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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2023 12:04:33 GMT -5
17. David Finlay vs. Juice Robinson – NJPW G1 Climax 7/26/22
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| I really liked these two as a babyface. New Japan should’ve kept them together to help their awful tag division. Juice holds a 3-0 record over Finlay, all coming in 2016. We got our story of the match pretty early as Juice was frustrated in the opening exchanges and resorted to targeting Finlay’s historically damaged shoulder. Juice went after it relentlessly, doing Divorce Courts and some submission work. I loved that when Finlay turned things around and threw Juice into the guardrail a bunch, Juice whined and begged for mercy. That’s great heel stuff. Finlay showed a killer instinct by then going after Juice’s previously broken hand. Every “I’M SORRY” from Juice made it all better. Finlay’s momentum was stopped when he missed a charge and his shoulder banged into the exposed corner. Both guys sold the injuries well and had it play into the match with Finlay’s shoulder giving out and Juice having to use his other hand for offense. The desperation on Finlay’s face as Juice rolled outside to avoid a pin was great. The Pulp Friction near fall was great since it wasn’t overdone and Juice surviving Prima Nocta with his foot on the bottom rope. A ref bump led to a piledriver outside and Juice trying to use the US Title as a weapon only for Finlay to hit him with the shillelagh instead. He pulled up Juice on a pin and then hit Trash Panda to win after 24:01. I’m likely the high man on this but this is so my shit. A smartly worked match with callbacks, great selling, logical limb work, defined roles, and two wrestlers nailing it all. Best match of the tournament by a considerable margin. [****½] |
*This is the last appearance of David Finlay and Juice Robinson. *It is the final G1 Climax match.
2021 Match #17: NXT North American Championship: Johnny Gargano [c] vs. KUSHIDA – NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day 2020 Match #17: Kota Ibushi vs. Minoru Suzuki – NJPW G1 Climax 30 Night 13 2019 Match #17: WWE Raw Women's Championship Hell in a Cell: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Sasha Banks – WWE Hell in a Cell 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 WinOwensWin on Jan 17, 2023 14:13:01 GMT -5
22. Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins – WWE WrestleMania Backlash
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| Seth Rollins didn’t win a lot in 2022 but he was money in the ring, as always. These two opened this with some quality back and forth exchanges before the first big move happened outside on a Seth clothesline. Seth held serve for a while after that with the idea being that he had done his homework. I liked that because it fit the story. Seth said Cody only won last time because he caught him by surprise and here he had a better game plan. Like in the previous outing, they started throwing bigger bombs down the stretch, including a great looking frog splash from Seth. I appreciated that the close call on a finisher came because Seth got his foot on the ropes. Cody countering the superplex/Falcon Arrow combo into Cross Rhodes was cool, so a kick out there would’ve sucked. I liked Seth doing the Dusty punches only for it cost him as he got caught with Cross Rhodes. I thought that should’ve been the finish but going into pin attempts and having Cody pull the tights (after Cody did) to win was a great move. It keeps Seth strong, keeps Cody unbeaten since his return, and ended a great match in a clever way. The whole thing went 20:46 and was a step above Mania. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. *It is the last match from WrestleMania Backlash.
2021 Match #22: NXT United Kingdom Championship: Ilja Dragunov [c] vs. A-Kid – NXT UK 10/14/21 2020 Match #22: Jordan Devlin vs. Tyler Bate – NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II 2019 Match #22: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW G1 Climax 8/10/19 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
Did I miss it, or did Cody/Seth from HIAC not make your list?
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2023 14:20:57 GMT -5
16. IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku
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| Two of the best in the world and they haven’t met in singles action in several years if I’m right. Ishii gave this an instant spark by slapping Tanahashi on a break and the Ace did it right back to him. Tanahashi chose to taunt after offense, so Ishii kicked him and that triggered a long forearm strike exchange. Tanahashi grounded Ishii and worked the Cloverleaf before firing off some really stiff shots. He added a sick suplex that Ishii somehow stood up on, only for Tanahashi to do the same back to him. This was a case of two guys who weren’t going to be denied in their quest for gold. It managed to be an epic without ever feeling like two guys were trying to put on an epic. That’s so important because so many guys fall into that trap these days. Tanahashi kicked out of the Vertical Drop Brainbuster and that felt like a big deal since it rarely happens. Protecting finishers is important *coughDestinocough*. Tanahashi finally outlasted Ishii and won with High Fly Flow in 23:30. An absolute classic between two of the greatest to ever do it. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Hiroshi Tanahashi. *It is the last match from Wrestling Dontaku. *There are no more IWGP US Title matches.
