|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 19, 2021 21:21:09 GMT -5
8. WWE Universal Championship Hell In A Cell I Quit Match: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Jey Uso – WWE Hell in a Cell
|
| Right off the bat, they picked up where they left off, with Reigns battered Jey. One thing I love about the new environment is getting to hear some of the trash talk. Things like Roman telling Jey that in 5-10 minutes, he’ll wish he had quit was a great addition. Reigns started delivering Spears and demanding that Jey quit. Not using the constant referee, “DO YOU WANNT QUIT?” gimmick was beneficial. Jey’s “YOU BOUT TO GET THIS WORK TOO” was also tremendous. I liked how he was the one to resort to things like the strap because he has to do more to put him down. It became something of a strap match on top of the cell and I Quit stipulations. I loved Jey almost making Reigns pass out, Heyman pleading with Jey to quit, and Roman using the guillotine. When Jey didn’t quit, Roman Drive-By dropkicked the steel steps into his head. The ref wanted to call for the bell but Roman stopped him. Officials came out to stop it but Roman simply locked them in the cell too. He went to crush Jey with steel steps until Jimmy came out and begged him to stop. He got real, telling Roman he didn’t have to act this way. Roman cried as he said he didn’t know who he was anymore. He seemed genuinely sorry but then grabbed Jimmy in a guillotine. Jimmy grabbed Jey’s hand as he was being choked out, which shook him out of it. Seeing his brother in that position, Jey quit at 29:08. The range of emotions Roman went through were nuts. Fantastic acting. A brutal match with top-notch storytelling. Roman is on another level right now. Nobody in wrestling can touch him, regardless of company. Jey was fantastic at drawing sympathy too. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Roman Reigns and Jey Uso. *It is the last I Quit Match.
2019 Match #8: Jon Moxley vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/19/19 2018 Match #8: IWGP Heavyweight Championship Two Out of Three Falls Match: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW Dominion 6/9/18 2017 Match #8: WWE Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar [c] vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe – WWE SummerSlam 8/20/17 2016 Match #8: Kota Ibushi vs. TJ Perkins – WWE Cruiserweight Classic Finals 9/14/16 2015 Match #8: ROH World Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs. AJ Styles – ROH Final Battle 12/18/15
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 20, 2021 0:26:29 GMT -5
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 30 Night Two
|
| I still say that these two had a better trilogy in 2017 than the more-hyped one between Okada and Omega. This got off to a slower start as it was both a case of Naito doing Naito things and this being two guys who know each other so well. They understand not to get caught in the traps of the other. Naito got the upper hand but Tanahashi had counters ready for things like his corner dropkick. Again, the experience and history comes into play. That turned the tide and put Tanahashi in control. Considering Tanahashi’s age, things like his High Fly Flow to the outside take on extra meaning. You can tell that it kills him but he needs stuff like that against the likes of Naito. The entire match felt like a true battle with each guy having to dig deep to outwit a classic rival. In typical NJPW fashion, the closing minutes were filled with tremendous counters, close calls, and more. The difference between this and other NJPW matches is that the early stuff never felt like filler and it all mattered. The crowd exploded for that final segment before Naito won with Destino in 27:16. A spectacular main event that overdelivered. I know they’re capable of great but you sometimes expect them to play the hits for a pop. Instead, they had one of their best matches ever that I’d rank only slightly behind the G1 27 meeting. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito. *It is the last match from the G1 Climax.
