wrestling / Columns
Kevin’s Top 500 Matches Of The 2010s (#60 – 51)
Image Credit: WWE
60. Aleister Black vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT TakeOver: War Games 2017
Where did this come from? Don’t get me wrong, I was fully into this feud and expected a very good match. What I didn’t expect, was a MOTY candidate. This was a fantastic look at how character work and storytelling are unbelievably important. The moves done in this match weren’t all must see, but these guys completely captivated me for 14:41. Aleister Black was consistently one step ahead of Velveteen Dream in the opening exchanges. It was when Black did his signature quebrada into a seated position that things turned around. Dream slid right into his face and mirrored him, with Black returning the favor. From there, it was two big personalities perfectly playing off each other. The near falls received absurd reactions and I fully bought into Dream winning more than once, despite going in fully expecting Black to remain undefeated. He eventually did, after hitting Black Mass. He got his win and then, after the match, finally said Velveteen Dream’s name, which is what Dream wanted from the start. This was a magnificent look at how to build a star in defeat. Both guys came out looking great and I loved everything about this. This didn’t need a ton of wacky indy spots or to go full throttle for 45 minutes. They used their personalities to give us one of the most compelling matches of the year.
59. World Championship Street Fight: Christian [c] vs. Randy Orton – WWE SummerSlam 2011
This feud was great even if it was one-sided. A “Let’s go Christian” chant broke out during this even though he was the heel because he was putting on a show. The fans were totally into this from the start and it felt like a big deal. Orton had an RKO reversed into the Killswitch and everyone bought that as the finish but Orton kicked out. Orton’s snap powerslam through the table in the corner was wild. They just kept building and building with exciting hardcore stuff until the excellent ending. Christian springboarded off the second rope right into an RKO on the steps in 23:43. Who says you can’t do a great No Holds Barred match without blood and in the PG world? These two went out and had a fantastic match. It was creative, we had the storytelling of Christian going to darker places and the play off of their history, as well as some seriously big time spots. I loved this match.
58. Extreme Rules Match: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena – WWE Extreme Rules 2012
On paper, this was as big as it got. Brock Lesnar had just returned to WWE and targeted the company’s top star. When it came time to deliver in the ring, the pair did just that. They used the stipulation well without overdoing it on weapons. This was violent, brutal, and made sure that Brock looked like a totally different beast from who he was in the early 2000s. His MMA background came into play and Cena sold like a champ. Who could ever forget the spot where Brock basically jumped over the top rope in an attempt to destroy Cena? It still looks wild to this day. The only real problem with this match is the outcome. There was really no reason for Brock to lose in his return match and there’s a reason why he didn’t really click after this until ending the streak. Cena beat him with the AA onto steel steps after an absurdly entertaining 17:43.
57. Grave Consequences: Fenix vs. Mil Muertes – Lucha Underground 3/18/15
A Grave Consequences match is basically just a casket match. I love Lucha Underground and their first season was spectacular. The best match of that season was this encounter between Fenix and Mil Muertes. Considering the rivalry these two had and the booking of Mil Muertes up to that point, this was expertly done. Muertes, who has come a long way since his days as Judias Mesias, brutalized Fenix. Fenix sold like a champ throughout the entire match. The animosity between the men shines through the violent nature of the match. Muertes rips Fenix’s mask, giving us a great view of the amount of blood that he spilled. Neither guy even really tried to put their opponent in the casket during the 15:01. Their rivalry was so heated that they just wanted to hurt each other, The casket does come into play as a weapon more than a few times and it’s almost always used in a creative fashion. Not until the finish does someone go in, that being Muertes, as Fenix was able to defeat the monster. This is easily the greatest casket match in history.
56. WWE Championship No Disqualifications Match: CM Punk [c] vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE Money in the Bank 2012
AJ Lee, who had been in a love triangle with both men, was the special referee. The opening exchanges were great, featuring loud chops, stiff strikes and brutal kicks. There’s more animosity to this than their Over the Limit classic. An early ref bump led to AJ being helped to the back and Bryan taking control. Bryan’s need to shout “YES” for everything hurt him, when it helped Punk sense a kendo stick attack, which he evaded. It was temporary though, as Bryan wailed on him with it and shouted “YES” with each one. Punk rallied and we saw a great series of counters that reminded me of their last match. Punk responding with his own kendo stick shots got a great pop. AJ Lee returned following a superplex and skipped around the ring, before getting a chair. She left it in between the men, allowing them to fight for it. Bryan got it first, destroyed Punk with it and did more damage with a series of kicks. At different times, AJ stopped each guy from using weapons, never fully picking a side. Punk missed the big elbow, landing on a chair, so Bryan applied the Yes Lock, with added leverage from the kendo stick. Punk fought free and hit the GTS, but was too hurt to cover instantly. Punk set up a table inside and battled with Bryan on the top rope. The fight was won by Punk, who hit a super back suplex through the table, scoring the three count at 27:45. Excellent match. The Over the Limit one is better as a standalone, but I may slightly prefer this one as part of their larger story. It’s so different, with the addition of AJ and the violence being upped a notch. AJ played her role perfectly, without becoming too much of a distraction to the great stuff in the ring. A fantastic blend of great wrestling, intensity and storytelling, making the gimmicks work very well.
