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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2023 10:22:35 GMT -5
70. AEW Interim Women's World Championship: Toni Storm [c] vs. Jamie Hayter – AEW Full Gear
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| They opened things with some mat work because taking the fight to the outside where it got much more intense. Hayter took a shot into the ring post and came back by throwing Toni around. Jamie took control but made the mistake of getting too cocky, which allowed Toni to get going again. It was as if the Britt Baker influence was kicking in for Jamie and it cost her. Both ladies were down after a headbutt spot and Rebel (not Reba) ran down for potential shenanigans. Toni had a busted nose from Jamie’s shots. Rebel hit Toni with the title to set up a massive near fall and Rebel got ejected. Britt Baker also hit a Curb Stomp onto the title and Jamie hit Storm Zero, yet it still only got two. The crowd was 100% behind Jamie by this point. Toni took a shot into the exposed turnbuckle and ate Hayterade to rightfully give us a new champion after 15:16. I don’t think they needed some of the overbooking and I didn’t like the finisher kickouts but that ruled and I was totally invested because of how much I love Jamie. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Toni Storm and Jamie Hayter. *It is the last AEW Women's Title match.
2021 Match #70: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado [c] vs. YOH – NJPW Dominion 2020 Match #70: Taichi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 10/5/20 2019 Match #70: AEW World Championship: Chris Jericho [c] vs. Cody – AEW Full Gear 2018 Match #70: PROGRESS World Championship: Travis Banks [c] vs. Matt Riddle – PROGRESS Chapter 64: Thunderbastards Are Go 2/25/18 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 7, 2023 13:34:52 GMT -5
69. Anarchy in the Arena: Bryan Danielson, Eddie Kingston, Jon Moxley, Santana & Ortiz vs. The Jericho Appreciation Society – AEW Double or Nothing
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| So, this started with a brawl in the crowd as “Wild Thing” played. I immediately got New Jack vibes and was looking for Sting to return and jump off of something. This was a FIVE STAR match while the music was playing (especially after it looped) so when Jericho cut it off, it lost some points from me. This match is not for everyone but I really enjoyed it. There were wild spots, brawling all over the place that was too hard to keep up with, and lots of blood was spilled. At times, I did feel like they were padding things out to go long enough for the Game 7 in the NBA Playoffs to finish. Jericho’s got 2007 Shawn Michaels hair going on by the way. Santana and Ortiz jumped off ladders and Moxley took a barbed wire bump. The faces had it won but a bloody Eddie Kingston tried to pour gasoline on Jericho while Bryan had him in in a submission. That led to Eddie and Bryan brawling and gave the heels the upper hand. They eventually made Danielson pass out while in the Walls (with one leg) and getting choked by Hager in 22:31. Had the music kept going this would’ve been five stars. Also, almost any other ending besides Hager choking out Danielson would’ve been better. [****] |
2021 Match #69: NWA Women's Championship: Serena Deeb [c] vs. Riho – AEW Double or Nothing 2020 Match #69: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 11/15/20 2019 Match #69: WWE Raw Women's Championship: Ronda Rousey [c] vs. Sasha Banks – WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Match #69: Dragon Lee vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/25/18 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 7, 2023 16:39:32 GMT -5
68. Anything Goes Match: Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn – WWE WrestleMania 38 Night Two
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| Yeah, I put this here. There are some fans online who scoff at this being considered great. I called it a personal favorite and said I’d rather watch it than Omega/Okada and those fans were MAD. But I wasn’t lying. This was so much goddamn fun. As a huge fan of both Sami Zayn and the Jackass franchise, this was perfect. This had everything I could want in 14:29. The mousetrap table, the Partyboy run-in, Wee Man beating up Sami and slamming him, and to top it off, the giant hand gimmick. I was in TEARS watching this. Between this match and Vince selling the Stunner, WrestleMania night two was some of the most fun I’ve ever had watching a PPV. Knoxville won with the help of a taser and I wish there was more. Wrestling is a variety show. I like a good technical showcase, hardcore brawls, high flying action, hoss fights, and everything in between, which includes entertaining comedic matches. It might only get four stars but it’s at least seven stars in terms of entertainment. Hear me out, this is also my personal favorite match of 2022. [****] |
*This is the final **** match. *It is the last appearance of Johnny Knoxville.
