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Ring Crew Reviews: Top 54 Matches from 2014 (Part V: 10-1)

March 1, 2015 | Posted by Jack Bramma
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Ring Crew Reviews: Top 54 Matches from 2014 (Part V: 10-1)  

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More ****1/2 matches.

10. NEVER Openweight Championship: Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii (c). NJPW Return to Yokohama ’14. They slowly come in for the lockup which takes them into the ropes. Ishii tries a shot rather than break but whiffs and Ibushi just barely misses a headkick in response. Ishii takes over with a shoulderblock and no sells a kick to chop Ibushi back. Ibushi tries to summon some manhood to withstand the ferocity of the chops. He comes back with a kick, and Ishii is all WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS HORSESHIT?! I THOUGHT WE WERE MEN! And starts forearming him around like a child. Ibushi tries to keep pace and hangs on admirably and even staggers the thicker man and kicks him down. Ishii, even though he’s down, starts chastising Ibushi to kick him harder. HARDER, YOUNG BOY! A cover gets a fleeting 1 count for Ibushi. Ishii shakes off the weak stuff for a Backdrop Driver, and Ibushi is toast. Ishii takes over with strikes in the corner, and Ibushi is hamburger. Ishii tries to smack some respect into him and no sells more of his forearms. Ishii with ONE CHOP PUTS IBUSHI DOWN! YEAHHHHHH! That’s what I’ve been looking for. A few more chops, and the ref is trying to get Ishii to show some discretion and not kill his opponent because NJPW doesn’t need that kind of bad press. Ishii ignores to smack him around and headbutt him back into the corner. Ibushi tries another rally with strikes as the crowd tries to get behind him and he lands the Bluechipper dropkick. Ishii takes a breather to regroup. Ibushi wants an Asai moonsault, but Ishii slides back in for the HANGING VERTICAL SUPERPLEX! 1, 2, 2 1/2. Ishii flattens him with a Last Ride for 1, 2, 2.99. Ibushi tries to come back with a Pele and a rana, and Ishii is caught off guard and bails again. Crowd gets a rally clap going for Ibushi as he lands the ASAI MOONSAULT OFF THE TOP! Back in, Ibushi with a springboard missile dropkick for 1, 2, no. Ibushi follows up with a few stiff kicks, a standing SSP into a Lionsault for 1, 2, kickout. Ishii comes back by getting the knees up on a standing moonsault attempt. Ibushi shakes off a LARIATO attempt and lands another kick, but Ishii Electric Chairs him into the turnbuckle and ends him with a BRUTAL German suplex. Another Last Ride gets 1, 2, 2.99. Ishii looks to finish the job off the top, but Ibushi blocks to try a running powerbomb out of the corner. Ishii blocks in awesome fashion grabbing the turnbuckle. Ibushi comes right back with a Pele and a SUPER RANA! NO!

• Ishii tries to block, but they follow through anyway and Ishii lands hard on his shoulder and neck. Certainly looked like a botch, but these guys drop each other on their heads for a living, so who knows. Ibushi can’t get the Dragon Suplex but seamlessly switches to a German Suplex. 1, 2, 2.99999999. Ibushi plants him with a forearm, but Ishii shrugs it off for a HEADBUTT! FOREARMS! C’MON, YOUNG BOY! Ibushi brings it by SHITTING ON HIS GIMMICK WITH A HEADBUTT! LARIATO! SITOUT LAST RIDE! ONE, TWO, THREEOHNOHEALMOSTGOT’IM! Ishii is a warrior and busted open hard way. Ibushi wants to end it with the PHOENIX SPLASH! NO! SEATED LARIATO FROM ISHII! 1, 2, NO! Ishii tries to teach him some respect with the open faced smacks. Ibushi comes right back, and they smack it out. These are loud as hell smacks. Ibushi CHOPS HIM IN THE FUCKING EYE! Ishii wipes the blood out of his eye, and they palm strike the hell out of each other. Ibushi with an enzugiri and a gamengiri. 1, 11111111111111. POWER KICKOUT! LARIATO FROM ISHII! 1, ONLY ! POWER KICKOUT FROM IBUSHI! The crowd is oooing and ahhing along as they feel like they are witnessing Ibushi become a man in front of their eyes. LARIATO FROM ISHII! HE HURTS THE SHOULDER AGAIN! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! They use each other to get to their feet and slug it out with forearms. Ishii eggs him on again, and Ibushi staggers him with several successive forearms. Ishii though has HAD IT WITH THE FIGHTING SPIRIT BULLSHIT! HEADBUTT HOMICIDA! PELE! DRAGON SUPLEX! NO! IBUSHI LANDS ON HIS FEET! DRAGON SUPLEX ON ISHII! 1, 2, 2.9999999999999999999. These two guys are throwing it all out there. Ibushi puts Ishii up top but gets clubbed to the apron. Ibushi wants the DOUBLE JUMP RANA! NO! ISHII LARIATOS HIM TO THE MAT! ANOTHER LARIATO! 1, 2, NO! BRAINBUSTER! 1, 2, 3 AND ISHII RETAINS AT 19:22!.

These two killed each other for 20 minutes and told a classic story with Ibushi trying to rise above and become a dragon slayer by trying to conquer the monster, Ishii. Ishii, despite being short, plays the heavy-hitting, stiff mofo like a badass and is perfectly believable eating Ibushi’s lunch for the whole match (TM John Morrison). ****1/2

9. 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team Cena vs. Team Authority. WWE Survivor Series 2014. 11/23/2014. If Cena wins, the Authority is removed from power. If the Authority wins, everyone of the faces gets fired except Cena. Team Cena is Cena, Dolph, Ryback, Showster, and Rowan. Team Authority is Mark Henry, Harper, Kane, Rollins, and Rusev.

• Cena is rocking arguably the worst color combo of all-time with black shoes and lime green trim, camo shorts, red and yello arm bands and hat, and a navy blue and white t-shirt.

• This had some of the fed’s best booking through all of last year with guys on both sides getting injured and taken out of the running for teams including Orton, Swagger, and Sheamus and Luke Harper returning for one of the best RAW endings in months.

• Mizark and Show to start. Mark gets a big pep talk from Steph and H and he’s fired up to go against his former tag partner. Henry talks some trash, but Show’s all THAT’S FOR INJURING SHEAMUS and WMD’s him instantly. Henry’s gone at :50.

• The Authority can’t believe it, and Show gloats a bit, while some refs help Mark to the back. Harper teases coming in next, but Rollins jumps Show from behind. Show ignores for the frying pan chops and swats Rollins coming off the top. The Cooler Kane tags in, and Cena comes in as well to make Kane EMBRACE THE HATE OF HATING THE AUTHORITY! Kane no sells treason but does get dropkicked down. Harper and Big Red Rowan wants in as well to a surprisingly loud pop. Rollins tags back in prevent the showdown. Rowan drives him into the turnbuckle and hits a bodyslam. Ryback in to a good pop as well. He tosses Rollins into the corner a few times and backdrops him down. Harper with a blind tag, but Ryback catches him with a hanging vertical suplex. Kane in to eat a Thesz press and a stupid splash. Now, it’s RUSEV FUTRIA, RUSEV PASKCHA! Rusev’s all Рыбак , выочень большой человек , больше, чем даже я. Не боритесь . Позвольте мне узнать секрет от вас, так что я могу съесть как горилла , а также. Я обещаю не называть вас немой как трахаются . Помоги мне , помоги товарищу. Ryback opts not to engage, and they slug it out. Ryback takes over with a spinebuster and calls for the Meat Hook because he doesn’t work by the hour. Ryback hits the clothesline. FINISH IT! Kane cools down the exchange by booting Ryback. That brings in everyone for a donnybrook. In the confusion, Rolling Curb Stomps Ryback behind the ref’s back. Leaping superkick from Rusev puts down Ryback at 8:11.