2021 Match #16: Hell in a Cell: Edge vs. Seth Rollins – WWE Crown Jewel 2020 Match #16: War Games: Team Candice vs. Team Shotzi – NXT TakeOver: War Games 2019 Match #16: Shingo Takagi vs. SHO – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/13/19 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 17, 2023 14:21:31 GMT -5
22. Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins – WWE WrestleMania Backlash
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| Seth Rollins didn’t win a lot in 2022 but he was money in the ring, as always. These two opened this with some quality back and forth exchanges before the first big move happened outside on a Seth clothesline. Seth held serve for a while after that with the idea being that he had done his homework. I liked that because it fit the story. Seth said Cody only won last time because he caught him by surprise and here he had a better game plan. Like in the previous outing, they started throwing bigger bombs down the stretch, including a great looking frog splash from Seth. I appreciated that the close call on a finisher came because Seth got his foot on the ropes. Cody countering the superplex/Falcon Arrow combo into Cross Rhodes was cool, so a kick out there would’ve sucked. I liked Seth doing the Dusty punches only for it cost him as he got caught with Cross Rhodes. I thought that should’ve been the finish but going into pin attempts and having Cody pull the tights (after Cody did) to win was a great move. It keeps Seth strong, keeps Cody unbeaten since his return, and ended a great match in a clever way. The whole thing went 20:46 and was a step above Mania. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. *It is the last match from WrestleMania Backlash.
2021 Match #22: NXT United Kingdom Championship: Ilja Dragunov [c] vs. A-Kid – NXT UK 10/14/21 2020 Match #22: Jordan Devlin vs. Tyler Bate – NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II 2019 Match #22: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW G1 Climax 8/10/19 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
Did I miss it, or did Cody/Seth from HIAC not make your list? I indeed didn't love it as much as a lot of others. I gave it ***3/4.
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Post by 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger on Jan 17, 2023 15:25:23 GMT -5
Shark cage coming
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2023 16:52:46 GMT -5
15. Two Out of Three Falls Match: Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia – AEW Dynamite 8/17/22
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| Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat was the timekeeper for this bout between the American Dragon and the Dragon Slayer. Right off the bat they looked to trade submission attempts and we headed to an early commercial break. Upon returning, the pace picked up as they started in with aggressive strikes, beating the hell out of each other. A piledriver spike the hell out of Danielson and he got choked out with the Dragon Tamer to take the first fall. Danielson barely got up before the count of 10 and Garcia immediately pounced, keeping up the pace. That led us into our second commercial break. During that break, Garcia hit a DDT on the concrete that busted Danielson open. Garcia kicked at his head and went for the Dragon Tamer again but Danielson turned it over into a pin that tied the score after about 15 minutes. That gave Danielson a second wind as he laid into Garcia with elbows and the missile dropkick. I loved that they paid homage to the iconic Danielson/McGuinness Unified spot where they pulled Nigel’s head into the ring post but did it to the shoulder because we aren’t trying to give dudes concussions. A third break saw the two trade chops and strikes in the center of the ring. Returning, they were simply beating the shit out of each other. Danielson started kicking Garcia’s head in and added some headbutts for good measure. A series of submissions led to the Lebelle Lock for the win in 25:52. Spectacular pro wrestling. I said it three weeks ago but this is SO MY SHIT. Danielson constantly leaves for a time and then comes back to remind everyone that he’s the GOAT. Garcia looked like a star and this was masterful storytelling between these two. [****½] |
*This is the final Two out of 3 Falls match.
