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

[The Kevstaaa]

49. Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yuji Nagata – NJPW G1 Climax 8/1/17

One of the best things about the G1 Climax this year was Yuji Nagata’s string of performances. In his final tournament run, he put on some of his best work in years. These two came out trading blows like you’d expect. Unlike their past matches, Nagata showed his age, getting worn out early. However, once Ishii started in with disrespectful slaps, everybody’s favorite dad fired up and dished out as much as he was taking. Nagata came into the match with no points and was giving everything he had to not finish the tournament without a win in his final run. It was now Ishii’s turn to sell Nagata’s strikes like death. Their exchanges down the stretch were remarkable. When Nagata scored with the brainbuster, everyone believed he had finally done it, but Ishii got the shoulder up at the very last second. That was it for Nagata, though, as he fell moments later to a brainbuster of Ishii’s own. This was a tremendous 13:59. On its own, this match ruled, but when you add in Nagata’s G1 story and his desperation to get his first win, you’ve got an absolute winner. I enjoyed this much more on my second viewing. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of Yuji Nagata.

[The Kevstaaa]

48. Cueto Cup Finals: Pentagon Dark vs. Prince Puma – Lucha Underground 8/23/17

The giant Cueto Cup Tournament came down to arguably the two biggest stars in Lucha Underground. Prince Puma was the first champion and the ultimate hero. Pentagon Dark epitomized the anti-hero, as his violent tactics made him a fan favorite. However, Puma had a transformation in season three and was crossing to the dark side. They met in season two, with some questionable finishes. This took what worked in those matches and built on it to make a great tournament closer. You won’t find many better sub-ten minute matches. It clocked in at 9:34 and was action from bell to bell. There was a sense of urgency in everything they did, adding to the importantance of the Cueto Cup. Puma had been to the top before, but Pentagon just kept coming up short. After a barrage of wild offense, Puma connected on a super rana. He looked over to Vampiro, who gave a thumbs down signal. Puma finished Pentagon with the 630 and earned another Ultima Lucha main event. Pentagon failed again, watching his old mentor celebrate with his replacement protégé. Excellent action and a great piece of a larger story. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of Pentagon Dark.
*It is the final match from the Cueto Cup.

[The Kevstaaa]

47. Best of the Super Juniors Finals: KUSHIDA vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 6/3/17

The finals of this tournament have made my list each year. In 2015, KUSHIDA beat Kyle O’Reilly (****½) and in 2016, Will Ospreay beat Ryusuke Taguchi (****). I’d rank this in the middle of those. It was also the third singles meeting in NJPW between KUSHIDA and Ospreay. Their first (****½) was a classic, while the second underwhelmed (***¾). This also ranked in the middle of those. To get the obvious issue out of the way first, I thought this went too long at 27:59. NJPW seemed to be on a, “length = greatness” kick with a lot of main events this year. You could shave off 6-8 minutes and have a better match in my mind. With that out of the way, we can talk the positives. Their chemistry is great and it made for some stellar sequences and exchanges. I loved Ospreay not going the typical good guy route, as he was willing to take a countout victory. It helped hammer home his desperation to finally beat KUSHIDA, who he was 0-2 against in NJPW. The highlight was the closing stretch, as things got especially physical. KUSHIDA had to dig deep and find something to keep his perfect record against Ospreay going. Meanwhile, nothing Will did could keep his rival down. KUSHIDA finally hit Back to the Future, held on like Okada and nailed a second to win the tournament. Their second best match together and much better than their match later in the year. [****¼]

*This is the final match from the Best of the Super Juniors.

[The Kevstaaa]

46. WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship: The New Day [c] vs. The Usos – WWE SummerSlam 8/20/17

SummerSlam was a night for tag team wrestling. Actually, all of SummerSlam weekend was, because the NXT Tag Title match in Brooklyn was lots of fun. At Battleground the previous month, these teams stole the show. This was even better. In the first match, Xavier Woods replaced Big E to help give it a more frantic pace. Big E replaced Kofi Kingston in this one, but again, it felt like Woods was the star. He’s in no way the weak link of the team like some thought a while back. He played the face in peril so well and his rope walk assisted Big Ending spot got me out of my seat. As for the Usos, not only did their heel turn freshen them up, but they busted out new stuff here. It was highlighted by their Alley-Uso assisted Samoan Drop, except Woods was tossed over the top and to the outside. Some superkicks and a series of splashes led the Usos to win at 19:12. The best Kickoff match in history. Also, kudos to the Usos for joining the Hardys, Edge & Christian, the Dudleys and the New Age Outlaws as four-time Tag Team Champions. [****¼]