• Showster-Rusev go at it next. Show no sells to get the boot up in the corner and call for the ChokeSlam. Rusev dodges and tags in Harper. Show throws him around and goes for the Runaway Samoan Semi, but Harper dropkicks him down. Rollins back in for another dropkick for 1, 2, power kickout. Kane continues the dropkicks with a basement dropkick for another 2 count. Harper tags in to wait for Show to roll himself through a Gator Roll. After a few kicks and the Smokey the Bear routine, Show is gassed and tags in Dolph. Dolph takes out his anger on Harper for the IC title with a neckbreaker and the Heartstopper elbow. Dolph gets too fired up and gets caught with the Bossman Slam. 1, 2, 2 1/2. Dolph gets dragged over to the heel corner for approximately 614 kicks and covered for another nearfall. Kane busts out the very beatable combination that hasn’t defeated anyone of a Ho Train and side slam. Cover gets 1, 2, and Dolph survives. Cole: “A very vocal Stephanie, here. Her very livelihood is at stake. John mentioned Triple H and Stephanie would still have desk jobs.” Thanks for that.

• ANYWAY, Dolph counters out of a backdrop but gets kicked right back down. Harper chokes some and gordbusts Ziggler into an uppercut. Rusev in with knees and talks more trash. King: “AHHHH! SPEAK ENGLISH, RUSEV!” Thanks for that. Rusev no sells Rosetta Stone for MOARKNEES and a snap ab suplex for 1, 2, shoulder up. Rollins in, and I shit you not, he kicks Dolphs around, because the heels made a pact that they wouldn’t throw a strike with their arms for 15 minutes straight. Seth ends the shutout with some piefaces and rights in the corner. Ziggler tries to fire up, and Rollins throws him into the turnbuckle with a Flatliner. Rusev hangs on to a resthold for a bit too long. Dolph CREATES SEPARATION AND BUILDS MOMENTUM with a jawbreaker/DDT combo. 1, 2, Harper breaks it up. Everyone hits their finishers in succession ending with Rowan and Rollins alone in the ring. Rollins avoids his ChokeSlam for a tope on everyone on the floor. Another leaping superkick puts down Rowan. Dolph tries a rana, but Rusev counters and throws Dolph on the entire main event roster for the bowling pin spot. Rusev preps the announce table. He puts Dolph in place for the TROLL YELL SPLASH! Dolph rolls out of the way, and Rusev faceplants through the table. Cole: “DOLPHMOVEDOLPHMOVEDDOLPHMOVED!” The ref starts the count. 1. 2. 3. 4. J&J Security start to help Rusev up. 5. 6. Dolph is getting up. 7. 8. Dolph is at the apron. 9. Rusev collapses. 10. I’ll let Cole take over: “ZIGGLERSINRUSEVSOUTZIGGERLSINRUSEVSOUT!” Rusev is counted out at 21:00.

• Team Cena is up 4-3. Ziggler slides out of a ChokeSlam attempt and brings in Cena for Cena-Kane. Cena goes through his shtick and hits the 5KS and FU. Rollins ignores all of that bullshit for a Curb Stomp on Cena, which completely negates basic wrestling rules but is awesome anyway. Tags to Rowan and Harper. They slug it out. Rowan flips Harper into the corner and avoids a Sleeper. Rowan with a spinkick on Harper. He overpowers Kane to avoid a ChokeSlam, but Rollins blindsides him with a flying knee. LARIATO from Harper gets 1, 2, 3 on Rowan at 24:15.

• Dolph is incapacitated on the floor. Cena can’t stand and is fumbling with the ropes to try and help himself up. Show is coughing and wheezing from all of his smoking in WCW. INSERT VIDEO

• He waits for Cena to get to his feet and then drops him with the WMD to turn on his team. Rollins sneaks the tentative cover on Cena for 1, 2, 3 at 25:15.

Show shakes hands with Trips to seal the deal and then hits the showers to a shower of boos to lose by countout at 26:00.

• The crowd smells a ruse and starts chanting for RANDYORTON, while the Authority gloats over what’s left of Dolph Ziggler’s carcass. Dolph is all alone against Kane, Rollins, and Harper. Kane tosses him into the barricade like a sack of shit and stomps away in the ring. Rollins tags in to awesomely mock Dolph in going for a tag to no one. Ziggler with a desperation crossbody on Kane for 1, only 1. SUPERKICK! ZIG ZAG! 1, 2, 3 and Kane’s out at 29:35.

• Harper pounces with a yakuza kick as things are still looks bad for Dolph. Dolph bails out to regroup, and Harper swarms with a suicide dive. A superkick gets 1, 2, 2.99. Harper says it’s over with the Liger Bomb. 1, 2, kickout. Trips directs traffic from the apron as the crowd comes alive with ZIGGLERZIGGLERZIGGLERZIGGLER! Dolph comes to with a SCHOOL BOY! HANDFUL OF TIGHTS! 1, 2, 3 and Harper’s eliminated at 31:36.

• It’s all down to Rollins-Ziggler. Rollins stomps a mudhole and throws Dolph into the barricade a few times. Back in, Dolph sneaks him with a small package for 1, 2, nearfall. DDT! 1, 2, 2.9999999999999. Rollins is pissed and flattens Dolph with the BuckleBomb. 1, 2, no. Rollins heads up top and fights off Dolph to try a Super Curb Stomp. Dolph avoids for a Fame-asser. 1, 2, 2.99999999. Cole: “I HAVE GOOSEBUMPS!” J&J Security are in. Dolph shitcans them back out. ZIG ZAG! 1, 2, TRIPS PULLS OUT THE REF! J&J are back in to put the boots to Dolph, while Trips disposes of the ref. Dolph fights them off and shoves them into Steph who falls off the apron onto H. Rollins capitalizes with another BuckleBomb and tries the Curb Stomp. NO! Dolph hits another Zig Zag! BUT WAIT! A SECOND REFEREE HAS COME OUT! Trips tackles him and shitcans him out. BOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Pedigree on Dolph. Cole’s sanctimonious tirade on commentary is pretty awesome. Trips calls for another ref. It’s crooked ref, Scott Armstrong. 1, 2, BUT WAIT! IT IS THIS IS STING! He waltzes out and waffles Armstrong. He and Trips circle for some old gunslinger shit, and after a full Sergio Leone score plays through both of their heads, Sting drops H with the Scorpion Death Drop. He drapes Dolph for 1, 2, 3 to end the Authority at 43:07.