2021 Match #68: WWE Championship: Bobby Lashley [c] vs. Drew McIntyre – WWE WrestleMania Night One 2020 Match #68: Women's Royal Rumble – WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Match #68: WWE Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar [c] vs. Seth Rollins – WWE SummerSlam 2018 Match #68: PROGRESS World Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Tyler Bate – PROGRESS Chapter 76: Hello, Wembley! 9/30/18 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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Bo Rida
Fry's dog Seymour
Pulled one over on everyone. Got away with it, this time.
Posts: 23,589
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Post by Bo Rida on Jan 7, 2023 18:14:47 GMT -5
What criteria are you using if your favourite match isn't 1st or at least a lot higher?
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2023 20:06:28 GMT -5
67. New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/21/22
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| I still stand by my claim that the matches between these guys peaked in 2016. Still, they have great chemistry so the things they did came off pretty seamlessly in the early stages of this one. Their styles also mesh as Willy likes the high impact stuff, while Sabre Jr. wants to keep things grounded, which is usually a combo that works. They played up the fact that both of their characters are assholes, taunting and teasing one another throughout. The main difference between this and their other matches was that Ospreay is much bigger now, so he could have a dominant few minutes where Sabre Jr. would have to stop him by frantically grabbing at a submission or something like that. ZSJ mostly focused on the leg, which led him to success in the end, scoring a surprise tap out with Selected Technical Works Vol.2 in 23:04. I liked that ZSJ was so shocked at the finish because even he didn’t think that Ospreay would submit. A hell of a match that still didn’t reach their 2016 level but was far better than the 2020 outing. [****¼] |
2021 Match #67: Street Fight: The Bunny and Penelope Ford vs. TayJay – AEW New Year’s Smash Rampage 2020 Match #67: WWE Women's Tag Team Championship: Bayley and Sasha Banks [c] vs. The Kabuki Warriors – WWE Raw 7/13/20 2019 Match #67: NXT North American Championship: Roderick Strong [c] vs. Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee - WWE NXT 10/23/19 2018 Match #67: Falls Count Anywhere Match: Hideo Itami vs. Mustafa Ali – WWE 205 Live 10/24/18 2017 Match #67: New Japan Cup First Round: Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/12/17 2016 Match #67: AJ Styles vs. John Cena – WWE Money in the Bank 6/19/16 2015 Match #67: Pentagon Jr. vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 8/30/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2023 20:10:49 GMT -5
What criteria are you using if your favourite match isn't 1st or at least a lot higher? For me, it's just that favorite doesn't mean best. It might be the one I go back and watch most often but it isn't the best in terms of storytelling, action, etc. Kind of like how my favorite movie or TV show isn't the best movie or TV show I've ever seen.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 7, 2023 22:38:39 GMT -5
66. NXT North American Championship Ladder Match: Carmelo Hayes [c] vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Grayson Waller vs. Santos Escobar vs. Solo Sikoa – NXT Stand and Deliver
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| Carmelo Hayes is so good. A lot of this was what you’d expect from a multi-man ladder match. Each guy got a chance to showcase their skills and we got plenty of big spots with the ladder being used as a weapon. That included some big dives. Sikoa had a sweet moment where he did the Umaga ass attack into Santos, Hayes, and Waller with ladders in between them in different ways for more damage. Sikoa also nearly died on a sunset flip bomb off a ladder. The folks at ringside got involved from Legado del Fantasma to Trick Williams to Elektra Lopez, who dove onto Waller in a cool spot. The guys involved just kept building and building to bigger spots. They did it in a way that didn’t just feel like spots for the sake of it though, which is always a tough balancing act. Waller tried his between the legs elbow off a ladder but Hayes and Grimes moved, sending him crashing through a ladder. He looked like he broke something in his arm or dislocated it badly. Shortly after that, Grimes took out Escobar and climbed up to retrieve the title in 21:02. An absolutely wild match featuring a bunch of guys who were out to steal the show. [****¼] |
*This is the last match from Stand and Deliver. *It is the final Ladder match. *There are no more appearances from Cameron Grimes, Grayson Waller, and Santos Escobar.
