Csonka’s Top 8 Matches of 2016 (So Far)

Welcome one and all to the latest list column from me! This time we’re going to look at the top matches from the first half of the year. So the time frame is January 1st through June 30th. I always hear a lot of people saying that they can’t decide what to watch because they do not have enough time to follow everything, and I know that there is a ton of wrestling out there, so maybe this will help those of you short on time find some stuff to check out. Also, this is by no means a definitive list, this is my list from all of the wrestling I get to watch. Feel free to recommend other matches, and feel free to have some fun discussion about all of the great wrestling there has been in 2016 so far. Have fun, and always, thanks for reading. Also, if you saw matches from companies I do not regularly catch; feel free to share them with the others. The more wrestling we share, the more fun we can have.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
– From NJPW New Beginning in Osaka: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomohiro Ishii [****½]
– From Evolve 53 – Chris Hero and Tommy End vs. Zack Sabre Jr and Sami Callihan [****½]
– From NJPW WrestleKingdom 10 – Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomohiro Ishii [****½]
– From Lucha Underground Title Match: Champion Mil Muertes w/Catrina vs. Pentagon Jr vs. Prince Puma – Season 2, Episode 7 – 3.09.16 [****½]
– From Lucha Underground 6.15.16 – Six to Survive #1 Contender’s Match: Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. vs. Ivelisse vs. Johnny Mundo vs. Taya vs. King Cuerno [****½]
– From Lucha Underground Title Match: Champion Mil Muertes vs. Fenix – Season 2, Episode 8 – 3.16.1 [****½]
– From Best of the Super Juniors XXIII Final: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Will Ospreay [****½]
– From Evolve 62 – Timothy Thatcher vs. Chris Hero [****½]
– From NXT Takeover: The End – The Revival vs. American Alpha [****½]
– From NJPW BOTSJ Day 6: Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay [****½]
– From Evolve 57 – WWE Cruiserweight Classic Qualifier: Drew Gulak vs. Tracy Williams [****½]
– From NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Night One – KUSHIDA vs. Kyle O’Reilly [****½]
– From WWE Extreme Rules – Fatal 4 Way WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Champion The Miz w/Maryse vs. Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens [****½]
– From WWE Extreme Rules – WWE World Heavyweight Title Extreme Rules Match: Champion Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles [****½]

THE TOP 8 OF 2016 (so far)

Double German suplex from Kamaitachi!! #NJPW #CMLL #njcmll pic.twitter.com/y0EkO5OQMN

— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) January 25, 2016

8. From NJPW/CMLL FantasticaMania 1.24.16 – Kamaitachi vs. Dragon Lee [****¾]: These guys had a big series of matches in 2015, I got put on to them late in the year but came away impressed. When they were added to this show I was excited to see a fresh match between the two in a new environment, and this was fucking fire kids. This match was easily the best thing on the tour, and one of the top matches so far for 2016. These two have worked several times together, and due to that they have built a tremendous chemistry. They can present a match that is almost impossible for anyone else on the cards to duplicate, both in terms of the moves and the execution of them. These two were able to integrate familiar spots, play off of those spots and whether you were familiar with their past work or not, worked a match that easily made you care and glued you to the screen. This had great heat, great work and intensity and some insane near falls down the stretch; it felt big time through out and delivered more than I could have hoped for. Kamaitachi finally countered and hit a Canadian destroyer to pick p the win and the title. Make sure to catch this one; there is no reason not to set aside 19-minutes for this. If you don’t, you simply do not like nice things. This is the kind of match that makes you love the wrestling.

