Top Five 1/11/16-1/17/16

1) Zack Sabre Jr.: Last year, I found Zack Sabre Jr. and was wowed by his technical wrestling acumen. He won the Battle of Los Angeles and had some shots at some top titles (Evolve and PWG) but came up short. So I'm happy to report that Sabre won the British Heavyweight Championship this week. In a highly anticipated match, Sabre met the champion, AJ Styles, at Revolution Pro Wrestling's High Stakes show. It was, most likely, AJ Styles' final night there and I can't think of a better guy to drop the title too. Sabre has a bright future, and present actually, ahead of him. This was the biggest win of the week and it probably won't be the last title he wins in 2016.

2) Kalisto: With the news that John Cena is going to be out for a while, his feud with Alberto Del Rio is on hold. Enter Kalisto. He bested Del Rio on Smackdown last week, earning a shot at the United States Title on Raw. Kalisto and Del Rio met in their best match and the best match on WWE television this week. Kalisto was able to pull off a pretty big upset and capture the gold. It was a really cool moment that felt like something special. It was surprising, which isn't something the WWE is able to do to us very often. Things would unfortunately go right back to the status quo a night later, when Kalisto dropped the belt right back to Del Rio. It was fun while it lasted at least.

3) Alberto Del Rio: I guess this won't be too long of a write up since I covered the match on Raw in Kalisto's spot. As noted, it was the best match I saw on WWE TV this week. On Smackdown, Alberto Del Rio quickly used his rematch clause. That match wasn't quite as good, but was still solid work from both men. Del Rio regained the title, becoming a two time United States Champion. I don't really like the idea of the quick changes but it is an accomplishment for Del Rio. I like the guy, but his current run has been so blah, especially for a guy who seemed to find new life in Lucha Underground last year.

            4) Carmella: Headlining NXT this week was a battle royal to determine the number one contender for Bayley.There was no Nia Jax involved, meaning that as long as Alexa Bliss or Eva Marie lost, we'd get a new challenger. The battle royal was relatively fun and gave girls like Billie Kay and Peyton Royce a chance to shine. It seemed like Asuka won, but Eva Marie, who did nothing all match but sit outside, snuck in and dumped her over. With the crowd booing heavily, Carmella, who was knocked out in the middle of the match, got up and eliminated her. The crowd popped hard for this and Carmella earned her first shot at the NXT Women's Championship. I don't think this will happen at a TakeOver special but it's still good for her. The BayMella friends will collide sometime soon.

5) Eric Young: I'll be the first to admit that I don't watch much TNA anymore. In a relatively slow week for wrestling, Eric Young was one of the people to pick up a win that earned himself something. On this week's Impact, he defeated longtime rival Bobby Roode to win the King of the Mountain Championship. I'm not big on the title since it doesn't really have much meaning and seems to just be there to give guys that they like, but don't like enough to be top champion right now, something to do. Young fits that bill, adding another title to his rather lengthy resume of TNA belts.

Random Network Reviews: The Great American Bash 1998

The Great American Bash 1998
June 14th, 1998 | Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland | Attendance: 12,810

By this time in history, I was pretty much done with WCW. I’d watch the first hour or Nitro but the WWF was putting on such must see television by this time, eight year old me didn’t care about WCW anymore. However, they were about to move somewhere big by putting the World Title on the white hot Bill Goldberg. Not only that, but they were in the midst of an excellent Best of Seven series between Chris Benoit and Booker T. WCW Pay-Per-Views can sometimes be a chore, so let’s hope for a good one here.

The opening video package showcases multiple feuds while being very low budget. It’s like WCW put all of their money into their guaranteed deals and had the smallest production payroll. The pyro display is nice though. Commentary is Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay. Schiavone says our main event has the four best wrestlers in the world, which is just absurd for at least 75% of those guys at this point.