2021 Match #68: Elimination Chamber: Cesaro vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Jey Uso vs. Kevin Owens vs. King Corbin vs. Sami Zayn – WWE Elimination Chamber 2020 Match #68: New Japan Cup First Round: El Desperado vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 6/16/20 2019 Match #68: WWE Raw Tag Team Championship: The Revival [c] vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. Bobby Roode and Chad Gable – WWE Fastlane 2018 Match #68: Super Strong Style 16 Quarterfinals: David Starr vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 68: Super Strong Style 16 5/6/18 2017 Match #68: Donovan Dijak vs. Keith Lee – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/3/17 2016 Match #68: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA – NJPW Power Struggle 11/5/16 2015 Match #68: AJ Styles and the Young Bucks vs. Kazuchika Okada and Roppongi Vice – ROH Global Wars 5/16/15
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Convoy
El Dandy
Rusev admits to being a sex addict to large applause.
Posts: 7,530
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Post by Convoy on Jan 7, 2023 23:29:11 GMT -5
What criteria are you using if your favourite match isn't 1st or at least a lot higher? For me, it's just that favorite doesn't mean best. It might be the one I go back and watch most often but it isn't the best in terms of storytelling, action, etc. Kind of like how my favorite movie or TV show isn't the best movie or TV show I've ever seen. I get this. Black/Velveteen was not the best match of that year from an in-ring standpoint, but it’s super memorable from a storytelling perspective and a personal favorite of mine.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 8, 2023 0:40:23 GMT -5
65. JONAH vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW G1 Climax 8/7/22
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| Although this got off to the traditional Okada slow start, it actually felt like it meant something, which is all I ask for. A lot of it centered around Okada struggling with JONAH’s size. They teased a suplex on the apron that was a nice callback to the iconic Bigelow/Taz spot, especially since JONAH idolized Bigelow. Okada took a beating here and made sure that JONAH looked like an absolute monster. Some have said that JONAH doesn’t work like a vicious beast heel but this match made it work. Bad Dude Tito got involved as Okada got going, trying to help his buddy, only for Okada to hit one of the best-looking topes he’s ever busted out. Okada finally found success on a body slam that he attempted several times and it felt like that would set up the finishing Rainmaker sequence. However, we didn’t get that. JONAH stirred and leveled Okada with headbutts and lariats. Okada kicked out at the last second but made a mistake on a missile dropkick attempt. JONAH caught him with a mid-air powerbomb, added a second, and then scored the upset with the Torpedo after 21:53. God, I love when Okada goes outside of his comfort zone. This wasn’t Okada formula, it was something different and it was brilliant. JONAH was great as the vicious big man but this was a masterclass from Okada as he made him look like a million bucks. [****¼] |
*This marks the final appearance of JONAH.
