Csonka’s Top 64 Matches of 2019: #64-50 – Cole vs. Gargano, Cage vs. Elgin, More

WELCOME back, back to the column that makes lists and hopes that you enjoy them. This week’s column will look back at 2019 and will share my top 64 matches of the year. In order for a match to make the list, it had to have taken place sometime in 2019, and rate on my list at least at ****½. I am trying to create a best of playlist here with the idea behind it being for the person who has watched no wrestling in 2019 and are looking for the best things they missed. One thing that I have realized over the past few years as I have constantly upped the quantity of wrestling that I have been watching from all over the world, is that since 2014 or so, things have constantly been getting better and better. In terms of in ring quality, we’re really in a golden age with some spectacular performers putting on bigger, better, and more amazing matches and it’s an absolute joy to cover. Remember, this is just one man’s opinion; I hope that you enjoy, and feel free to share your thoughts and or list. It’s wrestling, we love it and will disagree. The only rules are “have a take, be respectful of other’s opinions and don’t be a dick.”

64. From WWE MITB 2019: Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles [****½]: This was excellent and the best thing on the show with ease. The layout was strong, with good drama and the crowd was invested; it also had that sense of urgency & intensity that the card had really been lacking. This was a really great effort for their first meeting that left a lot on the bone, and hopefully we get more to see if they can improve on it. easily the best from either man in 2019.

63. From Impact Slammiversary 2019: Cage vs. Michael Elgin [****½]: This was match featuring the best high-level performer in Impact, Elgin, challenging for the championship in an absolutely excellent hoss battle, with big lads doing big lad things at a crazy clip, and delivered big time. They worked the right formula here, letting it all hang out, locking in the crowd, and delivering the best Impact match of 2019. This was really great and tremendously fun overall. We need more from these two, they had a follow up that was just a notch below this, so we need a third match in 2020.

62. From WrestleCon Mark Hitchcock Memorial Supershow 2019: Will Ospreay vs. Bandido [****½]: This was a highly anticipated match at the time and they deliver hat I felt was an excellent match, just a hell of an effort from both, delivering exactly what I think we all hoped for when it was announced. This kept a great pace, Ospreay continues to be a banger machine, and Bandido came off as on his level. Best of all, I feel that they left some meat on the bone for a potential rematch down the line in ROH or NJPW. This had a high degree of difficulty and nearly flawless execution.

61. From NXT TV 10.02.19: Adam Cole vs. Matt Riddle [****½]: This was an excellent, balls to the wall, Takeover caliber match from these two on TV. They unloaded their entire arsenals on each other, there were great near falls/finishes, and the closing five-minute were absolutely outstanding. The crowd was amazing here and this was absolutely the right choice to kick off a show as Cole retains and continues his reign.

60. From NXT Takeover: XXV: Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano [****½]: While not quite on the level of their Takeover NYC match, these two put on an excellent match here, with a great layout, strong pacing, and good early work on the arm and knee that paid off in subtle and small ways down the stretch before Cole got completely ruthless and started just dismantling the knee of Gargano to the point that he had issues standing during the home stretch. Add in a hot crowd, great swings in momentum, Gargano’s babyface fire and selling juxtaposed against Cole’s desperation and ruthlessness and they delivered once again to the surprise of no one.

59. From NJPW WrestleKingdom 13: Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito [****½]: This was Chris Jericho’s best match of 2019, and it was an excellent match with a tremendous layout and game plan by Jericho. In many ways this felt tighter than the Omega match, more direct and to the point, with a more ruthless Jericho and Naito absolutely selling and bumping his ass off. I also loved that Naito learned from past mistakes against Jericho and was more aggressive and way less tranquilo. Jericho embracing being a crazy old man is so much better than him trying to show “he’s still got it” by doing a bad impression of his younger self; Jericho’s ability to reinvent himself has been amazing. This delivered.

58. From Beyond Wrestling Uncharted Territory 10.17.19: David Starr vs. Mercedes Martinez [****½]: Intergender Wrestling can be extremely polarizing, there are the matches that turn people off (because it comes across as a man abusing a woman as the woman tries to prove “she can take a beating,”) the average where they just work an ok match but the woman never looks competitive, and then there are technical classics like Eagles vs. Quackenbush from CHIKRA, which I saw live. David Starr vs. Mercedes Martinez is an excellent wrestling match, providing a strong pace and layout, a mix of power work and technical work, Starr continuing to have a great 2019, and Martinez continuing to prove why she’s gotten so much praise over the last decade plus. Beyond is one of those places that makes intergender work, it’s the right atmosphere, the competitors are given plenty of freedom and when you have two professionals as good as this, it’s almost magical. This is not only a great example of intergender done the right way, but a flat out excellent professional wrestling match.

