Kevin's Top 130 Matches of 2017: Match #1 Posted

[The Kevstaaa]

120. Juice Robinson vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW G1 Climax 8/5/17

In his G1 Climax debut, Juice Robinson beat the legendary Satoshi Kojima. Unfortunately for him, five straight losses followed. That left the 1-5 Juice to take on the 5-1 Kenny Omega, fresh off becoming the first ever IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion. Juice fought hard in all his losses, but they took their toll and he entered most matches, including this one, limping. In the early stages, they took this outside and Kenny busted out the ring post figure four, which will always make me mark out. The leg work continued and Juice sold like a champ. Juice’s comeback had a lot of fire. He excels at that. They both had counters ready, with Kenny blocking Pulp Friction and Juice blocking the V-Trigger. They also countered each other’s finishers, before Omega connected on a reverse rana and V-Trigger. However, Juice turned the One Winged Angel into a cradle to score the upset and biggest win of his career at 15:36. An awesome moment to cap a great match. I love that it didn’t follow the typical Omega big match formula, he didn’t have to throw a million V-Triggers and they kept it short. The post-match reactions added a lot, with Juice shocked and amazed, while Omega was frustrated at possibly blowing the tournament. [****]

[The Kevstaaa]

119. WWE Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. Jinder Mahal – WWE Clash of Champions 12/17/17

I never got behind the Jinder Mahal push. When it started, I felt he wasn’t ready and I still hold that position today. His feuds with Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura were pure shit (though I attribute part of it to Shinsuke and Randy putting in lackluster efforts). However, it was the AJ Styles feud that helped turn some stuff around. Their match in the UK where AJ captured the title was very good and they bested it here. Styles understood the best way to work as Jinder’s opponent. He allowed Jinder to use his power and control a good portion of the match. AJ bumped and sold the ribs very well, making Jinder’s heat segment better than most others would have. When the Singh brothers got involved, it made sense and wasn’t overdone. It also didn’t lead right to the finish, which happened too often in prior Jinder matches. Jinder teased using the Styles Clash, but AJ countered into the Calf Crusher to retain after 22:57. The best match of Jinder’s career and it proved that he could deliver rather well in the right setting. [****]

*This is the final appearance of Jinder Mahal.
*This is the final match from Clash of Champions.

[The Kevstaaa]

118. Gauntlet of the Gods Elimination Match: Cage vs. Jeremiah Crane vs. Mil Muertes – Ultima Lucha Tres 10/18/17

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t care for Sami Callihan. But, Jeremiah Crane is a different story. He’s the definition of a guy who works better in the Temple setting. This match stemmed from Cage winning the Gauntlet of the Gods. With a weapon that wields such power, Catrina wanted it, which got Mil Muertes involved. Crane got involved because he’s been in love with Catrina since they were kids. There’s more to it than that, but I’m not gonna spend a ton of time on the angle. The match itself was the wild one I hoped for. Crane was overmatched and got busted open within minutes, so he brought weapons into play. He still took the first big bump, getting chokeslammed through a table. Mil and Cage hossed it out, though Mil busted out a tilt-a-whirl headscissors that had me jumping out of my seat. The best part was Cage superplexing Crane to the outside through two tables that Mil was laid out on. Pure insanity. Cage eliminated Crane with Weapon X shortly after, leaving the hosses to do battle. Unfortunately, their exchange lacked and didn’t last long, with Mil hitting a Flatliner on a chair to win in 14:04. Despite the finish not being great, this was a rad, violent brawl. [****]

*This is the final match for the Gauntlet of the Gods.