2021 Match #65: Casino Ladder Match: Andrade El Idolo vs. Hangman Page vs. Jon Moxley vs. Lance Archer vs. Matt Hardy vs. Orange Cassidy vs. PAC – AEW Dynamite Anniversary 10/6/21 2020 Match #65: Gauntlet Eliminator: Bronson Reed vs. Cameron Grimes vs. KUSHIDA vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Timothy Thatcher – NXT 9/23/20 2019 Match #65: Gauntlet Match: AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton vs. Samoa Joe – WWE Smackdown 2/12/19 2018 Match #65: WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander [c] vs. Buddy Murphy – WWE Super Showdown 10/6/18 2017 Match #65: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/17/17 2016 Match #65: Eita vs. Jimmy Susumu – Dragon Gate King of Gate 6/2/16 2015 Match #65: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. KUSHIDA – NJPW Dominion 7/5/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 8, 2023 0:43:45 GMT -5
Likely not many updates tomorrow as I'm spending the day going to see Hamilton with my nieces.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 8, 2023 18:59:07 GMT -5
64. El Phantasmo vs. Robbie Eagles – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/26/22
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| Eagles needed to win to stay alive. ELP was his typical arrogant self to start but Eagles shut him up with some shots and a dive to the outside. ELP used a Lawn Dart into the ring post and DDT on a chair outside to really swing the momentum. Even when Eagles tried to take a powder, ELP was on him with a dive to the outside, though a second one led to him hitting the floor hard. Self-sacrifice became a theme as Eagles also damaged his knees while taking out ELP. Once they took the match back to the ring, they really started trading stuff and both were hurt so you got a sense of desperation from them. These dudes were exhausted as they threw their biggest offensive bombs at each other. ELP even fell while trying CR2. They redid the finish from last year but with ELP kicking out this time. ELP’s neckbreaker off the second rope was seriously impressive and everyone needs to see it. He added CR2 but was too hurt to cover immediately. That allowed Eagles to recover, hit the 450 onto both legs and win with the Ron Miller Special after 24:43. A pretty epic main event that is arguably the best match of the tournament so far. Eagles also gets to stay alive. [****¼] |
*This is the last appearance of El Phantasmo.
2021 Match #64: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Robbie Eagles [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome 2020 Match #64: AEW Women's Championship: Hikaru Shida [c] vs. Thunder Rosa – AEW All Out 2019 Match #64: WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship: The Usos [c] vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. The Bar vs. Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura – WWE WrestleMania 2018 Match #64: Hell in a Cell: Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton – WWE Hell in a Cell 9/16/18 2017 Match #64: JML vs. The South Pacific Power Trip – PROGRESS: Orlando 3/31/17 2016 Match #64: New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/4/16 2015 Match #64: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly – ROH Final Battle 12/18/15
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Post by 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger on Jan 8, 2023 19:29:10 GMT -5
*It is the last appearance of Johnny Knoxville. What a year. Lol
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 8, 2023 21:45:28 GMT -5
63. WWE Raw Women's Championship: Bianca Belair [c] vs. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch – WWE Hell in a Cell
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| In terms of sheer name value, this was one of the most loaded women’s matches in a long time. A lot of this followed the expected triple threat tropes like having one person dumped outside so the others could go at it. However, it’s a trope because it works when done well. The girls kind of just kept things entertaining throughout by trading offense and you got a sense of intensity here too. Becky’s desperation to get back on top was clear. A simple near fall on a diving leg drop had her stressed. It’s like Becky couldn’t grasp who she’ll be if she’s not the top star. They also did a good job of making me buy into near falls, which I wasn’t expecting given that the outcome seemed obvious coming in. Bianca high-stepping while doing a stalling suplex is a sick spot. I loved Asuka’s pair of Codebreakers as the spot was well set up and looked great. The double ankle lock was even cooler. Bianca deadlifting Becky out of the Dis-Arm-Her was outstanding and the Manhandle Slam near fall ruled. My only issue with this match was the finish. After several close calls from everyone, Becky hit Asuka with the Manhandle Slam, only for Bianca to throw her out and steal the pin in 18:56. [****¼] |
*This is the final match from Hell in a Cell.