2019 Match #7: Candice LeRae vs. Io Shirai – NXT TakeOver: Toronto 2018 Match #7: PROGRESS Atlas Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Timothy Thatcher – PROGRESS Chapter 62: Fear No More, Come To Dust 1/28/18 2017 Match #7: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/17 2016 Match #7: Lucha Underground Championship: Mil Muertes (c) vs. Fenix – Lucha Underground 3/16/16 2015 Match #7: Grave Consequences: Fenix vs. Mil Muertes – Lucha Underground 3/18/15
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 20, 2021 10:35:52 GMT -5
6. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14
|
| Their previous two Jr. Heavyweight Title meetings were split and I gave them ****¼ and ****½. I’m so excited to see Hiromu back in singles action. Ospreay came in wildly confident. He’s dominated the division, competed with heavyweights, and Hiromu is coming off of a career-threatening injury. Ospreay played the role of the asshole and it’s one he needs to tackle more often. The guy is an unlikable prick in real life so let him play into that. His work in this felt more natural than ever. There were some bonkers sequences like the Sasuke Special/German suplex series. It’s insane, crisp, and could only be pulled off by a handful of competitors. Ospreay targeting the neck was savage and uncomfortable at times. It did make underdog Hiromu come off better. I loved the Hidden Blade collapse as it sold Hiromu as being done. The crowd cheering for him just sent Will off the deep end. There were too many wild moments to even count in this. I was blown away at times. Will hit arguably his best Hidden Blade but Hiromu survived and kept countering Storm Breaker. Time Bomb didn’t get the job done so Hiromu debuted a modified Emerald Flowsion to win the title in 24:33. Spectacular. Hiromu hasn’t missed a beat and reclaims his spot as the best junior heavyweight in the world. This was the best I’ve ever seen Willy. Seriously, the unlikable douche role is PERFECT for him. They had a wild match that told a great story, stopped just shy of diminishing returns, and delivered on high expectations. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Will Ospreay. *It is the last IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title match. *There are no more matches from Wrestle Kingdom.
2019 Match #6: NXT Tag Team Championship: War Raiders [c] vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet – NXT TakeOver: New York 2018 Match #6: Unsanctioned Match: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa – NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 4/7/18 2017 Match #6: WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Hell in a Cell: The New Day [c] vs. The Usos – WWE Hell in a Cell 10/8/17 2016 Match #6: NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 1/4/16 2015 Match #6: GHC Heavyweight Championship: Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Takashi Sugiura – NOAH Great Voyage in Osaka 9/19/15
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 20, 2021 14:50:04 GMT -5
5. AEW Tag Team Championship: Hangman Page and Kenny Omega [c] vs. The Young Bucks – AEW Revolution
|
| I may not be a big fan of anyone in the match but this has been built really well over the past few months. This got off to a traditional, somewhat respectable start. Then Page spit in Matt’s face and that turned things ugly. They began to slug it out and was right up the alley of the storyline coming in. I still appreciate the way that Matt Jackson has been selling the lower back since Wrestle Kingdom like four years ago. The Bucks ultimately turned the tables and started isolating Kenny Omega. This was set up well because the Bucks, as the tag experts, kept cutting off the hot tag. Matt spat at Page when cutting one off, playing off of the earlier spot. When Page got the tag, it was a big deal. The crowd was also firmly behind him, which added to the atmosphere. After Page’s hot run, he threw Nick to the corner and demanded Matt. It was personal. A few spots in this felt a bit to contrived (like Nick’s Destroyer from the aisle to the inside) but it was mostly smooth sailing. They made sure to include plenty of big spots and callbacks, like Page busting out the Marty Scurll chicken wing. I like Matt’s trio of northern lights suplexes but it doesn’t make much sense when your back hurts. I get adrenaline pumping enough for one but three seems like a bit much. After taking Page out with an Indytaker outside, the Bucks hit Kenny with the Golden Trigger. Rude. He kicked out at one and the fans erupted. Page returned to save his buddy and then Matt kicked out of the Buckshot/V-Trigger combo. Matt survived Page hitting his own One Winged Angel but then Page nailed each of them with a Buckshot Lariat to win in 30:08. Not in the conversation for GOAT tag match like I’ve seen some people say but still tremendous. The action was obviously great but what made this special were the storytelling details sprinkled in throughout. From Page having something to prove to the Bucks going more heel as this progressed, it ruled. Arguably the best AEW match so far. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance of Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, and The Young Bucks. *It is the last match from Revolution and the final AEW Tag Team Title match. *There are no more AEW matches.
