Winner: The Velveteen Dream



I’m hoping this can deliver in a big way. Aleister Black is awesome. Adam Cole is okay. I can’t see this reaching the heights of Black/Velveteen Dream, but the Extreme Rules stipulation makes this one interesting. It’s not a style I straight up associate with either guy, though I have seen Cole have some solid hardcore matches. I don’t know if the feud is fitting of a stipulation like this, though I’ve been wrong about that in the past. Either way, this should be very good. I don’t like the idea of Black losing, but I’ve got my money on Cole winning the NXT Title soon, so I’m going with him.

WINNER: Adam Cole



This is one of the more uninteresting women’s matches on a TakeOver in a long time. Shayna Baszler has been booked like a monster so far and has looked great in short runs. Ember Moon as champion just isn’t very interesting. She had a lackluster build to being champion and was an uninteresting choice to win the title at the last TakeOver. Combine that with Shayna getting this shot a bit early, and I just can’t get invested. I’ll say Shayna wins

WINNER: Shayna Baszler



Winners: The Undisputed Era



EASILY the most interesting TakeOver NXT Title in years. Yea, I said years. Andrade Almas and Johnny Gargano had the second best NXT singles match of 2017, behind only Black/Dream, at TakeOver: Brooklyn. This story works very well and everyone doubts Johnny. It’s the kind of thing that makes you feel Johnny would overcome it all and win. But, then there’s Tommaso Ciampa. I think he returns and costs Johnny the match. Johnny’s the kind of face who can lose and remain over, while Almas could use a big defense under his belt.

WINNER: Andrade Alams

Top 130 Matches of 2017: #100-91

100. IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega [c] vs. Baretta – NJPW Power Struggle 11/5/17

After coming up short in regaining the IWGP Jr. Tag Titles at the G1 Special in USA, Roppongi Vice split on friendly terms so Baretta could move up to the heavyweight division. I wasn’t fond of the idea, as the heavyweight division is crowded and as good as Baretta is, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. He’s a great underdog babyface, which is a role Juice Robinson currently fills. Anyway, after one singles win, Baretta challenged Kenny Omega for the US Heavyweight Title and faced his biggest test. Early on, Omega treated him like he didn’t belong this high in the card. The champ slapped at his head and talked trash. Omega was more aggressive than usual, suplexing Baretta onto the back on a table and delivering a double stomp onto it. His “HERE’S KENNY” face through the hole in the table was great. Baretta rallied, only to miss a dive and go through the rest of that table, bringing it back into play. He survived more damage, before hitting the Dudebuster. He couldn’t cover in time, allowing Kenny to kick out. Omega’s attitude nearly got him beat, when Baretta turned his lazy pin into a cradle. That pissed Kenny off, who hit a V-Trigger and One Winged Angel to retain in 21:23. The story of the overconfident champ underestimating his challenger is always great with talented guys. Baretta showed a ton of fire and a “never say die” attitude that worked so well. He looked like a star here. [****]

99. PROGRESS Atlas Championship: Matt Riddle [c] vs. Trent Seven – PROGRESS: Orlando 3/31/17

I can’t help but love the PROGRESS Atlas Championship. Big lads wrestling is among my favorite things in all of wrestling. Trent Seven is one of the best heels on the UK scene, while Matt Riddle is wildly popular wherever he goes. After realizing he was outmatched on the mat, Seven took to chopping the shit out of Riddle. That just angered Riddle, who lit him up with brutal shots around the ring. Riddle was always a step ahead. If Seven chopped, Riddle chopped harder. If Seven hit a suplex, Riddle popped up and retaliated with his own. When Riddle survived Seventh Heaven (a spinning piledriver), Seven wanted to hit one off the middle rope. Riddle slipped out and came back with a jumping Tombstone for a great near fall. Seven kicked out at one after a crazy looking jumping piledriver, but Riddle pounced. He locked in the Bromission and Seven tapped out at 10:47. Before the match, Jim Smallman promised they would beat the shit out of each other and they delivered. This was intense from start to finish and stayed in Riddle’s 10-15 minute wheelhouse. Great stuff. [****]

98. WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Neville [c] vs. Austin Aries – WWE WrestleMania 33 4/2/17



Moving this match to the Kickoff Show was probably for the best. Instead of getting rushed on a ridiculously loaded and long main card, it was given time to breathe on the pre-show. Austin Aries was the rare cruiserweight to get a great reaction on most nights, while Neville was in the midst of a spectacular run as the “King of the Cruiserweights.” With 15:37 to work with, they didn’t go for the traditionally spotty cruiserweight match. Instead, they started slow and built to something more. Aries was confident early. He felt like the one guy in the division who could hang with Neville. They constantly had an answer for one another, but there was the sense that Aries had Neville’s number. Neville started dropping Aries on his head with German suplexes, but couldn’t put him away. Neville survived his fair share, including kicking out of the 450 splash. Aries applied Last Chancery and Neville knew he was done. He resorted to raking at Aries’ recently reconstructed orbital socket. That got him free and he won via Red Arrow. Their subsequent matches never reached this level. Hell, the cruiserweights have never reached this level again. It was the peak of the division. [****]

97. PROGRESS World Championship: Travis Banks [c] vs. Keith Lee – PROGRESS Chapter 56: La Danse Macabre 10/29/17



At PROGRESS Chapter 53, Keith Lee beat Travis Banks ahead of Banks’ shot at the PROGRESS Championship. At Chapter 55, Banks successfully captured the title. Therefore, it was fitting for Lee to be his first title defense. Lee was as confident as ever, knowing he came off a win against the smaller champion. They played off their previous match at several points, but the best was when Banks went for a tope suicida. In the first meeting, Lee caught him and dominated. Here, Lee taunted him about it, so Banks used a bit of a cheap shot to open the door for him to deliver three in a row. Banks managed to seriously hurt Lee with a series of double chops. Lee remained dominant though, hitting two Spirit Bombs. The “never say die attitude” of the new champion was evident, as he survived both. Banks escaped a third and hit the Slice of Heaven. He avoided more big offense from Lee, before raining elbows down on his head. He added some stomps to really daze Lee, before wowing everyone by hitting the Kiwi Krusher to retain in 19:38. This was a great start for a new era of PROGRESS. A top notch main event that built off their first encounter, was hard hitting and told a great story. Banks was tentative early, only to throw everything he had at Lee and was resilient enough to win out. [****]

96. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW Dominion 6/11/17

On January 4th, Tetsuya Naito finally got a big Wrestle Kingdom victory by defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi and retaining the Intercontinental Title. Naito held the title since September and treated it like garbage. He kicked it around, slammed it on the steps and by the time this show came around, it was broken. Naito wanted to destroy and retire the title, while Tanahashi was out to restore its honor. Knowing Naito’s style, Tanahashi turned the tables on him and attacked before the bell. Naito’s disrespect for the title was too much for him. Tanahashi was aggressive, spitting at Naito and laying into him with punches. Naito went after Tanahashi’s partially torn biceps, while Tana responded by attacking the leg. I appreciated that Naito working the arm was smart and different from a lot of his matches, since he typically worked the leg. Tanahashi couldn’t bump on some spots as well as he would if he were 100% healthy, but he made up for it with his desperation. He knew a loss would mark the end of the IC Title and possibly his time as a top star. When High Fly Flow wasn’t enough, Tanahashi used a cloverleaf to win the title via submission in 25:56. An unexpected finish that played into their next match, though it felt anti-climactic. This was the worst of their trilogy this year, yet it still ruled and was what it needed to be given their characters and story up to this point. Plus, it freed up Naito to win the G1. [****]

95. The Chosen Bros vs. The Monstars – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/1/17

On the first night of the annual Battle of Los Angeles, it wasn’t any of the tournament matches that stole the show. It was this absurd tag team bout. The Chosen Bros, Jeff Cobb and Matt Riddle, were becoming a consistent team in PWG, while the Monstars of Keith Lee and Donovan Dijak had formed a bond after some great matches in 2017. Anyone who knows me knows I love BIG LADS WRESTLING. This was not just big dudes beating the piss out of each other, but big dudes doing wacky shit. It’s a trip seeing men like Lee and Cobb doing incredibly athletic things with ease. The match started friendly enough, but soon broke down into some breathtaking action. Spots that stuck out to me saw the Chosen Bros bust out a Doomsday Knee, and the Monstars showing off a chokeslam/powerbomb onto the knee combination. The finish saw Cobb launch Lee (a feat in itself) into a Riddle knee after 18:25. An absolutely bonkers match in front of the right crowd. They could’ve taken it easy with bigger tourney matches the next day, but they went all out. [****]

