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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 8, 2021 8:48:01 GMT -5
Hey, everyone! As a lot of you know, I do my annual list of the Top 100 matches of each year and have done so since 2015. It seems to go over well here so I had a question. I've been doing a Top 500 Matches of the 2010s list on my Patreon. They had first access to it but I was going to share it here. Since it is so much content, I figured I'd gauge a reaction. If you wanna see it, I can start posting but if you're like, "Dude, that's too much. Go away," that's fine too. If done, I'd start posting it asap and it would be in the same format as my annual lists.
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fw91
Patti Mayonnaise
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Posts: 38,560
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Post by fw91 on Apr 8, 2021 8:53:11 GMT -5
Yeah, I’d check it out.
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bob
Salacious Crumb
The "other" Bob. FOC COURSE!
started the Madness Wars, Proudly the #1 Nana Hater on FAN
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Post by bob on Apr 8, 2021 9:01:04 GMT -5
oh wow... the time and effort to compile such a list
I'd check it out
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 9, 2021 8:42:22 GMT -5
This is my biggest undertaking ever. I am going to be ranking my Top 500 Matches from the 2010s. It was a huge decade for wrestling in terms of the rise of companies outside of WWE, as well as a big one for WWE that saw an influx of incredible talent and some final goodbyes for legends.
There are some caveats to address before getting started. First, I am only including matches from companies that I followed consistently for at least three years. That means some major promotions will be left out including AEW, EVOLVE, NOAH, and Dragon Gate. This list will consist of matches from WWE, NJPW, ROH, TNA, Lucha Underground, and PROGRESS. Matches themselves will be ranked based on a few factors including its pure quality, the historical significance of it, how it effectively did what it had to do, and more. Also, it should be noted that there will be more matches from the back half of the decade. We had more access to streaming services and more wrestling than ever.
There’s obviously plenty of room for interpretation on how you feel about the rankings, so feel free to comment and discuss.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 9, 2021 8:48:10 GMT -5
500. NXT Women's Championship Tournament Finals: Emma vs. Paige – NXT 7/24/13
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| We kick off the list with a match that certainly gets love for its historical significance. The bout these two would go on to have at NXT ArRival was about even in quality but this one meant just a bit more. Paige was one of NXT’s earliest “golden children.” You could tell that the division was mostly being built around her. Meanwhile, Emma was a comedy character who got way over and surprised many by making the finals of the tournament to crown the first NXT Women’s Champion. Considering the lineage of that title, that makes this an important match. Even more, if was one of the earliest indications that the women could succeed when being given a big spotlight and a lot of time. Paige won a really good back and forth encounter with the Paige Turner in front of a fantastic crowd after 13:12. Her celebration with Triple H is a pretty memorable one. |
499. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Prince Devitt [c] vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 8
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| Before bringing out the “Demon” at WrestleMania 35, this was the biggest stage to ever see Finn Balor, then Prince Devitt, bust out the body paint. The Bullet Club leader looked intimidating as he walked towards the ring in the Tokyo Dome to clash with Kota Ibushi. Devitt was on a tear. He held the title for the entire calendar year of 2013, went undefeated during the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and competed with the heavyweights in the G1 Climax. Ibushi was the one thing that seemed like it could stop him in the division. Devitt had help from the Bullet Club throughout, so when they were ultimately ejected, fans erupted. With his buddies no longer able to help, Devitt was left at Ibushi’s mercy. Kota hit the Golden Star Bomb and won the title in 16:22. They had better matches in terms of athletics and action but this told a great story and was a huge win for Ibushi. |
498. AJ Styles vs. Lance Archer – NJPW G1 Climax 24 8/3/14
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| It’s pretty widely agreed upon that Lance Archer didn’t really wow fans until his surprisingly fantastic run through the G1 Climax 29 last year. However, he had some impressive moments earlier. That included a stint in what was, in my humble opinion, the greatest G1 Climax ever, the G1 24. This was his standout match there and it came against the IWGP Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles. While you expect big things from AJ, this was important for him too. He was champion but still new to NJPW and it wasn’t until this tournament that he started having great matches. This showed he could carry someone. Archer did his bruiser offense and AJ bumped like crazy. When Archer busted out a failed moonsault, it felt like he did so because of how important it was to beat the champ. AJ chopped down the tree by working the leg and eventually made him tap to the Calf Cutter in 12:52. It also helped to establish that submission as a viable finish for AJ.
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497. WWE Raw Women's Championship Falls Count Anywhere Match: Charlotte Flair [c] vs. Sasha Banks – WWE Raw 11/28/16
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| The rivalry between Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair is one of the best in WWE women’s history. To be fair, it went on for too long and by this point, I was kind of over it. I didn’t even love this match when it first happened because I was done with the rivalry. However, looking back, it’s pretty exceptional. Charlotte had just won the title back from Sasha in her hometown of Boston at Hell in a Cell. Sasha got her rematch on this Raw in Charlotte’s hometown. The match started earlier in the show but went to a double countout, leading to the Falls Count Anywhere stipulation being added for a main event spot rematch. This benefitted from a serious level of intensity right off the bat. They were immediately going to war, which was needed. It also didn’t go overboard with the drama the way their Cell match did. They pulled out some great spots, like Sasha breaking the Figure Eight with a kendo stick shot and, of course, the sick Bank Statement on a railing on the stands to end this after a grueling 16:36. This won’t be the last time these two face off on this list.
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496. Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. - Lucha Underground 11/19/14
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| In 2020, most wrestling fans know the names Fenix and Pentagon Jr. The siblings have been a highlight of AEW shows as the Lucha Brothers. But back in 2014, mainstream audiences had no idea who these masked stars were. They arrived on the third episode of Lucha Underground in a fun match that included Drago. A week later, they met in this singles match that wowed viewers and let everyone know that new stars were going to be on our televisions each week. This was a case of not needing a lot of time to get your point across. This match only goes 7:57, yet Pentagon and Fenix managed to strut their stuff and showcase what they could do together. Here we sit over half a decade later and they’re major stars.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 9, 2021 11:10:28 GMT -5
495. AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho – WWE Smackdown 2/11/16
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| The first official program for AJ Styles after his long-awaited arrival in WWE was against Chris Jericho. Their first meeting on Raw the night after AJ’s debut at the Royal Rumble was solid but unspectacular. They came out of it having a partnership/feud and it led to this surprising match on an episode of Smackdown. While it wasn’t historically significant, this did mark the first standout match that Styles had with WWE. He and Jericho had their best outing together, putting together some stellar counters and smooth submission movies. Many fans were probably surprised that Jericho scored the win after 15:18, handing Styles his first loss in WWE. Their rivalry would go on with bouts at Fastlane and WrestleMania 32 but this was definitely the peak and it shouldn’t be overlooked in terms of how it helped Styles adapt to the WWE ways. |
494. Roderick Strong vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – ROH Global Wars 5/16/15
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| Long before they met in a Triple Threat match at Survivor Series 2019, Roderick Strong battled Shinsuke Nakamura in a clash of ROH vs. NJPW. The Toronto crowd was red hot for this. They adhered to the Code of Honor, following it with a start that you’d expect from two guys like this. They jockey for position and feel each other out, trying to gain the upper hand. Nakamura came with the bigger offense first, hitting some knee strikes, before Roddy turned things around and focused on Shinsuke’s back. On this tour alone, Strong had split matches with Hiroshi Tanahashi and KUSHIDA, though coming into it, you kind of knew Nakamura would win. Still, Strong goes into an offensive flurry that includes a sick kick and backbreaker, bringing upon a near fall that I bit on even on my second viewing. He also avoids a Boma Ye by striking with a knee of his own in a pretty great moment. Shinsuke proves to be too much, winning after a Boma Ye after 17:02 of great back and forth action. |
493. Best of the Super Juniors Finals: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 6/7/16
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| With the loaded talent in the A Block of this tournament, Ryusuke Taguchi coming out as the winner of it blew my mind. Will Ospreay, one of Gedo’s favorite playthings, won out in the B Block and set up this finals. Taguchi is mostly used for comedy at this point but he delivered here. While Taguchi kept the comedy to a minimum, he did get into Will’s head with his trademark ass taunt, only for Ospreay to steal it and do it back to him. Ospreay knows how to sell limb damage (when he wants to), which he did here after Taguchi softened up his foot for an ankle lock. Ospreay would do little things, like only springboard off of his good leg or shake it out. For most of the 22:05 runtime, Taguchi came off as a legitimate wrestler instead of curtain jerking comedy act. There were some great close calls in the end, specifically on ankle lock spots by Taguchi and an imploding 450 by Ospreay, before Ospreay won with the Oscutter to become the first British BOTSJ winner.