2021 Match #63: War Games: Cora Jade, Io Shirai, Kay Lee Ray & Raquel Gonzalez vs. Dakota Kai and Toxic Attraction – NXT TakeOver: War Games 2020 Match #63: WWE Raw Women's Championship: Asuka [c] vs. Sasha Banks – WWE Extreme Rules 2019 Match #63: Two Out Of Three Falls Match: Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio – WWE Smackdown 1/22/19 2018 Match #63: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2/10/18 2017 Match #63: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 8/1/17 2016 Match #63: WWE Intercontinental Championship Last Man Standing Match: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Royal Rumble 1/24/16 2015 Match #63: WWE Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Payback 5/17/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 8, 2023 23:52:15 GMT -5
62. New Japan Cup First Round: Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/7/22
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| These two just have nothing but great matches. Guess what, folks? We’ve got a case of TWO BIG MEN, WITH BIG CHESTS, BUMPING MEAT. This was clearly great but I do think we’re hitting a point where they should avoid each other for a while. I love what they do but there’s only so many times that can I see them fire up against each other or throw bombs and see who is tougher. That’s what a lot of this was and again, while it’s a blast, it didn’t feel all that different from their previous meetings. The majority of what they did was great and if it’s the first time you’re seeing them compete I did get terrified when Ishii got dropped on his head on Made in Japan but I think he ended up fine. He kicked out but then fell to Last of the Dragon after a wild 23:32. Like I said, these guys don’t miss though it might be time to change things up a bit. [****¼] |
2021 Match #62: Lights Out Match: Jon Moxley and Lance Archer vs. Kenny Omega and KENTA – AEW Dynamite 2/10/21 2020 Match #62: Jay White vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 9/23/20 2019 Match #62: NXT North American Championship: Velveteen Dream [c] vs. Pete Dunne vs. Roderick Strong – NXT TakeOver: Toronto 2018 Match #62: Chris Ridgeway vs. Jordan Devlin – PROGRESS Chapter 78: 24 Hour PROGRESS People 11/11/18 2017 Match #62: Ben-K, Big R Shimizu and Kotoka vs. Eita, Kaito Ishida and Takehiro Yamamura – Dragon Gate Scandal Gate 8/8/17 2016 Match #62: Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay – Evolve 59 4/2/16 2015 Match #62: ROH World Television Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs. Roderick Strong – ROH Glory by Honor XIV 10/23/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 9, 2023 9:08:35 GMT -5
61. Hirooki Goto vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW G1 Climax 32 8/10/22
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| I didn’t have high hopes for this as it’s a pairing that has never really worked for me. Even back when Goto still mattered, I wasn’t blown away. As expected, the start to this wasn’t anything great or memorable but it had a bit more intensity than you might expect from these two. Goto seemed hellbent on winning and remaining alive as a loss would likely leave the block down to ZSJ and Tanahashi. Tanahashi put a target on Goto’s leg, doing his usual Dragon Screws and such to wear it down. Goto survived submission attempts and tied up Tanahashi in one of his own aimed at the arm. That gave each man a clear problem as the match neared its 19:01 conclusion. They traded forearms to the point where they both collapsed. Goto ended up bleeding badly from the mouth and this was one of those cases where it added to the match. I’m so used to some Moxley matches where the blood doesn’t do much (he’s still my wrestler of the year though) and I really liked it here. Goto looked like a madman as he went into hard kicks and bigger offense. He finally pulled it out with GTR. That far exceeded expectations and was Goto’s best match in a long time. It balanced the technical stuff with the violence expertly. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Hirooki Goto.
2021 Match #61: CM Punk vs. Darby Allin – AEW All Out 2020 Match #61: NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. Minoru Suzuki – NJPW Summer Struggle in Jingu 2019 Match #61: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Dragon Lee [c] vs. Taiji Ishimori – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2018 Match #61: The Golden Lovers vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay – NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome 12/15/18 2017 Match #61: AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar – WWE Survivor Series 11/19/17 2016 Match #61: Michael Elgin vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 7/24/16 2015 Match #61: RPW Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay – RPW Uprising 10/2/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 9, 2023 11:11:57 GMT -5
60. Bryan Danielson vs. Lee Moriarty – AEW Dynamite 2/16/22
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| I love that a lot of Bryan Danielson’s AEW run has been him working young guys he wants to wrestle. This stemmed from Danielson mentioning Lee as a guy he and Moxley could mentor and Lee is out to prove something to him. These guys went back and forth to start with Dragon showing his superior mat skills, only for Lee to display that he could hang. I chuckled at JR having NO CLUE what a Border City Stretch was. Following a commercial break, they got tangled in the legs and fired off strikes at each other in a cool moment. Danielson looked impressed by Lee’s ability to bring the violence as promised. Lee came close to winning a few times and managed to throw bombs with Danielson. Of course, Danielson hit the Busaiku Knee and then KICKED HIS f***ING HEAD IN. A Triangle Sleeper later and Lee was out at the 12:12 mark. I might be ranking this a bit high but I loved it. This is one of my favorite stories in all of wrestling and this was a masterful execution of it, with hard-hitting action blended with technical stuff. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Lee Moriarty.