94. Money in the Bank: AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – WWE Money in the Bank 6/18/17

If there’s one WWE match you can usually count out for greatness each year, it’s Money in the Bank. The 2015 incarnation is the only one to not crack four stars from me in the last five years. This was another loaded field, with only Ziggler as an uninteresting performer. One of the biggest questions coming in was how Nakamura would fare in a Ladder Match, but Corbin jumped him during his entrance, taking him out of the equation. For now. As usual, there were plenty of bumps and spots throughout this. Sami hit a particularly great sunset flip bomb, and AJ Styles took a scary fall while hanging from the briefcase. We also got a renewal of the fantastic Zayn/Owens rivalry for a bit. Owens was the MVP, being involving in so much and taking wild bumps like an USHIGOROSHI onto a ladder bridge. Around the 20:00 mark of this 29:50 match, Nakamura returned and was at the best we’ve seen since the Zayn match in Dallas last year. He ran through everyone, leading to the showdown with Styles we’ve all waited for. Their exchange stole the show. In the end, Corbin took them both out and got the briefcase to win. It ran a bit long, which keeps it from reaching the levels of some prior MITB matches, but was still good enough to make this list. [****]

93. PROGRESS World Championship: Pete Dunne [c] vs. Travis Banks – PROGRESS Chapter 55: Chase the Sun 9/10/17

I was more excited for this match than anything on the WrestleMania or Wrestle Kingdom cards. No lie. Perennial jerk champion Pete Dunne against Travis Banks, winner of Super Strong Style 16. This was one of those matches where they didn’t do the flashiest moves and had a fair amount of run-ins, yet it all worked. It was a master class on working the crowd. Dunne did every little thing possible to draw their ire. When Trent Seven and Tyler Bate were taken backstage by #CCK, the fans erupted, realizing Dunne and Banks were alone. Banks survived a ton, even drawing the commentary line of, “Travis Banks just took all of the moves.” It even garnered, “You can’t beat him,” chants towards Dunne. Banks finally hit the Kiwi Krusher for a wild near fall, before applying the Lion’s Clutch to win the title in 24:07. It wasn’t the blow away MOTYC I wanted. Still, they had a big time main event match, with the right amount of shenanigans considering the story they told over several months. The feel good moment of Banks winning the title and ending the reign of terror of British Strong Style was a perfect way to cap the company’s biggest show ever. [****]

92. Keith Lee vs. WALTER – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/2/17

Throughout the entire Battle of Los Angeles, no match sounded better to me than this one. Keith Lee and WALTER had awesome encounters during a WWN Title match the prior month, but this was their first singles outing. WALTER grounded Lee at the start, causing him to take a powder. Lee hadn’t been manhandled like that in some time, possibly ever. It was wild to see someone with the ability to take Lee down on just one lariat. Yet Lee was back at it, and showed off his own mat work. It was clear they were evenly matched. The offense grew as the match progressed. WALTER hit an avalanche butterfly suplex, while Lee nailed one of the biggest Spirit Bombs you’ll ever see. None of it was enough. They moved into a huge chop exchange, until WALTER just kicked Lee’s leg out. A smart, but devious move. Lee fought back and got the win with a Samoan drop/powerslam combo in 19:44. The finish was rather anticlimactic and the match went a bit long, but it was high quality big lads wrestling and you can’t go wrong with that. [****]

91. PROGRESS World and Tag Team Championships: British Strong Style [c] vs. Ringkampf – PROGRESS Chapter 47: Complicated Simplicity 4/23/17

It’s rare that a match features several men in your Wrestler of the Year ballot (Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate and WALTER), but that’s what we had here. The other three man in the match (Trent Seven, Timothy Thatcher and Axel Dieter Jr.) are no slouches, either. With all the titles on the line and PROGRESS being the British Strong Style show in 2017, the outcome to this wasn’t really in doubt. And yet, they made it work wonderfully. BBS were tremendous douches, which perfectly played against Ringkampf being aggressive. WALTER was especially brutal, because he’s awesome. He single-handedly tore apart the opposition with chop after chop. We got a great trio of submission from Ringkampf, but it wasn’t enough. The finishing stretch was wild and featured the absurd spot where Bate deadlift German suplexed WALTER. Sadly, the finish was kind of lackluster, as Dunne used the PROGRESS Title to whack WALTER and allow Seven to score the pin at 28:01. One hell of a match, specifically for the interactions between WALTER and Dunne/Bate. [****]

Top 130 Matches of 2017: #110-101

110. Big R Shimizu vs. Takehiro Yamamura – Dragon Gate Truth Gate 2/2/17

Two men stood out above the rest in Dragon Gate in 2017. Big R Shimizu and Takehiro Yamamura. Admittedly, I don’t know about the backstory here, but they drew me in rather quickly. Shimizu sticks out in Dragon Gate because of his unique style and the fact that he’s bigger than most in the company. The much smaller Yamamura didn’t back down, firing off strikes and kicks at Shimizu. The story of him chopping down the big tree was engaging, and the fans gobbled it all up. He was the ultimate underdog, never giving up. He became one of the only people I’ve ever seen kick out of Shimizu’s Shot Put Slam. Granted, it wasn’t an instant cover, but still. The action almost never slowed down and, by the end, the crowd was in a frenzy. Shimizu hit a second Shot Put Slam as the 20:00 time limit expired. This match seemed to truly make Yamamura and set the tone for a year that saw the Korakuen faithful totally get behind him. [****]

109. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi – NJPW 45th Anniversary Show 3/6/17

Ryusuke Taguchi typically plays an undercard comedy guy, but his strong showing in the BOTSJ 2016 finals marked somewhat of a turnaround for him. He had this high profile match, formed Taguchi Japan and won the Jr. Tag Titles with Ricochet. Here, his wackiness proved to be a good foil for the pure insanity of Hiromu Takahashi. Hiromu’s first two singles matches of the year (vs. KUSHIDA and Dragon Lee) were frantic battles that were right up his alley. In the tag matches to build this, Taguchi established the ankle lock and Hiromu had to avoid it at all costs. Hiromu got in control and stole some of Taguchi’s signature spots to get in his head. Taguchi’s had hope spots, but the champ kept preventing the ankle lock. When Taguchi finally applied it, Hiromu was prepared, countering into his own. They finished up with great counters and transitions, leading to the crowd getting way behind a fired up Taguchi. Despite that, Hiromu did his own firing up and retained after hitting the Time Bomb after 17:42. The story told around the ankle lock was great. Hiromu was taken out of his comfort zone and had to show he could hang in a different style of match. He could. [****]

108. WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Mark Andrews vs. Pete Dunne – WWE UK Championship Tournament 1/15/17

One of my favorite things in 2017 was the WWE UK Title Tournament. On night one, Pete Dunne was portrayed as THE superstar. He beat Roy Johnson and Sam Gradwell to make it to the Semi-Finals, while also being part of the main angle, attacking Gradwell at the end of night one. Mark Andrews got past Dan Maloney and Joseph Conners. Dunne and Andrews were no strangers to one another, which was clear from the start. Dunne wanted to do more than win, looking to hurt people. Andrews combated that with his aerial offense, which is among the best in the world. Some of the stuff he did here was breathtaking. Dunne was magnificently vicious, recklessly throwing Andrews around. The final run of this 10:39 encounter saw tons of great counters. It never felt like Andrews was shrugging stuff off just to hit his offense, which is a pet peeve of mine. He did stuff out of pure desperation, as a last resort. It really helped sell him as the underdog. He was worn out and it caused him to take a breather before an SSP attempt. That allowed Dunne to avoid it and win with the Bitter End. Another great performance from Dunne, but it was this match that sold me on Andrews. [****]

107. PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: British Strong Style [c] vs. #CCK – PROGRESS Chapter 55: Chase the Sun 9/10/17

To start PROGRESS’ biggest show ever, they went with a huge Ladder Match for the Tag Team Titles. Trent Seven and Tyler Bate reigned as champions for most of 2017, with #CCK dethroning them at Chapter 50. British Strong Style regained the titles at the next chapter, setting up this encounter. The crowd was molten hot for this, desperately wanting to see Bate and Seven get their comeuppance. The teams brawled early, with #CCK using their aerial skills to take control. Once the ladder came into play, Kid Lykos took a sick dragon suplex onto the side of the ladder that legitimately made my jaw drop. Bate busted out an Undertaker like dive, as well as an incredible feat of strength when he used a big swing and airplane spin on his opponents simultaneously. He continued to star, even paying tribute to Terry Funk by using his infamous ladder airplane spin. There were too many spots to name, before a Tyler Driver ’97 was countered with a back drop onto a ladder, and Brookes pulled down the titles to win in 17:27. One of the best ladder matches all year. It had wild spots, while including the sense of disdain the teams had for one another. A few spots felt contrived, but they did well to incorporate their signature stuff in a way that made sense. [****]

106. Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/17/17

The first night of the G1 Climax was in contention for the show of the year. The first great match that night pitted stablemates Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii against one another. In 2015, they made this list, but their 2016 outing was disappointing. When I see these two, I like to see them go to war and that’s just what they did here. From the opening bell to this finished after 13:43, there was no slow down. We got treated to exchanges of strikes and lariats, with Goto surprisingly coming out on top. Not that he doesn’t hit hard, but that is more Ishii’s game. Ishii sold everything Goto did like death, really making him look exceptional. Ishii’s the best seller on the planet. Down the stretch, they hammered each other with forearms and Ishii refused to die, kicking out at one. He dared Goto to bring more punishment, which he did with two GTRs that got him the win. Oddly enough, the GTR is a finish I think is rather lame, considering the level of violence leading up to it. Still, one of their better matches. [****]

105. NXT Women’s Championship: Asuka [c] vs. Ember Moon – NXT TakeOver: Orlando 4/1/17

During WrestleMania weekend in 2016, Asuka dethroned Bayley to become NXT Women’s Champion. 364 days later, her stranglehold on the title was as firm as ever. In stepped undefeated Ember Moon, to pose the greatest threat to her reign. Ember wasn’t intimidated, not backing down once during this 12:09 encounter. She was just as confident as the dominant champion. Ember’s been the only woman able to hang with Asuka in the striking department and we got a fair amount of that here. For a lot of this match, you got the sense that Asuka may have finally met her match. It was the first time I got that sense as even Nikki Cross didn’t feel like her equal, just someone crazy enough to combat her. The finish was perfect. Just when Ember might hit her devastating Eclipse finisher, Asuka shoved the referee into the ropes to knock her down. A roundhouse later and Asuka retained, not in superior fashion, but more out of desperation. Thanks to a lack of character development, I came into this not truly caring about Ember. Her performance and finish won me over and made me want to see Ember get revenge. Mission accomplished. [****]

104. Travis Banks vs. Trent Seven – PROGRESS Chapter 48: Bang the Drum 5/14/17

The South Pacific Power Trip were a highlight of early 2017. When Dahlia Black and TK Cooper had to leave due to Visa issues, British Strong Style attacked them. Due to that, Travis Banks started this match hot, jumping Trent Seven before the bell. That led to a brawl around the arena before it officially began. Once it finally got going, the pace never slowed for the 8:09 duration. They just threw their biggest offensive bombs from start to finish. They stiffed, kicked and spiked one another. Banks had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Their reaction to him popping up from a ripcord lariat and hitting a dragon suplex was awesome. Seven wanted a super piledriver, but Banks slipped out and hit a Liger Bomb. Admittedly, the finish was a bit flat, as Banks missed a cross body and Seven rolled him up with a handful of tights. However, this was two guys playing to their strengths. Seven is a tremendous dick heel, while Banks is one of the best fiery faces in the world and it all came together so well here. [****]

103. Keith Lee vs. Ricochet – Evolve 80 3/30/17

Since joining the WWN family, Keith Lee’s been great. He was the breakout start during WrestleMania weekend and this was where that began. Ricochet isn’t an Evolve mainstay anymore, but anytime he shows up, you can expect quality matches and it usually feels like a big deal. His early attempts to take down Lee were hilariously futile. The crowd erupted when Lee showed off his athleticism with a leap frog and dropkick. Not only did Lee have the size and strength upper hand, he could also hold his own in Ricochet’s world. After being tossed around like he weighed nothing, Ricochet finally found ways to take the big man down. He impressed with his own show of power, managing to lift Lee onto his shoulders for a modified Benadryller. Lee nailed what might’ve been his best Spirit Bomb ever, but Ricochet somehow kicked out. Lee made a crucial mistake, as he missed a moonsault. Ricochet hit a springboard 450 and two Shooting Star Presses, but Lee still fought him off. A few more kicks and a 630 put him down for good at 17:13. I disagreed with the result, as Lee was booked a monster and is always around, while Ricochet isn’t. Plus, it could’ve been a former WWN building block passing the torch of sorts. Either way, the match ruled. Ricochet threw everything he had at Lee and it was barely enough. He bumped like crazy and Lee looked great despite the loss. [****]

102. Hirooki Goto vs. Yuji Nagata – NJPW G1 Climax 7/21/17

After a night one win over Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto went right back into the fire for another war. Coming into the tournament, we knew this would be the final G1 Climax for Yuji Nagata, which gave each match an extra emotional punch. Goto escaped an early armbar attempt, and took to wearing down the legend. Similar to what happened to Nagata on night one, it was a slap from Goto that awoke him. BLUE JUSTICE! There was a great moment where Nagata looked to be out cold, only to play possum and apply the armbar again. Gotta love that veteran knowhow. Again, Goto survived. He also wouldn’t stay down from a Backdrop Driver. Nagata was throwing everything he had at Goto, yet kept coming up short. That led to a fantastic exchange of strikes that the fans ate up. When Nagata countered a sleeper by going after the arm, the fans popped. They wanted him to win so badly. Alas, Goto won after hitting GTR in 15:02. It’s a match that got lost in the shuffle of such a great, lengthy tournament, but this was the perfect battle for the Korakuen Hall crowd. Nagata went out on his shield with performances like this. [****]

101. WWE Raw Tag Team Championship: Cesaro and Sheamus [c] vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins – WWE SummerSlam 8/20/17

The saga of the mini-Shield reunion was an interesting one. The fans ate everything they did up in the build and they were totally invested in this match. A lot of SummerSlam featured a lackluster Brooklyn crowd, but this was different. When the Shield was around, it was usually Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns as a team, but Seth and Dean Ambrose were great here. Their chemistry as opponents carried over to their teamwork. Something about tag matches seem to bring out another level of energy in both men. Their opponents, Cesaro and Sheamus, were just as game and have been one of the best tag teams in the world in 2017. Cesaro hopping the guardrail and popping a beach ball that some fans were using was an excellent improvised moment that whipped the crowd into a next level frenzy. It was there that the match kicked into high gear. The rest of the 18:34 featured great spots, close calls, lots of energy and an awesome finish. Seth hit Cesaro with a super rana, sending him crashing into Sheamus and Dean. The Ripcord Knee followed and Dirty Deeds gave us new champions. I loved this and the moment of Seth and Dean doing the Shield fist bump with the titles was tremendous. [****]

Kevin's Top 130 Matches of 2017: #120-111

120. Juice Robinson vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW G1 Climax 8/5/17

In his G1 Climax debut, Juice Robinson beat the legendary Satoshi Kojima. Unfortunately for him, five straight losses followed. That left the 1-5 Juice to take on the 5-1 Kenny Omega, fresh off becoming the first ever IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion. Juice fought hard in all his losses, but they took their toll and he entered most matches, including this one, limping. In the early stages, they took this outside and Kenny busted out the ring post figure four, which will always make me mark out. The leg work continued and Juice sold like a champ. Juice’s comeback had a lot of fire. He excels at that. They both had counters ready, with Kenny blocking Pulp Friction and Juice blocking the V-Trigger. They also countered each other’s finishers, before Omega connected on a reverse rana and V-Trigger. However, Juice turned the One Winged Angel into a cradle to score the upset and biggest win of his career at 15:36. An awesome moment to cap a great match. I love that it didn’t follow the typical Omega big match formula, he didn’t have to throw a million V-Triggers and they kept it short. The post-match reactions added a lot, with Juice shocked and amazed, while Omega was frustrated at possibly blowing the tournament. [****]

119. WWE Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. Jinder Mahal – WWE Clash of Champions 12/17/17

I never got behind the Jinder Mahal push. When it started, I felt he wasn’t ready and I still hold that position today. His feuds with Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura were pure shit (though I attribute part of it to Shinsuke and Randy putting in lackluster efforts). However, it was the AJ Styles feud that helped turn some stuff around. Their match in the UK where AJ captured the title was very good and they bested it here. Styles understood the best way to work as Jinder’s opponent. He allowed Jinder to use his power and control a good portion of the match. AJ bumped and sold the ribs very well, making Jinder’s heat segment better than most others would have. When the Singh brothers got involved, it made sense and wasn’t overdone. It also didn’t lead right to the finish, which happened too often in prior Jinder matches. Jinder teased using the Styles Clash, but AJ countered into the Calf Crusher to retain after 22:57. The best match of Jinder’s career and it proved that he could deliver rather well in the right setting. [****]

