Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: #10-1

10. AJ Styles vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 7/26/15

Of the many, many matches that come with the G1 Climax each year, a few always stand out when you see them on paper. This was absolutely one of them. As seen earlier, they had an IWGP Heavyweight Title match earlier in the year at Invasion Attack, which was great. However, they bested it with the rematch. Playing off of that, both men were able to counter a lot of the things the other would do even more than in their first match. Kota Ibushi used his quickness and athleticism to overwhelm AJ Styles, who is not the same man he was ten years ago. Now, AJ is a much smarter worker and it showed in the way he turned things around. At one point, Ibushi hits a backflip kick only for AJ to respond with a Pele, showing he’s still got it. Everything done in this match made sense and they built to a fantastic finish. Ibushi continually avoided the Styles Clash, but AJ had an answer for a lot of the big spots Ibushi tried, like a top rope rana and deadlift German. Ibushi would survive Bloody Sunday and win with the Phoenix Splash that was countered in their first match at 19:11. This made Ibushi only the fourth man in New Japan to pin Styles, joining Okada, Tanahashi and Naito. ****½

9. Kevin Owens vs. John Cena – WWE Elimination Chamber 5/31/15

Sami Zayn answered John Cena’s US Title Open Challenge, only to get injured before losing. Kevin Owens, Sami’s former best friend and ultimate rival, didn’t take too kindly to this, wanting the credit for injuring Sami. Owens would come out for an Open Challenge and attack Cena, leading to this match. There was pretty much no bigger match for Owens’ main roster debut. Even a WWE Title match wouldn’t have meant what this did. Some of the best Cena feuds in recent memory have seen him take on an “indy darling” like CM Punk or Daniel Bryan. That was the case here. Both guys brought their “A” games and had almost instant chemistry. Everybody knew that John Cena could deliver on the big stage, but Kevin Owens showed that he was a Superstar. My only major issue with this 20:47 match was that the Corpus Christ crowd wasn’t great. There were a few finisher kick outs, which I usually don’t like, but I’m okay with it in a situation like this. This was a big match that deserved something like that and it only took Owens to popup powerbombs to win. The biggest thing about this was that Owens beat Cena cleanly. In his debut. That’s insane. Their next two matches were good, but couldn’t capture the magic of this first night. Unfortunately, the rest of this feud went the typical way of Cena feuds, as he beat Owens the rest of the way, but for one night, this was glorious. ****½

8. ROH World Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs. AJ Styles – ROH Final Battle 12/18/15

I saw these two wrestle during their TNA run but this was something different. Both men have not only evolved as performers, but they’ve matured and are better than ever. In the opening video package to the show, they discussed the fact that AJ Styles is a pioneer for ROH, yet has never worn the top prize. Jay Lethal considers himself to be the best in the world, but his title run up to this point had been largely disappointing. They worked the kind of start I expected, feeling each other out. Lethal had to go out and talk strategy with Truth Martini, so when he went back in, the focus turned to AJ’s injured back. Not only was the attack smart, but the things done here worked so well. Lethal was so well prepared that he had a counter for nearly everything AJ did and still focused on the back. Hell, even when AJ nearly got the Styles Clash and looked to be rallying, Lethal launched him outside through a table. The Clash was very well protected too, as Lethal never got to kick out of it. Lethal needed two Lethal Injections and a Cradle Piledriver, complete with smack talk to Jerry Lynn on commentary, to finally keep Styles down after 22:12. Not only was the match itself fantastic, but Styles did what no other challenger in the Lethal World Title reign has done and that was lose cleanly. This marked a massive win for Lethal as he beat the top star on the indies, fair and square, sending him off into 2016 as absolutely the man to beat. When wrestling is kept simple and done right, it can be beautiful. ****½

7. Grave Consequences: Fenix vs. Mil Muertes – Lucha Underground 3/18/15

A Grave Consequences match is basically just a casket match. I love Lucha Underground and their first season was spectacular. The best match of that season was this encounter between Fenix and Mil Muertes. Considering the rivalry these two had and the booking of Mil Muertes up to that point, this was expertly done. Muertes, who has come a long way since his days as Judias Mesias, brutalized Fenix. Fenix sold like a champ throughout the entire match. The animosity between the men shines through the violent nature of the match. Muertes rips Fenix’s mask, giving us a great view of the amount of blood that he spilled. Neither guy even really tried to put their opponent in the casket during the 15:01. Their rivalry was so heated that they just wanted to hurt each other, The casket does come into play as a weapon more than a few times and it’s almost always used in a creative fashion. Not until the finish does someone go in, that being Muertes, as Fenix was able to defeat the monster. This is easily the greatest casket match in history. ****½

6. GHC Heavyweight Championship: Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Takashi Sugiura – NOAH Great Voyage in Osaka 9/19/15

More than any other match on this list, this felt like a true heavyweight fight. After watching him in the G1 Climax 24, I learned that Minoru Suzuki is a master of all things pro wrestling. Going into this, I didn’t know much about Takashi Sugiura, but he won me over. Setting the stage and giving this an even bigger feel was a live performance of Suzuki’s incredible theme music. They started the match with some chain wrestling before escalating to strikes. Suzuki tried to use a chair outside and had to have multiple officials stop him because he’s set a high bar for how much of a badass he is. It’s a small touch, but it did a lot for me. After trading armbars and ankle locks, this became a fight. They just trade some heavy blows. Members of Suzuki-Gun and the NOAH roster were at ringside, with Suzuki-Gun needing to be held back. I liked that because it kept them involved without actually having them interrupt this incredible match. The final ten or so minutes of the 29:19 are just an absolute war. Suzuki won a battle of slaps before a kick and sleeper. Sugiura doesn’t stay down, so Suzuki used a Gotch style piledriver to retain. I didn’t expect this to blow me away like it did, but its must-see. ****¾

5. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 7/29/15

There is just so much to love about this match. It is absolutely must-see and one of my all-time favorite matches already. Katsuyori Shibata and Kota Ibushi are two of my favorite New Japan performers and putting them together just made magic. Shibata is known for his hard hitting style, while Ibushi is not one to shy away from that kind of fight. That’s exactly what this was. Two guys having a fantastic war of strong strikes. The things they do in the match are all smartly executed. Ibushi does a Penalty Kick, which pisses off Shibata, who responds with a loud kick of his own. Ibushi again amazes with his effortless ability to blend strong style with his high flying athletic skill. One minute he’s laying into Shibata and the next he’s hitting a standing corkscrew moonsault. This was similar to the phenomenal Ishii/Shibata wars in the past, but had its own identity to differentiate it. Shibata would deliver a ridiculous slap before applying the sleeper hold and winning with the Penalty Kick. At 13:25, it is the second best under 15 minute match that I’ve ever seen (Ishii/Shibata from the G1 23 is the best) and is one of the matches you should instantly watch when signing up for New Japan World. If this would have happened in Korakuen or in front of the Osaka crowd, it could have elevated it to the full five stars. ****¾

4. WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins – WWE Royal Rumble 1/25/15

At Hell in a Cell in 2014, John Cena beat Randy Orton to become the number one contender and then retained that right against Seth Rollins at TLC. This set the stage for yet another Brock Lesnar/Cena match that I and many others didn’t care to see. It seems like the WWE realized that too, deciding to add Rollins to 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. Brock would get up, kick ass and win with an F5 on Seth at 22:42. It was matches like this that showed Seth absolutely belonged at the top of the card. This was the best main roster WWE match all year long. ****¾

3. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW G1 Climax 8/16/15

Epic is a word that gets tossed around way too often. When it comes to this match though, I’m okay with using it. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura are two of the five best wrestlers in the world. They’ve faced off numerous times in the past, including a match in the G1 Climax the year before. Thanks to an injury, Nakamura didn’t have the best of tournaments until his final two matches, while Tanahashi, after taking it easy the first half of the year, had an excellent tournament. Their past matches have been great (Invasion Attack 2014) and slightly disappointing (Wrestle Kingdom 8), but this was quite possibly the best. A staple of their series, Tanahashi worked the leg in creative and vicious ways. It’s a Tanahashi specialty, which works extra well here because it takes away the Boma Ye. Nakamura was excellent at selling the leg work, at one point only using the good one for a backstabber, and his exhaustion. The mannerisms from both men are on point. They called back to past matches, including a false finish that directly matches the finish to their G1 match in 2014. By the time the 32:15 match is over, you realize that you’ve just witnessed something special. A tournament as good as this deserved a final like this, which was an instant classic. ****¾

2. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9

I don’t give out the perfect five star rating often. I only did so twice this year and less than twenty times in history. On my first night of watching New Japan Pro Wrestling, I knew I had seen a five star match. Shinsuke Nakamura, one of the top guys in New Japan and the reigning IWGP Intercontinental Champion, went up against the young upstart, Kota Ibushi in the co-main event. I mean, Ibushi is 33 so he’s not that young but he’s still a guy that hadn’t been given many major opportunities like this. This entire match is absolutely phenomenal. It goes for 20:12, but you wouldn’t think that. It flies by because you’re enjoying what you’re watching so well. There were other matches that I knew the build for and that added to things. In this match, I knew nothing about it coming in except that I had seen some Ibushi stuff from back in 2008. They captivated me and fully drew me in, even though I was watching with Japanese commentary. That is a testament to the ability of both men. Ibushi is brash, even stealing Nakamura’s moves at one point. Nakamura puts him in his place more than a few times, but is taken to his very limit. This has everything you could want. A great story, hard hitting action, close calls, incredibly athleticism at points, a big stage and more. It’s because of this match that I got into New Japan Pro Wrestling as much as I did. This is how you get someone over in a loss. Ibushi came out looking like a huge star on the biggest possible stage. It is one of the greatest matches I have ever seen. *****

1. NXT Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Bayley – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 8/22/15

The women of NXT have continued to top themselves with almost every opportunity. Now, while I’m a massive fan of both girls, especially Sasha Banks, I originally didn’t want this match. I wanted to see Sasha/Becky II after their great match at Unstoppable. Bayley and Sasha absolutely blew my expectations out of the water. In front of the largest crowd in NXT history at the Barclays Center, Bayley and Banks were the co-main event and bested every performer on a loaded weekend. Right from the entrances, you could tell this would be special. The atmosphere in Brooklyn was insane as the crowd was red hot. Bayley’s entrance was a tribute to the late Dusty Rhodes, while Sasha channeled her inner Eddie Guerrero by arriving in an Escalade. The first part of this match sees Sasha talk trash and Bayley has to bring out the more aggressive side that we don’t usually see. When it progressed, Sasha vicious went after Bayley’s injured hand. It was some of the more brutal psychology I saw all year, including stomping on the hand and kicking it into the steel steps. Their exchanges and false finishes during this 18:15 encounter. Bayley survived the Bank Statement and Sasha kicked out of the Bayley to Belly. A top rope rana failed earlier in the match, but Bayley busted out a super reserve rana before scoring with a second Bayley to belly to win the title, capping an emotional roller coaster. Honestly, the number two match on this list that is technically better, but this was about on par, with the added bonus of the other things that makes pro wrestling great. The emotional impact of the match was so strong that Seth Rollins was crying at ringside. Hell, I was even nearly moved to tears. Not only was this the greatest women’s match in WWE history, but it was also the most important, cementing it atop the list. *****

Top Five 1/4/16-1/10/16

1) Katsuyori Shibata: It was a busy week for pro wrestling, but my list is going to be heavily dominated by New Japan Pro Wrestling. At Wrestle Kingdom 10 this past Monday, the show was going along and honestly, it was disappointing. Nothing was bad, but nothing was really great either. Then the NEVER Title match came on. Kastuyori Shibata and Tomohiro Ishii have had some classics in the past (including a five star performance in the G1 Climax 23), but this was right up there. This was a MANLY fight. Shibata has been one of the best that New Japan has to offer for the past few years, but has never managed any singles gold. That changed here as he bested Ishii on the big stage to win the NEVER Openweight Title. This was a great moment to close out a match that I honestly think will still be in my top three when 2016 ends. His win wasn't the biggest of the week, but it was one of them and it came in the best match in my opinion. He followed it up by participating in a really fun eight man tag at New Year Dash, teaming with his Meiyu Tag partner Hirooki Goto and the best tag team in the world, reDRagon. It's kind of a dream team for me. Shibata wasn't able to win it for his guys, but Goto did, making Shibata 2-0 in a really great week for pro wrestling.

2) Shinsuke Nakamura: Here we have a name that has been absolutely making waves starting off in 2016. Shinsuke Nakamura is part of a group of New Japan stars that have been in the news this week because they are reportedly coming to the WWE. The main reason he makes the list though is for his match with AJ Styles at Wrestle Kingdom. They were the two top guys in NJPW that were kept separate. We saw tons of incarnations of Tanahashi against Nakamura, Okada and AJ; AJ against Okada and Tanahashi and so on. This felt like a massive deal and like a dream match. They went out and managed to live up to the hype, producing a fantastic match that was my second favorite of the show. It was two of the five best wrestlers on the planet having a classic. Nakamura retained his Intercontinental Title and giving AJ a fist bump as a show of respect afterwards. Both men seem to be on their way to Stamford but this was a fitting final Wrestle Kingdom for Nakamura.

3) Kazuchika Okada: Honestly, Kazuchika Okada should have topped the list this week. He retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 10. There was no bigger win. However, the match quality of the guys ahead of him this week is the big difference. I didn't like Tanahashi/Okada nearly as much as the other two. It's been a polarizing match. I've seen some people go the full five for it and I've seen it rated as low as two stars. I'm somewhere in between. It wasn't a bad match to me, but it got overshadowed on the card and was the worst outing between the two. Okada was able to not only retain the belt, but he overcame his biggest obstacle by finally beating Tanahashi on the biggest stage and cementing himself as the ace of New Japan.

