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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 16, 2020 8:15:54 GMT -5
33. NXT UK Tag Titles: Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Moustache Mountain – NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool
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| While I enjoyed the first TakeOver: Blackpool, I’d say the show only featured one match that I would consider great. And that’s the one it began with. Moustache Mountain was the most popular duo on the brand while Grizzled Young Vets were easily the most hated. It’s an easy recipe yet it works so well when done right. It made for such a great atmosphere. One thing I love about Moustache Mountain is how the bigger guy takes the heat. Trent Seven was the one who got isolated during this match, setting up the hot tag for Tyler Bate. Seven took a nasty elbow from James Drake that busted him open, adding to the drama and desperation. When we finally got Tyler’s hot tag, it was one of the best all year. His BIG STRONG BOI spot where he lifted both opponents was insane. How is Tyler Bate even a real human? The final 5-10 minutes are some of the best stuff you’ll see anywhere. I lost it on the Helter Skelter/450 splash combo that led to a near fall. I didn’t even know Drake could do a 450 splash. Eventually, after 23:46, the Grizzled Young Vets used Ticket to Mayhem to become the first NXT UK Tag Team Champions. I love tag team wrestling. [****¼] |
*This marks the final appearance of Zack Gibson, James Drake, and Trent Seven. *It is the last match from TakeOver: Blackpool. *There are no more NXT UK Tag Team Title matches.
2017 Match #33: G1 Climax Finals: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/18 2017 Match #33: WWN Championship: Matt Riddle [c] vs. Keith Lee – Evolve 87 6/25/17 2016 Match #33: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Naomichi Marufuji – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 10/10/16 2015 Match #33: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW G1 Climax 8/14/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 16, 2020 11:38:48 GMT -5
32. NXT Championship: Adam Cole [c] vs. Matt Riddle – WWE NXT 10/2/19
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| With the debut of AEW Dynamite on October 2nd, WWE had to combat it with a huge episode of NXT. And they delivered. The episode turned out to be an all-timer and it started with a hell of a bang. Adam Cole defended his NXT Championship against Matt Riddle. This isn’t a matchup we had seen before unless you randomly watched a PWG show from 2017. But with how smoothly this all went, you’d think they had wrestled tons of times before. Nearly every exchange was crisp and came off great. They wowed the audience for 13:49, packing more action into that timeframe than a lot of people could in triple that amount. It felt like something we’d get on a TakeOver. This was two guys unloading their entire arsenals on one another in an attempt to be champion. And sometimes that’s all you want in a match. That made the title feel important. The closing five minutes were about as good as you’ll see anywhere. With a molten hot crowd and this level of action, you couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the show. Cole retained with the Last Shot, adding another feather in the cap of his great run as NXT Champion. [****¼] |
2018 Match #32: Tyler Bate vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 63: Take Me Underground 2/11/18 2017 Match #32: Matt Riddle vs. Travis Banks – PROGRESS Chapter 52: Vote Pies 7/23/17 2016 Match #32: WWE Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Dean Ambrose vs. John Cena – WWE No Mercy 10/9/16 2015 Match #32: NXT Championship: Kevin Owens (c) vs. Finn Balor – WWE Beast in the East 7/4/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 16, 2020 14:10:50 GMT -5
31. WWE United States Championship: Samoa Joe [c] vs. Andrade vs. R-Truth vs. Rey Mysterio – WWE Fastlane
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| Considering he had about 25 reigns as the 24/7 Champion, you might have forgotten that R-Truth also held the United States Title this year. He lost it to Samoa Joe shortly before Fastlane. WWE decided to combine their issues with the ones involving Andrade and Rey Mysterio to give us a surprising US Title match. I love when those kind of matches end up being great and that’s just what this did. This only went 10:51 but was filled with about 25 minutes’ worth of action. So much happened, yet it all felt smart, crisp, and exciting. You would think they had weeks to come up with some of the spots they pulled off. Andrade and Rey were given shine for their feud, Joe was the bruiser we know him to be, and R-Truth hit us with the comedy he’s known for. They even made sure to include Carmella and Zelina Vega in the action. Joe would force Mysterio to pass out in the Coquina Clutch to retain, bringing one of the most fun matches of the year to a close. It fantastic minutes featuring four guys who are highly enjoyable to watch and two great female characters doing their thing at ringside. It all came together for something special. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of R-Truth. *It is the last WWE United States Title match.