57. From NJPW Power Struggle 2019: BUSHI vs. Will Ospreay [****½]: I am generally not a fan of bullshit in matches as they tend to take away from what could be really good matches, but I felt that this was a rare occasion where it actually added to the match, got the crowd hotter and had them buying into BUSHI actually stealing the win here. The crowd was amazing, they delivered an excellent match and Will delivered again as BUSHI had his best effort here in forever. The match had tons of inventive stuff and some really dramatic moments down the stretch and exceeded all expectations.

56. From NJPW Power Struggle 2019: KENTA vs. Big Tom Ishii [****½]: This is everything I wanted from this match, a dramatic hard-hitting brawl with KENTA being KENTA, Ishii delivering like he always does in big matches, and no bullshit at all. KENTA doesn’t need the Bullet Club bullshit to be a great and ruthless heel, I have said it for months and he proved that here. I thought that this was excellent, and not only was it KENTA’s best NJPW match so far, but after showing signs of it, actually felt like KENTA again. They also did a great job of making it feel that Big Tom could actually win the championship here.

55. From AAA Conquista Total Gira 6.09.19: El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Laredo Kid [****½]: This one got a lot of buzz, and due to that and the fact that I really enjoy both guys, knew I had to check it out. This was two young guys, with all the athleticism you could ask for, weaving it together into an excellent wrestling match. They mixed in some effective ground stuff when Vikingo “banged his knee up” to allow Laredo Kid the heat. That played well, and then the action really hit the next level and got properly crazy with imploding 450s, the Laredo Fly, and great near falls and fights for the ropes. Had they been able to really dial up the anger & intensity to peak the drama to that next level, it would have been even better and a high level MOTY candidate. This has been called the lucha MOTY, and I can certainly see why.

54. From NJPW BOSJ 26 Finals: Jon Moxley vs. Juice Robinson [****½]: This was an excellent and intense battle, with Moxley looking VERY motivated, in great shape an delivering the goods in his NJPW debut. His intensity was off the charts here, and was beautifully juxtaposed against Juice’s babyface fire. Juice has been in dead end feuds over the US Title, but finally got someone to dance with here and while he lost, out in a tremendous effort. This was a beautiful plunder filled brawl and was so different than anything else on the show it really stood out. A reinvigorated Moxley post WWE is great.

53. From NJPW Dominion 2019: Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito [****½]: To the surprise of no one, these two killed it again, delivering a crazy and at times, dangerous match that played into their history very well. They started out differently than the previous two matches, but slowly escalated the action and intensity until finally peaking at the end with Naito winning back the championship. The apron German spot was terrifying, but the rest was what you come to expect from these two, high stakes action, maximum effort and while it obviously isn’t for everyone, they again delivered big time.

52. From NJPW Southern Showdown in Melbourne 2019: Will Ospreay vs. Robbie Eagles [****½]: The story between these two continued in an excellent piece of professional wrestling, properly paying tribute to their past matches, creating great hooks in terms of teasing an Eagles win, delivering amazing action, and also playing off of the established angle with Eagles and Phantasmo. I could have done without the Phantasmo involvement, but it never hurt the match and played a big part in the story, which was Eagles looking to prove himself and win on his own. Ospreay delivers again, and this should without question make Eagles a made man in NJPW as he was also excellent here. The Eagles angle with Bullet Club/Phantasmo also continued to be one of if not the best angles in NJPW in 2019, leading to Eagles defecting to CHOAS and a tremendously fun Birds of Prey run with Ospreay.

51. From NJPW Road to Wrestling Dontaku 4.26.19: Roppongi 3K vs. Shingo & BUSHI [****½]: This was easily the best match of the NJPW Road to Wrestling Dontaku shows, and an excellent match, with Roppongi 3K finally getting a successful title defense. The layout and slow build played well here leading to the hot Sho vs. Shingo battle before hitting the homestretch, which has some really great near falls. These four had been working really well together all tour long and compliment each other so much that the work almost comes off as effortless.

50. From NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5.03.19: Dragon Lee vs. Taiji Ishimori [****½]: This was an excellent man event, with them getting plenty of time to work and Lee solidifying himself as the rightful champion, beating Ishimori, who didn’t take the pin at G1 Supercard. The match was really good throughout, with well executed peaks and valleys before heading into a really well done and dramatic homestretch, really teasing that Ishimori was going to take the title back. This was excellent stuff with the right man winning and delivering in the main event spot.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 77. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka & Jeremy Lambert break down their 2019 Wrestling Awards, the Cubsfan returns to talk the world of Lucha, & Steve Cook joins the show to discuss Vince McMahon’s loyalty to Jerry Lawler before the annual airing of the grievances. The show is approximately 210-minutes long.

* Intro
* The 2019 Wrestling Awards: 4:35
* Talking Lucha With The Cubsfan (Sin Cara, The Ingobernable Stables, Rey Horus, Rush Losing The ROH Title, More): 1:32:45
* Discussing Vince McMahon’s Loyalty to Jerry Lawler & The Airing of The 2019 Wrestling Grievances With Steve Cook: 2:10:20

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– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.