55. No Disqualifications Match: Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali – WWE 205 Live 7/3/18
If you made the mistake of ignoring 205 Live in 2018, then you missed out on one of the best rivalries in all of wrestling. Buddy Murphy and Mustafa Ali tore down the house every single time they shared a ring. This No Disqualifications match was their magnum opus. Ali had been built up as the “heart” of 205 Live, while Murphy called himself the “Juggernaut.” You couldn’t ask for a more perfect pairing. Ali took a beating in this match, yet never gave up. Whether it was a bump off the guardrail or a suplex onto the ramp, Ali was destroyed. Here wasn’t a No DQ match filled with weapons. Instead, they managed to give us something violent without needing to use too many of those. Buddy didn’t need it because he was vicious on his own. However, when Ali wouldn’t stay down, he brought them into play. It backfired a bit when Ali hit a superplex off steel steps and a Spanish Fly on a table. Murphy hitting better running knees than Kenny Omega while Ali was tied in the ropes made for beautiful, barbaric imagery. A pissed Murphy let him free for more damage, but Ali fought back and won with a tornado DDT off the steps in 22:43. The best work from two of the guys who stole 2018.
54. NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii [c] vs. Kota Ibushi – NJPW Back To The Yokohama Arena 2014
These are two of my favorite NJPW wrestlers. Though Ibushi was a junior, he more than held his own with Ishii’s hard strikes, winning out an early forearm exchange. Ishii started no selling them and firing back even harder, showing Ibushi who was in control. Ishii had Ibushi scouted, being ready for the triangle moonsault and hitting a staling superplex. Ibushi hit the moonsault on his next attempt, adding a standing SSP and springboard moonsault inside for two. He went to the well too much and Ishii got his knees up on the next aerial move. That led to some scary moments, including Ibushi landing on the back of his head on a powerbomb and again when Ishii tried countering a super rana. Both could’ve been bad. Ishii busted himself open with a headbutt and the match got kicked into next gear. They began trading slaps and palm strikes that looked absolutely brutal. Ishii kicked out at one from Ibushi offense and they went back to exchanging blows. Their closing stretch was out of this world and led to a wild finish. Ibushi went for a super rana, but Ishii murdered him with a lariat. Ibushi nearly landed on his head. Another lariat and Brainbuster finally kept Ibushi down at 19:19. An incredible match. Two of the best in the world going all out for a title. They even made their one botch work seamlessly into the match, which is hard to do. The fans bought Ibushi as a winner, even with him being a Jr. Champion. Ishii’s busted eye added to the drama of each strike he took. Up there with Ishii/Naito (New Beginning) and Styles/Suzuki (G1 Climax) as the best NJPW matches of 2014.
53. Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 29 8/8/19
After Shingo Takagi vs. SHO in the BOSJ, this was my most anticipated match of 2018 from New Japan. Tomohiro Ishii is kind of the perfect opponent for Shingo. It’s just two dudes who hit hard and will go to war with one another. I’m a simple man with simple pleasures. They laid this match out perfectly to suit their strengths. It was a hell of a battle for all 22:41. If you really want a look at how this match went, there’s one moment that stands out. After Ishii got his ear busted open on a strike, he simply shouted that he wanted to get hit harder. He got so caught up in the battle that he seemingly forgot about the two points on the line and instead looked to prove he was tougher. I loved that Ishii did his no sell gimmick only for Shingo to lay him out with a clothesline. He wasn’t having any of that. This match was helped by the fact that the winner wasn’t obvious. With 8 and 6 points apiece and neither man set to win the tournament, we had no clue who would prevail. That added so much to the drama and is something G1 matches often lack. Shingo finally got the victory with Last of the Dragon. Sadly, Gedo didn’t give us a rematch later in the year.
52. Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H – WWE WrestleMania XXX
Judging by their entrances, Triple H is a megastar and Daniel Bryan doesn’t belong in his league. What made this match work so well was how simple it was. Triple H is often known for being at his best in gimmick matches but this was straight wrestling with nothing over the top happening but that was the beauty of it. Just two great performers doing their thing. HHH went for the Pedigree again but Bryan countered and blocked it before hitting a kick. He missed a second big kick but landed on his feet when HHH tried a back suplex. Bryan charged and scored with the knee, earning the victory in 25:57. Almost everything about this match was masterfully executed. From the contrasting entrances up until the finish, this was all just great. There aren’t many high spots but everything has a purpose and it might be the smartest worked match in the WWE over the past few years. Extra props to Stephanie McMahon, who played her role perfectly and only added to this. Just a brilliant start to the show.
51. PROGRESS World Championship: WALTER [c] vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 77: Pumpkin Spice Progress 10/28/18
WALTER is kind of the perfect opponent for Sabre. The challenger likes to apply submissions to different parts of the body at the most opportune times. He managed wrap up WALTER’s arms, which took away his brutal strikes, but then transition to the leg, to chop down the champion, and it all made sense. Zack was brilliant in this. He goaded WALTER into chops, taking damage so he could eventually catch one and wrench at his hand. WALTER sold the arm by having to change up his chops, saving them for when he was in trouble. This didn’t rely on a ton of finishers and near falls, instead focusing on the little things throughout that built up to a big finish. Sabre’s technical acumen against WALTER’s strength. Though neither advantage overwhelmed the other, they worked as game changers. Sabre would turn the tide with a hold, while WALTER did the same with a strike. The closing few minutes were outstanding and just when Sabre went for his European Clutch, his neck gave way. It was damaged by a pissed off champion earlier in the match. WALTER pounced like a shark smelling blood. He pounded on him and retained with the Fire Thunder Driver in 29:26. It was the best PROGRESS Title match I can ever recall. They just made every little detail work, nothing was wasted, and it had nearly everything you could want in a match.