2017 Match #31: Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/28/18 2017 Match #31: IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Tournament Finals: Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Special in USA 7/2/17 2016 Match #31: Johnny Gargano, Kota Ibushi and TJ Perkins vs. Marty Scurll, Tommy End and Will Ospreay – WWN Mercury Rising 4/2/16 2015 Match #31: Lucha Underground Championship: Prince Puma (c) vs. Mil Muertes – Ultima Lucha 8/5/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 16, 2020 16:10:50 GMT -5
30. Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black vs. Matt Riddle vs. Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream – NXT 3/20/19
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| Just when we thought we were getting another Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa match for the NXT Title, Ciampa had to vacate the gold due to injury. Gargano still kept his shot at TakeOver: New York, but he needed an opponent. Enter this match booked by Triple H. it featured the five top male stars in NXT not named Gargano or Ciampa. The hot new commodity in Matt Riddle, North American Champion Velveteen Dream, top heel Adam Cole, and a tag team killing it on the main roster in Aleister Black and Ricochet. For 14:43, these five men put on a show with non-stop action. People moved in and out of things seamlessly despite there being so many moving parts. I loved the little moments like Black and Ricochet working together only to have to fight each other immediately afterward or past rivalries (Dream/Ricochet, Black/Cole, Dream/Black, etc.) being reborn. The final few minutes were breathtaking to the point where you might find yourself out cold the way all five men were. I saw countless moments where you thought it was over. When Ricochet had it won, Cole laid him out with Last Shot and pinned him to earn the title shot and start his rivalry with Gargano. An outstanding battle of five crazy talented guys. [****¼] |
*This is the final match from NXT TV.
2018 Match #30: Men’s Royal Rumble Match – WWE Royal Rumble 1/28/18 2017 Match #30: Keith Lee vs. Tomohiro Ishii – RevPro Global Wars UK 11/9/17 2016 Match #30: RPW British Heavyweight Championship: Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Chris Hero – RPW Global Wars UK 11/11/16 2015 Match #30: AJ Styles vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW G1 Climax 7/20/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 16, 2020 18:19:51 GMT -5
29. IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Juice Robinson [c] vs. Jon Moxley – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Finals
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| It was easily one of the most highly anticipated matches of 2019. After leaving WWE, Jon Moxley stunned many by being revealed as the man targeting Juice Robinson in New Japan. This was a surprise because many were unsure about how Moxley would adapt to the NJPW style, which isn’t exactly up his alley. If you wanted an idea for how this match went, look no further than right before the bell. Juice Robinson revealed that he had cut his signature locks, which the crowd gasped at. Moxley immediately flipped him the double bird as a response. As soon as the bell rang, they just went right at each other and the action never slowed. What made this work was that they didn’t try to force a square peg into a round hold. Moxley wasn’t forced to work an NJPW style match. Instead, they let him do his thing and Juice was a great partner for the ride. They brawled through the crowd, this had big bumps, and brought things like tables into play. I liked the little notes like Juice trying to win with the Boston Crab, which he learned in the Dojo and not while in WWE. It added layers to this encounter. Moxley won with the Death Rider after a tremendous 24:14. [****¼] |
*This is the final IWGP US TItle match. *It is the last match from the Best of the Super Juniors Finals.
