Opinion
Andrew’s Top 5 Matches: Week Ending 10/11/2020
Top 5 matches, starring all puro matches again! With 2 of the tournaments coming to an end this week, next week should be more reader friendly!
With Champion Carnival and N-1 Victory coming to an end, we have a little more normalcy in the watching lineup. Now that doesn’t mean that the Top 5 is television friendly, but at least there’s more known names across the entire article.
Let’s see what won September!
MOTY Pool:
- January – Wrestle Kingdom 14: Double Gold Match: Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya Naito
- February – AEW Revolution: AEW World Tag Team Championship: Hangman Page & Kenny Omega (c) vs The Young Bucks
- March – AEW Dynamite: AAA Mega Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs Sammy Guevara
- April – WrestleMania 36: NXT Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs Charlotte Flair
- May – NXT: Pit Fight: Matt Riddle vs Tim Thatcher
- June – NXT In Your House: NXT Women’s Champion Triple Threat: Io Shirai vs Charlotte Flair (c) vs Rhea Ripley
- July – NJPW Dominion: NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs SHO
- August – NOAH the Chronicle Vol 3: GHC National Openweight & GHC Heavyweight Championship Double Title Match: Kenoh (c) vs Go Shiozaki (c)
- September – AEW Dynamite: Parking Lot Fight: Santana & Ortiz vs Best Friends
Impact Wrestling Victory Road: Eric Young vs Eddie Edwards, won the weekly vote, but I’m not surprised the hype carried the Parking Lot match over everything (hell I even voted for it).
Now let’s get to this week!
Quick Top 5:
- AJPW Champion Carnival Finals: Zeus vs Kento Miyahara
Rating: ***** - G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 13: Kazuchika Okada vs Shingo Takagi
Rating: ***** - NOAH N-1 Victory Final Day: N-1 Victory Finals: Kaito Kiyomiya vs Katsuhiko Nakajima
Rating: **** 1/4 - G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 13: Kota Ibushi vs Minoru Suzuki
Rating: **** 1/4 - NOAH N-1 Victory Final Day: GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship: Kotaro Suzuki (c) vs Hao
Rating: **** 1/4
Honorable Mentions:
- G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 10: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs KENTA
Rating: **** - G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 9: Taichi vs Tomohiro Ishii
Rating: **** - G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 12: Tetsuya Naito vs Juice Robinson
Rating: **** - G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 11: Shingo Takagi vs Kota Ibushi
Rating: **** - G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 9: Will Ospreay vs Kota Ibushi
Rating: *** 3/4 - AJPW Champion Carnival Final Day: Enfants Terribles (Hokuto Omori, Kuma Arashi & Shotaro Ashino) defeat Evolution (Dan Tamura & Suwama) & Shuji Ishikawa
Rating: *** 3/4 - G1 Climax B Block Day 12: YOSHI-HASHI vs Hirooki Goto
Rating: *** 3/4 - G1 Climax A Block Day 11: Will Ospreay vs Minoru Suzuki
Rating: *** 3/4 - IMPACT!: Ace Austin & Madman Fulton vs Motor City Machine Guns
Rating: *** 3/4 - NOAH N-1 Victory Final Day: GHC Junior Tag Championship: Momo no Seishun Tag (Daisuke Harada & Atsuhi Kotoge) vs Stinger (HAYATA & Yoshinari Ogawa) (c)
Rating: *** 3/4 - G1 Climax A Block Day 11: Jay White vs Taichi
Rating: *** 3/4 - G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 13: Jeff Cobb vs Tomohiro Ishii
Rating: *** 3/4 - AEW Dynamite: TNT Championship Dog Collar Match: Cody vs Brodie Lee (c)
Rating: *** 1/2 - G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 14: Hirooki Goto vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
Rating: *** 1/2 - AJPW Champion Carnival Final Day: Yuma Aoyagi vs. Koji Doi
Rating: *** 1/2 - G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 9: Jay White vs Jeff Cobb