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492. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Kenny Omega [c] vs. Michael Elgin – NJPW Road to Wrestling Dontaku 4/27/16
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| New Japan’s “Road to…” shows typically serve to hype a bigger upcoming even, like this one did for Wrestling Dontaku. However, with the cancellation of Wrestling Hinokuni due to an earthquake, some of the matches from that event were moved here, giving this show a big feel. Kenny Omega made his first defense of the Intercontinental Championship against Michael Elgin in the main event on this night. First off, I must note the setting. This apparently wasn’t a building NJPW ran often for televised (or streamed I guess) events. It had a darker, intimate feel and something about it just felt different than other shows in New Japan. Usually, I stray from Elgin matches that go over 20 minutes, since his wheel house is about 15 but this goes 23:04 and I dug it. Within the first few minutes, a ladder came into play, which ended up foreshadowing their Dominion match (even if it was originally supposed to be Tanahashi in that one). Throw in the use of a table and this had a hardcore element that is rarely seen in New Japan. I also appreciated how those things weren’t overdone, as the anticipation of the table spot was cool, with the payoff of Elgin powerbombing Omega through it feeling earned. Omega survived that and more before winning with an impressive One Winged Angel. No Bullet Club, no shenanigans. Their best match together and the first time that made me see something in Omega.
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491. John Cena vs. The Rock – WWE WrestleMania XXVIII
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| It was one of the biggest matches in the history of wrestling. The Rock, the biggest star to ever come from the sport, against the top star in the industry at the time, John Cena. The clash had over a year’s worth of built and hupe. They got the big introductions played by Machine Gun Kelly and Flo Rida. The crowd in Miami was electric. It was kind of the definition of having a big fight feel. That’s how the match played out as well. After feeling each other out and trying to outlast the other, Cena and Rock emptied the tanks and began throwing bombs at one another. Sure, it was something of a finisher festival but it worked in this situation. That’s the kind of match that fit these two. In the end, Rock was able to prove he still had it, beating Cena with the Rock Bottom after 30:33. Their rematch the following year didn’t even come close to being as good as this one.
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bob
Salacious Crumb
The "other" Bob. FOC COURSE!
started the Madness Wars, Proudly the #1 Nana Hater on FAN
Posts: 77,812
Member is Online
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Post by bob on Apr 9, 2021 14:52:30 GMT -5
500. NXT Women's Championship Tournament Finals: Emma vs. Paige – NXT 7/24/13
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| We kick off the list with a match that certainly gets love for its historical significance. The bout these two would go on to have at NXT ArRival was about even in quality but this one meant just a bit more. Paige was one of NXT’s earliest “golden children.” You could tell that the division was mostly being built around her. Meanwhile, Emma was a comedy character who got way over and surprised many by making the finals of the tournament to crown the first NXT Women’s Champion. Considering the lineage of that title, that makes this an important match. Even more, if was one of the earliest indications that the women could succeed when being given a big spotlight and a lot of time. Paige won a really good back and forth encounter with the Paige Turner in front of a fantastic crowd after 13:12. Her celebration with Triple H is a pretty memorable one. |
499. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Prince Devitt [c] vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 8
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| Before bringing out the “Demon” at WrestleMania 35, this was the biggest stage to ever see Finn Balor, then Prince Devitt, bust out the body paint. The Bullet Club leader looked intimidating as he walked towards the ring in the Tokyo Dome to clash with Kota Ibushi. Devitt was on a tear. He held the title for the entire calendar year of 2013, went undefeated during the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and competed with the heavyweights in the G1 Climax. Ibushi was the one thing that seemed like it could stop him in the division. Devitt had help from the Bullet Club throughout, so when they were ultimately ejected, fans erupted. With his buddies no longer able to help, Devitt was left at Ibushi’s mercy. Kota hit the Golden Star Bomb and won the title in 16:22. They had better matches in terms of athletics and action but this told a great story and was a huge win for Ibushi. |
498. AJ Styles vs. Lance Archer – NJPW G1 Climax 24 8/3/14
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| It’s pretty widely agreed upon that Lance Archer didn’t really wow fans until his surprisingly fantastic run through the G1 Climax 29 last year. However, he had some impressive moments earlier. That included a stint in what was, in my humble opinion, the greatest G1 Climax ever, the G1 24. This was his standout match there and it came against the IWGP Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles. While you expect big things from AJ, this was important for him too. He was champion but still new to NJPW and it wasn’t until this tournament that he started having great matches. This showed he could carry someone. Archer did his bruiser offense and AJ bumped like crazy. When Archer busted out a failed moonsault, it felt like he did so because of how important it was to beat the champ. AJ chopped down the tree by working the leg and eventually made him tap to the Calf Cutter in 12:52. It also helped to establish that submission as a viable finish for AJ.
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497. WWE Raw Women's Championship Falls Count Anywhere Match: Charlotte Flair [c] vs. Sasha Banks – WWE Raw 11/28/16
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| The rivalry between Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair is one of the best in WWE women’s history. To be fair, it went on for too long and by this point, I was kind of over it. I didn’t even love this match when it first happened because I was done with the rivalry. However, looking back, it’s pretty exceptional. Charlotte had just won the title back from Sasha in her hometown of Boston at Hell in a Cell. Sasha got her rematch on this Raw in Charlotte’s hometown. The match started earlier in the show but went to a double countout, leading to the Falls Count Anywhere stipulation being added for a main event spot rematch. This benefitted from a serious level of intensity right off the bat. They were immediately going to war, which was needed. It also didn’t go overboard with the drama the way their Cell match did. They pulled out some great spots, like Sasha breaking the Figure Eight with a kendo stick shot and, of course, the sick Bank Statement on a railing on the stands to end this after a grueling 16:36. This won’t be the last time these two face off on this list.
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496. Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. - Lucha Underground 11/19/14
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| In 2020, most wrestling fans know the names Fenix and Pentagon Jr. The siblings have been a highlight of AEW shows as the Lucha Brothers. But back in 2014, mainstream audiences had no idea who these masked stars were. They arrived on the third episode of Lucha Underground in a fun match that included Drago. A week later, they met in this singles match that wowed viewers and let everyone know that new stars were going to be on our televisions each week. This was a case of not needing a lot of time to get your point across. This match only goes 7:57, yet Pentagon and Fenix managed to strut their stuff and showcase what they could do together. Here we sit over half a decade later and they’re major stars.
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for some reason it took me a bit to realize that Emma was not Paris Hilton
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 9, 2021 16:12:34 GMT -5
490. WWE Cruiserweight Classic Second Round: Johnny Gargano vs. TJ Perkins – WWE Cruiserweight Classic 8/24/16
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| When the Cruiserweight Classic participants were announced, a lot of people felt like the guys signed to WWE contracts, like Rich Swann and Johnny Gargano, would go very far. This was the second round and after beating his tag team partner Tommaso Ciampa, Gargano found himself up against Evolve standout TJ Perkins. Not many people gave Perkins a chance to get past this round. This bout started with both guys showing that they’re evenly matched. Though this was taped weeks in advance, commentary discussed Gargano injuring his knee at TakeOver: Brooklyn. They brilliantly worked it into the match and Gargano banged it on the ring bell table on a dive outside. It was done in a way that made sense to those of us watching after seeing TakeOver, while also being something the live fans could buy into. Just brilliant work from both guys throughout the entire 12:19. Gargano sold the hell out of the leg, falling when attempting the lawn dart, though he got it on the second attempt in brutal fashion. Perkins would kick out and go back to attacking the knee. He countered Gargano and finally got the knee bar locked in, which made Gargano tap. The crowd was surprised and Perkins moved on to the quarterfinals on his road to winning the entire thing.
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489. WWE Raw and Smackdown Women's Championships: Charlotte Flair [c] vs. Ronda Rousey [c] vs. Becky Lynch – WWE WrestleMania 35
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| There were some women’s matches that didn’t make this list that were better from a technical standpoint. However, none meant more. The women of WWE often talked about main eventing a WrestleMania and most doubters called it a pipedream. They said it could never happen. Except it did. And it wasn’t just to say it happened. It was done because the women earned it and their match was the most anticipated. The undefeated MMA star in Ronda Rousey, the top woman of the decade in Charlotte Flair, and the hottest act in the business in Becky Lynch. They had the tough task of closing out a ridiculously long show in front of a tired crowd. The battle itself was pretty intense with some great dramatic moments and a few clever spots. It had a few sloppy moments here or there but it mostly worked. It came down to Becky against Ronda, which is what everybody wanted. Becky won with a questionable pin after 21:27. An incredibly important match that cemented Becky as the company’s top star. |
488. WWE Tag Team Championship Two Out of Three Falls Match: The New Day [c] vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro – WWE Payback 2015
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| My favorite WWE tag team match of 2015. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro formed as a team on December 1st, 2014 and found instant chemistry that some teams of a few years could only dream of. The New Day struggled to get over as faces, but once they turned heel and got to let their personalities shine, they took off. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a heel turn save someone as much as it did for New Day. They dethroned Kidd and Cesaro in a solid match at Extreme Rules the month before this one. They upped the ante for the rematch, throwing in the Two out of Three falls stipulation. The first fall saw Cesaro and Kidd run absolutely wild. They did some things that wowed me, which you wouldn’t expect considering how often I’ve seen them work. They won the first fall before Kidd started to play the face in peril. They did a good job in seeming like the hot tag would come, only for Cesaro to not be there because he was taken out by Big E. That led to New Day evening the score. The third fall played back into Kidd and Cesaro’s strengths, but Xavier Woods snuck in and got three on a roll up to win at 11:55 despite not being involved in the match. The finish was the worst part about this as it just made the referee look like a fool. |
487. Mae Young Classic First Round: Killer Kelly vs. Meiko Satomura – WWE Mae Young Classic 9/5/18
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| I am a massive Killer Kelly fan. From what I’ve seen of her, she’s pretty tremendous. This was her biggest stage and getting to face Meiko Satomura was a huge deal. Considering how big of a deal Satomura is, making Kelly her first opponent meant a lot. Kelly more than up to the challenge. You could see her smile when this started, though as she was clearly relishing in the opportunity. Meiko busted out some sweet offense like her cartwheel kick. Kelly came right back at her, delivering some vicious strikes. The fisherman suplex near fall was spectacular and the hanging dragon sleeper was arguably the best spot of the entire tournament. Satomura ultimately won after 7:39 with a Death Valley Driver in what was one of my favorite matches of the decade, even if there were plenty that were better all-around.
