2015 Match of the Year (Updated)
Back at the end of 2015, I put together this list. As part of my Greatest Wrestler Ever project I am putting together new match of the year lists, let’s see how much has changed seven years later.
Matches that dropped off the list:
- AJ Styles vs Jimmy Rave, PSW, May 8 (Prev. #7)
- Bullet Club vs ROH All-Stars, ROH Global Wars, May 15 (Prev. an Honourable Mention)
- Anthony Henry vs Jimmy Rave Scenic City Invitational, August 7 (Prev. #10)
- Timothy Thatcher vs Zack Sabre Jr., EVOLVE 47, August 15 (Prev. an Honourable Mention)
- Low Ki vs Rey Mysterio Jr., JAPW 19th Anniversary Show, November 14 (Prev. an Honourable Mention)
Honourable Mentions:
- Kairi Hojo vs Meiko Satomura, Stardom X Stardom, July 26 (Prev. unmentioned)
- Pentagon Jr. vs Vampiro, “Cero Miedo”, Lucha Underground Ultimo Lucha, taped April 19 and aired August 5 (Prev. #8)
- Io Shirai vs Mayu Iwatani, Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix, August 23 (Prev. unmentioned)
#10
Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns
“WWE World Heavyweight Championship”
WWE WrestleMania XXXI
March 29
Levi’s Stadium
(Previously #4)
One of the greatest main events in WrestleMania history. This was a brutal slug fest that was stiff as fuck. Brock took Roman and beat him senseless to such a degree that it got the crowd onto Roman’s side. The comeback was tremendous and Brock blades. If they had a real finish and not a Seth Rollins run in, this might had been the match of the year.
Update: The Rollins run in sours this match for me more and more over time. Add the numerous Brock-Roman rematches to compete with this and it drops down to #10.
#9
Dragon Lee vs Kamaitachi
“CMLL World Lightweight Championship
CMLL Domingos Arena Mexico
August 30
Arena Mexico
(Previously #9)
2015 was filled with a lot of great high speed high spot matches and this was the best of the bunch for me. Kamaitachi brought this huge array of vicious dropkicks, including one where he ran the entire ramp to gain speed. There was some great pay off spots from earlier in the contest as well as great drama. However, what really made this stand out was the hate between the two. They had other great matches as well, but this one stood out to me.
Update: An unbelievable feud that was real eye-opening at the time and holds up.
#8
Atlantis vs La Sombra
“Mascara vs Mascara”
CMLL 82 Aniversario
September 18
Arena Mexico
(Previously #6)
The Atlantis mask match at the CMLL Anniversary Show has become the match I most anticipate each year. Although this is not on the level of the Atlantis vs Ultimo Guerrero match from the year before, it’s still filled with great drama. Atlantis’ mask has become the new Undertaker’s streak in wrestling.
Update: I will always be a sucker for big mask matches and this one holds up really well.
#7
Kota Ibushi vs Shinsuke Nakamura
“IWGP Intercontinental Championship”
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9
January 4
Tokyo Dome
(Previously #2)
Nakamura and Ibushi went to war in this match with stomps, elbows, knees. A lot of these viciously to the back of the head. After this war we are treated to an amazing finishing stretch with Ibushi throwing out every trick he had to put down Nakamura, but you can’t put down Nakamura! A match so good it made my top 100 matches list.
Update: In the last half decade I have really fallen off in my enjoyment of this era of NJPW’s style, but with that said this match is still amazing.
#6
Cesaro & Tyson Kidd vs The New Day
“WWE Tag Team Championship 2/3 Falls”
WWE Payback
May 17
Royal Farms Arena
(Previously Unrated)
I have no idea how I missed this match back in 2015, but this is one of the best WWE tag team matches since the 1980s. Big E and Cesaro may had been born to face off against each other, as their chemistry is amazing. Outside these two great power wrestlers doing amazing spots, you have Kofi and Tyson adding the high spots. My jaw dropped many times in this one!
#5
Fenix vs Mil Muertes
“Grave Consequences”
Lucha Underground
taped January 25 and aired March 18
Lucha Underground Arena
(Previously Unrated)
This match is insane and easily the greatest “Casket Match” of all-time. Fenix is doing all the nutty moves and Muertes is the perfect base. Something about Mesias in the Muertes gimmick that just takes him to another level. It’s really an unbelievable match that really lives up to it’s name.
#4
Bayley vs Sasha Banks
“NXT Women’s Chamionship Iron Man”
NXT TakeOver: Respect
October 7
Full Sail University
(Previously #5)
Finally after being the highlight of each NXT special, Sasha Banks got to main event and boy did she deliver. Amazing heel work by her with great story telling using the “Iron Man” rules to her advantage. The heel work on Bayley’s super fan was one of the top moments of the year.
Update: This match has aged really well and is one of the best Iron Man matches ever, maybe the best.
#3
Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks
“NXT Women’s Championship”
NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable
May 20
Full Sail University
(Previsouly #3)
The match that took women’s wrestling in NXT from a really solid and good part of the undercard to the real highlight of the company for me. The two former partners pulled out a classic with some amazing story telling. Sasha Banks went right for Becky’s arm and destroyed it (which is what Becky usually does). Becky was a great babyface trying to fight through, but The Boss was too much and retained the title here.
Update: I will always feel nostalgia about this match as it was the catalyst to my shift in what I enjoy and what I watch in pro-wrestling.
#2
Kairi Hojo vs Meiko Satomura
“World of Stardom Championship”
Stardom Galaxy Stars
June 14
Korakuen Hall
(Previously Unrated)
The first of two 10/10 matches on the list, Hojo vs Meiko is one of my favourite feuds of all-time. This is the middle match of the trilogy with the undeserving Hojo defending the Stardom Title against the superior invading Satomura.
Hojo has one has one of the greatest babyface sell jobs in wrestling history in this match, as she clings on desperately trying to survive the legendary Satomura. Meiko is confident, knowing Hojo is beneath her, but gets more and more vicious and frustrated as the match continues. The selling and hope spots by Hojo are unreal.
I only have 17 matches rated 10/10 all-time and this is one of them, but still not good enough to be #1.
#1
Bayley vs Sasha Banks
“NXT Women’s Championship”
NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn
August 22
Barclays Center
(Previously #1)
If you listened to the Pro-Wrestling Super Show’s Top 100 Matches podcast you would know I had this match in the upper half of my list, so there is no surprise it is the top match of the year for me for 2015.
This match is just special and very few matches have that feel to it. The crowd was amazing from the entrances to the finish. The story they tell is perfect. I loved all the hand work by Sasha and Bayley’s selling of it. They way that comes back towards the end was tremendous as well. This also had some insane moves as well, including the Super Reverse Hurrancanara. This match was really an instant classic and clearly the best match of 2015.