[The Kevstaaa]

117. PWG Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) vs. Fenix & Penta El Zero M vs. Matt Sydal & Ricochet – PWG Nice Boys (Don’t Play Rock n’ Roll) 3/18/17

For a while, the PWG tag division has been the Young Bucks and a revolving door of indy teams. Ricochet and Matt Sydal and The Lucha Brothers were more consistent fixtures than others, making for an intriguing match. I enjoy Pentagon, Fenix and Ricochet, but not the other three. This was insane and there’s no other way to describe it. Early on, the wild pace led to some timing issues on a few spots. That, and a comedy spot of “CERO MIEDO vs. SUCK IT” that went on WAY too long, were a few negatives in this one. However, this was the perfect match for the audience it catered to. A wild 20:02 of action that saw such madness as Ricochet doing a goddamn apron Canadian Destroyer and an SSP with such height that he hit a light fixture. He’d be my pick for the MVP of this one. There was a great moment where Fenix and Pentagon used a superkick barrage on the Bucks, which is how the Bucks beat them during BOLA weekend last year. They used a package piledriver into a spinning destroyer on Ricochet to win the titles, ending the Bucks’ 631 day reign as champions. This isn’t typically a style I love, especially when it involves the Bucks, but this was too much fun to ignore. [****]

*This is the final PWG Tag Team Title match.
*It is the final appearance of Matt Sydal.

[The Kevstaaa]

116. No Disqualifications Match: Pastor William Eaver vs. Sebastian – PROGRESS Chapter 44: Old Man Yells At Cloud 2/26/17

One of PROGRESS’ best qualities is their long-term storytelling ability. The Eaver/Sebastian rivalry spanned 11 chapters. Sebastian cost Eaver the PROGRESS Championship at Chapter 33. Eaver finally got revenge at Chapter 36, but since it didn’t happen in a match, Sebastian threatened to sue him, blackmailing him to become his pawn. During that time, Sebastian stole a PROGRESS Title shot from him and became the most hated man in the company. Eaver had enough and attacked him at Chapter 43. On this show, Eaver found out that since it had been past 150 days, Sebastian could no longer press charges, so this impromptu match was booked. What followed was 11:33 of pure hatred and violence. Sebastian took a gross looking chair throw and was Crucifix Bombed into the audience. He crucified Eaver in return, and just wrecked him with kendo stick shots that ripped his back apart. He fired up and bested Sebastian with a lariat to win an awesome, bloody brawl. Perfect feud ender. [****]

*This is the final appearance of both Pastor William Eaver and Sebastian.

[The Kevstaaa]

115. NXT Championship: Bobby Roode (c) vs. Hideo Itami – NXT TakeOver: Chicago 5/20/17

Hideo Itami was the most excited I was for an NXT signing, other than Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. More than Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka, or even Samoa Joe. I first saw him as KENTA in 2006 and I’ve been a big fan since. So, watching him get overshadowed by other guys and get injured right as he seemed to right the ship following a rocky start was hard. His second big injury didn’t help. Finally, Itami got an NXT Title shot and it would be in his first TakeOver match in 27 months. Personally, I haven’t loved Roode’s matches in NXT, so I wanted to see a great showing from both guys. They delivered. We got a wise GTS tease to pop the Chicago crowd early. Unlike the tired formula worked in Roode’s matches with Nakamura, Itami was the aggressor here and even took to taunting the champ. When Roode tried taunting back Itami leveled him with a slap. Itami was the better wrestler, but Roode was smarter. When he did get hit with the GTS, he rolled outside to avoid the pin. That was Hideo’s best shot, as Roode avoided the GTS twice more and hit two Glorious DDTs to retain in 17:43. The best match of either man’s WWE run. [****]

*This is the final appearance of both Bobby Roode and Hideo Itami.
*It is the final NXT Championship match.