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486. NXT Championship Last Man Standing Match: Tommaso Ciampa [c] vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV
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| The story told between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa ranks near the top in all of wrestling over the past few years. Hell, in the entire history of wrestling. After wars in New Orleans and Chicago, they had their rubber match with higher stakes. This time, the NXT Championship was on the line after Ciampa captured it a few weeks earlier. Also, this wouldn’t involve pinfalls or submission, instead having the Last Man Standing stipulation. They brought the intensity we’ve come to expect from the rivalry, throwing everything at each other. It wasn’t just violence, though. You could tell the story behind each and every shot. Are their spots a bit overdramatic? Sure, but I’ll take overdramatic storytelling over a battle of who can do more fancy moves any day of the week. The idea that Ciampa is a sadistic bastard and Gargano was willing to do whatever it took to get revenge and the title played into pretty much everything they did. I appreciated how they found ways to give us some creative spots while playing off their past. Near the end, they got to the point where Johnny handcuffed Ciampa by the stage. The acting and drama did go overboard here, but I liked the finish. Johnny was obsessed with hurting Ciampa and it cost him. He messed up and flew off the stage, hurting his knee. All while the man he cuffed was able to roll off the stage and barely onto his feet, retaining in 33:38. It had some diminishing returns from their previous similar matches, but still had a lot working for it. The storytelling was top notch and it was brutal.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 10, 2021 7:03:43 GMT -5
485. Dragon Lee vs. SHO – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 5/15/19
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| During the 2018 Best of the Super Juniors, I was pleasantly surprised by the banger these two put on. They went out trying to best it this time around. Their growth was clear. Now, Dragon Lee came in as the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, while SHO was challenging the likes of Shingo Takagi in the division. A win over Lee would be huge for SHO’s career, while Lee didn’t want to be a champion who started the tournament 0-2. With that in mind, both men entered this with a level of intensity that you didn’t see from many BOSJ contests. There was a little extra snap behind each offensive maneuver. Within the first ten minutes of this 27:10 encounter, they had both been battered beyond belief. That wasn’t a normal 10 minutes. It was taxing. Though they both had their arms targeted, they found ways to remain in this. SHO would still bust out impressive feats of strength and Lee would take him to the mat. That’s an underrated aspect of Dragon Lee’s game by the way. When they heard that time was winding down, they started throwing their best offense at each other. You could feel the desperation from two men who didn’t want to start 0-2. Lee avoided it by hitting Desnucadora to win.
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484. NXT Tag Team Championship: #DIY [c] vs. The Authors of Pain – NXT TakeOver: San Antonio
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| At TakeOver: Toronto in November 2016, #DIY won the NXT Tag Team Titles in my person pick for, not just match of the year, but best tag team match I’ve ever seen. On that same show, the Authors of Pain won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. That set these teams on a course for this title match. Known for their heart, #DIY didn’t back down from their large challenge. It started hot and stayed that way. Even when Gargano took the heat segment, the fans were engaged. Ciampa’s hot tag ruled, as he busted out Germans on both challengers. There was a great callback when the stereo submissions #DIY won the titles with were locked in. It wasn’t enough, though, signaling that something was changing. #DIY’s finisher was countered into the Super Collider in a great spot. A Last Chapter later and new champs were crowned at 14:26. #DIY just “got” tag team wrestling. They played to the Authors’ strengths and it made for an awesome start to a series of matches that only got better. Like Sami Zayn as NXT Champion, #DIY losing the titles in just two months was fine. Their story was more about the journey, while AOP got to play dominant champions and have a great 2017.
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483. Number One Contender's Match: Pete Dunne vs. Trent Seven – WWE UK Championship Special 5/19/17
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| British Strong Style! Though he didn’t win the WWE UK Championship Tournament in January, Pete Dunne came out as a major star. Willing to do anything to get the title he believed belonged to him, Dunne attacked Trent Seven a night prior, injuring his arm. I popped at Dunne coming out with the PROGRESS Title, by the way. These two are actually former PROGRESS Tag Team Champions. Early on, Seven wrestled awkwardly because he needed to protect his right arm. It was great work. Dunne kicked it, twisted it and used the steel steps on it. Each time Seven gained momentum, Dunne was there to cut it off by going after the arm. It’s so simple, yet so effective. He finally got a big opening with a great dragon suplex on the apron. When he hit the big lariat, it wasn’t enough because the bad arm kept him from getting all of it. That was his last real shot, as Dunne finished him off with the Bitter End in 14:44. Brilliant work. The arm stuff was the focus, was sold well throughout and made sense. Seven was great, using his left arm for signature moves out of desperation, but just not having enough to win. Dunne nailed every piece of character work, while putting on a great match. I love British wrestling. |
482. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW Dominion 2017
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| On January 4th, Tetsuya Naito finally got a big Wrestle Kingdom victory by defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi and retaining the Intercontinental Title. Naito held the title since September and treated it like garbage. He kicked it around, slammed it on the steps and by the time this show came around, it was broken. Naito wanted to destroy and retire the title, while Tanahashi was out to restore its honor. Knowing Naito’s style, Tanahashi turned the tables on him and attacked before the bell. Naito’s disrespect for the title was too much for him. Tanahashi was aggressive, spitting at Naito and laying into him with punches. Naito went after Tanahashi’s partially torn biceps, while Tana responded by attacking the leg. I appreciated that Naito working the arm was smart and different from a lot of his matches, since he typically worked the leg. Tanahashi couldn’t bump on some spots as well as he would if he were 100% healthy, but he made up for it with his desperation. He knew a loss would mark the end of the IC Title and possibly his time as a top star. When High Fly Flow wasn’t enough, Tanahashi used a cloverleaf to win the title via submission in 25:56. An unexpected finish that played into their next match, though it felt anti-climactic. This was the worst of their trilogy this year, yet it still ruled and was what it needed to be given their characters and story up to this point. Plus, it freed up Naito to win the G1.
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481. IWGP Tag Team Championship: TenKoji [c] vs. War Machine – NJPW Sakura Genesis 2017
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| On a recent podcast, Big E said that one of his favorite things in wrestling is big meaty men bumping meat. That’s just what this tag match was. Japan loves hoss gaijins (teams like Killer Elite Squad and stars like Vader, Hansen, etc.), so War Machine fit right in. These two teams went right to war and wrestled the kind of match I was hoping for. It was like two teams trying to see who was manlier. TenKoji’s veteran savvy combated the raw power of the challengers, making for an even contest. When War Machine managed to take control, they showcased their best offense, which the Sumo Hall crowd ate up. TenKoji weathered the storm and Kojima hit a massive lariat that led to the fans chanting his name. In a passing of the torch of sorts, War Machine captured the titles at 14:06, in the best IWGP Tag Team Title match I’ve seen.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 10, 2021 13:05:21 GMT -5
480. NXT Tag Team Championship Two Out of Three Falls Match: The Revival [c] vs. American Alpha – NXT 7/6/16
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| In April 2016, American Alpha won the titles from the Revival but the Revival won them back two months later. This was the rubber match. The two out of three falls stipulation takes us back to good old school tag matches from the late ’80s, which is right up the Revival’s alley. The teams played off their previous two encounters while throwing twists into the action. They did a great job in showcasing how evenly matched they were and neither team could even gain a fall after fifteen minutes. Alpha had great babyface fire and the Revival, as always, nailed every single heel tactic they could. Both teams shined before stereo ankle locks led to Dawson tapping at 17:13, giving AA a 1-0 lead. The Revival were quick to tie it with an inverted figure four at 18:33. Tied at one in their match and the series, the stakes were never higher. They both teased successful submissions and had counters ready for everything. Gable tried a German suplex off the apron but it was blocked and he took a Shatter Machine on the apron to end things at 22:08. The Revival retained and moved into an even better rivalry but people shouldn’t forget how great their trilogy with American Alpha was.
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479. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. AJ Styles – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2015
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| Look at the two men involved in this match. It’s almost a guarantee that you are going to get a great contest. Most of the time they meet it is indeed great, which is what I would consider this encounter, though it wasn’t their best. Earlier in the year, Kazuchika Okada ended the IWGP Heavyweight Title run of AJ Styles. Styles pinned Okada in a six man tag in August, setting up this rematch. They were given a lot of time, 30:15 to be exact, and it was similar to a lot of Okada matches. They tend to start a bit slow before building to the second half, where things just get nuts. The Bullet Club got involved, and I get that they’re heels, but it was a bit much here. That’s part of why I love the match at Dominion so much more. There, the Bullet Club interference was cut down. Of course, the finishing sequence was a thing of beauty here, with Okada reeling off three Rainmakers to retain the gold.
