Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: #85-76

85. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW Dominion 7/5/15

At New Japan’s Wrestling Dontaku event, Hirooki Goto defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. Nakamura has lost the title four times, usually gaining it back before the new champion makes any successful defenses. This was Goto’s first defense of the title. Nakamura came out dressed like a fucking ninja. That’s right, ninja vs. samurai. I was pretty sold once I saw that. The match itself started slowly as they chose to build to something bigger with 22:40 to play with. Honestly, if this was kept to a shorter length, I think it would have been a bit better, but their G1 match was shorter and I preferred this so maybe that isn’t always the case. Still, the final third of this match delivered big time, like it was a Kazuchika Okada match or something. Once this started going, it was pretty awesome. Goto had the Boma Ye very well scouted, and was able to counter it multiple times before retaining his belt. Granted, Goto would never make another successful defense as he lost the title to none other than Nakamura in September. ****

84. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 7/26/15

Early on in the G1 Climax, the “A” Block was my preferred block (though that would change as the tournament went on). This was the fifth night of the tournament and proved to be one of the better ones. In the main event, Hiroshi Tanahashi faced Tetsuya Naito in a rematch of the finals of the G1 two years earlier. I’ve never seen that match, but I heard it was a pretty big disappointment. This was a very different Naito though, fully immersed in his new heel persona. For me, it was in this match that Naito really started nailing it. From his mannerisms early on to his actions during and after the match, he was a total dick. On the Tanahashi side of things, the guy once again proved that he is nowhere the end of his road. They worked a smart 24:14 match that did a great job in establishing this Naito heel gimmick. A win over the top guy in the company was absolutely a big way to show everyone that a new and improved Tetsuya Naito had indeed arrived. ****

83. Global League Finals: Naomichi Marufuji vs. Shelton X Benjamin – NOAH Global League Finals 11/8/15

The stakes were high at the end of Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Global League Tournament. Shelton X Benjamin represented the Suzuki-Gun faction, led by current GHC Heavyweight Champion Minoru Suzuki. Naomichi Marufuji was the NOAH guy. The winner would earn a shot at the GHC Heavyweight Title. Marufuji is the guy that has to save NOAH from Suzuki-Gun and their hostile takeover. I mean, throughout the year, Suzuki-Gun had a firm grasp on every single belt in NOAH. He’s the last hope for the company and the crowd reacted to this match as so. They were completely invested in the entire 24:06 of the match. Marufuji got out of the gate quickly, with some early near falls and a series of superkicks. Shelton came back as the monster heel that he’s become pretty good at playing. It’s a role I never envisioned for him, but he nails it from what I’ve seen of him in NOAH. The interference from Suzuki-Gun during this made sense and wasn’t overdone, so it worked. Benjamin survived Shiranui Kai, but fell to Tiger Flowsion. It set Marufuji up as the top contender for Suzuki’s belt in a showdown for not only the title, but NOAH as a whole. ****

82. Ricochet vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 8/29/15

Of the three Battle of Los Angeles matches to make the list, this was the longest at 23:04. Ricochet won the tournament the year before but he faced a favorite for this year, Zack Sabre Jr., in the first round. Ricochet is known for his freakish athleticism while Sabre is known for being arguably the best technical wrestler on the planet. That clash of styles is usually hit or miss and on this night, it hit. First things first, Ricochet dedicated the match to Lil’ Sebastian of Parks and Recreation fame, instantly getting a pop from me. Anyway, despite not being a highly touted technician, Ricochet did a fine job in holding his own on the mat with Sabre. When he got on offense, things were exciting though to be honest, Sabre is exciting even when he’s just working the mat. The finishing stretch is pretty great, as Ricochet pulls out a trio of suplexes and the 630 but can’t win. Sabre is able to score the three on a bridging prawn hold, letting everyone know that there would be a new BOLA champion this year, which would turn out to be Sabre himself. ****

81. NXT Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Charlotte – NXT 7/15/15

The Monday prior to this episode of NXT, Becky Lynch, Charlotte and Sasha Banks made the jump to the main roster to Kickstart the “Divas Revolution”, so the spotlight was really on them here. Sasha ran into issues with Dana Brooke and Emma, needing a partner. Charlotte came to her side, but with the condition that she receive a shot at the NXT Women’s Title. Now, these two had some good to great matches in the past, with this being about on par with their best efforts. I saw NXT live in June and they basically had a carbon copy of this match. Even though I saw it before, I was still really enjoying this contest. Their chemistry is nearly always perfect and that’s part of the reason I think the WWE is waiting to give these two ladies a big match on a relatively big stage. The final few minutes of this are among the best stuff they’ve ever done together, including a great spot where Charlotte has the figure four locked in and Sasha reaches the ropes. Instead of breaking the hold, Charlotte holds on, falling outside while the referee counted to five. It was pretty much the old Bret Hart ring post figure four spot, but on the apron. Sasha would make it through that though, getting Charlotte to tap out at 13:28. Sasha’s fantastic run in NXT would produce two more top notch matches you’ll see later on the list. ****

80. Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Tomohiro Ishii – World Tag League 11/21/15

This was my first year watching New Japan’s World Tag League. I was told that it usually doesn’t feature many great, standout matches, but mostly solid stuff. So when I tuned into the first night of the tournament and saw the two main events, consider me wowed. Both were among the best tag team matches I saw all year. The first saw a duo that I really enjoy, Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata take on Shinsuke Nakamura and Tomohiro Ishii. I’ve seen everyone in this match face each other, so I knew the chemistry was there. The effort matched as, for the next 12:48, this was just great stuff. Everything done in this match was hard hitting, exactly how I expected. It didn’t matter if Ishii was in there with Shibata or if Nakamura was battling Goto or any other combination, you were getting something enjoyable. A Penalty Kick from Shibata put the NEVER Champion Ishii down for the count, helping to set the stage for Shibata/Ishii at Wrestle Kingdom 10. ****

79. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Michael Elgin vs. Kazuchika Okada and YOSHI-HASHI – World Tag League 11/21/15

The only time on this list that two matches from the same show will be paired together. After Goto, Shibata, Nakamura and Ishii put on a great show, they were followed up by this main event. YOSHI-HASHI is a guy that I never expected to make this list. He’s not outwardly bad, but he’s just not very good. Michael Elgin got super over in Japan during his G1 run. Nothing really even needs to be said about Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada at this point. Elgin and YOSHI started but when Tanahashi got the tag, things got really good. He demanded Okada come in so they could renew their rivalry a bit before their match at Wrestle Kingdom 10. Their brawl was intense and physical, doing a great job of setting up WK10. It seems like their upcoming WK10 match could be more physical than past encounters. Elgin continued to impress when he was given the opportunity, looking like a completely different man in Japan than in the States. Okada is the show stealer here though, playing the smug dick so well. Elgin won it for his guys after two powerbombs on YOSHI-HASHI at 17:10. ****

78. Hell in a Cell: Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Hell in a Cell 10/25/15

Polarizing is a word I’d use to describe the opinions on this match. I’ve seen some call it amazing and some say it was one of the worst Hell in a Cell matches in history. Personally, and obviously by it being on this list, I’m closer to the former than the latter. The feud leading into this was personal and despite it running for a while, culminating in the Cell was fitting. They went out and made sure to have a pretty badass match within the confines of the PG rating. I’ve heard a lot of people say that the Hell in a Cell can’t work in that situation but I think they, and Brock and Taker later on in the show, made it work. The weapons were brought into play, like kendo sticks, tables and steel chairs. There were some great spots throughout, like Roman Reigns using two kendo sticks at once to attack Bray Wyatt, Bray hitting a uranage through a table and Reigns nailing one of his best Spears off the apron and through a table. In the end, after 23:10, Reigns hit another Spear and came out on top of this long rivalry. It was another feather in the cap of a great 2015 for Roman Reigns. ****

77. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Karl Anderson – NJPW Power Struggle 11/7/15

For the fifth time in his career, Shinsuke Nakamura captured the IWGP Intercontinental Title at Destruction. The belt has become synonymous with Nakamura since he not only put it on the map, but made it a very sought after title. It’s even main evented Wrestle Kingdom in the past, and it headlined this Power Struggle event. Karl Anderson defeated Nakamura early on in the G1 Climax, so he quickly asked for a title shot and got it here. I liked their G1 match but it was certainly bested here. As usual with most Bullet Club matches, when the interference isn’t overdone, like here, it produces a relatively great match. Anderson held serve for most of the match until Nakamura made the babyface rally. Props to Anderson because, while he performed very well in this contest, he didn’t outshine Nakamura, who obviously has to come off as the bigger star. Anderson is really good at doing that. It was a tough task to work here since everyone knew Shinsuke was retaining because of the open challenge set for Wrestle Kingdom but they made me and many others buy into a few false finishes. Nakamura did retain after a Boma Ye at 21:37 before being challenged by AJ Styles to a match at Wrestle Kingdom 10. ****

76. NEVER Openweight Championship: Togi Makabe (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 10/12/15

After I was disappointed when Togi Makabe retained the NEVER Openweight Championship at Destruction in Okayama, Tomohiro Ishii came out and issued a challenge for the belt. Add in more disappointment from me. Not because these two aren’t capable of a good match, but because it had been done to death already in 2015. Their prior matches were either really good or really disappointing. They apparently saved their best for last because this was superior to those previous encounters. It was 17:54 of two dudes just beating the fuck out of each other. For the most part, they didn’t reinvent the wheel or do anything new, but it just all clicked better than usual. One new thing was seeing Ishii bust out Makabe’s King Kong Knee Drop. Ishii was able to win back the title, ending their series. For now at least. This set up the third match in the Honma/Ishii 2015 series, which is much better than the Ishii/Makabe series. If you only watch one Ishii/Makabe match from this year, I’d say this is your safest bet for a great one. ****

Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: #90-86

90. No Disqualification Match: Adam Page vs. Jay Briscoe – ROH TV 10/21/15

At the start of the year, if you would have told me that Adam Page would appear on my Top 100 Matches list, I don’t think I would have believed you. However, this was very well built up, with Page targeting Jay Briscoe for a long time. This was a ballsy move since Jay had only been pinned once in about 1,000 days. These are the kind of No Disqualification matches I like. It wasn’t just a stipulation added to be there, instead they made sure to take advantage of it from the start. There was no adhering to the Code of Honor and rightfully so. While Cero Miedo is the most violent match on the list, I’d put this in the top five. It is just two dudes trying to hurt each other, as it should be. I saw a DDT on a chair, a double stomp through a table, a neckbreaker with a chair around Page’s neck and even a damn Jay Driller off the apron and through a table. Somehow though, Page kicked out of that, providing me with one of the more surreal near falls I saw all year. A second Jay Driller kept Page down at 16:21, but I’d say it was a star making performance for him. ***¾

89. Hell in a Cell: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker – Hell in a Cell 10/25/15

I’ve been very vocal about the fact that I wanted nothing to do with this program. After their matches in 2002, I never really cared about it. Sure, when Brock Lesnar broke the streak I was shocked, but the build to the match didn’t interest me. When they decided to revisit it over a year and a half later, I cringed. To my surprise though, their match at SummerSlam was pretty good, but had a stupid ending. That of course led us to this. The final encounter, in the same structure were they had their very best match thirteen years earlier. In an era where blading is a big no-no, both men did so in this match pretty much because they have the stroke to do so. I’m a big fan of their original Hell in a Cell and this honestly nearly matched it. It was a physical war between two of the best in history. In a creative move, Brock ripped the mat and exposed wood. He ate a Tombstone on it but kicked out before putting down his rival with an F5 on the wood at 18:08. It was a fitting end to their feud, which is the only one I can remember Undertaker having where he never cleanly beat his opponent. ***¾

