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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 16, 2021 20:23:33 GMT -5
27. WWE Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Jeff Hardy [c] vs. Sami Zayn [c] vs. AJ Styles – WWE Clash of Champions
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| Yes, I put Sami as champion too. They opened with highlights of each man in ladder matches in their careers. A lot of this match had the things you’ve come to expect from WWE ladder matches. Guys were slammed onto ladders in vicious ways to the point where their backs looked brutal. In particular, Sami’s body looked absolutely battered. Jeff took an absurdly rough bump onto an open ladder and I don’t know how he’s still taking those. Jeff hit his signature Swanton Bomb off the ladder and through a table, which makes no sense to be doing at his age. Sami Zayn then used handcuffs on Hardy’s earlobe to trap him on a ladder. That was awesome. Sami also handcuffed himself to AJ to prevent him from climbing. When AJ tried to do so, Jeff climbed in with the ladder still attached to him. While AJ battled him, Sami had the keys to uncuff himself and cuff AJ to the ladder before climbing himself to pull down the titles in 26:42. That was a bit long but it was a ton of fun, had some wild spots, and that finish was INCREDIBLE. It’s so refreshing to see creative and original ladder match spots after all this time. Sami is one of the best ever. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Jeff Hardy and Sami Zayn. *It is the last WWE Intercontinental Title and ladder match. *It is the final match from Clash of Champions.
2019 Match #27: WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber: The Boss-n-Hug Connection vs. Fabulous Glow vs. Fire & Desire vs. The Iiconics vs. The Riott Squad vs. Samoan Slaughterhouse – WWE Elimination Chamber 2018 Match #27: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/15/18 2017 Match #27: IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Special in USA 7/2/17 2016 Match #27: Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 60 5/6/16 2015 Match #27: NXT Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Kevin Owens – NXT TakeOver: Rival 2/11/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 16, 2021 23:24:57 GMT -5
26. NXT Women's Championship: Io Shirai [c] vs. Rhea Ripley – NXT 11/18/20
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| Take the biggest female star of NXT in 2019 and put her against the biggest female star of 2020. It’s a recipe for success. Due to the Charlotte Flair fiasco, fans never got the Io Shirai/Rhea Ripley TakeOver match people wanted. They more than made up for it on this episode of NXT in a huge main event. These two put on an absolute classic, culminating after an incredible 22:06. It was a case where the women felt like the top stars in the entire company. Thankfully, there was no cheap copout finish to protect both stars. Instead, they just gave the fans a fitting conclusion. Io busted out a powerbomb through a table and then delivered a moonsault to retain. That allowed Ripley to look great in defeat and have the champion come out on top. Although Ripley ended up sticking around in NXT, this felt like a swan song of sorts and it would’ve worked wonderfully as that. [****¼] |
*This is the final match from NXT TV. *It is the last NXT Women's Title match.
2019 Match #26: Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW G1 Climax 7/18/19 2018 Match #26: New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/15/18 2017 Match #26: PROGRESS Tag Team Championship: Trent Seven and Tyler Bate [c] vs. The South Pacific Power Trip – PROGRESS Chapter 45: Galvanize 3/19/17 2016 Match #26: PROGRESS Championship No Disqualifications Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Marty Scurll – PROGRESS Chapter 25 1/24/16 2015 Match #26: NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Beginnings in Sendai 2/14/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2021 7:59:52 GMT -5
25. Imperium vs. The Undisputed Era – WWE Worlds Collide
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| This match felt like a big deal from the start. The crowd was molten. The opening exchanges between Aichner and O’Reilly were pretty great. Alexander Wolfe was the unfortunate one to get hurt. He took a chop/kick combo and seemed to get knocked out. They had to stop the match for a minute and medics checked on him outside. WALTER had to come in and turn the tide because his guys were starting to take a beating. Imperium had the disadvantage so it was cool to see UE use the numbers to their advantage. I loved Roddy standing up to WALTER and going chop for chop with him. If anyone can do it, it’s Roddy. He also stopped a huge WALTER run by giving him an Olympic Slam through the announce table. It looked like all hope was lost for Imperium but WALTER got back on the apron a few minutes later. He was alive and he got the hot tag. CHOPS GALORE! The finishing stretch was great and saw WALTER win out with a powerbomb on O’Reilly in 29:50. That was exquisite. They had to work through an injury in the first five minutes and still put on a banger. I loved how Roddy got to shine and the way that WALTER played a great babyface. [****¼] |
*This is the final appearance of Alexander Wolfe, Marcel Bartel, Fabian Aichner, Roderick Strong, and Adam Cole. *It is the last ****¼ match.
