Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: #40-31

40. Aztec Warfare – Lucha Underground 1/7/15

To crown the first ever Lucha Underground Champion, we were treated to an Aztec Warfare match. It was similar to a Royal Rumble with a new entrant entering the fray every 90 seconds. However, unlike the Royal Rumble, eliminations could only occur via pinfall or submission. That little tidbit allowed for this to be better than any Rumble match in a long time. Also, the match was contested under “Anything Goes” rules. The luchadores were given the freedom to compete in and out of the ring. Talent wise, this was stacked, including the likes of Johnny Mundo, Prince Puma, Pentagon Jr, Ivelisse, Mil Muertes and many others. The action was non-stop for the most part, making the 53:24 move along quickly. They were also wise enough to build this around the storytelling from the first few episodes, making sure that rivalries were touched upon. Storytelling was such an important aspect of LU so it was nice to see it was a big deal even early on. Mundo and Puma, the two men who main evented the first ever Lucha Underground show, were the final two competitors, even though Mundo entered at number two. Their exchange was a blast and ended when Puma won with a 630 to become the first champion. ****¼

39. Chris Hero vs. Timothy Thatcher – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 8/29/15

Of the entire Battle of Los Angeles, this was the best match to me. That includes the non-tournament matches that took place that weekend. Chris Hero has been on fire since the WWE let him go and Timothy Thatcher has become one of my favorite indy guys. In fact, this was the first match of his that I got to see. This started light enough, with Hero stepping outside to bask in the crowd’s cheers because they love him. Thatcher was all business though. When things actually get going, Hero is more serious, delivering some stiff shots. That’s kind of the theme of this match. For the entire 18:03, both guys just beat the shit out of each other with some of the stiffest blows of the entire tournament. Thatcher brought something different as well, trying to tie Hero into crazy knots at some points. At one point, Thatcher blocks a roaring elbow with a headbutt to the shoulder for a very close near fall that I totally bit on, despite knowing the outcome beforehand. Hero would win with the Hero’s Welcome, in a fantastic match that really felt like it featured two guys giving their all to win a tournament. ****¼

38. KUSHIDA vs. Roderick Strong – ROH War of the Worlds 5/12/15

Two guys that had tremendous 2015s met around the midway point of the year. It was pretty clear, just by looking at the two men involved, that this would be interesting. They have different styles and that doesn’t always equal something good. This turned out to be better than I expected, and I had some high hopes. While they started by adhering to the Code of Honor, KUSHIDA gained an early upper hand with his quickness advantage. He kind of got showy, which irked Roderick Strong, who shoved him before moving into his style. He slowed things a bit, while really working over KUSHIDA’s back. There were just so many things about this that really clicked. Moments like Strong missing a chop and hitting the ring post to a loud thud, KUSHIDA’s dive to the outside and Strong applying the Stronghold on the ropes, which was similar to Tajiri’s Tarantula and Tajiri was KUSHIDA’s trainer. The red hot crowd only added to this as two of the MVPs of 2015 just went out, put their strengths to good use and had a great match. The finishing stretch saw a great exchange of strikes before Strong won with the Strong Breaker after 16:06 of action. Definitely worth a look. ****¼

37. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 7/20/15

A buddy of mine made an interesting comparison heading into this match. As part of a preview to this G1 show, he was asked to compare these guys to two current WWE Superstars. He used John Cena and Cesaro. I’ve heard the Hiroshi Tanahashi/Cena comparisons a million times but the Kota Ibushi/Cesaro one surprisingly made a bunch of sense. They’re both freak athletes that are deceptively strong. Before the G1 Climax, Tanahashi was in a feud with Toru Yano, leading many to think he was near the end of his run. It turns out that he was just resting up for a great G1 Climax run and it all started here on night one. Tanahashi went after the leg with dragon screws and submissions, trying to ground the incredible aerial ability of Ibushi. Unfortunately, Ibushi’s selling of the leg left a little to be desired, which was my only major gripe. He did do some of his incredible offense, including the deadlift German. This main evented the first night of the tournament and it felt like a big fight. The crowd was red hot and these two went at it, full throttle, for the entire 20:53. Tanahashi won with the High Fly Flow, earning his first two points en route to winning the whole tournament. ****¼

36. NXT Women’s Championship: Charlotte (c) vs. Bayley vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks – NXT TakeOver: Rival 2/11/15

Women’s matches on NXT TakeOver specials are just that. Something special. At previous TakeOver events, both Bayley and Sasha Banks fell short in dethroning Charlotte but got another shot here. Becky Lynch made her TakeOver debut and was in an alliance with Sasha. That quickly dissolved with the belt on the line as Becky suplexed her nearly out of her boots early on. Four of the best female wrestlers on the planet just went all out in 12:28 of nonstop action. Some of what they do here had never been attempted by the Divas. The work here is so smooth and crisp, never missing a beat despite all of the moving parts. The underlying story of the Sasha/Becky partnership, the crowd being behind Bayley as the underdog, the dominant fighting champion and the history between former BFFs Charlotte and Sasha all came into play here. After seeing this, I knew that it was the best women’s match I had seen up to this point, though they would best themselves later in the year. My favorite thing is that they didn’t use the Fatal Four Way stipulation to have Charlotte not eat a pin or go with a fluke finish. Sasha pinned Charlotte to become champion, starting the best women’s title reign in WWE history. ****¼

35. Adam Cole vs. AJ Styles – ROH War of the Worlds 5/12/15

On the shelf for five months, Adam Cole made his return here and did so in a huge match. Cole faced the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion and instantly showed that ring rust wasn’t going to be a problem. Outside of a Bloody Sunday on the apron, which was sick, there weren’t many points of this match that made you jump out of seat and say “wow”. However, it was smartly worked. Cole picked up a few near falls that made you actually believe he would beat the IWGP Champion, even though you knew in your heart that it wouldn’t happen.  Cole’s shoulder injury came into play, sold more by commentary pointing out that he returned about four months earlier than expected. Cole was unable to lift Styles at a few points, including on a Styles Clash attempt. He was able to hit it with help from the ropes, but outside of a few superkicks, he couldn’t hit any of his own finishers. Styles went into a bit of a piledriver barrage, nailing two or three painful looking ones before using the Styles Clash to pick up the win at 17:34. Cole had a solid 2015 but I expect him to be on this list a lot more next year, hopefully including a rematch between these two. ****¼

