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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 31, 2020 16:48:34 GMT -5
I can't believe this is my sixth year doing this list. 2020 was certainly the most unique of them all, as the pandemic made it so wrestling looked different than it ever had before. Still, there were a lot of matches to love. I watched nearly every show put on by the three major companies other than some episode of AEW Dark, WWE Main Event, and NJPW's "Road to" shows.
It looks like between the three promotions, I had 103 matches rated at ****. So, I'll post the honorable mentions before getting into the official list. Since 2020 was so hectic and work picked up, some of the entries will just be my original reviews of the match instead of entirely new write-ups. Hopefully, this list can remind you or let you know about some great matches from a year that was difficult.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 27,955
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Post by chazraps on Jan 1, 2021 2:25:28 GMT -5
Was just thinking about this today! Always look forward to it.
Just curious, with what a unique year this has been, are you including all types of matches - or are you separating things like cinematic matches, or matches like the "Greatest Match of All Time" that was edited and re-edited with multiple takes before we finally saw it?
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 1, 2021 9:55:46 GMT -5
Was just thinking about this today! Always look forward to it. Just curious, with what a unique year this has been, are you including all types of matches - or are you separating things like cinematic matches, or matches like the "Greatest Match of All Time" that was edited and re-edited with multiple takes before we finally saw it? Good question! I am including those, though I believe only two or three in that category made it.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 1, 2021 10:08:35 GMT -5
Honorable Mentions (turns out I had a few more at **** than I realized)
Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy - WWE Raw 1/13/20 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: The Broserweights vs. Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews - NXT 1/15/20 NWA Women's Championship: Allysin Kay [c] vs. Thunder Rosa - NWA Hard Times NXT Cruiserweight Championship: Angel Garza [c] vs. Isaiah Scott vs. Jordan Devlin vs. Travis Banks - WWE Worlds Collide FTR vs. SCU - AEW Dynamite 6/24/20 Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay - NJPW G1 Climax 9/27/20 NXT Cruiserweight Championship: Santos Escobar [c] vs. Isaiah Scott - NXT TakeOver XXX
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Post by polarbearpete on Jan 1, 2021 12:21:22 GMT -5
Was just thinking about this today! Always look forward to it. Just curious, with what a unique year this has been, are you including all types of matches - or are you separating things like cinematic matches, or matches like the "Greatest Match of All Time" that was edited and re-edited with multiple takes before we finally saw it? Edge has said that the Greatest Match was filmed all in one take except that they re-filmed the alternate camera angles for the match at a different time. Not sure if they edited out parts of the match or anything like that, though.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 1, 2021 15:31:39 GMT -5
100. NXT North American Championship: Leon Ruff [c] vs. Damian Priest vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: War Games
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| The idea to put the NXT North American Title on Leon Ruff came as a shock to pretty much everyone. It continued the theme of Johnny Gargano losing his championships in quick succession. Damian Priest was also an interesting part of the program, as he treated Ruff like a joke but his main focus was Gargano. Together, the three of them put on a hell of a show at TakeOver: War Games and nearly managed to steal the show. Their match moved along with a brisk pace and didn’t let up for the entire 17:28. Ruff showed that he belonged with the top stars, while Priest and Gargano continued to display their tremendous chemistry together. The only real issue with this match was the finish. Having so many people in Ghostface costumes come out felt like overkill and the reveal of Austin Theory was pretty lame. Gargano used his cunningness to pin Ruff and secure his record-setting third North American Title reign, which has already surpassed one successful defense. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Leon Ruff.