2019 Match #5: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 2018 Match #5: Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: War Games 11/17/18 2017 Match #5: Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 7/17/17 2016 Match #5: AJ Styles vs. John Cena – WWE SummerSlam 8/21/16 2015 Match #5: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 7/29/15
|
|
|
Post by Some Baritone guy IS REDEEMED! on Jan 20, 2021 15:04:08 GMT -5
I'm predicting in no particular order
Desperado Vs. Hiromu WALTER Vs. Dragunov (if I had to guess #1) O'Reilly Vs. Balor
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 20, 2021 18:12:27 GMT -5
4. WWE Smackdown Women's Championship Hell In A Cell Match: Bayley [c] vs. Sasha Banks – WWE Hell in a Cell
|
| Imagine not putting this as the main event. The story indicates a Sasha win here but after the Charlotte feud in 2016 (and the Alexa one in 2017 and the Becky one in 2019), that’s not a thought process I have anymore. Like Roman and Jey, the heel wore black and the face wore white. Bayley came out with her chair, only for Sasha to knock it out of her hands and out of the cell before the cage lowered. Still, once they started battling, Bayley brought out things like tables and kendo sticks. Sasha running up the table for a Meteora into the cell was splendid. A few of their spots felt a bit contrived but there were some brutal ones that evened it out. The sunset flip bombs into the cage and steel chair were both vicious. They were making the most out of the environment. Bayley laid out Sasha across a ladder propped up on two chairs but missed her move off the top. Sasha responded with a Bayley to Belly of her own onto a ladder but that still wasn’t enough. The finish was outstanding and as brutal as it needed to be. Sasha put on the Bank Statement with the chair around Bayley’s head and stomped on it until she tapped at the 26:28 mark. Similar to Roman/Jey in that it was everything it needed to be. They had a violent match with tremendous callbacks to their history and left it all out there. Outstanding. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance for Bayley and Sasha Banks. *It is the last match from WWE's main roster. *There are no more Hell in a Cell matches, Smackdown Women's Title matches, or matches from Hell in a Cell.
2019 Match #4: Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/8/19 2018 Match #4: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 6/4/18 2017 Match #4: Hell of War: Dante Fox vs. Killshot – Lucha Underground Ultima Lucha Tres 9/27/17 2016 Match #4: Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NXT TakeOver: Dallas 4/1/16 2015 Match #4: WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins – WWE Royal Rumble 1/25/15
|
|
|
Post by Some Baritone guy IS REDEEMED! on Jan 20, 2021 18:40:40 GMT -5
I'm confident in the rest of my picks!
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 20, 2021 22:21:35 GMT -5
3. NXT United Kingdom Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Ilja Dragunov – NXT UK 10/29/20
|
| I’ve said it before on this list and I’ll say it again. I am an easy viewer to please when I watch wrestling sometimes. I tend to enjoy when two competitors go to war over a championship and that’s just what NXT UK gave me on this episode. The build for Ilja Dragunov’s shot at WALTER had been going on for months and it was finally here. They did not disappoint. WALTER has been successful at overwhelming his opponents, particularly against Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate. Dragunov was different though. While he was overwhelmed, he found ways to power up and hit WALTER back as hard as he was getting hit. It made for a match that truly felt like an epic and not like they were trying to hard to do that. You got the sense that neither of them were willing to walk out without the title in tow and that made for a special atmosphere even without a live crowd in attendance. There were no fancy dives, contrived spots, or complicated sequences. It felt like a true fight and that’s honestly so refreshing. Some of the late near falls were exhausting in a good way. WALTER finally won after 25:09 due to ref stoppage when putting Dragunov in a sleeper. WALTER might be the best wrestler on the planet right now. [****½] |
*This is the final appearance for WALTER and Ilja Dragunov. *It is the last match from NXT UK. *There are no more NXT United Kingdom Title matches.
2019 Match #3: WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan [c] vs. Kofi Kingston – WWE WrestleMania 2018 Match #3: WWE Smackdown Women's Championship TLC Match: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte – WWE TLC 12/16/18 2017 Match #3: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW Sakura Genesis 4/9/17 2016 Match #3: CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship No Holds Barred Match: Roy Wilkins (c) vs. Trevor Lee – CWF Worldwide 3/9/16 2015 Match #3: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW G1 Climax 8/16/15
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 21, 2021 9:52:13 GMT -5
2. NXT Championship: Finn Bálor [c] vs. Kyle O'Reilly – NXT TakeOver 31
|
| People who have read my reviews for a long time know that I love Kyle O’Reilly. He was my guy in EVOLVE, ROH, NJPW, and wherever else he wrestled. In NXT, he has shined as a tag wrestler but was finally being given a shot at a major singles run. The build for this wasn’t great but once the bell rang, it was on. This is the best that I have ever seen Finn Bálor look. I’m including his original NXT run and his time with NJPW. He was absolutely vicious and Kyle was there to give it right back to him. Something about this felt like Bryan Danielson era ROH and that’s some of my favorite wrestling ever. This came across like a legitimate fight as they avoided gimmicky spots or things like that and instead opted for hard strikes, grappling, and things like that. The fact that Finn came away with a broken jaw is really all you need to know about this war. Coming in, Finn retaining was obvious but they totally made me buy into some of the close calls as if Kyle might pull off the absurd upset. Alas, he couldn’t and he was put down by Coup de Grace after an incredible 28:29. The best singles match of either man’s career and I know that’s saying a lot. [****¾] |
*It is the final appearance of Kyle O'Reilly and Finn Bálor. *This is the last match from TakeOver: 31 and NXT. *There are no more NXT Title matches. *I forgot to mention that the previous match was the last at ****½.