Update: As time moves I love this match more and more. It went from the upper half of my greatest match ever list to #4.
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Coming soon my top 25 wrestlers of 2015.
2004 Match of the Year List
We are fast approaching my greatest wrestlers of 2004 list, so let’s drop the match of the year list first!
This is list is based on stuff that was either on my database from the past, or I have watched over the last month. If a match is missing, either I liked other things more or I missed it.
Honourable Mentions
- Jushin Liger vs Mitsuo Momota, NJPW Fighting Spirit, February 15
- Momoe Nakanishi vs Yoshiko Tamura, NEO Dream Rush, March 14
- Chris Hero vs Samoa Joe, IWA-MS A Shot of Southern Comfort, May 29
- CM Punk vs Samoa Joe, ROH World Title Classic, June 12
- Chavo Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio, WWE The Great American Bash, June 27
- CM Punk vs Samoa Joe, ROH All Star Extravaganza II, December 4
#10
Akira Taue vs Kenta Kobashi
“GHC Heavyweight Championship”
NOAH Navigation Over The Date Line
September 10
Nippon Budokan
This match really harkens back to the glory days of AJPW and it’s so nice to see Akira Taue get a huge spotlight title match like this. One thing NOAH did better than AJPW was the spots from the apron to the floor and Taue had a doozy in this one.
#9
El Dandy vs LA Park
“Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship”
ENESMA
October 15
Salon 21
A late edition to the list, but it was so great I had to put it on. It’s LA Park doing a title match, so he’s less focused on the wild chaotic brawl and more on trying to win. What I am saying it’s not a typical Park match, but it’s still great! The seconds get involved in the end and in theory that would hurt the match, but somehow when Dandy and Park team up to get rid of them and then Park uses that to try a sneaky pin it gets even better! A real hidden gem.
#8
Amazing Kong vs Mima Shimoda
AtoZ 1st Anniversary
July 19
Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium
This is an all out war brawl that goes all over the arena and features one of the most violent power bomb from the apron to the floor through the table spots in history. This is the Kong unleashed I’ve always wanted to see.
#7
The Bloody vs Yoshiko Tamura
“TWF World Women’s Championship”
NEO St. Battle Day
September 20
Kitazawa Town Hall
Great matwork? Check! Vicious submissions? Check! Nasty suplexes? Check! Blood? Check! This match has it all and is a must see.
#6
El Hijo del Perro Aguayo vs El Hijo del Santo
Wrestling In Monterrey
September 5
Arena Solidaridad
Gritty is the word that comes to mind watching this one. It’s a chaotic brawl but in a smaller venue so it feels like there is no controls in place. It feels unsafe and it’s amazing!
#5
Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama
“GHC Heavyweight Championship”
NOAH Encountering Navigation
April 25
Nippon Budokan
This match reaches levels of violence and stiffness that is almost unacceptable. What made this one stand out is that it doesn’t reach the level of excess you might except from a big NOAH title match. It’s just a brutal fight.
#4
Amazing Kong vs Ayako Hamada
“WWWA World Championship”
AJW New Wave
May 2
Korakuen Hall
This is truly one of the all-time great chaotic all over the arena brawls of all-time. Before I watched Aja Kong in AJW regularly, this is what I assumed she was like. A complete and unstoppable chaos machine. Hamada, in 2004, did an amazing job of helping to create even more chaos herself being almost Sabu like.
#3
CM Punk vs Samoa Joe
“ROH World Championship”
ROH Joe vs. Punk II
October 16
Frontier Fieldhouse
A famous match for getting the first 5* rating from Dave Meltzer for an American match since 1997. I normally don’t like hour long draws, but CM Punk does so much to make this compelling the entire time. Joe played his role perfectly too and they played off the first match extremely well.
#2
Eddie Guerrero vs John “Bradshaw” Layfield
“WWE Championship”
WWE Judgement Day
May 16
Staples Center
It’s the bloodbath match for Eddie. JBL had just turned and Eddie did this amazing job of cementing JBL has a threat, through bleeding buckets. A great underdog bloody performance by Eddie.
#1
Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero
“WWE Championship”
WWE No Way Out
February 15
Cow Palace
This match is one of the most classic underdog babyface performances of all-time. This was Brock at his best, a dynamic offensive cocky force. Eddie is in his “home” town and the crowd is wildly supporting him unlike almost any other match in wrestling history. A true all-time classic.
Thank You
What did you think of this list? Hit me up on twitter and let me know.
You can also join the inclusive discord to join along with weekly weekend joshi and Greatest Wrestler Ever watch parties and always ongoing discussions.
Next time I will drop my greatest wrestlers of 2004 list.
1993 Match of the Year List
We are fast approaching my greatest wrestlers of 1993 list, so let’s drop the match of the year list first!
After just finishing watching almost all of 1993 joshi, this list may be a little joshi heavy. Rightly so, though, as 1993 was the year of the inter promotional wars and maybe the best run of any style of wrestling ever.
The honourable mentions are the remaining 8.75/10 rated matches I have seen that just didn’t make the cut. They really could be interchanged into the bottom of this list.
Honourable Mentions
- Aja Kong & Bull Nakano vs Kyoko Inoue & Manami Toyota – AJW, May 3
- Combat Toyota & Megumi Kudo vs Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada – FMW, May 5
- Harley Saito vs Takako Inoue – AJW, May 8
- Akira Hokuto vs Yumiko Hotta – AJW Japan Grand Prix, August 21
- Bull Nakano vs Noriyo Tateno – AJW & LLPW, September 29
- Manami Toyota vs Mayumi Ozaki – AJW WresleMarinpiad, October 9
- Aja Kong & Sakie Hasegawa vs Kyoko Inoue & Toshiyo Yamada – AJW, October 10
- Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki vs Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada – AJW St. Battle Final, December 6
Final Note
This list is based off of matches I have watched in the last few months and based off of my own personal biases. Take everything with all of the salt.
#25
Bull Nakano & Takako Inoue vs Shinobu Kandori & Utako Hozmu
LLPW, November 9
#24
Akira Hokuto vs Toshiyo Yamada
AJW, May 3
#23
Devil Masami vs Kyoko Inoue
AJW WrestleMarinepiad, October 9
A very cool battle of different generations. The mix of Devil’s size and power offense with Kyoko’s weird offense was wonderful to see. One of my favourite version of Kyoko’s “Giant Swing” happened here. It all ends with a beautiful finish.
#22
Barry Windham vs Too Cold Scorpio
WCW Clash of the Champions, June 16
#21
Akira Hokuto, Etsuko Mita, & Mima Shimoda
vs
Eagle Sawai, Harley Saito, & Miki Handa
AJW, January 24
#20
Sting vs Vader
“Strap” WCW SuperBrawl III, February 21
#19
Akira Hokuto vs Rumi Kazama
“Hair vs Hair” LLPW, November 9
#18
Akira Hokuto vs Yasha Kurenai
AJW, June 11
I talked about this here.
