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Ring Crew Reviews: Top 54 Matches from 2014 (Part II: 42-31)

February 26, 2015 | Posted by Jack Bramma
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Ring Crew Reviews: Top 54 Matches from 2014 (Part II: 42-31)  

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More ***3/4 matches

42. Kazuchika Okada vs. Hirooki Goto. NJPW G1 Climax 24 – Day 9. 08/04/2014. Rowdy crowd and no blitzkrieg start which means we’re probably in for the long haul. Lockup leads to the usual waistlock, counter, wristlock, counter, wristlock, counter, hammerlock to headlock, rope break sequence. You know the one. ANYWAY, Okada grabs a headlock and Goto tries to send him off but Okada hangs on, but we’re only at 1/4 Dickensian level. Goto sends him off and bowls over with a shoulderblock to get going. He counters with a hiptoss and dumps Okada out. On the floor, Okada gives him a Shining Wizard into the crowd and the Orton DDT off the rail. Goto beats the count at 19 and this is standard fare so far. Goto tries to strike his way back into the match and Okada no sells to laugh at him and give him a basement dropkick to the upper back. Okada goes to the chinlock and works it into a straitjacket. Okada with a few elbow in the corner and this is decidedly doing nothing for me so far. Goto livens things up with the follow behind LARIATO for a double down at 7 minutes in. Time to slug it out with forearms. One forearm and Okada can barely stand. Goto pulls him in for several more and Okada can’t even run the ropes. A spinwheel kick leads into a Saito suplex for 1, 2, kickout.

• Okada tries to come back with a mafia kick but gets dropped again with a LARIATO. 1, 2, shoulder up. Okada comes back with a Euro uppercut and a wrapped Island Driver neckbreaker. He heads up top for a diving elbow and hits his pose. He wants the Rainmaker, but Goto counters. They trade more counters with Okada avoid the go behind LARIATO and Goto avoiding the Rainmaker again, ending with the FU neckbreaker from Goto. First time the match felt legitimately awesome. For some reason, they get up at the same time and Okada dropkicks him across the ring. Vertical suplex gets 1, 2, no. They fight over a Tombstone before dropping the struggle so Okada can land some Euro uppercuts. Goto teases the go behind LARIATO and pulls Okada into whiffing on a dropkick. LARIATO follows for 1, 2, nearfall. Goto goes straight for the finish with a Dominator into a jawbreaker for 1, 2, 2.99. He tries a brainbuster but Okada knees out for the Bluechipper dropkick. A third double down at 13 minutes in as the crowd gets behind OKADAOKADAOKADAOKADA. They jockey for position in the corner with Goto teasing a top rope powerbomb only to get backdropped off the top. Bluechipper enzuigiri dropkick and Okada is cooking. Tombstone and Okada wants the Rainmaker. Goto counters with a short-arm HEADBUTT HOMICIDA! YEAH! Okada slides out of a brainbuster with a SWEET Teardrop German Suplex. 1, 2, 2.999999. German is rolled into the Rainmaker to put Goto down at 15:36.

• This felt like 2nd gear for 3/4 of the match — like they knew the tournament was basically over and they had been out there killing it for over a week, so give ’em the standard 15 minute main but nothing too drastic. The energy level begins to match their abilities right around the backdrop/Tombstone sequence in the last 3 minutes, but we’re still a long ways off from MOTYC. Spot of the match: Goto’s headbutt to counter the Rainmaker. ***3/4

41. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomoaki Honma. NJPW G1 Glimax 24 – Day 8. 08/03/2014. Honma is sporting a swag yellow vest with red trim as he comes out. They of course race out and go to the forearms right off the bat. Shibata gets the early advantage as they trade no sells and he tries a Batista kick but gets nowhere. Honma levels him with a shoulderblock and wants a falling headbutt but he whiffs. He avoids a DR FG enzuigiri and it’s the ECW standoff at 45 seconds in. Shibata kicks him to the breadbasket and Honma begs off to the floor to sell. Honma gets sent into the rail and kneed into the front row. Honma counters another whip and clotheslines him to the front row. Honma is fired up as the ref starts the count. Shibata is reeling but beats the count back at 15. Back in, Honma goes to work with stiff forearms but Shibata…. wait for it… no sells to fire back and drop him to his knees with one forearm. Shibata with more forearms but Honma Red and Yellow Hulkamanias up to chase him into the corner for another forearm. Shibata no sells to repeat, so Honma repeats as well for an Axe Bomber. Shibata lands awkwardly on his arm and sells. Crowd is big into HONMAHONMAHONMA.

• Running forearm leads into an Ace Crusher but he still can’t hit the headbutt. He blocks a kick and goes after the knee and finally hits the headbutt. He no sells a kick to club down Shibata. Shibata boots him off the top rope and he forearms Honma to death in the corner. Time for the IED. Shibata suplexes him for 1, 2, no. They trade counters before Shibata smacks him into next week, only for Honma to no sell for a flying shoulderblock. Honma lands the brainbuster for 1, 2, kickout. Honma calls for a piledriver but Shibata counters to the Sleeper variation. Honma sells the hell out of it before no selling to get the ropes. Shibata kicks him down but Honma catches the next one. They smack it out and Honma drops him cold. Honma hits the GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK. 1, 2, 2 1/2. Honma calls for the top rope falling headbutt but Shibata gets the knees up. Shibata knees him for a nearfall and kicks him down for another. Honma lands the LARIATO for 1, 2, kickout. Shibata lands the SPINNING REVERSE CHOP HOMICIDA but is too gassed to cover. Honma tries to elbow out of a fireman’s carry but gets F5’ed into a G2S. Sweet. DR FG enzuigiri ends the slugfest at 10:47. Good, hard-hitting match, but one that falls short of the brutality of other Shibata/Goto/Ishii matches but that also doesn’t match the storytelling of Okada/Tanahashi, etc. No spot of the match. ***3/4

40. Triple Threat Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton (c). Wrestlemania XXX. 03/29/2014. Orton gets a live band, Green-tista has no beard, and DB can only do the Yes taunt with one arm.