[The Kevstaaa]

45. Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 77 1/28/17

Not since Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven has a one-sided rivalry been held in such high esteem. Maybe Christian vs. Randy Orton. The Chris Hero/Zack Sabre Jr. series has those beat in terms of quality. They’ve had nothing but great matches together. They made this list once in 2015 and twice in 2016. This was Hero’s final match in Evolve before his WWE return as Kassius Ohno. Hero wanted a handshake to start, but Sabre pulled him into a submission. His desperation to finally beat Ohno, which he had yet to do on a WWN show, was clear. Alas, Hero’s size was too much. He proceeded to brutalize Sabre at every opportunity. Uppercuts, BIG BOY sentons and forearms galore. Sabre’s hope spots were all submissions and flash pins. Sabre took a vicious looking piledriver. He sells those better than anyone in wrestling. On his way to NXT, Hero busted out a Pedigree that Sabre kicked out of at one. After two more piledrivers, Sabre countered a third into a submission to finally beat Hero at 22:59. Not their best match together, but right up there towards the top. It was a fine sendoff for Hero and sent Sabre on the road to the Evolve Title. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of Chris Hero.
*It is the final match from Evolve 77.

[The Kevstaaa]

44. WWN Championship: Matt Riddle [c] vs. Kyle O’Reilly – Evolve 84 5/20/17

In between a short stint as ROH World Champion at the start of the year and his run with the Undisputed Era, Kyle O’Reilly spent some time in Evolve. I saw these two wrestle at BOLA last year and while it was good, it kind of disappointed me. Here, they were given the main event slot and 16:11 to work with, which they used to deliver a much better match. Their styles seem made for each other. Both guys tried submissions early, they both brought stiff strikes and they both kicked hard. Kyle continually had answers for Riddle’s offense, having done his homework. There was a great near fall when Riddle nailed the Bro to Sleep and a German suplex. As the match was winding down, it seemed like Riddle could outlast Kyle. The challenger went to guillotine chokes to slow things down. Riddle survived, leading to the finishing stretch. It started with a few awkward moments, but really picked up. Riddle got two on a Liger Bomb and Kyle went right into a triangle choke. Riddle powered out and delivered a jumping Tombstone. He applied the Bromission and Kyle had to tap out. It was one of the best Evolve matches all year. Parts of it felt like a real fight and it played to their strengths in all the right ways. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of Kyle O'Reilly.
*It is the final match from Evolve 84.

[The Kevstaaa]

43. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. Ricochet – NJPW Wrestling Toyonokuni 4/29/17

Ricochet’s list of NJPW accolades includes the Jr. Tag Titles and BOTSJ trophy, but the Jr. Heavyweight Title has eluded him. He took down Hiromu Takahashi with a flurry of offense, capped by a springboard 450 splash to nearly win in the opening minute. It was a great showcase of how badly he wanted it and a turnaround from how Hiromu squashed KUSHIDA twenty days earlier. That set the tone for a match filled with big spots and worked at a breakneck pace. Ricochet had the champ well scouted, having counters and answers for everything. At one point, he turned a Hiromu dive into a Northern lights suplex, before transitioning right into a brainbuster on the outside. The wildness continued inside with Germans, DVDs, and more counters. Ricochet hit the Benadryller, but didn’t get all of it, so Hiromu managed to kick out. There was tremendous camerawork as it panned from a bewildered Ricochet to the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. Desperate, his high risk 630 splash didn’t pay off, as he crashed and burned. Hiromu hit a Destroyer, corner DVD and Time Bomb to retain in 16:29. This was frantic and had a sense of urgency that too many matches lack. It was batshit insane, which is what I want and expect from Hiromu. Ricochet was great too, with possibly his best performance all year, but it’s Hiromu’s world and we’re just living in it. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of Ricochet.
*It is the final match from Wrestling Toyonokuni.