2021 Match #15: WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE Fastlane 2020 Match #15: NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. SHO – NJPW Dominion 2019 Match #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 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 17, 2023 19:36:02 GMT -5
14. New Japan Cup Second Round: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/13/22
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| I avoided the undercards on these shows but apparently, Suzuki had been dishing out punishment on Hiromu non-stop and the madman that Hiromu is kept coming back for more. That was the idea here again as Hiromu was more than willing to trade strikes with Suzuki, even managing to split him open with some chops. They proceeded to beat the shit out of each other with chops for ten minutes. Literally, it’s all they did and it was great. It reminded me of that sick ass Taichi/Ibushi match from the G1 a few years ago where they just kicked the shit out of each other. It was almost like a tennis match in that they just kept trading stuff. They did so while telling a story though as Minoru seemed to relish in Hiromu’s attempts to be tough and Hiromu was dying to prove he could hang with someone like Minoru. I went through a roller coaster of emotions here too as I loved it, found it a bit boring for a few, and then came back around to loving it and appreciating the part I thought was dull. After all of that, Hiromu pulled Minoru into an intriguing rollup to win at the 19:33 mark. What a fantastic and unique match. I loved all of that violence. Now why isn’t Hiromu a heavyweight officially? [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Hiromu Takahashi and Minoru Suzuki. *There are no more matches from the New Japan Cup.
2021 Match #14: NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. Jeff Cobb – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 Night Two 2020 Match #14: New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 7/2/20 2019 Match #14: NXT Championship Two Out Of Three Falls Match: Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: New York 2018 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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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2023 21:49:47 GMT -5
13. Eddie Kingston vs. Tomohiro Ishii – AEW All Out
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| This was first thing on the All Out card that I was genuinely excited for. These two just chopped the hell out of each other to start. Like, they did that for like three minutes. They just slapped titties for a while and I respect the hell out of that kind of match. They popped up after big moves, slapped each other in the face, and gave me just what I wanted out of a match between these two. They botched a move but Eddie is a pro who covered it up by selling. Smart move. They traded big blows late like a back fist, lariats, and more. Kingston won with the Northern Lights Bomb in 13:27. Tremendous pro wrestling and 100% my kind of wrestling. I loved every second of this. It’s a short write up but a match everyone needs to see. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro Ishii.
2021 Match #13: NXT Championship: Finn Bálor [c] vs. Pete Dunne – NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day 2020 Match #13: Kota Ibushi vs. Shingo Takagi – NJPW G1 Climax 30 Night 11 2019 Match #13: WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan [c] vs. Kevin Owens vs. Mustafa Ali – WWE Fastlane 2018 Match #13: Kenny Omega vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 8/11/18 2017 Match #13: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. KUSHIDA – NJPW Dominion 6/11/17 2016 Match #13: Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 58 4/1/16 2015 Match #13: Roderick Strong vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 45 7/10/15
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Facetious
King Koopa
ADAM COLE BAYBAY
Posts: 11,694
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Post by Facetious on Jan 18, 2023 9:29:47 GMT -5
Ah, I figured it wasn't in your wheelhouse, but I was hoping to see Despy vs Jun Kasai on here.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2023 10:15:00 GMT -5
12. Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia – AEW Fight for the Fallen
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| Chris Jericho joined commentary for this and suggested that Danielson is back too soon from injury. Danielson started with a running knee before the bell and the crowd was PUMPED. He got “welcome back” chants after a tope suicida. Garcia turned things around when he wailed on Danielson as he entered the ring and was vicious throughout, including exposing the concrete outside. That would come into play later. Danielson rallied but on a missile dropkick, he stayed down, ringing his own bell and furthering what Jericho said on commentary. Danielson was again knocked out with forearms and looked out of it. Garcia pounced, throwing him into steel steps and nailing a DDT on the concrete going into the break. That got exactly the reaction it needed. Garcia didn’t let up and we got a busted open Danielson fighting back despite barely being able to stand. Danielson’s back suplex off the top further damaged him. The closing stretch was fantastic as they threw suplexes, traded elbows, and both went for various submissions. Danielson standing up while taking a bunch of elbows was great. As we neared the end of the show, both men came close to winning and you got the sense it might reach a draw. Garcia got to the ropes on the Yes Lock and took a knee outside. As Danielson went back in, he got his foot grabbed from under the ring. That allowed Garcia to slap on a Sharpshooter and Danielson passed out after 17:04. A tremendously told story built around Garcia’s aggressive nature and Danielson not being ready to return. Filled with violence, great wrestling, and marks a HUGE win for Garcia. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Daniel Garcia. *It is the last match from Fight for the Fallen.