• At the bell, DB swarms Orton and ranas Batista out of the ring. DB goes to the kicks, but Orton goes right to the arm and DB is instantly a cripple. He writhes in pain out to the floor. Batista takes over on Orton with clotheslines. Orton no sells for the neck/backbreaker and knocks DB off the apron. Batista shitcans Orton out and drives him into the apron as the crowd is silent for anything not involving DB. Orton tries to cut off Batista but gets sent into the stairs. Batista wants to be allowed to reintroduce himself and throws around the stairs. Orton no sells pleasantries and backdrops him on the stairs in a nice spot. Orton then drops DB on the barricade with a back suplex and the same for Batista. Orton hits his pose and the crowd lets him hear it as the crew plays up how much of an afterthought Orton has been on the lead-in. Orton brings in Batista to go to the Malenko/Garvin stomp and a knee drop. Cover gets 1, 2, no. Time for DB to fly back in with a double missile dropkick, and he nicely sells the shoulder on impact. He’s got DRFG’s for both guys. He tries the enzuigiri on Orton but gets flipped with a nice Exploder suplex. Batista cuts Orton right off with a Bulldog powerslam, but covers go nowhere because everyone is still in the ring. DB stacks them up in the corners for successive IEDS’s. Top rope rana on Orton gets 1, 2, kickout.

• Batista comes back and suplexes DB out to the floor, but Orton catches him in a superplex. DB’s back up for a diving headbutt on Orton. YesLock follows. BUT WAIT! THE AUTHORITY HAS COME OUT! THOSE NO GOOD BASTARDS! TRIPS BUMPS THE REF! THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE OUTRAGE! Corporate-approved Batista and Scott Armstrong are in-ring now. Spinebuster and a BatistaBomb get 1, 2, 2.99999999 at 10 minutes in. YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES! DB dodges a charge, and Batista posts himself. DB then bumps the ref and lands a suicide dive on Armstrong, H, and Steph. YESYESYES! DANIEL BRYAN SETTLING ALL OF THE SCORES, TONIGHT! BUT WAIT! TRIPLE H HAS THE SLEDGEHAMMER! DB STEALS IT AND WAFFLES THE H’S! SCHOOL BOY ON BATISTA FOR 1, 2, BROKEN UP BY ORTON! Orton beats the trash out of DB and is joined by Batista for the Evolution reunion. H and Steph are helped to the back as Orton waffles DB with the stairs. Orton and Batista decide the job isn’t down and prep the announce tables for a 3D variation – Batista Bomb into a neckbreaker. After a few minutes of selling and atmosphere, the EMTs bring out the gurney. They put a neck brace on DB, while Batista turns on Orton and whips him into everything at ringside. Crowd chants for DB as he’s carted out and Orton is backdropped to the floor. Orton no sells for the apron DDT to the floor. BUT WAIT! DB SHOVES OFF THE EMTS! Orton picks him up and shoves him into the stairs. Orton eggs the crowd on and dials up the RKO. NO! YES LOCK! WILL ORTON TAP OUT!? Batista breaks it up. YES LOCK ON BATISTA! Orton breaks that up for an RKO on Batista. NO! Batista shoves him off for a SPEARSPEARSPEAR but Orton Leap frogs and DB eats it. RKO ON BATISTA! 1, 2, 2.99999999999999. Orton preps the Punt but DB cuts him off with a BUSAIKU KNEE! Batista shitcans out DB to get the cover. BATISTA IS GOING TO STEAL THE TITLE! ONE, TWO,
THREEOHNOHEALMOSTGOT’IM! BatistaBomb on Orton. BUSAIKU KNEE ON BATISTA! YES LOCK! BATISTA TAPS AT 23:22!

• This match is complete bonkers with DB getting WCW-level Hogan treatment in the marquee main event of the year. Think about it: no selling a stretcher job, a shoulder injury, kicking out of Batista’s finish, using the sledge on Triple H, overcoming the special guest referee, suicide dive on Trips Steph and the ref, etc. That’s some Hogan-with-stroke protection that was unfathomable for DB just a month or so before this PPV. Also, the match reminds me a bit of the Summerslam 2000 triple threat where the match stops for the overbooking (not just Angle’s concussion). As a vehicle to put over DB like a million bucks, this is fantastic, but it’s not a perfect match. ***3/4

39. Hell in the Cell Match to be #1 Contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Randy Orton vs. John Cena. WWE Hell in a Cell 2014. 10/26/2014. Orton and Cena renewed their decade-long rivalry back at TLC 2013 to unify the WWE and the World Heavyweight straps. With the help of some handcuffs and a bad table bump, Orton came out victorious. At RR, they would hook up again in the most storied, regular singles match of all time. Orton would retain again, this time with the help of the Wyatt Family. They would have a final match on RAW in the lead to EC. Cena would even cut a promo virtually guaranteeing that that match would be the end of an era. But DB got hurt, Reigns got hurt, and things changed. After Orton jobbed to Reigns at SS, he moved on to a placeholder feud with Jericho and won that. Cena was EATSLEEPSUPLEXREPEAT’ed at SS and again for the most part at NOC, but Rollins interfered and “cost” Cena the belt. Ambrose, though, won a contract on a pole match and got Rollins at HITC instead. Cena was left with the consolation prize – Orton inthe cell for the number 1 contendership to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The video package to this is arguably one of the fed’s best ever.

• Orton and Cena slowly circle at the bell, while Cole puts over how Lesnar is WATCHING THE PPV AT HOME LIKE A REAL MAN! He, however, neglects to use that segue to put over the Network. Orton gets the elbow up early to cut off Cena and trashes him into the turnbuckle. Cena blocks a stairshot and hits the worst punches this side of Hogan. Orton no sells and tosses Cena into the stairs. Cena tries to fight back, but Orton goes to the eyes and sends him into the cage. Back in, Orton covers for 1, 2, no. Orton ducks out and gets a chair. Cena comes back with a shitty Fisherman Buster and goes after the chair. Orton shoves him off and stomps him around. Orton waffles Cena with the chair for 1, 2, no go. Orton waffles him again and wedges the chair in the corner. Cena tries to no sell for the FU, but Orton slides out for a DDT. 1, 2, 2 1/2. Back to the floor, Orton rakes his face across the cage and sends him into the stairs again. Another cover gets 1, 2, kickout. Orton goes to the eyes and clotheslines Cena for 1, 2, 22222222222222222222222222222. Lot of covers so far. Orton: “SHADDUP!” OK then. He stops to slowly gloat and hit his pose like an asshole. I love it. Of course, Cena jumps him from behind with a clothesline for 1, 2, nearfall. Orton clubs Cena to shreds in the corner with several clotheslines. Orton pretends to help Cena up and then stomps his hand and tosses him into the cage. Cover gets 1, 2, 2.999.