Best of Seven Series
Booker T vs. Chris Benoit
This is actually the eighth match of the series as the seventh ended in controversy. The winner gets a shot at Finlay for the Television Title later in the show. We open with some good old fashioned WRESTLING. It’s good because they know each other so well after seven matches. Unfortunately, the crowd is pretty quiet throughout this, even though it is solid work. When they start bringing strikes into play, the crowd wakes up a bit. Benoit gets two on a back suplex. I swear, Benoit had one of the best snap suplexes in history and he uses it to get two. After Book counters a back suplex, Benoit moves to a chinlock. Every time Booker looks to get in offense, Benoit has an answer. Booker finally busts out a powerslam and is so slow to follow up, which is appreciated considering he’s been worked over. He misses an ugly top rope attempt next. Benoit goes for the Crippler Crossface, so Booker goes to the ropes. Instead, he moves to his FOURTH chinlock of the match. Not good. An enziguri turns the tide before Booker nails a spinebuster that dumbass Schiavone calls a sidewalk slam. SPINAROONIE! They go up top where Benoit nails a superplex. Benoit never landed right on these and takes them on the back of his head. Benoit goes for the German suplex series, but Booker blocks, only for Benoit to bust out a dragon suplex for two. He hits the diving headbutt but can’t cover instantly. Booker nails a Harlem sidekick to the back of the head, followed by the missile dropkick to win.

Winner: Booker T in 16:17
I’ve only ever heard great things about this series. This was a really good final match but it was a few too many rest holds away from being great. By the standards of a lot of WCW matches though, it was one of the best. I wish the leg work played more into the finish though. ***¾

Kanyon vs. Saturn
Recently, Kanyon ditched the Mortis getup. However, Mortis appears in the entrance, but it is a decoy as Kanyon is behind Saturn and attacks. Commentary tries to say Kanyon revolutionized wrestling with offense. I mean, he was creative but that’s taking it too far. After some high impact Kanyon offense, some of the Flock run out but get stopped in their tracks. They do end up beating him up, leading to Saturn diving out onto everyone. Saturn said he didn’t want any help here so that makes sense. Nick Patrick kicks the Flock out. In an impressive showing, Saturn does a dead lift second rope suplex that I did not expect. Saturn now goes to work, even applying a variation of the cattle mutilation. A chair gets brought into play and Saturn busts out Sabu’s triple jump moonsault for two! Saturn is going all out! He tries a sunset flip that Kanyon counters into a Northern lights suplex. Talk about surprising. They look confused on a slow neckbreaker spot, but that’s been the only misstep. Kanyon tries the Flatliner but Saturn reverses with a half nelson suplex. Saturn tries for the Death Valley Driver, but it’s countered so he nails a superkick. They go up top but both fall outside. Mortis reappears from the crowd, but now there are two of them. They begin to fight for some reason, taking things outside. Commentary says one is to help Kanyon and the other is to help Saturn. Saturn leaps from the second rope, but is caught with the Flatliner to end it.

Winner: Kanyon in 14:45
Well I did not expect that. Saturn was nuts, trying so many different things and couple that with Kanyon’s rather inventive offense and you’ve got a really fun match. What hurt this was that the crowd was rather dead and the multiple Mortis stuff was weird. Besides that though, this is innovative and pretty ahead of its time. ***¾

Kanyon’s celebration is cut short when a Mortis reveals himself to be Raven, who takes him out with an Evenflow on the outside. Raven turns his attention to berating Saturn. Saturn gets pissed at this and goes after Raven. I’m fine with the turn, but it took the focus off of Kanyon.

WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Chris Jericho vs. Dean Malenko
The title is currently vacated. It’s so strange to not only hear Chris Jericho’s WWE debut theme here, but also to hear him billed from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This came about due to the fantastic conspiracy victim angle that Jericho did. Jericho has his Man of 1004 tights on so I don’t see an ARMBAR I’ll be disappointed. Dean Malenko nails a German suplex and is portraying how badly he wants to beat up Jericho well here. Malenko starts to wear Jericho down, but it gets countered with a nice inverted dropkick. Jericho does the HBK corner bump but over does it by hitting his head on the ring post in phony fashion. He busts out a pescado to take Malenko out. It’s Jericho’s turn to wear down Malenko, which he makes entertaining with his giant step walk. He misses the Lionsault, so Malenko goes to short knees. They go up top, where Malenko wants his super gutbuster, but Jericho counters into a super hurricanrana. Malenko blocks a powerbomb but ends up in the Boston Crab. Schiavone correctly tells us that it isn’t the Liontamer. Malenko gets the ropes, so Jericho tries the Liontamer, but Malenko rolls through and tries the Texas Cloverleaf. Jericho makes it to the ropes though. A slap by Jericho ignites a fire in Malenko who tees off on him. He throws Dave Penzer aside outside and hits Jericho with a weak chair shot, resulting in the DQ.

Winner via disqualification: Chris Jericho in 13:51
Consider me surprised, but that’s three straight good matches to open a WCW Pay-Per-View. This would have gotten a higher score if it wasn’t for the lame finish. I mean, I understand it since Dean Malenko snapped, but the weak chair shots hurt the end. ***¾

Chris Jericho and Dean Malenko fight all the way to the outside of the arena and across the street. Malenko even throws Jericho into a mailbox. Jericho runs across the street into traffic and the camera sees him run far away and into a nearby building. When the disqualification is actually announced, Tony Schiavone seems confused as to why that would be the result.

After Eddie Guerrero talks about Chavo in the WCW.com area, we are taken to what is supposed to be a “closer look” at Juventud Guerra. It doesn’t give us any information as it is just random shots of Juvi in what looks like the set of Desperado, set to generic Spanish music.

Juventud Guerra vs. Reese w/ Lodi
Reese gets no reaction from the fans. Maybe they know that he was the infamous Yeti a few years earlier. Nothing happens because these two can’t do anything. David vs. Goliath battles can work but the big guy has to be able to do some work, which Reese cannot, and the size difference can’t be THIS big. Juvi is like the equivalent of Reese’s leg. The Brain makes jokes about Reese stretching Juvi out to 6 foot 2. Reese goes to the staple of every poor big worker, the bearhug. Van Hammer comes out with a chair to nail Reese. Lodi is distracting the ref for some reason, which looked dumb since Reese was in control. Juvi hits a putrid looking rana to win, even though Reese’s shoulder was up.

Winner: Juventud Guerra in 8:44
There was absolutely no reason for this to go as long as it did. Reese was so bad he couldn’t do anything here. The match sucked and the finish was not good either. ½*

Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero
Due to the fact that they are family, Eddie doesn’t want to fight, so Chavo slaps him. That fires Eddie up, who just lights Chavo up with shots. They do an odd spot where Chavo hits the ring post face first. Eddie kicks the middle rope into Chavo’s crotch as he enters the ring. Heenan is just on fire with the Mexican jokes. Chavo fights back with a moonsault for two. Eddie goes to a brainbuster but instead of covering, he just talks smack to his nephew. A slap leads Chavo to just choke him out. The referee breaks it up before Chavo chases Eddie outside. Being the veteran that he is, Eddie uses this to take Chavo’s leg out. Eddie now wears him down with a figure four, but it makes less sense when he moves to a camel clutch. As the fans chant boring, Eddie tells them to kiss his ass. Chavo sends his uncle outside and dives onto him. He was playing this unhinged role so he throws some signs around from fans. He takes an ugly spill from the top but is able to avoid a Frog Splash. He hits a tornado DDT onto the top rope, before springboarding in for another and winning.