Rating: *** 1/2 - G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 10: Zack Sabre Jr vs SANADA
Rating: *** 1/2 - G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 11: Yujiro Takahashi vs Tomohiro Ishii
Rating: *** 1/2 - G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 10: YOSHI-HASHI vs Tetsuya Naito
Rating: *** 1/2 - G1 Climax A Block Day 9: Minoru Suzuki vs Kazuchika Okada
Rating: *** 1/2 - G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 14: SANADA vs Juice Robinson
Rating: *** 1/2 - G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 13: Will Ospreay vs Taichi
Rating: *** 1/2 - G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs EVIL
Rating: *** 1/4 - AEW Dynamite: Big Swole vs Serena Deeb
Rating: *** 1/4 - NOAH N-1 Victory Final Day: KONGO (Kenoh, Manabu Soya, Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura) vs Sugiura-Gun (Takashi Sugiura, Kazuyuki Fujita, Kendo Kashin & Kazushi Sakuraba)
Rating: *** 1/4 - G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 10: Juice Robinson vs EVIL
Rating: *** 1/4 - NXT: Kushida vs Tommaso Ciampa
Rating: *** 1/4 - IMPACT!: Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie vs Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz
Rating: *** 1/4 - G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 12: KENTA vs SANADA
Rating: *** 1/4 - AJPW Champion Carnival Final Day: Purple Haze (Izanagi, Shigehiro Irie & UTAMARO) vs. Akira Francesco, Jiro ‘Ikemen’ Kuroshio & Rising HAYATO
Rating: *** 1/4 - G1 Climax A Block Day 9: Shingo Takagi vs Yujiro Takahashi
Rating: *** 1/4 - NOAH N-1 Victory Final Day: M’s Allaince (Naomichi Marufuji, Masaaki Mochizuki, Masakatsu Funaki & Keiji Muto) vs Go Shiozaki, Shuhei Taniguchi, Mohammed Yone & Daiki Inaba
Rating: *** - G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 14: YOSHI-HASHI vs Zack Sabre Jr
Rating: *** - G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 11: Jeff Cobb vs Kazuchika Okada
Rating: *** - AJPW Champion Carnival Final Day: JIN (Koji Iwamoto & Jake Lee) & TAJIRI vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Black Menso-re, & Takao Omori
Rating: *** - AEW Dynamite: FTW Championship: Will Hobbs vs Brian Cage (c)
Rating: *** - WWE Raw: Robert Roode, Randy Orton & Dolph Ziggler vs The Street Profits & Drew McIntyre
Rating: *** - NOAH N-1 Victory Final Day: Junta Miyawaki, Seiya Morohashi &Kinya Okada vs FULL THROTTLE (YO-HEY, Hajime Ohara & Seiki Yoshioka)
Rating: *** - G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 12: Zack Sabre Jr vs Toru Yano
Rating: *** - WWE SmackDown: SmackDown Tag Team Titles: New Day vs Nakamura & Cesaro (c)
Rating: *** - G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 13: Jay White vs Yujiro Takahashi
Rating: ***
3t. NOAH N-1 Victory Final Day: GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship: Kotaro Suzuki (c) vs Hao
We see an adjustment in body language, when Hao charges the corner and Suzuki counters with a shot to the ribs. He starts dumping him off and dismissing him like trash. The elitism of Suzuki bites him in the ass when Hao goes for a Satellite DDT, a counter to a backhand spring into a Backslide. Suzuki powders to the outside, gets a small advantage, tries an Apron Piledriver but Hao counters that into a Headscissors sending Suzuki flying.
Hao did his homework and had a counter for nearly everything, Requiem, Tiger Driver, Endless Waltz…Hao came prepared. He even made a statement by hitting Zero System on Suzuki. There was one scary point when Suzuki slipped on the ropes, with Hao in Brainbuster position, but he lands on his feet and delivers the move safely. This was just great to see every move in Suzuki’s arsenal countered. So he went to the well, and pulled out a Blue Thunder Driver, Big Ben Edge, to retain his title.
