Top Ten Matches of the Year for 2010
I’m about ready to drop my top 25 wrestlers of the year 2010, so in prep for that here is my top 10 matches of that year.
2010 is a bit of an odd year for me in terms of viewing wrestling. I was still low post Benoit and it was before I started my spreadsheet which tracks matches. As I started with 2010, the amount of matches on that spreadsheet was very low. Therefore most of the matches on this list are very fresh. One more note is I didn’t watch every single match that took place in 2010, just focused on the wrestlers I thought could be great and the hyped matches that had any shot with me.
Honourable Mentions
Here are five more matches that could easily had made it to the bottom of my list, but just were kept off:
- Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker – “Streak vs Career”, WWE WrestleMania XXVI, March 28
- Colt Cabana & El Generico vs Kevin Steen & Steve Corino – “Chicago Street Fight”, ROH Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 2, April 24
- Kaori Yoneyama vs Tanny Mouse – NEO Summer Stampede, August 1
- Ayumi Kurihara vs Madison Eagles – SHIMMER Volume 34, September 11
- Claudio Castagnloi & Sara Del Rey vs Manami Toyota & Mike Quackenbush – Chikara Through Savage Progress Cuts The Jungle Law, September 19
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.
#10
Chris Hero vs Ikuto Hidaka
EVOLVE 2
March 13
This match is one I have always heard about, but never saw until recently. It was everything it was hyped to be, a great technical battle. I loved how Hero used his size to gain advantages, while Hidaka had to use his speed and smarts to get control. A very smart match.
#9
Emi Sakura & Kaori Yoneyama vs Kana & Syuri
SMASH.10
November 22
Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama at this time were one of the best tag teams ever, they just worked so well together. Their opponents were a team of bad asses. Kana, who is now Asuka in the WWE, and Syuri, who is now the top dog in Stardom. They brought their MMA killer instincts and kicks against the nonstop barrage of speed and bombs by Sakura and Yoneyama. A great exciting tag match.
#8
L.A. Park vs La Parka
“Name Rights Match”
AAA TripleMania XVIII
June 6
This is AAA’s version of Dude Love vs Steve Austin from Over The Edge ’98. Each La Parka has an authority in the corner to fulfill the story I don’t quite get. What I do understand is a bloody L.A. Park war and this was amazing here. The interference and story aspects seem to help the match out, including when Park destroys them.
#7
Command Bolshoi vs Nanae Takahashi
“JWP Openweight Title Match”
JWP Never Give Up!
June 13
This match is awesome and a well built main event match. That kept getting better and better as it went along with some outstanding nearfalls. I bit on many of them. I love seeing Bolshoi work the main event style for a change. The desperation on her trying to get the title was so great! Bolshoi really tried to strike her way to victory.
#6
Kana vs Meiko Satomura
Kana Pro, April 29
This is similar to the Hero and Hidaka match, but instead of based on submissions it’s based on strikes. A traditionally built match, but the expert level they do it turns this into a classic. It does leave you wanting more, which is great because they have a whole series of matches after this one.
#5
L.A. Park vs El Mesias
AAA Guerra de Titanes
December 5
This is one of the most brutal stadium brawls I have ever seen. This is doesn’t have the story parts from the other Park match on the list, so it’s a lot more serious and deadly. At one point Mesias attempts one of the most brutal topes ever. It’s bloody and brilliant.
#4
Chris Hero vs Big Van Walter
“Tournament Finals”
wXw 16 Carat Gold
March 7
Two heavyweights going toe to toe to win the tournament with a ruckus German crowd, what is not to love? After so many brutal strikes this match built to a great finish.
#3
Emi Sakura vs Meiko Satomura
Ice Ribbon Knights of Ice Ribbon
September 23
There is almost nothing written about this match online, but luckily I came across it in a YouTube search. It does start off slow with some early comedy, but soon Satomura scientifically picks Sakura apart with only a few hope spots built in. Until, Sakura makes an amazing comeback and throws everything she has at Meiko, until an amazing finish. A real sleeper of a great match.