118. Gauntlet of the Gods Elimination Match: Cage vs. Jeremiah Crane vs. Mil Muertes – Ultima Lucha Tres 10/18/17

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t care for Sami Callihan. But, Jeremiah Crane is a different story. He’s the definition of a guy who works better in the Temple setting. This match stemmed from Cage winning the Gauntlet of the Gods. With a weapon that wields such power, Catrina wanted it, which got Mil Muertes involved. Crane got involved because he’s been in love with Catrina since they were kids. There’s more to it than that, but I’m not gonna spend a ton of time on the angle. The match itself was the wild one I hoped for. Crane was overmatched and got busted open within minutes, so he brought weapons into play. He still took the first big bump, getting chokeslammed through a table. Mil and Cage hossed it out, though Mil busted out a tilt-a-whirl headscissors that had me jumping out of my seat. The best part was Cage superplexing Crane to the outside through two tables that Mil was laid out on. Pure insanity. Cage eliminated Crane with Weapon X shortly after, leaving the hosses to do battle. Unfortunately, their exchange lacked and didn’t last long, with Mil hitting a Flatliner on a chair to win in 14:04. Despite the finish not being great, this was a rad, violent brawl. [****]

117. PWG Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) vs. Fenix & Penta El Zero M vs. Matt Sydal & Ricochet – PWG Nice Boys (Don’t Play Rock n’ Roll) 3/18/17

For a while, the PWG tag division has been the Young Bucks and a revolving door of indy teams. Ricochet and Matt Sydal and The Lucha Brothers were more consistent fixtures than others, making for an intriguing match. I enjoy Pentagon, Fenix and Ricochet, but not the other three. This was insane and there’s no other way to describe it. Early on, the wild pace led to some timing issues on a few spots. That, and a comedy spot of “CERO MIEDO vs. SUCK IT” that went on WAY too long, were a few negatives in this one. However, this was the perfect match for the audience it catered to. A wild 20:02 of action that saw such madness as Ricochet doing a goddamn apron Canadian Destroyer and an SSP with such height that he hit a light fixture. He’d be my pick for the MVP of this one. There was a great moment where Fenix and Pentagon used a superkick barrage on the Bucks, which is how the Bucks beat them during BOLA weekend last year. They used a package piledriver into a spinning destroyer on Ricochet to win the titles, ending the Bucks’ 631 day reign as champions. This isn’t typically a style I love, especially when it involves the Bucks, but this was too much fun to ignore. [****]

116. No Disqualifications Match: Pastor William Eaver vs. Sebastian – PROGRESS Chapter 44: Old Man Yells At Cloud 2/26/17

One of PROGRESS’ best qualities is their long-term storytelling ability. The Eaver/Sebastian rivalry spanned 11 chapters. Sebastian cost Eaver the PROGRESS Championship at Chapter 33. Eaver finally got revenge at Chapter 36, but since it didn’t happen in a match, Sebastian threatened to sue him, blackmailing him to become his pawn. During that time, Sebastian stole a PROGRESS Title shot from him and became the most hated man in the company. Eaver had enough and attacked him at Chapter 43. On this show, Eaver found out that since it had been past 150 days, Sebastian could no longer press charges, so this impromptu match was booked. What followed was 11:33 of pure hatred and violence. Sebastian took a gross looking chair throw and was Crucifix Bombed into the audience. He crucified Eaver in return, and just wrecked him with kendo stick shots that ripped his back apart. He fired up and bested Sebastian with a lariat to win an awesome, bloody brawl. Perfect feud ender. [****]

115. NXT Championship: Bobby Roode (c) vs. Hideo Itami – NXT TakeOver: Chicago 5/20/17

Hideo Itami was the most excited I was for an NXT signing, other than Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. More than Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka, or even Samoa Joe. I first saw him as KENTA in 2006 and I’ve been a big fan since. So, watching him get overshadowed by other guys and get injured right as he seemed to right the ship following a rocky start was hard. His second big injury didn’t help. Finally, Itami got an NXT Title shot and it would be in his first TakeOver match in 27 months. Personally, I haven’t loved Roode’s matches in NXT, so I wanted to see a great showing from both guys. They delivered. We got a wise GTS tease to pop the Chicago crowd early. Unlike the tired formula worked in Roode’s matches with Nakamura, Itami was the aggressor here and even took to taunting the champ. When Roode tried taunting back Itami leveled him with a slap. Itami was the better wrestler, but Roode was smarter. When he did get hit with the GTS, he rolled outside to avoid the pin. That was Hideo’s best shot, as Roode avoided the GTS twice more and hit two Glorious DDTs to retain in 17:43. The best match of either man’s WWE run. [****]

114. Fenix, Flamita and Penta El Zero M vs. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/2/17

I was weary going into this match. It was the main event of night two of BOLA and last year’s night two main event got a TON of hype, only to wind up average. This got a lot of hype as well, but had much better participants. Omega is about a thousand times better than Adam Cole, while the lucha trio on the other end absolutely exceeds the trio from 2016. Anyway, the improved participants were the main reason why this was much better than the year prior. Just seeing Omega and Penta face off was something special. The action was incredibly fast throughout this match. Dives, kicks, huge offensive maneuvers and comedic moments were all sprinkled into a wild 27:06. Due to technical issues, this was filmed in one continuous camera shot. It was fine, but led to us missing a few things that other camera angles would’ve caught. I popped for Fenix and Pentagon’s double stomp/Package Piledriver combo, but it wasn’t the finish. That came after an IndyTaker and One Winged Angel. This match pretty much encapsulated PWG. Lots of big names, fast paced action and comedy spots. [****]

113. IWGP Tag Team Championship: TenKoji (c) vs. War Machine – NJPW Sakura Genesis 4/9/17

The New Japan tag team divisions are quite dire. The titles change hands frequently, the matchups are mostly stale and nothing seems to matter. That being said, this was the first time I think I’ve ever been excited about an IWGP Tag Team Title match since I started watching NJPW. Japan loves hoss gaijins (teams like Killer Elite Squad and stars like Vader, Hansen, etc.), so War Machine fit right in. These two teams went right to war and wrestled the kind of match I was hoping for. It was like two teams trying to see who was manlier. TenKoji’s veteran savvy combated the raw power of the challengers, making for an even contest. When War Machine managed to take control, they showcased their best offense, which the Sumo Hall crowd ate up. TenKoji weathered the storm and Kojima hit a massive lariat that led to the fans chanting his name. In a passing of the torch of sorts, War Machine captured the titles at 14:06, in the best IWGP Tag Team Title match I’ve seen. Tenzan’s match with Ishii last year might’ve been his final great singles match, but this proved there are still some high quality tags left in him. [****]

112. Number One Contender’s Match: Pete Dunne vs. Trent Seven – WWE UK Championship Special 5/19/17

British Strong Style! Though he didn’t win the WWE UK Championship Tournament in January, Pete Dunne came out as a major star. Willing to do anything to get the title he believed belonged to him, Dunne attacked Trent Seven a night prior, injuring his arm. I popped at Dunne coming out with the PROGRESS Title, by the way. These two are actually former PROGRESS Tag Team Champions. Early on, Seven wrestled awkwardly because he needed to protect his right arm. It was great work. Dunne kicked it, twisted it and used the steel steps on it. Each time Seven gained momentum, Dunne was there to cut it off by going after the arm. It’s so simple, yet so effective. He finally got a big opening with a great dragon suplex on the apron. When he hit the big lariat, it wasn’t enough because the bad arm kept him from getting all of it. That was his last real shot, as Dunne finished him off with the Bitter End in 14:44. Brilliant work. The arm stuff was the focus, was sold well throughout and made sense. Seven was great, using his left arm for signature moves out of desperation, but just not having enough to win. Dunne nailed every piece of character work, while putting on a great match. I love British wrestling. [****]

111. EVIL vs. SANADA – NJPW G1 Climax 7/20/17

Los Ingobernables de Japon explodes! This was one of the more intriguing matchups in this year’s G1 Climax. I’d like to credit Don Callis for pointing out something that made the match stick out more for me. He noted that while EVIL is Tetsuya Naito’s go to guy, SANADA is more like his project. I got the sense they came out here vying to solidify themselves as the official number two in LIDJ. SANADA played the de facto babyface, with the crowd loving his athleticism and offense, while EVIL was more than happy to use chairs and a few more underhanded tactics. Still, SANADA did just enough to stay somewhat heel. They brought the big offense, including SANADA hitting a super cutter to the floor, nearly winning via countout. That led to some great exchanges, which showcased just how evenly matched Naito’s buddies are. When SANADA couldn’t win with the Skull End, he resorted to a moonsault to win in 15:46. This was another in a long line of matches to show just how much of a star SANADA will be. They did the little things and delivered the goods in a match I had high hopes for. [****]

Kevin's Top 130 Matches of 2017: #130-121

For the third straight year, I return with my top matches list. In 2015, I ranked 100 and in 2016, that climbed to 135 due to the sheer volume of great matches. This year gets 130, as I watched over fifteen different wrestling promotions and around 2500 matches. I gave 133 matches at least ****, but wanted a rounder number than 130. I’ll put the other three as honorable mentions. As always, some will enjoy this, some will hate where I put certain matches and some will ignore it and not care. Whatever you want to do is fine by me.