34. Adrian Neville vs. Finn Balor – NXT TakeOver: Rival 2/11/15

With Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a heated rivalry involving the NXT Title, a tournament was held to determine the next number one contender. Adrian Neville and Finn Balor were the final two men remaining, meeting at TakeOver; Rival. I’m not 100% sure but I believe it was a match against each other in Japan that got both men on WWE’s radar. There was a special feel to this that wasn’t simply because of the high stakes. This was the longest reigning NXT Champion in history against the guy that many, correctly, pegged as the next face of NXT. Finn brought out the “Demon” for the first time two months earlier and it rattled his opponents. Neville refused to be intimidated, looking at Finn as a man in paint rather than a “Demon.” There were little moments during the 13:45 of this match where Finn showed that he’s a different entity in the paint, like crawling/stalking Neville around the ring. I’d love to see more of that from him to differentiate the “Demon” from normal Finn. There were well placed near falls that weren’t overdone before Finn won with the Coup de Grace. This would be Neville’s last high profile NXT match before heading to the main roster and it worked as a passing of the torch in some ways. ****¼

33. AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW G1 Climax 8/14/15

As noted earlier in the list, the later days of the G1 Climax this year saw the “A” Block match quality fall while the “B” Block rose. On this, the final “A” Block show, we were treated to a main event that more than delivered. AJ Styles and Hiroshi Tanahashi are possibly the two best wrestlers on the planet and are no strangers to each other. Heading into this, they were tied with 12 points and the winner would win the block, heading to the finals. With the stakes high, neither man took an early risk. They fought hard for every hold, with each and every single thing they did meaning something. There wasn’t just points where they did stuff for the sake of filling time. It all had a purpose. While that start was a bit slow, they worked the crowd into a frenzy when things started to pay off. During the tournament, Styles’ Calf Killer submission was established as a secondary finisher. When he applied it here, the fans totally bough it as a potential finish. AJ would hit a low blow, only for Tanahashi to do one back because that’s how much this win meant. Tanahashi used the Styles Clash, so AJ hit High Fly Flow (or a regular frog splash but still). The back and forth here was top notch. Tanahashi had to finally use multiple High Fly Flows to win the block after 27:56. Just a well done big time match. ****¼

32. NXT Championship: Kevin Owens (c) vs. Finn Balor – WWE Beast in the East 7/4/15

Beast in the East was unlike any other show in the WWE this year. Besides the fact that it was broadcast live from Japan, this just felt so different. The production, presentation and even commentary was all so refreshing. Finn Balor and Kevin Owens met for the NXT Title earlier in the year, though it was rather disappointing. This time, Finn had home field advantage due to his history in Japan, and he also brought out the “Demon.” There was a big fight feel to this one and the streamers thrown into the ring by the crowd just added to that. Using the emotional upper hand, Finn attacked from the bell, trying to overwhelm the champion and maybe even score a quick win. Owens weathered the storm, slowing the match to a pace that he liked. Owens was phenomenal here, doing all of the little things that he needed to do as a hated heel. From smack talk to purposely doing rest holds to stealing John Cena’s signature moves and more, Owens was on point. They didn’t overdo the false finishes, with Balor not even taking a popup powerbomb, protecting that move. It did take him two Coup de Graces, but it earned him the NXT Title in 19:25. A great, feel good moment capping a great match. ****¼

31. Lucha Underground Championship: Prince Puma (c) vs. Mil Muertes – Ultima Lucha 8/5/15

The Lucha Underground Championship was on the line in the final match of the first season. Since day one, Prince Puma was pretty much the poster boy for the company, while Mil Muertes spent the entire season being built up as the ultimate monster. It all came to a head when the two collided to close the book on season one. It’s a simple, tried and true formula, but it almost always works and especially does when the two guys play their roles as well as these two did. Early on, they went with the brawling and busted out some cool spots. Puma used Catrina, who by the way, has come very far since her days as Maxine, as a weapon at one point. There was a powerbomb onto steps, spear off the apron through a table and Muertes nailed Puma with a steel chair on a suicide dive. It reminded me of the classic Benoit/Jericho spot from their ladder match. When things got back in the ring, both Muertes and Puma kicked out of each other’s finishers and it meant something here because both moves had been very well protected throughout the season. They built up the drama so very well, with Puma fighting tooth and nail out of desperation to overcome the force that is Mil Muertes. Puma went for another 630 but Catrina powered up Muertes, who nailed a top rope Flatliner to end season one as the new Lucha Underground champion after 17:41. A very fitting finish to an excellent year of television from the promotion. ****¼

Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: #50-41

50. NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Tomoaki Honma – NJPW Power Struggle 11/7/15

There is only one trilogy of matches to make the list this year and it’s the three pitting Tomoaki Honma against Tomohiro Ishii. Here we have the third match in the 2015 series, though it was my least favorite of them. Still, when my least favorite match of theirs ranks this high, you know they have something special. Even back to their earliest matches, the chemistry between these two just works. Each and every match they have is an absolute war and this was no different. The always molten hot Osaka crowd bought into Honma again, thinking he’d win. He’s kind of a perennial loser, but the fans always believe in him. Again, their back and forth is just so good and brutal, but by this point, we’d seen it a ton and there’s only so many different things they can do. A highlight was the Kokeshi to the floor, but that move is also usually Honma’s downfall. He missed it inside and fell to the Brainbuster at 17:26, giving Ishii the 2-1 edge in their matches this year. ****¼