2019 Match #2: NXT North American Championship: Ricochet [c] vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: Phoenix 2018 Match #2: Chicago Street Fight: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa – NXT TakeOver: Chicago 6/16/18 2017 Match #2: Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 8/13/17 2016 Match #2: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn – WWE Battleground 7/24/16 2015 Match #2: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 21, 2021 12:29:30 GMT -5
1. Best of the Super Juniors Finals: El Desperado vs. Hiromu Takahashi – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Finals
|
| Oh, baby. Despy beat him in the BOSJ 2018 (****½) and this year (****), while Hiromu beat him in a title match in 2018 (****¼). Most of their past matches have been wild brawls. But as a lengthy main event, they went for a slower start. It made sense here due to the high stakes and their history. Neither guy wanted to make the first mistake. There was a sense that Desperado was out to prove that he belonged in this Budokan main event and that the division was more than just Hiromu’s star power. He was confident as he wore down Hiromu’s leg. Whenever Hiromu got something going, you felt the match pick up with big spots like a sick rana off the apron or a corner belly to belly. Hiromu survived everything that Desperado could throw at him. At the 20 minute mark, he was trapped in the Stretch Muffler and things looked dire. The fact that Hiromu could counter that into a Destroyer was absolutely nuts. That marked a true turning point for Hiromu, who got vicious and ripped away at Desperado’s mask. Then, in one of the most awesome moments of the year, Desperado got pissed and RIPPED OFF THE REST OF THE MASK HIMSELF! He was here to murder someone! They just started throwing shots at each other with a ridiculous level of intensity. The drama down the stretch was outstanding, with both men picking up near falls that felt like the end without ever going into overkill or too many finisher kickouts. After Time Bomb got a near fall, Hiromu added a second to officially win the tournament at the 30:14 mark. Remarkable pro wrestling. The intensity was off the charts and it’s certainly in the conversation, if not in the lead for Match of the Year. Hiromu Takahashi is arguably the best in the world and Desperado proved how fantastic he is. [****¾] |
2019 Match #1: WWE United Kingdom Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Tyler Bate – NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff 2018 Match #1: NXT Championship: Andrade Almas [c] vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia 1/27/18 2017 Match #1: WWE United Kingdom Championship: Tyler Bate [c] vs. Pete Dunne - NXT TakeOver: Chicago 5/20/17 2016 Match #1: NXT Tag Team Championship Two Out of Three Falls Match: The Revival [c] vs. #DIY - NXT TakeOver: Toronto 11/19/16 2015 Match #1: NXT Women's Championsship: Sasha Banks [c] vs. Bayley - NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/22/15
|
|
|
Post by Session Moth is over on Jan 21, 2021 13:36:17 GMT -5
Awesome list. Really enjoyed it everyday. You do a fantastic job on giving details on every single match instead of just naming them.
|
|
|
Post by ronnie2hotty on Jan 21, 2021 13:43:47 GMT -5
Thanks again for putting out this list. It's great.
Here is a rundown of the results I came up with. If anyone is unfamiliar, what I do is assign the point value equivalent of the star rating the match was given. From there, I create totals in a few categories.
A few notes: - Even though it all falls under the WWE umbrella, NXT and NXT UK were counted as separate entities. Raw and Smackdown were counted under the WWE banner. - For large multi-person matches, i.e. the Royal Rumbles, I didn't list everyone involved. I only counted the winner. So the winner was the only person to earn points off the match. If anyone has any other suggestions on a way to count this another way, I am open for ideas. - For the Worlds Collide show, even though it was an NXT vs. NXT UK event, it was labeled as a WWE event, thus the points went into the WWE bucket. - I also counted and added in the 7 "honorable mentions" into the list.