#2
Akira Tozawa vs Chris Hero
“Tournament Quarter-Finals”
PWG The Battle of Los Angeles
September 5
I’m generally not a huge fan of the Dragon Gate style, nor the finishing spamming many kick outs type matches, but… this is one of the best versions of that match I have ever seen! Tozawa brought so much speed and amazing spots, while Hero kept up with him and grounded the whole affair. Almost the best match of the year.
#1
Emi Sakura vs Kaori Yoneyama
“JWP Openweight Title – Hair vs Hair Match”
JWP Revolution
September 19
The only match from 2010 that is making my top 100 greatest matches ever list.
This is everything I want from a big hair match in Mexcio, but done in Japan instead. After years of this great tag team, we get them at each other’s throats trying to destroy each other to win the title and keep their hair. The intensity early one was unreal. The finishing stretch was everything Hero vs Tozawa was, but only more so with better counters and higher emotions and stakes. An all time classic!
There you have it, my top 10 matches of 2010 at this very minute. Always subject to change as I find more.
What did you think of this list? Hit me up on twitter and let me know.
#GWE26
Tweet
Tune in next time for my top 25 wrestlers of 2010.
For the Greatest Wrestler Ever project we are building a loving and accepting discord community with many chats and discussions at all times. Plus weekly watch parties, including weekly going through all of joshi chronologically every Sunday.
Join now
How can you help?
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) young people. Donate, volunteer, or use their services.
EVOLVE 74 (December 10, 2016) Review
EVOLVE 74
December 10, 2016
La Boom
Woodside, Queens, New York, USA
Shown live on FloSlam
This show is the start of an action packed weekend with two EVOLVE shows and a BEYOND show all on FloSlam, plus other events like CZW Cage of Death.
The show starts with Lenny Leonard in the ring welcoming everybody to the show, there is something about starting a show with the announcers talking that just feels right.
Special Attraction Match:
Drew Gulak vs Jaka
I signed up for BEYOND on Demand a few months ago and Jaka was one of the few guys I really fell for, just feels like a really untapped talent. A bigger guy with a lot of noise and force into his work. He’s taking on Drew Gulak (from the WWE) with his amazing theme music.
If you like grapplefuck mixed with some incredibly stiff shots, this may be the match for you. They laid it all out here with snug submissions and killing each other with chops and kicks, where neither men could gain an advantage too long. The nearfalls were very dramatic especially the one off of Jaka’s spinning heel kick in the corner. After another intense strike exchange, Gulak choked out Jaka. A great showcase for Jaka, thanks to Gulak.
Rating: *** 3/4
Larry Dallas appears post match and asks Gulak if Catch Point is really dead. Gulak says it is and wants to be the champion here. This brings out Tracy Williams who tells Gulak that Catch Point is not dead. Dallas interrupts to let Williams know he’s in Gulak’s shadow. The tag titles shows Williams is not in anyone’s shadow. Gulak walks away and I can’t wait for their match tomorrow at EVOLVE 75. Larry Dallas is fine stirring up shit here and this was smart to build towards tomorrow.
Bonus Match:
DUSTIN vs. Chris Dickinson
I enjoy Dickinson for what he is, he’s a real beast in BEYOND. Chuck Taylor, now DUSTIN, was always good for a laugh in IWA-MS, however feels out of place in EVOLVE. One thing DUSTIN does bring is being a legit heel, which is difficult on the indies.
This match was here to make DUSTIN look like a legit challenge to Chris Hero tomorrow night. Dickinson kicked a lot of ass, and DUSTIN was slimy and got his offense that way. Finish came when Dickinson went for a top rope Death Valley Bomb, but DUSTIN slithered it into a counter and an Awful Waffle for the win.
Rating: **
David vs. Goliath:
Darby Allin vs Brian Cage
If you haven’t seen Allin, you need to see Allin.
This started off with a bang, as Cage was making his entrance he got nailed with a dive. The high flying from Allin is just out of this world stuff, including an incredible coffin drop. Although one of his dives was countered into a vertical suplex to start the Machine’s power offense which continued the David vs Goliath story they were going for.
There was an incredible hope spot by Allin, as he moved out of the way of the charging Cage and went to the top rope, only to be chucked into the guardrail. The crowd was really into the classic story as the power kept Cage in control, but his cockiness led to hope spots.