            4) Ethan Carter III: This past week, TNA made it's debut on yet another network, this time for POP Television. Their World Title Series has been pretty poorly planned out and the wrestlers have had a fair amount of time away from the ring, meaning they were pretty rusty coming into this show. However, they finally finished the tournament with the Semi-Finals and Finals. Ethan Carter III, the man who lost the title at Bound for Glory to Matt Hardy, defeated Lashley in the Semis. That set up a one on one Finals meeting with Hardy. The match itself was the worst of anybody on the list this week, but EC3 was able to beat Hardy and win the title once again.

5) AJ Styles: Yes, I know that he lost at Wrestle Kingdom and yes I know that was a pretty big deal. Still, I can't not give him praise this week. AJ Styles not only competed in a match of the year candidate at Wrestle Kingdom, but he also won a pretty good tag team match the next night. Then, he got attacked by Kenny Omega and the Bullet Club, signaling his departure from the company. In one fell swoop, Styles not only helped make Omega into a major player, but he got a standing ovation from the Japanese faithful. For a guy who showed up in NJPW to little fanfare and didn't get great reactions until a few months in, he had them giving him a standing ovation as he left the company. Now, Styles is rumored to be on his way to the WWE, where his name continues to just be all over the news.

Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: #20-11

20. Hair vs. Hair: Ethan Carter III vs. Rockstar Spud – TNA Impact 3/13/15

The lone TNA match to make the list is this Hair vs. Hair match from back in March. Ethan Carter III is pretty much the lone thing TNA has done right in the past year or two. Along with Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens, he’s been the best heel in wrestling in recent memory. His former little buddy Rockstar Spud met him in this main event match. The atmosphere in England was electric, as the crowd was firmly behind the home country underdog in Spud. This was well laid out, with them building to bigger things that the crowd ate up. They got Tyrus and Mr. Anderson involved, which made sense given the feud coming into this match.  Jeremy Borash also got in, hitting a low blow, which again played into the rivalry. Carter would use his arm brace to bust Spud open, giving the rest of this contest a great visual. Seeing Spud take a beating, only to rally with a crimson mask, completely added to this. It was the kind of star making performance for both men that the company could use more often. After 17:03, Carter won but had a concerned look on his face. He seemed to cut a positive promo about Spud, only to stay in full heel mode and turn it right back around on him, attacking him. He’s such a dick and it’s wonderful. ****½

19. Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/9/15

Since I began watching New Japan Pro Wrestling, two guys that are almost always a guarantee for a good to great match are Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii. So when I looked at the G1 Climax schedule and saw they were going to main event a show in the Korakuen Hall, I was stoked. They went out and, for 17:11, showed that they belonged in a top spot with one intense battle. I really enjoyed their chemistry together as things just clicked between them. Ishii is one of my favorite sellers in all of wrestling, which he got to showcase here. Goto, the reigning IWGP Intercontinental Champion and with a win over IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, looked to have a ton of confidence. While both men are versatile enough to work different styles, they went strong style here, which is their strong suit. The action was stiff, the crowd was hot, the exchanges were great and the near falls were believable. There were multiple times where I noticed my jaw was hanging because they just went so hard. Goto won in yet another performance that proves he deserves a higher spot in New Japan. I believe I underrated this the first time around. ****½

18. NXT Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Becky Lynch – NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable 5/20/15

I love this match. There have been better and there are some I love more, but dammit, there’s something about this one that I truly enjoy. I wrote an article about this being a masterpiece and months later, it remains the case. Everything about this was so well done. Becky Lynch, who was in her first singles TakeOver match, came out amped and was very jumpy. Sasha Banks, the champion, was as cool as the other side of the pillow because she knew she belonged. The match didn’t begin as something too physical because they respect each other and the prestigious NXT Women’s Title. As the match progressed, it got more intense and both girls worked the arm. They didn’t do so and randomly forget about it, instead making sure every offensive attack involved it. Masterful selling from both women throughout and after the match. Sasha made Becky submit to the Bank Statement at 15:33, but in no way did Becky look like a loser. In fact, this showed you how far Sasha had come. Just three months into her reign, she helped make Becky with the NXT crowd, who sung Becky’s theme in honor of her after the bell. ****½

17. Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/15/15

Sometimes, all you need in wrestling is for two big dudes to collide and just go to war. That’s what this was. Michael Elgin silenced tons of doubters with a phenomenal G1 Climax run and was arguably the MVP considering his consistency. Tomohiro Ishii is almost always someone to count on for good to great matches. Pair them together, given their size and styles, and you’re treated to the best hoss match of the year. Thank the G1 style for giving this the perfect amount of time at 14:33. I was in awe at some points, watching these two guys hammer away on each other. This wasn’t the typical “no selling” that some point to, rather it was two guys that can take punishment. Elgin got to shine, hitting an apron Death Valley driver, deadlift falcon arrow and a running powerbomb into the guardrail. Ishii sold the damage well even if he did have to power up a few times to get some shots back. Ishii couldn’t put Elgin down with some lariats, so he did so with a Brainbuster. Elgin should just move to Japan because he’s so good there and this was his best match of the whole year. ****½

16. KUSHIDA vs. Kyle O’Reilly – NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Finals 6/7/15

The first time I watched this, I thought it was great, but not on the level that a lot of people saw it. The second time around, I loved it more and bumped up the rating. These are two of my favorite juniors, while also being two of my favorite wrestlers period. With no animosity in this tournament final, they shook hands at the start before going to the mat. The things they did were so seamless while working the ground game. They both targeted the arm since Kyle O’Reilly is known for the armbar and KUSHIDA has the hoverboard lock. There was a sequence where they just traded attempts to get these on. When they graduated from the mat work, it led to some fantastic spots. KUSHIDA hit a Brainbuster on the apron, Kyle busted out a bunch of suplexes and, in a massive highlight, KUSHIDA went for a moonsault, but Kyle caught his arm in an armbar. It was perfectly done. I even marked a bit seeing KUSHIDA use his partner’s Sliced Bread finisher. Finally, after so many phenomenal back and forth moments, KUSHIDA won with the hoverboard lock at 30:45. Maybe shave a few minutes off and put this in front of a hotter crowd and we could be talking five stars. As it stands, it’s still a tremendous outing from both men. I’d like to see Kyle win next year and KUSHIDA be junior champion, to set up the rematch. ****½

15. Open the Dream Gate Championship: Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Shingo Takagi – Dragon Gate The Gate of Destiny 11/1/15

Dragon Gate is another promotion that I need to find a way to see more of in 2016. I’ve been interested in what they do ever since I went to ROH Final Battle 2006 and saw Shingo and CIMA do some incredible things. While I haven’t been able to follow them, when I heard the buzz about this match, I made sure to find a way to watch it. When I did and finally finished the entire 24:54, I was pretty much in awe. Masaaki Mochizuki is 45 years old but didn’t look like it here. He took everything that the hard hitting Shingo dished out, and he survived. It was as if Mochizuki was determined to show everyone that his age was just a number and he wasn’t going to go down easily. Due to that, I was totally okay with him taking a second rope Death Valley Driver and getting to his feet. It didn’t come off as him not selling, it came off as him powering up because he just would not die. His final push is phenomenal. While I’m going on and on about Masaaki’s performance, Shingo was fantastic here too. He would win with Last Falconry finally keeping Masaaki down. Seriously, go watch this match. ****½

14. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 1/4/15

This is one of the greatest rivalries in pro wrestling history. Each time these two meet, it’s pretty much a guarantee you’ll get something that is four stars or better. Their match at King of Pro Wrestling 2013 is a top three match that I have EVER seen. This wasn’t quite on that level, but it was still a fantastic main event. With this being the main event of the biggest show of the year and featuring the top two guys in the company, it was given 30:57. They made sure to use as much of it as possible, going through a long feeling out process. It wasn’t the most exciting thing but it made sense given how well they know each other. Getting an advantage was a struggle. Tanahashi hit a massive High Fly Flow to the outside in the biggest highlight of the match. The second half of this was spectacular. Okada was a dick at times, so Tanahashi was one right back to him. Tanahashi had Okada and the Rainmaker in particular, very well scouted. When he finally got hit with one, he kicked out. This wasn’t your ordinary finisher kickout. This was how it should be because the Rainmaker is such a protected move that when someone does get up, it’s a big deal. A flurry of High Fly Flows made Tanahashi 2-0 against Okada at Wrestle Kingdom after an all-around awesome match. ****½

13. Roderick Strong vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 45 7/10/15

Talking pure technician, Zack Sabre Jr. is probably the best I’ve seen since the ROH days of Bryan Danielson. He’s that good. After their highly touted PWG Championship match in April, this was their first rematch. They managed to take what was already a great match and do enough to slightly improve on it. Like any great technical match, the holds they exchanged early on weren’t just done for the sake of doing things. It all had a purpose. However, this isn’t just a technical battle. It evolves, pun intended, into more of a physical fight. As the match draws to its 28:22 conclusion, both guys are exhausted. It is a grueling encounter. Roderick Strong falls behind because of Sabre’s ability on the mat, so he starts to deliver strikes, knowing he has the upper hand there. Sabre does his best to hang there but goes back to what he’s best at. He survives a flurry from Strong, ending with a sick kick, before applying a sick armbar variation to make Strong submit. They stand at 1-1 and, with Sabre winning the BOLA and Strong as the PWG Champion, the rubber match should go down in 2016 and is must-see. ****½

12. Kazuchika Okada vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW G1 Climax 8/15/15

The G1 Climax 24 last year was the greatest wrestling tournament I had ever seen. The finals that year was between these two men. Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakamura are the top two members of the CHAOS faction, so there isn’t really animosity there. Last year, Okada won. This year, he entered this match with just one loss, while Nakamura had two (including a forfeit one). The winner of this would win their block. As noted, this wasn’t the kind of match you’d see any personal war in, but there were some interesting moments. After early exchanges, both men got a bit cocky and taunted each other. Later on, Okada stole a signature move of Nakamura’s but things still didn’t get too heated. Okada nailed a tombstone on the outside but, out of respect for his friend, chose not to get the countout win, instead rolling Nakamura back inside. Near the end of this 23:31 battle, Nakamura went for the Boma Ye but ate a gorgeous dropkick from Okada. That began a tremendous finishing stretch that was among the best all year long. With the Boma Ye failing, Nakamura countered the Rainmaker into a sick armbar. Okada tried to get free, but rolled over into a worse situation, with the camera perfectly capturing his look of desperation before tapping out. Nakamura advanced to the finals in a match that was better than their G1 final last year. I think there’s a phenomenal tiebreaker coming up somewhere down the line. ****½

11. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Dominion 7/5/15

Headlining a stacked Dominion show, the main event between IWGP Champion AJ Styles and Kazuchika Okada had to deliver. It did exactly that as, in my opinion, it was the best part of the card. A lot of Bullet Club matches feature an overabundance of interference. Early on, this seemed to be headed down that path, but Red Shoes ejected them and even hit them with a classic “SUCK IT!” Once they were booted, the match really started to click. Styles went from extremely cocky to seemingly vulnerable and worried. He knew that one on one with Okada, he was in trouble. The chemistry between them has become so great over time that their exchanges are effortless. There are some near falls in this that are incredibly close. Okada nails the Rainmaker, a very protected finish, and immediately goes for a second. AJ counters this one and it looks like Okada may have blown his chance. They continued to counter each other, making for a tremendous closing stretch that came to an end after another Rainmaker at 26:16, giving Okada his third IWGP Heavyweight Title. Styles and Okada are two of the greatest wrestlers alive and this was their best encounter together. ****½

Kevin's Top 100 Matches of 2015: #30-21

30. AJ Styles vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW G1 Climax 7/20/15

Coming into 2015, I had never seen Katsuyori Shibata, but had heard great things. After seeing him have a fantastic match at Dominion, I started to like him. Seeing him matched up against my personal favorite, AJ Styles, to kick off the G1 Climax, had me pretty stoked. When I first saw this, I thought it was good, but not great. Upon further review, I grew to love it. Shibata came in with a legit hand injury and I expected AJ to target it. I assume it was too hurt to really work, so they wisely found a way around it. Shibata kicked the shit out of AJ, forcing AJ to go after the leg, which also help establish his Calf Killer submission. Shibata took it to AJ with some stiff shots throughout, doing what he does best. In the most infamous moment of the match, AJ was close to breaking Shibata’s sleeper. With only one good hand, Shibata chose to bite down on his good hand to keep the hold. He would miss the PK and fall victim to the Styles Clash after 13:36. I can’t believe I left this off of my top ten G1 Climax 25 matches earlier this year. Brilliantly worked match. ****¼

29. WWE United States Championship: John Cena (c) vs. Cesaro – WWE Raw 7/6/15

The pinnacle of the John Cena US Open Challenge took place in Chicago on a fateful night in July. One week earlier, Cesaro answered the challenge but Kevin Owens interfered and cost him the match. This time around, Cesaro chased off Owens before the match began, leaving him and Cena to have a classic over the next 23:13. There was almost no slow down as these two just put on a great match. The match was fast and furious, with tons of counters, near falls and fantastic exchanges. Cena showed off some of his newer offense, even though some of it looks bad, particularly the springboard stunner. Cesaro kept going back to the crossface submission, which I liked since he found something that was working to wear down Cena and kept going to it. He threw out a Sharpshooter in honor of Tyson Kidd too. As usual with the US Open Challenge, one Attitude Adjustment wasn’t enough, but a second off the middle rope was finally enough to keep the Swiss Superman down. This kind of performance, in front of this kind of crowd, to close a Raw against Cena, was the perfect situation of really getting a guy over in a loss. Cesaro looked like a major player. Sadly, the booking team completely mishandled him after this. This will be remembered as a classic, but the lack of follow-up impacted the significance of it. ****¼