2019 Match #25: Juice Robinson vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/28/19 2018 Match #25: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Dominion 6/19/18 2017 Match #25: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi [c] vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Power Struggle 11/5/17 2016 Match #25: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW G1 Climax 7/24/16 2015 Match #25: Evolve Championship: Timothy Thatcher (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 47 8/15/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2021 10:25:44 GMT -5
24. NXT Tag Team Championship: The Undisputed Era [c] vs. The Broserweights – NXT TakeOver: Portland
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| I’ve probably mentioned it already but TakeOver: Portland was the best show of the year from NXT. Honestly, it was probably the show of the year from any promotion. The peak of the event was this NXT Tag Team Title match. Obviously, Matt Riddle has become an undesirable but he was on fire early in the year. Alongside Pete Dunne as the Broserweights, they put on consistently good matches to win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Facing the greatest tag team in NXT history, they put on a clinic. The match was 16:59 of pure tag team excellence. It was teased quite often that Dunne and Riddle would implode but it was done the right amount without over going overboard. They pulled together and dominated in a hot closing stretch to overcome the champions and capture the titles. The Bitter Bro to Sleep was one of the most dynamic tandem finishers I can recall. They never got to have a real reign, but we at least got this banger. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Bobby Fish and Pete Dunne. *It is the last match from TakeOver: Portland. *There are no more NXT Tag Team Title matches.
2019 Match #24: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Dragon Lee [c] vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Dominion 2018 Match #24: NXT North American Championship: Ricochet [c] vs. Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne – NXT 10/10/18 2017 Match #24: WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne [c] vs. Tyler Bate – NXT 12/20/17 2016 Match #24: Open the Dream Gate Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. YAMATO – Dragon Gate Kobe World Pro Wrestling Festival 7/24/16 2015 Match #24: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2021 13:34:38 GMT -5
23. Hiromu Takahashi vs. Robbie Eagles – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 11/29/20
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| This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill BOSJ main event. There was some history. When Hiromu Takahashi made his big comeback at the end of 2019, it was thwarted in a tag match when Robbie Eagles shockingly pinned him. Hiromu was looking for revenge in the same building, the hallowed Korakuen Hall. There was also added pressure as a loss for Eagles would eliminate him from the tournament. Meanwhile, a win for Hiromu would keep him at the top of the block. They got off to the expected start of a fast-paced standoff but it felt natural and not at all forced. That’s always important. At no point did this get boring despite the 26:01 runtime. Little things like Hiromu mocking him with chants were good, while you could feel the desperation in everything done by Eagles. The legs were the focus as Eagles looked to set up his Ron Miller Special finisher. That came into play when Hiromu went for his sunset flip bomb and his leg gave way. Beautiful stuff. Eagles gave it his all but fell to the Time Bomb in an incredible match that showcased how good Eagles it. [****½] |
*This is the last appearance of Robbie Eagles.
2019 Match #23: WWE Universal Championship: Seth Rollins [c] vs. AJ Styles – WWE Money in the Bank 2018 Match #23: New Japan Cup Finals: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/21/18 2017 Match #23: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 1/4/17 2016 Match #23: WWE Intercontinental Championship: The Miz (c) vs. Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn – WWE Extreme Rules 5/22/16 2015 Match #23: NXT Women’s Championship Ironman Match: Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks – NXT TakeOver: Respect 10/7/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2021 16:16:06 GMT -5
22. Jordan Devlin vs. Tyler Bate – NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II
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| Pumped for this because they’re two of the best wrestlers on the roster. Right from the start, this was simply about proving who the best wrestler on the brand is. Devlin had Bate well scouted, blocking Bop and Bang in the opening minutes. The target became Bate’s midsection. He risked it on a plancha that worked but then went too high risk again and came crashing down on Devlin’s knees. Devlin honed in on that body part. I loved the game of tit-for-tat they played. For example, after Bate landed on Devlin’s knees, his next shooting star press attempt saw him fake out Devlin, who indeed got his knees up. He added more offense before hitting it, learning from his mistakes. Then, it progressed to something more heated and the slugfest was fantastic. The fans ate it all up. Devlin not falling for Bop and hitting his own Bang was a great spot. The late exchange that led to the Tyler Driver ’97 featured one of the best near falls I can remember. Bate immediately hit the Spiral Tap in frantic fashion to win in 22:23. Another tremendous match. The exchanges they had were ridiculous and the battle of trying to constantly one up each other made for a compelling story. Phenomenal stuff. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Jordan Devlin. *It is the last match from 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
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2021 19:10:30 GMT -5
21. Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Survivor Series
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| Their WrestleMania 35 match disappointed but both guys are doing way better in 2020. Roman carried him with confidence here but Drew hit him in the mouth early and had him regrouping outside. Drew was in his head, at least somewhat. Of course, Roman got going and was his vicious self. However, that’s different against Drew than it is against Jey Uso. Drew can dish it back and they had a hard-hitting, heavy-handed match. Jey was surviving against Roman, Drew was a legitimate threat, evidenced by the Future Shock near fall. Drew’s submission close call was also good. I did chuckle when Roman did a Samoan Drop onto the table. Drew is Lana. Both guys survived each other’s finishers. A ref bump on a Claymore allowed Jey Uso to run out and get involved. That opened the door for Roman to get going and make Drew pass out to the guillotine in 24:51. That was fantastic. The screwy finish even made sense here. This felt like a big fight even with it being a non-title situation. [****½] |
*This is the final match from Survivor Series.