2019 Match #100: Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio – WWE Raw 8/5/19 2018 Match #100: WWE Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Seth Rollins [c] vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Samoa Joe - WWE Greatest Royal Rumble 2017 Match #100: IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega [c] vs. Baretta – NJPW Power Struggle 11/5/17 2016 Match #100: Kyle O’Reilly vs. Marty Scurll – PWG All-Star Weekend 12 Night One 3/4/16 2015 Match #100: WWE Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match – WWE WrestleMania 3/29/15
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Post by This Player Hating Mothman on Jan 1, 2021 16:47:45 GMT -5
Hell yeah, love this about this time of year.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 27,955
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Post by chazraps on Jan 1, 2021 20:02:27 GMT -5
Was just thinking about this today! Always look forward to it. Just curious, with what a unique year this has been, are you including all types of matches - or are you separating things like cinematic matches, or matches like the "Greatest Match of All Time" that was edited and re-edited with multiple takes before we finally saw it? Edge has said that the Greatest Match was filmed all in one take except that they re-filmed the alternate camera angles for the match at a different time. Not sure if they edited out parts of the match or anything like that, though. My point is, they re-filmed things to be edited in before we saw it. That means we didn't see it in one take like the other matches, which could be seen as giving it sort of an unfair advantage.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 1, 2021 20:35:47 GMT -5
99. KENTA vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 9/29/20
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| Their G1 29 meeting, which Zack won, was an underrated gem from last year. It was interesting here with both men being heels this go around. It followed a formula I’m used to when ZSJ fights Ibushi, at least at the start. He tried to trap KENTA in submissions, only to get slapped around for his efforts. I think things like Zack grabbing at a kick to wrap it up in a hold are always good and it worked here. Zack played the de facto babyface because KENTA is such a dick and he’s so good at it. Sabre would do his best to give it back to KENTA, only to get floored because he was out of his element and overmatched in that situation. There was something pretty great about the back and forth nature of this, which each guy trying to play to his strength. Eventually, KENTA hit the Go to Sleep to win in 15:46 and I really enjoyed that. A hell of a match that is just what I look for in the G1. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of KENTA.
2019 Match #99: Kazuchika Okada vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/14/19 2018 Match #99: David Starr vs. WALTER – PROGRESS Chapter 69: Be Here Now 5/20/18 2017 Match #99: PROGRESS Atlas Championship: Matt Riddle [c] vs. Trent Seven – PROGRESS: Orlando 3/31/17 2016 Match #99: 10 on 10 Elimination Match: Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown – WWE Survivor Series 11/20/16 2015 Match #99: Jay Lethal and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. reDRagon – ROH Field of Honor 8/22/15
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Post by flowercity on Jan 1, 2021 22:56:02 GMT -5
One of my favorite things about this board. Thanks again for doing it Kev
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Post by Oh Cry Me a Screwball on Jan 1, 2021 22:56:08 GMT -5
Edge has said that the Greatest Match was filmed all in one take except that they re-filmed the alternate camera angles for the match at a different time. Not sure if they edited out parts of the match or anything like that, though. My point is, they re-filmed things to be edited in before we saw it. That means we didn't see it in one take like the other matches, which could be seen as giving it sort of an unfair advantage. That's not exactly unprecedented in wrestling, though. Taped wrestling shows do that all the time, albeit in a more limited fashion when they have crowds.
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Post by polarbearpete on Jan 1, 2021 23:54:58 GMT -5
My point is, they re-filmed things to be edited in before we saw it. That means we didn't see it in one take like the other matches, which could be seen as giving it sort of an unfair advantage. That's not exactly unprecedented in wrestling, though. Taped wrestling shows do that all the time, albeit in a more limited fashion when they have crowds. Yeah I remember a Taker-Angle title match on SD having the finish retaped after the show with backstage workers in the crowd.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 2, 2021 0:59:41 GMT -5
98. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Ray Fénix – AEW Dynamite 11/11/20
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| For most of 2020, I noted that AEW was doing a disservice to The Lucha Bros (and Santana and Ortiz for that matter). They had one of the best tag teams on the planet and made them a .500 duo who was an afterthought. After they put on a stellar match in October during the Eliminator Tournament, it seemed like the company finally realized what they had. A highly-anticipated rematch was signed for this night and it headlined the show. Though it only went 12:24, they managed to pack a ton of action and highlights into this. However, it also had bigger storytelling elements. Both brothers ripped at each other’s masks and Penta was especially vicious throughout, hitting three piledriver variations on his brother, who had a bad neck. It played a major part in the split that Eddie Kingston had tried to caused in them, which was added to when PAC made his return after the match. Easily one of the better main events in Dynamite history and a great showcase for two of the best. [****] |
2019 Match #98: WWE Raw Women's Championship: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Sasha Banks – WWE Clash of Champions 2018 Match #98: SANADA vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/8/18 2017 Match #98: WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Neville [c] vs. Austin Aries – WWE WrestleMania 33 4/2/17 2016 Match #98: No Holds Barred Match: Hangman Page vs. Jay Briscoe – ROH Death Before Dishonor XIV 8/19/16 2015 Match #98: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma – NJPW G1 Climax 8/1/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 2, 2021 9:19:44 GMT -5
97. WWE Raw Women's Championship: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Asuka – WWE Raw 2/10/20
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| At the 2019 Royal Rumble, Becky Lynch and Asuka put on a classic that remains one of the best women’s matches in the history of the company. A year later, they went at it again at the Royal Rumble. While that one was good, it didn’t quite match the previous performance. Somewhere in the middle of those two lies this encounter from Raw a few weeks later. The two continued to put on a great showing with a back and forth battle that played into both of their characters, especially with Kairi Sane at ringside. The first two-thirds of this 18:51 encounter were strong but it’s the final third where this really stood out. Asuka and Lynch traded some of their best offense in quality exchanges that included a fantastic finishing stretch. The actual final move was quite unique as Lynch won with a modified uranage, which we hadn’t seen much from her. A great final leg to their trilogy before their emotional ending when Becky relinquished the title to her. [****] |
*This is the final appearance of Becky Lynch.