Winner: Suzuki via Big Ben Edge
3t. G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 13: Kota Ibushi vs Minoru Suzuki
Suzuki eggs Ibushi on but Ibushi throws another forearm. Suzuki throws one back, then palm strikes. Ibushi gives those back, and they’re throwing hands fast and furious! Suzuki gets the edge, ducks Ibushi’s retaliation to SLEEPER HOLD! Ibushi reaches out but already starts to fade! Fans rally up and Suzuki spins Ibushi! Gotch lift, but Ibushi fights up and out to back drop. Suzuki sunset flips, Ibushi has the wrists! KAMIGO- NO! Suzuki rolls with the knee to get the ankle! Half Crab! Ibushi endures as Suzuki gets the other leg, for the FULL Boston Crab! Fans rally up as Ibushi endures and Suzuki sits deep! Suzuki is working on a WALLS OF JERICHO! It is Jericho’s 30th anniversary. Ibushi rolls through but Suzuki still has the one leg. Suzuki cranks on the heel, Ibushi fights up to his one good foot, V-TRIGGER!
Ibushi wants another but Suzuki blocks! Suzuki spins Ibushi to the sleeper, then to the Gotch but Ibushi is free, V-TRIG- NO! Suzuki blocks this one, and gets an arm. Ibushi headbutts, gets both arms, STANDING KAMIGOYE?!? Ibushi takes the knee pads down, sits Suzuki back up, and gives him a PROPER KAMIGOYE!! High stack cover, Ibushi wins!!
Winner: Ibushi via Kamigoye
3t. NOAH N-1 Victory Final Day: N-1 Victory Finals: Kaito Kiyomiya vs Katsuhiko Nakajima
After rocking Waruhiko a bit, Kaito gets a little overzealous and Nakajima catches him and starts his own path of destruction. Thrust Kicks, Round Kicks to the chest, that genius Turnbuckle Pad Kick (not sure why but the simplicity of that move pops me every time), and Kaito is reeling until he lands a strike of his own to have them both drop and breathe for a second.
Big German Suplex Hold from Kaito gives him some fire, he runs to the ropes once Nakajima kicks out, but a high speed Water Wheel Kick nearly takes Kaito off the top rope. Nakajima hits an Enzuigiri, goes up for possibly an Avalanche Diamond Bomb, but Kaito counters into his Avalanche Reverse DDT for 2.
Tiger Suplex Hold, but Nakajima kicks out. So much like their first finals meeting, Kaito goes for a second Tiger Suplex Hold, Nakajima breaks out, hits a High Kick that knocks Kaito back to the TRL days of MTV and then Nakajima finishes the match with the Diamond Bomb. It should be noted that Kaito has a huge bruise on his right cheek, so one of those kicks was a little stiff.
Winner: Nakajima via Diamond Bomb
1t. G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 13: Kazuchika Okada vs Shingo Takagi
Shingo delivers some elbows onto Okada’s neck and chest before he attempts a Sliding Lariat but Okada gets up to hit his Dropkick! Okada would hit the Tombstone this time and applies the Money Clip right away, Shingo not wanting to tap as he hits Okada a few times before sliding his foot onto the ropes to break the hold. Okada climbs to the top rope and Shingo catches up to him, landed a few hits on him before climbing up with him to hit a Brainbuster off the top rope! Okada would hit a Dropkick onto Okada but Shingo rolls up to hit a Sliding Pumping Bomber! Shingo would lift Okada up for The Last of the Dragon but Okada fights out of it, flipping him over to attempt a pinfall but Shingo kicked out of it. Okada would then quickly catch him for the Spinning Tombstone and applies the Money Clip again, Shingo is struggling now to get to the ropes but Okada Backslides him over, holding his arm to pull him in for a Lariat! Okada tries to Lariat him again but Shingo would turn him around to hit the Rainmaker!! Shingo gets up to hit a Pumping Bomber but Okada ducks, going for the Rolling Lariat as Shingo catches I’m for the MADE IN JAPAN with Okada kicking out at two! Shingo hits the Pumping Bomber this time but Okada kicked out, quickly trying to get The Last of the Dragon as Okada fought him off, only to be caught with a Lariat. Shingo gets him up for The Last of the Dragon but Okada fights off him to apply the Money Clip again! Shingo rolled him off but is met with a Rolling Lariat! Okada gets the Money Clip in one more time and Shingo is fading, making his way to the ropes but Okada hits the Orton Backbreaker, reapplying it, leaving the referee with no choice but to call it as Shingo is passed out! Shingo is the best wrestler they have, and I don’t wanna hear different after this match. Fantastic match by both these men.