• This match of a triumph of (over)booking moreso than any of the work being done. You could easily lob the same complaint at different RR and EC matches and maybe even certain elimination SS matches, but this is one of the only times I can remember a fantastic elimination match without any memorable sequences or performances involved from individuals. Put another way – what’s the best mini-match in this match? Dolph-Seth? Dolph-Rusev? Ryback-Rusev? There’s just not a lot of substance to the exchanges themselves. You need more blood and more HBK to really put an elimination match over the top. As good as Dolph is, he’s no HBK and he’s a better bumper than seller. Still, though, you have an amazing match with perfect booking down the line and even a Sting debut for the ages. ****1/2

8. The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family. WWE Elimination Chamber 2014. 02/23/2014. The origins for this crazy 6-man lie in an electric and completely organic showdown on the 11/11/13 RAW. It should have happened much sooner, but the WWE was intent on Punk/Shield and DB/Wyatts for a couple of months for us to get here. Who knows? If the Daniel Wyatt angle stayed on course and Punk stayed after the RR in 2013, maybe this match never happens.

• Coming out of the RR both units were on a bit of a high with Bray conquering DB and Roman setting some RR records. Also at the RR, The Wyatts crashed Cena’s title match and cost him against Orton. The next night on RAW, during a 6 man tag to determine 3 EC participants, it was the Shield vs. Cena/Sheamus/DB. The Wyatts would crash the party again, but end up neutralized and harming The Shield instead leading to this confrontation. Of note, The Shield has been showing signs of dissension for weeks during the build up.

• Crowd chants THISISAWESOME for the staredown… again. Lots of trash-talking, particularly with Bray/Dean. Bray’s all I’LL INTERFERE IN YOUR HELL IN THE CELL MAIN EVENT AND THEN BEAT YOU AT TLC AFTER YOUR GROUP DISBANDS! Dean’s all WHAT! Or something. ANYWAY, big brawl to start pre-bell and Shield clears the ring. Rowan and Rollins to start proper. Rollins uses his speed and a dropkick to avoid some choking. Rowan bowls back over Rollins and drags him over to the Wyatt corner. Harper in and chokes for a bit. Bray tags in to work him over in the corner. Rollins slides through and tags in Reigns. Crowd reacts for the Bray/Reigns showdown. They slug it out and Bray gets the advantage with the ref break. Reigns cuts him back off with a back elbow and Bray drops him with an uppercut. Harper tries a suplex but Reigns counters to one of his own. Harper gets isolated in the Shield corner and eats a triple team combo. Ambrose rakes his eye across the top rope and dropkicks him. MOARQUICKTAGS from Rollins and Ambrose. Ambrose gets the foot up in the corner and hits a Euro uppercut off the second rope. Rowan distracts and Harper takes back over with a dropkick. Wyatt in for some GnP as we’re still solidly in feeling out territory with several generic but competitive quick tags. Bray steamrolls Ambrose with a Ho Train the corner and talks trash. A Red that’s Big drops a knee and uses the old Slaughter knuckle grinder to slow things down. Side slam gets 1, 2, no. Harper back in with a brainbuster on Ambrose for 1, 2, kickout. Ambrose comes back with a swinging neckbreaker. Tag to Rollins and he’s all kicks for Harper. Rowan again distracts and Harper sets up Rollins for a SUPER GERMAN SUPLEX! NO! ROLLINS FLIPS AND LANDS ON HIS FEET! SHITCAN TO HARPER! TOPE SUICIDA! SPRINGBOARD FLYING KNEE! YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!

• Harper comes right back with a Blackhole Slam to end that awesome rally. Harper’s got that Southern Comfort Strength and doesn’t need to sell. On the floor, Bray with a senton on Rollins as Ambrose and Reigns give him the stink eye from the face corner. Rowan in and he shows off his 1970s Memphis routine with body slams and punches as the crowd chants for tables. Rollins tries to slap it out with Harper and Harper drops him like a step child and slingshots him into the ropes that draws winces from the crowd. Rollins tries to fire up and kicks away Bray but Bray catches him in the CHOKESLAM! 1, 2, broken up by Ambrose. HARPER KICKS THESHITS OUT OF AMBROSE AND HE’S OUT! It goes without saying to a degree but the facial expressions are just top notch all around. ANYWAY, Rollins flips to his feet offthe ropes and enzuigiris Harper down. Hot tag to Reigns. He drops the heels and Samoan drops Rowan. Harper shitcans him out and that ends with Reigns hitting the leaping Batista kick from the floor on Rowan. IT’S BREAKING LOOSE IN MINNEAPOLIS! Ambrose dropkicks Bray off the apron but Harper hits a suicide dive on both. TOPE CON HILO FROM ROLLINS! Reigns school boys Rowan for 1, 2, 2.99999. Double clothesline and double down. Crowd is loving it. Rollins preps the announce table but gets tackled from behind by Harper and Bray. Ambrose joins the fray and tumbles into the crowd with Bray. Rowan and Reigns slug it out and Reigns clotheslines him down for a nearfall. Rollins and Harper slug it out and Wyatt shitkicks Rollins away. They clear the other announce table as Rowan tosses Reigns with a snap ab suplex. Bray tells them to follow the buzzards and Harper and Rowan double ChokeSlam Rollins through the SAT. Back in, now it’s Wyatt on Reigns, 3-on-1. Yakuza kick from Harper and Reigns is toast. Bray tags in to pick the carcass clean. He wants Sister Abigail but Reigns Via Satellites up for a Samoan drop and SUPERMAN PUNCHES ON BRAY AND ROWAN! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! SPEAR ON HARPER! Bray cuts him off with the running crossbody. SISTER ABILGAIL! 1, 2, 3 to take it for the Wyatts at 22:42.

• A perfectly built match with the requisite staredowns and showdowns built up, the high spots broken out at the right times, the interference and cutoffs timed well, and the ending with Reigns still looking super strong but not stupid strong enough to go over Bray (before he loses to CENAWINSLOL). At the time, it always seemed like the stock of each individual Shield member would wax and wane over their existence, but this was probably the peak of Rollins’ overness while in the group as the sequence with Harper alone put him over huge. Really good match that makes me miss all the potential the company, the tag division, etc. had back in early 2014. ****1/2

7. Cesaro vs. John Cena. WWE RAW. 02/17/2014. Going into the EC, Randy Orton as champ had to run the gauntlet against his EC challengers. After losing to both DB, Cena and Cesaro, Orton was reeling and Cena was gloating. Cena came out a week before EC and started talking trash. He was interrupted by the still Real American Cesaro who wanted praises for his own victory over Orton. They butted heads and a match was made for later that night. This is all coming just a week after Cena basically cut a promo promising Cena/Orton for the last time ever (though that changed at HITC) and challenging the younger stars to step up and take him on.