88. Hirooki Goto vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW G1 Climax 8/1/15

The IWGP Heavyweight Champion vs. the IWGP Intercontinental Champion. This wasn’t Shinsuke Nakamura as IC Champion either. When he beats an Okada or a Tanahashi, it’s not much of a surprise because he’s also one of the top guys. Hirooki Goto is a bit different and isn’t held in quite as high esteem, though he is a very talented performer. There wasn’t anything personal about this match or anything like that. It felt like exactly the kind of match it should have felt like. The two guys with the top belts in the company, vying to see who is better. I got the feeling that more was at stake than two G1 points. They went back and forth, having each other well scouted and they seemed to have counters for everything. My favorite thing about this was that Goto won cleanly. Just 16:45 of pure action and the top guy lost clean. No bullshit. Unfortunately, after winning the Tag Titles, making the finals of the New Japan Cup, beating Nakamura twice, winning the IC Title and beating Okada cleanly, the rest of Goto’s year kind of went nowhere. ***¾

87. WWE Tag Team Championship 2 Out of 3 Falls: New Day (c) vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro – WWE Payback 5/17/15

My favorite WWE tag team match of the year. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro formed as a team on December 1^st, 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. However, they did well in having a really fun match that played into the “New Day could only win with the numbers advantage” angle. ***¾

86. WWE and United States Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. John Cena (c) – WWE SummerSlam 8/23/15

Outside of a pretty dreadful feud with Rusev, John Cena spent 2015 having some of the best matches of his career and making the United States Championship important. With that title at its peak importance, he put it up against Seth Rollins and his WWE Championship in a match with huge implications. Seth busted out some near attire, adding to the big fight feel. He had the crowd firmly in his corner and proceeded to deliver. The night before, Seth was in the front row at NXT TakeOver and was brought to tears by the performances of Bayley and Sasha Banks. It seems like that motivated him to try and steal the show even more than usual because he was absolutely on fire here. The angle was similar to the one ROH ran earlier in the year, and even a spot where Seth did two suicide dives and then a third dive also reminded me of the Lethal/Briscoe match. While Seth was on his “A” game, I don’t really think Cena was. Parts of this were great, while others weren’t. The thing that kept this from reaching four star territory was the ending. Jon Stewart showed up to hit Cena with a chair, allowing Seth to hit the Pedigree and become a double champion at 19:26. There was potential for something special here, but the finish killed it. ***¾

Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: #95-91

95. Cero Miedo: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vamprio - Ultima Lucha 8/5/15

Lucha Underground was easily one of the best things about 2015 in general. Pentagon Jr. was then one of the best things about Lucha Underground. When it came time to build his match for the big Ultima Lucha event, I was disappointed to see it set up to be against Vampiro. While I initially thought Vampiro was cool as a kid, looking back, he never seemed very good in the ring. Add in his age and his weight, and I felt like this was a waste of Pentagon. Boy did the two of them prove me wrong. In no way did I ever expect to see Vampiro on any top list of the year 2015. He was better than I ever expected in what is the most violent match on this list. Light tubes, flaming tables and blood were all involved. Normally, that isn’t my style but it fit what they wanted to accomplish here. Pentagon won after 14:20 when he put Vampiro through a flaming table, but that wasn’t the end. Vampiro demanded Pentagon break his arm before revealing that he was the mysterious “master” whose orders Pentagon had been following all year. Chilling stuff. If we were just talking pure angle, this would rank way higher as it was one of my favorite storylines all year. ***¾

94. NXT Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Adrian Neville - NXT 1/14/15

This was the final leg in a trilogy between these two that spanned two months. In November 2014, they had a match for the belt that I loved before having an all-time classic in December at TakeOver: R-Evolution, where Sami Zayn captured the title. Sami missed time after the Kevin Owens attack but when he returned, Adrian Neville wanted his rematch. He got it on this night in the main event. Neville had to step into the role of challenger for the first time. They played off of their first two matches well, showing us a more aggressive Sami as well as one willing to do what it takes to win. His inability to do those things cost him dearly in their first match. They knew each other so well that their counters had counters and they just were so crisp with everything they did. At one point, Sami looked to be completely out of it following some ranas, only to sneak up and try for the Koji Clutch, perfectly showcasing how far Sami had come during this feud. Sami would hit the Helluva Kick to retain at 11:52 in a match that was shorter than their previous two, but still a great TV main event to cap their excellent rivalry. ***¾

93. Alberto El Patron vs. Johnny Mundo - Ultima Lucha 8/5/15

My second favorite major wrestling show all year was Ultima Lucha. The first night was solid but nothing special, however, it was night two where things really got good. It started with the opening contest between arguably the two most recognizable faces in Lucha Underground, Alberto El Patron and Johnny Mundo, kicked things off. Both guys had some good runs in WWE, but seemed to really thrive in the Temple. Thanks to the feud they had, this got to have a different feel than their match on an earlier episode. That was more based on competition but with Mundo’s heel turn and him throwing Alberto through a window, this match had a personal feel. It mixed solid wrestling with innovative brawling. They used everything from the environment around them including Mundo throwing dirt at El Patron from under the ring. It was just really refreshing to see two guys blend the competition with the heated rivalry so well. Mundo picked up a win after 13:37 thanks to the surprising arrival of Melina, who struck El Patron with his own title. Unfortunately, El Patron won’t be back for Season Two, though that does make this an even better win for Mundo. ***¾