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478. World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber: The Undertaker [c] vs. Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk vs. John Morrison vs. R-Truth vs. Rey Mysterio - WWE Elimination Chamber 2010
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| One of the earliest matches to appear on this list. This was one of the most unique Elimination Chamber matches in history. For starters, you had CM Punk eliminate R-Truth in the first few minutes. That allowed him to then go on a sermon that was part of his Straight Edge Savior gimmick. Then, Rey Mysterio entered and they had a really good one on one battle that was won by Mysterio. Jericho was in next and they reignited their classic rivalry from a year prior. Morrison got a hot run once he entered. This was around the time he started showcasing that he could be an upper mid-card guy flirting with the main event scene. He even got to go head to head with The Undertaker here. The treat was watching Jericho and Undertaker go at it. It’s amazing that they never had a legitimate rivalry. Of course, it came down to them. Shawn Michaels interfered by popping up through a grate in the Chamber floor. He delivered Sweet Chin Music and Jericho covered to win the title in 35:36. It was a great ending, put the title on someone good, and built wonderfully towards HBK/Taker II at Mania. |
477. TNA Tag Team Championship: Christopher Daniels and Kazarian [c] vs. AJ Styles and Kurt Angle – TNA Slammiversary X
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| Sometimes, even the goofiest of storylines can be saved by good wrestling. The AJ Styles/Dixie Carter angle was pretty rough. The one good thing to come from it was this match. It allowed four damn good wrestlers to just do what they do best. Wrestle. Styles came in aggressive due to the storyline. It worked in his favor early but the veteran champions turned it on him. Christopher Daniels and Kazarian isolated him with great work. The tag eventually came to Kurt Angle who was on fire and showing why he was one of the best ever. The second hot tag back to Styles was great and the pace never slowed after that. There was tons of action and some great late drama before the titles changed hands in shocking fashion after a fantastic 14:27. Like I said, just let great wrestlers go out there and wrestle.
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476. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW G1 Climax 8/11/13
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| When you consider the history between these two, there was a lot to unpack here. Both men were part of the New Three Musketeers of NJPW, along with Shinsuke Nakamura. However, instead of focusing on wrestling, Shibata opted to try his hand at MMA. Tanahashi wasn’t happy that he left the company during their struggles. Add in the kayfabe excitement here, as the winner would earn a spot in the finals against Tetsuya Naito, and you had high stakes. This was a case where Shibata was the hard-hitting guy we all knew and loved. Tanahashi tried to hang tough with but he ultimately had no chance. That led to him looking kind of desperate. That desperation is what made the finish work so well. Tanahashi only won because of a well-timed small package counter, taking the victory in 10:56.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 11, 2021 7:58:55 GMT -5
475. Elimination Match: Cage vs. Jeremiah Crane vs. Mil Muertes – Lucha Underground Ultima Lucha Tres
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| II’ll be the first to admit I don’t care for Sami Callihan. But, Jeremiah Crane is better. He’s the definition of a guy who works better in the Temple setting. This match stemmed from Cage winning the Gauntlet of the Gods. With a weapon that wields such power, Catrina wanted it, which got Mil Muertes involved. Crane got involved because he’s been in love with Catrina since they were kids. There’s more to it than that, but I’m not gonna spend a ton of time on the angle. The match itself was the wild one I hoped for. Crane was overmatched and got busted open within minutes, so he brought weapons into play. He still took the first big bump, getting chokeslammed through a table. Mil and Cage hossed it out. The best part was Cage superplexing Crane to the outside through two tables that Mil was laid out on. Pure insanity. Cage eliminated Crane with Weapon X shortly after, leaving the hosses to do battle. Unfortunately, their exchange lacked and didn’t last long, with Mil hitting a Flatliner on a chair to win in 14:04. Despite the finish not being great, this was a rad, violent brawl.
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474. Juice Robinson vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW G1 Climax 27 8/5/17
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| In his G1 Climax debut, Juice Robinson beat the legendary Satoshi Kojima. Unfortunately for him, five straight losses followed. That left the 1-5 Juice to take on the 5-1 Kenny Omega, fresh off becoming the first ever IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion. Juice fought hard in all his losses, but they took their toll and he entered most matches, including this one, limping. In the early stages, they took this outside and Kenny busted out the ring post figure four, which will always pop me. The leg work continued and Juice sold like a champ. Juice’s comeback had a lot of fire. He excels at that. They both had counters ready, with Kenny blocking Pulp Friction and Juice blocking the V-Trigger. They also countered each other’s finishers, before Omega connected on a reverse rana and V-Trigger. However, Juice turned the One Winged Angel into a cradle to score the upset and biggest win of his career at 15:36. An awesome moment to cap a great match. I love that it didn’t follow the typical Omega big match formula. The post-match reactions added a lot, with Juice shocked and amazed, while Omega was frustrated at possibly blowing the tournament.
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473. WWE Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler – WWE Smackdown 12/27/16
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| Kurt Angle had a great first year with WWE and it was all the more impressive because it was his rookie year in the business. But for my money, nobody had a better first year with WWE than AJ Styles. He wrapped up that 2016 with this outstanding WWE Title defense. In his way were Dolph Ziggler, who is bland but can have some good matches, and Baron Corbin, who was gaining momentum as a heel on Smackdown. Singles match with each guy doesn’t sound interesting but they really made this Triple Threat bout work. I really enjoyed how Corbin was booked like a monster and the other guys had to team up to take him out. Then Dolph and AJ went at it with a great exchange. Corbin eventually came back in and hit End of Days, only for AJ to nail him with the Phenomenal Forearm. He then covered Ziggler to retain after 21:15. One of the most underrated matches in recent memory. More people should talk about how great this was. Also, the End of Days/Zig Zag spot was one of my favorites ever.
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472. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/3/16
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| Two of the most consistently great G1 performers have been Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii. Tanahashi began this G1 Climax 0-3 before reeling off two straight to turn things around. Though he was on a streak, Ishii just kicked his ass from the opening bell. Tanahashi tried to battle headbutts with Ishii which was a clear mistake. Ishii pulled a page from Tanahashi’s book with dragon screws and leg work, so Tanahashi did it back. They traded blows for most of this 16:15 battle. Tanahashi was at a disadvantage there but found ways to counter the brainbuster and survive Ishii’s other big offensive attacks. Ishii came close several times until Tanahashi nailed two High Fly Flows to even his record at 3-3. This was one of the best matches of the entire G1 26. Tanahashi played the babyface fighting from behind and sometimes that might be the same old, same old, but here it felt top notch. When Tanahashi is on his game, there are very few better.
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471. PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: British Strong Style [c] vs. #CCK – PROGRESS Chapter 55: Chase The Sun
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| To start PROGRESS’ biggest show ever, they went with a huge Ladder Match for the Tag Team Titles. Trent Seven and Tyler Bate reigned as champions for most of 2017, with #CCK dethroning them at Chapter 50. British Strong Style regained the titles at the next chapter, setting up this encounter. The crowd was molten hot for this, desperately wanting to see Bate and Seven get their comeuppance. The teams brawled early, with #CCK using their aerial skills to take control. Once the ladder came into play, Kid Lykos took a sick dragon suplex onto the side of the ladder that legitimately made my jaw drop. Bate busted out an Undertaker like dive, as well as an incredible feat of strength when he used a big swing and airplane spin on his opponents simultaneously. He continued to star, even paying tribute to Terry Funk by using his infamous ladder airplane spin. There were too many spots to name, before a Tyler Driver ’97 was countered with a backdrop onto a ladder, and Brookes pulled down the titles to win in 17:27. It had wild spots, while including the sense of disdain the teams had for one another. A few spots felt contrived, but they did well to incorporate their signature stuff in a way that made sense.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 11, 2021 12:08:25 GMT -5
470. The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family – WWE Main Event 4/8/14
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| When The Shield and The Wyatt Family first met at Elimination Chamber 2014, it was incredible. The two most dominant and fresh factions in the company, colliding in a huge way. They had a rematch on Raw in March (both matches will be on this list later) before getting a tiebreaking third contest on an episode of Main Event. For a brief time in 2014, Main Event was a show that featured some big matches and moments like this one. This match didn’t quite live up to what had been done previous but it was almost like they couldn’t do anything other than put on a great match together. There was plenty of action, including a scorching Roman Reigns hot tag segment. Things broke down for the wild encounter fans had come to know and love from the trios. Dean Ambrose scored a huge win for The Shield, hitting Dirty Deeds after 19:24. It remains, easily, the best match in Main Event history.