28. Lucha Underground Championship All Night Long: Prince Puma (c) vs. Johnny Mundo – LU 6/17/15

On the first ever episode of Lucha Underground, Prince Puma and Johnny Mundo were the main event. Then, to crown the first ever Lucha Underground Champion, the Aztec Warfare match came down to Mundo and Puma, with Puma coming out on top. There was respect between the two rivals, which changed after Mundo turned heel. Dario Cueto, the best authority figure in wrestling since Vince McMahon, liked this new attitude and put them in the first ever All Night Long match. I wouldn’t really consider this an Ironman match since there was no set time, but they were basically given Ironman match rules. For the entire duration of an episode of Lucha Underground, Mundo and Puma would compete and the winner would be the man to win the most falls in that time. The entire thing ran for 38:35 and almost never stopped. It was one of, if not the smartest worked match in Lucha Underground history. Mundo used a lot of tricks to take a commanding 4-1 lead. While he was cunning enough to take the lead, his ego was too big to be wise the rest of the way. He wanted to hurt Puma and set up some tables. This would cost him as both men went through it and Puma cut the lead to 4-3. Mundo realized he made a mistake and started to be smart, running away to let the clock expire. Alberto El Patron returned and attacked Mundo, leading to the tie score. With three minutes remaining, both guys tried many pin attempts until finally, Puma was able to score on the 630 and retain. Keeping viewers completely enthralled throughout is a testament to both men and how the match was laid out. ****¼

27. NXT Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Kevin Owens – NXT TakeOver: Rival 2/11/15

The story of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens is one of my favorites ever, dating back to Kevin Steen vs. El Generico. After finally winning the NXT Title at R-Evolution, Owens turned on his best friend, setting the stage for this match. Despite only being in NXT for a short time, Owens goaded Sami into putting the belt on the line here. An angry Sami came out firing but made some mistakes and fell victim to just how vicious and brutal Kevin Owens can be. He beat Sami from pillar to post, prompting Corey Graves to compare it to the Brock Lesnar/John Cena beating from SummerSlam 2014. Sami is the best at playing the face in peril though and made some spirited rallies to the crowd’s delight. He blocked the apron bomb that took him out in the past and hit a moonsault, but his head snapped back onto the steel ramp. That made him too dizzy to do some things and he ran into a popup powerbomb. Sami would kick out, so Owens relentlessly pummeled him and hit four more powerbombs causing the referee to stop the match at 23:27. A fantastically told story that solidified Owens as a dominant heel, while keeping Sami as the resilient babyface. ****¼

26. NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW New Beginnings in Sendai 2/14/15

Shortly after I had to cancel my New Japan World account early in the year, this show was held. I heard nothing but incredible things about the NEVER Openweight Title match between Tomoaki Honma and Tomohiro Ishii. I was finally able to check it out and didn’t really enjoy it the first time around, though I blame that on me being preoccupied when I saw it. I’ve see it twice more now and think it’s great, but I’ve never gotten the full five star vibe from it that a lot of people had. So, Togi Makabe was the NEVER Champion but was out injured and these two wrestled for the vacant belt. It was a brutal affair, with both guys just going to war with each other. The crowd absolutely loves Honma, meaning they are not only completely into everything he does, but they bite on every near fall, despite his terrible win/loss record. That red hot crowd reaction added to this. The match goes 24:46 which is not the usual case for my favorite matches these guys have. They both, especially Honma, excel in the G1 style shorter matches, but this was pretty great. Ishii won back the title with a Brainbuster after they beat the hell out of each other for the whole match. ****½

25. Evolve Championship: Timothy Thatcher (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 47 8/15/15

What we have here is two of the very best technical wrestlers in the world. Wisely, this match was booked to be a technical masterpiece. Zack Sabre Jr. has been making waves for a while now and had just racked up big wins on previous Evolve shows against Roderick Strong and TJ Perkins. Timothy Thatcher had just become a double champion by beating Drew Galloway to become Evolve and Dragon Gate Open the Freedom Gate Champion. This was his first title defense and it was against someone that beat him in Evolve previously. As for the match itself, it was stalemate after stalemate. For the most part, neither guy grabbed a clear advantage. It was Sabre who first ventured to something else, delivering some big slaps and even going up top, just looking to try something different. Both men are known for their armbar finishers and tried to one up each other with it. Sabre went to the armbar well one too many times though. While Thatcher looked for the armbar, he also targeted Sabre’s ankle throughout. After countering Sabre’s armbar once again, he applied an ankle lock and Sabre tapped out at 23:54. Just a tremendous match that showed Thatcher was the man who could even beat Sabre at his own game. ****½

24. Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 8/12/15

After their match at New Beginnings in February, people were clamoring for the rematch. Many gave that match five stars and consider it a legit Match of the Year contender. On a show featuring two of the top three guys in New Japan, Shinsuke Nakamura and Kazuchika Okada, these two guys were given the main event slot. As noted before, the G1 style fits the style of a guy like Tomoaki Honma, who works best in short, hot bursts. They had a great match in the G1 Climax the year before as well but of all of their matches, this was my favorite. As you’d expect from these two, this was the hard hitting contest they’ve become well known for. The chops they dish out to each other are just absolutely brutal. To give some added intrigue here, Honma went winless in the G1 in 2014 and was winless coming into this match. The crowd is always red hot for him but this was on another level. One of the main reasons Honma loses so often is his over reliance on the Kokeshi headbutt. He misses it so often, especially in big moments. Finally, after 16:13, nearly twenty G1 losses in two years and multiple Kokeshi headbutts, HONMANAIA RAN WILD and he scored his first ever G1 win. Having it happen in the main event in Korakuen Hall was such an added bonus making this one of my favorite moments all year long. ****½

23. NXT Women’s Championship Ironman Match: Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks – NXT TakeOver: Respect 10/7/15

Coming off their classic in Brooklyn, fans were eager for a rematch between Sasha Banks and Bayley. We got what we wanted and more because not only was it going to be the first ever women’s Ironman match, but the first time ever that two women got to main event a TakeOver special. Naturally going thirty minutes is one thing, but executing an Ironman match can be tricky. These matches have been hit or miss throughout history. They did well working with the time. Things started slowly, before building to bigger and better things. Sasha scored the first fall with an eye poke and rollup and then Bayley tied it with the Bayley to Belly. It was here that the match moved into a “phase two” of sorts. It got physical, with the steel steps coming into play and Sasha going full on heel. She talked trash to Bayley superfan, Izzy, in the front row. After throwing Bayley into the stage, another rather brutal spot, Sasha stole Izzy’s headband and got a countout fall, making the little girl cry. That is just fantastic heel work that isn’t seen often enough now. Bayley tied it with a rollup, and time began to trickle down. The fight went outside again for more big spots like a steel step assisted clothesline and Bayley to Belly on the floor. Finally, Bayley survived the Bank Statement and pulled out a submission we’d never seen her do before. It took stomping on Sasha’s head before the former champion quit with three seconds left. To give it an even bigger feel, the locker room emptied to give them a standing ovation. Sasha’s sendoff from NXT was well done and well deserved, ending with a great match and tears. ****½