#17
Pirata Morgan vs El Satanico
“Hair vs Hair” AAA Sin Limite, November 26
A bloody violent hair vs hair match which was an all-time great brawl. Filled with so many brilliant minor touches. The nearfalls were super dramatic as the third fall is unreal.
#16
Akira Hokuto vs Aja Kong
AJW WrestleMarinepiad, October 9
#15
Bolshoi Kid, Cutie Suzuki, & Plum Mariko
vs
Kyoko Inoue, Takako Inoue, & Yumiko Hotta
AJW All-Star Dream Slam 2, April 11
#14
Aja Kong vs Megumi Kudo
AJW St. Battle Final, December 6
Megumi Kudo comes in from FMW and doesn’t go for a barbed wire to defeat Kong, but puts up the fight of her life to really establish herself as a legit #1 contender.
#13
Akira Hokuto vs Manami Toyota
AJW, August 21
#12
Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect
“Semi-Final” WWF King of The Ring, June 13
#11
Stan Hansen vs Toshiaki Kawada
AJPW Excite Series, February 28
#10
Aja Kong & Kyoko Inoue vs Eagle Sawai & Leo Kitamura
LLPW
June 15
Leo Kitamura is a wrestler I have never even heard of until I started watching all of joshi and here she is in the top 10 matches of the year. That’s how great the Aja Kong and partner vs Eagle Sawai and partner feud was in 1993. This is a match of contrasts as the brutes of Kong and Eagle try to destroy each other, while the face painted Kyoko Inoue and Kitamura do weird shit around them. An unbelievable and surprising match you must watch.
#9
Kenta Kobashi vs Stan Hansen
AJPW Summer Action Series
July 29
Kenta Kobashi’s selling is a perfect contrast to the bruising Stan Hansen. This match has been talked about to death and has maybe the greatest finish in wrestling history.
#8
Cutie Suzuki & Mayumi Ozaki vs Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue
AJW All-Star Dream Slam
April 2
The two Dream Slam shows are just filled with classic matches and this one may have the most exciting nearfalls and finishing sequence of them all. The heel Ozaki adds the dynamic and I can’t not mention the amazing giant swing Kyoko does here!
#7
Atsushi Onita vs Terry Funk
“No Rope Exploding Barbed-Wire Time Bomb Death Match”
FMW 4th Anniversary Show
May 5
You know 1993 is a classic year when this match doesn’t even hit the top 5. One of the most dramatic matches and one of, if not, the best deathmatch of all-time. Even if you don’t like deathmatches, like myself, this match transcends that.
#6
Akira Hokuto vs Shinobu Kandori
AJW St. Battle Final
December 6
The rematch to a match higher on the list and it’s really great on it’s own right. Some claim it is better, but the finish is not 100% perfect, compared to the previous mach.
#5
Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki
vs
Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada
“WWWA Tag Team Titles – 2/3 Falls”
AJW All-Star Dream Slam 2
April 11
This is the most exciting high action spot oriented match in wrestling history. Add to that the bad ass Kansai and the utter heelness of Ozaki and you are in for a giant treat. This is a match that really set up future generations of wrestling like the Omega’s and the Okada’s.
#4
Bull Nakano vs Devil Masami
JWP
April 18
I talked about this one here.
#3
Aja Kong & Akira Hokuto vs Eagle Sawai & Shinobu Kandori
AJW All-Star Dream Slam 2
April 11
This was the most shocking discovery of the joshi chronological watch we are doing on the discord. This match is NEVER talked about, it has no rating from Dave Meltzer, and the usual sights don’t have threads for it. That is bizarre, because this rules so hard.
We have the continuation of the Hokuto and Kandori feud, but with the adding addition of the beginning of the Eagle Sawai and Aja Kong feud, which also is awesome. Kong is at her best in huge tag matches and this may be the best performance of her career up until this point. The other take away is that Eagle Sawai is a great wrestler and this was a huge wake up party for me. Hate, drama, and excitement. Watch this!
#2
Aja Kong, Kyoko Inoue, Sakie Hasegawa, & Takako Inoue
vs
Cuty Suzuki, Dynamite Kansai, Hikari Fukuoka, & Mayumi Ozaki
“60 Minute Iron Woman First Attack”
JWP Thunder Queen Battle In Yokohama
July 31
The joshi inter promotional wars of the 1990s is the greatest thing in wrestling history and this is one of the highlights. A 60 minute Iron woman match with Team AJW vs Team JWP. There is a lot of great stories and highlights in this 60 minutes. I normally would never recommend a match this long, but with the rules as they are and the team aspect it never drags. An all-time classic.
#1
Akira Hokuto vs Shinbu Kandori
AJW All-Star Dream Slam
April 2
The greatest match in the history of pro-wrestling, so of course it is number one. If you have not seen it, watch it now. If you have seen it, you do not need me to say anything. Most obvious match of the year ever.
What did you think of this list? Hit me up on twitter and let me know.
You can also join the discord to join along with weekly weekend joshi and Greatest Wrestler Ever watch parties.
Next time I will drop my greatest wrestlers of 1993 list.
Top Ten Matches of the Year for 2017
It’s that time of the year again! Yes, it’s time to vote in the Voices of Wrestling match of the year poll. 2017 was certainly an interesting year with no match that really stands out above the rest, but with a lot of really great ones.
Let’s hit up some honourable mentions first.
Tyler Bate vs Pete Dunn (WWE UK Title Tournament, January 15)
Ultimo Guerrero & Valiente vs Barbaro Cavernario & Volador Jr. (CMLL, February 24)
LA Park & Rey Escorpion vs Penta Zero M & Daga (AULL, March 1)
Asuka vs Ember Moon (NXT, August 19)
The New Day vs The Usos (Hell in a Cell, WWE Hell in a Cell, October 8)
#10
“Speedball” Mike Bailey vs Matt Riddle
SMASH No Change My Heart Shall Fear
December 17
Being there live didn’t hurt, but I watched these two have battles in OTT and WXW and this was better than those. Started off like it was an Ambition match and moved into some huge spots later on. A must watch match.
#9
Zach Sabre Jr. vs Chris Hero
EVOLVE 77
January 28
Chris Hero’s last match on the indies before going to the WWE and it was highly emotional. Maybe didn’t live up to the hype, but the emotion carried it to a very memorable match for me.
#8
Gunner Miller vs Matt Riddle
Scenic City Invitational, Night 2
August 5
This was the year of the sprint and this was the best sprint, so it had to make the list. Very similar to Goldberg versus Lesnar from WrestleMania, but with better psychology.