92. ROH World Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs. Roderick Strong - ROH TV 9/9/15

Jay Lethal captured the ROH World Title in June of this year. His first defense was against Roderick Strong and they went to a one hour draw in a match that I didn’t think was great. Of course, coming out of a draw, there has to be a rematch, which occurred on ROH Television on this night. Here, it went 25:15, so they were able to work a bit quicker instead of dragging things out. The code of honor started things, but the match quickly escalated into something more physical. Lethal is a member of the House of Truth and they made sure to get involved. I didn’t mind it at first since they are a heel unit and interference should be expected. Due to their history, they managed to play off of their past matches, with both guys showing their prior knowledge of one another. They knew what to expect from each other and it made for some fine exchanges throughout. The final few minutes got really good as Strong kicked out of a belt shot and Lethal Injection, which Lethal sold like the most shocking thing since Brock ended the streak. A second Lethal Injection allowed Lethal to retain. I do wish he would have won cleanly in the end, especially considering how the third match in their 2015 trilogy would go down. Still, this was a marked improvement on their first title fight. ***¾

91. Chad Gable and Jason Jordan vs. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa – NXT 10/28/15

He hasn’t been around for a while, but Chad Gable is already one of my favorite wrestlers. The guy just gets it and has picked up wrestling incredibly quickly, making the various Kurt Angle comparisons kind of accurate. His dynamic with Jason Jordan and their chemistry is just so good already. They’ve only just started teaming, but they work more smoothly than almost any other current tag team. This match gave everyone a little bit of something. Gable was a wiz on the mat while Jordan threw his opponents around. Gargano and Ciampa were no slouches either, getting their stuff in which got pops from the fans who know them well and from the people just being introduced. There were some cool little things like Gable casually asking Jordan if he should break Johnny’s arm like it was nothing. Despite never working each other, the match goes at such a breakneck pace, you’d think they wrestled countless times. The back suplex double team finisher got Gable and Jordan the win after 11:58 in the best tag team match on NXT all year. ***¾

Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: 100-96

In recent years, I kind of stopped watching many indy promotions and stuck to only the WWE. Not because I didn't like the indies, but because I was pressed for time. However, entering 2015, I made it a point to watch as much wrestling as I could. I got back into some indies and saw some Japanese wrestling for the first time. With all of the wrestling I watched, I've compiled a lengthy Top 100 Matches of 2015 list, spanning the WWE, NJPW, ROH, TNA, PWG, Evolve, LU, RPW, Dragon Gate and Pro Wrestling NOAH. Normally, I wouldn't make a list this large, but, after focusing on mainly WWE only the past few years, I made it a point to watch as much wrestling as possible in 2015. This year just so happened to have TONS of great matches and enough that I could make a Top 100, featuring so much greatness.

100. WWE Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match – WWE WrestleMania 3/29/15

We open with the most randomly, and poorly, booked match on this list. Instead of trying to build an Intercontinental Title match with some intrigue, the WWE chose to throw seven guys into a match simply because they had nothing for them though still felt they were above the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. R-Truth, Stardust, the champion Bad News Barrett and Luke Harper joined the three most popular faces not named John Cena at the time, Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler. While the lead into this was a clusterfuck in a bad way, the actual match was a clusterfuck in a good way. Everybody got at least one moment to shine, even if it was small like Truth’s spot. There some nice little personal moments in like Stardust getting out his own personal ladder only for Barrett to break it. We saw some big spots, namely Ambrose taking a powerbomb through a ladder, but they didn’t overdo it. It came down to Bryan and Ziggler, both very hot with the fans at the time, as they battled with right hands and headbutts atop the ladder. Bryan won out and pulled down the belt at 13:47 to become Intercontinental Champion one year after winning the WWE Title. ***¾

99. Jay Lethal and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. reDRagon - ROH Field of Honor 8/22/15

Here we have a tag team main event from Ring of Honor’s Field of Honor show, which took place in a baseball stadium. The event featured top talent from both ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling, headlined by this tag team match. ROH World and Television Champion Jay Lethal teaming with Shinsuke Nakamura to face, in my opinion, the best tag team in pro wrestling, reDRagon. Lethal and Nakamura played opposites, which made things fun. Lethal was being a dick, so Nakamura let him get his ass kicked, before hilariously hugging him as a form of an apology. There was some great back and forth here from everyone. With Kyle O’Reilly set for a World Title shot against Lethal, they did a good job in showing that he was a legit threat. A highlight came when Nakamura countered Kyle’s rebound lariat into a gorgeous armbar. Lethal won for his team with Lethal Injection on Bobby Fish at 21:28 in a match that I would certainly describe as fun. ***¾

98. Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma - NJPW G1 Climax 8/1/15

When Michael Elgin was announced for the G1 Climax, myself and a lot of others groaned. I remember hearing rumors of Roderick Strong being in and I like him a lot more than Elgin. However, Elgin seemed to love working in Japan. Not only that, but the G1 style works very well for him. It allows him to work 10-15 minute bursts where he can do the things that he does well instead of trying to work a 25 minute classic and getting lost. Tomoaki Honma has also had some great 10-15 minute matches in the past two years in the G1. That made for a very good pairing in this one. Since its Honma, the crowd was very into everything that happened in this one. For those unaware, Honma competed in the G1 last year and went completely winless, but won over the fans with his efforts and performances. At this point, he was still winless this year. From cheering for him to being wowed by some of Elgin’s feats of strengths, they reacted to everything as they should have. Honma is so good at playing the underdog, which was perfect here since Elgin came off looking like a beast in the G1. There were some close calls but Honma would have to wait a little longer before getting his first G1 win, losing to a flurry of powerbombs from Elgin after 9:55. ***¾