22. Evolve Championship: Timothy Thatcher (c) vs. Johnny Gargano – Evolve 51 11/6/15

Sami Zayn made a special appearance at Evolve 50 and called Johnny Gargano the “face of WWNLive”. The reigning Evolve Champion, Timothy Thatcher, took offense to that, which led to this main event. This wasn’t just about the Evolve Title, it was basically a fight to be the ace of Evolve. It went on for 28:26 and for a good 95% of the match, it was wrestled in Thatcher’s style. Gargano adapted to it and credit to him for it because he didn’t seem out of place in that style. He looked comfortable taking it to the mat with a guy that specializes in it. Gargano went after Thatcher’s knee and Thatcher pretty much destroyed Gargano’s arm. They sold those body parts expertly, with it affecting their offense. Gargano couldn’t do anything with his arm and Thatcher ran into trouble with knees. It’s simple, but so effective. Gargano tried to wrestle the style of the new top guy in the company and, while the effort was tremendous, it wasn’t enough. Thatcher made him tap to an armbar, cementing his spot as THE man in Evolve right now. A great old school wrasslin’ match that told a damn good story and featured fantastic selling. ****½

21. PWG Championship: Roderick Strong (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PWG Don’t Sweat the Technique 4/3/15

My first look at PWG in 2015 was this match. I had heard some rave reviews and made sure to find a way to give it a look. Despite the hype, it managed to deliver. Both Roderick Strong and Zack Sabre Jr. had tremendous 2015s and they saved their best work for each other. The PWG audience is almost always boisterous but they were on another level for this. The atmosphere really added to this, giving it a big fight feel. The setup was simple as Sabre, with his Kimura finisher, attacked the arm and Roderick, with his backbreakers and Stronghold, went after the back. The work done on both body parts combined with the selling was enough to take that basic concept and really make it work. It’s kind of a master class in pro wrestling for the most part that kicks into high gear near the end. For the final ten or so minutes of the 24:25, the fans are completely on their feet and buying into every close call. Heel Roderick proved to be too vicious, stomping on Sabre and going into a badass flurry before making him tap out to the Stronghold to retain. The best thing I saw in PWG all year long. ****½

Top Ten Thursday: AJ Styles NJPW Matches

With the news that AJ Styles, along with Shinsuke Nakamura, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows, are leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling, I decided to look back at his run. I chose AJ because he has a short two or so year span to choose from and he's my favorite male wrestler on the planet. Styles certainly found a lot of success in Japan, winning two IWGP Heavyweight Titles, co-headlining Wrestle Kingdom and having a stellar win/loss record with the company. So with that being said, let's look at the best from AJ in NJPW. Also, you'll notice some write ups are very close to my Top 100 matches list because a fair amount of matches from there appear here.

Honorable Mentions: vs. Kazuchika Okada; King of Pro Wrestling 2015; vs. Karl Anderson G1 Climax 24; vs. Kota Ibushi Invasion Attack 2015

10. AJ Styles vs. Lance Archer – G1 Climax 8/3/14

I know what you’re thinking. A singles match involving Lance Archer, formerly known in TNA and WWE as Lance Hoyt and Vance Archer, can’t possibly be great. Coming into this match, I felt the same way. However, during the G1 Climax, he had some impressive matches. This one against AJ Styles was the best I’ve ever seen him have. Now that I’m done praising him, we can get back to AJ Styles, who is the focus of this list. Yea he won the IWGP Heavyweight Title in his first ever match, but something about him in New Japan didn’t instantly click. It wasn’t until the G1 Climax that everything fell into place. He showed off a versatility that we never saw from him during his time in TNA. Nearly every match in the tournament was great and they all felt very different. This one followed the classic big man/little man dynamic. AJ does a ton to make Archer look dominant, bumping like crazy for him. For the most part, Archer plays a basic bruising game until he busts out a moonsault. While he missed it, it showed how important a win over the IWGP Heavyweight Champion truly was. Styles tried chopping down the tree, always a smart strategy as the smaller man. It worked perfectly as Archer was too big to hit the Styles Clash on, so he moved to the Calf Killer submission and made Archer tap out.

9. AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – G1 Climax 8/10/14

In the last two years, the top four guys in NJPW have pretty much been Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles. On the final day of the G1 Climax 24, Nakamura and Okada were set to square off to determine the winner. However, Styles and Tanahashi would meet on the same night to determine the third place finish. Now, they had met in the past in TNA, but this was the biggest stage they’d wrestle on up to this point. Both men had great tournaments and I’d even consider Styles the MVP of the entire thing. This was incredibly back and forth throughout, really showcasing the fact that they were so evenly matched. Neither guy was put in a position to come out looking better than the other. I looked at this match as the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion still looking to fully prove himself by beating the “ace” of New Japan. That was evident when Styles sent the Bullet Club to the back so that it could be completely one on one. He showed that he was more than capable of hanging with Tanahashi and came close to winning on several occasions. In the end though, Tanahashi countered the Styles Clash into a cradle, scoring the win and setting up an IWGP Title match, which Tanahashi would also win.

8. AJ Styles vs. Tetsuya Naito – 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. This was the second match between two (we’ll tackle the other later). Their first one was better, but man I still liked how different this was. Naito pinned Styles in that match, becoming just the second guy in the company to do so. Their first match was centered on Naito’s eye injury and a vicious AJ, but 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 came prepared and had it well scouted, countering or blocking it at every single turn. The English commentary on the show really hammered home the fact that the move was something to fear. In the end, the one Styles Clash that Naito couldn’t counter was one from the second rope, which finished him off. Once the match ended, officials immediately ran in to check on Naito, further selling the Clash. Styles was able to pick up a win in his debut on the biggest stage in New Japan.

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

On this, the final “A” Block show of the G1 Climax, we were treated to rematch of the third place match a year earlier. AJ Styles and Hiroshi Tanahashi are possibly the two best wrestlers on the planet and met with higher stakes this time around. Tanahashi beat Styles twice in 2014, while Styles won the IWGP Title back from him in February of 2015. Both men were tied with 12 points here and the winner would win the block, heading to the finals. They wrestled a very smart match, with neither guy taking 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.

6. AJ Styles vs. Katsuyori Shibata – G1 Climax 7/20/15

Coming into 2015, I had never seen Katsuyori Shibata, but had heard great things. After seeing him have a fantastic match at Dominion, I started to like him. Seeing him matched up against my personal favorite, AJ Styles, to kick off the G1 Climax, had me pretty stoked. When I first saw this, I thought it was good, but not great. Upon further review, I grew to love it. Shibata came in with a legit hand injury and I expected AJ to target it. I assume it was too hurt to really work, so they wisely found a way around it. Shibata kicked the shit out of AJ, forcing AJ to go after the leg, which also help establish his Calf Killer submission. Shibata took it to AJ with some stiff shots throughout, doing what he does best. In the most infamous moment of the match, AJ was close to breaking Shibata’s sleeper. With only one good hand, Shibata chose to bite down on his good hand to keep the hold. He would miss the PK and fall victim to the Styles Clash. I don’t know what it was the first time around, but maybe I was tired or something when I saw it. It is so very good and the fact that we may never get a rematch is one of the saddest things about AJ leaving New Japan. With that being said, I’d like to note that matches with Tomohiro Ishii and Tomoaki Honma are on the list of matches that I never got to see but really wanted to.

5. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada – Dominion 7/5/15

Headlining a stacked Dominion show, the main event between IWGP Champion AJ Styles and Kazuchika Okada had to deliver. It did exactly that as, in my opinion, it was the best part of the card. A lot of Bullet Club matches feature an overabundance of interference. Early on, this seemed to be headed down that path, but Red Shoes ejected them and even hit them with a classic “SUCK IT!” Once they were booted, the match really started to click. Styles went from extremely cocky to seemingly vulnerable and worried, again showcasing how well he can play almost any role given to him. He knew that one on one with Okada, he was in trouble. The chemistry between them has become so great over time that their exchanges are effortless. There are some near falls in this that are incredibly close. Okada nails the Rainmaker, a very protected finish, and immediately goes for a second. AJ counters this one and it looks like Okada may have blown his chance, adding to the drama of this thing. They continued to counter each other, making for a tremendous closing stretch that came to an end after another Rainmaker, giving Okada his third IWGP Heavyweight Title. Styles and Okada are two of the greatest wrestlers alive and this was their best encounter together. It would be the end of the second and final IWGP Heavyweight Title reign of the “Phenomenal One.”

4. AJ Styles vs. Kota Ibushi – G1 Climax 7/26/15

One of the best guys in NJPW is Kota Ibushi. He had a great 2015, including an IWGP Heavyweight Title match earlier in the year at Invasion Attack, which was great. However, he and AJ Styles bested that with the rematch. Playing off of that one, both men were able to counter a lot of the things the other would do even more than in their first match. Kota Ibushi used his quickness and athleticism to overwhelm AJ Styles, who is not the same man he was ten years ago. Now, AJ is a much smarter worker and it showed in the way he turned things around. At one point, Ibushi hits a backflip kick only for AJ to respond with a Pele, showing he’s still got it. Everything done in this match made sense and they built to a fantastic finish. Ibushi continually avoided the Styles Clash, but AJ had an answer for a lot of the big spots Ibushi tried, like a top rope rana and deadlift German. Ibushi would survive Bloody Sunday and win with the Phoenix Splash that was countered in their first match. This made Ibushi only the fourth man in New Japan to pin Styles, joining Okada, Tanahashi and Naito.

3. AJ Styles vs. Tetsuya Naito – G1 Climax 7/26/14

Exactly one year to the day before the previous match on the list, AJ Styles had the one that stood out at the start of his New Japan run. He had a few matches with Kazuchika Okada, but neither wowed me and they wouldn’t have classics until later on down the line. During his time with TNA, AJ Styles was always miles better as the babyface. His heel runs alongside Christian and Kurt Angle, as well as the awful Ric Flair run, were some of the lesser work he’d ever done. It was here that I realized this older, more mature and polished version of AJ could be a great heel. On the previous G1 show, Tetsuya Naito got busted open against Toru Yano. Styles already had a loss on his record (to Okada), but this was a chance for a big win against the guy who won the tournament the year prior. Naito hit AJ’s trademark dropkick, complete with his signature pose. AJ retaliates by relentlessly attacking the head wound of Naito. It’s a vicious side of Styles that I had never seen before. AJ would go on to lose this match, falling victim to the Stardust Press, but it was something here that just clicked. This was the heel that could lead a stable and be at the top of the card. This was a new AJ Styles. This was the guy who, over the next year, would solidify his position as the best wrestler in the world.

2. AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – Wrestle Kingdom 10 1/4/16

AJ Styles certainly made the most of his two Wrestle Kingdom opportunities. While his match at WK9 was the highest non-main event of the show, he got the co-main event spot this time around. Not only that, but since his arrival in New Japan, he was kept apart from Shinsuke Nakamura. While he’s had countless bouts with Tanahashi and Okada, this was the dream match. When it was announced, the hype was incredibly real and there was some worry that it couldn’t live up to that. Not because of their ability, but because of the high praise. That worry was for nothing as it lived up to the expectations. They worked a smart opening sequence, trying to feel each other out with no real prior knowledge of one another. Nakamura did a great job of targeting the back and AJ was even better at selling it throughout. It impacted several moves that Styles attempted. They messed up the backflip DDT spot which led to a weird moment and was probably the only time that the selling was up to par. They each kicked out of one finisher, with Nakamura hitting a big time Boma Ye after a Pele from out of nowhere. There were callbacks to previous WK matches like the Sakuraba knee that knocked out Nakamura at WK7 and a tease of a second rope Styles Clash.  Outside of the aforementioned DDT spot, they executed everything nearly perfectly. Nakamura locked in his trademark armbar but AJ got out and hit the Styles Clash for two. I bought into a massive near fall when Nakamura hit a fucking top rope Michinoku Driver. Finally, Nakamura hit a Boma Ye to the back of the head and another to the front to retain. After the bell, the two men fist bumped each other in a show of respect. Even though he worked a tag match the next day, I’ll consider this AJ’s swan song.

1. AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki – G1 Climax 8/1/14

I’ve already talked about how great and versatile AJ Styles was during his G1 Climax runs. This was the pinnacle of those runs and his entire time in New Japan. Minoru Suzuki is pretty much a master at professional wrestling and this made for one interesting matchup. Styles was the leader of the Bullet Club, while Suzuki captained Suzuki-Gun. Now, there were greater moments in other matches for sure, but this match isn’t about one moment. It’s a collection of great little things that make for a tremendous match. Yes, there is interference on both ends, but it makes perfect sense here since they lead two of the top heel stables in Japan. It also isn’t overdone. Suzuki attacked AJ’s arm relentlessly. He throws in some finger stretching to add to the brutality of the work he does. They ended up in a fantastic exchange of strikes and counters near the end, which is made even better by Styles only using his left hand because his right arm is too damaged. Again, it’s small, but it makes such a big difference. That’s the kind of selling I want to see and props to AJ for holding his own in the strike battle despite not using his dominant hand. AJ wins with a Styles Clash, capping the best match in the best tournament in wrestling history. Performances like this are going to be greatly missed with AJ gone.

NJPW New Year Dash Review

New Year Dash

January 5^th, 2015 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan

One night after their biggest show of the year, New Japan Pro Wrestling ran New Year Dash. It’s set up like a house show, with many multi-man tag matches but should set the stage for the upcoming New Beginnings Pay-Per-View.