2018 Match #29: El Desperado vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/22/18 2017 Match #29: Super Strong Style 16 Quarterfinals: Jeff Cobb vs. Matt Riddle – PROGRESS Chapter 49: Super Strong Style 16 5/28/17 2016 Match #29: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Michael Elgin (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW Destruction in Kobe 9/25/16 2015 Match #29: WWE United States Championship: John Cena (c) vs. Cesaro – WWE Raw 7/6/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 16, 2020 22:10:38 GMT -5
28. NXT North American Championship: Velveteen Dream [c] vs. Matt Riddle – NXT TakeOver: New York
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| Velveteen Dream truly is a special wrestler. It doesn’t matter who he wrestles because he’s probably going to put on a show. Whether it’s a technician, showman, brawler, high flyer, or in this case, someone with an MMA background, Dream makes it work. He did it again here. This is not a slight on Matt Riddle and I don’t want people to think I’m saying he had no part in this. He’s very good. I just wanted to praise Dream. Anyway, this match had the disadvantage of following the best tag match of 2019 and still managed to nearly surpass it. Riddle dominated this at points. His style of combining submissions and strikes was too much for the champion. Dream did his best to hang tough but he was straight up outmatched. However, he played the role of the resilient champion. He refused to stay down and took everything Riddle threw at him while sprinkling in his own greatness. When Dream got going near the end, he had the Purple Rainmaker caught into the Bromission and it was spectacular. He fought it but got put in it again, only to roll over into a pin and luckily retain after 17:21. Riddle did his thing but made one mistake and Dream capitalized. [****¼] |
2018 Match #28: NXT North American Championship: Adam Cole [c] vs. Ricochet – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/18/18 2017 Match #28: RPW British Heavyweight Championship: Katsuyori Shibata [c] vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW New Beginning in Osaka 2/11/17 2016 Match #28: The Brian Kendrick vs. Kota Ibushi – WWE Cruiserweight Classic 8/31/16 2015 Match #28: Lucha Underground Championship All Night Long: Prince Puma (c) vs. Johnny Mundo – Lucha Underground 6/17/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2020 9:31:04 GMT -5
27. WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber: The Boss-n-Hug Connection vs. Fabulous Glow vs. Fire & Desire vs. The Iiconics vs. The Riott Squad vs. Samoan Slaughterhouse – WWE Elimination Chamber
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| History was made at Elimination Chamber as six teamed entered the infamous structure to crown the first WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. In 2018, the women put on a great match inside the Chamber for the Raw Women’s Title. Usually, adding an additional six competitors would cause problems. Instead, it made everything better in this case. Things started with Sasha Banks and Bayley against Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. That was perfect since all four women were part of the previous women’s Chamber. Also, they were the best two teams. I loved so much about this. Carmella and Naomi had a short run that was fun. Nia and Tamina were surprisingly solid powerhouses who played their roles well. The always impressive Liv Morgan took huge bumps. Sonya and Mandy were great. The IIconics were awesome during the middle portion of this, completely owning it and showing outstanding character work. I appreciated the callback to last year with Sasha helping Bayley up onto the pod instead of kicking her down. Great character growth. It came down to the two teams who started it. Sasha fought through a bad shoulder to trap Sonya in the Bank Statement and win the titles after 32:55. One of the best Elimination Chambers in history [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Bayley, Naomi, Carmella, Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Nia Jax, and Tamina. *It is the last WWE Women's Tag Team Title match. *It is the final ****¼ match.