• Cesaro with a quick roll up that goes nowhere. Cesaro goes to a hammerlock and switches to a headlock. Cena counters and goes into side control with the headlock. Cena runs over Cesaro with a shouderblock and runs under a leap frog and hiptosses him out. Cesaro regroups with Swagger and Zeb on the floor. Back in, they trade wristlocks and Cesaro now takes Cena over into side control. Cesaro’s turn for the shoulderblock and Cena tries a leap frog as well but Cesaro catches him into the sweet tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Nice call back already. WE THE PEOPLE! Cesaro with a double foot stomp for a 2 count. Cesaro goes to a rest hold and Cena no sells to power out. Cesaro is pissed and lowers the bridge to dump him out. Cesaro tosses him into the barricade as they take their time drawing this out. Cena cuts him off with a Stun Gun but Cesaro comes right back with a dropkick for a few 2 counts. Back to the chinlock for Cesaro and Cena tries an FU but Cesaro escapes for a Stun Gun of his own from the apron. I’m digging the match layout where Cena keeps one-upping Cena with the same moves. Top rope elbow gets 1, 2, no for Cesaro. Cena tosses Cesaro into a half nelson neckbreaker for 1, 2, 2 1/2. Cesaro counters a whip and Cena takes a hard bump as the commentary is really going the extra mile to put over Cesaro. It’s really a shame how they screwed up his push, but I digress. Cesaro baseball slides Cena to the floor. We take a break and are back to them slugging it out. Cenacanrana but Cesaro no sells for a bridged snap ab suplex! 1, 2, kickout. Cesaro comes right back with a Sleeper. Cena counters by running Cesaro into the corner but Cesaro runs him over with a LARIATO. 1, 2, no. BACKTOTHECHINLOCKMAGGLE! Cena drives him into the corner again and it’s time for the shoulderblocks. He wants the Protobomb but Cesaro rolls through for theBIG SWING! NO! STF! NO! KARELIN LIFT! 1, 2, 2.99. Cesaro drops Cena with a Euro uppercut in the corner. He tries another but Cena avoids for the Protobomb. 5KS and he wants the FU. Cesaro shoves him off for the SWISS DEATH FROM BELOW! ONE, TWO, THREEOHNOHEALMOSTGOT’IM! Cesaro calls for the Big Swing and Zeb reminds him that this is for Wrestlemania. Cena Reeboks up to counter into a slick DDT. 1, 2, kickout. Crowd is in the palm of their hands now. Cena heads up top and Cesaro EURO UPPERCUTS HIS ASS ALL THE WAY TO THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! HANGING VERTICAL SUPLEX PULLING CENA FROM THE APRON! 1, 2, 2.999999999999999. Cesaro pulls him up to talk trash and of course, Cena rolls him into the STF! NO! BIG SWING! THIRTEEN ROTATIONS! 1, 2, NEARFALL! Cesaro wants the Neutralizer but Cena switches to the FU! CESARO LANDS ON HIS FEET! BOOT OF FEAR! NO SELL! LARIATO FROM CENA! Cena flip bumps Cesaro into a deadlift fireman’s carry for the FU. 1, 2, 3 to take it at 16:07 of shown footage.

• For 99.9999% of this match, the entire company seemed to be in push Cesaro to the moon territory. He had the upper hand basically the entire match; he got to counter Cena’s spots and counter his counters and basically got to hit all of his major spots; Cena didn’t crap on his finish; the commentary was lockstep in putting him over; etc. The only things not putting over Cesaro in the highest sense was that it only took one FU to put him down and Cena won, but that’s a minor complaint. The biggest travesty was his booking from the early summer on. Fantastic match complete with some NJPW flavor in the no sell, high impact strikes at the end as well. ****1/2

6. Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki. NJPW G1 Climax 24 – Day 11. Big reaction at the bell for Okada. Another slow start as both men are apprehensive about the lockup. After some flirting, Okada gives a clean break. They both dodge strikes and Suzuki pulls Okada into a FUJIWARA ARMBAR! Luckily, Okada gets the ropes early. Okada tries to fight him, but Minoru grabs an armbar IN THE ROPES! He releases to give Okada a DRFG off the apron. Man, Suzuki came to do work tonight. He putsOkada’s arm in the rail and boots the shit out of it. Okada’s selling is awesome already. Back in, Minoru with ANOTHER armbar in the ropes that only lasts seconds before he releases. Minoru starts booting him around, and Okada tells him to BE A MAN and target the injured arm. Okada tries firing up, but the arm is too hurt for another forearms. Minoru is just treating Okada like a complete jobber as he hooks in a kimura and adds a half crab to pretzel him. Okada makes the ropes and tries a kick out of the corner and a DDT to get a rally going. Okada with a big boot and a kick that sends Minoru out to the floor. The crowd tries rallying behind him as he sends Minoru into the rail and boots him into the first row. Orton DDT off the rail follows. Back in, Okada heads up top for his Macho elbow and still sells the arm. RAINMAKER TAUNT! NO! MINORU INTERRUPTS! THAT BASTARD! Minoru ain’t nothing to fuck with or taunt on and puts the boots to Okada. Yakuza kick from Minoru and he avoids the Bluechipper dropkick for a DRFG.

• He follows up with more kicks to the injured arm. Armbar and Okada quickly gets the ropes. For comparison sake, while Ishii is also a great seller against Nagata from the same night, he takes way too long getting the ropes on an armbar, and Okada immediately goes to them like the match is at stake. Much better. ANYWAY, the crowd chants for OKADAOKADAOKADA to try and get him going. Okada tries some forearms, but his arm is just too hurt. He tries a Euro uppercut, and Minoru blocks for the FUJIWARA ARMBAR! YEAHHHHHH! Minoru works the hold for a solid minute before Okada gets the ropes. The crowd bought that as a potential finish. Out of nowhere, on pure instinct, Okada rolls through some arm work for RED INK! BUT THE ARM IS TOO HURT TO APPLY! Okada sells and finally pulls him by the hair to lock in the hold. Minoru gets the ropes, and Okada drops him with an FU for 1, 2, 2 1/2. Okada sends off Minoru for the Bluechipper dropkick, but Minori fakes a head injury to set up his own dropkick. NIIIIICE! Minoru is a madman, and I love it. He goes back to the arm, kicking and pulling on it in every way possible. SLEEPER! Minoru releases for a PACKAGE PILEDRIVER! NO! OKADA FIGHTS IT OFF! Minoru knees THE FUCK OUT OF HIM! He fucking WANTS this piledriver. Okada fires up and drops down for the Schwein Redline neckbreaker. They slug it out from their knees, and Okada’s arm is fine now which is a bit disappointing. They talk trash as they forearm the shit out of each other. Okada finally wins the battle with a Euro uppercut to set up the Bluechipper dropkick enzuigiri. They fight over a piledriver, so Minoru goes to the headbutts to block.Okada no sells for a German. NO! MINORU GOES TO THE BAD ARM! They fight over the piledriver until Okada drops him with A PACKAGE TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER! RAINMAKER TIME! Minoru shakes it off for a strike combo and a HAYMAKER! CLOSED FIST! BOOOOOOOOOOOOO! YOU FUCKER! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!~! Okada no sells for a Bluechipper dropkick. RAINMAKER! 1, 2, 3 AND SUZUKI IS DONE AT 17:16!

• Minoru is my man this year, twice throwing out all the stops like a boss and losing both times but no one ends up caring because that’s how awesome he is. He comes off like a complete sociopath in working over Okada’s arm and then a cheating asshole when he goes to the closed first in the last sequence. Okada is allowed to do what Okada does best — sell. Don’t get me wrong, Okada’s incredible, but he’s probably the best seller in the world. That’s why it was a tad disappointing he shook off the arm work in the last few minutes. Phenomenal match that goes straight to the top 5 of the year. ****1/2

5. Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton. WWE RAW. 02/03/2014. Coming out of the RR, it was unclear if the fed had missed the boat on Daniel Bryan’s run to the top. He was pinned clean by Bray and not in the RR match itself. The next night on RAW, the WWE appeared to right the ship by putting DB in the EC with Sheamus, Cena, and of course, Orton. The next week, he would get Orton 1-on-1.