2021 Match #60: Women’s Royal Rumble Match – WWE Royal Rumble 2020 Match #60: NXT Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair [c] vs. Io Shirai vs. Rhea Ripley – NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2019 Match #60: Jeff Cobb vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/13/19 2018 Match #60: Johnny Gargano vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT 9/5/18 2017 Match #60: New Japan Cup Semi-Finals: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/17/17 2016 Match #60: Number One Contender’s Two Out of Three Falls Match: Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe – NXT 3/9/16 2015 Match #60: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. AJ Styles – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 10/12/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 9, 2023 14:26:06 GMT -5
59. El Desperado vs. Robbie Eagles – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/29/22
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| I wasn’t able to review this show at the time that it aired because life got the best of me so I’m glad I get to cover it here. The Best of the Super Juniors was really good this year and much better than the G1 Climax to me. Matches like this were why. Late in the tourney, Robbie Eagles and El Desperado, two of my favorite juniors, collided in a main event. I love that they got the opportunity and they made the most of it. The entire 19:21 encounter was engaging and felt like a big deal. Eagles needed to win to remain alive and even pull ahead of Desperado in the standings with the tiebreaker. You felt that from start to finish. I liked how both guys worked the leg to set up their submissions, the Ron Miller Special and the Stretch Muffler. In the end, it was Eagles who secured the victory with that Ron Miller Special and gave himself a chance to win the block. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Robbie Eagles.
2021 Match #59: War Games Advantage Ladder Match: Dakota Kai vs. Kay Lee Ray – WWE NXT 11/30/21 2020 Match #59: NXT Women's Championship Number One Contender's Elimination Match: Candice LeRae vs. Dakota Kai vs. Mia Yim vs. Tegan Nox – NXT Great American Bash 7/1/20 2019 Match #59: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/18/19 2018 Match #59: Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 8/11/18 2017 Match #59: WWN Championship: Matt Riddle [c] vs. Keith Lee vs. Tracy Williams vs. WALTER – Evolve 91 8/12/17 2016 Match #59: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/16 2015 Match #59: NEVER Openweight Championship: Togi Makabe (c) vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Destruction in Okayama 9/23/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 9, 2023 18:07:25 GMT -5
58. NXT North American Championship: Carmelo Hayes [c] vs. Ricochet – NXT Worlds Collide
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| This was about as good a match as you could book for this kind of show. Hayes’s entrance was cool as it had graphics of jerseys hanging up for everyone he’s beaten including one for Ricochet. This started with the expected quick exchange to a stalemate. They did a second one but Ricochet snapped off a dropkick to put down Hayes. Their exchanges only got better as the match progressed with them feeling like perfect opponents. It built to a spot where they both did springboard cross body blocks into each other. I’ve never seen that before and it ruled. Hayes sold the SHIT out of the Recoil and was saved by Trick pulling him out of the cover. They continued at a ridiculous pace filled with tons of spots. However, it was the kind of spotfest that I like. It made sense within the story. This wasn’t just spots for the sake of it. Like the controversial Ospreay/Ricochet match from years ago (that I gave ****¼), this was two guys trading athletic stuff and trying to one-up the other. It made sense and was crisp as hell. The finish ruled too as Hayes avoided a Ricochet top rope move and rolled him into an inside cradle to retain after 15:57. What an absolute spectacle that I’d put slightly above what Ricochet did in a similar situation in 2016. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Carmelo Hayes. *It is the last match from Worlds Collide. *There are no more matches for the NXT North American Title.