2018 Match #27: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/15/18 2017 Match #27: IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Special in USA 7/2/17 2016 Match #27: Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 60 5/6/16 2015 Match #27: NXT Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Kevin Owens – NXT TakeOver: Rival 2/11/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2020 11:46:48 GMT -5
26. Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW G1 Climax 7/18/19
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| I first saw these two square off during a six man tag at WWN Mercury Rising in 2016. I had only just been introduced to Will Ospreay but had enjoyed Kota Ibushi for a while. Watching them interact made me think they were ideal opponents for each other. Two guys who were freaks of nature athletically and had similar styles. Their match at Wrestle Kingdom was pretty damn good and nearly made this list. However, they bested it in the G1 Climax. I wouldn’t call them perfect opponents but they worked incredibly well together. I wasn’t a fan of the early clichés like the fast-paced standoff and stuff. It has been done to death and doesn’t add much to a match for me at this point. I will admit that I appreciated how it showed their similarities. Both men came in damaged, as Will’s neck is usually hanging on by a thread and Ibushi had a bad ankle. Ibushi was uncharacteristically sadistic, taking pleasure in dumping Ospreay on his neck. When Ospreay responded with the Hidden Blade, it had added drama because that knocked Ibushi out at WK. The near fall was great because Ibushi’s lifeless arm barely made it to the ropes to break the pin. After 27:16, Ibushi won a match where both guys were recklessly attacking each other’s injury. It was scary but great. [****½] |
2017 Match #26: New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/15/18 2017 Match #26: PROGRESS Tag Team Championship: Trent Seven and Tyler Bate [c] vs. The South Pacific Power Trip – PROGRESS Chapter 45: Galvanize 3/19/17 2016 Match #26: PROGRESS Championship No Disqualifications Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Marty Scurll – PROGRESS Chapter 25 1/24/16 2015 Match #26: NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Beginnings in Sendai 2/14/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2020 14:08:34 GMT -5
25. Juice Robinson vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/28/19
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| One of the more interesting storylines during the G1 Climax this year was the redemption of Juice Robinson. Last year, he entered as the United States Heavyweight Champion but proceeded to struggle, finishing with a mere six points. Coming into this match, which was only his fifth, Juice already had six points. He went toe to toe with the NEVER Openweight Champion in a match that exceeded expectations. Juice didn’t back down at any point during this 17:42 contest. He threw everything he could into a chop duel even if he was severely outmatched. That’s pretty much Juice Robinson in a nutshell. The ultimate babyface fire. It was interesting that the chops took something out of Tomohiro Ishii, as if it gave him nerve damage. I will say that I feel they might have gone a bit overboard with the firing up and no selling spots but that’s kind of something I’ve come to expect from Ishii matches. Still, this was a banger. They added a lot by throwing in big bumps and smooth counters, so it wasn’t just a hard hitting affair. Ishii won this war with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster. Consider this another shining example of how improved Juice has become over the past few years. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Juice Robinson.
2017 Match #25: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Dominion 6/19/18 2017 Match #25: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi [c] vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Power Struggle 11/5/17 2016 Match #25: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW G1 Climax 7/24/16 2015 Match #25: Evolve Championship: Timothy Thatcher (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 47 8/15/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2020 23:53:26 GMT -5
24. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Dragon Lee [c] vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Dominion
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| I wasn’t too happy when Will Ospreay won the Best of the Super Juniors. I appreciated Shingo Takagi moving to the heavyweight division and I understand that Will is a notable name. However, all was forgotten when we were treated to this match. These guys have wrestled before but this was different. They were seemingly determined to put on their best outing together. Right off the bat, my issue with the match was the opening quick paced exchange. It's a trope matches fall victim to often. With that out of the way, I can praise the rest of this. It was kind of like the insane Hiromu Takahashi/Dragon Lee matches. A ridiculous pace and some of the wildest spots you’ll ever see. Lee’s tope suicida as Ospreay was seated on the guardrail was one of my favorite spots of the entire year. Another highlight was Lee blocking the Oscutter with a knee strike. These guys can blend freakish athletic moves with stiffer strikes than you’d expect. It’s kind of just what I want from this division. Ospreay hit the Oscutter and added Storm Breaker to become champion after 20:07. Once again, Willy stays in that 15-20 minute range and shines brightest. Lee is always awesome. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Dragon Lee. *It is the last match from Dominion. *There are no more IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title matches.