• Orton goes to the chinlock. SHADES OF ORTON! Cena escapes out and we skip straight through the comeback to his shoulderblocks. ProtoBomb and Cena wants the 5KS. Orton boots him off for a slick powerslam. 1, 2, kickout. King: “It looks like Randy Orton could see Cena.” Thanks for that. ANYWAY, Orton preps Cena for the Apron DDT, but Cena counters and backdrops him to the floor. Cena gathers up Orton and rams hin into the cage in the most painless way possible. Orton just can’t abide his trash and atomic drops him ON THE POST! MY MAN! NECK/BACKBREAKER TO THE FLOOR! ORTONORTONORTONORTON! Orton covers for 1, 2, no. Dueling Cena chants as Orton runs Cena off the apron into the cage for the Tim White spot. Crowd gets behind Orton with an RKORKORKO chant that dies quickly. Cena counters and finally gets some offense by sending Orton into the cage a few times. Cena gets a table and brings it into the ring. Orton comes back, and Cena tries to no sell. Orton tells him to piss him and flips the table over and hits the Bluechipper dropkick on Cena. JBL: “THE BRILLIANCE OF RANDY ORTON!” Orton finally tosses Cena into the chair in the corner. 1, 2, 2.999. Rather than vent, Orton puts the table in the corner and lays into Cena with a chair a few more times. Cena avoids a table shot and tries the shoulderblocks again. 1. 2. NO! ORTON COUNTERS THE SECOND INTO AN RKO! 1, 2, 2.99999999999999. Orton is in disbelief and whips Cena into the table in the corner, breaking it. 1, 2, 2.9999. Orton rolls to the floor and gets the bottom half of the stairs, which JBL weaves into creative writing. JBL: “THE ONLY THING THAT LIMITS YOUR ABILITY INTHE CELL IS YOUR IMAGINATION! AND RANDY HAS A VIVID IMAGINATION!” Orton wants the RKO on the stairs, but Cena counters for a ProtoBomb on the stairs. Nice. 5KS in a truly ridiculous spot. Cena is primed for the FU, but Orton ducks behind for the COMPLETELY LEGAL BLATANTLOWBLOW! 1, 2, 2.9999999999. WHAT’S ORTON GONNA DO?! THE PUNT! Orton whiffs and Cena drops him down into the STF to a swarm of boos.

• Orton makes the ropes. Cole: “GUYS! WE’RE IN HELL IN THE CELL! IT DOESN’T FORCE A BREAK!” Good point, someone’s paying attention. Orton keeps crawling, and the rope chokes Cena in a cool spot which forces him to break. Cena isn’t done and picks up the stairs and tries to MURDERDEATHKILL Orton with the stairs like he did Bray at Payback. Orton ducks though and posts Cena. Back in, Cena no sells for the pop FU. 1, 2, kickout. Cena plays dead for a bit before trying another. Orton counters IN MID-AIR TO AN RKO! FROM OUTTA NOWHERE! 1, 2, 2.999999999999999999999999999999999999. Orton argues the count, but Cena decides to no sell…. again for another energizer bunny FU. 1. 2, no. Cole: “When someone kicks out of your AA twice, it’s time to dig down deep.” It’s sentences like that when spoken out loud that make me at least somewhat sympathize with McMahon’s edict to not focus on moves in commentary. ANYWAY, Cena brings in another table, and after some back-and-forth, he FUs Orton off the top through the table. 1, 2, 3 and Cena advances at 25:55.

• This is a good match, but one with fundamental, foundational differences in working style for me. It’s a Davey Richards situation in which I feel like when Davey or Cena have the best match they think they can have, it’s not actually their best match. However, when they are working with someone else who reins in their bad tendencies, they can have a better match. When Cena is giving it his all, you see tons of back-to-back finishers which is just so antithetical to finisher psychology. The Cena of the first 20 minutes is significantly better than the Cena of the last 5 minutes. He didn’t brush off Orton’s first RKO and even sold again into a table bump. When he avoided the Punt, he didn’t FU Cena with no selling but pulled him into the STF, a much better spot. But in the last 5 minutes, Cena is ignoring the cumulative damage of the match and just keeps going for finisher after finisher even after taking one himself. The first 3/4 of the match is a legit ****+ match, even if we had seen it 100 times already, with Orton heeling it up like a boss and getting to control and awesomely countering Cena. But those last few minutes are a real groaner. ***3/4

38. Triple Threat, Elimination Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship: Cesaro vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Dolph Ziggler (c). WWE Smackdown 11/14/2014. Or a triangle match if you have a brain. This is one of those “just because” matches that the wrestling gods occasionally drop on us. Cesaro hasn’t won a meaningful match in months, Tyson Kidd has owned NXT and the Divas division mostly by wearing headphones and taking selfies from the apron, and Dolph finally relived up to billing and had been stealing the show with Miz and Cesaro.