• Crowd chants for DB as the lockup takes them into the ropes. Orton ducks out to the floor and tells the crowd to can it in an awesome moment. Man, Orton is so underrated. He’s not the greatest ever or anything, but he has to be the guy with the most world championships, ****+ matches, and one of the last true heels left that gets so little consideration or respect as a performer. Orton is this generation’s Triple H, it’s just that he didn’t have Rock or Austin to magnify him; he had Cena and Batista. ANYWAY,Orton rakes the eyes but DB comes back with a back elbow. DB goes to the arm and Orton headbutts him down like a jobber. Orton with a vertical suplex for 1, 2, no. DB sends him off only to eat a shoulderblock. Orton poses and laughs maniacally at the marks. DB comes back with a knee to the breadbasket and some kicks in the corner. He throws Orton across the ring with a DSLW and Orton’s selling is good so far, unlike their 2013 matches post-SS. DB wraps the leg around the post a few times and Orton’s reeling. DB then dropkicks the knee into the post AND NOW WE GO TO SCHOOL, BEARDED VEGAN GOAT STYLE! DB hooks in the Indian Deathlock and works it for a bit before rolling Orton into a cover for 1, 2, no. DB tries rolling the Deathlock over but Orton bites his way free in a cool spot and CONTINUES SELLING THE KNEE! MY MAN! Orton follows up with a few Euro uppercuts and tries another but DB pulls him into a backslide for 1, 2, no. ANOTHER DSLW! DB drops down on the knee a few more times and Orton bails to the floor to regroup.

• DB gives him no distance and kicks him around and tosses him OVER the announce table. Back in, DB stays on the knee and dropkicks it. Top rope rana gets 1, 2, 2 1/2. DB stands on his hamstrings and stomps them into the mat. This is glorious, 2006-level stuff for Dragon. He hasn’t thoroughly demolished someone like this in a long time. He clips the knee AGAIN and rolls Orton into a half crab. DB pulls him back to the middle, but Orton still gets the ropes. Ortonrolls to the floor, and finally, the heat begins as he drops DB on the barricade with a back suplex. Orton goes to his bread and butter and stomps DB around. DB comes back with up and over but runs into a slick powerslam. Nice cutoff. We take a break and are back to DB getting dropped with an Exploder suplex ON THE INJURED ARM, MAGGLE! Orton posts the shoulder a few times and then sends DB into the stairs, bad arm first again. Awesome. Back in, cover gets 1, 2, no. Orton goes to a Fujiwara armbar and TRIES TO BREAK HIS FINGERS! THATNOGOODBASTARD! HE STOMPS THE INJURED ARM! STOP THE MATCH! THIS MAN WILL HAVE A WIFE IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS! Orton continues viciously working over the arm in terrific fashion. Orton poses and basks in wonderful heeldom. Why couldn’t these two have had a match like this and the December RAW match on PPV one of the three times they tussled in 2013? Orton gets DB up top for a superplex. DB won’t go up, but Orton goes back to the injured arm. DB shrugs it off for a headbutt. Missile dropkick and DB sells the arm on impact. Double down. They kick it out and DB goes to Orton’s knee and Ortoncomes right back going after the injured arm. This is just beautiful stuff. Orton gloats and hits his pose. DB PULLS HIM INTO THE YES LOCK! ORTON GETS THE ROPES!Orton fires up for a few IEDs but Orton no sells out for a Bluechipper dropkick. Orton tosses DB to the apron for his DDT. Orton wants the RKO, but DB cuts him off with the DRFG ENZUGIRI! DIVING HEADBUTT! 1, 2, NO! YESYESYESYESYESYESYES! ANOTHER DRFG ENZUGIRI! BUT WAIT! CORPORATE KANE HAS COME OUT! DB ignores to suicide dive on him and Orton and then Kane runs himself into the stairs. Orton tries to cut him off with the RKO. DB shoves him off for the Busaiku knee for 1, 2, 3 to pin Orton clean at 23:56.

• This is truly the first surprising match for me on this list. This is easily one of the elite matches in the year and when I was sketching this list out with nominees in such, it was bringing up the rear. I thought I had seen their best in December even with no clean finish, but man, was I wrong. These two wrestle the shit out of each other with DB working the knee like a mad man and Orton giving him everything and then some selling wise, and Orton responding in kind twirling the mustache like a bastard while he destroys the arm and DB crying in pain. They had some phenomenal counters in the last few minutes and well, it’s just poetry. If you combine this match complete with the clean finish with DB going over, but give it the false finishes from EC between these two in the last segment and that nuclear crowd, you’ve got the match of the year. But as is, it’s just the best free TV match of the year. ****1/2

4. No Holds Barred, Elimination Match: The Shield vs. Evolution. WWE Payback 2014. 06/01/2014. After losing to The Wyatts at EC, The Shield teased dissension before turning full blown face taking out Corporate Kane. At Mania, they easily dispatched Kane and the NAO. Meanwhile, the H’s, Orton, and Batista collectively lost to Daniel Bryan. Trips tried to strong-arm his way into a cheap victory for the strap, the night after Mania but The Shield were on hand to spoil his title chances. The next week, The Authority stacked the deck against The Shield putting them against virtually the entire heel roster in a handicap match. Trips, Orton, and Batista re-formed Evolution that night to try and eliminate The Shield. At EE, The Shield were victorious, but The Authority got Evolution one more match to try and force The Shield to disband at Payback.

• They repeat the Wyatt-Shield standoff from February that got massive reactions each time they did it. At the bell, they collide with Reigns/Batista, Ambrose/Orton, and Trips/Rollins pairing off. Reigns quickly dumps out Batista, while the rest take turns exchanging blows in the corner. Tornado rules apparently as Batista knocks Reigns into the front row. Trips and Rollins left alone in the ring as Orton trashes Ambrose over the barricade as well. Rollins with an enzuigiri that sends Trips reeling. Rollins clotheslines him into the crowd as well and follows with an EVIL ARCHITECT HAMMER. Ambrose and Orton battle back to ringside and Orton gets sent into the announce table. Rollins eats barricade as well from Trips. More general brawling as Trips gets backdropped back to ringside and Ambrose gets back suplexed on the barricade. Batista eats stairs and he goes down in a heap off-camera. Trips pulls Ambrose over the barricade, but the match finally gets going in the ring with Reigns working on Batista’s arm. He tags in Rollins for another ART VANDELAY HAMMER. Batista comes back sending him across for the HBK flip and Orton tags in. Rollins with a dropkick and tags in Ambrose. They hit a double suplex and hit combo knee and elbow drops. Ambrose steals a page out of Orton’s book working a mini-Garvin stomp and Deathlocking his legs. Cover gets 1, only 1. Reigns in and BOOOOOOO-tista in. Batista eats a LARIATO for a 1 count. A massive headbutt and Batista AWESOMELY tries to tag in someone from The Shield corner. Why does he get so good right before he quits? ANYWAY, Ambrose back in to rake the eyes only to run in a spinebuster. Ambrose kicks out at ONE. Trips takes over but eats boot and Reigns gets the tag. The likely, future SS main event gets a pop for the stareoff.