Honorable Mention #1: WWN Championship Last Man Standing Match: Keith Lee vs. Matt Riddle – Evolve 94 10/14/17

Honorable Mention #2: Takehiro Yamamura vs. T-Hawk – Dragon Gate The Gate of Passion 4/7/17

Honorable Mention #3: Super Strong Style 16 Quarterfinals: Flamita vs. Travis Banks – PROGRESS Chapter 49: Super Strong Style 16 5/28/17

130. AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose – WWE Smackdown 1/31/17

For the second straight year, the list officially begins with an AJ Styles Smackdown match. The AJ Styles/Dean Ambrose feud produced some stellar matches in 2016. After losing the WWE Championship in a classic at the Royal Rumble, Styles and Ambrose reignited their rivalry for one night. With both men scheduled for the Elimination Chamber, this served as a preview, with other Chamber participants, Miz and Baron Corbin, on commentary. They opened things with some mat based work, with Ambrose showing he could more than hang there when he wants to. As it progressed, Dean brought out his brawling style, keeping AJ on his toes. After a commercial, things evened out, with plenty of counters due to their knowledge of one another. The finishing stretch reminded me of AJ’s NJPW run. Dean’s counter of AJ’s moonsault DDT was tremendous, as was the Pele Kick into Nigel clothesline spot. Just when things hit the great level, Corbin and Miz came to blows, causing the official to miss Dean’s pin. Dean took them out, only to eat a Styles Clash inside for the finish at 18:44. I’d say their three best matches were Backlash, TLC and this, but the last two are close. Great finish and they managed to work the always lame Corpus Christi crowd into a frenzy. Also, it was the first Smackdown match to get ****+ from Big Dave in several years. [****]

129. Super Jr. Tag Team Tournament Semi-Finals: BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi vs. Roppongi 3K – NJPW Road to Power Struggle 10/30/17

Had this match been saved for Wrestle Kingdom 12, it would’ve been the best Jr. Tag Title match in the Tokyo Dome in YEARS. Instead wasn’t even the finals of the Super Jr. Tag Tournament. Hiromu is battling KUSHIDA for best junior, while BUSHI is top five (behind those two and probably Scurll and Ricochet only) and Roppongi 3K are hella talented. SHO and YOH had just won the Jr. Tag Titles, but were still looked at by some as the young boys they were before they went on excursion. Hiromu and BUSHI certainly treated them that way. YOH’s chest was a deep red in the opening minutes from a string of brutal chops. YOH and SHO had a “never say die” attitude and won over the crowd with it. YOH was busting out fresh, impressive offense, while SHO was kicking and suplexing everything moving. I love that BUSHI and Hiromu didn’t play this like two stablemates thrown together for the sake of an extra team in the tournament. There was thought and effort put into their team and it showed. They had great chemistry and dope tandem offense. After an action-packed 20:34, SHO and YOH won via their 3K finisher, which is a flapjack/complete shot combo. This division is one of the worst in all of wrestling, but every once in a while, they deliver something like this and kill it. [****]

128. Evolve Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. [c] vs. Ethan Page – Evolve 84 5/20/17

In the record books, Ethan Page held victories over Zack Sabre Jr. at Evolve 72 and 76. His turn (again) on Johnny Gargano near the end of 2016 set Page on a course for success and I bought him as the guy to end Timothy Thatcher’s reign. Sabre wound up doing that and his rivalry with Page spilled over to the Evolve Title on this night. They played this like an animosity filled title match, fighting outside and bringing big strikes. Both were aggressive, which fit the feud, Page’s personality and is the best kind of Sabre. Both men picked up near falls and had some great counters. When Page delivered the Package Piledriver, I legitimately bought it as the finish. Sabre escaped a second and went into a flurry. After two PKs, Page refused to go down, instead defiantly flipping Sabre off. Two more PKs sealed it after 13:52 of action. This worked as a great grudge match, with lots of intensity. The in-ring stuff ruled and the character work from both delivered. [****]

127. Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 7/29/17

I’ve spoken, at length, about the chemistry between these two. Less than a month after Tomohiro Ishii beat Tetsuya Naito to advance in the IWGP United States Title Tournament, they were paired up again in the G1 Climax. Entering this match, they’d met six times in the past (never in a G1) and were tied at three wins apiece. The fans were pro-Naito for this. He treated them to his usual antics as he got under Ishii’s skin by spitting at him. Ishii had enough of his shit and proceeded to kick his ass for a few minutes. When Naito got in his offense, he focused on the neck. Ishii’s a bad man, though, and he was game to trade suplexes, regardless of what happened to his neck. Down the stretch, they traded strikes several times, with each one sounding brutal. Whatever Naito threw at Ishii, he had an answer for and won via Brainbuster after a great 20:40. It started slow, but really picked up and was helped by the hot crowd. It was a hard-fought match that had the feel of high stakes. Even with this being great, it was still possibly the worst match I’ve seen them have. [****]

126. NXT Tag Team Championship: #DIY [c] vs. The Authors of Pain – NXT TakeOver: San Antonio 1/28/17

At TakeOver: Toronto in November 2016, #DIY won the NXT Tag Team Titles in my personal pick for, not just match of the year, but best tag team match I’ve ever seen. On that same show, the Authors of Pain won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. That set these teams on a course for this title match. Known for their heart, #DIY didn’t back down from their large challenge. It started hot and stayed that way. Even when Gargano took the heat segment, the fans were engaged. Ciampa’s hot tag ruled, as he busted out Germans on both challengers. There was a great callback when the stereo submissions #DIY won the titles with were locked in. It wasn’t enough, though, signaling that something was changing. #DIY’s finisher was countered into the Super Collider in a great spot. A Last Chapter later and new champs were crowned at 14:26. #DIY just “got” tag team wrestling. They played to the Authors’ strengths and it made for an awesome start to a series of matches that only got better. Like Sami Zayn as NXT Champion, #DIY losing the titles in just two months was fine. Their story was more about the journey, while AOP got to play dominant champions and have a great 2017. [****]

125. Cueto Cup Semi-Finals: Fenix vs. Prince Puma – Lucha Underground 8/16/17

A lot of the Cueto Cup didn’t deliver on the high expectations I had, but it got better as we reached the later rounds. The Semi-Finals saw Lucha Underground’s “Mount Rushmore” (at least in my mind) compete. Pentagon Dark, Mil Muertes, Fenix and Prince Puma. Though it came down to the four biggest stars, the Puma/Fenix matchup felt fresh. It had only happened once before, way back in season one. They played this match evenly, like you’d expect the two top babyfaces to be. However, Puma was no longer the straight face he was during his title run. He was more aggressive and it showed. Despite that, Fenix came the closest to winning after a brutal kick to the back of the head. Marty Martinez, Fenix’s rival, arrived to stalk Fenix’s love interest, Melissa Santos. Ever the good guy, Fenix took Marty out. Puma, no longer the straight face, took advantage and hit a Michinoku Driver. Fenix was resilient enough to survive that, but fell after a 630 splash at 10:27. This was as awesome as you’d expect from guys the caliber of Puma and Fenix, with story advancements to add to the action. [****]