97. Taiji Ishimori vs. Zack Sabre Jr. -  NOAH Global League Finals 11/8/15

After seeing Zack Sabre Jr. and Taiji Ishimori have a pretty great exchange in the Jr. Tag League match that I watched, I was eager for more. Enter the Global League Tournament Finals show. Sabre and Ishimori competed in a number one contender’s match with the winner getting a GHC Jr. Heavyweight Title shot. As a nice added touch, both guys got pre-match interviews, with Sabre hyping them as rivals, though he’s never beaten Ishimori. That got me more invested in the match, which turned out to be exactly what I expect from a Sabre match. Good old fashioned technical expertise. He went after the arm relentless and Ishimori sold the work done to it well. I didn’t have a dog in the fight, but found myself clutching my remote, growing tense at the thought of a Sabre loss. I wanted him to beat Ishimori for the first time. Alas, Ishimori would not be denied after 11:13. With a bit more time and a Sabre win, this would have ranked higher. ***¾

96. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA (c) vs. Ricochet - G1 Climax Finals 8/16/15

Here we have an IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title match. I’ve gone on record and stated that the junior division in New Japan is among my least favorite things about the promotion. The talent is mostly there, but the booking is incredibly shoddy. There also needs to be some variety but I digress. The best thing about the division in 2015 was easily KUSHIDA. After winning the Best of the Super Junior Tournament and dethroning Kenny Omega for the strap, his first defense was scheduled against Ricochet. Ricochet beat KUSHIDA in the finals of the 2014 BOTSJ, giving him an edge in this match. KUSHIDA went after the arm, looking for the Hover Board Lock. Ricochet, being one of the better high flyers in the world, wanted to quicken the pace and this was their struggle throughout the match. Some of the things they did were breathtaking and their chemistry is just so good that it was all seamless. Ricochet would miss the 630 before submitting to the Hover Board Lock at 17:00. With them tied at 1, Ricochet made note that a tiebreaker was needed. Unfortunately, KUSHIDA dropped the belt back to Omega in a stupid decision about a month later. ***¾

Top Ten Thursday: Non-Rumble Royal Rumble Matches

I hope this title isn't confusing for some. This list focuses on the best matches to take place at a Royal Rumble Pay-Per-View, but not including actual Royal Rumble matches. That will most likely be saved for a later list. You'll see a mixture of championship matches, special stipulation matches and even regular tag team and singles matches. Just anything that took place at a Royal Rumble event.

10. WWF Undisputed Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. The Rock – 2002

To close out 2001, Chris Jericho famously beat Chris Jericho and “Stone Cole” Steve Austin in the same night to win both the WWF and WCW Titles, becoming the first ever Undisputed Champion. Jericho’s match with the Rock on that night and their first one at No Mercy a few months earlier, were both great, so there were high hopes coming into this title match.  Jericho was just rolling as a heel, as arrogant as ever from the bell. They talked smack to one another but Jericho just put his hand in Rock’s face to shut him up. Jericho had been given little to no respect by pretty much everyone, so he had a huge chip on his shoulder. This was interesting from start to finish. Some of the fans wanted to badly see Rock dethrone Jericho, while others wanted Jericho to win and not be a transitional, flash in the pan champion. Both guys delivered and the match was very well put together. To the surprise of many, Jericho retained the title and moved to 3-0 against the Rock on Pay-Per-View in just four months. None of them were particularly clean wins, including this one, but it’s still impressive.

9. Tables Match: The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz – 2000

This nearly made my list of best matches I’ve ever seen live. In late 1999, Edge and Christian and the Hardy Boyz made history in a classic tag team ladder match. We also saw the debut of the Dudley Boyz, who made some quick waves within the company. Before the three teams would collide in another classic at WrestleMania, the Dudleys and Hardys took part in the first ever Tables match. Unlike future Tables matches, you had to be put through a table with an offensive maneuver and both members of the team had to go through them. The match only goes a little over ten minutes but is just filled with non-stop action. Multiple tables break, the pace never slows and the Madison Square Garden crowd is red hot throughout. They used the tables wisely, blending smart moments with some incredible spots. The final images of this match see Jeff Hardy dive off the entryway with a Swanton Bomb, putting D-Von through a table for the victory. It was a historic match, being the first in this stipulation’s history with a rather historic moment to close things out.

8. Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan – 2014

Two of the hottest acts in the WWE heading into 2014 were the most popular Superstar, Daniel Bryan, and a new heel in Bray Wyatt. They had been locked in a feud for the past few months, with this being their first one on one encounter. It opened the 2014 Royal Rumble and the fans absolutely were on their feet for Bryan. Even though he wasn’t announced for the Rumble match itself, they expected him to win here and then go on to win the Royal Rumble. The night wouldn’t go as planned at all. This opener was great, being one of the ten best matches in the WWE in 2014. It’s still, to this day, the best Bray Wyatt match I’ve ever witnessed. It was a physical contest, featuring some great moments. The highlight saw Bryan try a suicide dive, only to get caught in a big Sister Abigail. Bray would go on to win, setting the stage for a night of disappointment for the Pittsburgh crowd. Bryan would also not even show up in the Royal Rumble, causing the fans to boo the entire winning moment. Still, seeing Bray beat Bryan signaled that Bray was in for a big push…that is until WrestleMania.

7. WWF Championship: Diesel (c) vs. Bret Hart – 1995

At the 1994 King of the Ring, Bret Hart was the WWF Champion and took on the Intercontinental Champion, Diesel. It turned out to be a fantastic match that really showed that one, there was potential in Diesel, and two, his chemistry with Bret was dynamite. Bret would lose the WWF Title to Bob Backlund, only for Diesel to beat Backlund just three days later. Diesel’s first big defense was set against Bret Hart in a match that, like all of their battles, was great. Part of the reason these two meshed so well together, was Bret’s willingness to go the extra mile and do the little things to try and win. Bret fought, even though he was a face, like a man determined to do whatever it takes to win the gold. Like any smart smaller half of the match, Bret tries to chop down Diesel by going after the legs, while Diesel, like any big man in the fight, wears down Bret. There’s a point where Diesel breaks a figure four with shots to the ribs, which he had worked on during the match. It’s the little things like that which make their matches great. The only thing keeping this from ranking higher is the finish as it involves a lot of interference from the heel rivals of both men, leading to a no contest. They would rematch this at Survivor Series in my favorite match of theirs.