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469. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Togi Makabe – NJPW Dominion 2013
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| On paper, the matchup of Kazuchika Okada and Togi Makabe sounds like a complete mess. They don’t come across as guys who would mesh well. And yet, they have better chemistry than a lot of guys you think would. This was an early title defense in Okada’s first major run as champion (his 2012 one could be considered a fluke by some). Cocky Okada didn’t seem to take Makabe seriously. He probably thought he was past his prime. In response, Makabe kicked his ass. Okada still took control and remained a step ahead, possibly due to his youth upper hand. Makabe got mad and powerbombed Okada through a table, giving the match its biggest spot. Okada managed to avoid the King Kong Knee Drop at every turn and eventually delivered the Rainmaker to retain his title after 25:24. Makabe struggled to wrestle with Okada so he went with brawling and it led to a hell of a match.
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468. WWE Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Seth Rollins [c] vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Samoa Joe – WWE Greatest Royal Rumble
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| At WrestleMania, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, and The Miz delivered a fantastic match. A few weeks later, they got the chance to do it again. The difference? Throw in Samoa Joe and a bunch of ladders to up the ante. With four talents of this caliber, you just know you’ll be treated to some great moments. Everyone was given an opportunity to shine. Joe was the bruising brute. Balor showcased his athleticism. Miz used his cunningness. Seth was willing to go the extra mile to prove himself as Intercontinental champion. Everyone played their roles to perfection. There were some great, creative ladder spots. For example, usually someone would just hit their finisher off a ladder. Here, Miz hit Joe with a sick looking Skull Crushing Finale onto the edge of a ladder. It was a small change, but it made all the difference. Everyone was game to take bumps, making for a match where they all came across as being on a level playing field. And it never went over the top with the spots like some ladder matches suffer from. Balor came extremely close to winning, only for Seth to springboard onto the ladder and unhook the title right in his face at 14:34. A great finish to a great match.
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467. The Black Lotus Triad vs. Pentagon Dark – Lucha Underground 11/30/16
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| Only in Lucha Underground, baby. Pentagon Jr. became Pentagon Dark at Ultima Lucha Dos. That night, he interfered in Black Lotus’ match with Dragon Azteca Jr. Lotus returned during season three with help from the rest of the Black Lotus Triad. The members? Along with Black Lotus herself, it was Doku, Hitokiri, and Yurei, better known as Kairi Sane, Io Shirai, and Mayu Iwatani, respectively. Yes, this match was Pentagon Dark against three of the best Joshi wrestlers on the planet. Doku wnet first and hit her dope elbow but went for it again and got caught. Pentagon broke her arm and next out was Yurei. Their exchange was very good and Pentagon broke her arm after a Package Piledriver. Then, shit got real when Hitokiri arrived. Their battle was nuts filled with choking, chairs, and Hitokiri leaping off of Dario’s office. She surprisingly beat him with a Canadian Destroyer after 26:09. Black Lotus came in at the end and broke Pentagon’s arm to cap it off. This whole thing spanned a single episode and it was awesome.
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466. WWE Cruiserweight Classic Semifinals: Gran Metalik vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – WWE Cruiserweight Classic 9/14/16
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| Zack Sabre Jr.’s run through the Cruiserweight Classic left a lot to be desired and he was outshined by a lot of people. He still found himself in the semi-finals, kicking off a great show against Gran Metalik. Metalik came out firing by taking to the skies. Sabre weathered that storm and took it to the ground where he is at his most comfortable. However, Metalik showed that he could hang on the mat, which only frustrated Sabre. Sabre got more vicious in his offense as things progressed. He struck with his best PK of the tournament, complete with a Shibata reference from Mauro Ranallo. Metalik survived and scored on an awesome rana but then springboarded right into a triangle submission! Metalik got free and hit the Metalik Driver from out of nowhere to advance at 13:12. The best work of Sabre’s tournament run and nearly the best for Metalik. It got the show off to the perfect start with a match that featured great counter wrestling and told the story of Sabre getting more upset as time went on that Metalik seemed to have his number.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 11, 2021 16:30:04 GMT -5
465. WWE Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. Jinder Mahal – WWE Clash of Champions 2017
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| I never got behind the Jinder Mahal push. When it started, I felt he wasn’t ready and I still hold that position today. His feuds with Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura were pure shit (though I attribute part of it to Shinsuke and Randy putting in lackluster efforts). However, it was the AJ Styles feud that helped turn some stuff around. Their match in the UK where AJ captured the title was very good and they bested it here. Styles understood the best way to work as Jinder’s opponent. He allowed Jinder to use his power and control a good portion of the match. AJ bumped and sold the ribs very well, making Jinder’s heat segment better than most others would have. When the Singh brothers got involved, it made sense and wasn’t overdone. It also didn’t lead right to the finish, which happened too often in prior Jinder matches. Jinder teased using the Styles Clash, but AJ countered into the Calf Crusher to retain after 22:57. The best match of Jinder’s career and it proved that he could deliver rather well in the right setting.
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464. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi – NJPW 45th Anniversary Show 3/6/17
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| Ryusuke Taguchi typically plays an undercard comedy guy, but he can turn into BIG MATCH TAGUCHI from time to time. His wackiness proved to be a good foil for the pure insanity of Hiromu Takahashi. In the tag matches to build this, Taguchi established the ankle lock and Hiromu had to avoid it at all costs. Hiromu got in control and stole some of Taguchi’s signature spots to get in his head. Taguchi’s had hope spots, but the champ kept preventing the ankle lock. When Taguchi finally applied it, Hiromu was prepared, countering into his own. They finished up with great counters and transitions, leading to the crowd getting way behind a fired up Taguchi. Despite that, Hiromu did his own firing up and retained after hitting the Time Bomb after 17:42. The story told around the ankle lock was great. Hiromu was taken out of his comfort zone and had to show he could hang in a different style of match. He could.
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463. WWE Championship: Batista [c] vs. John Cena – WWE WrestleMania XXVI
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| The two biggest stars of the Ruthless Aggression era. I love the story of their rises to the top being almost identical, from the final two spots in the 2005 Royal Rumble to the WrestleMania 21 title wins to being top guys on their brands. Cena went for early covers and Matt Striker tried to sell it as he was desperate and doubtful about the outcome. Lawler and Cole shot that down because why tell stories on commentary? Batista dominated a lot of this since they were trying to tell the story that commentary wanted to ignore. Cena would find openings and do things like slap on the STF but it was never enough. The Attitude Adjustment near fall here was fantastic because it hadn’t been overdone yet and you bought that Cena might not be able to beat him. They repeated a variation of the spot that broke Cena’s neck at SummerSlam 2008. Before Batista could capitalize, Cena trapped him in the STF and made him submit in 13:38. A compact match that was filled with big time action and told a simple story. A super underrated Mania gem.
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462. EVIL vs. SANADA – NJPW G1 Climax 7/20/17
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| Los Ingobernables de Japon explodes! This was one of the more intriguing matchups in that year’s G1 Climax. I’d like to credit Don Callis for pointing out something that made the match stick out more for me. He noted that while EVIL is Tetsuya Naito’s go-to guy, SANADA is more like his project. I got the sense they came out here vying to solidify themselves as the official number two in LIDJ. SANADA played the de facto babyface, with the crowd loving his athleticism and offense, while EVIL was more than happy to use chairs and a few more underhanded tactics. Still, SANADA did just enough to stay somewhat heel. They brought the big offense, including SANADA hitting a super cutter to the floor, nearly winning via countout. That led to some great exchanges, which showcased just how evenly matched Naito’s buddies are. When SANADA couldn’t win with the Skull End, he resorted to a moonsault to win in 15:46. They did the little things and delivered the goods in a match I had high hopes for.
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461. PROGRESS Atlas Championship: Matt Riddle [c] vs. Trent Seven – PROGRESS: Orlando
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| I can’t help but love the PROGRESS Atlas Championship. Big lads wrestling is among my favorite things in all of wrestling. Trent Seven was one of the better heels on the UK scene, while Matt Riddle is wildly popular wherever he goes. After realizing he was outmatched on the mat, Seven took to chopping the shit out of Riddle. That just angered Riddle, who lit him up with brutal shots around the ring. Riddle was always a step ahead. If Seven chopped, Riddle chopped harder. If Seven hit a suplex, Riddle popped up and retaliated with his own. When Riddle survived Seventh Heaven (a spinning piledriver), Seven wanted to hit one off the middle rope. Riddle slipped out and came back with a jumping Tombstone for a great near fall. Seven kicked out at one after a crazy looking jumping piledriver, but Riddle pounced. He locked in the Bromission and Seven tapped out at 10:47. Before the match, Jim Smallman promised they would beat the shit out of each other and they delivered.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 12, 2021 9:54:21 GMT -5
460. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Marty Scurll [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. KUSHIDA vs. Will Ospreay – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12
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| At the time, this was basically NJPW throwing their three biggest stars in the junior heavyweight division and the champion into one huge match on their biggest show of the year. They don’t often run these kind of multi-man matches, which added to the special factor of seeing this. While this particular Wrestle Kingdom was a consistent good one, it didn’t have that standout MOTYC we’re used to. Instead, this was the best thing on the card. These guys are all really good and know each other well. That meant this moved at a ridiculous pace with some huge spots. None of those spots felt like they were just happening for the sake of it. Everything seemed to matter. The guys did a good with spots that included everyone. In the end, it was Willy the Ospreay who took home the title after 21:18. The second of three Jr. Title matches from the Dome on this list.