#7
Authors of Pain vs The Revival vs #DIY
NXT TakeOver: Orlando
April 1
Going into this I was excited for a rematch of my favourite match of last year, but with Authors of Pain added in. It turned out to be the AoP’s break out match and #DIY showed why they are an all-time great short run tag team. The highlight of WrestleMania weekend for me.
#6
WALTER vs David Starr
WXW Fight Forever Tour: London
October 28
A rematch from 16 Carat Gold and another great match in their feud.
#5
WALTER vs Ilja Dragunov
WXW 16 Carat Gold, Night 3
March 12
This match is what I wish NJPW wrestling was. Two wrestlers just beating the shit out of each other. I may never get the disgusting image of Dragunov’s chest out of my mind. This was fighting spirit done perfectly.
#4
LA Park vs Rush
Baracal Entertainment
March 11
Another year another awesome LA Park vs Rush match. These two just get wild out of control brawls.
#3
Tyler Bate vs Pete Dunne
NXT TakeOver: Chicago
May 20
They had a great match to conclude the UK Title Tournament, but this match surpassed it for me. The pace was insane, the action was intense, and the drama built very quickly.
#2
WALTER vs David Starr
WXW 16 Carat Gold, Night 1
March 10
David Starr put in, perhaps, the greatest babyface performance in wrestling history in this match. WALTER was just a monster beating him down, but Starr never gave up. This two have perfect chemistry together.
#1
Mayu Iwatani vs Io Shirai
STARDOM Galaxy Stars
June 21
I began watching STARDOM this year and Mayu Iwatani quickly becoming my favourite. A unique and very loveable babyface, perhaps the best in the business. This match ended years of her chasing Io Shirai and finally toppling her to become the ace. An emotional contest that I cared more about than any other match this year.
Top 10 Matches of Year 2013
Continuing the process of putting up match of the year lists, we are in the year 2013. The first year I started to keep track of matches on my google spreadsheet. In September I made the initial list that has ballooned out from there.
#10
CM Punk vs John Cena
WWE Raw
February 25
The classic “piledriver” match. I would say Punk is Cena’s best opponent and it’s the best WWE feud of the 2010’s. Another awesome match in that series, and sadly the last.
#9
Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Virus
CMLL
October 6
Two of the best mat workers in the world working a classic lucha title match. Anytime Virus gets the time in these matches they are must watches.
#8
Hirooki Goto vs Katsuyori Shibata
NJPW Dominion
June 22
I feel wrong putting this match on the list, due to what happened to Shibata in 2017. However this is my 2013 list (outside of a small edit later on). These two destroy each other with stiff strikes. Hard to watch in hindsight.
#7
Kota Ibushi vs Shinsuke Nakamura
NJPW G1 Climax
August 4
Shocking to say both of these wrestlers have competed in the WWE. They just have perfect chemistry and work at an extreme pace. Watch out for the kicks!
#6
Cesaro vs William Regal
NXT
November 21
The final match in the great career of Regal as he tried to put the cocky young jerk in his place. Everything you could want in pro-wrestling.
#5
Cesaro vs Sami Zayn
“2 out of 3 Falls”
NXT
August 21
Before NXT was on the WWE Network (and before the WWE Network was a thing) NXT was purely a development territory. However these two didn’t need to develop and they put up an amazing match here.
#4
The Shield vs Cody Rhodes & Goldust
WWE Battleground
October 6
A really underrated match where the Rhodes family had to win to get their jobs back. With an emotional Dusty in their corner, the Rhodes brothers were the perfect babyface southern tag team.
#3
Brock lesnar vs CM Punk
WWE SummerSlam
August 18
CM Punk worked as a spunky underdog babyface against the monster here and it really worked. Punk pulled out all the stops and used his brains to make this match competitive. In the end, Lesnar is still the unslayable monster, but the ending was actually put in doubt.
#2
Daniel Bryan vs John Cena
WWE SummerSlam
August 18
My former #1 match of 2013 is an all-time classic. Cena went out there to make Bryan the star, and this is them doing a WWE main event match. The person possible version of that style!
#1
Dr. Wagner Jr. vs LA Park
TxT
May 11
On the original list I made in 2013, this match was #2, but my love for it has grown over time. This match starts out with LA Park lighting a Wagner shirt on fire that is draped over a chair and while Wagner makes his entrance, Park is flipping him off. It gets better from there. Blood, chairs, beer bottles, this is everything a brawl could possibly be!
Top Ten 2016 Matches of the Year
It’s that time of the year where we talk about the matches of the year! 2016 was a great year with streaming services emerging, amazing tag wrestling, women’s cage matches, and great mask lucha matches!
Honourable Mentions:
Chris Hero & Tommy End vs Sami Callihan & Zack Sabre Jr. (EVOLVE 53, 1/22)
Zack Sabre Jr. vs Chris Hero (WWN, 4/2)
Rey Hechicero vs Negro Casas (Monterrey, 4/24)
Roman Reigns vs AJ Styles (“Extreme Rules”, WWE Extreme Rules, 5/22)
LA Park vs Rush (Liga Elite, 7/14)
Now onto the list:
10)Â Allie vs Rosemary
(“Cage”, SMASH Canusa Classic, 10/22)
*available on Smash on Demand
The blow off of an 18 month feud and the conclusion of a one night USA vs Canada series. This is everything you want in a feud ending match, as these two beat the crap out of each other. It’s a match that pays off it’s history with a lot of call backs and nuances that can only exist at the end of an epic feud.
9)Â Sasha Banks vs Charlotte vs Becky Lynch
(WWE WrestleMania XXXII, 4/3)
*available on the WWE Network
After a year of horrible booking in the women’s revolution, the three top women in the WWE stepped onto the big stage at WrestleMania and stole the show. It needs to be seen again, as it was hurt the night of after such a long weekend and show.
8)Â Chris Hero vs Gunner Miller vs Jimmy Rave vs Anthony Henry
(Scenic City Invitational, 8/6)
*available here
The finals from an amazing tournament saw some of the best psychology in a single match this year. All four men shined and it even played off the finals from the previous year’s touranament. The whole tournament might be the best show’s of the year and are available for a cheap price.
7) Black Terry vs Wotan
(Chilanga Mask, 8/21)
This is a throwback to the Steven Regal vs Fit Finlay feud in the mid 90’s in WCW. These two beat the crap out each other in a realistic and violent fashion. The full match is available by contacting Black Terry Jr.
6)Â #DIY vs The Revival
(NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, 8/20)
*available on the WWE Network
These two produced the best tag team feud in WWE history. Is there anything in wrestling better than a proper heel and babyface southern tag match? This is about the best version of that style that you can have.