2019 Match #21: New Japan Cup First Round: Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/10/19 2018 Match #21: No Disqualifications Match: Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali – WWE 205 Live 7/3/18 2017 Match #21: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Michael Elgin – NJPW New Beginning in Osaka 2/11/17 2016 Match #21: WWE World Championship: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. AJ Styles – WWE Backlash 9/11/16 2015 Match #21: PWG Championship: Roderick Strong (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PWG Don’t Sweat the Technique 4/3/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2021 21:13:54 GMT -5
20. NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Road 2/20/20
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| During the G1 Climax in 2019, Shingo Takagi and Tomohiro Ishii had the best match. In fact, it ranked higher than any other NJPW match of 2019 for me on this list. A rematch was highly anticipated and it surprisingly didn’t come at a major show. Instead, it was allowed to headline a New Japan Road event. At 27:04, it did last a bit too long but they managed to make it work. While it wasn’t quite on the level of the G1 outing, this was right behind it. Vicious strikes, insane exchanges, great late drama, and some ridiculous close calls. Ishii continues to be the best in the world at kicking out at the very last second. He can also somehow give out a great beating and take one better than almost anyone. That made for a wild dynamic when paired with Shingo, who is awesome at everything. They beat the hell out of each other and when it was all said and done, Shingo hit Last of the Dragon to complete his first title defense. It was another step in making him into a star. [****½] |
*This is the final match from New Japan Road.
2019 Match #20: Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong – NXT TakeOver XXV 2018 Match #20: PROGRESS Tag Team Championship: Calamari Catch Kings [c] vs. LAX – PROGRESS: New York City 8/7/18 2017 Match #20: WWE Championship Elimination Chamber: John Cena [c] vs. AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz – WWE Elimination Chamber 2/12/17 2016 Match #20: NXT Tag Team Championship: The Revival (c) vs. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/20/16 2015 Match #20: Hair vs. Hair: Ethan Carter III vs. Rockstar Spud – TNA Impact 3/13/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 17, 2021 23:28:45 GMT -5
19. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. Ryu Lee –NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka
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| Their history is incredible. From what I’ve seen, their matches go like this. FantasticaMania 2016 (****½), New Beginning in Osaka 2017 (****¾), BOSJ 2017 (****¼), BOSJ 2018 (****¼), and G1 Special in San Francisco (****). That last one was where Hiromu got hurt and missed over a year. Lee leads their all-time series 10-8, though they’re 2-2 since Hiromu returned to NJPW. They came out trading Germans, setting their usual tone of doing insane stuff. The difference here was that it was more intense than usual. Not that their stuff usually isn’t, but you could tell that the injury in 2018 was playing a part. It’s not a stretch to say that they spent the first three to five minutes just chopping each other. Once they got into the bigger offense, it became scary at times. Think Ibushi/Naito levels. What made this extra special were the Dragon Driver teases. People were legitimately frightened that it would be the end of Hiromu if that move connected. Some of the dives hit outside were them playing the hits but it worked well because we haven’t seen them in a while. After throwing big offense at each other late, including an absurd Canadian Destroyer counter, Hiromu won by hitting two Time Bombs in 23:54. Hiromu returned after over 500 days and in two months has put on two stellar singles matches. Dude hasn’t missed a beat. This was another spectacular installment into what is arguably the best rivalry in all of wrestling. They gave us moments from their past but added new twists to keep things fresh. [****½] |
*It is the last appearance of Ryu Lee. *This is the final match from The New Beginning in Osaka.