• Reigns winks and Trips is a bit perplexed. Cole: “YOU CAN’T PLAY MIND GAMES WITH THE CEREBRAL ASSASSIN!” They lockup and Trips runs into a STOUT shoulderblock from Reigns and scrambles back to a neutral corner. Trips looks to set up the jawbreaker but eats a backdrop and a LARIATO. Ambrose tags back in with some strikes and a stomp. Shield works some quick tags and Ambrose goes to the Three Amigos. Trips kicks out at 2. Ambrose back in for more choking and a cannonball in the corner. Cover gets 1, 2, kickout. Ambrose ignores a tag to try a COME AS YOU ARE HAMMER but eats boot. Batista tags in to blast Ambrose into the barricade and hang him out to dry. BATISTA KICK! THE NAMESAKE! Evolution cheats behind the ref’s back and Batista slingshots Ambrose into the ropes. Cover gets only 1. Orton in to throw down Ambrose by the hair and work his own Garvin Stomp. Trips in to work the GnP as well. Trips lands a few knee drops and covers Ambrose for 1, 2, no. Ambrose cuts him off for the H Flip. Man, H is just a revelation lately as well. He was the one taking the heat for the heels, he got nothing on Reigns and took it all, and now he’s getting thrown out of the ring by the face in peril. Speak of the devil as Trips tries the jawbreaker but Ambrose no sell into the JAWBREAKER LARIATO! Double KO. Both make tags to Batista and Reigns. Reigns blows right through him with a leaping clothesline. Reigns hits a running clothesline and backdrop for Trips. Rollins in with a dropkick on Orton. Reigns dodges the camera man for the SUPER BATISTA KICK! Downpour? Monsoon? Rainmaker? (I know, I know, but no one in the Fed cares about Okada).

• ANYWAY, Batista eats the kick and Reigns is fired up and so is the crowd. He wants the Superman Punch and hits it. 1, 2, Orton breaks it up and THEY ARE BREAKING DOWN, HERE IN CHICAGO! Orton and Trips take over shitcanning Ambrose and Rollins out and working them over. Ambrose gets posted a few times and Trips drags Rollins into the crowd for the scenic tour. Ambrose lands a sledge off the barricade on Orton. Rollins tries one as well on Trips but gets countered with a STEEL TRUNK LID! Much cooler than it sounds. Reigns posts Batista who sells it awesomely as Reigns preps the SAT. Orton tackles Reigns from behind as Evolution is holding court at ringside. They beatdown Reigns and it’s 3-on-1. Evolution now gives The Shield some of their own medicine with a TRIPLE POWERBOMB THROUGH THE TABLE! Rather than try for a cover, Evolution admires their handiwork and catches their breath. They steal The Shield handsignal and Ambrose comes flying in with a splash. Trips and Orton try to stumble to safety but eat a NO HANDS FLIP PLANCHA! YEAHHHH! Evolution is now on their heels retreating to the entrance way. Trips and Batista take back over with whips into the barricade. It’s 3-on-2 Evolution as Reigns is out from the triple powerbomb. Trips and Orton get chairs and it’s time to go to work.

• They beat the FUCK out of Rollins and Ambrose, culminating in a back suplex on a chair and a PEDIGREE ON A CHAIR! Evolution turns their attention back to Reigns and it’s 3-on-1 again. He tries to fire up but takes a Spinebuster and stiff boot from Orton. Batista brings in the stairs as they tear off his flak jacket. Orton gets the Singapore canes. This is no longer a match, this is about teaching a lesson. It’s like an n.W.o beatdown in the middle of a 6-man tag but as a part of the match. They smash him into the stairs and then Trips holds him in place as the caning is on in THE PASSION OF ROMAN REIGNS! There’s an uncomfortable silence from the crowd, while Reigns writhes in agony as if it’s getting a little too graphic and visceral for some. Reigns Kryptons up for a Superman Punch but quickly eats a few more devastating chairshots and he rolls to the floor with his hamburger back. They beat him all the way down the aisle and Ambrose has come back to life but gets tackled from behind. Orton hits the elevated DDT on the floor on Ambrose. BUT WAIT! IT’S ROLLINS! HE’S ON TOP OF THE VIDEO SCREEN DIVIDE! SPLASH ONTO EVOLUTION! BACK TO SQUARE ONE! Everyone is crawling on their hands and knees back to the ring. Batista and Rollins are back in first. Rollins gets the boot up in the corner but leaps off into a SPEAR! DEMONBOMB! NO! SPEAR ON BATISTA! 1, 2, 3 and Batista is eliminated at 27:32.

• Crowd sings goodbye to Batista. BUT WAIT! RKO ON ROLLINS! 1, 2, Reigns breaks it up. Orton wants the DDT on Reigns but Ambrose has got a chair and lays him out. HEADLOCK DRIVER ON ORTON! 1, 2, 3 and Orton hits the showers at 28:40.

• Trips is all by himself against The Shield now. He fights off Ambrose with the LEGALLOWBLOW! He preps a Pedigree but Reigns knocks him down with a Superman Punch. SPEAR BY BATISTA ON REIGNS! Orton slides the trusty sledge to Triple H. He staggers to his feet and lays Ambrose OUT. He wants Reigns with the sledge but Rollins cuts him off with a flying knee. SPEARSPEARSPEAR shuts out Evolution at 31:00.

• I hate to borrow a JR-ism, but this wasn’t a match, it was a fight — gang-land style warfare. I’m sure the lack of pinfall attempts for upwards of a half-hour bothered some, but to me, this was a blood feud, more about power and hate than 1, 2, 3. Obviously, the match had to end with pinfalls, but I’m perfectly fine with Evolution bypassing pins to just cane Reigns into oblivion. Plus, each segment had a built-in reason for not going for a pin. Reigns is top dog and is going to need a ton of heat on his own before he goes down. Each time Evolution isolated and put him out, Rollins and Ambrose would recover and demand attention. Once they were put away, Reigns was back up. And etc.

• Put another way, I thought that was an AWESOME brawl that dumped out the RnR formula for some WarGames brutality. This is probably the closest to a WarGames that the WWE has ever produced. It doesn’t have a double cage or staggered entrances, but it does have several guys united in a sentiment of FUCK YOU, I’M GOING TO KILL YOU for 30+ minutes and I loved every minute of it. ****1/2

****3/4 Matches.

3. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata. NJPW Destruction in Kobe ’14. 09/21/2014. Shibata won the previous matchup in the G1 climax, so HT is looking for a measure of revenge. Another slow start from these two as they feel it out for a bit of catch as catch can. They trade waistlocks into a rope break. Rather than give a clean break, HT smacks the taste out of his mouth. That’s quite a change from G1 where Shibata did give the clean break. Time for the forearm war early and then a ferocious lockup. Shibata gets sent off and they repeat the teased dropkick and DRFG sequence at the beginning. After the requisite ECW standoff, HT gets him into the corner for forearms and Shibata no sells for forearms of his own. Now, they trade Euro uppercuts for a spell and Shibata overpowers and LAYS HIM THE FUCK OUT WITH THE FOREARMS! HT tries to head up top but Shibata dropkicks him to the floor. Shibata sends him off on the floor and yakuza kicks him in another repeat spot from July. He tries it again which leads to another slug it out with forearms on the floor. The ref starts the count and they continue with the forearms. 15. 16. 17. They REALLY want to forearm each other. 18. 19. BOTH SLIDE BACK IN! MOARFOREARMS!