5)Â Delta vs Galactar
(“Mask vs Mask”, MDA, 11/26)
What more can you ask from in a mask vs mask match, then insane drama, broom attacks, blood, and it ending with a wedding proposal?
4) Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn
(NXT TakeOver: Dallas, 4/1)
*available on the WWE Network
WrestleMania weekend was magically with WWN Live putting out great show after great show, however this NXT show was the highlight of the weekend for me. Nakamura’s debut in the WWE was a special moment and this match has a special aura about it.
3) Sasha Banks vs Charlotte
(“Hell in a Cell”, WWE Hell in a Cell, 10/30)
*available on the WWE Network
The chemistry between Charlotte and Sasha is at an all-time level and this feud has produced as many great matches as any feud in WWE history. If you want to hear more about this match listen to this amazing episode of “Stacey & Elliot’s Bogus Journey” where they talk this match for 90 minutes.
2) #DIY vs The Revival
(“2/3 Falls”, NXT TakeOver: Toronto, 11/19)
*available on the WWE Network
This match has the advantage of me being there live, but this match has enough praise from others for me to feel confident going the full five stars on it. This is the best tag match in WWE history and perhaps in North American history. It played off their previous matches, it built suspense, had high end moves, and insane crowd heat. I love this match and it was incredibly special. It was so special, that my friends I was with rushed to the merchandise stand to purchase a #DIY shirt immediately following it.
1) Trauma I vs Canis Lupus
(“Mask vs Mask”, IWRG, 9/4)
This is on par with the Atlantis vs Ultimo Guerrero match from a few year’s ago, but it’s different. While they both had the drama, this one brought the blood and hatred. A real throwback to the classic mask matches of the 80s and 90s. A five star classic that will stand the test of time.
There you have it, my top matches of 2016. Was there any matches I missed or you hated the placement of? I will take those comments and any others on my twitter.
2015 Matches of the Year
For the second year in a row Voices of Wrestling has asked me to contribute to their annual Match of the Year article. Picking ten matches is very difficult, so here are a few that just missed the cut.
Honourable Mentions:
Bullet Club vs ROH All-Stars (ROH Global Wars, 5/15)
Timothy Thatcher vs Zack Sabre Jr. (EVOLVE 47, 8/15)
Low Ki vs Rey Mysterio Jr. (JAPW 19th Anniversary Show, 11/14)
Now onto the list, as submitted to Voices of Wrestling.
10)Â Jimmy Rave vs Anthony Henry
(Scenic City Invitational, 8/7)
The Scenic City Invitational was a real eye opener on southern indie wrestling for myself. Two amazing nights of a tournament filled with great matches and booking. Add amazing commentary and it being available on Vimeo for a very affordable price, I recommend everybody picks it up.
The highlight of the tournament was the main event of night one. You have the veteran of Jimmy Rave versus the youngster in Anthony Henry which is  a favourite troupe of mine. These two delivered big time, even if Jimmy Rave was legit knocked out in the match. This was my first time seeing Henry and he impressed with this 1990’s Sean Waltman vibe. He really is a wrestler to watch going forward.
9)Â Dragon Lee vs Kamaitachi
(CMLL, 8/30)
2015 was filled with a lot of great high speed high spot matches and this was the best of the bunch for me. Kamaitachi brought this huge array of vicious dropkicks, including one where he ran the entire ramp to gain speed. There was some great pay off spots from earlier in the contest as well as great drama. However, what really made this stand out was the hate between the two. They had other great matches as well, but this one stood out to me.
8)Â Pentagon Jr. vs Vampiro
(“Zero Fear”, Lucha Underground Ultima Lucha, 4/20)
Vampiro has never been very good and the thought of him stepping into a ring after years of retirement scared me. However what we got was the most insane and vicious match of the year. Pentagon Jr. was on a mission in this one to prove to his master that he was evil enough and to accomplish that he used light tubes, thumb tacks, tables and fire. I know this match was cut in half to air on television, but what we got was some of the most griping wrestling of the year. The post match angle doesn’t even bother me.
7)Â AJ Styles vs Jimmy Rave
(PSW, 5/8)
Two legends in the Southern indie area colliding for the first time in years. This was just a great mix of traditional wrestling with new school flare. About thirty minutes of two of the best wrestlers in 2015 putting on a clinic. Check it out on vimeo.
6)Â Atlantis vs Sombra
(“Mask vs Mask”, CMLL, 9/18)
The Atlantis mask match at the CMLL Anniversary Show has become the match I most anticipate each year. Although this is not on the level of the Atlantis vs Ultimo Guerrero match from the year before, it’s still filled with great drama. Atlantis’ mask has become the new Undertaker’s streak in wrestling.
5)Â Sasha Banks vs Bayley
(“Iron Man”, NXT Take Over: Respect, 10/7)
Finally after being the highlight of each NXT special, Sasha Banks got to main event and boy did she deliver. Amazing heel work by her with great story telling using the “Iron Man” rules to her advantage. The heel work on Bayley’s super fan was one of the top moments of the year.
4)Â Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns
(WWE WrestleMania XXXI, 3/29)
One of the greatest main events in WrestleMania history. This was a brutal slug fest that was stiff as fuck. Brock took Roman and beat him senseless to such a degree that it got the crowd onto Roman’s side. The comeback was tremendous and Brock blades. If they had a real finish and not a Seth Rollins run in, this might had been the match of the year.
3)Â Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch
(NXT Take Over: Unstoppable, 5/20)
The match that took women’s wrestling in NXT from a really solid and good part of the undercard to the real highlight of the company for me. The two former partners pulled out a classic with some amazing story telling. Sasha Banks went right for Becky’s arm and destroyed it (which is what Becky usually does). Becky was a great babyface trying to fight through, but The Boss was too much and retained the title here.
2) Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kota Ibushi
(NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9, 1/4)
Nakamura and Ibushi went to war in this match with stomps, elbows, knees. A lot of these viciously to the back of the head. After this war we are treated to an amazing finishing stretch with Ibushi throwing out every trick he had to put down Nakamura, but you can’t put down Nakamura! A match so good it made my top 100 matches list.
1) Sasha Banks vs Bayley
(NXT Take Over: Brooklyn, 8/22)
If you listened to the Pro-Wrestling Super Show’s Top 100 Matches podcast you would know I had this match in the upper half of my list, so there is no surprise it is the top match of the year for me for 2015.
This match is just special and very few matches have that feel to it. The crowd was amazing from the entrances to the finish. The story they tell is perfect. I loved all the hand work by Sasha and Bayley’s selling of it. They way that comes back towards the end was tremendous as well. This also had some insane moves as well, including the Super Reverse Hurrancanara. This match was really an instant classic and clearly the best match of 2015.