124. Kazuchika Okada vs. Tiger Mask W – NJPW 45th Anniversary 3/6/17

Before a fun run in the G1 Climax, Kota Ibushi spent some of 2017 playing the real life version of the anime character Tiger Mask W. To main event one of NJPW’s 45th Anniversary events, he went toe to toe with the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. While watching the G1 Climax, I truly noticed how similar most Okada matches are. This followed that formula early, with some back and forth in the ring, before Okada’s cross body over the guardrail spot on the outside. Luckily, it went away from that typical formula for the most part. Tiger Mask W escaped Red Ink, which should be a finish sometimes if they want to make fans believe Okada could win with it. In tags or some G1 bouts. Like everyone else, Tiger Mask W countered the first Rainmaker attempt, but with a sweet snap German. This was mostly a friendly match with no animosity or backstory, but that changed late. They traded angry strikes, the referee was tossed aside and Tiger Mask W delivered some rather disrespectful stomps. That added fuel to a great finishing stretch that included a SUPER TIGER DRIVER near fall. In the end, we got the Rainmaker, wrist hold, Rainmaker, counter, Okada move, Rainmaker segment to give Okada the win at 27:03. Some parts were lame, but I liked how things got heated and they built drama in what was a wacky match on paper. Ibushi is so good. [****]

123. Mae Young Classic Semi-Finals: Kairi Sane vs. Toni Storm – WWE Mae Young Classic 9/4/17

Throughout the Mae Young Classic, Kairi Sane felt like a huge star. Toni Storm didn’t showcase a ton early, but delivered in the Quarterfinals and was set for this huge clash. A staple of the tournament was battles of size against speed, which came into play here. Storm had the power upper hand and used it to her advantage and wore down Sane’s arm. It was a solid strategy to take Sane’s biggest weapon, the elbow drop, away from her. Sane rallied and hit a huge cross body to the outside, smacking her face on the ramp and concussing herself. Still, she competed at a high level for the rest of the 12:23 and sold everything Storm did very well. Storm’s offense looked great, especially a vicious armbar and bridging Muscle Buster. Sane busted out a desperation spinning back fist and went to the top for the elbow. She clutched at it, but risked it all to win and it worked. It was the best match of the tournament, featuring a hot crowd, smart work and a real sense of urgency. It truly felt I was watching something important. [****]

122. Evolve Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. [c] vs. Jaka – Evolve 87 6/25/17

A few months after winning the Evolve Title in Queens, Zack Sabre Jr. returned to defend it against one half of the Evolve Tag Team Champions. The night before this, Jaka wrestled Fred Yehi. Yehi attacked Jaka’s bare feet and Sabre used that strategy here. It allowed Sabre’s submissions to look even better, as he could show us all the added torque on the feet. Each time Jaka got something going, Sabre found a way to trap him in a submission. Despite being at a size disadvantage, Sabre managed to battle Jaka in strike exchanges. There was a great spot where Sabre opened his chest to give Jaka a free shot. Getting in Jaka’s head didn’t work, because the challenger responded with a headbutt. Midway through the match, the fans were split. It was rare to see the bigger guy as the underdog, but it worked here. Jaka survived two PKs and nearly upset Sabre right after. However, the champ used his European Clutch pin to escape with the win in 14:46. It was Jaka’s coming out party, as he had his best match and went toe to toe with the champion. [****]

121. The London Riots vs. War Machine – PROGRESS Chapter 51: Screaming for PROGRESS 7/9/17

Big. Lads. Wrestling. This is what happens when four big, bad dudes just go at it. War Machine had lost to the London Riots in the past, but times had changed. War Machine entered as the IWGP Tag Team Champions and wanted their win back. Knowing what the crowd wanted and what their strengths were, the teams agreed to throw the rulebook out the window. That allowed them to have one of the craziest matches of the year. For 16:02, these two teams beat the hell out of each other in and out of the ring. They did big lad things, like Hanson nailing a powerbomb/world’s strongest slam combo on Lynch or everyone participating in a massive German suplex/powerbomb tower of doom spot. They also showed off their athleticism, with insane dives and even some springboard spots that got a standing ovation. Some of the near falls down the stretch blew my mind. If you like watching big dudes hammer each other, this is the match for you. Unbelievable. [****]

NJPW New Year Dash Review

NJPW New Year Dash
January 5th, 2018 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 1,737
It’s NJPW’s equivalent to the Raw after WrestleMania. New Year Dash tends to kick off the year. It usually features a bunch of multi-man matches and some major angles. Two years ago, Kenny Omega and the Bullet Club turned on AJ Styles, which set Kenny on the run to the top that he’s been on ever since. Last year, Suzuki-Gun returned to the company. That went less well.

Manabu Nakanishi, TenKoji and Yuji Nagata vs. Ren Narita, Shota Umino, Tetsuhiro Yagi and Tomoyuki Oka
The Young Lions against the Dads. The lions jumped them before the bell, showing that they wouldn’t be intimidated. From there, things evened out, with the veterans all getting a chance to do their thing. Yagi slapped Nagata at one point, causing some BLUE JUSTICE to run wild on his ass. The lions had a few shots at winning with Boston crabs and Umino got two on a solid German on Kojima. Kojima paid him back with a huge lariat to win in 7:09. Your standard tag involving these guys. The dads get to pop the crowd and be their awesome selves, while the lions continue to learn and improve. [**½]

El Desperado, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, Takashi Iizuka and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Henare, Hirai Kawato, Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV and Togi Makabe
It’s been a year since Suzuki-Gun returned. The only ones I’m happy to have are Desperado and Minoru. Zack Sabre Jr. as well, but he came along later. Kawato is wild, and he hit the ring too soon, getting jumped by Suzuki-Gun. It’s interesting that Henare now has gear, seemingly graduating from young lion status. SG used all their usual tricks, with Henare taking the heat. Makabe got the hot tag and the faces got some stuff going from there. Kawato ended up alone in the end, and lost to Desperado’s Pinche Loco at 8:49. Not as annoying as most Suzuki-Gun matches. Most importantly, Henare looked fine and Kawato continued to impress. [**]

Post-match, Iizuka used his iron glove to knock out Kawato, who was carried to the back.

Seven Match Trial Series: Jay White vs. Katsuya Kitamura
The winner of the Young Lion Cup, Katsuya Kitamura, embarks on a series of trial matches that starts here. Kitamura was too strong for Jay to start, so he went after the knee, which was already wrapped up coming into this. Jay looked more at home with his stuff here than at WK. He was more aggressive, his offense looked better, and he hit on the little things he needed to. Kitamura got worn down for a while, before using that power in his comeback. Jay blocked a suplex and pulled Kitamura into a crossface. He added elbows, before hitting the Blade Runner to win in 7:31. Though the WK match was better, this was a better showing for White. He looked a bit more comfortable in the role. The match saw solid back and forth stuff. I hope Kitamura doesn’t get sent on excursion. I can’t imagine there’s anything he could learn from a run in ROH or CMLL right now. [***]

Cheeseburger and Roppongi 3K w/ Rocky Romero vs. IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega and IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks
Omega had his head and ribs bandaged. Matt was also worn down, so they made Nick do most of the work. We did eventually get to a Cheeseburger/Omega interaction, which got a nice little pop from the crowd. Seeing Cheeseburger do the Kojima chops to all three opponents was great. Of course, it led to him eating a trio of superkicks. Roppongi 3K hit some crisp, before the Cheeseburger train got going again. He’s a blast. Unfortunately for him, he got caught on a cross body and beaten with a popup Indytaker at 11:19. Fun little comedy match. The Bucks weren’t nearly as annoying as they usually are and Cheeseburger was a riot. I totally get them going the comedy route, especially Kenny, taking a night off after a physically demanding WK12. [**¾]

The Bullet Club (Chase Owens, Cody, Leo Tonga, Marty Scurll and Yujiro Takahashi) w/ Brandi Rhodes vs. Taguchi Japan (David Finlay, Juice Robinson, KUSHIDA and Ryusuke Taguchi) and Kota Ibushi
Kota is an honorary Taguchi Japan member tonight. Brandi joined commentary for this and didn’t struggle as much as I expected. Juice brought fire to his early exchanges. I hope he wins some kind of title this year. Kota had some fun getting involved in the Taguchi Japan antics. It was a bit strange to see back to back matches with a comedy element. KUSHIDA got the hot tag run and had some solid interactions with everyone, even the limited Leo Tonga. Scurll had a great Indian death lock counter by grabbing KUSHIDA’s fingers to snap them. Their exchange was fun, leading to tags to Kota and Cody. After a bit of that, Finlay came in. Brandi got on the apron to distract him, allowing Cody to hook the American Nightmare and make him tap in 13:20. Some good natured fun and fine action. The stuff involving Kota, KUSHIDA, Cody, Juice and Scurll were best. [***]

Things got interesting in the aftermath. An angry Cody attacked Kota Ibushi. Juice tried to make the save, but ate Cross Rhodes. Cody directed Bullet Club traffic and brought a chair into play. However, Kenny Omega hit the ring and took the chair from Cody. The fans erupted as he got into a shoving match with Cody to save his buddy Kota. LOUD “Kenny” chants. Cooler heads prevailed and Cody left the ring. Kenny remained in the ring and said he was sick of the infighting within the Bullet Club. He said they haven’t been united in a long time and they need to be number one. Kenny called out Jay White to offer him a spot in the Bullet Club. Jay accepted and put on the Bullet Club shirt. BUT WAIT! Jay turned on Kenny and dropped him with the Blade Runner. He said he’s taking Kenny’s title and exited the ring before the BC returned. Lots going on here. The official Kenny babyface turn will be huge, White has another high profile program, the Bullet Club issues continue and the Kenny/Kota stuff was great. I like Jay not joining the group. Everyone’s in a stable, so I like someone wanting to be on his own.