[The Kevstaaa]

42. Donovan Dijak vs. Keith Lee – Evolve 81 3/31/17

It’s the match that stole WrestleMania weekend for many. This was billed as a heavyweight challenge, but the moves used were something you’d typically see in a match involving much smaller competitors. Donovan Dijak and Keith Lee are big dudes who can do athletic stuff. This match saw them one up each other in that department, making for one hell of a spectacle. In one of the craziest and most impressive spots I’ve ever seen, Dijak hit a Canadian Destroyer. On Keith freaking Lee. It must be seen to be believed. That wasn’t enough to finish things and neither were Dijak’s Feast Your Eyes finisher or a huge Lee moonsault. When Lee went for a chokeslam, Dijak back flipped out and went for his own. Lee responded with his own back flip to escape and won with the Spirit Bomb. I didn’t put too much detail about the moves done, because you honestly need to see it. It wasn’t the longest match (going just 12:09), it wasn’t the biggest match and it wasn’t the best match, but you just have to see these guys do their thing. I watched with friends and we all went nuts. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of Donovan Dijak.
*It is the final match from Evolve 81.

[The Kevstaaa]

41. Kazuchika Okada vs. Satoshi Kojima – NJPW G1 Climax 7/27/17

When I make my Roman Reigns/Kazuchika Okada comparisons, I don’t mean it as a slight to Okada. Both are heavily pushed and very talented in the ring. However, one of the biggest similarities is how great they are at playing the smug dick role. Coming into the tournament, Okada noted how he felt legends like Yuji Nagata and Satoshi Kojima shouldn’t be in the G1 Climax, because they’re old and had no chance of winning. What a jerk! He played into it perfectly here, feeding into the boos and going so far as to attack Kojima’s partner at ringside, Hiroyoshi Tenzan. His cockiness opened the door for Kojima to light him up with Mongolian chops. Kojima came close to winning after a Koji Cutter and Brainbuster, but it takes more than that to keep Okada down. He avoided two Rainmakers, blocking the second with a lariat of his own for one of the coolest moments of the entire tournament. That was his last stand, as Okada got hot and won with a successful Rainmaker in 15:26. I loved this because it didn’t follow typical Okada formula. It showed that he doesn’t need to work overly long 25+ minute outings to be great. Kojima was awesome, Okada was at his smug best and it was my third favorite Okada match of 2017. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of Satoshi Kojima.

[The Kevstaaa]

40. Flash Morgan Webster, Jimmy Havoc and Mark Haskins vs. Pete Dunne, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate – PROGRESS Chapter 44: Old Man Yells at Cloud 2/26/17

If any member of the Webster/Havoc/Haskins team scored the pin, they’d get a PROGRESS Title shot, but if any of them got pinned, they couldn’t have a shot for six months. High stakes. The British Strong Style trio hit pre-match low blows and went for Pedigrees, but they were countered to officially start the match. The dynamic of the face team all wanting the pin for themselves came into play early, but they put it aside to hit a bunch of dives. British Strong Style worked better as a team since they are an established unit. We got a cool moment where Dunne and Haskins trapped their opponents in double submissions while slapping each other. There was so much action packed into this 15:06 that it would take too much to write it all. The teams started doing moves in stereo, including the face team stealing Bate’s signature “bop and bang” spot and hitting a trio of Canadian Destroyers, while BSS got in some Pedigrees. When it looked like Dunne was about to beat Webster, Havoc entered the picture and pinned the PROGRESS Champion with an Acid Rainmaker to earn the title shot. There was zero down time here. It was wall-to-wall action and the awesome kind of main event you want your show to close with. Lots of great individual character moments mixed in with wild action. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of Flash Morgan Webster.
*It is the final match from Old Man Yells At Cloud.

[The Kevstaaa]

39. NXT Women’s Championship Last Woman Standing Match: Asuka [c] vs. Nikki Cross – NXT 6/28/17

I know everyone raved about the Asuka/Ember Moon matches, and rightfully so, but this was the best WWE women’s match since the Sasha/Bayley series in 2015. A Last Woman Standing Match was the perfect idea for the dominant champion and the one woman crazy enough to possibly do enough to dethrone her. They got violent from the start. Nikki was slammed onto a pile of chairs and got hit with a bunch of kicks while in a trash can. Asuka took a brutal back suplex onto that same pile of chairs and a powerbomb onto another pile outside. Nikki threw every wacky idea her wild mind could come up with, but Asuka wouldn’t stay down for the ten count. When the finish finally came, it felt earned. A ladder was set up by the announce table. Both women fought atop, with Asuka winning out and nailing a superplex through the table. They were both down, but it was Asuka who got up just the count of ten, retaining her title in an insane 18:46. I feel like this is getting forgotten when it comes to the great women’s matches of the year, but it shouldn’t. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of both Asuka and Nikki Cross.
*It is the final Last Man/Woman Standing Match.
*It is the final NXT Women's Championship match.