2019 Match #19: Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes – AEW Double or Nothing 2018 Match #19: WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship Last Woman Standing Match: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Charlotte – WWE Evolution 10/28/18 2017 Match #19: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 7/21/17 2016 Match #19: CMLL World Lightweight Championship: Dragon Lee (c) vs. Kamaitachi – NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania 1/24/16 2015 Match #19: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/9/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2021 10:11:57 GMT -5
18. New Japan Cup First Round: Shingo Takagi vs. SHO – NJPW New Japan Cup 6/22/20
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| Oh, baby. I gave their BOSJ match last year ****½ and it was the most excited I was for any match the company ran in 2019. Like their previous match, this absolutely ruled. SHO learned from that encounter and threw everything he had at Shingo again. However, you could buy that he had been training because he had just a little bit more this go around. He’d explode with dropkicks or pop up after taking offense and start throwing suplexes of his own. You got the sense that Shingo wasn’t quite ready for this onslaught. Of course, the NEVER Champion adjusted and threw his own bombs. That included Noshigami and Pumping Bombers but SHO kept getting up. He delivered his own vicious lariats as if he was the heavyweight and not the other way around. Throughout the match, he also kept going to an armbar that would stop Shingo at every turn. He applied it at the end and as Shingo neared the ropes, he found a way to transition it into Shock Arrow. That gave SHO the surprising 1-2-3 in 17:06. Incredible action, hard-hitting strikes, and a story centered around SHO doing everything to score his biggest win ever. Outstanding. [****½] |
2019 Match #18: WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne [c] vs. WALTER – NXT TakeOver: New York 2018 Match #18: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5/4/18 2017 Match #18: NXT Tag Team Championship: The Authors of Pain [c] vs. #DIY vs. The Revival – NXT TakeOver: Orlando 4/1/17 2016 Match #18: Fenix and Pentagon Jr. vs. Heroes Eventually Die – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/3/16 2015 Match #18: NXT Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Becky Lynch – NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable 5/20/15
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2021 12:58:41 GMT -5
17. Kota Ibushi vs. Minoru Suzuki – NJPW G1 Climax 30 Night 13
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| Their only prior meeting was in the G1 23 (***¾) but Ibushi is a much different wrestler now. This was right up my alley. It was hard hitting right from the start, proving that Ibushi could hang with a guy like Suzuki. At one point, Suzuki walked up to the entrance and dared Ibushi to fight him there, which he did. Suzuki wailed on him with vicious elbows but Kota kept coming back for more, which only seemed to anger Suzuki even more. Near the end, they traded elbows and even some headbutts while laughing at each other. This was sickening in the best possible way. The finishing stretch saw Kamigoye get countered into a Boston Crab but Ibushi came back with a successful one and added a second to win in 16:58. That was a goddamn war and I loved it. Suzuki was still smiling outside as he stumbled to the back. Ibushi was arguably the tourney MVP. [****½] |
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 The Kevstaaa on Jan 18, 2021 15:39:11 GMT -5
16. War Games: Team Candice vs. Team Shotzi – NXT TakeOver: War Games
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| In 2019, the women were placed into their first War Games match. I’d rank it as the second best War Games ever behind the classic one from 1992. The women did it again in 2020 and nearly managed to top it. Almost everything worked in this 35:22 encounter. Dakota Kai shined as the iron woman, starting things off and taking major offense from everyone like a true MVP. Toni Storm had a great run when she entered. Shotzi Blackheart brought the fire you want from a team captain. Candice LeRae was the cunning leader. Raquel Gonzalez and Rhea Ripley dominated the proceedings. Io Shirai proved again why she’s so great. Ember Moon hit a goddamn Eclipse onto an open chair. The whole thing was nuts and absolutely brutal. Raquel pinning Io made for a surprise ending, topping off something great. The women of NXT are untouched as a division. AEW’s tag teams, NJPW’s heavyweights, and every other division in wrestling can’t touch them. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez, Toni Storm, Rhea Ripley, Ember Moon, Io Shirai, and Shotzi Blackheart. *It is the last match from 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 18, 2021 18:36:26 GMT -5
15. NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. SHO – NJPW Dominion
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| Like in their previous matches, they went right after each other. It’s just what these two do. This was an absolute war just as I’ve come to love from these two. Both men threw bombs at one another from huge lariats to big suplexes. There’s an intensity and sense of urgency here that you don’t get in many other NJPW matchups. I liked SHO hitting the Power Breaker only for it to hurt his knees. Shingo is a big boy and that move is different against him than it would be against someone like BUSHI. Still, SHO found ways to push Shingo like nobody else does. The ending was more definitive than I expected. Not that I expected a fluke or anything but Shingo kind of went off on a barrage to put SHO away, capping it with Last of the Dragon in 20:07. He even did a Hirooki Goto style GTR. These two never fail to deliver. Another hard-hitting affair as they tried to one up each other and putting on a show. Possibly their best match together, which is saying something given their work. I want them to fight forever and Shingo holds a 2-1 advantage so far. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of SHO. *It is the last match from Dominion. *There are no more NEVER Openweight Title matches.