6. The Orient Express vs. The Rockers – 1991

There have been a lot of great openers in Pay-Per-View history, and even some damn good ones in Royal Rumble history, but I’d have to say that this was the best one. On paper, this doesn’t stick out as a match you’d think would be great. Nothing against either team, but if you look at this list, every match has big names and an angle behind it. This was kind of just two teams going at it to open the show, but they went out and had the best match in Royal Rumble history up to that point. Hell, it actually wouldn’t be topped until 1995. This was far better than I expected going in. Both teams worked crisply and busted out some high flying, double team moves that wowed the crowd. I mean, the Rockers were super over, but the Orient Express weren’t the most hated of heels, so kudos to the crowd for being so hot for this. When Marty Jannetty got the hot tag, I swear it was the best pop of his career, outside of winning the Intercontinental Title. What made this even more surprising was that a random tag match like this went for nearly twenty minutes. The best part is that it never lulled.

5. WWE Championship Last Man Standing Match: John Cena (c) vs. Umaga – 2007

During this time, the John Cena hate train was chugging along at its peak. John Cena was in the midst of a WWE Title reign that would last a year and had just given Umaga his first pinfall loss at New Year’s Revolution. That one was via rollup, leading to a rematch at the Royal Rumble, under Last Man Standing rules. Now, I was in that group of people who hated Cena. Up to this point, I could count on one hand the amount of matches in his career that I’d consider great. In 2007, he’d really start to step his game up and it all began here. He and Umaga had one of the better Last Man Standing matches in WWE history, with both guys going all out to give people a show. This was brutal and barbaric at times. From Umaga’s splash through the announce table to the use of the monitors at ringside to the finish involving the top rope being completely removed, this was just creative and excellent. In a year that saw Cena have great matches with Shawn Michaels, this may be my favorite Cena match of the first half of his career. It is absolutely my favorite Umaga match ever.

4. WWF Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Chris Benoit (c) vs. Chris Jericho – 2001

Growing up in this era, two of the guys I enjoyed seeing more than anyone else were Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho. That enjoyment shot even higher when they would go against each other. Their chemistry was always great and they had some excellent matches in 2000. Here in 2001 though, they would have their best match together in my opinion. The ladder match had just started being used very often, with the tag teams in the WWF putting on some spectacular bouts. This was different than those matches though. Instead of focusing on spots and jaw-dropping moments, they worked a smart ladder match. Instead of just putting ladders in odd places to do crazy spots, they used it brilliantly. Everything is logical, the spots they do make sense and they use the ladder as a weapon because they want to hurt each other. Like, when Benoit tries a dive outside, Jericho whacks him with a steel chair, providing one of the best chair shots in history. That’s just violence because they dislike each other so much. Not only is this absolutely tremendous, but it’s one of the best Intercontinental Title and ladder matches in wrestling history.

3. WWF Championship Street Fight: Triple H (c) vs. Cactus Jack – 2000

I wrote about this match in my “Top Ten Live Matches” list a few weeks back. It’s hard to really add much to what I said. This was brutal, barbaric and remains one of the best Street Fights in history. The amount of barbed wire, thumbtacks and blood wasn’t really something seen in the WWF at the time. Bringing in Cactus Jack was a fantastic stroke of genius. Triple H had beaten both Mankind and Dude Love in the past, but fell to Cactus. After getting his ass kicked for weeks by Triple H, Mick Foley had to dig deep and bring out Cactus again. That set the stage for this match, which would go down as one of the best the WWF has ever put on in the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden. One of my favorite things about the match is that Triple H sends Stephanie to the back, acknowledging that this is going to be a war. There are just so many stand out moments during this. Cactus’ piledriver through the table, the biting spot where Cactus comes up full of HHH’s blood, the broken steel chair and the sick Pedigree on the thumbtacks that sealed the deal in the end. This completely made the Triple H character the top heel in the company.

2. WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins – 2015

We had seen a lot of Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena matches, so when one was planned for the 2015 Royal Rumble, I was not a fan. Then, the WWE threw Seth Rollins into the mix. That added dimension took the good Lesnar/Cena matches into classic status. Brock was the beast you’d expect, suplexing everything in sight, including J&J Security at the same time. Cena and Seth, rivals for the past few months, had to team up to try and take out the unstoppable beast. They accomplished it when Seth pulled a Shawn Michaels and elbowed Brock through the announce table. Cena and Seth then went at it, having their best exchange ever, including their feud later in the year.  When medics come down to check on Brock, the fans completely begin to buy into everything Cena and Seth do to each other in the ring. They pop for near falls incredibly hard. Brock got up though and cleaned house to retain. It was matches like this that showed Seth absolutely belonged at the top of the card.

1. WWE Championship: Kurt Angle (c) vs. Chris Benoit – 2003

Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle are two of the greatest wrestlers in history. This also wasn’t a case of two great wrestlers that didn’t mesh well either. Their chemistry was always spot on, with them producing tremendous matches in 2001 and 2002. At this Royal Rumble title match though, they topped them all. While you pretty much knew going in that Benoit wouldn’t win since everyone expected Angle/Lesnar at WrestleMania XIX, they did everything in their power to make you believe otherwise. They put in such a fantastic effort, building towards something special. The intensity level was very high and the work was so crisp. Their ability to counter one another is just spectacular, making for some exhilarating action. Commentary is a key part of this, with both Tazz and Michael Cole doing so well. The attention to detail during this match is what helps set it apart. This is two of the best of all-time, in the primes of their careers, going full throttle and putting on an absolute classic. The Royal Rumble has managed to have some great matches in its near 30 year history, but none were better than this nearly perfect title fight. 