Promotion ranking: 1. NJPW, 43 matches, 181.25 points 2. WWE, 22 matches, 92.5 points 3. NXT, 19 matches, 79.25 points 4. AEW, 17 matches, 70.25 points 5. NXT UK, 5 matches, 21.25 points 6. NWA, 1 match, 4 points
Shows (note I'm only giving results for shows with more than one match listed): 1. NXT, TakeOver: Portland, 2/16/20, 21.25 points 2. WWE, Worlds Collide, 1/25/20, 12.75 points 3. NJPW, G1 Climax, 10/10/20, 12.5 points 3. AEW, Full Gear, 11/7/20, 12.5 points 5. NJPW, Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night One, 1/4/20, 8.75 points 5. NXT UK, NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II, 1/12/20, 8.75 points 7. WWE, Royal Rumble, 1/26/20, 8.5 points 7. AEW, Revolution, 2/29/20, 8.5 points 7. WWE, Clash of Champions, 9/27/20, 8.5 points 7. WWE, Survivor Series, 11/22/20, 8.5 points 7. NXT, TakeOver: Wargames, 12/6/20, 8.5 points 12. NJPW, Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night Two, 1/5/20, 8.25 points 12. NXT,NXT Great American Bash, 7/1/20, 8.25 points 12. NJPW, Summer Struggle in Jingu, 8/29/20, 8.25 points 15. AEW, Double Or Nothing, 5/23/20, 8 points 15. NXT, TakeOver: In Your House, 6/7/20 8 points 15. AEW, All Out, 9/5/20, 8 points
Top Wrestlers: 1. Tomohiro Ishii, 53.75 points 2. Shingo Takagi, 46.5 points 3. Hiromu Takahashi, 39.25 points 4. Kota Ibushi, 29.75 points 5. Minoru Suzuki, 25.5 points 6. Kenny Omega, 25.25 points 7. Kyle O'Reilly, 21.5 points 8. Io Shirai, 21.25 points 8. SHO, 21.25 points 10. Jay White, 21 points 10. Rhea Ripley, 21 points 12. Hangman Page, 20.75 points 13. Roman Reigns, 17.5 points 14. Johnny Gargano, 16.75 points 14. Matt Jackson, 16.75 points 14. Nick Jackson, 16.75 points 14. Pete Dunne, 16.75 points 14. Sasha Banks, 16.75 points 19. Hirooki Goto, 16.5 points 19. Kazuchika Okada, 16.5 points 19. Penta El Zero Miedo, 16.5 points 19. Ray Fenix, 16.5 points 23. Drew McIntyre, 13 points 24. Dakota Kai, 12.75 points 25. El Desperado, 12.75 points 25. Finn Balor, 12.75 points 25. Tetsuya Naito, 12.75 points 25. WALTER, 12.75 points 29. AJ Styles, 12.5 points 30. Ilja Dragonov, 12.5 points 30. Robbie Eagles, 12.5 points 30. Taichi, 12.5 points 30. Tegan Nox, 12.5 points 34. Alexander Wolfe, 12.25 points 34. Cash Wheeler, 12.25 points 34. Charlotte Flair, 12.25 points 34. Dax Harwood, 12.25 points 34. EVIL, 12.25 points 39. Asuka, 12 points 40. Tyler Bate, 9 points 41. Bobby Fish, 8.75 points 41. Jey Uso, 8.75 points 41. Toni Storm, 8.75 points 44. Bayley, 8.5 points 44. Candice LaRae, 8.5 points 44. Daniel Bryan, 8.5 points 44. Hiroshi Tanahashi, 8.5 points 44. Jordan Devlin, 8.5 points 44. Matt Riddle, 8.5 points 44. Will Ospreay, 8.5 points
note: I had a typo in one if the World's collide results. This bumped the show up the second spot in the shows category.
|
|
chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 27,955
Member is Online
|
Post by chazraps on Jan 21, 2021 15:21:27 GMT -5
Awesome as always! Thanks again!
EDIT: Just curious, what did you give Kairi Sane vs Bayley? (unless i missed it when searching back for it)
|
|
|
Post by The Kevstaaa on Jan 21, 2021 16:25:50 GMT -5
Awesome as always! Thanks again! EDIT: Just curious, what did you give Kairi Sane vs Bayley? (unless i missed it when searching back for it) I have it at ***3/4!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2021 16:28:22 GMT -5
Deeeeesperado why dont you come to your senses. You'll been out killing iiiiit, for so long now.
As always stuff I disagree with but cant argue with number 1. Always appreciate this thread.
|
|