Kevin’s Top 500 Matches Of The 2010s (#370 – 361)

370. Hell in a Cell: Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Hell in a Cell 2015

Polarizing is a word I’d use to describe the opinions on this match. I’ve seen some call it amazing and some say it was one of the worst Hell in a Cell matches in history. Personally, and obviously, by it being on this list, I’m closer to the former than the latter. The feud leading into this was personal and despite it running for a while, culminating in the Cell was fitting. They went out and made sure to have a pretty badass match within the confines of the PG rating. I’ve heard a lot of people say that the Hell in a Cell can’t work in that situation but I think they, and Brock and Taker later on in the show, made it work. The weapons were brought into play, like kendo sticks, tables, and steel chairs. There were some great spots throughout, like Roman Reigns using two kendo sticks at once to attack Bray Wyatt, Bray hitting a uranage through a table, and Reigns nailing one of his best Spears off the apron and through a table. In the end, after 23:10, Reigns hit another Spear and came out on top of this long rivalry. It was another feather in the cap of a great 2015 for Roman Reigns.

369. Lights Out Mask vs. Career Match: El Generico vs. Kevin Steen – ROH Final Battle 2012

It was the biggest feud in Ring of Honor as soon as it began. It started at Final Battle 2009. I was actually in attendance for that show. After losing to The Young Bucks, Kevin Steen kicked El Generico in the nuts, said he hated him, and the team split. It sparked a bitter rivalry that came to a head a year later with the highest of stakes. El Generico’s mask against Kevin Steen’s ROH career. Within five minutes of this brutal war, Steen was busted open and his face was entirely crimson. Of course, he’s a great bully and Generico can take a beating like no other. So, their roles quickly reversed and Steen beat the hell out of his former partner. There was interference from Steve Corino and Colt Cabana but it didn’t detract much from the battle these two were waging. They built up the corner Brainbuster as something Generico could never hit on Steen. He finally did and still only got a near fall, adding to the drama. A vicious chair shot finally put Steen down after 31:12. It was an epic fitting of the rivalry.

368. No Disqualifications Match: Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton – WWE Raw 6/24/13

As 2013 entered its summer months, no wrestler was hotter than Daniel Bryan. He had been killing it as part of Team Hell No and in matches against The Shield. With the seed planted that Bryan was the weak link between himself, Kane, and their partner against The Shield, Randy Orton, he was out to prove that wasn’t the case. It led to a heated feud with Orton that culminated (until SummerSlam) in this match. There was an intensity to this that you’d expect from a match with months of build. You brought the idea that Bryan was desperate to do anything to win and that Orton could still be the sadistic man he was known for. Orton breaking up the No Lock with vicious kendo stick shots was perfect, especially when you consider how this ended. Orton went to do it again when he got put in the submission a second time, only for Bryan to weather a few shots and then use it for leverage on the hold. It forced Orton to tap out after 15:40, really solidifying that Bryan was on the verge of greatness.

367. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Invasion Attack 2015

Ever since AJ Styles’ run in the G1 Climax 24, he delivered in pretty much every outing in NJPW. Here, against a great performer like Kota Ibushi, Styles knew he had to avoid the high flying attack and looked for his calf killer submission. The threat of the Styles Clash, which is considered such a dangerous finish in New Japan, was always looming, but Ibushi avoided it. The Clash was up there with Okada’s Rainmaker and Fale’s Bad Luck Fall among the most protected finishes in NJPW. There were multiple moments during the 27:01 runtime where you could see just how well each guy had the other scouted. Ibushi countered the calf cutter into an inside cradle at one point. He also tried a top rope rana, only for Styles to block it and try the second rope Styles Clash that won him his Wrestle Kingdom debut earlier in the year. Ibushi blocked it and set up for his gorgeous Phoenix Splash finisher. Now, the Bullet Club interference was mostly kept to a minimum, which is always for the best, but Kenny Omega got on the apron to distract Ibushi in the end. That gave Styles the time to get up and catch the Phoenix Splash, in midair, into a Styles Clash. That was easily the best finish to any match that year.

366. Team Hell No and The Undertaker vs. The Shield –WWE Raw 4/22/13

How incredible was The Shield? They were a constant source of great matches. On this night, they famously arrived to the arena in a helicopter in one of the coolest things they ever did. Facing the undefeated trio was their rivals Team Hell No and the legendary Phenom. At this point, seeing The Undertaker wrestle on Raw was a rare treat, only adding to how special this was. The Shield showcased why they were so good, playing up the gang mentality that made them successful. Meanwhile, The Undertaker proved to possibly be the spark that someone needed to finally stop them. The Undertaker being the one person to kick out of Roman Reigns’ Spear (to that point) made sense. He’s special. Despite facing their toughest test yet, The Shield was able to come out on top by beating Bryan at the 19:07 mark. A hell of a match that felt special.

365. Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Heath Slater vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Kane vs. Sheamus vs. Sin Cara vs. Wade Barrett – WWE Money in the Bank 2011

This is one of the weirdest Money in the Bank fields I can honestly ever recall. Sin Cara, Heath Slater, and Justin Gabriel is about as random a group as you’ll find. Kane had won previously, Sheamus was a rising star, Wade Barrett was a threat, and Cody Rhodes was on fire as his “Undashing” character. Daniel Bryan felt like an interesting inclusion as well. Everyone knew he was talented but he wasn’t being booked strongly. Most viewed him as a guy in there to make the match better. That made his eventual win all the more powerful. In what was one of the longest Money in the Bank matches ever, clocking in at 24:26, all eight men put on a show. Sin Cara was sent out on a stretcher because he was put through a ladder. That was just a taste of the level of violence in this. Everyone got a chance to shine, the winner was a welcome surprise, and my only true negative is that it did go a bit too long.

364. WWE Championship: CM Punk [c] vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Kane – WWE No Way Out 2012

Goddamn, I absolutely loved this storyline. Everything involving Daniel Bryan, AJ Lee, CM Punk, and even Kane was so entertaining. That included this match, which stole the show on the middle of the card at No Way Out 2012. It was fantastically laid out. Bryan and Punk, despite being enemies, had to work together to combat their larger opponent. Kane got to look more like a monster than he ever did in his early 2012 rivalries with John Cena and Randy Orton. They also made sure not to involve AJ Lee too heavily. As much as I love her, the match didn’t need her right until the very end. She got knocked off the apron by Kane, who showed concern for her. That opened the door for Punk to hit him with the GTS and retain after 18:17. He was the man mostly focused on the WWE Title and not the drama surrounding it, so he won. An underrated WWE Title gem from the decade.

363. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: reDRagon [c] vs. The Time Splitters – NJPW Destruction in Kobe 2015

In my opinion, these were easily the two best teams in New Japan’s junior tag division at the time. They had faced off a few times before with the best being at Power Struggle in 2014 and their least impressive effort coming at Final Battle 2014. This fell somewhere in the middle, but closer to their best. I’d consider this my second favorite straight up tag team match of the year. Both teams worked on a level playing field throughout the 16:17 runtime. They exchanged offense but neither could grab a prolonged advantage. There is something about these teams that just click. It’s like, they go through a lot of stuff but it never feels like a spotfest. They played off their past while showing remarkable chemistry. The champions nailed Chasing the Dragon to not only retain, but move to a ridiculous 32-1 in straight tag matches in New Japan. Great tag team wrestling from two of the best teams in the world.

362. WWE Tag Titles: Cody Rhodes & Goldust [c] vs. The Shield vs. The Usos – WWE Hell in a Cell 2013

I will forever say it but the babyface run of Cody Rhodes in 2013 was incredible and underrated. He and Goldust were spectacular together in the back half of the year. After winning the titles following two bangers against The Shield, The Usos were added to the mix for Hell in a Cell 2013. This was basically everything I could want from a hot opening contest. It was just about 15 minutes, featured tons of action from start to finish, gave everyone a chance to shine, and was exciting. There’s a spot where Seth Rollins takes a popup Samoan Drop that just looks awesome. These guys all had marvelous chemistry, possibly because five of the six men involved were related to someone else in the match. The finish saw Cody hit Rollins with one of the best Cross Rhodes he ever nailed to retain in 14:39. Pretty much the definition of a hidden gem that deserves more love and admiration.

361. AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar – WWE Survivor Series 2017

It’s hard to get excited about Brock Lesnar matches sometimes. He tends to give little to no effort. So, when AJ Styles won the WWE Title and got put in Jinder Mahal’s place for this match, I was concerned. I expected a short, underwhelming outing. Luckily, Brock decided to bring the effort. He dominated Styles for a big early chunk of this 15:19 match. It was reminiscent of the Brock squashes we’ve gotten in recent years. AJ bumped like a madman, making Brock’s already brutal offense look even better. When AJ started his comeback, it felt earned. It was realistic. He didn’t just power up and turn things around. He continued to sell while hitting his offense out of desperation. It led to the fans totally biting on a Phenomenal Forearm near fall. AJ went for a second, only to get caught in an F5 that finished him off. The starting run wasn’t exciting, but it did a masterful job in building sympathy for Styles. Other than a horribly botched DDT spot, everything clicked in this match. I loved it.