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship: Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano [c] vs. Bad Luck Fale and the Guerrillas of Destiny
These titles changed hands on this show last year. In fact, there have been 16 reigns in the title’s two year history, and that’s with LIJ holding them for 228 days. This went the way you’d expect. Yano was Yano, getting into some wacky exchanges with Fale and Tama Tonga. Ishii, even though he looked unhappy to be there, put in the effort for his run in the match. He got to hit Fale with a German, which was the highlight. Beretta became the legal man for the finish. He went for the Dudebuster, but Tonga nailed him with the Gun Stun to give us new champions at 14:40. Too long for what it was. The action didn’t deliver the way it did in other matches. Also, while I’ve given up on concerning myself with the title changes, I do question Beretta taking the loss right after the high from last night. That’s what Yano’s for. [**¼]

IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin and War Machine vs. The Killer Elite Squad, Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr.
Minoru got a BALD HEAD. Minoru jumped Tanahashi during introductions to kick start this. I assume he’s jealous of Tanahashi’s hair. The match saw War Machine battle KES, while Sabre and Elgin got several moments together. The fans just weren’t buying into Elgin’s stuff anymore. I guess news travel over in Japan, too. Minoru focused on Tanahashi throughout. Either he went after him in the ring, or at ringside. It was like he made it his mission to destroy Tanahashi. The Killer Bomb put Hanson down for the finish at 11:36. This had some solid action, though it was nothing you need to see.[**¾]

What does need to be seen a bit more, was the post-match stuff. Suzuki trapped Tanahashi in a knee bar and made his intentions for the Intercontinental Title clear. If they keep the Suzuki-Gun stuff away, this should be awesome. I have their 2012 Heavyweight Title match at *****.

CHAOS (Gedo, NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay, and YOSHI-HASHI) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, and IWGP Tag Team Champions EIVL and SANADA)
Big ovation for Naito, who might be Teflon at this point. And no, just because he remains over as hell, doesn’t mean it was a good decision for him to lose at WK12. Anyway, when you get CHAOS vs. LIJ, you’re almost always guaranteed one hell of a show. They delivered again here. Naito and Okada had some good exchanges with a hot crowd, but the stuff involving everyone else was rad. YOSHI did his best to pick up an upset over the tired Naito, but he couldn’t muster it. Everyone got their stuff in and they’ve met so often that is all came off very crisp. They did a strong job teasing Goto/EVIL and Hiromu/Ospreay. In the end, Naito beat YOSHI with Destino after 13:51. He gets a win back but it doesn’t mean much considering he lost at WK. The match itself was a very good main event. [***½]

After the match, SANADA choked out Kazuchika Okada. Tetsuya Naito got the show closing promo and his buddies left him alone to bask in the crowd’s response. However, Chris Jericho ran in and attacked him. The young lions and wrestlers from the back had to break up the fight. Naito threatened to throw a chair out at Jericho, but instead just sat down and taunted him to get back in the ring. Looks like they’re next in line for one another.

Overall: 7/10. For the most part, this show worked to serve exactly the purpose it needed to. Most of the matches were fine, with the main event being the highlight. However, it succeeded in setting things up going forward. Naito/Jericho, Okada/SANADA, EVIL/Goto, Hiromu/Ospreay, Tanahashi/Suzuki and Omega/White were all set up here, while they also furthered the Omega stories with Cody and Ibushi. Not as newsworthy as the past two years, but a fun show.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 Review

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12
January 4th, 2018 | Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 34,995

It’s that time of the year again. Wrestle Kingdom. NJPW’s biggest show of the year and the night where most people have ****½ penciled in for matches before they even happen. I came in knowing the result of the main event, and it certainly has dampened my interest in the company, but more on that later. I still decided to check out the show. Since I don’t have all the time in the world, I’m skipping the pre-show RAMBO for this review. I’ll check it out some other time.

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Roppongi 3K [c] w/ Rocky Romero vs. The Young Bucks
Oh, look. It’s another Dome show opener with the Young Bucks in the Jr. Title match. This was about Roppongi 3K trying to prove themselves against the team with the most reigns in history. The early portions of the match were quite lackluster. Once the Bucks cut the ring in half and put the focus on YOH’s back, it hit a point where things were going well. They avoided a lot of their cliché stuff I hate. They took out Rocky Romero with a powerbomb on the ramp and tried one on YOH, but he escaped. The champions made their comeback attempt following that, but never really felt like they threatened. It was cool to see them tease the finish RPG Vice used to beat the Bucks in the Dome last year. The Bucks lifted the Revival’s spot where once member prevents the other from tapping out. May as well take spots from superior teams. Shortly after, the Bucks hit the Meltzer Driver and won via Sharpshooter in 18:49. Better than most Bucks matches, but not as good as WK11. It started rough, picked up towards the middle, then the heat segment went a bit long. I didn’t mind the idea of the Bucks being a step ahead, it just never felt like the champs had a real shot and they barely got to showcase their stuff. [***]

I really wish title reigns in that division meant something. The Bucks have seven reigns and a grand total of nine defenses. Things like that make seven reigns mean nothing.

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship Gauntlet Match: Bad Luck Fale and the Guerrillas of Destiny [c] vs. Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano vs. Juice Robinson, Ryusuke Taguchi and Togi Makabe vs. Michael Elgin and War Machine vs. Taichi, Takashi Iizuka and Zack Sabre Jr.
It’s odd watching Elgin after the recent stuff came out about him. They started out against the Suzuki-Gun trio. Sabre was the start of this segment, though this feels like kind of a waste of flying him over to Japan. They won when he pinned Rowe, bringing CHAOS out next. Within about forty seconds, Yano rolled up Taichi to eliminate them. The Taguchi Japan trio entered next, for probably the best little portion of the match. Taguchi got a bit overzealous and Yano rolled him up to get rid of them. The Bullet Club champs were the final entrants. Everyone got a chance to shine there, though I feel it went a bit long. Beretta rallied late and scored the win with the Dudebuster at 17:03. This is cool for Beretta. Dude was very good in 2017, so I’m glad he got rewarded. Fine little gauntlet, though it felt like a colossal waste of Ishii for the second straight Dome show. [**¾]

Cody w/ Brandi Rhodes vs. Kota Ibushi
Brandi looked magnificent. Cody and his new hair? Not so much. Realizing he was overmatched early, Cody and Brandi played a trick on Kota. She took a bump and swell fella Kota checked on her, opening the door for a cheap shot from Cody. It was all a ruse, because Brandi wasn’t hurt. From there, Cody targeted Ibushi’s neck, which makes sense. Just when Ibushi began a comeback, Cody caught him with a SICK looking Cross Rhodes off the apron. I swear it looked like Kota broke his beck. The response from the crowd on the replay emphasized just how insane that was. Cody got overconfident, opening the door for Kota to get going. Cody survived a powerbomb, but eventually lost to the Phoenix Splash in 15:08. Up there with Cody’s matches against Sabre in Evolve and against Okada for his best stuff since leaving WWE. I enjoyed the contrast of Kota’s high octane style against Cody working old school heel stuff. The neck focus worked and Ibushi seemed ready to kill himself to get this match to work. Hopefully, he sticks around. [***½]

IWGP Tag Team Championship: The Killer Elite Squad [c] vs. EVIL and SANADA
EVIL and SANADA are the most interesting team NJPW has put together in YEARS. The champions attacked before the bell and hit EVIL with their finish in the opening seconds for an interesting near fall. KES remained in control, with the challengers often looking overmatched. EVIL was hit with a chokeslam off the apron, which left SANADA alone to take a lengthy beating. It honestly felt like it lasted forever. I remember when the Dome Tag Title match lasted less than ten minutes back at WK9. Good times. When EVIL got involved again, things picked up, but not enough to stand out. SANADA kicked out of a Killer Bomb, they hit the Magic Killer, and SANADA earned the victory with a moonsault after 14:14. Though it was the shortest match on the card, I’d still say it went too long. Putting it close to ten would’ve worked better. The heat segment lasted too long and most of the match fell flat. EVIL and SANADA aren’t at their best when working from so far behind. [**½]

Either way, great booking decision. This is the team to build the division around. Use them to make people want to see these matches. Them against War Machine sounds rad. Throw in a Jeff Cobb team, Juice and Makabe, and some more improvements and you might have something.