7. From WWN Live Mercury Rising – The Six Man Tag Team Tradition Continues – Days Of Future Past: Kota Ibushi, Johnny Gargano & TJ Perkins vs. Will Ospreay, Tommy End & Marty Scurll [****¾]: We’re starting this match 3 hours and 24 minutes into the show. They worked clean and basis stuff early, keeping a methodical pace and making it feel as if they are going to go long. They worked their way to Ibushi vs. Ospreay, and that got a great reaction. These two worked a really fun and quickly paced set, with some slick counters. After Ibushi and friends got some run, Ospreay was able to slow up Gargano and then lads took the advantage and worked the heat on Gargano. Good choice, as TJP is a heel and Ibushi needs to be saved for a big hot tag. I need to watch more Scurll, dude is fun in the ring and has a great villain presence. And that’s what they did; Gargano sold for a while, Ibushi got a short hot tag, and then it broke down with everyone hitting everyone in a three on three battle. They traded superkicks, Ospreay was isolated and TJP and Ibushi worked him over. Things then got fast paced, with rapid-fire offense and the Europeans jus wrecking Gargano with all of their signature stuff. They then worked over TJP, and did a sweet triple team elevated cutter spot for a great near fall. Ibushi then came in to save the day, ran wild until Ospreay cut him off and then Gargano returned with spears and a suicide dive. Ibushi hit a moonsault and a 450 by TJP, and Scurll made the save and they have the crowd back big time. We then go the big signature move buffet and EVERYONE is down! Scurll did the broken fingers spot on Ibushi, Gargano hit a dive onto the pile on the floor and then End hit a moonsault onto everyone! This is beautiful madness. They then poured into the crowd and brawled. Ibushi and Ospreay battled onto the top of the setting in the bar area, it was hard to see them and then the both hit a moonsault onto the pile of guys. Ibushi and Ospreay then returned to the ring and had a hell of a sequence until the others returned. We then got Ibushi hitting the big powerbomb and that was all. They had a lot to work against after a really soft middle of the show, but they worked their asses off, got the crowd back and delivered one hell of a main event. It was exactly what it was supposed to be in the best way possible.

6. From WrestleKingdom 10 – IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi [****¾]: So Hiroshi Tanahashi was the guy that helped pull NJPW out from the dark years, and is the man. Okada returned to NJPW after his TNA excursion and was thrust into the main event scene. While he has had success, he has failed two straight times to defeat Tanahashi at WrestleKingdom. Okada’s victory will officially signal that he has won the feud, that he beat the man and that he is now the man for NJPW. Some have complained about the repeat main event, but the story is there to justify it, they just have to close the book here. So they worked a really slow beginning, making you think that they are going to go really long. Tanahashi used a chop block on Okada, allowing him to get some early control after the slow beginning. Tanahashi would escape a tombstone try, but get kicked off the apron to the floor. Okada would slam Tanahashi into the barricade, and then over. This led to Okada hitting a running high cross in the crowd. Okada worked the heat; with Tanahashi selling and bumping like a fucking champion here. Everything Okada did looked as if it was destroying Tanahashi, both in execution from Okada, and the work from Tanahashi. They then went into a section where they were countering each other, to play off of their history together, which makes sense and fed into the comeback by Tanahashi. Tanahashi started to attack both legs of Okada, and that led to Tanahashi hitting the high fly flow from he top all the way to the floor. We then got a callback to last year, when Tanahashi used the high fly flow onto the legs of Okada. Tanahashi continued his assault on the knees of Okada, and when Okada got the neck breaker onto the knee, he couldn’t follow up. Okada’s selective selling on the legs was frustrating here as he made a comeback and was doing full sprints as he attacked, making the work by Tanahashi seem like busy work to get to here and not an important part of the match. Okada hit the top rope elbow, but Tanahashi countered the rainmaker, and then a tombstone into a cradle for a near fall. Tanahashi went back to the leg work and locked in the cloverleaf. Okada teased tapping, but finally made the ropes. Tanahashi continued to control, went up top for the high fly flow and Okada moved. He finally hit the tombstone, called for the rainmaker and hit it but Tanahashi kicked out! Okada looks dejected, as Tanahashi continues to be one step ahead of him. He then hit a high fly flow on Tanahashi, and that only got 2. Tanahashi then hit the rainmaker and both men were down. Tanahashi then countered the rainmaker into a slingblade and hit a dragon suplex for a near fall. High fly flow by Tanahashi hits again, he returns to the top and hits another! Okada survives! Tanahashi looked for another high fly flow, but Okada caught him with the dropkick in midair. Okada scored with another dropkick and then a German suplex. Tanahashi slaps him but Okada hangs on and hits two rainmakers, and then a third and that finally puts away Tanahashi. This was another amazing match to close things out, and a fitting overall conclusion to the story they were telling. They went full tilt here, using great callbacks and some new stuff as the old lion stayed one step ahead for much of the match, only to finally be defeated. This was a match designed for those that have been following the story, but also something you can enjoy if you hadn’t. It’s a great story, a great emotional ride and I can’t argue with anyone that went five stars for it. My big issue is that you can’t dedicate a large portion of a match to working the legs, and just abandon it so quickly, even with the call backs, it bothered me because it took away from the meaning of that work; making the first portion rather useless to a degree. I wish it would have caused Okada to adapt to fully play off of Tanahashi owning him, but they stayed with what works, which is fine. Still, this was an excellent match and story, and a great capper to the show and another great match between the two and the official crowning of Okada.