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459. 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 2017
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| If there’s one WWE match you can usually count out for greatness each year, it’s Money in the Bank. This was another loaded field, with only Ziggler as an uninteresting performer. One of the biggest questions coming in was how Nakamura would fare in a Ladder Match, but Corbin jumped him during his entrance, taking him out of the equation. As usual, there were plenty of bumps and spots throughout this. Sami hit a particularly great sunset flip bomb, and AJ Styles took a scary fall while hanging from the briefcase. We also got a renewal of the fantastic Zayn/Owens rivalry for a bit. Owens was the MVP, being involving in so much and taking wild bumps like an USHIGOROSHI onto a ladder bridge. Around the 20:00 mark of this 29:50 match, Nakamura returned and was at the best he's been since the Takeover: Dallas debut. He ran through everyone, leading to a showdown with Styles that was better than their lackluster feud the following year. In the end, Corbin took them both out and got the briefcase to win. It ran a bit long, which keeps it from reaching the levels of some prior MITB matches, but was still good enough to make this list.
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458. Mae Young Classic Semifinals: Meiko Satomura vs. Toni Storm – WWE Mae Young Classic 10/24/18
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| In 2017, Toni Storm was my pick for the Female Wrestler of the Year. Her 2018 didn’t have as many highs but was still great. One performance that caught everyone’s eye was in the semi-finals of the Mae Young Classic. The prior year, Toni lost in this round to eventual winner Kairi Sane. This go around, the obstacle in her way was the legendary Meiko Satomura. This started at a slow pace, with Toni not wanting to make a mistake and lose out again just before the finals. Meiko picked it up with a slap and that quickened the pace and added some intensity. Following some submission work, they just began throwing bombs at one another. Meiko survived a Storm Zero, while Toni kicked out of a Death Valley Driver and Scorpion Kick. The fans were jumping around and out of their seats for the final few exchanges. Toni managed to advance by hitting a second Storm Zero at 13:06, capping a fantastic match filled with emotion.
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457. WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Neville [c] vs. Austin Aries – WWE WrestleMania 33
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| Moving this match to the Kickoff Show was probably for the best. Instead of getting rushed on a ridiculously loaded and long main card, it was given time to breathe on the pre-show. Austin Aries was the rare cruiserweight to get a great reaction on most nights, while Neville was in the midst of a spectacular run as the “King of the Cruiserweights.” With 15:37 to work with, they didn’t go for the traditionally spotty cruiserweight match. Instead, they started slow and built to something more. Aries was confident early. He felt like the one guy in the division who could hang with Neville. They constantly had an answer for one another, but there was the sense that Aries had Neville’s number. Neville started dropping Aries on his head with German suplexes, but couldn’t put him away. Neville survived his fair share, including kicking out of the 450 splash. Aries applied Last Chancery and Neville knew he was done. He resorted to raking at Aries’ recently reconstructed orbital socket. That got him free and he won via Red Arrow. People don't talk about this much, probably because Aries is a shitty person.
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456. Last Man Standing Match: Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena – WWE Payback 2014
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| There aren’t all that many fond memories of the Bray Wyatt/John Cena rivalry from 2014. That’s understandable since the feud itself only had a few highlights. The WrestleMania XXX outing was good but people soured on Cena winning. The Extreme Rules cage match was a travesty in how bad it was. However, this final encounter actually proved to be their best work together (until this year’s Firefly Funhouse). They went to war and had one of the better Last Man Standing matches in recent memory. The Usos got involved to help neutralize Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. Cena launched steel steps at Bray in a massive spot. This was everything it needed to be, even if some weren’t fans of the finish in the end.
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bob
Salacious Crumb
The "other" Bob. FOC COURSE!
started the Madness Wars, Proudly the #1 Nana Hater on FAN
Posts: 77,812
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Post by bob on Apr 12, 2021 10:28:42 GMT -5
Aries and Neville is underrated IMO
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 12, 2021 17:00:39 GMT -5
455. Grave Consequences: Mil Muertes vs. Prince Puma – Lucha Underground 11/9/16
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| In the main event of Ultima Lucha in season one, Prince Puma’s lengthy reign as Lucha Underground Champion ended at the hands of Mil Muertes. They stayed away for the most part in season two, but after some struggles, Puma was directed (by Vampiro) to focus on Muertes. Puma evened the score with Muertes with a win a few weeks before this. Twice in LU, a Grave Consequences match was held, both involving Muertes. Puma attacked from behind during Mil’s entrance to start 16:26 of war. He dove into the crowd on Muertes and they battled throughout the Temple. The coffins came into play several times as weapons. There were several great spots throughout this including a tremendous springboard 630 splash from Puma. Vampiro kept making comments about Puma going to the dark side, hinting at their behind the scenes interactions. To start the show, Mil’s manager Catrina warned him that if he lost another Grave Consequences match, she wouldn’t bring him back again. Mil dug deep and chokeslammed Puma through a table outside. In a fitting end, he brought out the coffin that was used to kill Puma’s old manager (Konnan) back in season one. A Flatliner later and Puma was locked away to end a great rivalry.
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454. Two Out Of Three Falls Match: Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio – WWE Smackdown 1/22/19
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| One of the best things to come about Rey Mysterio’s return to WWE this year was his rivalry with Andrade. The two put on an instant classic in their first meeting a week prior to this one. It was so well-received that a Two Out of Three Falls rematch was booked here. Could they recreate the magic? Not quite but dammit if they didn’t try. While their first meeting built to bigger stuff, this one was kind of nuts out of the gate. Rey was trying Code Reds in the opening couple of minutes. I liked it because some matches with this stipulation get off to slow starts but they weren’t holding back. Andrade’s first fall victory on a super powerbomb was outstanding, as was Mysterio tying things up with a sick modified Destroyer. For the third fall, both men still had their finishers in their back pockets. The exchanges were great but it was like neither could hit it. Andrade added to the emotion by doing an Eddie Guerrero style taunt at one point. Unfortunately, we were kept from getting a clean finish to this one. Samoa Joe ran in and attacked both men, resulting in a disqualification at 22:14. Up until that point, this was tremendous.
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453. Gift of the Gods Championship: Fenix [c] vs. King Cuerno – Lucha Underground 1/27/16
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| Lucha Underground season two was a pretty fantastic string of wrestling television. Fittingly, it began with a bang. At Ultima Lucha, the season one finale, Fenix became the first ever Gift of the Gods Champion. The title gives the winner a shot at the Lucha Underground Championship. Mil Muertes, Fenix’s arch rival, was the champion and his manager, Catrina, was running the Temple. She forced Fenix to defend his title right off the bat. With Muertes watching from his throne atop the Temple like a final boss, these two put one hell of a performance. At 7:47, this thing pretty much moves at a frantic pace for the entire duration. Fenix and Cuerno busted out moves I’ve never seen before. Fenix hit an innovative diving double stomp and followed it with a springboard 450 splash. When Fenix was able to kick out of Cuerno’s Thrill of the Hunt, Cuerno had to dig deep into his bag of tricks. He hit a spinning tombstone variation that got him the win and gave us a surprising title change to kick off season two. Their rivalry continued for a Last Lucha Standing and ladder match. Both were damn good but neither reached this level.
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452. NXT Women's Championship: Ember Moon [c] vs. Shayna Baszler – NXT TakeOver: New Orleans
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| At TakeOver: Philadelphia, Ember Moon retained her title against Shayna Baszler in what felt like a stroke of luck. That match was good but never got into great territory. They made sure to fix that in this high profile rematch. At 12:55, it only went about two minutes longer than their prior match but did a ton more with it. They immediately played off the past. Ember tried to start with a dropkick like she has before, but Shayna sidestepped it. She had done her homework. In fact, the way they played into the storyline of the feud made this click better than most (it’s a staple of TakeOver matches and why they work so well). Ember got beat up, but turned the tide on Shayna by stomping on her arm. It was a dose of her own medicine and something that could potentially humble the challenger. In one of the coolest things you’ll see anywhere, Shayna banged her shoulder into the ring post to pop it back into place. That’s what winning meant to her. They’ve sold the Eclipse as a match ender, so it worked that the only time Ember hit it was outside. She couldn’t win that way. Her next attempt at one inside got countered as Shayna powered her into the Kirifuda Clutch. Ember fought as hard as she could and lasted a while, before passing out. Shayna was champion and Ember was off to Raw. They killed it and Baszler officially entered that top tier of women in NXT history.