• Cesaro kicks Dolph away and drops Kidd with an Exploder to start. They both come back with kicks on Cesaro. Kidd springboards in with a roll up, but Dolph reverses back and now it’s the roll up fest with each guy trying variations of crucifixes, school boys, and sunset flips. Kidd goes down off a LARIATO and Cesaro is down from a Bluechipper dropkick courtesy of Dolph. Fast and furious to start. We take a break and are back to Cesaro working over Dolph in the corner. Cesaro blocks a combo suplex and takes over both with the DOUBLE SUPLEX! Cesaro tries a powerbomb and blocks a Dolph counter by finishing the powerbomb. Kidd springboards in with an elbow but Cesaro lays him out with the Karenlin lift. Cesaro covers Dolph for 1, 2, 2 ½. Crowd already thinks it’s awesome, but we’ve only seen about 3 minutes of action. Cesaro posts himself Dolph rolls up Kidd for another nearfall. Cesaro puts Dolph up top, but Kidd dropkicks him away and hits the IED on a prone Dolph in the Tree of Woe. Slick. Cesaro has HAD IT WITH THE FLIPPY SHIT and plants him with a T-Bone suplex. Cesaro fires up for the EURO UPPERCUT HOMICIDA! Cover gets 1, 2, no.

• Ziggler tries a crossbody but Cesaro still won’t stay down. Dolph fires up with Stinger Splashes on both and a neckbreaker/DDT combo. He covers each both for nearfalls. Kidd comes back with a neckbreaker for 1, 2, no. Cesaro cuts off Kidd with another running Euro uppercut. They all three jockey for position up top and they cue up a MDK bomb/superplex Tower of Doom which seemed completely spontaneous in a way that spot never does. Kidd recovers and rolls Cesaro into a Sharpshooter. ASK ‘IM! ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSK ‘IM! Cesaro might tap but instead reaches for A COVER ON DOLPH! I’m sure that violates the Marquee of Queensbury’s rules but it’s still cool as hell. Cover gets 1, 2, no. Kiddpulls him back across to the ring and reapplies the Sharpshooter. Cesaro Hulks up and dumps him to the floor. Ziggler tries the anti-Newtonian DDT but gets vaulted into the SWISS DEATH FROM BELOW! TILT-A-WHIRL BACKBREAKER ON KIDD! Cesaro covers both for nearfalls on each. We take another break and Kidd hits a BLOCKBUSTER ON CESARO INTO DOLPH’S KNEES! SWEET! SHARPSHOOTER ON DOLPH! C’MONBABY! Cesaro comes rolling in and hooks in the Crippler Crossface for the almost recreation of KOTR2K1. Kidd is cranky and doesn’t want Cesaro’s help but gets roped into the GIANT SWING! Ziggler comes back with the anti-Newtonian DDT for 1, 2, kickout much to the canned heat’s chagrin. Ziggler tries another outta control dive and gets thrown into an enzuigiri from Kidd and a bridged German suplex from Cesaro. 1, 2, 2.9999999999. Ziggler spins through the Octopus Stretch and hits the Zig Zag. Kidd shitcans him out and covers Cesaro for 1, 2, 3 to eliminate the King of Swinging and Jobbing at 11:09.

• Kidd immediately baseball slides into the anti-Newtonian rana on Dolph and trashes him into the stairs and barricade. Kidd fires up for a DR FG on the floor. Back in, cover gets 1, 2, shoulder up. Ziggler dodges a leg drop and after more counters tries a Zig Zag but whiffs. Fisherman neckbreaker from Kidd gets 1, 2, no. Kidd springboards in but gets caught in the HBK/Shelton Benjamin spot for 1, 2, 2.999999999999. OOOOOOO! Had me on that one. Kidd recovers to go back to the Sharpshooter. Dolph rolls through for the Zig Zag. Cover gets 1, 2, 3 to retain at 14:36.

• Really good match and even if it mirrors Cesaro/Miz/Dolph from September, Kidd is easily a workrate upgrade and a comparable d-bag to Miz. Kidd is making the most of the second wind of his career, practically stealing Dolph’s gimmick and the show on multiple opportunities this year. Good stuff, even if I remain not sold on Dolph’s babyface offense. ***3/4

**** Matches.

37. WWE Tag Team Championship: The Wyatt Family vs. The Usos (c). WWE Money in the Bank 2014. 06/29/2014. The team division was in a bit of a slump in the early year after the NAO dethroned the Dust Brothers and defeated them again in a cage match on free TV. Perennial also-rans, the Usos, took them on forthe gold and seemingly won them as an afterthought on the road to Wrestlemania. They retained in an uneventful four way elimination match on the Mania pre-show. For the next few months, they couldn’t get a PPV match, but were adopted into the Cena-Bray Wyatt feud as surrogates and thus this match.

• Cole puts over how the Wyatts earned this shot by defeating the Usos in a non-title match 4 weeks ago on RAW. He leaves out they had the same match on two Main Events and the Wyatts also won those matches. But the Usos won on the Smackdown before that and…. you get the idea.

• Jey and Luke to start. Fisticuffs ensue and a criss cross ends with an Uso crossbody. The Usos use some misdirection to bring in Jimmy, but he runs into a dropkick from Harper. Rowan in fo the BIG RED SHOULDERBLOCK AND BOOGER RED CHOKE! After some quick tags, Jimmy slides out of a Meltdown attempt to bring Jey back in. He’s all superkicks and Jey illegally dropkicks Rowan into a school boy for 1, 2, no. Rowan Reds up to no sell, but Jey dropkicks him to the floor in a slick sequence. Jey follows up with the burrito off the barricade that takes a few too many seconds to set up. Back in, Jey with a crossbody for 1, 2, kickout. Harper distracts and Rowan capitalizes with the BIG RED SHITCAN TO THE FLOOR! Jimmy tries to go check on his brother, so Harper steamrolls him and then steps on his face while gloating. Back in, Harper with a slingshot senton(!) while Lawler reminisces about Kris Kristofferson. Harper with a slingshot and AYEAYAYEAHAYEAHAYEAHAHAYEAHAHAHAHYEAAAAAA. Rowan busts out some Baron von Raschke with the claw and tosses Jey across the ring. Cover gets 1, 2, shoulder up. Jey tries a sunset flip and slides out of the way of a leg drop, but Harper cuts off the hot tag with a LARIATO and YAKUZA KICK HOMICIDA! 1, 2, 2 1/2.