[The Kevstaaa]

38. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 1/4/17

Hiromu Takahashi did all he could to save NJPW’s junior heavyweight division. His arrival at the end of 2016 was the shot in the arm it needed. It set up this awesome, fresh rivalry for the title. He attacked KUSHIDA during his entrance, but the champion was no slouch, and turned it around to hit an insane dive. The stuff they did in the ring was crisp, until Hiromu tried a diving rana to the outside. They flubbed it, but Hiromu made up for it with a bonkers senton to the outside. He’s interesting because his wild style allows for things like that to actually be fitting. KUSHIDA learned and adapted, blocking a second sunset flip bomb and catching Hiromu in an armbar. He held it for as long as possible without getting DQed. It was clear that KUSHIDA had to get aggressive to beat this new challenger. The focus remained on Takahashi’s arm, with him having to escape the Hoverboard Lock on multiple occasions. One of those was off the top and countered into an inverted destroyer. Hiromu then used a corner DVD and the Time Bomb to capture his first Jr. Heavyweight Title at 16:14. This was the great Tokyo Dome Jr. Title match we’ve needed for years. It was the catalyst for Hiromu “Wrestler of the First Half” Takahashi. They’d go on to have an even better match in June. [****¼]

[The Kevstaaa]

37. Number One Contender’s Match: Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Seth Rollins – Raw 5/1/17

The Intercontinental Championship isn’t usually a focal point of Raw main events, but the night after Payback was different. With Brock Lesnar sitting at home with the Universal Championship, the IC Title took center stage (and it absolutely should more often with Brock’s schedule). Though they staked their claim for a shot at the Universal Title, former WWE Champion Seth Rollins and former Universal Champion Finn Balor got into it with The Miz and IC Champion Dean Ambrose, leading to this main event. Miz played his role masterfully in this, which is typical of him. He avoided action early, tried making deals with his opponents and literally hid behind Maryse. Seth and Finn brought the goods as well. It was Seth’s best performance of 2017 and Finn’s best since returning from injury. The final stretch was great, with lots of close calls, without going into the overused finisher kickout barrage. My only true gripe with this was that interference riddled this as it reached its peak. Samoa Joe ran in to take out Seth and just when Balor had it won, Bray Wyatt appeared and attacked him (that angle was randomly dropped for a while). Miz stole the win at 22:23 and got to face Ambrose in a lackluster rivalry. Regardless of what came next, this was excellent. It was the best match for the Raw brand since the split in July 2016. Yes, I’m even including PPVs, at least until the SummerSlam Universal Title match. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of Seth Rollins and Finn Balor.
*It is the final match from Raw.

[The Kevstaaa]

36. PROGRESS Atlas Championship: Matt Riddle [c] vs. WALTER – PROGRESS Chapter 51: Screaming for PROGRESS 7/9/17

Matt Riddle captured the PROGRESS Atlas Championship, a title exclusively for wrestlers over 205 pounds, in January. During his 175 days as champion, he made 11 defenses, across three countries. A successful defense came against WALTER, in one hell of a match at Chapter 46. They went out and bested it at Chapter 51. To know what this match was all about, just know that within the first minute, both of their chests were bright red. By the time it was over, Riddle’s looked like ground meat. They chopped each other from bell to bell and brought the kind of strong style match that would rival even the best ones NJPW could put on. Riddle got dominated at times, getting himself into trouble because he was simply outmatched. WALTER also brought his wits, as he wisely kicked out Riddle’s leg to setup an ankle lock. Well done. Riddle refused to die, so WALTER just had to try harder to kill him, finally hitting a series of powerbombs and applying a rear naked choke. Riddle knew it was over and tapped out after 11:38 of incredible action. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of WALTER.
*It is the final match from Screaming for PROGRESS.
*It is the final PROGRESS Atlas Championship match.

[Facetious]

My boy Riddle getting mad love for his work. Love it!

[The Kevstaaa]

35. Andrade Almas vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/19/17

I admit, I’m probably giving a biased opinion here because Almas and Gargano are my two favorite wrestlers in NXT. Even without that, I also think they're the best guys there. This had most of the elements I look for in a great match. It was the perfect choice to open TakeOver: Brooklyn. Gargano is the best babyface the company has left and the crowd ate up everything he did. Almas was in the midst of an angle where his new manager, Zelina Vega, was making sure he focused to turn his win/loss record around. There were elements of Almas reverting back to his old form with tranquilo taunts, and it would cost him. When he finally got serious, he was right on Gargano’s level. Some people didn’t like the finish, but I thought it was perfect. Just when Gargano had things in hand, Vega threw a #DIY shirt at him. That distraction allowed Almas to win at the 13:13 mark. It worked so well because it helped establish Vega’s presence as a valuable valet, protected Gargano, got Almas a much-needed win and added to the #DIY split angle. Gargano had been ignoring it since returning, but here it was, thrown in his face to cost him his first big singles match since the split. Spectacular work by the two best guys in NXT. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of Andrade Almas.
*It is the final match from TakeOver: Brooklyn.

