wrestling / Columns
Pantoja’s Top 100 Matches Of 2024 (#70 – 61)

70. Darby Allin vs. Konosuke Takeshita – AEW Dynamite 1/3/24

Sometimes, I think AEW is at its best when they just book some ridiculous shit on a random episode of Dynamite. Nothing with a long story or anything like that. Just put two people together who are going to have a wild match. That was the case on the year’s first Dynamite when Darby Allin and Konosuke Takeshita faced off. The idea here was simple in that it was 12:47 of Konosuke throwing Darby around with ease and basically beating his ass. That’s the perfect way to book this because Konosuke looks like a star and Darby takes a beating better than almost anyone in the business. When Konosuke cut off a dive with a pump knee, it looked nasty and is right up Darby’s alley weirdly enough. Darby did hit Diamond Dust and succeeded on a later dive to get his comeback going but a top rope German Suplex followed by a running knee gave Takeshita the win, capping one of the better TV matches anywhere all year. [****¼]
69. Best of the Super Juniors Finals: El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori – NJPW Dominion

Kind of wild to think that neither of these guys have won this tournament before, both losing to Hiromu in recent years. You got the sense they were going long here since most BOSJ Finals have done that lately and they opened with a slower paced feeling out process. The first big move saw Desperado catch a rebounding Taiji with a back suplex that dropped him on his neck and commentary made sure to remind us that he missed time with a neck injury last year. Interestingly, Desperado opted to move away from the neck to try the Stretch Muffler though that did open the door for the next section of the match were Taiji also used his signature submission, the Bone Lock. Ishimori was on his game here, selling the knee very well while also being an absolute killer who targeted the shoulder. It was the best I’ve seen from him in a long time. That matched up so well against Desperado’s babyface performance here. It was also one of his best in terms of the energy he brought, the fire he had when he got on offense, and how he came across as sympathetic. The crowd wanted him to have his big BOSJ moment. The closing stretch was an emotional one and when Desperado sent Taiji into the exposed turnbuckle followed by a Jay Driller and Pinche Loco, he got his long-awaited win in 23:36. Great stuff here and I love that they realized this didn’t need 30+ minutes. They told a hell of a story filled with action in 23 minutes and the emotional impact of Desperado’s win added something to it. [****¼]
68. Elimination Chamber: Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan vs. Naomi vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Tiffany Stratton – WWE Elimination Chamber

Becky and Naomi kicked this off as Naomi looked for another lengthy performance like in the Rumble. Becky and Naomi had some decent back and forth to kick this off as commentary discussed how it was very humid in Perth and how that could play a factor. I appreciate little things like that on commentary. Tiffany entered came in hot and the crowd popped huge for everything she did. Liv entered at #4 and fired off on everyone, though the crowd didn’t appreciate her mocking Tiffy Time. It was time for some bigger spots like Becky’s Dis-Arm-Her through the chamber walls and then Naomi hit a Blockbuster on Liv from the top of a pod. However, Tiffany quickly pounced and rolled up Naomi to eliminate her. Raquel entered next for some power spots, causing everyone to jump her to try and get the upper hand. Bianca entered last and did her usual level of domination before battling over power with Raquel capped by a sweet DDT spot. With Raquel laid across the top turnbuckle, Liv jumped off the pod to crush her with a senton. Then, Becky and Tiffany battled on the same pod and Tiffany launched Becky onto the ladies below before jumping off with a Swanton onto the field. Props to the women who caught her perfectly, making her she didn’t hit the floor and hurt herself. In the ring, Tiffany got eliminated to a chorus of boos by a Bret’s Rope Oblivion, complete with Liv mockingly crying to mess with the crowd. Raquel was then eliminated via KOD. That left it to the three women with the best chance to win. They went at it for a bit with nobody gaining a clear advantage. Liv rolled up Bianca for a surprising elimination only to turn right around in the Manhandle Slam, giving Becky the win in 32:16. The best women’s chamber since the first two. Tiffany Stratton had a phenomenal performance, the final three did their thing, and that 32 minutes flew by. [****¼]
67. Anarchy in the Arena: Bryan Danielson, Darby Allin and FTR vs. The Elite – AEW Double or Nothing

There isn’t much I like more in wrestling than some good old fashioned plunders and that’s just what Anarchy in the Arena gives me. I’ve had a blast with each installment and though I think I preferred the 2023 installment, what we got in 2024 was great. There was fun to be had instantly as they brawled to “The Final Countdown” only for Matt Jackson to cut it off because it costs $200,000 each time it plays. From there, it was just nonstop carnage that I can see a lot of people not enjoying. This was a case of the stars of AEW going overboard at points from using a novelty sized poker chip to setting Jack Perry on fire and a lot of that can be off-putting. It also doesn’t help that this lasted 29:53 and came at the end of another overly long AEW pay-per-view. However, watching this on its own without taking things too seriously leads to a super fun match. The finish was a bit flat though as Jack Perry returned from being burned alive to pin Bryan Danielson in another attempt by the company to make him into a tough guy. Was it a stupid match? Sure. Do I like stupid matches? Hell yes I do. [****¼]
66. AEW TNT Championship I Quit Match: Christian Cage [c] vs. Adam Copeland – AEW Dynamite 3/20/24