2021 Match #12: CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston – AEW Full Gear 2020 Match #12: Ironman Match: Kenny Omega vs. PAC – AEW Dynamite 2/26/20 2019 Match #12: Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio – WWE Smackdown 1/15/19 2018 Match #12: Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz – WWE SummerSlam 8/19/18 2017 Match #12: Aleister Black vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: War Games 11/18/17 2016 Match #12: Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/13/16 2015 Match #12: Kazuchika Okada vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW G1 Climax 8/15/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2023 13:21:48 GMT -5
11. AAA & ROH World Tag Team Championships: FTR [c] vs. The Young Bucks – AEW Dynamite 4/6/22
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| ROH announcer Bobby Cruise handled announcing duties, which was a nice touch. This started well with the teams trading solo stuff and being dicks to each other until they each tripped up an opponent and we got a hockey-style fight. The Bucks took control, putting the focus on Wheeler going into a commercial break. They did a great job of building the deprivation as the hot tag was cut off a few times until Wheeler found an opening with some luck and a huge uppercut. Dax’s hot tag was highly entertaining and babyface FTR is just as good as heel FTR. The way the Bucks cut off the Powerplex was pretty fantastic. The same goes for FTR cutting off the Bucks doing their signature stuff in the best way possible. The Bucks hit Big Rig (I remember DIY doing it and the Briscoes as well) before More Bang for Your Buck failed due to some showboating. The Bucks’ cheating attempts kept failing and even when they had this won with the BTE Trigger, Cash got his foot on the bottom rope. FTR interrupted the Meltzer Driver in awesome fashion, hitting a slingshot powerbomb and Tombstone. They then hit Matt with their own BTE Trigger, kissed him on the cheek, and won with the Big Rig in a wild 20:05. What an incredible pro wrestling match. The atmosphere was special, the action was fantastic, they told a hell of a story, and this was a reined-in, superior version of the Bucks. FTR is indeed the best team in the world. [****½] |
2021 Match #11: WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Edge – WWE WrestleMania Night Two 2020 Match #11: Jay White vs. Minoru Suzuki – NJPW G1 Climax 30 Night 15 2019 Match #11: Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Aleister Black, Ricochet & Velveteen Dream – WWE Halftime Heat 2018 Match #11: NXT Championship: Tommaso Ciampa [c] vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: War Games 11/17/18 2017 Match #11: WWE Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. John Cena – WWE Royal Rumble 1/29/17 2016 Match #11: Cedric Alexander vs. Kota Ibushi – WWE Cruiserweight Classic 8/10/16 2015 Match #11: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Dominion 7/5/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2023 16:31:46 GMT -5
10. Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley – AEW Revolution
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| It’s kind of wild to think where these two were at this point. Later in the year, they ended up forming the Blackpool Combat Club, which became one of my favorite stables of the year. The fans immediately chanted for violence and they got that. This wasn’t violent in the same way that MJF/Punk was earlier in the show. That had things like the chain but this was just two tough guys trying to prove their toughness to one another. The strikes were vicious, the grappling was intense, and the submission work was top-notch, which laid the groundwork for what came next for the pair. This was a war for the entire 21:02 and was exactly the kind of match I’ve come to love from two of the best wrestlers on the planet. Moxley countered the Triangle Choke into a pin to win and then we got the William Regal appearance afterward, capping an epic outing. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Jon Moxley.