Winner: Chavo Guerrero Jr. in 14:44
The crowd seemed to have no interest in this thing. It was technically very good, but something about it was off to me. Maybe the fact that Eddie went from toying with Chavo to not wanting to fight to toying with him again. I don’t know. Still though, a big win for Chavo and I enjoyed the finish. ***

WCW World Television Championship
Fit Finlay (c) vs. Booker T
Right from the start, some of the leg work from the opener comes into play as Fit Finlay targets it. Booker retaliates with a dive to the outside but his Axe Kick is countered, when Finlay grabs the leg and moves it to a single leg crab. Finlay transitions through to multiple submission variations on the leg. It’s seamless. He goes to the stretch muffler and even slams it on the apron, but Booker starts to rally. However, Finlay again stops that with more leg work. Seriously, this is good stuff. Unfortunately, Finlay stops for no reason to look at the crowd, giving us like a minute of nothing. Booker then hits two Axe kicks and shows zero effect of the leg work. Seriously Book? He then goes to reverse a tombstone but botches it. Finlay runs shoulder first into the corner before eating a deadly looking piledriver to give us a new champion.

Winner and New WCW World Television Champion: Booker T in 13:11
The constant leg work was a bit dull at times, but it was masterful after the opener. Unfortunately, Booker T not selling the leg work in the end hurts this a lot. **½

WCW United States Championship
Goldberg (c) vs. Konnan w/ Curt Hennig and Rick Rude
We are smack dab in the middle of Goldberg at the height of his popularity. He would win the World Title a few weeks later. Here, he is 99-0. The crowd chants “Goldberg” from the instant his music hits until the bell rings. Curt Hennig was “hurt” but was originally supposed to be in this. Goldberg’s first offensive move is ugly as hell, so Konnan just clubs him. Goldberg hits a weak Spear and the Jackhammer for the 1-2-3.

Winner and Still WCW United States Champion: Goldberg in 1:56
Worse than the usual Goldberg stuff. Keeping his stuff short and sweet was fine, but this looked terribly bad. DUD.

Due to his failure, Curt Hennig and Rick Rude beat down Konnan. This leads to him getting saved by Lex Luger and Kevin Nash. Hennig rips his nWo Wolfpac shirt to reveal the black and white one. Oh, WCW and their multiple nWo factions.

Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan w/ the Disciple vs. Macho Man and Roddy Piper
You have to wonder what WCW was smoking when you see some of their booking decisions. Even here, Macho Man and Piper dislike each other and are even going to have a match against each other after this one. Bret Hart doesn’t even get his own entrance as he’s bundled in with Hogan, who reportedly wasn’t pleased with the reactions Bret was getting. You can just see that Bret Hart has no interest in being in WCW. They do some stalling before Piper does his trademark stuff like the eye pokes. He shows good teamwork with Savage, but once Bret Hart gets tagged, he makes things a bit better. Savage, Hogan and Piper look depressingly bad throughout. They do basic tag formula with false tags and dirty heel stuff. Savage is knocked from the top as Piper delivers some awful looking shots to Hogan. Bret is left lying until Hogan is able to take out Savage’s knee. Disciple hits Piper with the belt, as Bret slaps Savage in the Sharpshooter, which leads him to submit.

Winners: Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan in 11:41
Terrible. The only person in this match that had any business wrestling in 1998 was Bret Hart and they booked him the worst of them all. Just, everything about this sucked. The rating isn’t a dud because of Bret, who, even when he’s just cashing checks, is still pretty good. ½*

Macho Man vs. Roddy Piper
Mean Gene goes to stir the pot between these two, but Roddy Piper tries to help up Savage. Savage attacks and nails the elbow, but that only gets two. Pissed off, Savage throws the referee aside. Piper hits a low blow and applies the figure four, making Savage submit twice in less than five minutes.

Winner: Roddy Piper in 1:37
This would be the end of Randy Savage for a while as he needed knee surgery. Awful stuff here again. They should have had a younger guy put him on the shelf for the rub. DUD.