49. Open the Twin Gate Championship: Verserk (c) vs. Monster Express – Dragon Gate The Gate of Destiny 11/1/15

I was only able to catch one Dragon Gate show this year, but it was a doozy. The final two matches stole the show and this was the first. While I wasn’t familiar with the duos, I did know two of the men involved. The champions, Verserk, consist of YAMATO and Naruki Doi, while the challengers were Masato Yoshino and T-Hawk. Doi and Yoshino are familiar to me due to their time in ROH, where Doi is actually a former Tag Team Champion. This was so fast paced and their chemistry was just spot on. It never missed a beat. The champions looked incredible and they just fed off of each other so well. The crowd was red hot for this, showing that the match and the titles were both a big deal. There is a powder throwing spot that came off rather lame because once the referee turned around, he should have seen Yoshino’s face just completely covered in it but that was probably the only blemish on this. That led to the finish, as Yoshino fell to two Gallarias at the 21:48 mark and Verserk retained. Honestly, this was my favorite tag team match this year. ****¼

48. Kazuchika Okada vs. Yuji Nagata – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/15

At this point in the G1 Climax, Kazuchika Okada had just one loss and Yuji Nagata was pretty much all but dead in the standings. Okada was also the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion, meaning the result of this was pretty expected going in. Nobody told the fans at Korakuen Hall. They badly wanted the Nagata win. For those unaware, Nagata is pretty much an ageless wonder. The same guy that I saw in WCW during the 90’s is still competing to this day and does so at a pretty high level. This told the story one would expect, with the fans behind the wily veteran and against the brash youngster. Nagata wanted to prove that at 47, he could still deliver, while Okada would have liked nothing more than to further add to his long resume. They had a great back and forth battle until Nagata locked in his signature armbar. Okada reached the ropes and, with the crowd firmly behind Nagata, started to get frustrated. This caused Okada to show some heel tactics, which is when I think he’s at his best. It took 18:16, as well as a tombstone, before the Rainmaker put down Nagata for good. Okada silenced the crowd, earning himself sole possession of first place in the Climax, with one match remaining. A tremendous effort from both men. ****¼

47. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW Destruction in Kobe 9/27/15

Nobody had more high profile matches against each other this year than Hirooki Goto and Shinsuke Nakamura. Goto won the first two, at Wrestling Dontaku and Dominion, winning and retaining the IWGP Intercontinental Title. During the G1 Climax, Nakamura got one back, making Goto tap and setting up one more rematch. While none of their matches were bad, they did suffer from some issues. While they usually finished very strongly, the first two-thirds of the match could be considered dry. It was on this night that it clicked completely, resulting in their best effort for a complete match. Still, their strength has been the finishing stretch, with this possibly being the best they put together. They called back to previous matches and countered each other seamlessly. It took multiple Boma Ye knee strikes but Nakamura was able to regain his title at the 22:58 mark and even the score for the year with Goto. They saved their best for last, but even so, I’d be okay with not seeing them go at it in 2016. However, if you’re going to watch any of their matches from this year, I’d recommend this one. ****¼

46. Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 48 8/16/15

Whenever I watch Zack Sabre Jr. he always seems to be in control. Despite not being the biggest man, Sabre is so good on the mat that he never seems out of it or even an underdog. For the first time, I saw Sabre really play up the face in peril against Chris Hero. For 24:28, Hero was pretty much in the driver’s seat and Sabre looked overmatched throughout. Hero stopped every Sabre attempt to make this a mat game and just flat out hit a piledriver early on. From then on, Hero just beat the hell out of him. One thing I like about the Evolve setting, is that you can hear a lot of what the wrestler’s say. That came into play when Hero shouted at Sabre to stay down or when Sabre actually did get to do some mat work, you could hear Hero screaming to be let out. It’s something small, but it certainly added to this match. By the end, Sabre was way out of it from the beating and Hero laid him out with an elbow. Both men played their parts here spectacularly. ****¼

45. WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns – WWE WrestleMania 3/29/15

Like the rest of WrestleMania this year, this was poorly built. Like most of the rest of WrestleMania this year, this exceeded expectations. The fans were firmly behind Brock Lesnar as Roman Reigns was not getting many favorable responses at the time to say the least. The WWE did a pretty great job in booking this match. Brock had been a dominating presence for over a year by this point and fans weren’t into the idea of Reigns kicking his ass. So he didn’t. Brock abused him for the better part of this match. Reigns hit Brock hard more than a few times, busting him open, but Brock came back and coined the Suplex City Bitch phrase. I think the bit of Reigns laughing at Brock’s offense wasn’t great. I got the idea, but it didn’t come off as well as they probably hoped. Still, Reigns as the resilient fighter was good and then he found an opening when Brock hit the post outside. It was an instance where blood really added something. This was when things picked up as Reigns hit big move after big move and came so close to winning. Then Brock hit a fourth F5 and both men were down. Enter Seth Rollins. Mr. Money in the Bank ran out and cashed in, pinning Roman at 16:43. It kept Brock from getting pinned, didn’t overdo the Reigns push at that point and sent the fans home happy with the shocking title win for the MVP of the prior year. Excellently done. ****¼

44. AJ Styles vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 1/4/15

Since my knowledge of New Japan Pro Wrestling wasn’t very high coming into Wrestle Kingdom, I wanted to see this match more than any because it involved AJ Styles. Seeing it for the first time, I thought it was great. Later in the year, I went back and saw their G1 Climax 24 match, which was better, before going back and re-watching this. The second time around, I appreciated and enjoyed this more. While their first match was centered on Naito’s eye injury and a vicious AJ, this was focused on the Styles Clash. AJ had broken Yoshi Tatsu’s neck with the move and there was an aura around it as something dangerous. Naito had it well scouted, countering or blocking it at every single turn. When I saw this with Jim Ross and Matt Striker on commentary, it helped as they really built the Styles Clash as something to fear. In the end, the one Styles Clash that Naito couldn’t counter was one from the second rope, finishing him at 14:25. Once the match ended, officials ran in to check on Naito, further selling the Clash. ****¼