I once answered a question on Twitter about my four favorite tag teams ever. My answer was, in no order, The Motor City Machine Guns, The World’s Greatest Tag Team, Bayley and Sasha Banks, and Edge and Christian. I never thought I’d get to see E&C share the ring again but I got it in a Royal Rumble match and then again several times in AEW. Their matches in AEW were good but it was on this Wednesday night that they had their best outing together and I’m including when they were young and in WWE. They had one of the best I Quit matches in history, delivering on sheer violence and really playing into the fact that there was bad blood here. The use of hockey stuff here also worked from a penalty box to a hockey stick to the jerseys worn, especially since this happened in Toronto, where both men are from. That just added to the special nature of this outing, helping it stand out even more. Things got more absurd as this progressed, with a bunch of run-ins, and I mean that in a good way. It was fun plunder. Then, the finish was perfect as Copeland repeatedly kicked a handcuffed Christian in the dick until he quit at the 25:46 mark. Everything I could’ve wanted from these two. [****¼]
65. WWE Intercontinental Championship: Bron Breakker [c] vs. Ludwig Kaiser vs. Sheamus – WWE Survivor Series

On paper, this sounds like a hard hitting banger. So I was worried when they used using weapons early. We have two War Games matches with plunder and this doesn’t need it. Anyway, Bron’s speed is frightening. The way he hits the ropes makes everything look more impactful. His shoulder block outside looked insane. He shot out like a missile and that was a lot of what went down in this match. Sheamus and Ludwig battling it out and then Bron comes in with something dope to break things up. Like his leap from the apron was also cool. They gave us the tease of a Sheamus win (I’d build this up to Mania for Sheamus) only for Kaiser to pull out the referee. They just beat the shit out of each other and it was so cool. I love that in wrestling. In the end, Sheamus took some shillelagh beatings from Ludwig but fought him off, only for Bron to hit both with a Spear and retain in 14:24. Yesh, they just let those guys do what they do and it was awesome. [****¼]
64. Mayu Iwatani vs. Tam Nakano – STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 8/10/24

Last year’s tournament bout between them went to a draw. This time around Tam no longer had the red belt but Mayu is still the IWGP Champion. Also, apparently Mayu has a 3-0-3 career record against Tam. This was evenly matched to start, with a nice hint of more aggression than usual from both ladies. Things took a turn when Mayu did a dragon screw off the apron, hurting Tam and giving her a target to attack. I liked Tam going the extra mile here, knowing that it’ll take a lot of beat Mayu, and opting for four consecutive Germans rather than the usual three. There was one point where Tam got a near fall that I 100% believed was the finish. That’s the kind of drama this had down the stretch. Tam survived so much of what was thrown at her, including a Dragon Suplex, but once Mayu hooked her for the wheelbarrow variation, it was over at the 13:45 mark. A bit shorter than I expected but a tremendous main event between two of the best. I liked last year’s match more but this was an excellent closer to the show and a reminder that Mayu is the GOAT. [****¼]
63. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Yuya Uemura – NJPW G1 Climax 7/25/24

Basically, every Takeshita match was the most interesting on any given card in the G1. He’s that special. We got a feeling out process to start but Konosuke took the first real upper hand after a big spot to the outside. That meant it was time for Yuya to fight from beneath and again, that’s where he excels. I liked him going after both of Konosuke’s arms because it helps set up the Deadbolt and it’s not something you see often. When Konosuke’s missed elbow collided with the ring post outside, you really felt like Yuya had found the opening he needed to possibly score a huge win. It put Yuya in the driver’s seat and because Konosuke sold so well, that part of the match also worked. Konosuke’s bursts of offense were explosive, switching arms when he could and getting as much as possible on things like the Blue Thunder Bomb. The closing stretch was great with Yuya finding a way to have an answer for everything Konosuke tried and having that arm work come into play as he was able to catch him with Deadbolt for the victory in 23:11. A hell of a main event. Takeshita was his usual great self but that was a star making performance for Yuya, who is having a fantastic tournament so far. [****¼]
62. Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness – AEW Dynamite Grand Slam

You can have your Okada vs. Tanahashi and your Steamboat vs. Flair. For my money, the best in-ring rivalry ever is Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness. I know that’s an absurd claim for many but these two were special together. I loved every match they had together and saw them face off twice live, including their final meeting in ROH in New York. I never expected to see them compete again so what this means to me is something that is so hard to put into words. The early portions of this match had me a bit concerned. Bryan is still incredible but Nigel’s ring rust seemed to show in some of his strikes. They looked weak and a few things didn’t quite click. However, they found their groove a few minutes into this 18:51 affair and never looked back. There were callbacks to their ROH matches, Nigel busted out lariats and Towers of Doom like he was in his prime, and the crowd was hot for all of it. Bryan won, as expected, with the LeBelle Lock though Nigel made sure to shout “F YOU” before tapping out, though it seems like commentary thought he said “thank you.” There are better technical matches out there but very few meant as much to me in 2024. [****¼]
61. G1 Climax Semifinals: Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – NJPW G1 Climax 8/17/24

As is often the case with these two, everything they did was smooth and interesting. The early technical exchanges kept me intrigued. Shingo grabbed the advantage when he dropped ZSJ face first on the apron and then proceeded to pick him apart in the ring. The quickness with which ZSJ slipped free and delivered a neck twist is exactly why he’s so good. That put him in control and while Shingo used strikes and strength for his control section, ZSJ was methodical and wore him down. The leg was the focus of ZSJ’s attack to the point where when Shingo hit Made in Japan, he couldn’t capitalize. That kind of signaled the match taking things to the next step, with bigger moves leading up to a Last of the Dragon near fall. Commentary sold it like that hasn’t ever happened before, adding to how big this match felt. Shingo started firing off forearms and ZSJ held his arms out, opening up for stiffer shots before he responded with various kicks and sweeps to take Shingo down. When Shingo kicked out of the Zack Driver, ZSJ immediately grabbed the leg into another submission. Shingo fought valiantly to not tap but had to at the 27:37 mark. That was great. I think I slightly preferred their earlier outing but this one built to one hell of a finish and gave us the finals we deserved. [****¼]