WCW World Tag Team Championship
The Giant vs. Sting
You see, these two guys won the Tag Team Titles but Giant is nWo Hollywood and Sting is in the Wolfpac. The winner here chooses a new partner. Sting should be the top guy in the company right now, not part of the nWo and defending the World Title against Giant would have been a good main event. Imagine if they did Sting/Goldberg on PPV for the World Title? Whatever. If Giant wins, he’s picking the Disciple as his partner so I hope he loses. Giant is smoking a cigarette and blows it in Sting’s face, so he hits him with a Stinger splash. He goes to the well once too often and eats a boot. Giant does basic big man stuff to wear down Sting until the comeback begins. Sting slams him but he’s too big to get the Scorpio Death Lock on. Scorpion Death Drop gets two and Giant can’t hit the Chokeslam because Sting went after the knee earlier. A second death drop gets two again. Sting goes to the top and uses a bigger Scorpion Death Drop to end this.

Winner: Sting in 6:39
Disappointing. I thought this could have been at least decent but it sucked. It was very short, neither guy seemed to really put in any effort and the Tag Title stipulation and booking was dumb. *

Overall: 7/10; Good. The first half of this Pay-Per-View is a surprising treat. I’ve never given out three near four star ratings on a WCW show and I did it in the first three matches here. The Guerrero match is a solid one too. Besides that though, everything else is either mildly disappointing (Booker/Finlay) or just flat out bad. The top of the card in WCW sucked and it showed here. Recommended show turn this off before the US Title match and you’ll be glad though at least the worst stuff is relatively short. Next time on “Random Network Reviews” will beWrestleMania VII!

Top Ten Thursday: Lucha Underground Performers

Lucha Underground season two is getting ready to premiere soon and I haven't been more excited for the return of a wrestling program in a really long time. Season one was an absolute blast, that was easily my favorite wrestling show of the past year or so. Today, we will look at the performers in Lucha Underground that I feel are the best in the company. It can include all wrestlers, commentators, authority figures, managers, etc.

The Mack

We open the list with one of the most fun people on the roster. I hadn’t much of Willie Mack during his time on the indies before his arrival in Lucha Underground, but I had heard good things. After seeing him in Lucha Underground, I understand part of the appeal. He’s just such a blast to watch most of the time. In his highest profile match, at Ultima Lucha, he wrestled Cage in one of my favorite matches all year long. At one point, the Mack was close to signing a deal with WWE developmental and could have been seen on NXT, but that fell through due to some medical issues. Instead of hanging his head, he found his way to the Temple and is a nice addition to the roster. While the company’s name and style puts emphasis on the Lucha style, guys like Mack bring a certain versatility to the roster. Similar to guys like Cage and Big Ryck, when he wrestles, you know you’re going to get something different than you would when you watch the rest of the roster. That is very important to have when running a successful wrestling promotion. Of those guys that are so different, the Mack stands out to me as the best of the bunch.

Drago

In a world full of colorful, way out there characters, Drago may be the strangest. I mean, considering his absurd tongue and the season one finale where we saw his shadow fly away, we’re basically supposed to believe that this dude is an actual dragon. Hell, there was even an angle against Hernandez about the fans believing Drago is a dragon. However, in the weird world of Lucha Underground, Drago fits in. This character would never work outside of the environment the Temple has set up. He was one of the first guys to sign with Lucha Underground and he immediately stands out. From the aforementioned tongue to the wings, to the mask and everything else about his look, he catches your eye instantly. Drago had some great feuds in season one with King Cuerno and Aerostar, having some really great matches. As noted, he warred with Hernandez to close out the season before heading to PWG and having a really good showing in the Battle of Los Angeles. I fully expect Drago to play a pivotal role in season two of Lucha Underground and beyond.