2019 Match #97: KENTA vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 7/6/19 2018 Match #97: Drew McIntyre vs. Finn Balor vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Raw 7/16/18 2017 Match #97: PROGRESS World Championship: Travis Banks [c] vs. Keith Lee – PROGRESS Chapter 56: La Danse Macabre 10/29/17 2016 Match #97: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA (c) vs. ACH – ROH Conquest Tour 3/12/16 2015 Match #97: Taiji Ishimori vs. Zack Sabre Jr. –NOAH Global League Finals 11/8/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 2, 2021 12:30:15 GMT -5
96. Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi – NJPW G1 Climax 30 10/10/20
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| A first-time meeting that could’ve been great or it could’ve gone the way of the rest of Okada’s 2020 performances. Okada fans complained about how he hadn’t been his usual self in this G1 but this was classic Okada. The formula was back, baby! It was changed up a bit, especially in the finishing stretch, but the old days of overly long matches where the first two-thirds are pretty bland live on! It’s a recipe for very good matches but rarely for great ones. There were things I really liked that earned it a spot on the list, including the way it was paced later on and Shingo doing his own Rainmaker pose. That was awesome. The ending saw Okada finally win a match of importance with the Money Clip submission. Shingo didn’t submit, though, instead passing out from the lame move after 27:45. By no means a classic but a pretty great match that showed the Okada of old is still somewhere in there. Meanwhile, Shingo continued to be awesome and raised the level of a match that might not have worked as well with a different opponent. [****] |
2019 Match #96: WWE United States Championship: Samoa Joe [c] vs. Ricochet – WWE Stomping Grounds 2018 Match #96: Mark Davis vs. WALTER – PROGRESS Chapter 63: Take Me Underground 2/11/18 2017 Match #96: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW Dominion 6/11/17 2016 Match #96: WWE Cruiserweight Classic Qualifying Match: Fred Yehi vs. TJ Perkins – Evolve 61 5/7/16 2015 Match #96: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA (c) vs. Ricochet – G1 Climax Finale 8/16/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 2, 2021 16:03:51 GMT -5
95. Robbie Eagles vs. SHO – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 11/20/20
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| The field for the Best of the Super Juniors this year had a few standout names. Along with Hiromu Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori, and El Desperado, there were these two. Robbie Eagles is something of a technical wizard while SHO is a powerhouse in the division. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the exact story of this 19:22 match. Instead, it was more like speed against strength, with Eagles bringing the quickness. While this might not have totally lived up to my high hopes for it, this was still really good. I love when Eagles busts out the 450 splash onto someone’s leg to set up the Ron Miller Special. It didn’t work when he first attempted it but he got it right the second time and it led him to one of his biggest wins in a NJPW ring. It will totally go underrated in the grand scheme of things but deserves more shine from around the wrestling world. [****] |
2019 Match #95: NXT Cruiserweight Championship: Lio Rush [c] vs. Angel Garza – WWE NXT 12/11/19 2018 Match #95: NXT Women’s Championship: Ember Moon [c] vs. Shayna Baszler – NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 4/7/18 2017 Match #95: The Chosen Bros vs. The Monstars – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/1/17 2016 Match #95: Cedric Alexander vs. Michael Elgin – AAW Cero Miedo 9/1/16 2015 Match #95: Cero Miedo: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro – Ultima Lucha 8/5/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 2, 2021 20:37:28 GMT -5
94. No Disqualifications Match: Alexander Wolfe vs. Ilja Dragunov – NXT UK 1/2/20