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451. WWE Raw Tag Team Championship: The New Day [c] vs. The Bar – WWE Roadblock: End of the Line
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| The New Day entered this match having just become the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions in WWE history. They did so after retaining the straps in two triple threat matches on Raw. All they had to do to keep the reign going was get past the newly formed duo of Sheamus and Cesaro. The Bar actually had prior shots but this was their first time truly feeling like a cohesive unit. They pulled out some incredible moves during this short 10:00 battle. Xavier Woods got involved multiple times to desperately try and save the titles but the Bar kept overcoming the numbers disadvantage. The finish was clever but came off awkwardly. Sheamus blind tagged in and Cesaro took Trouble in Paradise. Sheamus cradled Kingston, outsmarting him to win the gold and end the historic reign.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 13, 2021 9:17:41 GMT -5
450. NEVER Openweight Championship: Katsuyori Shibata [c] vs. Bobby Fish – NJPW Destruction in Tokyo 2016
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| While the prospect of Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kyle O’Reilly was higher on my list of matches I wanted to see, Bobby Fish getting a crack at Shibata sounded interesting too. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear good things about their ROH Television Title match on ROH TV before this one. Luckily, this match delivered. We got treated to some good old fashioned Shibata violence. Fish started by going after the leg but also targeted the neck and shoulder. He trained to attack any part that is available, which I actually like. Like all good Shibata matches, this was a manly, violent battle. Fish was great, yelling for the official to stop the match when he was kicking Shibata’s ass. I loved him shouting “f*** YOU” when Shibata had him in the abdominal stretch. Shibata survived the Fish Hook and, being the absolute madman that he is, delivered a headbutt so severe that he instantly busted himself open the hard way. He won with the Penalty Kick at 16:48 to add another successful defense and great match to his resume. Fish succeeded in his first test as a heavyweight in NJPW as well.
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449. WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne [c] vs. Roderick Strong – NXT 2/14/18
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| Before they were a short-lived team and before their rivalry involving Roderick Strong’s turn to join the Undisputed Era, we had this battle. There wasn’t a major story behind this one. Instead, it was just two of the best wrestlers having a banger of a match for a championship. Pete Dunne went after the arm and wrist of his challenger, while Strong attacked the back to set up for his array of backbreakers. They were given a lot of time, making it through two commercial breaks and lasting 14:10. Every second was used expertly. The pacing of the match was top-notch, as it never felt slow and plodding, while also never going too fast or feeling rushed. Dunne continually attacking the hand is something we’re used to from him, but he always finds ways to make it unique and interesting. He’s great that way. Roddy’s near falls down the stretch made us believe he might pull out the win, even if it seemed far fetched coming into the bout. Dunne retained with the Bitter End to cap a great match that was probably overlooked by most.
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448. Kazuchika Okada vs. Naomichi Marufuji – NJPW G1 Climax 7/18/16
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| Fresh off of regaining his IWGP Heavyweight Title and starting a record-setting run with it, Kazuchika Okada entered the G1 Climax 26 with momentum. Standing in his way on night one was Pro Wrestling NOAH star Naomichi Marufuji. He came in with a game plan against the IWGP Champion. That included viciously destroying his arm at every turn. It was more violent and filled with vitriol than expected. He also threw the sick sounding chops that he’s known for. Okada, ever prepared for his opponents, had no idea what hit him. It made the entire match so much better because it was unexpected. Okada got in a handful of moments where he did his thing but the beauty was that this never felt all that competitive. That was the brilliance of it. Marufuji beat his ass and won in 19:06. It set up an even better title match down the line.
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447. NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler [c] vs. Kairi Sane – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV
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| In the finals of the first Mae Young Classic, Kairi Sane bested Shayna Baszler. However, Shayna made it to the top of the women’s division before Kairi and dominated as champion for most of 2018. They came into this tied in their series 1-1. Shayna was the vicious champion we’ve come to know. She wrecked Kairi’s leg at every turn. Shayna twisted, kicked, and stomped on the leg. It all looked brutal. The fight from Kairi as she rallied was great. She showcased the killer instinct Shayna said she lacked by busting out multiple Insane Elbows and it still wasn’t enough. When they went into battling Sane’s Anchor submission against Shayna’s Kirifuda Clutch, it was awesome. I loved the finish, too. Kairi went for a third Insane Elbow, but Shayna got her foot up and kicked her in midair. The way Shayna gets up after this is just gangster. She felt like she had Kairi where she wanted her. But, when she applied the Kirifuda Clutch, Kairi slipped free and countered into a pin to capture the title at 13:34. They told a terrific story in front of a molten crowd.
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446. WWE Championship Falls Count Anywhere Match: The Miz [c] vs. John Morrison – Raw 1/3/11
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| The first match on Raw in 2011 was probably its best. John Morrison, riding high as a babyface who beat Sheamus to earn a WWE Title shot, took on his former partner and the champion in a Falls Count Anywhere bout. Morrison, known for his parkour style, was a perfect fit in this kind of match. He dove off of the WWE logo on the stage early on, setting the tone. He also used his athleticism to take out Alex Riley and leave it to just himself and The Miz. They fought all around the arena and had the crowd engaged throughout. Miz kicking out of the Starship Pain because there was a slight delay in the cover made for a great near fall. In the end, The Miz retained and it was the high point in terms of in-ring quality during his title reign.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 13, 2021 18:13:23 GMT -5
445. Cueto Cup Semi-Finals: Fenix vs. Prince Puma – Lucha Underground 8/16/17
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| A lot of the Cueto Cup didn’t deliver on the high expectations I had, but it got better as we reached the later rounds. The Semi-Finals saw Lucha Underground’s “Mount Rushmore” (at least in my mind) compete. Pentagon Dark, Mil Muertes, Fenix and Prince Puma. Though it came down to the four biggest stars, the Puma/Fenix matchup felt fresh. It had only happened once before, way back in season one. They played this match evenly, like you’d expect the two top babyfaces to be. However, Puma was no longer the straight face he was during his title run. He was more aggressive and it showed. Despite that, Fenix came the closest to winning after a brutal kick to the back of the head. Marty Martinez, Fenix’s rival, arrived to stalk Fenix’s love interest, Melissa Santos. Ever the good guy, Fenix took Marty out. Puma, no longer the straight face, took advantage and hit a Michinoku Driver. Fenix was resilient enough to survive that, but fell after a 630 splash at 10:27. This was as awesome as you’d expect from guys the caliber of Puma and Fenix, with story advancements to add to the action.
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444. WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne [c] vs. Jordan Devlin – 11/28/18
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| In 2019 and especially in early 2020, Jordan Devlin felt like he had finally broken out as a key player in NXT UK. However, one can probably look back to this match near the end of 2018 as the first time that he showed the world exactly what he was capable of. Pete Dunne’s WWE United Kingdom Title run was just a barrage of him delivering great matches. This was one of the more underrated, probably because it was in the early days of a brand that doesn’t get a lot of shine. It marked the first great bout for the brand. Not many bought Devlin as a potential winner but they worked hard to get the crowd invested and make you believe he might pull out the victory. Dunne hit the Bitter End but couldn’t get the cover because of damage to his lower back. I prefer that kind of drama to simply kicking out of finishers. Dunne eventually resorted to a triangle choke to retain after a brilliant 15:09. Tremendous wrestling.
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443. Cesaro vs. John Cena – WWE Raw 2/17/14
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| There was a time when Cesaro was considered to have incredible potential. Early 2014 saw him on one of his biggest runs ever. That included a Valentine’s Day clean victory over then WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton. Three days later, he had the chance to make it two massive wins in a row when he took on John Cena. Seeing how Cesaro overwhelmed Orton, Cena did his homework and slowed the pace to start. That allowed him to dictate the pace. He also busted out rare offense like a sweet neckbreaker. The Denver crowd was behind Cesaro for the entire 21:13 of this match. When he did the Cesaro Swing, they came unglued. This was also one of the first times that he showed off the deadlift German suplex. Cena ultimately won but it was a coming out party for Cesaro. They’d best this outing when the US Title was on the line the following year.
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442. Money in the Bank: Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte vs. Ember Moon vs. Lana vs. Naomi vs. Natalya vs. Sasha Banks - WWE Money in the Bank 2018
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| There was a little bit of everything in this one. It was cool to see Raw and Smackdown women interact with one another, especially in the case of Ember Moon, who had never faced the girls from Tuesday nights. They did well to relive past rivalries, like Sasha/Charlotte, and preview ones coming up, like the big Becky Lynch/Charlotte moment. There was an exchange between Ember and Naomi that was a highlight. A few spots were incredibly dangerous (Charlotte violently pulling Lana off a ladder and a Natalya powerbomb come to mind) and one or two awkward moments. However, everyone played their role and was given at least one chance to shine. We’ve seen tons of ladder matches throughout history, so the fact that these women found creative ways to use them is a testament to how well thought out this whole thing was. In the end, after 18:26, Alexa Bliss pulled down the briefcase and then successfully cashed in later that night. For further storytelling aspects, go back and pay attention to how close Becky came to winning on multiple occasions, including being cut off by Charlotte. It plays into her heel turn. Anyway, the women outdid the men in both the Elimination Chamber and Money in the Bank in 2018.