Top 100 Matches (Lists from the Pro-Wrestling Super Show)
These two lists come from Tim Livinston and myself’s the Pro-Wrestling Super Show episodes 57 & 58. Please check them out on the PWO-PTBN Podcast Network available on Soundcloud and iTunes and hosted on the Place to be Nation.
Note: Matches that appear in bold are on both lists.
My List:
100) Shinya Hashimoto vs Genichiro Tenryu (NJPW, 8/1/1998)
99) Larry Zbyszko vs Nick Bockwinkel (AWA, 7/11/1987)
98) Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kota Ibushi (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9, 1/4/2015)
97) Steve Corino vs Yoshihiro Tajiri (ECW Hardcore Heaven, 5/14/2000)
96) Rockers vs Orient Express (WWF Royal Rumble, 1/19/1991)
95) Samoa Joe vs Necro Butcher (IWA-MS Something to Prove, 6/11/2005)
94) Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Ultimo Dragon (WCW World War III, 11/24/1996)
93) El Hijo del Santo, Rey Mysterio Jr., La Parka, & Octagon vs Pentagon, Blue Panther, Fuerza Guerrera, & Psicosis (AAA TripleMania III-B, 6/18/1995)
92) Steve Williams vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW, 7/28/1994)
91) Midnight Express vs Rock’n’Roll Express (NWA WrestleWar, 2/25/199o)
90) El Dandy vs Black Warrior (CMLL, 11/2/1996)
89) Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 12/3/1993)
88) Shinjiro Ohtani vs Jushin Liger (NJPW, 2/9/1997)
87) Brock Lesnar vs CM Punk (No DQ, WWE SummerSlam, 8/18/2013)
86) Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 5/21/1994)
85) Blue Panther vs Villano V (Mask vs Mask, CMLL, 9/19/2008)
84) Toshiyo Yamada & Manami Toyota vs Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki (2 out of 3 Falls, AJW Dream Rush, 11/26/1992)
83) Vader vs Dustin Rhodes (WCW Clash of the Champions, 11/16/1994)
82) Rick Rude vs Ricky Steamboat (Iron Man, WCW Beach Blast, 6/20/1992)
81) Lex Luger vs Ric Flair (NWA WrestleWar, 2/25/1990)
80) Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect (WWF King of the Ring, 6/13/1993)
79) Akira Taue vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 3/21/1995)
78) Bret Hart vs Undertaker (WWF One Night Only, 9/20/1997)
77) Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker (Hell in a Cell, WWF Badd Blood, 10/5/1997)
76) Royal Rumble Match (WWF Royal Rumble, 1/19/1992)
75) Ric Flair vs Terry Funk (NWA Great American Bash, 7/23/1989)
74) Jushin Liger vs Naoki Sano (NJPW, 1/31/1990)
73) Greg Valentine vs Roddy Piper (Dog Collar, NWA Starrcade, 11/24/1983)
72) El Dandy vs Angel Azteca (EMLL, 6/1/1990)
71) Dude Love vs Steve Austin (WWF Over the Edge, 5/31/1998)
70) Daniel Bryan vs John Cena (WWE SummerSlam, 8/19/2013)
69) Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio Jr. (WCW Halloween Havoc, 10/26/1997)
68) Dustin Rhodes, Dusty Rhodes, & Nasty Boys vs Terry Funk, Arn Anderson, Jimmy Golden, & Robert Parker (War Games, WCW Fall Brawl, 9/18/1994)
67) Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles (TNA Turning Point, 12/11/2005)
66) Brock Lesnar vs Undertaker (Hell in a Cell, WWF No Mercy, 10/20/2002)
65) Nick Bockwinkel vs Curt Hennig (AWA, 11/21/1986)
64) Jushin Liger vs Great Sasuke (NJPW Super J Cup, 4/16/1994)
63) Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Psicosis (WCW Bash at the Beach, 7/7/1996)
62) Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue, & Masa Fuchi vs Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, & Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 4/20/1991)
61) Eddie Guerrero vs JBL (WWE Judgement Day, 5/16/2004)
60) Sgt. Slaughter vs Pat Patterson (Alley Fight, WWF, 5/4/1981)
59) Dustin Rhodes & Ricky Steamboat vs Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko (WCW Clash of the Champions, 11/19/1991)
58) Atsushi Onita vs Terry Funk (Exploding No Rope Barbed Wire Exploding Ring Time Bomb Death Match, FMW, 5/5/1993)
57) Stan Hansen vs Carlos Colon (Bullrope, WWC, 1/6/1987)
56) Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (NWA Chi-Town Rumble, 2/20/1989)
55) Randy Savage vs Ric Flair (WWF WrestleMania VIII, 4/5/1992)
54) El Dandy vs Pirata Morgan (Hair vs Hair, EMLL, 9/23/1988)
53) Stan Hansen vs Terry Funk (AJPW, 4/14/1983)
52) Midnight Express vs Southern Boys (WCW Great American Bash, 7/7/1990)
51) Bret Hart vs 1-2-3 Kid (WWF Raw, 7/1/1994)
50) Bayley vs Sasha Banks (NXT Take Over: Brooklyn, 8/22/2015)
49) El Hijo del Santo vs Negro Casas (Mask vs Hair, CMLL, 9/19/1997)
48) Kaientai Deluxe vs Super Delphin, Tiger Mask IV, Gran Naniwa, Gran Hamada, & Masato Yakushuji (M-Pro These Days, 10/10/1996)
47) Buddy Rose & Doug Somers vs Midnight Rockers (AWA, 8/30/1986)
46) Bret Hart vs Diesel (No Holds Barred, WWF Survivor Series, 11/19/1995)
45) Stan Hansen vs Curt Hennig (AWA, 5/31/1986)
44) Jumbo Tsuruta vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW, 6/8/1990)
43) Necro Butcher vs Super Dragon (Falls Count Anywhere, PWG Battle of Los Angeles, 9/2/2006)
42) Jerry Lawler vs Terry Funk (Empty Arena, Memphis, 4/6/1981)
41) Pirata Morgan vs Satanico (AAA, 11/25/1993)
40) El Hijo del Santo, Felino, Black Warrior, Silver King, Dr. Wagner Jr., Satanico, Kevin Quinn, & Scorpio Jr. vs Ultimo Dragon, Atlantis, Negro Casas, El Dandy, Shocker, Mascara Magica, La Fiera, & Brazo de Oro (Torneo Cibernetico, CMLL, 4/18/1997)
39) Dr. Wagner Jr. vs LA Park (TXT, 5/11/2013)
38) Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero (WWE No Way Out, 2/15/2004)
37) Megumi Kudo vs Combat Toyoda (No Rope Explosive Barbed Wire Death Match, FMW, 5/5/1996)
36) Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami, Nobuhiko Takada, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, & Kengo Kimura vs Riki Choshu, Yoshiaki Yatsu, Animal Hamaguchi, Isamu Teranishi, & Kuniaki Kobayashi (Gauntlet, NJPW, 4/19/1984)
35) Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas (AJPW, 5/25/1992)
34) Aja Kong vs Bull Nakano (Cage, AJW Wrestlemarinpiad II, 11/14/1990)