King Cuerno

I wish we got to see King Cuerno do a lot more in season one. Similar to Drago, Cuerno has a look that jumps out at you, especially when he shows off his hunter style. Also similar to Drago, he was one of the first guys to sign with Lucha Underground. He almost always had good to great matches with the likes of Drago and Johnny Mundo. Something about him always made me want to see him more, but unfortunately, he always kind of took a backseat during the entire season. It’s like, he was always booked in relatively important matches but somehow always avoided the major spotlight. The Last Lucha Standing match with Drago and the Steel Cage match with Johnny Mundo were two of the best matches all season long. He is very good at being able to blend storytelling with great wrestling. He also seems to nail his character in a way that many others don’t. He just gets it. Hopefully, he gets a more prominent role in season two because he’s too damn good to get lost in the shuffle.

Dario Cueto

Since I didn’t name this list the Top Ten Lucha Underground Wrestlers, I can include Dario Cueto. Dario was one of the best performers in the entire company. Lucha Underground created the ultimate “El Jefe” in Cueto. He is the perfect boss character to run the Temple. While the heel authority figure is a ridiculously tired trope in the WWE and TNA, Dario breathed new life into the role in Lucha Underground. It didn’t matter what interaction he was given to work with. He could wield his power and send the Crew out to attack you. He took so much joy in watching chaos erupt around the Temple. Even the Black Lotus angle, which at times felt a bit out place and strange, was made enjoyable by the performances of Dario Cueto. He was always just so captivating and charismatic every single time he appears on the screen. It was refreshing to see the heel boss character played so wonderfully in an age where we’ve seen it done to death. It is a testament to the writing of the Lucha Underground crew that they made this work so well. Unlike every other heel authority figure, I need to see more of Dario Cueto in 2016 and I cannot wait for him in season two.

Fenix

Like a lot of others in Lucha Underground, I didn’t know anything about Fenix before watching the show. When I did finally see him, he was pretty captivating. The guy only just turned 25 but is already incredibly impressive. Despite his age, he’s already one of the best high flyers in the business. In my opinion, the best match of the entire first season of Lucha Underground was the Grave Consequences bout between Fenix and Mil Muertes. One of the things that made it so special was that Fenix played off the monstrous Muertes so well. He was able to be the babyface in peril while getting fantastic sympathy and really making you feel for him. While that was the particular standout match, everything that he did was impressive. He perfectly encapsulates everything that works about Lucha Underground and fits their style so well. It’s as if he was put on Earth to be a key player in Lucha Underground. At Ultima Lucha, he captured the Gift of the Gods Championship. That, coupled with his performances in season one, means that Fenix should be a major contributor to season two.

Johnny Mundo

During his time with the WWE, nothing about Johnny Mundo spoke to me. Sure, he was athletic, had a good look and was capable of good matches, but it just never clicked for me. He was absolutely rejuvenated when arriving in Lucha Underground. Right from the start, Mundo was given a prominent role, main eventing the first ever episode. He was a relatively well-known name and instantly started a rivalry with Prince Puma. From there, Mundo was a vital part of the Lucha Underground roster. His versatility to work with almost anybody on the roster and elevate them because of his name was and is extremely valuable. From the work helping to make Puma a top star, to his feuds with Big Ryck, King Cuerno and Alberto El Patron, he was pretty great. Looking into season two, Mundo should again play a crucial role. He beat El Patron at Ultima Lucha with the help of his real life girlfriend Melina. I’m hearing she won’t be in season two, but I fully expect Mundo to fill a similar role. He’ll be a top guy able to compete against a wide array of opponents. Simply put, John Morrison was relatively bland but Johnny Mundo is actually pretty damn entertaining.