2018 Match #24: NXT North American Championship: Ricochet [c] vs. Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne – NXT 10/10/18 2017 Match #24: WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne [c] vs. Tyler Bate – NXT 12/20/17 2016 Match #24: Open the Dream Gate Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. YAMATO – Dragon Gate Kobe World Pro Wrestling Festival 7/24/16 2015 Match #24: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2020 7:58:50 GMT -5
23. WWE Universal Championship: Seth Rollins [c] vs. AJ Styles – WWE Money in the Bank
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| Here was a dream match that I wanted since the day AJ Styles stepped out at the 2016 Royal Rumble. Two of my all-time favorites competing in a one on one encounter for a major title. What’s not to love? To make it better, this wasn’t hampered by overbooking or shenanigans. WWE opted to just let them do their thing. Still, I was worried. Seth Rollins put on a few stinkers in 2019 and AJ Styles hasn’t been consistently great since early 2017. Yet this came together wonderfully to deliver exactly what I was hoping for. They started off slowly, almost like they were going for impressing the NJPW crowd. They picked up the pace as things progressed before getting wild late. However, the early portions here felt important. It showed how evenly matched they were and let us know how level the playing field was. As soon as AJ went for a Styles Clash off the apron, this became something special. The Curb Stomp countered into a Styles Clash was one of the best spots all year. After Seth survived that, he used the Ripcord Knee, superkick, and Curb Stomp to retain in a stellar in 19:51. Easily the best singles match either man had in 2019. [****½] |
*This is the last appearance of Seth Rollins. *There are no more Universal Title matches. *This is the final match from Money in the Bank.
2018 Match #23: New Japan Cup Finals: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/21/18 2017 Match #23: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 1/4/17 2016 Match #23: WWE Intercontinental Championship: The Miz (c) vs. Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn – WWE Extreme Rules 5/22/16 2015 Match #23: NXT Women’s Championship Ironman Match: Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks – NXT TakeOver: Respect 10/7/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2020 11:49:45 GMT -5
22. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW G1 Climax 8/10/19
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| I have seen some people call Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay a match of the year contender. That’s strange to me since it wasn’t even close to the best thing either guy did during the G1 Climax. For example, Ospreay easily had his shining moment here. The match with Kota Ibushi was great but that’s a style we know Ospreay can excel at. This was different. It was a case where Willy had his hand held and he was led through the match by Tanahashi. Before the Ospreay lovers jump at me, that’s not a knock on him. Think back to every Okada/Tanahashi match pre-2016. They all were clearly led by Tanahashi. He’s an all-time great for a reason. He understands how to incorporate something that will work for someone into his style of match. That’s what happened here. Though Tanahashi was eliminated, his pride was on the line. He did things like bridge on a submission because he wanted to show that he could still hang with a guy like Ospreay. They told a wonderful story based around that. This did had some clear issues (Ospreay inconsistently sold the leg and his Hidden Blade was laughably bad) but it was okay because everything else rocked. In the end, Tanahashi did the job to the Jr. Heavyweight Champion, falling to Storm Breaker in 17:12. Yet again, Ospreay can impress when kept to the right match length and working with someone superior to lead the way. Tanahashi is the God. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Will Ospreay.
2018 Match #22: The Golden Lovers vs. The Young Bucks – NJPW Strong Style Evolved 3/25/18 2017 Match #22: Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5/3/17 2016 Match #22: NEVER Openweight Championship: Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2/11/16 2015 Match #22: Evolve Championship: Timothy Thatcher (c) vs. Johnny Gargano – Evolve 51 11/6/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2020 17:41:25 GMT -5
21. New Japan Cup First Round: Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/10/19
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| When you put Kota Ibushi and Tetsuya Naito together, you’re almost guaranteed to get something special. I’ve never given any of their encounters less than four stars. They wrestled multiple times in 2019 but this first meeting was easily the best one to me. Putting them together in the first round of the New Japan Cup meant that a potential favorite would be gone immediately. High stakes indeed. Naito was aggressive from the start here. These two seem to be way into the idea of hurting each other. I saw them drop each other on their necks in vicious ways from bell to bell. Naito busted out a ridiculous sitout piledriver on the apron at one point. He followed it with a sly smirk that let you know how much he was enjoying taking this whole thing to the next level. They had plenty of callbacks to their brutal history and brought out the kind of closing stretch that New Japan is famous for. Ibushi had Destino scouted, countering it at every turn. However, Naito countered Kamigoye into one for a fantastic near fall. That seemed to ignite Ibushi, who went on a flurry to win and advance at the 20:38 mark. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance for Kota Ibushi and Tetsuya Naito. *It is the last match from the New Japan Cup.