5. From Evolve 59 – USA vs. Europe Series Match: Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay [****¾]: The opening minutes was all fast paced work, counters and both guys trying to one up the other in a what ended up a mirror/mirror deal. The big thing is that Ricochet has been regarded as the best high flyer for the past few years, and now Ospreay is getting that buzz, so it makes sense. A match like this feels so refreshing, the pacing, the different things (Ricochet pulling out the ripcord leg sweep) and just the general work are very enjoyable. Ricochet missed the People’s Moonsault, countered Ospreay’s attempt and then finally hit it. They are playing this perfectly as the “king of flight’ defending his crown against the young upstart. The story made perfect sense, and the work was a joy to watch as both guys seemed to have an answer for the other, including both guys hitting reverse RANA back to back for a double down spot. For a regular match I would loathe that spot, but here it works because of the story. Both of these guys did a great job with the mirror aspect, which is the real hook here like when they would do the same counters, and then end up kicking each other with the same style of kick at the same time. The action escalated to a striking battle, to a DVD on the apron and then the 450 by Ricochet for the near fall, which he sold so well. Ospreay countered and then absolutely spiked ricochet with the cutter, the shooting star and the phoenix splash for a near fall of BEAUTY. Sweet Baby Jesus they have done such a good job of building to this point, Ricochet made a comeback and planted Ospreay with a sick regal-plex for another great near fall. Ospreay avoided the 630, and hit the Spanish fly for a near fall, the Essex destroyer followed and some how Ricochet survived. Ospreay misses some wild looking twisting shooting star, Ricochet then did the deadlift brainbuster for another near fall. Michinoku driver by Ricochet, but Ospreay says I ain’t got time for that shit and kicks out. Ricochet ate knees on the shooting star, KO kicks by Ospreay and then he did a back handspring into the benadryller by Ricochet for the win. For as much as Zack Sabre Jr vs. Ospreay was awesome, this was awesome in a completely different way in on the same level. FAN FUCKING TASTIC.

4. From Evolve 58 – Best In The World Challenge Series – The Flyer: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Will Ospreay [****¾]: The opening minutes was a display of fast paced, clean and very fun grappling. This was world of sport on crack, and was so well done. After the back and forth, Ospreay took control with strikes and kicks, leading to a near fall. ZSJ then came back with some great counters, and hit a bridging dragon suplex for a near fall. ZSJ then worked a series of holds, working the neck, the knees and then the arms to ground the flyer. ZSJ’s work is so crisp and clean, and Ospreay’s selling was really good here. Ospreay started to make a comeback, running wild with kicks and then a Sasuke special to a huge reaction. They are working a great pace here, slowly escalating the action and getting the crowd invested big time. Ospreay rolled through the 630, and then ZSJ hit the tiger suplex and then locked in a sick dragon suplex variation into a roll up but Ospreay rolled out into the shooting star and then a phoenix splash for a near fall. Sweet baby Jesus that was awesome. Ospreay went for a Rainmaker, but ZSJ countered and we got a series of near falls. Ospreay went for a shooting star press (standing) and got caught in the triangle! The ref checked the arm, but Ospreay survived. He then did a single arm left and powerbombed ZSJ to the corner. Ospreay dead jumped to the top and got his legs kicked out from underneath him, and he fell into the tree of WHOA. They then worked up top, Ospreay countered out and then hit the Spanish fly as ZSJ charged him for a near fall. Ospreay up top, left off and ate knees. Soccer kick by ZSJ into the Liger bomb and then a sick double-armed submission and Ospreay had to submit.