33) Ric Flair, Ole Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, & JJ Dillon vs Dusty Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, Road Warriors, & Paul Ellering (War Games, NWA Graet American Bash, 7/4/1987)
32) Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior (Career Match, WWF WrestleMania VII, 3/24/1991)
31) Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW, 4/15/1995)
30) Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy vs Genichiro Tenryu & Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 12/16/1988)
29) Wyatt Family vs The Shield (WWE Elimination Chamber, 2/23/2014)
28) John Cena vs Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules, WWE Extreme Rules, 4/29/2012)
27) El Dandy vs El Satanico (Hair Match, EMLL, 12/14/1990)
26) Ted DiBiase vs Jim Duggan (Tuxedo Coal Miner Glove Cage, Mid-South, 3/22/1985)
25) CM Punk vs John Cena (WWE Money in the Bank, 7/17/2011)
24) Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee (Loser Leaves Town, Memphis, 6/6/1983)
23) John Cena vs Umaga (Last Man Standing, WWE Royal Rumble, 1/28/2007)
22) Sting, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, Ricky Steamboat, & Nikita Koloff vs Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, & Larry Zbsyzko (War Games, WCW WrestleWar, 5/17/1992)
21) Eddie Guerrero & Love Machine vs El Hijo del Santo & Octagon (Double Mask vs Double Hair, AAA When Worlds Collide, 11/6/1994)
20) Jumbo Tsuruta vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW, 9/1/1990)
19) Kenta Kobashi vs Stan Hansen (AJPW, 7/19/1993)
18) Atlantis vs Ultimo Guerrero (Mask vs Mask, CMLL, 9/19/2014)
17) Sgt. Slaughter vs Iron Sheik (Boot Camp, WWF, 6/16/1984)
16) Stan Hansen vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 2/28/1993)
15) Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 6/3/1994)
14) Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (Submission, WWF WrestleMania XIII, 3/23/1997)
13) Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair (2 out of 3 Falls, NWA Clash of the Champions, 4/2/1989)
12) Bret Hart vs Owen Hart (WWF WrestleMania X, 3/20/1994)
11) Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW, 6/4/1989)
10) Atlantis vs Villano III (Mask vs Mask, CMLL, 3/17/2000)
9) Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 12/6/1996)
8) Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (WWF Survivor Series, 11/17/1996)
7) Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (NWA WrestleWar, 5/7/1989)
6) Magnum TA vs Tully Blanchard (I Quit Cage, NWA Starrcade, 11/28/1985)
5) MS-1 vs Sangra Chicano (Hair vs Hair, EMLL, 9/23/1983)
4) Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee (Lawler Leaves Town vs Dundee’s Wife’s Hair, Memphis, 12/30/1985)
3) Andre the Giant vs Stan Hansen (NJPW, 9/23/1981)
2) Akira Hokuto vs Shinobu Kandori (AJW All-Star Dream Slam, 4/2/1993)
1) Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 6/9/1995)
Tim’s List
Note: Due to a mix-up in the list, the Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas match was left off the list initially when Tim got the dates mixed up with the Dream Rush tag match. Therefore, the first match on the Honourable Mentions list was originally #100 on the podcast list as everything else got shuffled down one.
Honourable Mentions:
13) Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshinari Ogawa (NOAH, 11/1/2003)
12) Nigel McGuinnes vs Bryan Danielson (ROH 6th Anniversary Show, 2/23/2008)
11) Wyatt Family vs The Shield (WWE Elimination Chamber, 2/23/2014)
10) CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar (No DQ, WWE SummerSlam, 8/18/2013)
9) Midnight Express vs Fantastics (NWA Clash of the Champions, 3/27/1988)
8) Daisuke Ikeda vs Takeshi Ono (FUTEN, 9/26/2010)
7) Super Dragon vs Necro Butcher (Falls Count Anywhere, PWG Battle of Los Angeles, 9/2/2006)
6) Atlantis vs Ultimo Guerrero (Mask vs Mask, CMLL, 9/19/2014)
5) Samoa Joe vs Kenta Kobashi (ROH Joe vs Kobashi, 10/1/2005)
4) Bryan Danielson vs Paul London (2 out of 3 Falls, ROH Epic Encounter, 4/12/2003)
3) Kenta Kobashi vs Kensuke Sasaki (NOAH, 7/18/2005)
2) Jushin Liger vs Shinjiro Ohtani (NJPW, 3/20/1996)
1) KENTA vs SUWA (NOAH, 9/18/2005)
The Proper List:
100) Yuji Nagata & Takashi Iizuka vs Toshiaki Kawada & Masa Fuchi (NJPW, 12/14/2000)
99) Samoa Joe vs CM Punk (ROH World Title Classic, 6/12/2004)
98) Terry Funk vs Rick Martel (WWC, 9/20/196)
97) Bryan Danielson vs Takeshi Morishima (Fight Without Honor, ROH Final Battle, 12/27/2008)
96) Bayley vs Sasha Banks (NXT Take Over: Brooklyn, 8/22/2015)
95) Toshiaki Kawada vs Shinya Hashimoto (AJPW, 2/22/2004)
94) Tsuyoshi Kikuchi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs Jushin Liger & Koji Kanemoto (NOAH, 1/26/2003)
93) Raven & Stevie Richards vs Pitbulls (2 out of 3 Falls Dog Collar Match, ECW Gangstas Paradise, 9/16/1995)
92) Samoa Joe vs Necro Butcher (IWA-MS Something to Prove, 6/11/2005)
91) Negro Casas, El Dandy, & Hector Garza vs El Hijo del Santo, Scorpio Jr., & Bestia Salvaje (CMLL, 11/29/1996)
90) Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue (NOAH, 9/10/2004)
89) Manami Toyota vs Yoshiyo Yamada (Hair vs Hair, AJW Mid-Summer Typhoon, 8/15/1992)
88) Antonio Inoki vs Vder (NJPW, 1/4/1996)
87) Jushin Liger vs Naoki Sano (NJPW, 1/31/1990)
86) Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue, & Masa Fuchi vs Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, & Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 4/20/1991)
85) Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuinness (ROH Driven, 6/23/2007)
84) Kaientai Deluxe vs Super Delphin, Tiger Mask IV, Gran Naniwa, Gran Hamada, & Masato Yakushuji (M-Pro These Days, 10/10/1996)
83) Blue Panther vs Villano V (Mask vs Mask, CMLL, 9/19/2008)
82) Nick Bockwinkel vs Curt Hennig (AWA, 11/21/1986)
81) Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels (Ladder, WWF WrestleMania X, 3/20/1994)
80) Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard vs Lex Luger & Barry Windham (NWA Clash of the Champions, 3/27/1988)
79) Shinya Hashimoto & Takashi Iizuka vs Naoya Ogawa & Kazunari Murakami (NJPW, 1/4/2000)