2021 Match #10: AEW World Tag Team Championship Steel Cage Match: The Young Bucks [c] vs. The Lucha Brothers – AEW All Out 2020 Match #10: #DIY vs. Moustache Mountain – WWE Worlds Collide 2019 Match #10: War Games: Team Rhea vs. Team Shayna – NXT TakeOver: War Games 11/23/19 2018 Match #10: PROGRESS World Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 77: Pumpkin Spice Progress 10/28/18 2017 Match #10: Death Match: Jimmy Havoc vs. Mark Haskins – PROGRESS Chapter 55: Chase The Sun 9/10/17 2016 Match #10: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA (c) vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Invasion Attack 4/10/16 2015 Match #10: AJ Styles vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 7/26/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2023 20:10:55 GMT -5
9. Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Logan Paul – WWE Crown Jewel
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| Roman didn’t take this seriously from the start, talking trash, laughing things off, and toying with Paul for the most part. Paul would get in some body shots here or there but Roman mostly dominated. Paul’s leap frog looked great and he shocked Roman by sending him packing. Still, Roman remained in control and mocked his opponent. When Logan hit Roman with his own Superman Punch and did a kip-up, you knew something special was happening. He was firing up and commentary wasn’t wrong in saying that Paul looks like the best three-match wrestler in history. The reaction for him avoiding a Superman Punch with a kidney shot and the “lucky” right hand was great. I also popped for him hitting a clean Buckshot Lariat when CM Punk couldn’t. The cellphone frog splash through the table was sick though I didn’t love the Jake Paul appearance. Logan made the mistake of celebrating with his brother too much, leaving him to eat a Superman Punch and Spear and Roman retained after 24:45. Logan Paul delivered the greatest performance I’ve ever seen given his experience level and he tore his ACL and MCL about halfway through. Outstanding. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Roman Reigns and Logan Paul. *It is the last match from Crown Jewel. *There are no more Undisputed WWE Universal Title matches.
2021 Match #10: NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW The New Beginning In Nagoya 2020 Match #10: Men's Royal Rumble – WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Match #10: WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship: Asuka [c] vs. Becky Lynch – WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Match #10: NXT North American Championship Ladder Match: Adam Cole vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 4/7/18 2017 Match #10: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/11/17 2016 Match #10: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5/3/16 2015 Match #10: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Elimination Chamber 5/31/15
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Post by 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger on Jan 18, 2023 21:10:32 GMT -5
9. Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Logan Paul – WWE Crown Jewel
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| Roman didn’t take this seriously from the start, talking trash, laughing things off, and toying with Paul for the most part. Paul would get in some body shots here or there but Roman mostly dominated. Paul’s leap frog looked great and he shocked Roman by sending him packing. Still, Roman remained in control and mocked his opponent. When Logan hit Roman with his own Superman Punch and did a kip-up, you knew something special was happening. He was firing up and commentary wasn’t wrong in saying that Paul looks like the best three-match wrestler in history. The reaction for him avoiding a Superman Punch with a kidney shot and the “lucky” right hand was great. I also popped for him hitting a clean Buckshot Lariat when CM Punk couldn’t. The cellphone frog splash through the table was sick though I didn’t love the Jake Paul appearance. Logan made the mistake of celebrating with his brother too much, leaving him to eat a Superman Punch and Spear and Roman retained after 24:45. Logan Paul delivered the greatest performance I’ve ever seen given his experience level and he tore his ACL and MCL about halfway through. Outstanding. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Roman Reigns and Logan Paul. *It is the last match from Crown Jewel. *There are no more Undisputed WWE Universal Title matches.
2021 Match #10: NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW The New Beginning In Nagoya 2020 Match #10: Men's Royal Rumble – WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Match #10: WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship: Asuka [c] vs. Becky Lynch – WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Match #10: NXT North American Championship Ladder Match: Adam Cole vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 4/7/18 2017 Match #10: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/11/17 2016 Match #10: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5/3/16 2015 Match #10: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Elimination Chamber 5/31/15
Huge props to this match. I was blown away watching it live. I couldn’t believe it.