That was fucking amazing, and a clear match of the year candidate. This is a MUST SEE match, and I cannot stress that enough. Zack Sabre Jr. is legit one of the very best in the world, and the hype around Ospreay is real kids. The crowd reaction to the match and the finishing sequence made this truly feel special. The mark has been set for the weekend, not saying that it can’t be matched or beaten, but that was seriously awesome.

3. From WrestleKingdom 10 IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles [****¾]: Nakamura is wearing a lovely crushed velvet top. No Bullet Club seconds for Styles, which I am thankful for. This is a first time singles meeting between the two and a highly anticipated match. The big question here is how Styles’ back is doing, he says he is good to go, and we’ll see. They worked a measured open before doing an early tease for their finishers. They both mocked each other at times, and then picked up the pace. They did a spot in the corner where Nakamura pulled Styles off the ropes, and Styles took a back bump and sold that he hurt his back again. It was a trap as he then attacked the sympathetic Nakamura from behind and took control for a short time. Nakamura countered a Styles clothesline and hit a cool back breaker, and then speared Styles into the barricade for a heat segment. Styles would make a comeback, and sold the back well as he started to take things back over. The back kept being an issue, allowing Nakamura to do more damage, but Styles avoided a boma ye and scored with the calf slicer in the center of the ring. Nakamura scored with a sweet counter into the arm bar, but Styles stacked him to escape. Styles came up short on his asai DDT, and then used a back breaker into a powerbomb for a near fall. I hated that entire sequence, as sing the back breaker made no sense after all of the work on the back and the issues Styles showed on other, simpler moves. They teased finishers at the 15-minuet mark, and then Nakamura hit the boma ye off the second rope, but was too exhausted to follow up. They worked some great striking exchanges, leading to Styles hitting the PELE, and just when you thought he had control, he ate another boma ye for a near fall. Styles countered the boma ye with a knee of his own and hit a 450 splash for a near fall. Holy fuck they are building the drama so well with almost no wasted movements, it’s all so thought out and calculated. Nakamura got the jumping arm bar, Styles struggled and Nakamura turned it into a triangle. Styles then fucking Herc’d him up with one arm for the clash and got a seriously sweet near fall from that. Styles hit bloody Sunday, looked for the clash but then pulled Nakamura to the corner. Styles wanted the clash from the top, but Nakamura fought out and hit a Michinoku driver off the second rope, but it wasn’t enough. My Fucking word. Nakamura finally finished it with a boma ye to the back and then one to the face of Styles to retain. This was another excellent match (and early MOTY candidate) to help turn the show around. The best thing is that it was a completely different match than the previous one, which makes me appreciate them both for different reasons.

FUCKING NASTY PILEDRIVER BY HERO TO WIN IT. Another great match against ZSJ. #EVOLVE60 pic.twitter.com/H9nwhQ6fnV