2018 Match #21: No Disqualifications Match: Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali – WWE 205 Live 7/3/18 2017 Match #21: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Michael Elgin – NJPW New Beginning in Osaka 2/11/17 2016 Match #21: WWE World Championship: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. AJ Styles – WWE Backlash 9/11/16 2015 Match #21: PWG Championship: Roderick Strong (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PWG Don’t Sweat the Technique 4/3/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2020 20:37:58 GMT -5
20. Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong – NXT TakeOver XXV
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| I remember when these two met in EVOLVE a few years back. I thought it was a very good match but it didn’t quite reach that greatness level that I wanted. They gave me that here. Matt Riddle is almost always a safe bet for a very good match, while Roderick Strong is incredible. Seriously, is there a more underrated wrestler than Roddy? He has been one of the best in the world for a long time and people always overlook him. Anyway, they opened TakeOver XXV and stole the show. This match was simple and I mean that as a compliment. Strong delivered an array of backbreakers, which is his specialty. Riddle sold the hell out of it and made sure the audience never forgot about it. Then, he’d get in his bursts of offense at just the right time. It was masterfully laid out to play to both of their strengths. They made it so that something as basic as Strong getting his knees up on a Riddle aerial move meant so much. The work on the midsection played into the finish, as Riddle couldn’t apply the Bromission properly. He had to pivot and use the Bro Derek to win after 14:42. A stellar match that hasn’t been getting as much love as it should. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance for Matt Riddle and Roderick Strong. *It is the last match from TakeOver XXV.
2018 Match #20: PROGRESS Tag Team Championship: Calamari Catch Kings [c] vs. LAX – PROGRESS: New York City 8/7/18 2017 Match #20: WWE Championship Elimination Chamber: John Cena [c] vs. AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz – WWE Elimination Chamber 2/12/17 2016 Match #20: NXT Tag Team Championship: The Revival (c) vs. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/20/16 2015 Match #20: Hair vs. Hair: Ethan Carter III vs. Rockstar Spud – TNA Impact 3/13/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 19, 2020 8:13:09 GMT -5
19. Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes – AEW Double or Nothing
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| I don’t want the lack of AEW on this list to be looked at as a major slight. I have enjoyed their product for the most part. They just haven’t put on a ton of high end matches yet. This was certainly their best effort to me. Cody and Dustin Rhodes had been begging to have a big match for a long time. The Stardust/Goldust match at Fastlane 2015 was definitely a swing and a miss. Given the opportunity in a company they run, they put on something special. After the hokey and dumb throne gimmick, this was all fantastic. It was as if these two were out to put on the kind of match that would make Dusty Rhodes proud. It was like something out the late 80s but with just enough of the modern style to make it different. This was brutal, had a slow burn, and delivered a bloody war that we all wanted. Cody was an outstanding villain here. Considering how good he has been as a babyface for AEW, that’s impressive. He had to do everything in his power to keep his resilient brother down. When he finally did, after 22:37, it felt earned. Sure, they just became friendly brothers again afterward, but that didn’t take away from the greatness I had just watched. [****½] |
*It is the last appearance of Cody and Dustin Rhodes. *This is the final match from AEW.