[The Kevstaaa]

114. Fenix, Flamita and Penta El Zero M vs. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/2/17

I was weary going into this match. It was the main event of night two of BOLA and last year’s night two main event got a TON of hype, only to wind up average. This got a lot of hype as well, but had much better participants. Omega is about a thousand times better than Adam Cole, while the lucha trio on the other end absolutely exceeds the trio from 2016. Anyway, the improved participants were the main reason why this was much better than the year prior. Just seeing Omega and Penta face off was something special. The action was incredibly fast throughout this match. Dives, kicks, huge offensive maneuvers and comedic moments were all sprinkled into a wild 27:06. Due to technical issues, this was filmed in one continuous camera shot. It was fine, but led to us missing a few things that other camera angles would’ve caught. I popped for Fenix and Pentagon’s double stomp/Package Piledriver combo, but it wasn’t the finish. That came after an IndyTaker and One Winged Angel. This match pretty much encapsulated PWG. Lots of big names, fast paced action and comedy spots. [****]

*This is the final appearance of both Flamita and the Young Bucks.

[The Kevstaaa]

113. IWGP Tag Team Championship: TenKoji (c) vs. War Machine – NJPW Sakura Genesis 4/9/17

The New Japan tag team divisions are quite dire. The titles change hands frequently, the matchups are mostly stale and nothing seems to matter. That being said, this was the first time I think I’ve ever been excited about an IWGP Tag Team Title match since I started watching NJPW. Japan loves hoss gaijins (teams like Killer Elite Squad and stars like Vader, Hansen, etc.), so War Machine fit right in. These two teams went right to war and wrestled the kind of match I was hoping for. It was like two teams trying to see who was manlier. TenKoji’s veteran savvy combated the raw power of the challengers, making for an even contest. When War Machine managed to take control, they showcased their best offense, which the Sumo Hall crowd ate up. TenKoji weathered the storm and Kojima hit a massive lariat that led to the fans chanting his name. In a passing of the torch of sorts, War Machine captured the titles at 14:06, in the best IWGP Tag Team Title match I’ve seen. Tenzan’s match with Ishii last year might’ve been his final great singles match, but this proved there are still some high quality tags left in him. [****]

*This is the final appearance of War Machine and Hiroyoshi Tenzan.
*It is the final IWGP Tag Team Championship match.

[The Kevstaaa]

112. Number One Contender’s Match: Pete Dunne vs. Trent Seven – WWE UK Championship Special 5/19/17

British Strong Style! Though he didn’t win the WWE UK Championship Tournament in January, Pete Dunne came out as a major star. Willing to do anything to get the title he believed belonged to him, Dunne attacked Trent Seven a night prior, injuring his arm. I popped at Dunne coming out with the PROGRESS Title, by the way. These two are actually former PROGRESS Tag Team Champions. Early on, Seven wrestled awkwardly because he needed to protect his right arm. It was great work. Dunne kicked it, twisted it and used the steel steps on it. Each time Seven gained momentum, Dunne was there to cut it off by going after the arm. It’s so simple, yet so effective. He finally got a big opening with a great dragon suplex on the apron. When he hit the big lariat, it wasn’t enough because the bad arm kept him from getting all of it. That was his last real shot, as Dunne finished him off with the Bitter End in 14:44. Brilliant work. The arm stuff was the focus, was sold well throughout and made sense. Seven was great, using his left arm for signature moves out of desperation, but just not having enough to win. Dunne nailed every piece of character work, while putting on a great match. I love British wrestling. [****]

*This is the final match from the WWE UK Special.

[The Kevstaaa]

111. EVIL vs. SANADA – NJPW G1 Climax 7/20/17

Los Ingobernables de Japon explodes! This was one of the more intriguing matchups in this year’s G1 Climax. I’d like to credit Don Callis for pointing out something that made the match stick out more for me. He noted that while EVIL is Tetsuya Naito’s go to guy, SANADA is more like his project. I got the sense they came out here vying to solidify themselves as the official number two in LIDJ. SANADA played the de facto babyface, with the crowd loving his athleticism and offense, while EVIL was more than happy to use chairs and a few more underhanded tactics. Still, SANADA did just enough to stay somewhat heel. They brought the big offense, including SANADA hitting a super cutter to the floor, nearly winning via countout. That led to some great exchanges, which showcased just how evenly matched Naito’s buddies are. When SANADA couldn’t win with the Skull End, he resorted to a moonsault to win in 15:46. This was another in a long line of matches to show just how much of a star SANADA will be. They did the little things and delivered the goods in a match I had high hopes for. [****]

*This is the final appearance of SANADA.