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coleslaw
Don Corleone
Steve Sniffs
Posts: 2,028
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Post by coleslaw on Jan 18, 2023 22:30:30 GMT -5
I thought Roman vs Logan just wasn't making the list lol. F*** Logan and all, but that match ruled
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2023 22:34:26 GMT -5
8. AEW World Tag Team Championship: Swerve In Our Glory [c] vs. The Acclaimed – AEW All Out
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| Nobody could deny the charisma of The Acclaimed but they hadn’t had that standout great match coming into this. That changed on this night and they were so popular that the champs had to work heel. Max took the heat and Bowens came in with a fun little run. I’m not used to them as faces so this felt fresh for The Acclaimed. Alas, Bowens ended up also getting his ass kicked after his previously injured knee gave him trouble. Lee as a vicious heel throwing dudes around is a good look for him. Max’s hot tag saw him step up again and Lee accidentally hit Swerve with the Pounce, opening the door for an Acclaimed near fall. The Acclaimed hit a double superplex on Lee but Swerve blind tagged in and hit the double stomp for a great near fall. He went after Bowens’s knee before Max came in for the save. The Acclaimed had several close calls that the fans ATE up. The one where Swerve kicked Lee and Bowens rolled him up was masterful. In the end though, a double stomp/powerbomb Doomsday Device ended Bowens in 22:26. That started slow but picked up in a HUGE way and was boosted by a RABID crowd. I kind of would’ve called the audible but we’ll see where they go. This was fantastic. Feels like the night to call an audible though it gave me DIY/Revival in Brooklyn vibes. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of The Acclaimed and Swerve in Our Glory. *It is the last AEW Tag Team Title match.
2021 Match #8: AEW World Championship: Hangman Page [c] vs. Bryan Danielson – AEW Winter is Coming 2020 Match #8: WWE Universal Championship Hell In A Cell I Quit Match: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Jey Uso – WWE Hell in a Cell 2019 Match #8: Jon Moxley vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/19/19 2018 Match #8: IWGP Heavyweight Championship Two Out of Three Falls Match: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW Dominion 6/9/18 2017 Match #8: WWE Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar [c] vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe – WWE SummerSlam 8/20/17 2016 Match #8: Kota Ibushi vs. TJ Perkins – WWE Cruiserweight Classic Finals 9/14/16 2015 Match #8: ROH World Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs. AJ Styles – ROH Final Battle 12/18/15
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4real
Wade Wilson
Posts: 27,844
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Post by 4real on Jan 19, 2023 4:15:04 GMT -5
9. Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Logan Paul – WWE Crown Jewel
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| Roman didn’t take this seriously from the start, talking trash, laughing things off, and toying with Paul for the most part. Paul would get in some body shots here or there but Roman mostly dominated. Paul’s leap frog looked great and he shocked Roman by sending him packing. Still, Roman remained in control and mocked his opponent. When Logan hit Roman with his own Superman Punch and did a kip-up, you knew something special was happening. He was firing up and commentary wasn’t wrong in saying that Paul looks like the best three-match wrestler in history. The reaction for him avoiding a Superman Punch with a kidney shot and the “lucky” right hand was great. I also popped for him hitting a clean Buckshot Lariat when CM Punk couldn’t. The cellphone frog splash through the table was sick though I didn’t love the Jake Paul appearance. Logan made the mistake of celebrating with his brother too much, leaving him to eat a Superman Punch and Spear and Roman retained after 24:45. Logan Paul delivered the greatest performance I’ve ever seen given his experience level and he tore his ACL and MCL about halfway through. Outstanding. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Roman Reigns and Logan Paul. *It is the last match from Crown Jewel. *There are no more Undisputed WWE Universal Title matches.
2021 Match #10: NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW The New Beginning In Nagoya 2020 Match #10: Men's Royal Rumble – WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Match #10: WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship: Asuka [c] vs. Becky Lynch – WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Match #10: NXT North American Championship Ladder Match: Adam Cole vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 4/7/18 2017 Match #10: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/11/17 2016 Match #10: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5/3/16 2015 Match #10: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Elimination Chamber 5/31/15
Went on holiday the day this show was on so I missed it but this review has encouraged me to go back and watch it hopefully will be as great as this write up!