Manabu Nakanishi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Shiro Koshinaka, Sho Tanaka and Yuji Nagata def. Cheeseburger, Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV, Yohei Komatsu and Yoshiaki Fujiwara in 10:13

If you read my review of Wrestle Kingdom, you’d know that I found the New Japan Rumble to be a blast. This was more of the same as a lot of the guys involved were used here, with a mix of legends and Young Lions. Much like in the rumble, this was ridiculous fun. Cheeseburger was again a highlight, with his act already being over with the crowd. Fujiwara hilariously slapped him at one point, getting annoyed with his offense since it failed against the likes of Nakanishi and Nagata. Komatsu ate the pin in a fun little match that did well as an opener. **½

Ricochet and Matt Sydal def. David Finlay Jr. and Jay White in 6:46

The newest team in the junior tag division, Ricochet and Matt Sydal, get themselves a little showcase here. While I enjoy them, they aren’t really adding anything new to a stale division. David Finlay Jr. and Jay White have blossomed into a nice little team actually. They have one of the worst win/loss records in history, but that’s expected from the Young Lions. They are a unit I’d like to see move into the ranks of the division. This was kept short so they were able to go at a really fast pace, which benefitted them. Solid stuff here. Stereo shooting star presses did the deed. **¾

Non-Title Match: ROH World Champion Jay Lethal w/ Truth Martini def. Juice Robinson in 7:11

At Wrestle Kingdom, Jay Lethal was introduced to the Japanese audience by retaining the ROH World Title against Michael Elgin. Here, he faced the former CJ Parker in a fine little match. Juice has been trying to find his footing in NJPW, but I think this was his first actual singles match. I think this would have been better suited on the Road to Tokyo Dome to familiarize the crowd with Lethal but I get that the timing wouldn’t work with Lethal’s US dates. Anyway, this was solid though it featured a bit too much Martini interaction. Lethal shouldn’t need help to beat someone in Juice’s position on the card. Fun fact, it was Martini who trained Juice. He got to do a fun little airplane spin spot to him before falling victim to the Lethal Injection. **½

Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, King Haku, Tama Tonga and Yujiro Takahashi def. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA, Satoshi Kojima and IWGP Tag Team Champions Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma in 11:10

Yup. MOTHERFUCKING King Haku wrestled in this match and looked pretty damn good too. He got involved in the brawling and got to team with his son, Tama Tonga, which has to be cool. This was a fun multi-man match, with everyone being on their game. It was the usual Bullet Club tag but with something just making it better. Maybe it was having Haku involved, but they seemed fired up. I mean, Haku did a fucking piledriver. Despite the talk about them leaving, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows scored the win on Honma, most likely setting up a rematch at New Beginnings. That could be their final match. Fun match with the rating bumped up a notch because of Haku. ***¼

BUSHI, EVIL and Tetsuya Naito def. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Mascara Dorada and Michael Elgin in 11:58

EVIL’s gimmick and entrance is just too over the top. It doesn’t work for me in the way that a lot of other gimmicks do. While he is back in the relative midcard for now, Hiroshi Tanahashi is still insanely over and the tandem with Michael Elgin just works with the crowd. Even with the lackluster ROH Title match at Wrestle Kingdom, he and his power offense is still clicking with the fans. Los Ingobernables won after a ref bump and BUSHI spitting the mist at Dorada. He pinned him with a diving codebreaker. This was more fine work on the show, keeping a consistent tone. Los Ingobernables attacked after the match, leading KUSHIDA to try and make the save. He also got misted and BUSHI challenged him for the Jr. Title. That is a fresh matchup that I’m looking forward to. We may also be getting Tanahashi/Naito again, which doesn’t sound bad but also isn’t exciting. Hopefully Naito comes out on top. ***

AJ Styles and Kenny Omega def. IWGP Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura and YOSHI-HASHI in 12:01

When I woke up today, the post-match angle was the big news, but we’ll get to that in a second. First off, the match itself was really good. AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura had some great exchanges early on, reminding everyone of their fantastic Wrestle Kingdom match. Surprisingly, the stuff between Kenny Omega and Nakamura was also very interesting. Even more surprisingly, Omega pinned Nakamura with the One Winged Angel. Then the big angle happened. As the victors celebrated, Omega attacked Styles, hitting him with the One Winged Angel as well. The rest of the Bullet Club ran out to calm things down. As AJ got helped to his feet, Omega and the Young Bucks hit him with a triple superkick. The rest of the group joined in on the assault, ending with Omega planting Styles with a Styles Clash (with superkicks from the Bucks involved). Omega cut a promo about how Styles is fired and that he won’t be challenging KUSHIDA for the title he lost the night before. He calls himself a heavyweight and is going after Nakamura and the IC Title. While I’m not a big Omega fan, this was expertly done as he is now solidified on the fast track to some sort of major role. After the Bullet Club left, AJ Styles was serenaded by chants from Korakuen Hall and he bowed to them, seemingly as a goodbye. If he ever does return, he’ll be a big time babyface. If he doesn’t, it was a thank you for some phenomenal, pun intended, years. ***¼

Hirooki Goto, NEVER Openweight Champion Katsuyori Shibata and reDRagon def. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, Roppongi Vice and Tomohiro Ishii in 13:19

Oh my goodness, Meiyu Tag and reDRagon together? What a fucking team. The other side isn’t too shabby either. Outside of the previous angle, this whole match was my favorite thing on the card. The interactions between everyone was great. Ishii and Shibata went to war, Roppongi Vice and reDRagon were their usual selves and the stuff between Goto and Okada was great. The best parts of this though, was seeing Okada and Ishii work reDRagon. I would love to see Okada/O’Reilly when Okada visits ROH in a few months. Goto would make Barreta tap out to win for his guys. Before he left though, Okada got on the microphone. I read that he kind of ran down Goto for wanting to unify the IC and Heavyweight Titles a few months back. Goto beat Okada in the G1, but since then, Goto lost the IC Title, which Okada was sure to point out. It looks like Goto/Okada at New Beginnings, which should be fun. ***¾

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship: The Briscoes and Toru Yano (c) def. Bad Luck Fale and IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks in 11:02

The newest title in NJPW got defended a day after being created. I honestly would have put the Okada/Goto stuff on last. I get that this was a title match, but it doesn’t feel like a main event to me. This was good old fashioned fun. I’ve gone on record many times in saying I don’t like the Young Bucks, but the Briscoes and Toru Yano are enough to make up for it. Yano was his usual self, calling for BREAK after BREAK and having fun at Fale’s expense. The exchanges between the Bucks and Briscoes were fine but nothing new for them. I like the addition of the Briscoes, especially Mark, so far. They retained with a Jay Driller/Froggy Bow combination to cap a fun little main event. ***

Overall: 7/10. If you hadn’t noticed by my words, this was a really fun show. Nothing about it was MOTY contender level, but that’s fine because it wasn’t supposed to be that kind of event. It did a great job of giving us really fun matches and setting the stage for future programs. It was one of the more noteworthy non-PPVs I can think of in New Japan. An easy three hour watch