• Rowan still can’t connect on a splash or a charge in the corner and posts himself. Crowd is feeling the tag to Jimmy. A few superkicks and burritos later and he drops Harper with a Samoan drop and another for Rowan. He lines up the Runaway Samoan Semi on Rowan and the Whisper in the Wind on Harper for 1, 2, 2.99. Jimmy with more superkicks but still can’t put away Harper. Jey gets caught in a dive but Jimmy topes out on Rowan and they all bowl over. Cole’s all JAMAICA ME USOCRAZY! Harper breaks up the superkick and dive party with another Batista kick. They dump out Jey again, but Jimmy sneaks him with a school boy for 1, 2, 2.99999. Harper with a Liger bomb! 1, 2, NO! Crowd is major into all of it. Harper planchas out on Jey Uso. Jimmy triesthe unprecedented REVENGE TOPE SUICIDA but Rowan catches him for BACK-TO-BACK SUICIDE DIVES ON USOS! Back in, they spike Jimmy with a double ChokeSlam. Cover gets 1, 2, broken up by Jey at the last second. Harper gets kicked to the floor and Jey is squashed in the corner. Rowan decides to head up top and the crowd comes even more alive, but Jimmy crotches him. Both Usos join up for a double superplex. Jimmy and Jey follow up with stereo Superfly splashes on Rowan for 1, 2, 3 to retain at 13:14.

• Hot match to kick off the PPV that built to an almost perfect crescendo by the end. Having the Usos out there every week to have their match kinda exposes them as heavily inspired by the Young Bucks and Hardys, but they are still a quality team who can go in the right context and this was the right context. Harper is still the obvious breakout star of everyone involved and hopefully rises about being a menacing mechanic. ****

36. IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles vs. Kazuchika Okada (c). NJPW Wrestling Dontaku ’14. 05/03/2014. Crowd chants for OKADA at the bell and AJ retorts with BULLETCLUB. They trade wristlocks for a bit until Okada gets his back with a drop toe hold. AJ with a rope break to regroup. Back in, Okada gives a clean break and hits his pose. He goes to the headlock and brings AJ to his knees. Send off attempt but Okada hangs on. AJ tries again for more of the same. DICKENSIAN, BRET HART HEADLOCK! AJ finally sends him off but eats a shoulderblock. AJ comes back with a chop but gets backdropped down. AJ goes to the throat, but they both whiff on corner charges. Okada tries to dropkick him off the top but AJ fights it off for the BUCKLEPLEX! Backbreaker gets 1, 2, no. Okada tries a rally but runs into the Bluechipper dropkick. Okada sells to the floor and AJ distracts the ref for the requisite nWo beatdown. Back in a knee drop and AJ’s milking everything for a few too many beats. Brainbuster and AJ’s talking trash. Stinger Splash burrito and Okada is toast. 1, 2, kickout. AJ shitcans him out for the Bullet Club to give him a pep talk with their fists and boots. The ref ejects them and Okada hits a tope con hilo to send them on their way. Back in, AJ begs off but eats a neckbreaker and a senton from Okada. Cover gets 1, 2, no. AJ goes to the eyes and clips the knee in the corner AND NOW WE GO TO SCHOOL, SEEKING ASYLUM FROM DIXIE CARTER STYLE! AJ works the knee and drives it down into the mat. AJ kicks him down and gloats for a bit. 1, 2, 2 1/2. AJ goes to the MutaLock.

• Okada sells the hell out of the leg after a kneebreaker. AJ goes to the chinlock. He tries to fight off Okada escaping but fails. Okada dodges a blow with a couple of Euro uppercuts. Seated yakuza kick and a flapjack and Okada is cooking. DDT gets 1, 2, shoulder up. AJ gets the boot up in lethargic fashion and has a thumb to the eye to follow up. Phenomenal hammer into a double down. After a few attempts, AJ gets up Okada for a suplex into a neckbreaker. AJ heads up top, but Okada finally cuts him off and dropkicks him down to the floor. He yakuza kicks AJ into the front row. Orton DDT off the rail follows. Back in, Okada heads up top for the flying elbow drop. Okada hits his taunt again. He wants the Rainmaker, but AJ rolls through into a VICIOUS CALF SLICER! Okada is close to tapping but fights it off and makes the ropes. Bluechipper dropkick from Okada but his leg is too hurt to capitalize. They slug it out with forearms and Okada tell shim to bring it on. AJ with a strike combo but whiffs on the LARIATO. RAINMAKER! NO! PELE! Facebuster suplex gets 1, 2, 2.999999999. Okada comes right back with an Island Driver neckbreaker. Double down again as the crowd chants for OKADAOKADAOKADAOKADAOKADA. Okada wants a Piledriver, but AJ counters and gets the elbow up in the corner. SUPER PELE whiffs but he catches a reverse DDT for 1, 2, no. AJ tries a Spiral Tap but whiffs. Bluechipper dropkick enzuigiri from Okada. TOMBSTONE! RAINMAKER TIME! BUT WAIT! THE BULLET CLUB HAS COME OUT! YUJIRO UNVEILS AND JOINS THE BULLET CLUB! TOKYO PIMPS TO OKADA! BLOODY SUNDAY! STYLES CLASH! Okada is done at 24:32.

• I’m not the biggest puro expert or anything, but that’s the most (over)booking I’ve seen in in a puro match for a long time, if not ever. It makes me feel right at home in a bad way. So, yeah, the Bullet Club interference takes it down a bit for me as does the general lack of crispness between Okada/AJ on some sequences, undoubtedly due to this being one of their first matches together. Still, the psychology was strong on Okada’s knee and the cutoff/signature stuff came through as usual. Spot of the match: Rainmaker countered into the Calf Slicer. ****

35. WWE Intercontinental Championship: Dolph Ziggler vs. Bad News Barrett (c). WWE RAW 06/23/2014. Before he hurt his shoulder and had to vacate the IC strap, BNB was on top of the world. He returned after Mania and waltzed through the Ultimate Warrior IC title tournament with clean wins over Rey Mysterio, Dolph, Sheamus, RVD, and Big E at EE to take the belt. He retained again against RVD at Payback. Meanwhile, Dolph, as usual, was stuck between beating the lower card and losing to the top of the card. Though, on the Smackdown before this show, he had a non-title win over Barrett to set this up.