43. ROH World and Television Championships: Jay Briscoe (c) vs. Jay Lethal (c) – ROH Best in the World 6/19/15

Ring of Honor billed this match as the “biggest in ROH history.” Considering the double title ruling, the argument could be made. However, when you add in the facts that Jay Lethal had held the Television Title for over 400 days and Jay Briscoe hadn’t been pinned in over 800 days, and you’ve got something great brewing. They knew they had a lot of time, going 27:27, so they built towards their finish. The first half or even two-thirds of this saw them exchanging offense and never gaining a true upper hand on each other. Piece by piece, Lethal’s advantages were taken away, as the House of Truth were ejected. First, almost instantly, Donovan Dijak and Jay Diesel are tossed and later, it is Truth Martini himself sent away. That left Lethal alone and he stepped up, putting on a great performance. The back third of the match was pretty nuts, with some great false finishes, though they didn’t overdo the finisher kickouts, with each guy only surviving one. Lethal finally nailed the Lethal Injection, to become the second double champion in ROH history. It proved that the company completely believed in Lethal, signaling a new era for the company. ****¼

42. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kazushi Sakuraba – NJPW Dominion 7/5/15

These are two of the baddest dudes I’ve ever seen in a wrestling ring. As expected when it comes to these two, they didn’t do much wrestling. This was absolutely a fight. It was hard hitting and stiff for the entire 11:48 runtime. Throughout this match, there were multiple little things that helped it stand out. In order to break a submission where his arms weren’t free, Katsuyori Shibata resorted to biting the second rope for a rope break. Kazushi Sakuraba threw off his ankle brace before kicking Shibata at another point. The men had a history together, as a tag team and as mentor and mentee from what I’ve looked up. From what I gather, Shibata was never able to beat Sakuraba in their MMA fights, so this was a chance to kind of surpass his mentor in the pro wrestling world. This was exactly the kind of match that it needed to be and Shibata got the victory, gaining momentum before a great showing in the G1 Climax. Just a great fight, especially if that style speaks to you. ****¼

41. Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Fastlane 2/22/15

Roman Reigns won the 2015 Royal Rumble to one of the worst fan receptions I’ve ever heard for a face. The fans just didn’t believe he was a guy that was ready to main event WrestleMania. Up to that point, his only singles match on PPV was against Randy Orton and I found it to be pretty mediocre. Reigns needed to have a big performance in a big match. That’s where Daniel Bryan came in. He never got his rematch for the WWE Title that he never lost, setting up a match with Reigns with the shot at WrestleMania on the line. Bryan was the perfect opponent for Reigns because he is great enough to lead the way. I’m not saying Bryan carried him, because that’s not the case, but he is the more experienced wrestler. The booking of the match was spot on. The fans would never buy Reigns dominating Bryan or vice versa, so they didn’t. They played power vs. technical ability but neither guy truly gained an upper hand throughout the entire 20:10. They didn’t overdo the false finishes and even brought Reigns’ hernia injury into play. Reigns would win and, more importantly, deliver in a big match, setting the stage for a year full of good to great matches on PPV. ****¼

Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: #60-51

60. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. AJ Styles – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 10/12/15

Look at the two men involved in this match. It’s almost a guarantee that you are going to get a great contest. Most of the time they meet it is indeed great, which is what I would consider this encounter, though it wasn’t their best. Earlier in the year, Kazuchika Okada ended the IWGP Heavyweight Title run of AJ Styles. Styles pinned Okada in a six man tag in August, setting up this rematch. They were given a lot of time, 30:15 to be exact, and it was similar to a lot of Okada matches. They tend to start a bit slow. I’m not saying they’re bad by any means, but he starts slow before building to the second half, where things just get nuts. The Bullet Club got involved, and I get that they’re heels, but it was a bit much here. That’s part of why I love the match at Dominion so much more. There, the Bullet Club interference was cut down. Of course, the finishing sequence was a thing of beauty here, with Okada reeling off three Rainmakers to retain the gold. The chemistry between these two is among the best in New Japan, almost always delivering in spades. ****

59. NEVER Openweight Championship: Togi Makabe (c) vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Destruction in Okayama 9/23/15

Truth be told, 2015 should have been the year of Kota Ibushi. His performances certainly say that it was, but New Japan was too shy to pull the trigger on him. He failed to win the Intercontinental Title at Wrestle Kingdom and the Heavyweight Title at Invasion Attack. While the NEVER Title isn’t on that level, I think it’s perfect for him. Ibushi is not only a freak of an athlete, but he loves the hard hitting style. Hard hitting matches have kind of defined the NEVER Title for the past year or so. Togi Makabe is someone that I like but don’t love, however this was my favorite match of his all year. They were given the main event slot and did well with it, They brought a table into play, which isn’t seen often in NJPW, as Ibushi double stomped him on it outside. Ibushi countered the spider German by landing on his feet because he’s such a damn good athlete. Makabe adjusted, changing up to a spider dragon suplex instead, before hitting the King Kong knee drop to retain at 18:41. Not Ibushi’s best match of the year, but another shining example of why this dude should be near the top of New Japan. ****

58. John Cena vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Money in the Bank 6/14/15

The one thing missing from the incredible first match between John Cena and Kevin Owens was a hot crowd. In this, their second of three encounters, the Columbus crowd delivered where the Corpus Christi fans didn’t. Cena was in unfamiliar territory here, losing the first match of a feud completely cleanly. Owens seemed to have his number, even doing Cena’s own “five moves of doom” to him after countering the original attempt. Cena was his usual resilient self, refusing to stay down. However, Owens was doing the same thing. John Cena grew frustrated with the official before realizing he had to dig deep and try some new things to defeat Owens. He would counter the popup powerbomb with a hurricanrana and even bust out Yoshi Tonic, though it didn’t look too great. The fact that some of what they did wasn’t as crisp as it should have been and an overreliance on finisher kicks outs and near falls kept this from being better than their first match to me. Cena won with an Attitude Adjustment at 19:23 and showed respect after the bell. Owens wanted none of that and attacked, hitting an apron powerbomb and leaving with both the NXT and US Titles. ****

57. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 7/24/15

Two guys that I became huge fans of during the G1 Climax this year were Katsuyori Shibata and Tetsuya Naito. Despite not finishing with tons of points, both guys were standouts for different reasons. Shibata’s hard hitting style and penchant for great outings made me a fan, while Naito’s tremendous heel persona, combined with really good matches, was just so highly entertaining. On the third night of the tournament, they faced off and proved to be a great combination. Naito is known for coming out in a full suit and stalling but Shibata was having none of that, attacking quickly. It forced Naito to work the first few minutes with his suit still on. When he turned things around, he looked to neutralize Shibata’s vicious kicks by targeting the leg. Their back and forth was pretty great, but Naito made a crucial mistake late. He decided to slap Shibata, which fueled a Shibata barrage of strikes. He locked in the sleeper hold and used a Penalty Kick to get his first two points of the G1 after 12:11. In other words, don’t piss off Shibata by slapping him or he’ll kick your ass. They would have a rematch in September that didn’t quite reach this level. ****

56. Trios Championship: Angelico, Ivelisse and Son of Havoc vs. The Crew – Lucha Underground 4/22/15

One of the very best things about Lucha Underground (and there were a lot) was the dynamic between Angelico, Ivelisse and Son of Havoc. After weeks of tension and even some matches, they were forced into a Trios team by Dario Cueto. During the tournament to crown the first champions, they had issues but made it to the finals and won. Or so they thought. Dario announced they would have one more match, right after the finals, against the Crew and it would be “Anything Goes.” Now, this isn’t the greatest brawl ever, it isn’t the spottiest of spotfests and, at just 6:41, it is the shortest match on this list. However, it makes this list because of the story and emotion involved. Ivelisse and her bum leg was perfect prey for the Crew, who took out Havoc and Angelico. It wasn’t until Havoc hit a moonsault outside that things started to turn around. Still, with Ivelisse alone inside against two opponents and Angelico near the top of the Temple, hope looked lost. That was until Angelico leapt from the top of the Temple, in one of the coolest spots ever, to save Ivelisse. Ivelisse then got a weapon, took it to the Crew and her boys hit stereo high flying moves to become the first ever Trios Champions. ****

55. Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens vs. Rusev – WWE Raw 7/13/15

Even though he wasn’t directly involved in this, the John Cena US Title Open Challenge was responsible for another great match here. A week after a fantastic battle with Cesaro, Cena awaited a new challenger. Rusev answered, looking to reignite their shitty feud. Kevin Owens interrupted even though he had a shot in six nights. Cesaro came out next, looking for a rematch, leading to a brawl between the three. It turned into a number one contender’s match, where the winner would face Cena right after. What followed was 24:02 of some awesome action. They made good use of the Triple Threat style, bringing out some really cool spots (specifically Cesaro hitting a double German on both opponents). Owens would walk out near the end because he had an upcoming shot and decided he didn’t need this. The final few minutes between Cesaro and Rusev were tremendous, including a great moment where Rusev reached the ropes in the sharpshooter, only to have to pull Cesaro to the floor because rope breaks don’t work in No DQ matches. Rusev ended up hitting a superkick to win, in an anti-climactic finish. Cena was supposed to be the face but considering the effort Rusev put forth while Cena gladly sat on commentary (doing an uncharacteristically bad job), Rusev was the sympathetic one. That match would last only five minutes and end via DQ. Still, the one preceding it was great. ****

54. NXT Championship Ladder Match: Finn Balor (c) vs. Kevin Owens – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/22/15

Having the unenviable task of following a spectacular NXT Women’s Championship match, I think this main event more than delivered. Finn Balor and Kevin Owens had two prior matches, the first not being too great and the second being my favorite encounter of theirs. This lies in the middle, but closer to the second one. In front of the largest crowd ever for an NXT show, this could be considered the biggest match in their history. I appreciated that it was similar to the really good Ambrose/Rollins ladder match from a few months earlier in that it didn’t need to rely on tons of big spots. For most of the 21:37, Owens beat the hell out of Balor, doing whatever it took to best the unbeaten “Demon” and win back his prize. Balor, under the “Demon” paint, was able to dig down deep and persevere, surviving a lot, including the apron powerbomb that nearly killed Sami Zayn and even took out John Cena for a bit. When they did bring out the bigger spots, it was near the end, and felt very earned. The image of Finn hitting the Coup de Grace off the ladder before going back and retrieving the gold is something to behold. This would be Owens’ last NXT match and he went out with a bang. ****

53. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Invasion Attack 4/5/15

AJ Styles’ nickname as the “Phenomenal One” is something that he lives up to more now than ever. Ever since his run in the G1 Climax 24, he’s just been delivering in pretty much every outing. Here, against a great performer like Kota Ibushi, Styles knew he had to avoid the high flying attack and looked for his calf killer submission. The threat of the Styles Clash, which is considered such a dangerous finish in New Japan, was always looming, but Ibushi avoided it. The Clash is up there with Okada’s Rainmaker and Fale’s Bad Luck Fall among the most protected finishes in NJPW. There were multiple moments during the 27:01 runtime where you could see just how well each guy had the other scouted. Ibushi countered the calf cutter into an inside cradle at one point. He also tried a top rope rana, only for Styles to block it and try the second rope Styles Clash that won him his Wrestle Kingdom debut earlier in the year. Ibushi blocked it and set up for his gorgeous Phoenix Splash finisher. Now, the Bullet Club interference was mostly kept to a minimum, which is always for the best, but Kenny Omega got on the apron to distract Ibushi in the end. That gave Styles the time to get up and catch the Phoenix Splash, in midair, into a Styles Clash. That was easily the best finish to any match all year long. It was another moment to solidify Styles as a top heel and remind everyone that Ibushi should be a major player in the company. ****