78) John Cena vs Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules, WWE Extreme Rules, 4/29/2012)
77) Kerry Von Erich vs Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW, 5/22/1984)
76) Kensuke Sasaki vs Toshiaki Kawada (NJPW, 10/9/2000)
75) Nick Bockwinkel vs Wahoo McDaniel (AWA, 6/26/1983)
74) Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 4/16/1993)
73) Shawn Michaels vs Mankind (WWF In Your House: Mind Games, 9/22/1996)
72) Super Vader vs Kiyoshi Tamura (UWFI, 6/10/1994)
71) Akira Taue vs Yuji Nagata (NOAH, 6/6/2003)
70) Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshiro Takayama (NOAH, 4/25/2004)
69) Nobuhiko Takada vs Shinya Hashimoto (NJPW, 4/20/1996)
68) Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (10/15/1995)
67) Vader vs Sting (WCW Starrcade, 12/28/1992)
66) CM Punk vs John Cena (WWE Money in the Bank, 7/17/2011)
65) Andre the Giant vs Stan Hansen (NJPW, 9/23/1981)
64) Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW, 1/26/1986)
63) Buddy Rose & Doug Somers vs Midnight Rockers (AWA, 8/30/1986)
62) Nobuhiko Takada vs Super Vader (UWFI, 8/18/1994)
61) Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Brian Pillman, & Jim Neidhart vs Steve Austin, Goldust, Ken Shamrock, & Legion of Doom (WWF Canadian Stampede, 7/6/1997)
60) Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Jun Akiyama (NJPW, 8/17/2003)
59) Dick Togo vs Jushin Liger (NJPW Skydiving J, 6/17/1996)
58) Eddie Guerrero vs Shinjiro Ohtani (WCW Starrcade, 12/27/1995)
57) Aja Kong vs Manami Toyota (AJW Big Egg Universe, 11/20/1994)
56) Pat O’Connor vs Buddy Rogers (Chicago, 6/30/1961)
55) Jushin Liger vs El Samurai (NJPW, 4/30/1992)
54) Devil Masami vs Chigusa Nagayo (AJW, 8/22/1985)
53) Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (WWF Survivor Series, 11/17/1996)
52) Mitsuharu Misawa vs Akira Taue (AJPW, 9/10/1995)
51) Royal Rumble Match (WWF Royal Rumble, 1/19/1992)
50) Shinya Hashimoto vs Keiji Mutaoh (NJPW, 8/18//1995)
49) Toshiaki Kawada vs Steve Williams (AJPW, 4/16/1994)
48) Jaguar Yokota vs Lioness Asuka (AJW, 8/22/1985)
47) Keiji Mutoh vs Masahiro Chono (NJPW, 8/11/1991)
46) Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 6/24/1995)
45) Ric Flair vs Terry Funk (I Quit, NWA Clash of the Champions, 11/15/1989)
44) Shinjiro Ohtani vs Jushin Liger (NJPW, 2/9/1997)
43) Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki vs Toshiyo Yamada & Manami Toyota (AJW St. Final, 12/6/1993)
42) Terry Funk vs Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW, 6/11/1976)
41) Sgt. Slaughter vs Iron Sheik (Boot Camp, WWF, 6/16/1984)
40) Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 7/29/1993)
39) Bret Hart vs Owen Hart (WWF WrestleMania X, 3/20/1994)
38) Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW, 4/15/1995)
37) Jumbo Tsuruta vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 10/24/1991)
36) Volk Han vs Kiyoshi Tamura (RINGS, 1/22/1999)
35) Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 5/21/1994)
34) Vader vs Sting (White Castle of Fear, WCW SuperBrawl III, 2/21/1993)
33) Jumbo Tsuruta vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW, 9/1/1990)
32) Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio Jr. (WCW Halloween Havoc, 10/26/1997)
31) Atlantis vs Villano III (Mask vs Mask, CMLL, 3/17/2000)
30) Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy vs Genichiro Tenryu & Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 12/16/1988)
29) Dump Matsumoto vs Chigusa Nagayo (Hair vs Hair, AJW, 8/28/1985)
28) El Samurai vs Shinjiro Ohtani (NJPW, 1/21/1996)
27) Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle vs Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood (Cage, NWA Final Conflict, 12/3/1983)
26) Toshiyo Yamada & Manami Toyota vs Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki (2 out of 3 Falls, AJW All-Star Dream Slam II, 4/11/1993)
25) Rick Rude vs Ricky Steamboat (Iron Man, WCW Beach Blast, 6/20/1992)
24) Dustin Rhodes & Ricky Steamboat vs Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko (WCW Clash of the Champions, 11/19/1991)
23) Stan Hansen vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 2/28/1993)
22) Sting vs Vader (WCW Great American Bash, 7/12/1992)
21) Kenta Kobashi vs Stan Hansen (AJPW, 7/19/1993)
20) Ted DiBiase vs Jim Duggan (Tuxedo Coal Miner Glove Cage, Mid-South, 3/22/1985)
19) Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW, 6/4/1989)
18) Tatsumi Fujinami vs Akira Maeda (NJPW, 6/12/1986)
17) Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero (WWE No Way Out, 2/15/2004)
16) Ric Flair vs Terry Funk (NWA Great American Bash, 7/23/1989)
15) Magnum TA vs Tully Blanchard (I Quit Cage, NWA Starrcade, 11/28/1985)
14) Aja Kong & Bull Nakano vs Akira Hokuto & Shinobu Kandori (AJW Wrestling Queendom II, 3/27/1994)
13) Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas (AJPW, 5/25/1992)
12) Toshiyo Yamada & Manami Toyota vs Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki (2 out of 3 Falls, AJW Dream Rush, 11/26/1992)
10) Jumbo Tsuruta vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW, 6/8/1990)
9) Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair (2 out of 3 Falls, NWA Clash of the Champions, 4/2/1989)
8) Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (NWA WrestleWar, 5/7/1989)
7) Sting, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, Ricky Steamboat, & Nikita Koloff vs Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, & Larry Zbsyzko (War Games, WCW WrestleWar, 5/17/1992)
6) Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 12/3/1993)
5) Akira Hokuto vs Shinobu Kandori (AJW All-Star Dream Slam, 4/2/1993)
4) Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 6/9/1995)
3) Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (NWA Chi-Town Rumble, 2/20/1989)
2) Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 6/3/1994)
1) Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 12/6/1996)
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