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441. Lucha Underground Championship: Matanza Cueto [c] vs. Cage – Lucha Underground 6/1/16
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| THE UNOFFICIAL HOSSWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP! Matanza reigned as a dominant Lucha Underground Champion but Cage brought something that nobody but Mil Muertes was able to against him. He was just as big and even stronger. The action throughout this 13:29 main event was non-stop. They made sure to keep it going and be hard hitting the whole way. They traded getting up instantly after German suplexes until Matanza hit a swinging variation to keep Cage down for a bit. Cage impressed with a dead lift superplex on the large champion. One of the best things about this was Dario Cueto at ringside. He nailed every reaction perfectly. To close it out, Cage went for a barrage of strikes only to get caught in the Wrath of the Gods. This match was handled in a way where the viewers bought Cage as a guy who might actually be able to dethrone Matanza.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 14, 2021 9:54:57 GMT -5
440. WWE Championship Chicago Street Fight: CM Punk [c] vs. Chris Jericho – WWE Extreme Rules 2012
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| Going with the alcohol related storyline for this rivalry was an odd decision. From the lame sobriety test to the illogical angle that a WWE Champion could lose the title if drunk (when Stone Cold was a star), it didn’t work. The WrestleMania match between these two was very good but kind of disappointing. All of that was mostly fixed this go around. In CM Punk’s hometown of Chicago, they had a street fight that ruled. For starters, I loved that both men wore street clothes. That’s such a small but important piece of a match like this. They had a brawl fitting of the story, including a moment involving Punk’s sister in the front row. There were big spots, some violent moments, and ultimately a victory for Punk after a grueling 25:13. And to think, this was only the third best match on this show!
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439. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA [c] vs. BUSHI – NJPW The New Beginning in Niigata 2016
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| BUSHI missed nearly a year with a neck injury but returned and joined Los Ingobernables de Japon. The prominence of the group allowed BUSHI to get major opportunities, with this being the first big one. He delivered. A few minutes into this, BUSHI’s stablemates Tetsuya Naito and EVIL strolled down to ringside. They got involved when EVIL used a chair on BUSHI and Naito beat up the young lions, but none of their interference ever felt overdone. We got a great MX (Codebreaker) counter into a Hoverboard Lock but LIJ distracted the official to keep things going. BUSHI spit the green mist at KUSHIDA and it led to some incredibly close near falls for the challenger, including one on a second rope MX that I bit on hard. Each time KUSHIDA looked to have momentum, LIJ derailed him. Finally, perennial junior good guy Ryusuke Taguchi helped and, along with the young lions, held Naito and EVIL back while BUSHI tapped to the Hoverboard Lock at 16:32. Instead of being about moves, this was based around drama, which was a great change from most junior matches. BUSHI would eventually be the man to end KUSHIDA’s nine-month reign as champion at Destruction in Tokyo.
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438. Mae Young Classic Second Round: Mercedes Martinez vs. Meiko Satomura – WWE Mae Young Classic 10/3/18
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| Three of Meiko Satomura’s four matches under the WWE banner were included on this list. That’s quite the run she had through the Mae Young Classic. In this second round battle, she faced Mercedes Martinez, a semi-finalist from the first iteration. This was two incredible veteran female wrestlers who hit hard getting the chance to strut their stuff. Sometimes, that’s all you need to deliver something great. They went out and had a banger of a match that featured stiff shots, great drama, and intense action. The two women managed to pack a great amount in a mere 11:31 and they delivered arguably the best match in the history of the tournament. If you haven’t seen this yet, go out and do so because you might not find a more vicious women’s match in WWE history.
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437. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA- NJPW G1 Climax 26 7/18/16
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| Outside of his matches at Wrestle Kingdom and the New Beginning in Niigata, Hiroshi Tanahashi took it easy up to this point in 2016. He battled injuries and wrestled a lot of multi-man tags. This was the G1 Climax though. This is where Tanahashi steps his game up every year. His first opponent was SANADA, a 28-year-old rising star from the Los Ingobernables de Japon stable. It isn’t a new story but it almost always works. The great babyface veteran against the up and coming heel youngster. Early on, Tanahashi was one step ahead of SANADA at every turn. Once they went outside though, SANADA targeted the recently injured arm of Tanahashi, which was smart. As always, Tanahashi sold this very well and did his own work to SANADA’s leg. I liked the layers of this match, including the story that both men were students of Keiji Mutoh. SANADA’s finisher, the dragon sleeper, is Tanahashi’s old finisher. SANADA would apply the dragon sleeper but Tanahashi, knowing it well, was able to survive. He fired up and went into his offense, but couldn’t put SANADA away. SANADA then countered High Fly Flow with an RKO OUTTA NOWHERE! Two moonsaults and another dragon sleeper made Tanahashi tap out at 19:28. Easily the biggest win and best singles match of SANADA’s career to that point.
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436. Johnny Mundo vs. Prince Puma – Lucha Underground 10/29/14
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| When a new company hosts its first show, it’s crucial that the main event delivers. It should be more than just a great match, though. It needs to also capture what the promotion will be about. It’s safe to say that Lucha Underground hit the nail on the head. They put on a hell of a first main event when they pitted their biggest name, Johnny Mundo, against the guy positioned to be their top star, Prince Puma. The two went out and had a match filled with great spots, wild athleticism, and some memorable moments. It wasn’t the perfect match at all but it was pretty perfect for what it needed to be. Mundo pulled out the win in 12:31, starting a pretty key rivalry for the company.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 14, 2021 13:50:08 GMT -5
435. Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk – WWE Payback 2013
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| I’ve always said that you don’t need a great storyline to have a great match. The tale behind this Chris Jericho/ CM Punk meeting was really a lot of nothing. It was just about Punk returning for the first time in a few months and doing so in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. That made for an incredible atmosphere. Jericho and Punk went on to have a match that was better than their much-hyped 2012 meetings. It had some really good back and forth action throughout. I didn’t like how they overdid the Go to Sleeps and finisher kickouts. However, I did love Jericho catching him with a huge leaping Codebreaker. It was how Jericho beat him during the 2008 King of the Ring tournament. He couldn’t cover quick enough here, so Punk was able to survive.
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434. NXT Tag Team Championship: The Revival [c] vs. American Alpha – NXT TakeOver: Dallas
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| Even if you weren’t heavily invested in the outcome, one could still appreciate great tag team wrestling, which is just what we got here. The Revival are a real old school style team that just gets it. They do the traditional stuff, like cutting the ring in half and working a body part, but here they really nailed the little things. Dash crawling under the ring to sneak up on Jason Jordan and prevent a hot tag was just expert stuff. They played the crowd perfectly and worked a throwback style tag team match while sprinkling in some cool newer age spots. I loved the finish too, with Jordan blind tagging in, hitting a running shoulder thrust and tagging Gable for the Grand Amplitude and the title win at 15:11. It was great to see a classic tag move, like a blind tag, used against a team that does it so well.
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433. Andrade Almas vs. Roderick Strong – NXT TakeOver: San Antonio
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| Here’s a match that is kind of lost to time. Since it happened, Roderick Strong has become an NXT North American Champion and a key part of the company’s best stable. Meanwhile, Andrade had one of the best NXT Title runs ever and now shines on the main roster. At this point in early 2017, though? Neither guy was lighting the world on fire. The crowd response to this early on was tepid at best. Almas put the target on the arm, while Strong looked at the back. Given who they are, those tactics made sense. After a few minutes, you could tell that this was going to be really good. The crowd started getting into it, wowed by the hard-hitting action the two were putting together. Eventually, Strong won with the Sick Kick in 11:43. This might’ve saved Andrade’s WWE run as he was flopping until this match. Soon after, he got Zelina Vega on his side and the rest is history. As for Roddy? The dude just always delivers.
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432. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 25 7/24/15
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| Two guys that I became huge fans of during the G1 Climax 25 were Katsuyori Shibata and Tetsuya Naito. Despite not finishing with tons of points, both guys were standouts for different reasons. Shibata’s hard hitting style and penchant for great outings made me a fan, while Naito’s tremendous heel persona, combined with really good matches, was just so highly entertaining. On the third night of the tournament, they faced off and proved to be a great combination. Naito is known for coming out in a full suit and stalling but Shibata was having none of that, attacking quickly. It forced Naito to work the first few minutes with his suit still on. When he turned things around, he looked to neutralize Shibata’s vicious kicks by targeting the leg. Their back and forth was pretty great, but Naito made a crucial mistake late. He decided to slap Shibata, which fueled a Shibata barrage of strikes. He locked in the sleeper hold and used a Penalty Kick to get his first two points of the G1 after 12:11. In other words, don’t piss off Shibata by slapping him or he’ll kick your ass. They would have a rematch in September that didn’t quite reach this level.
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431. AJ Styles vs. John Cena – WWE Money in the Bank 2016
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| The moment AJ Styles walked through the curtain at the Royal Rumble 2016, dream match ideas started pouring in now that they were a possibility. For a lot of people, this was number one with a bullet. Styles and John Cena had electricity from the crowd the second they shared the ring and though Styles turned heel that night, things still felt like a huge deal once the bell rang on this night. For most of this 24:11 match, Styles was out to prove that he was better than WWE’s golden boy and he outwrestled him at several moments, pausing to make sure and brag. Styles was always one step ahead, even cutting off Cena’s “five moves of doom” multiple times, hammering home that he just might be better than Cena. The brilliance of Styles was clear though because, for all his early dominance, he still bumped like a madman to make Cena’s offense look great. Even when AJ messed up to give Cena an opening, he was still mostly in control. The match eventually became a back and forth battle and it was great. Unfortunately, we got a ref bump and Club interference, as a Magic Killer put Cena down and got AJ a tainted win. A shit finish to an otherwise excellent match that they would top two months later.
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