Mil Muertes and Catrina

I’m putting these two together since they absolutely go hand in hand. First things first, I want to point out how far these two talents have come. Catrina was in the delightful third season of NXT as Maxine, where she flamed out. She continued to appear on NXT before it was moved to Full Sail University, never really making an impact. Since becoming Catrina though, she has quickly become something of a throwback. Gone are the days where someone can, for the most part, make a living as a great manager or valet. We rarely see it anymore but Catrina has nailed this position. She adds something to the Mil Muertes character, comes across as a powerful woman in charge and her “lick of death” has become a trademark. Meanwhile, Mil Muertes is even more of a revelation. He was once the incredibly lame Judias Mesias character in TNA, mostly known for a garbage feud with Abyss that featured some bad matches. As Mil Muertes, he was a bright spot on a great show. Lucha Underground handled the character well, building him as a monster while also making him just the right amount of vulnerable. His win of the Lucha Underground Championship in the season finale was very fitting. Expect to see these two as the best pairing in season two.

Angelico, Ivelisse and Son of Havoc

Early on in the Lucha Underground first season, we were introduced to Son of Havoc and his girlfriend Ivelisse. Son of Havoc got off to a rocky start, losing to the likes of Pimpinela Escarlata and Mascarita Sagrada. Ivelisse, the “Baddest Bitch in the Building”, got pissed and decided to take matters into her own hands. Enter Angelico. His flirtation with Ivelisse made for some fun TV. Son of Havoc dumped Ivelisse, leading to him actually getting victories. Despite their obvious issues, Dario Cueto chose to put them together as a Trios team in his tournament to crown the first ever Trios Champions. I never expected it, but this turned out to be magic. I’ve seen the uneasy partners angle done almost to death, but never has it worked so well. Angelico, Ivelisse and Son of Havoc all played off of each other in the ring and in interviews so well. When they captured the Trios Titles by defeating the Crew on April 22^nd, it was one of the best moments of the entire season. They lost the belts at Ultima Lucha, but it’s clear that they will be integral to season two. With a fully healthy Ivelisse, their matches should get even better this time around.

Prince Puma

From the first ever episode of Lucha Underground, I pretty much could tell that they wanted to showcase Prince Puma as THE man. Yea, he lost to John Morrison and even got pinned a few times early on, but his story with Konnan and the focus given to him was clear. He would solidify that thought by becoming the first Lucha Underground Champion when he won Aztec Warfare. What followed was a year of some of the best title matches throughout all of 2015. Puma played up the fighting champion role better than anybody in 2015, including John Cena. He defended the title against pretty much everyone. Drago, Johnny Mundo, Mil Muertes, Cage and almost anyone else that you can think of. Puma without the mask is Ricochet (for those unaware of that obvious fact despite his giant tattoo being visible) and when he’s Ricochet, he’s nowhere near as captivating to me as he is when he’s playing Puma. The partnership with Konnan isn’t great, but it helps since Puma is never allowed to speak. There is a reason LU handed the reins to Puma in season one and had it work so well. The dude is pretty fantastic in this role and should be a flag bearer for the company going forward.

Pentagon Jr.

Forget just talking about Lucha Underground, Pentagon Jr. has become one of my favorite wrestlers anywhere and I only saw him for the first time recently. He was part of the first great match in Lucha Underground history (against Fenix in the fourth episode). For the first few episodes, he performed well but took several losses and fell victim to Chavo Guerrero’s dastardly ways. Then things turned around and he started talking about taking orders from his “master”. This took the viewers and Pentagon Jr. on a fantastic thrill ride. Pentagon began breaking the arms of his opponents and coming off as a vicious son of a bitch. Vampiro, on commentary throughout the season, jumped in the ring to prevent him from sacrificing Sexy Star. This put Vampiro in Pentagon’s crosshairs, who not only tried to attack him multiple times but even attempted to set him on fire. That storyline culminated in the Cero Miedo match at Ultima Lucha, which turned out to be a thousand times better than expected. Vampiro then revealed that he was Pentagon’s master all along in a shocking moment. Pentagon’s performances, storyline and character work throughout all of season one made for great television and his apprenticeship with Vampiro is the thing I want to see the most when Lucha Underground returns.

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