2018 Match #19: WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship Last Woman Standing Match: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Charlotte – WWE Evolution 10/28/18 2017 Match #19: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/21/17 2016 Match #19: CMLL World Lightweight Championship: Dragon Lee (c) vs. Kamaitachi – NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania 1/24/16 2015 Match #19: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/9/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 19, 2020 10:14:14 GMT -5
18. WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne [c] vs. WALTER – NXT TakeOver: New York
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| Pete Dunne reigned as WWE United Kingdom Champion for nearly 700 days. It began way back in the match that topped this list in 2017 against Tyler Bate. Nobody could dethrone him. Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, Jordan Devlin, Roderick Strong, and many others tried but came up short against the “Bruiserweight.” Enter WALTER. The big man arrived at TakeOver: Blackpool and immediately became Dunne’s biggest threat. They met here and lived up to the lofty expectations. Dunne struggled to face someone so different. WALTER could drop him with a chop, leap over him impressively, and dominate him like no other. Dunne took a while to adjust before busting out things like a ridiculous sitout powerbomb and diving stomp to the outside. The best moment came when he snapped at WALTER’s fingers to negate his chops. Even when WALTER had to resort to something different, you never felt like he was in true trouble. And that’s okay. The story being told was that Dunne had met someone who could finally beat him. A powerbomb off the top and a splash was finally enough to keep Dunne down, giving us a new champion in 25:31. An incredible match worthy of ending Dunne’s outstanding title reign. The WALTER era began and we were all here to enjoy it. [****½] |
*This is the last appearance of Pete Dunne.
2018 Match #18: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5/4/18 2017 Match #18: NXT Tag Team Championship: The Authors of Pain [c] vs. #DIY vs. The Revival – NXT TakeOver: Orlando 4/1/17 2016 Match #18: Fenix and Pentagon Jr. vs. Heroes Eventually Die – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/3/16 2015 Match #18: NXT Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Becky Lynch – NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable 5/20/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 19, 2020 12:41:30 GMT -5
17. WWE Raw Women's Championship Hell in a Cell: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Sasha Banks – WWE Hell in a Cell
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| With their Clash of Champions match ending in disqualification, you knew this was coming. Sasha Banks would step inside Hell in a Cell for the second time in her career against Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Title. It felt like the most important women’s match since WrestleMania. By now, we have seen over 40 Hell in a Cell matches. That makes it difficult to give us something new. Sasha and Becky did a good job of bringing in some innovative spots to go with their already impressive chemistry. You got the sense they were willing to do whatever it took to walk out as champion. Some of the spots during this 21:23 runtime were flat out brutal and way more weapons were used than I expected. Some of the moments involving chairs and kendo sticks were really cool. Sasha brought in a bunch of chairs but it backfired on her in the end. Becky delivered a huge avalanche Bexploder onto the pile of chairs before locking in the Dis-Arm-Her to retain her title. It was the highlight of Becky’s title reign and Sasha’s best singles match since the Ronda Rousey war at Royal Rumble. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Sasha Banks. *It is the last Hell in a Cell match and the last from that PPV. *There are no more Raw Women's Title matches.
2018 Match #17: NXT Championship: Andrade Almas [c] vs. Aleister Black – NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 4/7/185/4/18 2017 Match #17: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. Dragon Lee – NJPW New Beginning in Osaka 2/11/17 2016 Match #17: KUSHIDA vs. Kyle O’Reilly – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/21/16 2015 Match #17: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/15/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 19, 2020 17:41:03 GMT -5
16. Shingo Takagi vs. SHO – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/13/19
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| Every year, there are a handful of matches in the Best of the Super Juniors that stand out above the rest. In 2019, it was clearly this opening night contest. In fact, I was more pumped for this than anything else in NJPW last year by a wide margin. It was built so well. Shingo Takagi was the undefeated unstoppable junior monster. SHO was an underrated powerhouse himself. Their exchanges in tags leading up to this had everyone salivating. SHO was out to prove he could match Shingo in strength. When he couldn’t, Shingo reminded us why he was unlike the rest of the division. He didn’t go high risk. He worked it at his pace and played to his strengths. SHO couldn’t hit a spear because his power waned from a beating but it worked later after he wore down Shingo. The little things matter in wrestling. SHO continually had to resort to try new offense and he did some impressive things. He also survived the best Shingo could throw at him. What really made this match was how it affected Shingo. After months of dominating, he got trapped in an armbar and panicked. His desperation to reach the ropes really sold how much trouble he was in. SHO finally stayed down at the 25:07 mark after getting hit with Last of the Dragon. An absolute war from the two of the best. It never felt long and told exactly the story it needed to for their feud. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of SHO. *It is the last Best of the Super Juniors match.
