meant a lot. The last third of this match was more of your traditional wrestling style than a straight up fight, but it made sense. It was time to try and secure the win, rather than show your toughness. They avoided the overly long Suzuki submission special and that was a good idea. Ishii won via Brainbuster after 19:22 of the most badass wrestling you’ll see this year. Sometimes, you just need to do something basic. Put two legit tough guys in there and let them do their thing without any nonsense. [****¼] |
*This is the last match from Power Struggle. *It is the final RevPro British Heavyweight Title match listed.
2017 Match #73: AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon – WWE WrestleMania 33 4/2/17 2016 Match #73: Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/27/16 2015 Match #73: Roderick Strong vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – ROH Global Wars 5/16/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2019 7:49:38 GMT -5
72. Super Strong Style 16 Quarterfinals: Kassius Ohno vs. Tyler Bate – PROGRESS Chapter 68 5/6/18
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| Kassius Ohno is not asked to do a lot in NXT. Due to that, it seems like many people forgot that he can still have great matches. Watching him in this tournament, you get the feeling he was in PROGRESS to prove a point. He came out like a man on a mission. Tyler Bate, being the BIG STRONG BOI, was able to somewhat match up with his larger opponent. He got too cocky and Ohno made him pay. As always, Ohno was at his best when he got to portray the bully. Any Bate momentum was stopped by Ohno’s power advantage. He was ruthless and it made for great drama. Bate refused to stay down, though. He fired up by swinging wildly and hitting an impressive deadlift German suplex. With help from the turnbuckle, Bate managed to hoist Ohno onto his shoulders for a jaw dropping airplane spin. You honestly have to see it. It’s breathtaking. Bate added the Tyler Driver ’97 to win in 15:00. Unfortunately, Bate got hurt during the match and couldn’t finish the tournament. Still, they gave us one of the better David vs. Goliath matches you’ll find anywhere. Ohno reminded everyone that he can go and Bate showed us why he’s among the best in the world. [****¼] |
*This is the last appearance of Kassius Ohno.
2017 Match #72: Lucha Underground Championship Career vs. Career Match: Prince Puma [c] vs. Pentagon Dark – Lucha Underground Ultima Lucha Tres 10/18/17 2016 Match #72: WWE Cruiserweight Classic Qualifying Match: Drew Gulak vs. Tracy Williams – Evolve 61 5/7/16 2015 Match #72: No Holds Barred: Timothy Thatcher vs. Biff Busick – Evolve 48 8/16/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2019 13:19:39 GMT -5
71. WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne [c] vs. Kyle O’Reilly – NXT 6/13/18
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| Not just two of my favorite wrestlers in the world, but two guys who were having outstanding 2018s. Think about how great Pete Dunne is and how Kyle O’Reilly delivers each time out. Kyle’s kind of a goof now, so people sometimes forget how skilled this man is. He hung tough and matched Dunne on the mat in the early stages of this one. As engaging as the mat work was, it was nothing compared to the hard hitting exchanges we got down the stretch. Since this went just 10:45, they were able to go all out and give us wall to wall action. There was seriously not a moment of down time in this. More than once, we saw Dunne fire up after getting hit and come back with a shot of his own that was just as vicious. Kyle came close but wasted time talking smack. Dunne saw an opening and snapped Kyle’s fingers before hitting the Bitter End to retain. I feel like people overlooked this match but they shouldn’t because it was stellar. I love these guys. This was straight up fantastic wrestling with no fluff. Two great wrestlers putting on a show. [****¼] |
2017 Match #71: IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin – NJPW G1 Special in USA 7/1/17 2016 Match #71: NXT Tag Team Championship: American Alpha (c) vs. The Revival – NXT TakeOver: The End 6/8/16 2015 Match #71: Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/15/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2019 15:12:36 GMT -5
70. PROGRESS World Championship: Travis Banks [c] vs. Matt Riddle – PROGRESS Chapter 64: Thunderbastards Are Go 2/25/18
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| In PROGRESS, these two had met twice before. Matt Riddle won the first (****½) and Travis Banks took the second (****¼). Now, the stakes were at their highest thanks to the World Title being on the line. Banks was about five months into a title reign that many felt was disappointing. Combine that with Riddle’s popularity and it made for an atmosphere where Banks was the heel. It kind of set the tone for the rest of his reign. There was an intense nature to this right from the start as they laid into each other with stiff strikes. When Banks hit an Exploder into a bunch of chairs, there was a hush over the crowd who were genuinely concerned for the challenger. The level of aggression remained high, with each man bringing the stiff shots. They had plenty of counters to showcase their knowledge of one another. That’s important to have at the end of a series of matches. They stole each other’s moves (Banks hitting a Bro to Sleep and Riddle using a BROAST TO BROAST dropkick) and both survived an onslaught from the other. Riddle’s laid back attitude is what cost him. He hit a middle rope Tombstone, but stopped to play to the crowd for a moment. That opened the door for Banks to kick out. A frustrated Riddle added senton bombs and went to his trusty Bromission, but Banks rolled it over into a fluke pin to retain at 16:06. No matter how much punishment Riddle dished out, Banks was resilient and wily enough to sneak out with his title. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of both Matt Riddle and Travis Banks. *It is the last match from PROGRESS Chapter 64.
2017 Match #70: War Games: The Authors of Pain and Roderick Strong vs. SAnitY vs. The Undisputed Era – NXT TakeOver: War Games 11/18/17 2016 Match #70: Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Katsuyori Shibata, Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata vs. Go Shiozaki, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Masa Kitamiya & Maybach Taniguchi – NJPW G1 Climax 8/14/16 2015 Match #70: Kyle O’Reilly vs. Roderick Strong – ROH Winter Warriors Tour 2/21/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2019 19:03:51 GMT -5
69. Dragon Lee vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/25/18
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| During NJPW’s annual tournaments, they throw a few shows on in “single camera” format. These are like house shows, with basically only a hard camera and no commentary. It’s often hard to get into matches like this, but not when they involve Dragon Lee and Hiromu Takahashi. There’s a reason this is the best rivalry in wrestling. In an awesome moment, Lee came out wearing Hiromu’s mask from his Kamaitachi days. If you’ve seen them wrestle before, you know what this was about. Two guys throwing everything at one another at a crazy pace. Their knowledge of one another led to a wild number of counters and their history meant they came prepared with brutal strikes. Hiromu kicked out of Desnucadora, becoming the only guy in NJPW to do so. Still, Lee hit a diving double stomp and the Dragon Driver to obtain the win in 20:48. They’ve wrestled a ton of times, yet it never feels like they’re just playing the hits. They always manage to keep things fresh and this was no different. Two of the best in the world having an excellent match as part of their phenomenal series. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of both Dragon Lee.
2017 Match #69: Number One Contender’s Match: Big R Shimizu vs. Masaaki Mochizuki – Dragon Gate Scandal Gate 9/5/17 2016 Match #69: Weapons of Mass Destruction Match: Killshot vs. Marty Martinez – Lucha Underground 9/14/16 2015 Match #69: Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins – WWE WrestleMania 3/29/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 5, 2019 23:07:19 GMT -5
68. PROGRESS World Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Tyler Bate – PROGRESS Chapter 76: Hello, Wembley! 9/30/18
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| 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
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