2021 Match #58: IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Texas Death Match: Jon Moxley [c] vs. Lance Archer – AEW Fyter Fest Night Two 2020 Match #58: WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre [c] vs. Seth Rollins – WWE Money in the Bank 2019 Match #58: Drew Gulak vs. Isaiah Scott – WWE 205 Live 7/23/19 2018 Match #58: NXT Championship Last Man Standing Match: Tommaso Ciampa [c] vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/18/18 2017 Match #58: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Juice Robinson – NJPW Wrestling Toyonokuni 4/29/17 2016 Match #58: High Speed Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. Evie – Stardom vs. The World 2/21/16 2015 Match #58: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Money in the Bank 6/14/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 9, 2023 20:38:34 GMT -5
57. AEW Tag Team Championship: The Acclaimed [c] vs. FTR – AEW Dynamite 12/7/22
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| For several months, FTR carried around three sets of Tag Team Titles and were the top contenders of the AEW belts, yet they never got a shot. It was one of those things where I get that they didn’t need a fourth pair but for a company hyping win/loss records and things like that, it felt odd. During that time, The Acclaimed leap frogged them and became champs, setting up this main event showdown on an episode of Dynamite. FTR knows how to make any situation work and here, they acted as subtle heels to make way for the popularity of The Acclaimed. It’s a role they’ve done incredibly well in the past and set the stage for a great match. Bowens got the hot tag yet still found himself in trouble because of FTR’s tag team skill. He also saved Caster from the Big Rig, extending this 16:48 affair. The finish saw Caster roll through a jackknife for a cradle to retain the titles, cementing The Acclaimed as AEW’s top tandem. [****¼] |
2021 Match #57: CM Punk, Darby Allin and Sting vs. FTR and MJF – AEW Holiday Bash 2020 Match #57: New Japan Cup First Round: Minoru Suzuki vs. Yuji Nagata – NJPW New Japan Cup 6/17/20 2019 Match #57: Shingo Takagi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/4/19 2018 Match #57: WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander [c] vs. Buddy Murphy – WWE 205 Live 5/29/18 2017 Match #57: Dragon Lee vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/17/17 2016 Match #57: Number One Contender’s Match: Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay – RPW High Stakes 1/16/16 2015 Match #57: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 7/24/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 9, 2023 23:09:24 GMT -5
56. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
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| As expected, Claudio Castagnoli was Bryan’s replacement and the new BCC member. He got a MONSTER pop. He came out with a bang, running over Sabre Jr. with an uppercut and hitting the Neutralizer for a near fall mere seconds in. I bit even though I knew ZSJ wouldn’t get squashed. They never really let up here and had some great action combining Claudio’s high impact stuff with Sabre’s mat work. From small joint manipulation to Sabre turning a Sharpshooter into a heel hook, it was so great. I love that when Claudio attempted to counter ZSJ’s heel hook, ZSJ just simply changed things up with a different grip or by grabbing the leg in a new way. It’s simple, yet effective. The swing didn’t work as well as it usually does since Claudio’s arm was worked over, negating some of his power advantage. I still love ZSJ’s thing of eating a big hit or two to goad stronger opponents in for his submissions. The European Clutch led to a great near fall before Claudio hit the uppercut and Ricola Bomb to win in 18:23. A hell of a match from two of the best in the world. Claudio will fit right into the BCC. [****¼] |
2021 Match #56: New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: KENTA vs. Shingo Takagi – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/16/21 2020 Match #56: NXT Women's Championship: Io Shirai [c] vs. Tegan Nox – NXT 7/15/20 2019 Match #56: New Japan Cup Semifinals: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/23/19 2018 Match #56: Number One Contender’s Match: WALTER vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 67: Bourbon Is Also A Biscuit 4/7/18 2017 Match #56: Hell in a Cell: Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon – WWE Hell in a Cell 10/8/17 2016 Match #56: Prince Puma vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. – Ultima Lucha Dos 7/20/16 2015 Match #56: Trios Championship: Angelico, Ivelisse and Son of Havoc vs. The Crew – Lucha Underground 4/22/15
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