NEVER Openweight Championship Hair vs. Hair Death Match: Minoru Suzuki [c] vs. Hirooki Goto
Talk about a match with little interest. Their match last April was average and they shit the bed at Dominion. I was done with this feud and wanted Ishii/Suzuki. It sounds fresh and awesome. Alas, we’re here with Hirooki again. Luckily, they came out to have a war. They beat the hell out of each other from the start. Minoru nearly ended Goto quickly (not on this show) with a hanging sleeper in the corner. They did a great job making it look like Goto was out. Every Goto rally was stopped. Once he started gaining real momentum, Taichi attempted a run-in. YOSHI-HASHI cut him off, keeping this one on one. From there, the violence got ticked up to an even higher notch. He nearly had it with the sleeper, but wanted the Gotch Piledriver, which Goto avoided. There was something wild about Minoru using a headbutt, which was the move that ended Goto’s buddy Shibata’s career. Goto picked up the win after surviving a lot, with the GTR in 18:04. They finally had the great match I’d been hoping for. Hard hitting, violent and thankfully, no interference. Just what I want from this title. Maybe Goto will be interesting again in 2018. I can hope, can’t I? [***¾]

Suzuki-Gun tried to get Minoru to leave without shaving his head. However, Minoru is a man of his word and returned on his own. He didn’t want Goto to do it, completing the haircut himself.

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Marty Scurll [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. KUSHIDA vs. Will Ospreay
I love Hiromu and KUSHIDA. Marty’s cool. Will has gone from someone I enjoyed a fair amount in 2016, to someone I basically can’t stand. It was easy to know what to expect here. Everyone was rather familiar with each other and it allowed for a fast-paced battle. Ospreay had a big spot where he moonsaulted off a structure. What I really liked about this was that everything mattered. It never felt like spots for the sake of it. It all led to something of note. KUSHIDA/Will, Will/Marty and KUSHIDA/Hiromu all delivered great callbacks to their singles outings. Marty getting the finger break spot turned back around on him was also a cool touch. They even had a wise idea to keep a man out of the match, when Scurll taped Hiromu to the guardrail. Hiromu got free and went nuts, hitting his awesome sunset flip bombs. I did take issue with Scurll kicking out of the Time Bomb, as I’d have had someone break it up. Hiromu was great and nearly won, but Scurll pulled the ref out to save his title. Scurll took out Hiromu with the umbrella, but then fell to the Oscutter at 21:18. Great match and the best thing on the show so far. They had tons of great spots and big bumps, while making sure everything worked cohesively. They played off their past and never allowed the match to lull. Everyone delivered. [****]

To play armchair booker again for a moment, I’d have done something a bit different. If the plan was to get the title on Will, I wouldn’t have done it back in October. I’d have had Scurll dethrone KUSHIDA. Then, Ospreay could’ve still won here and beat the guy who always owns him. From there, have Ospreay beat KUSHIDA at Sakura Genesis (to avenge that past demon), before facing Hiromu (BOTSJ winner) at Dominion. Just a thought.

IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi [c] vs. Jay White
Tough spot for young Jay. The IC Title match has been tremendous in each of the past three years (Nakamura/Ibushi *****, Nakamura/Styles and Tanahashi/Naito ****½). Tanahashi made the early mistake, which was surprising for the vet, by missing a dive outside. From there, White targeted the knee. That’s a staple of Tanahashi matches and I dug him using that tactic. A clear issue early was that the fans didn’t fully buy into White just yet. A lot of his offense didn’t feel aggressive or vicious enough for his gimmick. Well, except for an apron brainbuster. It took quite a while to get there, but Tanahashi made his expected comeback and won with High Fly Flow in 19:43. It was a big step down from prior Dome IC Title matches, though it wasn’t bad at all. I think the problem was that the fans never fully bought into White and he didn’t feel comfortable in the character. The action and story of the match made sense, Jay just didn’t feel like he came out looking like a star. [***¼]

Jay works as a great babyface right now, though he has time to develop this role. Maybe they should’ve brought him back sooner, to give him more of an introduction than to just thrust him into this role.

IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship No Disqualifications Match: Kenny Omega [c] w/ The Young Bucks vs. Chris Jericho
Jericho came out to “Judas” and wore his light up jacket. Despite the jacket, he came in more serious than Kenny Omega and his wacky entrance. They went right at one another, which was great. No need for the slow build fluff in a match with this kind of heat. I liked Jericho holding onto the Walls, even when Kenny reached the ropes. When Kenny went through a table, Jericho brought chaos, attacking Red Shoes and his son at ringside. Omega made a comeback, only for Jericho to springboard dropkick him in his recently repaired knee. It looked great. Jericho busted out the cocky pin, which will always pop me. Omega bumped like a madman, as Jericho brutalized him often. He busted Kenny open and took pride in it. He obliterated a chair by using it over and over. His overconfidence cost him (a theme of the night) as the chair was kicked into his face and then he took a V-Trigger that knocked him through a table. It led to a great series of counters and close calls. Jericho’s One Winged Angel counter into the Liontamer was great, as was him getting his hand on the rope after being hit with hit. Some of it felt overdone. Kenny eventually won with the One Winged Angel on a chair at 34:36. Kenny was clearly superior in terms of athleticism and moves, but Jericho is just a master at all the little things that can elevate a match. That combination worked great here. My major problem with this match was the length. They should’ve gone home about ten minutes sooner. [****¼]

IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] w/ Gedo vs. Tetsuya Naito
The reaction for Naito was out of this world. Every single form of logic pointed to Naito winning the big one here. Okada wore ridiculous looking bellbottoms. It was easily the worst look of the night. Naito was great at the psychology aspect early, doing small things to alter his style and throw Okada off his game. Okada’s cobra clutch continued to cause problems for Naito. He added a new element and Naito hadn’t adapted yet. Outside of that submission, a lot of the early stuff in the match didn’t work for me. It was what I expect from Okada, where the first third or more of the match is kind of just there and then things picked up. Once it got going, things were great. These two just never seem to click as well as some other top guys do. The fans were way behind everything Naito did and bit on his near falls. The closing stretch was pretty fun, though a bit too similar to other Okada matches. Naito continued the trend of people trying too much tonight. He went for an extra Destino and it cost him, leading to Okada retaining in 34:26. I thought this was a very good main event, just not one that ever touched a great level. A lot of the early stuff didn’t do much for me and the closing stuff was good, but too familiar. There were several strong storytelling elements and a bunch of crisp exchanges, it was just missing something to take it over the top. [***¾]

With the review out of the way, I must make a quick comment on the booking. I hated Naito losing here. Not just because I’m a huge fan of his and because I don’t like Okada. It was absolutely the time. He’s molten hot, his redemption story would’ve been perfect with a Tokyo Dome main event win over Okada, and Okada’s reign has grown tiresome. The booking of Okada is something that people would roll their eyes and groan about anywhere else, but it gets a pass because it’s NJPW. I understand how well Okada performs at the box office. I get that. Take a chance. This was Naito’s night and not pulling the trigger here was an indefensible booking decision.

Overall: 8/10. Better than Wrestle Kingdom 10. Worse than WK9 and 11. This was different than a lot of NJPW shows. They typically have lame undercards and great main events. Here, the entire undercard ranged from solid to good and the NEVER Openweight Title match delivered in a way that it hasn’t in 2017. The big matches weren’t on the level of the stuff from previous WKs, but the consistency of this show helped put it above WK10. Lower ceiling, but higher floor. Good matches, though some questionable booking moves.