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 18, 2021 20:47:06 GMT -5
14. New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Japan Cup 7/2/20
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| Honestly, other than the two SHO/Shingo matches over the past year, this is EASILY the most excited I’ve been for an NJPW match. I love that Hiromu was wild enough to try and battle Ishii in chops only for it to backfire. Although he wouldn’t back down, Hiromu had to change tactics a bit. He wasn’t going to beat Ishii in a strike exchange. He moved into ideas like his triangle choke submission to wear down his bigger opponent. The lack of crowd was surprisingly helpful here as you could really hear what these guys were going through. Every shot Hiromu took led to him yelling in pain or breathing hard. It felt like a true fight. At one point, Hiromu landed on his neck on a lariat and I was terrified. He survived and rallied, even hitting a corner DVD. Ishii kicked out of a Time Bomb and it looked like that would be all Hiromu could throw at him. However, he countered Ishii’s next bit of offense and hit another Time Bomb to score the upset in 19:12. Guess what? You put two of the best wrestlers in NJPW together and they put on a hell of a match. I love it. It’s always the same dudes killing it for this company. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Tomohiro Ishii. *It is the last New Japan Cup match.
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 18, 2021 23:40:38 GMT -5
13. Kota Ibushi vs. Shingo Takagi – NJPW G1 Climax 30 Night 11
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| My biggest dream match of the tournament. Shingo is arguably the best in the world and Ibushi is a safe bet for something special. You got the sense that this would get time as they worked a nuanced start. It wasn’t bad or too slow, it just felt like they were feeling each other and not trying to make the first mistake. Not a bad strategy against a first time opponent. Shingo was the first one to really grab an upper hand but then Ibushi fired off strikes, a moonsault, and a plancha. That blend of athleticism and vicious strikes are what makes Ibushi so great. I like the ways that Ibushi has started to setup Kamigoye. It almost comes out of nowhere but Shingo had it scouted. Of course, the closing stretch was marvelous. Watching Shingo hold Kota up for a delayed Made in Japan was incredible. In the end, Shingo blocked Kamigoye and scored with Last of the Dragon for the huge win after 21:56. Outstanding. It seemed like Ibushi would turn things around in that finish stretch but Shingo just put him down. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Kota Ibushi and Shingo Takagi.
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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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 19, 2021 9:50:18 GMT -5
12. Ironman Match: Kenny Omega vs. PAC – AEW Dynamite 2/26/20
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| This is the rubber match between these two. PAC won at All Out (***¾) while Kenny won on the 11/27 Dynamite (***½). They didn’t post Kenny’s record during his entrance. He came out with the Young Bucks, his opponents for Revolution, and not his tag partner. Within the first three minutes, both men had gone for finishers. In a match like this, that totally makes sense. Kenny’s tope con hilo was the first big highlight. PAC had his first big moment with an avalanche brainbuster. Ten minutes went by without a fall. The second portion of this saw things get intense. Strike exchanges and bigger offensive blows. PAC survived the Tiger Driver ’98, as well as a sick German suplex. It was one of the best I’ve seen Kenny hit. PAC continued to get hit with huge offense but then he got a chair from under the ring and hit Kenny, taking a DQ fall loss at 16:03. He added a second shot to keep Kenny down during the 30-second interval. PAC blasted him with a boot and the Black Arrow in 17:39 to even things up. After a PIP break, PAC hit a Falcon Arrow off the apron, setting the bar for the final 10 minutes. PAC added a Shooting Star Press outside through a table. That should’ve led to a countout fall for PAC but the Young Bucks help Kenny back in before 10. That’s unfair and gives PAC an opening for a grievance if need be. With the score tied at 1, the final few minutes were filled with drama and close calls. PAC was relentless with the Brutalizer. Kenny refused to quit as time expired at 30:00. PAC attacked the referee but sudden death was announced with a new ref. Kenny struck with V-Triggers, a Kamigoye, and the One Winged Angel to win in 31:03. Outstanding pro wrestling. Nailing this stipulation can be tough but they did it well. Probably only behind Bayley/Sasha and Brock/Angle for my favorite Ironman matches. They kept up a wild pace, told a great, logical story, had a hot crowd, and the drama was high late. Best Dynamite match yet. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of PAC. *It is the last match from Dynamite.