• Pre-match, BNB has some bad news and JBL knew it. After he beats Dolph again and again, Dolph will be so much of a loser he’ll have to change his name, just like the racist, loser Redskins in DC.

• Wade pounds him down and stomps a mudhole in the corner. Wade chokes in the ropes and Cole is already in overdrive: “YOU GOTTA LOVE THE HEART AND GUTS OF DOLPH ZIGGLER!” Yes, but so far, he’s only gotten his ass kicked. Dolph with a roll up for a nearfall and a Bluechipper dropkick for another. Wade telegraphs a backdrop but clotheslines Dolph to the floor. Wade sends him into the apron. Back in, cover gets 1, 2, nothing. Shitty Camel Clutch follows and Dolph quickly elbows out. He lands on his feet out of a suplex and crossbodies Wade into side control. He mounts in the corner for the requisite 10 and a neckbreaker. He tries the Fame-asser but Wade shoves him off for the Bossman Slam. Cover gets 1, 2, 2 1/2. Wade calls for Wasteland, but Dolph slides behind for he ZIG ZAG! He’s too outta it to cover and Wade rolls to the floor. We take a break and return to Dolph dropping the heartstopper elbows. 1, 2, no. Wade recovers on the apron and backdrops Dolph to the floor. Wade with a little Foley homage and lands the CACTUS ELBOW OFF THE APRON! YEAH! BANGBANG! Back in, cover gets 1, 2, another nearfall. Wade goes to the chinlock to slow things down. Dolph tries up and over but Wade catches in and snaps him into a Harley Rice high knee. Sweet. 1, 2, kickout. Wade heads up top but Dolph counters with the POP UP SUPER X-FACTOR! 1, 2, NO! Crowd thinks it’s awesome as they slug it out and Wade takes over with a flapjack. He tries a powerbomb, but changes to WASTELAND! 1, 2, 2.99999.Wade turns the pad and wants the Bullhammer. Dolph avoids for the Fame-asser. 1, 2, 2.9999999999999. THEY’RE HOT, BROTHER! Dolph tries the Zig Zag but Barrett tosses him off. He tries another Bossman Slam, but Dolph counters to the crucifix roll up for 1, 2, 2.9999. Dolph tries a Stinger Splash but Wade catches him with the BULLHAMMER! 1, 2, 3 to retain at 8:50.

• Hot, super competitive match that has become the IC strap’s bread and butter this year. Since the Shield and Hell No’s dissolution, the IC belt/division has supplanted the tag division as the best free TV wrestling in the WWE all year. Through out pretty much any combination of Dolph/BNB/Sheamus/Cesaro/Kidd/Miz/Kofi/RVD/Swagger all year and it’s been several false finishes and just awesome. It’s a nice rebirth for a belt that was going nowhere (and might return to that state). Also, they nicely ramped up the moveset effectiveness and even had a few counters and call backs to earlier in the match. Damn fine stuff. ****

34. Cesaro vs. Randy Orton. WWE Smackdown. 02/14/2014. This is another chapter in Orton’s run against the EC gauntlet. In previous matches, Orton had lostto DB and Cena, but had defeated Christian.

• Cesaro with a quick roll up for a nearfall and Orton takes a breather to regroup. Back in, Orton rolls up Cesaro and then again rolls to the floor in a strange spot. Back in,Cesaro takes down Orton and floats into a bridge and then a Karelin lift for 1, 2, 2 1/2. A double foot stomp gets another nearfall. Orton comes back with a clothesline and they go to trading Euro uppercuts. Cesaro fires up and hits the Euro uppercut homicida for 1, 2, no. Orton bails for the third time and cuts off Cesaro to toss him into the barricade a few times and another Orton-line puts Orton in charge. We take a break and are back to Orton dropping Cesaro on the barricade with a back suplex. Nice. Orton throws him into the announce table and back in covers for 1, 2, kickout. Orton goes to the chinlock. WETHEPEOPLEWETHEPEOPLE! Cesaro elbows out and they go back to the Euro uppercuts. Cesaro wins that exchange, so Orton takes him down with a back elbow. Cesaro rolls to the floor and Orton sends him into the apron and the barricade again.Cesaro no sells that for a LARIATO in a nice callback to Orton doing the same earlier in the match. Back in, Orton cuts off Cesaro at the pass to set up the apron DDT. NO! BIG SWING! Orton gets the ropes and kicks him off. Cesaro catches him again though for the BIG SWING! 19 ROTATIONS! Orton sells it well as Cesaro preps the Neutralizer. Orton backdrops out but Cesaro LANDS ON HIS FEET! Powerslam from Orton and now he’s fired up. 1, 2, nearfall. Apron DDT and Orton POINTS AT THE WRESTLEMANIA SIGN! SHADES OF VINTAGE MOMENTUM BUILDING! ANYWAY, Orton wants the RKO but Cesaro Euro uppercuts him off and the SWISS DEATH FROM BELOW! 1, 2, 2.9999999999. Orton sidesteps in the corner for the Bluechipper dropkick. 1, 2, no. Orton posts Cesaro and wants a superplex. Cesaro headbutts him away for the MDK BOMB! ROARING ELBOW! NEUTRALIZER! 1, 2, 3 FOR CESARO AT 10:26!

• Hot finish with Cesaro using one of my favorite staples – multiple high impact moves in succession – to get the win. I really wish WWE could/would recreate this kind of buzz and push for Cesaro, but I digress. This was a nice alpha male pissing contest for the majority with neither guy giving an inch which is where Orton is at his best. Lots of small oneupsmanship and callbacks within a very short amount of time. Good stuff. ****

33. Yuji Nagata vs. Chris Hero. NOAH Global League 2014. 10/18/2014. They soak in the crowd for a bit and circle each other. They go through some chain with Nagata rolling through into a wristlock. Hero pulls him into a kravat, and Nagata gets a rope break. Nagata teases a test of strength and kicks Hero back. Hero does the same and chops him to the neck. They shove it out and go to the forearms. Hero lays him the FUCK out for 1, 2, 2.999999999999.Nagata is reeling early as Hero starts kicking him around. Nagata sends him off, and Hero drops him with a shoulderblock. Hero whiffs on a senton, but still dodges a PK. ECW STANDOFF! They go face to face, and Hero eggs him on for the forearms. Nagata decides to go for kicks instead. Hero cuts him off with a FOREARM HOMICIDA, and even Hero is surprised at the effect on Nagata. 1, 2, no. HEROHEROHEROHEROHERO! Nagata comes back but runs into a FUCKIN’ CRANE KICK! HERO FOR WORLD CHAMP! Whoops, sorry.