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| It seems like we’ve hit a point where the things that happen on NXT UK are basically ignored by most fans. However, the show has had its fair share of great matches. One of them happened right at the start of the year. The feud between Ilja Dragunov and Imperium was only just heating up as the calendar turned to 2020. Before Dragunov could get his hands on United Kingdom Champion WALTER, he had to deal with his henchmen. The one who most bothered him was Alexander Wolfe. That led to this No Disqualifications match, which featured 14:51 of brutal action. They didn’t overdo it with the stipulation but made sure to make it work. There was also a strong dynamic where they played up their history together. The outcome was never really in doubt as Dragunov was the one getting pushed but that didn’t stop this from being a hell of an encounter. [****] |
2019 Match #94: G1 Climax Finals: Jay White vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/19 2018 Match #94: Women's Money in the Bank Match - WWE Money in the Bank 2017 Match #94: Money in the Bank: AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – WWE Money in the Bank 6/18/17 2016 Match #94: Lucha Underground Championship: Matanza Cueto (c) vs. Cage – Lucha Underground 6/1/16 2015 Match #94: NXT Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Adrian Neville – NXT 1/14/15
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Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]
FANatic
Writer, Lover of all things Wrestling. Analytical, Critical, Lovable (hopefully). Lets all have fun!
Posts: 234,846
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Post by Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] on Jan 3, 2021 8:52:03 GMT -5
The best part about these lists is just how varied they are throughout the promotions
Also nice to hear you watched everything barring a few DARK's which especially if they were earlier in the year is understandable, the shows really found its footing in the latter half and ongoing. If I were to pick one match from DARK worthy of the top 100, I think Lee Johnson vs Ben Carter is well worthy of at least an honorable mention, that was incredible.
Guess time will tell!
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 3, 2021 11:33:56 GMT -5
93. NXT North American Championship Qualifying Match: Bronson Reed vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Roderick Strong – NXT 7/22/20
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| It was kind of hard to see this one coming. During the buildup to TakeOver XXX, a new North American Champion was needed due to Keith Lee relinquishing his gold. There was just no way to expect this triple threat match to be as good as it was. Right at the start, Bronson Reed proved to be a problem due to his sheer size. It caused Roderick Strong and Johnny Gargano to work together, even though they had a long history of disliking each other. They were even quick to turn on each other. Reed’s size turned out to actually be the thing the entire match was built around. They utilized it in clever ways and made sure this was entertaining for the entire 20:50. Strong and Gargano have been two of NXT’s top guys for a while but this felt like Reed’s coming out party. He was given the platform to shine brightest here and delivered. He also scored a huge win with a splash, earning his way into a TakeOver title shot. This was huge for Reed. [****] |
2019 Match #93: New Japan Cup First Round: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yuji Nagata – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/8/19 2018 Match #93: WWE Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE Smackdown 10/30/18 2017 Match #93: PROGRESS World Championship: Pete Dunne [c] vs. Travis Banks – PROGRESS Chapter 55: Chase the Sun 9/10/17 2016 Match #93: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Dominion 6/19/16 2015 Match #93: Alberto El Patron vs. Johnny Mundo – Ultima Lucha 8/5/15
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Post by polarbearpete on Jan 3, 2021 14:59:25 GMT -5
The best part about these lists is just how varied they are throughout the promotions Also nice to hear you watched everything barring a few DARK's which especially if they were earlier in the year is understandable, the shows really found its footing in the latter half and ongoing. If I were to pick one match from DARK worthy of the top 100, I think Lee Johnson vs Ben Carter is well worthy of at least an honorable mention, that was incredible. Guess time will tell! I think Meltzer had the Carter-Johnson match at 3.5 stars.
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