— DTAM (@DeathToAllMarks) May 7, 2016

2. From Evolve 61 – Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr. [****¾]: The story here is that the promotion did a “Best in the world” series of matches, featuring Zack Sabre Jr. Hero took issue with this, because he’s constantly KO’d ZSJ and thinks of himself as “the best of all time.” Hero’s goal is to continue to make ZSJ his bitch, which ZSJ needs to beat Hero to lay claim to being the best. ZSJ worked his magic, doing the smoothest chain wrestling in the world and not even looking like he’s trying. While ZSJ had the pretty work down, Hero had counters to almost everything and not only would escape, but he would also work holds and basically go into ZSJ’s wheelhouse. Hero was cool working in ZSJ’s world, but really took control when he went to his striking game. He brutalized ZSJ on the floor, and then brought it back to the ring. Hero then worked holds and tried to out grapple ZSJ, which he did for a time. Great counter as hero went for the running senton and ZSJ caught him in an arm bar, which Hero sold awesomely. Hero is so good in this style of match, he gets to play the bully and does it so well, and helps who ever he faces come off as the sympathetic face. ZSJ started to make his comeback and was focused on the elbow, manipulating it in ways it should not go, and likely trying to stop that deadly elbow of Hero. ZSJ started to show great fire; calling on Hero to give him his best shots and he’d then take them and continually ask for more. The action is great as is the story being told here. ZSJ is really good, but stretches like this, where he is fighting with everything he has and mixing in a mean streak are when he comes off even better. Hero is a bully, but he’s not a pussy; he also keeps taking everything his opponent has and gives as well as he gets. ZSJ worked into the hanging kimura lock, which Hero turned into a dragon sleeper and looked to submit the grappler as an ultimate insult. Hero had time to mock the crowd as he repeatedly kicked ZSJ in he head, and then berated him and demanded, “get up boy, hey may love you, but you don’t mean shit to me.” Hero then countered a RANA into a piledriver, which ZSJ sold like death. ZSJ manages to then counter a tombstone onto a cradle for a near fall, and then hero ht the stuff piledriver for the near fall as they are mixing in callbacks to the previous matches very well here. Hero then adjusted the elbow pad and looked for another KO of ZSJ. ZSJ fought with all he had to avoid another piledriver, got the Gotch hold but ZSJ countered out and then bent Hero in half with the double arm bar and then into the pinning combo, but Hero barely escaped. ZSJ hit a German and then Tiger suplex, the soccer kick followed, but Hero was still alive and then connected with the ripcord elbow and spinning kick. SICK TOMBSTONE on ZSJ, and that was that. These two men were made to wrestle each other, and not only put together another awesome match, but played into the feud and previous matches very well. Chris Hero simply has ZSJ right now, no matter how hard or how much heart ZSJ shows. These guys can feud forever as far as I am concerned.

#1. From NXT Takeover: Dallas – Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn [*****]: This is such a highly anticipated match; you have Zayn’s farewell along with Nakamura’s WWE debut al in one match. Both men will want to send a message, Zayn a thank you to the NXT crowd and a reminder that he’s awesome and Nakamura wants to let the “WWE Universe” and office know that the buzz is real. Nakamura was on screen for roughly three-minutes and may already be the most charismatic guy in the company. The beginning was simple, but effective as they played off of the crowd and allowed their charisma and selling to carry things early. And they should have because when you can barely do anything and the crowd goes ape shit, you play off of that all you can. So from there, they did a very good job of slowly escalating the action while still playing off of the crowd, which was into just about everything that they did. I felt that Nakamura was able to show off a lot of his game to new fans, and the fans in attendance knew the stuff because they reacted so well to it. Even though this match didn’t have a big story or a traditional heel/face dynamic, Zayn was able to do the things he does so well, the things that allow the fans to get into his matches and just root for him. The gasps from the crowd as Nakamura was destroying him with knees to the head were evidence of that. The fire from both guys and the reaction from the crowd as they went toe to toe with strikes was so great, and Nakamura’s nose even got busted up. It became a battle of who wanted it more, and they did a great job down the stretch of teasing the near falls before they got to the near fall scenarios. The counters to the signature stuff were also so good. The thing that shocked me, and trust me I know how good these guys are, is that they worked together like they have been working the loop for years. But there are times when you can stick two awesome workers in the ring, give them the time and the finish and magic simply happens. And that is what happened here. These guys could have stopped and held the crowd up for all the monies they had to continue the match and they would have given it to them. Nakamura finally hit the kinshasha, and that was the end to that beautiful match. This lived up to my expectations and more; Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Will Ospreay set the tone earlier in the day with an amazing effort, and this just nudged them out of the top spot. You could not have asked for a better match to debut Nakamura to WWE fans or for Zayn to say good-bye to NXT. This right here is my match of the year so far, there have been others that have had great matches and have come close, but nothing has touched this match yet for the year.

* End scene.

* Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”