• Hero wallops Nagata with another flying boot to the floor. Nagata counters a whip that sends Hero into the front row. Nagata follows up and yakuza kicks Hero down the aisle. Nagata is feeling it and posts Hero and boots him down again. Back in,Nagata decides it’s time for a half crab. Hero struggles but makes the ropes. A few kicks to the hamstring, and Hero can barely stand. That was fast. Hero flips to the apron for a bit of misdirection, but Nagata pulls him in for a neckbreaker off the ropes. Nagata wants a suplex, but Hero uses the weight to drop down and counter. Hero goes to the strikes and chops and punches the shit out of Nagata. Nagata tries to puro up but eats a Curb Stomp. Hero follows up with more kicks and chops and a SUPER HERO’S WELCOME! KIP UP! FOREARM HOMICIDA! BOOT OF FEAR! 1, 2, 2.99. Nagata smacks him away for a yakuza kick and an Exploder for 1, 2, nearfall. Hero cuts him back off with the Crash Landing. ROARING ELBOW! 1, 2, 2.999999. Nagata comes right back with a spinwheel kick for the double down. Nagata up first and charges Hero into the counter. Nagata strikes his way free but eats a big elbow and a yakuza kick. Another yakuza kick and a third and Nagata NO SELLS! STRIKE IT OUT! FUJIWARA ARMBAR FROM NAGATA! HERO MAKES THE ROPES! Nagata wants a suplex, but Hero blocks for a kick. Nagata dodges for a CHAOS THEORY! 1, 2, POWER KICKOUT! Nagata with an enzugiri and a Backdrop Driver for 1, 2, 3 to put Hero away at 13:18.

• Nagata continues to be ageless, in terms of in-ring prowess, and can have a MOTYC with pretty much anyone walking. Hero’s game and shows that a stint in developmental didn’t salt his strike game and might have even improved his selling, though it was a tad disproportionate. Hero sold for Nagata more and Hero needed more moves and strikes to lay Nagata out (barring a few elbows at the beginning). If that’s just tiered selling given Nagata’s stature, that’s understandable, but it throws you off a bit if you don’t know either guy. Good match. ****

32. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins. WWE RAW 10/27/14. After LOLCENAWINS at MITB and Battleground, the Authority went with Plan C and finally unleashed the Beast on Cena. At SS, Brock squashed Cena and took the WWE World Heavyweight Championship with him. After a brief crisis of confidence, Cena rallied by taking out the entire Wyatt Family en route to reasserting himself and getting his rematch. Unfortunately for Cena, Seth Rollins interfered and ruined his possible victory party. Cena and Ambrose would butt heads over the next few weeks over who the right to kick Rollins’s ass. Ambrose would win a Contract on a Pole match, but come up short against Rollins after Bray Wyatt’s hologram rendered him defenseless. Cena, after vanquishing Orton to get yet another shot at Brock, would get offered a shot on Team Authority at Survivor Series, but declined and the match became Team Cena vs. Team Authority with Cena going one-on-one with the Authority captain, Rollins.

• After a serious bump off the cell and through the announce table, Rollins is still selling the effects. Cena, on the other hand, uses his legendary recuperative powers and is pristine. Rollins takes a walk at the bell to talk things over with Stooges v2.0. Their advice amounted to getting thrown about by Cena and bailing out again. Back in, Rollins grabs a headlock and Cena shows off with the ugly leap frog and a hiptoss that sends Rollins to the floor… again. Back in, they slug it out and one right hand to the ribs and Rollins is back to ringside selling. Cena is a bit shocked at that strategery and rather than help the poor bastard or follow his lead, instead throws him into the announce table. The Stooges try to hold off the maniac, Cena, and Rollins manages to mount a momentary comeback. Cole tries to smooth it over, but JBL is having none of it. JBL: “CHEAP SHOT?! JOHN CENA IS PUNCHING THE GUY, OBVIOUSLY, IN HIS INJURED RIBS AND SETH ROLLINS HITS HIM WHILE HE’S LOOKING AT HIM AND YOU CALL IT A CHEAP SHOT?!” ANYWAY, back in, Rollins goes to work with rights and Charles Robinson pulls for a break in the corner allowing Stooge Mercury to waffle Cena. Rollins shitcans him out for more punishment and a snap suplex on the floor, while SELLING THE RIBS! YEAH! Back in, Rollins lands a burrito in the corner. Cena no sells, but Rollins elbows him away for a Blockbuster. Cover gets 1, 2, 2 ½. We take a break and are back to Cena targeting the poor, defenseless suits, so Rollins tells him to pick on a guy only ¾ his size instead of ½ and throws him into the stairs. Back in, Rollins mounts for GnP and slows things down with the chinlock. Cena elbows out for the shoulderblocks. Rollins ducks the second and Cena flails to the floor. Now, we’re in PPV match quality territory as that’s a spot usually reserved for main events on Sundays. Rollins is fired up for a suicide dive and eats announce table on the dive and SELLS THE RIBS! WOOOOOOO!