Cage then tells the crowd from one section to move out of the way which leads to him tossing Darby onto the stage in the second row. Darby Allin may be dead or insane, or both. As the referee got to the 19 count out, Darby dived to try to get into the ring, but he was too dead and got counted out. Just an incredible spot match with a great story and crowd.
Rating: ****
After the contest Ethan Page and The Gatekeepers come to the ring. Brian Cage shakes their hands. Page gives Cage a cheque, since he paid him off to destroy Allin after Allin got into Page’s business in the past. Page cuts a pretty good promo running down Cody Rhodes and calls him out here to start their match.
Special Challenge Match:
Cody vs Ethan Page w/ The Gatekeepers
This is actually the first time I watched a Cody match since he left the WWE. Let’s see how the newest member of The Bullet Club looks in EVOLVE.
A really weird contest, as early on it was comedy and stalling. Page was really great flipping off fans and Cody. Then we settle into an okay match. Referee bump and Brian Cage attacks Cody, but referee wasn’t up in time to count. Low blow by Cody, Cross Rhodes and he sneaks out a victory over Page.
Rating: ** 1/4
The Rivarly Comes to EVOLVE:
Matt Riddle vs Jeff Cobb
The story is they fought in other promotions and it’s awesome, so now this match will take place in EVOLVE!
What do you get when a former Olympic wrestler who is a power house takes on a former MMA fighter with unlimited charisma? Well, you get this awesome match!
This was a fight where both men just threw everything they could at each other. It didn’t go too long, but felt like a legit battle. Cobb counters a move by Riddle with the Tour of the Islands for a shocking win in his EVOLVE debut. This ruled and I hope this is the future of wrestling.
Rating: ****
At this point the power in my building went out! It came on and it’s time for the tag titles match. Seems I missed a fun Stokley Hathaway promo, so that sucks.
EVOLVE Tag Team Championship Match:
Catch Point (Tracy Williams & Fred Yehi) vs Ricochet & Peter Kaasa
Catch Point got dumped by Drew Gulak and then proceeded to win the titles at EVOLVE 73, now they are facing a huge challenge here in Ricochet & Kaasa. Kasaa’s mullet is really great here!
Yehi and Ricochet have amazing chemistry and all of these guys are awesome is the clip notes from this match. This wasn’t your southern style tag, as there was no long face in peril segments or anything, but what you did get was all action with spectacular spots. Catch Point and the Kasaa & Ricochet team are a good contrast. Grapplefuck vs high spotters lead to an awesome spot fest.If you are into that style, you will love this.
The finish comes when Kasaa goes for the Shooting Star Press, but Williams moves and locks on the Crossface for the submission.
Rating: *** 1/2
Special Attraction Match:
Chris Hero vs Dick Togo
One of the greatest wrestlers ever Dick Togo comes out of retirement and gets booked to face the greatest wrestler today, Chris Hero.
A few minutes into this great match that was building like an old school All Japan classic, the stream went dead, for everybody. We probably missed about 5 minutes there.
Dick Togo took the short piledriver here and wobbled around, then hit a dropkick before passing out. That’s a new take on the no sell of a piledriver spot that I absolutely love and why Togo is an all-timer.
Hero keeps control for awhile with some great forearms and nearfalls, until Togo does an amazing fired up comeback eating forearms and flipping Hero off. A Pedigree by Togo gets 1, which leads to him going for the kill. Kicks, second Pedigree and then the HUGE SENTON by Togo gets the win! Obviously I will have to rewatch this, but it felt like an epic.
Rating: **** 1/4 (tentatively)
After the match Hero praises Dick Togo for awhile and calls EVOLVE special. DUSTIN comes out with a chair and wants to fight now. Hero slaps him and walks away, they will wrestle tomorrow night at EVOLVE 75.
In conclusion:
Get this show somehow, even though it had some lower points, everything was average to great. The three big matches are must watches. EVOLVE continues to deliver and is not making me regret the year long subscription I purchased from FloSlam.
Pro-Wrestling Super Blog 
Recent Comments