[The Kevstaaa]

34. PROGRESS Championship No Disqualifications Match: Pete Dunne [c] vs. Jimmy Havoc – PROGRESS Chapter 45: Galvanize 3/19/17

Jimmy Havoc defeated Pete Dunne via disqualification in their first title match. Havoc earned another shot at Chapter 44 and this one would be contested under No Disqualifications rules. That format is perfectly suited for the challenger. Knowing that (and because he’s a dick) Dunne jumped Havoc during his entrance. They brawled all around the Ritz, using weapons like a steel chair, the PROGRESS Title and even a frying pan. The violence escalated to include Dunne wrapping barbed wire around Havoc’s legs and stomping them, as well as Dunne stapling Havoc’s forehead, elbow and FINGER. That looked like it hurt so much. But, it was nothing compared to Havoc’s retaliation. He gave Dunne several PAPER CUTS in the webbings between his fingers and made it worse by pouring ALCOHOL on the wounds. It was legitimately hard to watch. They weren’t done. They traded shots with their forearms wrapped in barbed wire and Havoc hit a Canadian Destroyer onto thumbtacks. Will Ospreay got involved, continuing his feud with Havoc and costing him the match. Dunne nailed him in the ribs with a barbed wire bat and retained via Bitter End in 25:56. A magnificent hardcore match that only got bogged down by a bit of an overbooked finish. [****¼]

*This is the final PROGRESS Championship match.
*This is the final ****1/4 match. We're entering the elite ****1/2+ section.

[Allie Kitsune]

Jan 8, 2018 14:55:51 GMT -5 The Kevstaaa said:

35. Andrade Almas vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/19/17

I admit, I’m probably giving a biased opinion here because Almas and Gargano are my two favorite wrestlers in NXT. Even without that, I also think they're the best guys there. This had most of the elements I look for in a great match. It was the perfect choice to open TakeOver: Brooklyn. Gargano is the best babyface the company has left and the crowd ate up everything he did. Almas was in the midst of an angle where his new manager, Zelina Vega, was making sure he focused to turn his win/loss record around. There were elements of Almas reverting back to his old form with tranquilo taunts, and it would cost him. When he finally got serious, he was right on Gargano’s level. Some people didn’t like the finish, but I thought it was perfect. Just when Gargano had things in hand, Vega threw a #DIY shirt at him. That distraction allowed Almas to win at the 13:13 mark. It worked so well because it helped establish Vega’s presence as a valuable valet, protected Gargano, got Almas a much-needed win and added to the #DIY split angle. Gargano had been ignoring it since returning, but here it was, thrown in his face to cost him his first big singles match since the split. Spectacular work by the two best guys in NXT. [****¼]

*This is the final appearance of Andrade Almas.
*It is the final match from TakeOver: Brooklyn.

This was one of my favorites of the year.

I have big expectations for their match in Philly.

[The Kevstaaa]

33. WWN Championship: Matt Riddle [c] vs. Keith Lee – Evolve 87 6/25/17

Though I was unable to finish the full year of Evolve shows, from what I did watch, these two were tops in terms of quality matches. The atmosphere in New York was crazy for this one. The bros fist bumped before the bell, but went right into a battle of strikes. Riddle got thrown around with relative ease and had to fight back the way he did against Jeff Cobb in PROGRESS the previous month. Both guys threw their best shot at the other, like Riddle using a Bro to Sleep and Lee hitting a POUNCE (PERIOD). Riddle tried using a bunch of sentons, until Lee caught one into an awesome Spirit Bomb for two. We got even more trading of bombs as this neared the 14:45 finish. In a great ending, Riddle hit a knee strike as Lee delivered a headbutt. Both men collapsed, but Riddle was lucky enough to land on Lee and score the three count to retain. A fantastic main event with one of the best finishes all year. It kept both men strong and made the rematch all the more intriguing. Good booking combined with great action. [****¼]

*This is the final WWN Championship match.
*This is the final Evolve match.

[lionelp]

Is it just me that goes to read the match report, but then just looks at Carmella instead.