[The Kevstaaa]

110. Big R Shimizu vs. Takehiro Yamamura – Dragon Gate Truth Gate 2/2/17

Two men stood out above the rest in Dragon Gate in 2017. Big R Shimizu and Takehiro Yamamura. Admittedly, I don’t know about the backstory here, but they drew me in rather quickly. Shimizu sticks out in Dragon Gate because of his unique style and the fact that he’s bigger than most in the company. The much smaller Yamamura didn’t back down, firing off strikes and kicks at Shimizu. The story of him chopping down the big tree was engaging, and the fans gobbled it all up. He was the ultimate underdog, never giving up. He became one of the only people I’ve ever seen kick out of Shimizu’s Shot Put Slam. Granted, it wasn’t an instant cover, but still. The action almost never slowed down and, by the end, the crowd was in a frenzy. Shimizu hit a second Shot Put Slam as the 20:00 time limit expired. This match seemed to truly make Yamamura and set the tone for a year that saw the Korakuen faithful totally get behind him. [****]

*This is the final match from Truth Gate.

[The Kevstaaa]

109. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi – NJPW 45th Anniversary Show 3/6/17

Ryusuke Taguchi typically plays an undercard comedy guy, but his strong showing in the BOTSJ 2016 finals marked somewhat of a turnaround for him. He had this high profile match, formed Taguchi Japan and won the Jr. Tag Titles with Ricochet. Here, his wackiness proved to be a good foil for the pure insanity of Hiromu Takahashi. Hiromu’s first two singles matches of the year (vs. KUSHIDA and Dragon Lee) were frantic battles that were right up his alley. In the tag matches to build this, Taguchi established the ankle lock and Hiromu had to avoid it at all costs. Hiromu got in control and stole some of Taguchi’s signature spots to get in his head. Taguchi’s had hope spots, but the champ kept preventing the ankle lock. When Taguchi finally applied it, Hiromu was prepared, countering into his own. They finished up with great counters and transitions, leading to the crowd getting way behind a fired up Taguchi. Despite that, Hiromu did his own firing up and retained after hitting the Time Bomb after 17:42. The story told around the ankle lock was great. Hiromu was taken out of his comfort zone and had to show he could hang in a different style of match. He could. [****]

*This is the final match from the 45th Anniversary Shows.
*It is the final appearance of Ryusuke Taguchi.

[The Kevstaaa]

108. WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Mark Andrews vs. Pete Dunne – WWE UK Championship Tournament 1/15/17

One of my favorite things in 2017 was the WWE UK Title Tournament. On night one, Pete Dunne was portrayed as THE superstar. He beat Roy Johnson and Sam Gradwell to make it to the Semi-Finals, while also being part of the main angle, attacking Gradwell at the end of night one. Mark Andrews got past Dan Maloney and Joseph Conners. Dunne and Andrews were no strangers to one another, which was clear from the start. Dunne wanted to do more than win, looking to hurt people. Andrews combated that with his aerial offense, which is among the best in the world. Some of the stuff he did here was breathtaking. Dunne was magnificently vicious, recklessly throwing Andrews around. The final run of this 10:39 encounter saw tons of great counters. It never felt like Andrews was shrugging stuff off just to hit his offense, which is a pet peeve of mine. He did stuff out of pure desperation, as a last resort. It really helped sell him as the underdog. He was worn out and it caused him to take a breather before an SSP attempt. That allowed Dunne to avoid it and win with the Bitter End. Another great performance from Dunne, but it was this match that sold me on Andrews. [****]

*This is the final appearance of Mark Andrews.