Random Network Reviews: Armageddon 2004

Armageddon 2004
December 12th, 2004 | Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia | Attendance: 5,000

I feel like the only brand exclusive Pay-Per-Views I end up reviewing are Smackdown ones. Usually I’m partial to Smackdown over Raw, but these can really be hit or miss. I recall nothing about this show, though I do remember that JBL was in the midst of his long reign as WWE Champion, while John Cena was a few months shy of dethroning him for it.

The opening video package informs me that JBL will be defending his title in a Fatal Four Way tonight. Michael Cole and Tazz are on commentary and hype this as Hotlanta, though it’s Duluth.

WWE Tag Team Championship
Rey Mysterio and Rob Van Dam (c) vs. Kenzo Suzuki and Rene Dupree w/ Hiroko and Fifi
There have been a ton of odd pairings in history, but Kenzo Suzuki and Rene Dupree may be the strangest. RVD and Rey hit their 420 leg drop early, which Michael Cole gives a dumb explanation for. Something about their show sizes or something. Come on Michael, we know why RVD names a move 420. Rey goes to sunset flip Kenzo outside but he holds on, only for RVD to assist him in finishing it. He sets Dupree up on the barricade and comes off with his corkscrew leg drop. Inside, Dupree gets in some shots but he can’t tag out since Kenzo is laid out at ringside. It leads to him getting double teamed, but Kenzo is in shortly to wear down RVD. Things break down before Torrie Wilson runs out to chase Hiroko away. They had a feud of sorts going. The heels now work a heat segment on Mysterio. A funny spot comes when Dupree does his French Tickler dance and Kenzo does it with him on the apron. Hot tag comes to RVD who does his thing. Rey comes in and RVD assists him in setting up a double 619. Tazz says his 12 2 18 joke about a double 619. They ran that into the ground. Five Star Frog Splash hits to retain.

Winners and Still WWE Tag Team Champions: Rey Mysterio and Rob Van Dam in 16:55
Surprisingly good here. I knew that RVD and Mysterio were more than capable of a good match but I was unsure about Kenzo and Rene. I do feel that this lasted a bit long but it was still a solid tag team match. **¾

We get a promo from Daniel Puder who is going to face the future Miz in a Dixie Dogfight. It’s a dreadful promo.

Kurt Angle comes out for his Gold Medal challenge or whatever. He reveals his opponent to be Santa Claus. Kurt somehow turns this serious by saying that he loves his daughter but she only wants to ever write to Santa Claus instead of talking about him. Kurt has the bell rung, takes down Santa and makes him tap to the Ankle Lock. I would count this as a match but it really isn’t.

Dixie Dogfight
Daniel Puder vs. Mike Mizanin
These are the two finalists for Tough Enough. We get a video package recapping the season, which also featured the future Ryback. This is basically a boxing match with odd rules. Miz surprisingly comes out and, if I were scoring the fight, wins the first round. They go all three one minute rounds with no knockouts, so it’s up to the fans. Teddy Long asks the fans and they choose Puder.

Winner: Daniel Puder in 3:00
It’s hard to really judge something like that. They did the best they could though it was just two guys wailing away on each other in one minute bursts. *

Both guys get interviewed after the minute. Miz makes one minor mistake but Daniel Puder looks lost when a microphone is put in front of him. It’s rather embarrassing.

Backstage, Booker T and Eddie Guerrero are discussing how much they want to get their hands on JBL. Classic Eddie here as he says that he could easily pin Booker to win the title tonight. Booker laughs and says the same thing back basically, causing Eddie to laugh. Eddie brings up the Undertaker and Booker says he’ll take him down too. They talk about teaming up until Undertaker shows up and stares them down. It’s actually pretty funny.

The Basham Brothers vs. Charlie Haas and Hardcore Holly
Here we have a prime example of why brand split Pay-Per-Views should not happen. Charlie Haas is pulling double duty tonight as he will also referee a match later. The Bashams were recently announced as JBL’s Secretaries of Defense. Despite being low on talent, the idea of the Cabinet was great. Haas is emotionally overcharged due to being part of a love triangle with Dawn Marie and Jackie Gayda. Look Charlie, there are far worse things to be caught in between. Some “boring” chants start, which I honestly can’t disagree with, even though I love Charlie Haas. Holly gets the mild tag and even uses a flying clothesline because I guess the boring chants got to him. Haas is outside so Dawn comes out to check on him, bringing out Jackie. They get into it, which distracts Holly. This allows the Bashams to utilize twin magic, which is obviously where the Bellas got it from, and steal it.

Winner: The Basham Brothers in 6:51
Dull stuff here. I like Charlie Haas but nothing about these two teams were appealing. It was boring until the end. *¼

Street Fight
Jesus w/ Carlito vs. WWE United States Champion John Cena
During the Carlito/John Cena rivalry, Carlito’s bodyguard Jesus “stabbed” Cena in a nightclub. With the injured kidney, Cena won the US Title back from Carlito in short order. Judging by the commentators, this was the debut of the spinner US Title. Cena attacks quickly and even when Carlito brings a kendo stick into play, Cena shrugs it off and goes after Jesus’ kidney. We got some blood following a kendo stick shot. A kick to the skull is next, as Cena is dominating this. He tries to throw Jesus off a section of the crowd but Carlito stops it. While fighting through the crowd, Cena chugs a fan’s beer. He was getting more over by the show. In the ring, Cena plants Jesus with the FU, ending this beating.

Winner: John Cena in 7:55
This was pretty much an eight minute squash match. Jesus would never appear on Pay-Per-View again and John Cena was about to have a monster 2005 so this made sense. He kept it entertaining and got his revenge, which is all you can ask for. **

We get a backstage segment between Charlie Haas and Jackie Gayda where they make out and Haas slaps her butt. That Charlie Haas is a pretty lucky guy.