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 19, 2021 11:58:49 GMT -5
11. Jay White vs. Minoru Suzuki – NJPW G1 Climax 30 Night 15
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| Suzuki came out on top of their only prior match, coming in the G1 28 (***). Right off the bat, you knew this would be different. Jay’s attempt to stall outside saw a pissed off Suzuki follow him for a fight. The man was in a foul mood. He snapped at Jay’s fingers, chopped him up, and even scared off Gedo by simply looking at him. Intimidation. Normally, White’s game plan is solid. However, everything he did just seemed to anger Suzuki more and lead to him getting his ass kicked harder. Even when he brought in a chair, Suzuki just battered him with it. Nothing he did could give him the clear upper hand he had mostly enjoyed in the tournament. He finally got something going when he went after Suzuki’s knee. Still, Jay ended up tapping out, only for Gedo to distract the referee. Another distraction allowed him to use a low blow and Blade Runner to sneak out with a win after a brilliant 20:30. Suzuki and White are both on spectacular runs right now. This was masterful character work. Suzuki beat the hell out of him, giving Jay what was coming to him. He tried it all and was finally able to barely eke out a win. [****½] |
*This is the last appearance of Jay White and Minoru Suzuki.
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 19, 2021 15:44:04 GMT -5
10. #DIY vs. Moustache Mountain – WWE Worlds Collide
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| Talk about a dream match. This gave us an extended Tyler Bate/Johnny Gargano exchange. I need that singles match. There were some un exchanges between Ciampa and Seven that surprised me. Johnny getting in on Ciampa’s signature spots was a lot of fun and fit perfectly for their history. Seven had a great run during the middle of this. He got to showcase a side we don’t often see since Bate typically gets the hot tag sprints of the team. The back half of this match was absolutely ridiculous. There were some incredible exchanges and moments. Ciampa and Bate going at it leading to a Tyler Driver ’97 near fall was great. The spot where #DIY had Meeting in the Middle cut off by a tandem Bop and Bang was unbelievable. The Spiral Tap accidentally onto Seven led to a fantastic near fall. A wild barrage late saw Bate jump into a superkick and knee. That left Seven alone to eat Meeting in the Middle and that was a wrap at around 22:51 (I had some stream issues). Spectacular pro wrestling. Just two great tag teams doing incredible things. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Tyler Bate, and Trent Seven. *It is the last match from 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 WinOwensWin on Jan 19, 2021 16:17:05 GMT -5
I love these lists more than anything on the board. Look forward to it all year. Going to make a guess and predict NXT doesn't take match of the year (after I believe 5 straight). I'm saying The Young Bucks vs Omega and Hangman from Revolutuon takes the top spot.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 19, 2021 19:16:44 GMT -5
9. Men's Royal Rumble – WWE Royal Rumble
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| When it was announced that Brock Lesnar would join the Royal Rumble as the first entrant, there was cause for concern. However, it turned out remarkably well. He dominated like nobody in history, tossing out 13 people. It was marvelous to watch. From tossing out guys like Cesaro with ease to dancing when MVP’s theme hit to his reaction when he saw Keith Lee, it was absurdly entertaining. That made his elimination at the hands of Drew McIntyre all the more impressive. It got a thunderous pop for a reason. Speaking of a huge ovation, there was the unexpected return of Edge. Talk about something special to experience. Throw in the fact that the action involved throughout was great and this was one of the best Rumble matches in history. Seriously, it was that good. McIntyre winning after 59:34 was also fantastic as it was a case of the right person going over. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Brock Lesnar, Elias, Erick Rowan, Robert Roode, John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, Big E, Cesaro, Shelton Benjamin, Shinsuke Nakamura, MVP, Keith Lee, Braun Strowman, Ricochet, Drew McIntyre, The Miz, AJ Styles, Dolph Ziggler, Karl Anderson, Edge, King Corbin, Riddle, Luke Gallows, Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, Aleister Black, Samoa Joe, and Seth Rollins. *It is the last match from the 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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