52. WWE Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: New Day (c) vs. Lucha Dragons vs. The Usos – WWE TLC 12/13/15

Another mediocre WWE Pay-Per-View that had one standout match. The opening match featured the New Day defending their WWE Tag Team Titles against both the Lucha Dragons and the Usos. Similar to TLC the year before, we were treated to a great ladder match that kicked things off. It was a bit messy at first, but they settled into bringing the big spots quickly. Not only did they do the typical ladder spots we’re used to, but they managed to do some new ones. Big E had a great moment when he basically bench pressed the ladder with both Lucha Dragons on it. Kalisto stole the show by hitting Salida Del Sol off the ladder and through another bridged ladder. That was honestly, the best spot I’ve seen all year, regardless of promotion. It was absolutely insane. Major props to both Kalisto and Jey Uso for taking the spot, especially considering Jey just coming off the injured list. Xavier Woods was golden on commentary, before getting involved himself because it’s NO DQ! As Kalisto neared the belts, Woods threw his trombone at him. This opened the door for New Day to retrieve the belt and retain at 17:56. Another great ladder match in a year for really good ones. ****¼

51. Kazuchika Okada vs. Roderick Strong – ROH Field of Honor 8/22/15

The IWGP Heavyweight Champion visited Ring of Honor to face Mr. ROH. The kind of match that you expect when two companies work together. There were no titles on the line or any pre-existing feuds, it was just two of the best competitors on the planet facing off to see who is better. Things started out slowly, with both guys getting a feel for each other. Roderick Strong channeled his PWG heel persona, getting vicious with a back suplex on the guardrail. Strong did his homework and had the Rainmaker scouted excellently, countering it multiple times. That forced Kazuchika Okada to dig deep and bring out not one, but two Tombstones. Everything that these two men did, as usual, was just so crisp and well executed. When Okada finally hit the Rainmaker, after four or five tries, it felt extremely earned, like he was just in a grueling match. The match went 17:23 and really got going once they passed the feeling out process, but even with that, everything was just done so well. ****¼

Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: #70-61

70. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Roderick Strong – ROH Winter Warriors Tour 2/21/15

One of the top performers in all of 2015 was Roderick Strong. Whether he was working for ROH, PWG, Evolve or anywhere else, he consistently put on some of the best matches all year. Kyle O’Reilly was no slouch this year either. I only recently was able to check this match out and I came away very impressed. Some of ROH’s non-PPV events have actually been better than their PPVs most of the year. This show in Atlanta was among their best, with this match being the highlight. It’s one of those that didn’t need an angle behind it. Just two of the best competing, hold for hold. O’Reilly is the guy from ROH that stands out as a future star and performances like this solidify that. He beat the shit out of Strong’s arm for most of the match. Strong sold it well and barely used it the rest of the way, which is always appreciated. There were some really close calls and a great double countout tease as well. Strong was able to pick up the win after the sick kick and orange crush backbreaker after 16:31 of really great work from both men. ****

69. Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins – WWE WrestleMania 3/29/15

Like the rest of WrestleMania this year, nothing about the build to this match interested me. The fans wanted Randy Orton to return and rip Seth Rollins’ head off. Instead, he fake joined the Authority and wasted a few weeks playing terrible mind games. Also like most of the rest of WrestleMania, the match succeeded where the build failed. The video package beforehand spoke volumes about how Orton was once pegged as the future but that time passed and Seth was the now the future. The story of the match followed that idea. Seth had an answer for everything Orton did because he was a step or two quicker. The one thing Orton made sure to have scouted was the Curb Stomp, countering it twice. Each guy kicked out of the other’s finisher, which I dislike since it’s used so often in wrestling these days and would be my one major gripe with this. After having the Curb Stomp so well scouted, Orton countered one into a massive RKO to win at 13:15. It was honestly my favorite RKO ever, which is certainly saying something. Having Orton win was wise too, as it set up Seth’s first WWE Title program the month after. ****

68. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: reDRagon (c) vs. The Time Splitters – NJPW Destruction in Kobe 9/27/15

In my opinion, these are easily the two best teams in New Japan’s junior tag division. They’ve faced off a few times before with the best being at Power Struggle in 2014 and their least impressive effort coming at Final Battle 2014. This fell somewhere in the middle, but closer to their best. I’d consider this my second favorite straight up tag team match of the year. Both teams worked on a level playing field throughout the 16:17 runtime. They exchanged offense but neither could grab a prolonged advantage. There is something about these teams that just click. It’s like, they go through a lot of stuff but it never feels like a spotfest. reDRagon truly breaks up the monotony of the junior tag division. They played off their past matches, while showing remarkable chemistry. This also allowed us to get another glimpse at the fantastic Best of the Super Juniors finals match between KUSHIDA and Kyle O’Reilly, while not giving us too much, leaving room for their eventual rematch. At least I hope we get it again. The champions nailed Chasing the Dragon to not only retain, but move to a ridiculous 32-1 in straight tag matches in New Japan. Great tag team wrestling from two of the best teams in the world. ****

67. Pentagon Jr. vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 8/30/15

On the road to winning the 2015 Battle of Los Angeles, Zack Sabre Jr. wrestled three matches on the final night of the tournament. His first of the evening was easily the most intriguing matchup of the whole tournament. Pentagon Jr. was among my favorite people to watch in 2015, as was Sabre. Both guys are known for their arm submission finishers, making for an interesting situation. Submissions would be the theme of the match actually, with both guys just putting each other in some of the most innovative and painful looking holds I’ve ever seen. The commentary team did a good job in pointing out how different various submissions can be when it comes to the part of the world you’re from. Sabre and Pentagon would even release the holds on their own, trying to one up each other before actually going for the win. When things picked up, Pentagon dished out the strikes, looking like the badass that he is. My biggest gripe was that, after all of the submissions, Pentagon tapped out nearly instantly to Sabre’s Kimura as 12:29, giving this fun match an anti-climactic end. ****