[The Kevstaaa]

107. PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: British Strong Style [c] vs. #CCK – PROGRESS Chapter 55: Chase the Sun 9/10/17

To start PROGRESS’ biggest show ever, they went with a huge Ladder Match for the Tag Team Titles. Trent Seven and Tyler Bate reigned as champions for most of 2017, with #CCK dethroning them at Chapter 50. British Strong Style regained the titles at the next chapter, setting up this encounter. The crowd was molten hot for this, desperately wanting to see Bate and Seven get their comeuppance. The teams brawled early, with #CCK using their aerial skills to take control. Once the ladder came into play, Kid Lykos took a sick dragon suplex onto the side of the ladder that legitimately made my jaw drop. Bate busted out an Undertaker like dive, as well as an incredible feat of strength when he used a big swing and airplane spin on his opponents simultaneously. He continued to star, even paying tribute to Terry Funk by using his infamous ladder airplane spin. There were too many spots to name, before a Tyler Driver ’97 was countered with a back drop onto a ladder, and Brookes pulled down the titles to win in 17:27. One of the best ladder matches all year. It had wild spots, while including the sense of disdain the teams had for one another. A few spots felt contrived, but they did well to incorporate their signature stuff in a way that made sense. [****]

*This is the final appearance of #CCK.

[The Kevstaaa]

106. Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/17/17

The first night of the G1 Climax was in contention for the show of the year. The first great match that night pitted stablemates Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii against one another. In 2015, they made this list, but their 2016 outing was disappointing. When I see these two, I like to see them go to war and that’s just what they did here. From the opening bell to this finished after 13:43, there was no slow down. We got treated to exchanges of strikes and lariats, with Goto surprisingly coming out on top. Not that he doesn’t hit hard, but that is more Ishii’s game. Ishii sold everything Goto did like death, really making him look exceptional. Ishii’s the best seller on the planet. Down the stretch, they hammered each other with forearms and Ishii refused to die, kicking out at one. He dared Goto to bring more punishment, which he did with two GTRs that got him the win. Oddly enough, the GTR is a finish I think is rather lame, considering the level of violence leading up to it. Still, one of their better matches. [****]

[The Kevstaaa]

105. NXT Women’s Championship: Asuka [c] vs. Ember Moon – NXT TakeOver: Orlando 4/1/17

During WrestleMania weekend in 2016, Asuka dethroned Bayley to become NXT Women’s Champion. 364 days later, her stranglehold on the title was as firm as ever. In stepped undefeated Ember Moon, to pose the greatest threat to her reign. Ember wasn’t intimidated, not backing down once during this 12:09 encounter. She was just as confident as the dominant champion. Ember’s been the only woman able to hang with Asuka in the striking department and we got a fair amount of that here. For a lot of this match, you got the sense that Asuka may have finally met her match. It was the first time I got that sense as even Nikki Cross didn’t feel like her equal, just someone crazy enough to combat her. The finish was perfect. Just when Ember might hit her devastating Eclipse finisher, Asuka shoved the referee into the ropes to knock her down. A roundhouse later and Asuka retained, not in superior fashion, but more out of desperation. Thanks to a lack of character development, I came into this not truly caring about Ember. Her performance and finish won me over and made me want to see Ember get revenge. Mission accomplished. [****]

[The Kevstaaa]

104. Travis Banks vs. Trent Seven – PROGRESS Chapter 48: Bang the Drum 5/14/17

The South Pacific Power Trip were a highlight of early 2017. When Dahlia Black and TK Cooper had to leave due to Visa issues, British Strong Style attacked them. Due to that, Travis Banks started this match hot, jumping Trent Seven before the bell. That led to a brawl around the arena before it officially began. Once it finally got going, the pace never slowed for the 8:09 duration. They just threw their biggest offensive bombs from start to finish. They stiffed, kicked and spiked one another. Banks had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Their reaction to him popping up from a ripcord lariat and hitting a dragon suplex was awesome. Seven wanted a super piledriver, but Banks slipped out and hit a Liger Bomb. Admittedly, the finish was a bit flat, as Banks missed a cross body and Seven rolled him up with a handful of tights. However, this was two guys playing to their strengths. Seven is a tremendous dick heel, while Banks is one of the best fiery faces in the world and it all came together so well here. [****]

*This is the final match from Bang the Drum.