• They both try Hulking up and no selling but neither is giving an inch; finally, Shibata drops him like a bad habit AGAIN with the FOREARM HOMICIDA! Shibata kicks him around and goes to the F4. HT tries to smack his way out of the hold, but Shibata stays strong and torques the leg more. HT finally rolls through and gets the ropes. Shibata kicks him back around and HT tries the G1 strategy and goes after the knee. Shibata no sells that weak shit but still eats a burrito. HT dropkicks the leg and Shibata sells THAT. Scoop slam and HT hits the Swanton for 1, 2, no. HT forearms him down in the corner and heads across and in another repeat, Shibata no sells to follow him across for the yakuza kick. In a simultaneous callback and repeat, HT no sells to follow him across (which he didn’t do last time) and tries the Stinger Splash but whiffs (which did happen last time but in a different spot in the match). Awesome callback. Shibata kicks the shit outta him for trying that garbage that didn’t work last time and HT looks legitimately out of answers. Shibata tries to take his fucking head off in the corner with the FOREARMS OF DEATH! IED! HT Cenas up and grabs the leg. Shibata tries to shake it off and smacks him. Once. 2x. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7! 8! 9! 10! 11! 12! EAT! SLEEP! SMACK! REPEAT! HT NO SELLS ALL OF IT FOR THE DSLW! Shibata p first and rolls through HT’s waistlock into a Sleeper. HT gets the ropes and Shibata tries a kick but HT catches it and smacks him down. HT heads up top but Shibata kicks him all the way to the floor. Back in, HT cuts him off at the pass with another DSLW. The crowd gets behind HT as he goes for Sling Blade butShibata ducks behind for a teardrop German suplex. HT no sells for one of his own. Shibata no sells that for the DRFG! THAT’S WHAT BEAT HT AT G1! SHIBATAINJURES THE LEG HITTING THE MOVE! PSYCHOLOGY~!~!~! Shibata tries to shake life back into his leg and is finally able to but decides not to go for a cover. He wants the G2S but HT counters over the top into the SLING BLADE! ANOTHER SLING BLADE! HIGH FLY FLOW! NO! KNEES UP FROM SHIBATA! Shibata goes for the Sleeper but HT bridges into an O’Connor Roll for 1, 2, POWER KICKOUT INTO THE SLEEPER! DRFG! NO! HT AVOIDS FOR THE GERMAN SUPLEX! DSLW! Texas Cloverleaf follows. Shibata fights it and makes the ropes. HT with a head of steam but Shibata shits on his gimmick with the Bluechipper dropkick. They slug it out from their knees and get to their feet again. HT changes tactics from forearms to open faced smacks and Shibata goes down. SPINNING BACK CHOP FROM SHIBATA! G2S is blocked into a DSLW! IED! HIGH FLY FLOW CROSSBODY! HIGH FLY FLOW! 1, 2, 3 to put away Shibata at 17:57.

• Amazing, spectacular match that is easily better than their MOTYC from G1. What’s particularly astounding to me is how they are easily able to pull one of the best matches of the year with little overboard or overdone theatrics – no 1000 kickouts, no super finishers, no finisher false finishes, it’s sub 20-minutes when usually it seems the best NJPW matches go a solid 30, etc. The selling and psychology on Shibata’s knee was remarkable. There was a solid amount of repeats, callbacks, and upgrades from the first match, but holy shit, the highlight is easily the counters out of signature moves into other signature moves. Whether it was the kickout into the Sleeper or the G2S into the Sling Blade, it was just a phenomenal and unpredictable match right to the final move. I don’t keep up with NJPW hardly at all, but if Shibata doesn’t get a marquee title match main event against Tanahashi soon, there is no justice in the world. Spots of the match: The smack sequence into the DSLW, kickout into the Sleeper, G2S into the Sling Blade, Shibata unable to cover after the DRFG, etc. ****3/4

2. AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki. NJPW G1 Climax 24 – Day 7. 08/01/14. Fierce staredown at the start as neither will give an inch. Suzuki catches AJ off guard and shoves him back and smacks the taste out of his mouth. He goes to the knees but Aj leap frogs him for the Bluechipper dropkick. Minoru bails out but avoids a baseball slide. He tries to whip AJ into the rail but he jumps over it and hits the GAIJIN HAMMER back to ringside. Back in, Suzuki no sells some strikes and tells AJ to bring it on. Suzuki is insulted that AJ thinks his weak sauce means jack shit in Japan. AJ snapmares him and lands a knee drop. AJ hits a hanging vertical suplex for 1, 2, kickout. AJ goes to the Bret Hart backbreaker and sends Suzuki across. AJ lands on the apron off a counter and tries a springboard but Suzuki shoves him back and catches him in the ARMBAR IN THE ROPES! DR FG ON THE APRON! Suzuki sends him into the rail and then torques the arm around the rail and then boots it into the ringside table. SUZUKI’S GOT THE RINGBELL HAMMER! MY GOD, THIS MAN HAS A FAMILY! Thankfully, Suzuki was just teasing and tosses it aside casually. He does bring AJ into the crowd and applies the armbar THROUGH A CHAIR! HE’S BITING THE MAN! SUZUKI HAS NO CONSCIENCE! Knowing he can’t win the match on the floor, he releases and they go back to the ring. Suzuki shitcans AJ around and goes to a Kimura. He then rolls into a Fujiwara armbar. He plants his knee on the arm for leverage and then torques backward on the arm. THE HUMAN ANATOMY AIN’T MEANT TO BEND THAT WAY! He stretches AJ around like he’s a young boy and locks in a Crippler Crossface variation. He releases just to further kick the arm into oblivion. AJ gets some distance by rolling through and suplexes Suzuki into the turnbuckle. Time for the AJ Stinger splash and he stomps a mudhole in the corner. The ref calls for a break and Suzuki is pissed as AJ fires up. Suzuki pulls the ref in the way for the bump. Well, that’s certainly something I don’t see in Japan everyday.

• BUT WAIT! BLANK IS IN THE RING TO PUT THE BOOTS TO AJ! THE BULLET CLUB HAS COME OUT! SUZUKI’S STABLE AS WELL! IT’S A PIER-RIFFIC BRAWL! They brawl to the back leaving AJ, Suzuki, and the unconscious ref. AJ and Suzuki slug and chop it out. AJ tries a combo but Suzuki comes back with one of his own. AJ no sells for an enzuigiri. NO SELL! SMACK! NO SELL! DOUBLE SMACK! BOTH GO DOWN! OK, that was pretty awesome. Both are up and Suzuki lays into him with the strikes. AJ cuts him off with a throat kick. AJ says it’s over for Suzuki but Suzuki grabs the trigger finger of the Bullet Club leader and BREAKS THE FINGER! AJ wants the PHENOMENAL HAMMER! NO! SUZUKI CATCHES HIM IN THE ARMBAR! HE’S PULLING ON THE BROKEN FINGER! AJ GETS THE ROPES! They slug it out and AJ goes to the chops. Suzuki wants the go behind LARIATO but AJ sniffs it out. LARIATO! NO! SUZUKI GETS THE SLEEPER! HE’S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING! Suzuki releases to spin him around. CRADLE PILEDRIVER! AJ’S FIGHTING IT! Suzuki releases and tries a kick but AJ catches him. STYLES CLASH! NO! Suzuki rolls through into an ANKLELOCK! THESE TWO MAGNIFICENT STALLIONS! ROLL THROUGH TO AJ’S ANKLELOCK! ROLL BACK THROUGH FOR SUZUKI! ROLL THROUGH! BLOCKED BY SUZUKI! ARMBAR! AJ tries to stack him up but Suzuki pulls by the broken fingers. He torques the hold and grinds it. AJ’S GOTTA TAP! NO! HULK UP! ONE ARM STYLES CLASH! MAN UP TIME! Suzuki spits on AJ to bring the fire out in him and now it’s chopping and smacking. Awesomely, AJ is using his good hand. He tries a forearm with the broken hand and SELLS IT! SUZUKI KICKS THE BAD ARM! CLOSED FIST! THAT NO GOOD BASTARD! PELE FROM AJ! STYLES CLASH! 1, 2, 3 and AJ takes it at 16:23.