Dawn Marie vs. Jackie Gayda
Research tells me that this was the pretty much the end for both girls. Dawn would go on maternity leave before being released and Jackie would be done in about six months. This is just two girls swinging on each other and none of it looks very good. They do the trademark spot where they roll onto the referee. Dawn ends up rolling up Jackie with tights and Haas counts the three.

Winner: Dawn Marie in 1:43
Trash. Two girls that cannot wrestle went out and put on a stinker. I won’t give it the dud score since it was short. ¼* 

Post-match, Charlie Haas admits to having an affair with Dawn Marie. He breaks off the engagement with Jackie because she makes love like a dead fish. Haas calls Dawn hot but dumps her ass too. He leaves alone to boos. Okay Charlie that was a bad move dude. Now you get no booty.

Big Show vs. Kurt Angle, Mark Jindrak and Luther Reigns
Before the match, Big Show gets a good luck kiss from Joy Giovanni. If that doesn’t help you win, nothing will. Big Show just tosses Mark Jindrak around, so Kurt Angle refuses to tag in because he needs to learn his lesson. He tags Kurt and forces him in. Show dominates for a while but the numbers game takes its toll. Remember how Jindrak was supposed to be in Evolution? Things would be very different. Nothing special is really happening here. It’s just three guys working over Show in various ways. It screams Smackdown TV main event, rather than PPV bout. When Show manages to be alone in the ring with Jindrak, he plants him with an F5 to win. Commentary continually mentions that it was indeed an F5.

Winner: Big Show in 9:56
Basic TV match here. The crowd was relatively dead as this show has been underwhelming to say the least. This was the definition of standard fare and it wasn’t very good. *¾

WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Spike Dudley (c) vs. Funaki
SMACKDOWN’S NUMBA ONE ANNOUNCAH! Funaki interviews himself before the match but is interrupted by heel Spike. I thought the crowd was dead for the previous match, but this is a whole different level of silent. Spike Dudley was actually doing very well as the “Boss” and heel Cruiserweight Champion, protected by his older brothers, who are currently out with injuries. The work they’re doing in the ring isn’t bad, it’s just heatless. They do a countout spot tease but the crowd doesn’t care enough to pop for it. It’s interesting to see Spike throwing someone around since he’s one of the smallest guys in history. Funaki nails a sweet double stomp from the top while Spike was in the tree of woe, which probably could have been a finish if it looked a bit better. However, it is a rollup that moves the belt to Funaki in shocking fashion.

Winner and New WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Funaki in 9:29
I get that they wanted to go for the shock factor, but this was a dumb move. If I remember right, Spike Dudley was doing solid work as the “Boss” character and should have dropped the belt to someone that was built up. Not in a heatless match that nobody cared about. *¾

WWE Championship
John “Bradshaw” Layfield (c) vs. Booker T vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. The Undertaker
Eddie Guerrero’s tobacco sauce style shirt that said Latino Heat was great. The crowd is finally awake, even chanting “Taker” during Undertaker’s entrance. Wisely, JBL leaves the ring, leaving his three challengers to fight. He sneaks in for a cover after Undertaker takes down Booker, but the referee is basically blind and misses it for like a whole minute. He ends up in between his challengers and is used as a pinball, getting hit from every angle. Booker and Eddie team up on Undertaker as JBL escapes to rest outside. Eddie and Booker turn their attention to JBL but the partnership ends when Booker breaks Eddie’s pin attempt. We’ve seen it a million times. Things get hardcore as JBL clears off the announce table, with intents on putting Undertaker through it. Taker counters though and we go back in the ring. JBL has been fantastic as the opportunistic champion trying to get pins at every turn. Undertaker starts to get in control, hitting everything in his path. He goes for Old School but Eddie tries to interrupt, only to eat a boot. Taker then finishes Old School. JBL goes to a sleeper hold on Booker, but Eddie brings out a ladder to a pop. He takes out Undertaker with it before going inside. It doesn’t come into play though as Booker rallies and nails everyone. Scissors Kick connects on Eddie for two. The brawl goes outside where JBL powerbombs Booker on the table, but it nearly goes back as he gets tied up in cables. JBL uses an elbow to put him through the table instead. Undertaker answers by hitting the Last Ride through the other table on JBL. Eddie plays possum in the ring, so Undertaker goes after him, but it fails as Undertaker catches him in a chokeslam anyway. He goes for the Last Ride, but Eddie blocks it by nailing him with the title. He hits two Frog Splashes but Undertaker somehow kicks out and sits up. Eddie begins to do his old WCW beg spot before using a low blow. Eddie uses the ladder again, before climbing it and hitting a third Frog Splash. He hurts his knee though and can’t cover in time. When he does, JBL pulls the official out of the ring. A third ladder shot sends Undertaker outside before Eddie sets it up in the corner. JBL charges, but eats the Three Amigos only for Booker to break things up. Scissors Kick on JBL but Taker stops the pin. It’s his turn for a close call now. He decides to chokeslam everyone before signaling for the end. As he goes for the Tombstone, Heidenreich appears and attacks Undertaker. JBL crawls over to cover Booker for two and the same happens with Eddie. He tries it on Undertaker, who sits up, only for Heidenreich to pull him out and lock him in a cobra clutch. Clothesline from Hell on Booker is enough for JBL to survive.

Winner: WWE Champion John “Bradshaw” Layfield in 25:36
That was a lot of fun. It was what I expected from a Fatal Four Way involving a heel champion but JBL was fantastic in this role. Also, bringing in ladders and tables added to it and we had tons of near falls and close calls that were really cool. ***½ 

Overall: 3/10; Poor. There are only two good matches on this entire card and that’s the opener and main event. Even with them being good, neither are must see. Everything else is pretty much a chore to get through. Not only were some decisions baffling but some of the matches seriously made you question if you were watching a Pay-Per-View or an episode of Velocity. My next “Random Network Review” will be none other than The Great American Bash 1998!