2018 Match #16: Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/4/18 2017 Match #16: Super Strong Style 16 Finals: Travis Banks vs. Tyler Bate – PROGRESS Chapter 49: Super Strong Style 16 5/29/17 2016 Match #16: Aztec Warfare II – Lucha Underground 3/23/16 2015 Match #16: KUSHIDA vs. Kyle O’Reilly – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Finals 6/7/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 19, 2020 21:00:29 GMT -5
15. WWE Championship Elimination Chamber: Daniel Bryan [c] vs. AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton vs. Samoa Joe – WWE Elimination Chamber
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| The formula to create a great Elimination Chamber match is simple enough. Just make sure to do one important thing. Utilize everyone to the best of their abilities. That’s what this match did. Samoa Joe was eliminated first but he got to shine. He brutalized everyone and is always at his best in short bursts. Jeff Hardy had one of the biggest spots of the match with a ridiculous Swanton Bomb, doing what he does best before getting eliminated. AJ Styles sold well for everyone and bumped like crazy. The RKO he took to get eliminated was fantastic and helped build towards their WrestleMania encounter. Also, who didn’t love seeing Kofi Kingston eliminate Randy Orton, getting some revenge for 2009? That left the match down to Kingston and Daniel Bryan. It was such a great role reversal for Bryan, who was the fan favorite underdog in a great Chamber back in 2014. This whole segment was wonderfully done. From Bryan’s shock at Kofi not staying down to the near falls picked up by Kofi to the crowd’s reaction to every bit of it. It was special. You seriously won’t find much better than the Trouble in Paradise pop and shock at Bryan’s inside cradle counter of the pin. Kofi fought valiantly but tapped to the LeBelle Lock after missing a splash off of a pod in 36:51. Probably the third best Chamber in history. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton, and Samoa Joe. *It is the last match from Elimination Chamber. *There are no more Elimination Chamber matches.
2018 Match #15: WWE Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins [c] vs. The Miz – WWE Backlash 5/6/18 2017 Match #15: NXT Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: The Authors of Pain [c] vs. #DIY – NXT TakeOver: Chicago 5/20/17 2016 Match #15: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. AJ Styles – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 1/4/16 2015 Match #15: Open the Dream Gate Championship: Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Shingo Takagi – Dragon Gate The Gate of Destiny 11/1/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 20, 2020 9:33:04 GMT -5
14. NXT Championship Two Out Of Three Falls Match: Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: New York
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| This was supposed to the final chapter for Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. An injury to Ciampa halted that and this was what we got instead. The top heel against the top babyface, Two out of Three Falls, with the NXT Championship on the line. The first fall featured some stellar wrestling. Hold for hold, crisp exchanges, counters, etc. That sort of thing. There was a lot of well-crafted drama as they went for flash pins and came close to stealing a 1-0 lead. It was cool because a lot of these matches opt for the quick first fall and work from there. After Cole won that fall, he came out swinging in the next. He could smell the victory and it showed. Gargano had to play on the defensive. It looked like he made the ultimate mistake of pride by breaking out the chance to tie it up via countout. However, he managed to pull Cole into the Gargano Escape to even the score. That final fall was just two desperate men throwing bombs at each other. Cole was willing to win by countout but Johnny survived that and interference from the Undisputed Era. He eventually used Gargano Escape to finally capture the title after a grueling 38:10. When this happened live, I was moved by Gargano’s win but felt it went overboard on the late kickouts. I do still feel that way but I’ve grown to like the match more. It felt like an epic title fight culminating in a wonderful moment. Their follow up matches couldn’t touch it. [****½] |
*This is the final NXT Championship match. *It is the last Two out of Three Falls match.
2017 Match #14: NXT Tag Team Championship: Mustache Mountain [c] vs. The Undisputed Era – NXT 7/11/18 2017 Match #14: WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Finals: Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate – WWE UK Championship Tournament 1/15/17 2016 Match #14: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/6/16 2015 Match #14: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 1/4/15
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