• Phenomenal match. Leading MOTYC right now, but it’s early (at least in my viewing year) and I haven’t seen much of the G1 yet. The psychology and selling are just perfect as are Suzuki’s counters into the armbar through the whole match. The run-in is obviously a bit of an American, sports entertainment touch and didn’t really add anything but at least it was brief and evened out. Spots of the match: Suzuki’s counter into the armbar and pulling on the fingers and AJ’s one-armed Styles Clash. ****3/4

***** Match.

1. Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro. NXT Arrival. 02/27/2014. After a classic series the last couple of years, Zayn wanted to finish the feud once and for all. Cesaro ducked him until Trips made the match on the go-home show. They soak in the moment and go for the VINTAGE STAREDOWN! Cesaro throws Zayn across the ring early and smacks him across the back of the head like a DICK. Both try headlock TDs that go nowhere until Cesaro dropkicks Zayn down. Cesaro shoots for a single, but Zayn blocks. Cesaro tries a backdrop, but Zayn, again one step ahead, lands on his feet(!). He wants the rana but Cesaro blocks for the BIG SWING! NO! Zayn kips up and tosses him to the floor for a baseball slide dropkick. Sami follows with a tope and the crowd is fired up. Back in, Zayn tries a crossbody. Cesaro catches him to counter with the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Slick. 1, 2, no. After a breather for Sami, Cesaro brings him back in just to shitcan him back out. Cesaro works him over and breaks the count again just to shitcan him out again. Sami tries a fire up, but Cesaro shakes off his weak sauce and trashes him into the rail. Back in, cover gets 1, 2, 2 1/2. Cesaro follows up with the UNPRECEDENT FOURTH CONSECUTIVE SHITCAN!

• He drops Sami on the rail throat-first and then drops him on the apron. He tries to wrap the leg around the post, but Sami pulls him back into the post. Sami cues up the leaping tornado DDT through the ropes but cuts him off with the EURO UPPERCUT HOMICIDA! NOW, he wraps the leg around the post. Awesome call back already. AND NOW WE GO TO SCHOOL, LEX EXPRESS MARK STYLE! Cesaro with a double foot stomp on the knee, and Sami is toast and can’t walk. Cesaro with a Batista kick and goes to some brutal MT knees. DSLW that Regal awesomely puts over on commentary. Sami finally gets some space for a leg lariat but still sells the bad leg. Cesaro stomps down on the floor and follows up with ROLLING DSLW’S! Sami tries to fire up with an enzuigiri but whiffs, and Cesaro locks in the half crab and DEEP SEATS IT! YEAHHHHHHH! Sami struggles but makes the ropes. Sami gets some daylight and backdrops Cesaro to the floor. Sami tries to shake some life back into his leg to set up the ARABIAN PRESS! NO! CESARO CATCHES HIM IN A TILT-A-WHIRL ON THE RAMP! 1! 2! 3! 4! CAN SAMI BEAT THE COUNT!?! 5! 6! 7! C’MON SAMI! 8! 9! HE BEATS THE COUNT!

• Cesaro moves in for the kill, but Sami cuts him off with an Exploder BucklePlex. 1, 2, 2 1/2. Cesaro comes back and elbowsSami into next week, but he no sells for the BLUE THUNDER BOMB! 1, 2, 2.99. Sami continues to sell the leg but shakes off a boot for the Flatliner into the Koji Clutch.Cesaro won’t tap and rolls into the STRETCH MUFFLER! SAMI ZAYN WILL NOT BE DENIED AND MAKES THE ROPES! Cesaro tries the Big Swing, but Sami counters into a roll up for 1, 2, 2.99. Cesaro goes right back to it for 10 rotations, but Zayn fights it every moment. Cesaro says IT’S OVER and goes for another EURO UPPERCUT HOMICIDA! ONE, TWO, THREEOHNOHEALMOSTGOT’IM! Crucifix counter from Zayn for 1, 2, kickout. DOUBLE CURBSTOMP FROM CESARO! 1, 2, 2.99999999999999. Crowd knows it’s awesome and they are right. Sami fights off Cesaro on the apron for a yakuza kick. He goes to the MMA elbows on Cesaro for a top rope rana. Cesaro blocks! STRAITJACKET SUPERBOMB! NO! SUPER-RANA! YAKUZA KICK! 1, 2, 2.99999999999999999999. Sami tries going eye-to-eye, and Cesaropunches him in the throat, Taken-style. Another Euro uppercut, and Cesaro is taking him to the learning tree. Another BRUTAL Euro uppercut, and Sami is DONE. Regal: “This is getting somewhat uncomfortable.” Awesome, all the way around. ANOTHER! ZAYN FLOP! ANOTHER! NO SELL FOR THE SLUG IT OUT! RELEASE GERMAN SUPLEX FROM ZAYN! He’s fired up for a charge. NO! BOOT OF FEAR FROM CESARO! NEUTRALIZER! NO! Roll up gets 1, 2, 2.9999 from Zayn. Zayn nails a Code Red for 1, 2, 2.999999999999999999999999999999. I’m running out of 9s. This is just incredible. Cesaro has HAD IT. SWISS DEATH FROM BELOW! 1, 1111111111111! POWER KICKOUT! Regal: “Zayn is a true warrior of the canvas wars!” Cesaro is insulted that Zayn is still standing and knows it’s time to take the dog out behind the barn. DISCUS EURO UPPERCUT! Neutralizer rips the crowd’s heart out for 1, 2, 3 at 23:00.

• This is YOUR match of the year. It’s basically flawless with the only possible hesitation being that maybe they have a touch too many nearfalls, but the match is too awesome to care. This is easily better than the 2-out-of-3 falls match from 2013 because they get more time to tell their story and just throw everyone out but the kitchen sink. Because this was going into EC and Cesaro got a pin over then-champ Orton and had a razor close match with Cena, Cesaro is booked like hot shit and basically destroys Zayn for 3/4 of the match. He stays a step ahead in the feeling-out mat wrestling; he overpowers Zayn and destroys his leg for most of the match; he counters several of his high spots; and he perseveres the final Hulk up and wins in the end. Zayn sells for days and even in losing, comes out like a warrior who needs to be decapitated to be defeated. This is one of the best matches I’ve ever seen where the loser comes out of the match looking better than the winner even though both look ready to be world champ. Amazing. *****

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