[The Kevstaaa]

103. Keith Lee vs. Ricochet – Evolve 80 3/30/17

Since joining the WWN family, Keith Lee’s been great. He was the breakout start during WrestleMania weekend and this was where that began. Ricochet isn’t an Evolve mainstay anymore, but anytime he shows up, you can expect quality matches and it usually feels like a big deal. His early attempts to take down Lee were hilariously futile. The crowd erupted when Lee showed off his athleticism with a leap frog and dropkick. Not only did Lee have the size and strength upper hand, he could also hold his own in Ricochet’s world. After being tossed around like he weighed nothing, Ricochet finally found ways to take the big man down. He impressed with his own show of power, managing to lift Lee onto his shoulders for a modified Benadryller. Lee nailed what might’ve been his best Spirit Bomb ever, but Ricochet somehow kicked out. Lee made a crucial mistake, as he missed a moonsault. Ricochet hit a springboard 450 and two Shooting Star Presses, but Lee still fought him off. A few more kicks and a 630 put him down for good at 17:13. I disagreed with the result, as Lee was booked a monster and is always around, while Ricochet isn’t. Plus, it could’ve been a former WWN building block passing the torch of sorts. Either way, the match ruled. Ricochet threw everything he had at Lee and it was barely enough. He bumped like crazy and Lee looked great despite the loss.. [****]

*This is the final match from Evolve 80.

[The Kevstaaa]

102. Hirooki Goto vs. Yuji Nagata – NJPW G1 Climax 7/21/17

After a night one win over Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto went right back into the fire for another war. Coming into the tournament, we knew this would be the final G1 Climax for Yuji Nagata, which gave each match an extra emotional punch. Goto escaped an early armbar attempt, and took to wearing down the legend. Similar to what happened to Nagata on night one, it was a slap from Goto that awoke him. BLUE JUSTICE! There was a great moment where Nagata looked to be out cold, only to play possum and apply the armbar again. Gotta love that veteran knowhow. Again, Goto survived. He also wouldn’t stay down from a Backdrop Driver. Nagata was throwing everything he had at Goto, yet kept coming up short. That led to a fantastic exchange of strikes that the fans ate up. When Nagata countered a sleeper by going after the arm, the fans popped. They wanted him to win so badly. Alas, Goto won after hitting GTR in 15:02. It’s a match that got lost in the shuffle of such a great, lengthy tournament, but this was the perfect battle for the Korakuen Hall crowd. Nagata went out on his shield with performances like this. [****]

*This is the final appearance of Hirooki Goto.

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2017 22:02:11 GMT -5 The Kevstaaa said:

102. Hirooki Goto vs. Yuji Nagata – NJPW G1 Climax 7/21/17

After a night one win over Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto went right back into the fire for another war. Coming into the tournament, we knew this would be the final G1 Climax for Yuji Nagata, which gave each match an extra emotional punch. Goto escaped an early armbar attempt, and took to wearing down the legend. Similar to what happened to Nagata on night one, it was a slap from Goto that awoke him. BLUE JUSTICE! There was a great moment where Nagata looked to be out cold, only to play possum and apply the armbar again. Gotta love that veteran knowhow. Again, Goto survived. He also wouldn’t stay down from a Backdrop Driver. Nagata was throwing everything he had at Goto, yet kept coming up short. That led to a fantastic exchange of strikes that the fans ate up. When Nagata countered a sleeper by going after the arm, the fans popped. They wanted him to win so badly. Alas, Goto won after hitting GTR in 15:02. It’s a match that got lost in the shuffle of such a great, lengthy tournament, but this was the perfect battle for the Korakuen Hall crowd. Nagata went out on his shield with performances like this. [****]

*This is the final appearance of Hirooki Goto.

Nagata is still my G1 mvp and Ishii vs Nagata is my personal underrated match of the year.