• JBL: “That is guts. That is heroism. That is Seth Rollins.” Count gets to 9, before Rollins pulls in Cena for 1, 2, only 2. Cena goes to the ribs to avoid a superplex. Crossbody gets 1, 2, 2.99. Cena wants the FU, but Rollins kicks him off for a SWEET DDT. 1, 2, kickout. Rollins kicks the shit outta Cena and trashes him into the barricade. Back in, Rollins lands a flying knee off the top for 1, 2, shoulder up. Cena rolls through a chinlock into an STF but Rollins kicks him off into a Bluechipper dropkick. Rollins shitcans him out for more punishment from Noble. Count gets to 6. 7. 8. 9. But Cena beats it with his patented pickaboo selling. Time for the shoulderblocks and the 5KS. Stooges try to interfere and Cena dumps Rollins on both of them. Back in, Rollins cuts him off with an enzuigiri. Cover gets 1, 2, nearfall. Cena boots Rollins to the injured ribs again and Tornado DDT’s him for 1, 2, shoulder up. Cena wants the FU but Rollins lands on his feet(!). Rollins whiffs on the enzuigiri but lands a shot to the gut. Skywalker gets 1, 2, 2.99. Cena tries to fire up but Rollins SHAKES IT OFF! BUCKLEBOMB! 1, 2, 2.999999. Rollins wants the Curb Stomp but Cena ducks under for the STF. BUT WAIT! CORPORATE KANE HAS COME OUT! He waffles Cena for the DQ at 19:10. Cole: “CORPORATE KANE RUINED THIS GREAT MATCH!”

• Give that another few minutes and a clean/clear winner and you’ve got an easy PPV main event. Part of the reason it works is that we haven’t seen Rollins/Cena a hundred times, exchanging finishers and no sells and such. Selling from Rollins was magnificent, JBL was strong on commentary for once putting over the story, and Cena was Cena, though thankfully dialed down some in terms of no selling, pop up FU’s, etc. ****

• Post-match, the heels put the boots to him and that draws out potential Cena team member, Ziggler, to fight off that pack of feral dogs. The numbers overcome until the entire locker room empties for a giant brawl. THE AUTHORITY HAS COME OUT! Rollins escapes to the stage to gloat as Cena clears the ring and FU’s Heath Slater and Bo Dallas. Hero to woman and children that guy.

31. The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family. WWE Main Event. 04/08/2014. At Mania XXX, DB would conquer the Authority and win the strap. The next night on RAW, Trips stacked the deck against DB and booked himself into a title match. Orton, Batista, and Kane dropped Dragon with a few finishers. Trips sauntered out to collect his WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but was interrupted by The Shield and some COD Ghost masks. They would clean house and stand tall ending the show. Trips would look for a measure of revenge and booked the Shield against their most recent nemeses, the Wyatts.

• Ambrose and Rowan to start. Rowan tries mind games and is still donning the sheep mask. Ambrose smacks it off his face and goes to the jabs. Rowan can’t get his hand on him and is dropped with a Euro uppercut. Rollins in for a double suplex. Rowan comes back with CLUBBINGBLOWS. Rollins tries a Crucifix but they botch it, so Seth switches to an Octopus Stretch variation of some shit. Rowan knows where his bread is buttered and drops to a knee to sell. This goes on a while before everyone empties into the ring for a staredown. We take a break and are back to Rollins firing back on Bray only to get dropped into a gutbuster. Bray covers for 1, 2, no. Rowan plugs his nose and Harper boots him behind the ref’s back. MOARCHOKINGFROMTHEBIGREDMAN. Back suplex gets 1, 2, 2 1/2. Harper with a Ho Train and smacks Rollins down. AYEAYEAYEAYEAYEAYEAEAHAHAHAHAAAAYEA! Rollins flips to his feet with a slingshot and drops Harper into the ropes. Tag to Reigns. He takes them all out and hits a big clothesline on Harper. Corner clothesline and a tag to Ambrose. Back suplex into a neckbreaker gets 1, 2, no. Rowan distracts and it’s the BOOT OF FEAR for 1, 2, shoulder up. Bray in with a Ho Train and he smacks Ambrose around. Rowan’s SlaughterLock is followed with a side slam on Ambrose. Harper in to work over the kidneys and fish hook Ambrose around. Ambrose tries to fire up but gets pounded down again. Rowan works a neck wrench but Ambrose tries to skin the cat only to get dumped out. We take another break and pick up in the exact same place with Ambrose’s carcass getting drug back in the ring. Harper locks in the Gator Roll and goes to a chinlock.

• Ambrose counters out with a jawbreaker. He tries a kick but Harper uses the momentum and slams him back into the mat in an AWESOME spot. He should be using that more. Bray tags in to stomp a mudhole and Rowan drops a knee and the BEARHUG! SHADES OF ANDRE! Ambrose gets to his back to counter for a Sleeper but Rowan drops down with a reverse spinebuster for 1, 2, no. Harper back in for more Euro uppercuts. They repeat the spot on the repeats for the Nigel-line. Bray immediately in to cut off the tag only to get booted in the corner. Bray comes back with headbutts and he catches Ambrose in the ChokeSlam. The match breaks down and Reigns clotheslines Rowan out. Harper superkicks Reigns off the apron for the suicide dive that sends Reigns over the announce table. Ambrose counters Sister Abigail with a roll up for 1, 2, no. DDT and a hot tag to Rollins. He dumps out Rowan and dropkicks Rowan and Harper both off the apron. Suicide dive on Harper and the TOPE CON HILO ON ROWAN! THE ARCHITECT IS BUILDING… MOMENTUM! Bray tries to take him out on the apron but Rollins avoids and kicks him away. Superkick on Rowan. Diamond Dust gets 1, 2, broken up by Harper. Ambrose breaks that up only to get steamrolled by Bray. SUPERMAN PUNCH ON BRAY! Rowan dumps out Reigns. Enzuigiri on Rowan. LEAPING BATISTA KICK ON HARPER! Springboard knee on Rowan and the Headlock Driver finishes Rowan at 19:25.

• Better than the RAW match, but still not up to EC. It didn’t have the stage or the crowd intensity to match their first encounter. A very good clash that felt different enough from the first two without feeling like it didn’t play to the strengths of the other matches. Rollins was still hitting dives and Reigns was still batting clean up, but Ambrose took most of the heat and Rollins was the primary hot tag and Reigns was indisposed for the bulk of the go-home. Great match. ****

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10.0
The final score: review Virtually Perfect
The 411
10.0 is a default for the best matches of the year.
legend