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Post by WinOwensWin on Jan 19, 2023 9:51:53 GMT -5
You can tell how crazy a year 2022 was by the fact that both Johnny Knoxville and Logan Paul made the list of top 100 matches of the year!
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 19, 2023 11:04:37 GMT -5
7. Dog Collar Match: CM Punk vs. MJF – AEW Revolution
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| Man, this feels like it was forever ago given where CM Punk and MJF have ended up since. This was the culmination of their feud (at least until All Out) and you basically knew Punk had to get his win back after MJF beat him in Chicago. Despite the obvious outcome, this was captivating. From Punk walking out to his old ROH AFI theme to the bloody war waged once the bell rang, this was the epic AEW had hoped for. It was one of those cases where blood added to a match as this felt like the intense, bitter bout that it needed to be. We got to see Punk beat MJF’s ass which he had wanted to do for months. Punk pulled out the Pepsi Plunge and MJF tried every trick he could think of to win. The finish came after 26:22 and saw Wardlow finally give up on MJF, leading to Punk’s victory. The ending meant that not only did this match have a great conclusion but it also advanced the important MJF/Wardlow angle. 10/10 storytelling here. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of CM Punk and MJF. *It is the last match from Revolution.
2021 Match #7: NXT Championship: Finn Bálor [c] vs. Kyle O'Reilly – NXT New Year’s Evil 2020 Match #7: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 30 Night Two 2019 Match #7: Candice LeRae vs. Io Shirai – NXT TakeOver: Toronto 2018 Match #7: PROGRESS Atlas Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Timothy Thatcher – PROGRESS Chapter 62: Fear No More, Come To Dust 1/28/18 2017 Match #7: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/17 2016 Match #7: Lucha Underground Championship: Mil Muertes (c) vs. Fenix – Lucha Underground 3/16/16 2015 Match #7: Grave Consequences: Fenix vs. Mil Muertes – Lucha Underground 3/18/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 19, 2023 13:13:45 GMT -5
6. AEW World Championship: Hangman Page [c] vs. Bryan Danielson – AEW Dynamite 1/5/22
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| Their first meeting resulted in a one-hour draw so this would go to judges, who happened to be three former ECW Champions. I liked Hangman running at Bryan at the bell, looking to score some early points. Danielson backed away and did jumping jacks to taunt Hangman, showing that he felt he was in total control. After all, if you dominated 70% of the match last time, you can afford to give something up a bit. I really liked how you could tell that this wasn’t going 60 again. They worked it at too great of a pace to keep that up, which is just what I wanted. If you went the distance last time, your goal in this one should be to change it up and wrap this up quicker. Hangman hit the steel steps and got busted open. Between that and the shoulder he crashed on a dive, Hangman had targets that Bryan was relentless in going after. Page eventually busted Bryan open, giving us a bloody war to start the TBS era. Hangman’s avalanche moonsault fallaway slam was honestly wild to see. There were great Buckshot Lariat teases like Bryan avoiding it and hitting the Busaiku Knee or Bryan just falling out of exhaustion to luckily avoid it. They went into some big blows late with Hangman finally retaining after the Buckshot Lariat in 29:05. A hell of a match that was different but on par with the first. This felt like two guys who were truly desperate to walk out with the title rather than two guys just doing stuff to get a higher star rating. I can’t express enough how important that distinction is. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Bryan Danielson. *It is the last AEW World Title match. *There are no more matches from Dynamite and it is the last ****½ match.
2021 Match #6: Lights Out Match: Dr. Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa – AEW St. Patrick’s Day Slam 2020 Match #6: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14 2019 Match #6: NXT Tag Team Championship: War Raiders [c] vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet – NXT TakeOver: New York 2018 Match #6: Unsanctioned Match: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa – NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 4/7/18 2017 Match #6: WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Hell in a Cell: The New Day [c] vs. The Usos – WWE Hell in a Cell 10/8/17 2016 Match #6: NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 1/4/16 2015 Match #6: GHC Heavyweight Championship: Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Takashi Sugiura – NOAH Great Voyage in Osaka 9/19/15
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