66. AJ Styles and the Young Bucks vs. Kazuchika Okada and Roppongi Vice – ROH Global Wars 5/16/15

The crossover shows between ROH and NJPW are usually a good place to catch some dream matches that wouldn’t be possible in any other scenario. This doesn’t quite fit the mold, as all six men are regulars in New Japan. Still, this proved to be a very exciting and fun six man tag. It allowed for a preview of the Kazuchika Okada/AJ Styles Dominion match, while putting the two junior teams in that know each other very well. Look, it’s hard for me to know that my favorite male wrestler, AJ, teams with my least favorite male wrestlers, the Young Bucks, so frequently. Here, it wasn’t as grating as usual, even with Steve Corino shouting SUPERKIIIICK at every turn. Normally that’s enough to make me hate a match, but this was so fun that I was able to get past it. From the back and forth between Okada and AJ, which is always great, to the fast paced action involving the junior teams, this delivered. The finish to this was pretty nuts as Trent Barreta pretty much died after taking a flurry of high impact moves, capped by a Styles Clash, to end this at 17:25. Even if you’re not a fan of everyone involved, this was still a blast. ****

65. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. KUSHIDA – NJPW Dominion 7/5/15

You’ll notice a trend with New Japan junior matches on this list. They all involve KUSHIDA, who was easily the MVP of the division in 2015. This wasn’t his best match, but it was his crowning achievement. After winning the Best of the Super Juniors Tournament, he earned a shot at Kenny Omega and the Jr. Heavyweight Title. Both guys came in with a game plan. KUSHIDA clearly went after the arm, looking for his Hoverboard Lock. Kenny Omega attacked not one, but both legs. Both men sold this work like they should have. KUSHIDA was especially great in selling the leg, doing little things throughout the match and at times, even being unable to run the ropes. Omega struggled to do some of his key offense due to only having one working arm. The red hot Osaka crowd and a pre-match video package showing KUSHIDA as a kid further added to this, giving it an emotional jolt that a lot of juniors matches lacked. Omega was finally able to get KUSHIDA in position for the One Winged Angel, but KUSHIDA countered into the Hoverboard Lock, holding on and forcing Omega to submit after 20:44. It was a great win for KUSHIDA though he unfortunately dropped it back to Omega for some dumb reason a few months later. Still, it doesn’t take away from how great this match was. ****

64. Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly – ROH Final Battle 12/18/15

The former Future Shock teammates had some matches in the past but this time around, it was the most personal. Adam Cole lulled Kyle O’Reilly into a false rekindling of their friendship before costing him his ROH World Title shot at All-Star Extravaganza. This was billed as a grudge match and Kyle absolutely played into that from the start, taking Cole down. When Cole started to swing the momentum, he targeted O’Reilly’s leg. That was done to set up the figure four, which commentary reminded us was how Cole beat Kyle in their big match in New York in 2012. O’Reilly sold the leg issues rather well, but when they went into their back and forth near the end, this really picked up. Kyle kept going for the armbar, including one after an exchange of superkicks and a rebound lariat. He finally got it locked in seemingly for good, but Cole got his feet on the ropes and pinned O’Reilly to steal it. Kyle didn’t even care, just going after Cole and applying more armbars until officials broke it up. I thought the match was great. It played out like a grudge match mostly, had callbacks to their past and the finish sets up some rematches. ****

63. WWE Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Payback 5/17/15

For his first WWE Championship defense on Pay-Per-View, Seth Rollins beat Randy Orton in a rather dull affair. His title run wasn’t off to a good start, but that turned around on this night. Originally, this was supposed to be Seth against Orton and Roman Reigns. However, a few weeks earlier, Dean Ambrose pinned Seth and was added in. From the start, Seth was a marked man thanks to his history with all three men. Seth’s boys, J&J Security, would get involved though and tried to even the odds. Their interference was a bit much, as was Kane’s, which was the biggest negative about this. Other than that, this is fantastic. The former Shield members gave the crowd a great moment as they triple powerbombed Orton through a table like the old days. Of course, Dean and Roman didn’t forgive Seth, taking him out. Once this Shield moment happened, things kicked into second gear and included a great back and forth between Ambrose and Reigns. This was the match that gave me Austin/Rock/Triple H vibes for Ambrose/Reigns/Rollins. After the dust settled, Seth planted Orton with a Pedigree to retain at 20:42 in one of the most fun matches all year long. ****

62. ROH World Television Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs. Roderick Strong – ROH Glory by Honor XIV 10/23/15

Jay Lethal’s ROH World Television Title reign was possibly the best title reign that anyone has had in a really long time. Lethal won the title from Tommaso Ciampa on 4/4/14 and proceeded to hold it for a record 567 days, spanning a ridiculous 36 successful defenses. That is something special. With him holding it along with the World Title, it was only a matter of time before he dropped the TV strap. Enter Roderick Strong. Strong went to a draw with Lethal before losing courtesy of some shenanigans in his next World Title shot. Knowing he had Lethal’s number, he was granted one more shot, but this time at the TV Title and nobody allowed at ringside. This was the shortest match of their trilogy at 16:48, but it was the best to me. The things they did were really smart, building to a phenomenal finishing run. When Strong kicked out of the Lethal Injection, the crowd went nuts and Jay sold the disbelief well. Strong finally got over the hump, unleashing an insane flurry including a knee, gut buster, sick kick and backbreaker before making Lethal submit to the Stronghold. The crowd lost their minds at seeing such a long title reign end. It rightfully felt like a huge moment and proved to be a great end to a really good rivalry. ****

61. RPW Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay – RPW Uprising 10/2/15

After seeing this match, it was clear that I had to make sure I could see more RPW in 2016. This was a very interesting combination of styles, pun intended. AJ Styles is the well-traveled industry veteran, Marty Scurll is pretty great at playing his villain role and Will Ospreay is one of the more athletic wrestlers on the planet. The first time around, I didn’t really see it, but Scurll just may have been the MVP. He just nails everything a villain should do. From eye pokes to trying to take advantage of the moves the other guys do, he just delivers. Ospreay didn’t do much for me during the Battle of Los Angeles, but he was really good in this match. There’s a sequence where he somersaults onto AJ, does a tornado DDT through the ropes and then a corkscrew shooting star press. It’s pretty breathtaking to watch. Styles also more than carries his weight but hangs back a bit to allow the other guys to shine. He retains his belt with a Styles Clash on Ospreay at the 18:22, capping a really fun outing in front of a hot crowd. ****

Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: #75-71

75. Falls Count Anywhere: Cage vs. The Mack – Ultima Lucha 7/29/15

While I talked about Alberto El Patron and Johnny Mundo opening night two of Ultima Lucha, this was the official opener of the festivities. Cage had been booked like a monster in Lucha Underground, which is fitting given his look. The Mack is just a bunch of fun. Fun is actually the word I would use to describe this. Clocking in at just 7:45, it is one of the shortest bouts on the list. It was just such a blast from bell to bell. If you asked me about my ideal Falls Count Anywhere match, I’d want one that never went in the ring, which is what happened here. In the short timeframe, they crammed a good amount of stuff in. There was a big table spot and an especially cool moment where Cage got hit with a cooler. Out spilled beers, so Mack chugged some and hit a Stone Cold Stunner. Commentary sold the near fall like they were shocked because of how well the Stunner worked in the past. The finish to this was the most spectacular moment as Cage curb stomped Mack through a cinder block in an absolutely brutal moment. I didn’t expect too much from this and I came out blown away. ****

74. WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose – WWE Money in the Bank 6/14/15

A title reign built around shenanigans, false finishes and interference led us to this mach. Seth Rollins would face his rival, Dean Ambrose, in a ladder match. These two were no strangers to each other, having met in a Lumberjack match, Hell in a Cell match and of course, a plain old singles match two weeks earlier. On that night, Ambrose seemed to win the WWE Title but we got the dusty finish. Dean stole the title, setting the stage for this match, where Seth demanded he do things alone. No Authority, no J&J Security and no Kane. When the bell rang, we got to see a different side of WWE Champion Seth Rollins. For most of the 35:40 that this match took, Seth was an animal. He was a vicious heel in the same vein as early 2000’s Triple H. He attacks Dean’s leg and just comes off as a brutal and cunning heel, unlike the cowardly heel he had portrayed during his run. This wasn’t your typical high spot ladder match, instead taking me back to the Rock/Triple H ladder match from SummerSlam 1998. It seemed like two guys using the ladder as a weapon because they hate each other. Seth hit some sick powerbombs on the guardrail and ladder outside near the finish. Both Dean and him pulled down the belt in the end, but Seth landed with control and retained. With a better, more definitive ending and more selling from Ambrose, this would have ranked higher, but it was one of their better encounters. ****

73. Roderick Strong vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – ROH Global Wars 5/16/15

Similar to another match you’ll see on this list later, Roderick Strong played the role of “Mr. ROH” against one of the top stars from New Japan Pro Wrestling. The Toronto crowd was red hot, knowing they were seeing something special and especially popping at the sight of Shinsuke Nakamura. In every appearance with ROH, Nakamura is over like a god. They adhered to the Code of Honor, following it with a start that you’d expect from two guys like this. They jockey for position and feel each other out, trying to gain the upper hand. Nakamura came with the bigger offense first, hitting some knee strikes, before Roddy turned things around and focused on Shinsuke’s back. On this tour alone, Strong had split matches with Hiroshi Tanahashi and KUSHIDA, though coming into it, you kind of knew Nakamura would win. Still, Strong goes into an offensive flurry that includes a sick kick and backbreaker, bringing upon a near fall that I bit on even on my second viewing. He also avoids a Boma Ye by striking with a knee of his own in a pretty great moment. Shinsuke proves to be too much, winning after a Boma Ye after 17:02 of great back and forth action. ****

72. No Holds Barred: Timothy Thatcher vs. Biff Busick – Evolve 48 8/16/15

I haven’t been able to see the rivalry between Timothy Thatcher and Biff Busick but judging by the commentary in this, it was pretty heated. Thatcher inadvertently broke Biff’s thumb and when Biff returned, he injured Thatcher’s left ear, causing him to nearly go deaf on that side. That led them to this main event bout. Now, when you see the No Holds Barred stipulation, you may expect a hardcore match with weapons. Not here. The rule was in place so two badass dudes could go to war. Biff relentlessly attacked Timothy’s ear, seemingly trying to make him permanently deaf. He repeatedly went after it and even busted the Evolve Champion open at one point. A bleeding ear is quite the sight to be honest. Thatcher didn’t play his normal game, instead realizing that he needed to do what Biff was doing in order to survive. He started to target Biff’s thumb and the protective tape over it. In the end, he exposed the thumb and seemingly broke it once again. He instantly applied the Fujiwara armbar and Biff tapped out at 13:36. I know he’s only the list once, but I do love me some Biff and he’s my third favorite guy not in WWE, NJPW, TNA or ROH. ****

71. Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW New Japan Cup 3/15/15

Interestingly enough, despite taking place back in March, I only saw this match for the first time in December. It happened during a time when I had to cancel my New Japan World subscription. Going back and watching it led me to see that it was pretty damn good, which honestly isn’t too surprising. Kota Ibushi and Tetsuya Naito are among my absolute favorites in all of New Japan. This was before Naito’s fantastic heel turn, so he’s still playing the white meat babyface that I’m not a fan of. For this match though, I was fine with it. It was two of the most athletic wrestlers, not just in Japan, but in the entire world going at it. They tried to one up each other at every turn though they come off as so evenly matched, nobody really gains an upper hand. It is only when Ibushi reaches into his bag of tricks and starts applying a more physical style that he takes control. His ability to hit hard is one of my favorite things about him. At the 14:14 mark, Ibushi wins with a sitout powerbomb and advancing to the finals, which he would win to earn a shot at AJ Styles and the IWGP Heavyweight Title. ****