Winner: Okada via Money Clip
1t. AJPW Champion Carnival Finals: Zeus vs Kento Miyahara
Kento calls for the Shutdown German Suplex Hold but Zeus breaks the grip and hits Kento with another Lariat. Zeus climbs to the top rope and hits the Frog Splash but Kento had his knees up before he could connect, hurting themselves in the process. Kento hits a Blackout and a German Suplex before he attempts the Shutdown German Suplex Hold again, getting the grip on and lifted him for a second before Zeus powers out of it last minute and hits a Dropkick! Zeus was now on top of Kento, delivering brutal forearms to his head to apply more damage to his head before getting off him. Zeus attempts a Lariat but Kento got behind him to roll him up for the European Clutch as Zeus kicked out and immediately applies the Facelock on Kento! Zeus has it locked-in and Kento could tap out right here but Zeus lets go of the hold once Kento was passed out since it seems he doesn’t wanna beat him that way. Zeus calls for the Jackhammer again but Kento fights off to hit a Blackout and hits another one to get him down. Kento is fired up as he goes for the Shutdown Gemrna Suplex Hold one more time as it connects with the referee going for the cover but Zeus kicked out! Zeus was able to kick out as many were unable to do except a certain few! Kento goes for it again but Zeus powers out of it to be met with a Blackout as Zeus bounced the ropes to hit another Lariat! Zeus hits one more Lariat as Kento kicked out but Zeus would pick him up to hit the Jackhammer and we have a winner!
Winner: Zeus via Jackhammer
Thoughts:
Given the fact the last B Block day for G1 was almost enough to make me lose hope in the block as a whole, this will probably be the last week that Japan dominates the top slots. So for those of you that don’t care about puro or feel that some other shows/matches have been getting a raw deal, we’re almost back to regularly scheduled programming.
That being said, the Champion Carnival Finals: Kento Miyahara vs Zeus, was AJPW’s best match of the year and a hefty contender for MOTY in many books. It would be a shame if the match doesn’t at least win the week since it is a less popular company at the moment, but we’ll see!
And for a quick comment in case people complain about the dog collar match low score; it was lame. Why did seconds get involved, why was Silver on the apron and too apparent for the first few minutes, why is Cody an idiot trying a Springboard move 2 minutes into a match? When the first 5 minutes makes me ask that many questions and then you just start adding color like blood equals psychology, you lose me. It was a mess that tried to sell “violence” as quality. If violence equaled quality than people would respect CZW…think on that.
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Opinion
King’s WrestleMania Rewind: Stone Cold VS. Scott Hall (WrestleMania X8)
Chris King is back with another WrestleMania Rewind, looking at the NWO’s Scott Hall battling Stone Cold Steve Austin at WWE WrestleMania X8 from Toronto!
Chris King is back with another WrestleMania Rewind, looking at the NWO’s Scott Hall battling Stone Cold Steve Austin at WWE WrestleMania X8 from Toronto!
Chris King is back this week with another edition of WrestleMania Rewind, where he is rewatching all the past Mania matches and feuds. This week you’re in for a treat as we look back at ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin vs. Scott Hall at WrestleMania X8.
In late 2001, Vince McMahon bought out his competition WCW and acquired the rights to a plethora of talent including Booker T, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, and the iconic trio known as NWO. Hulk Hogan; Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall were hell raisers, and what better way to make a name for yourself than take out the two top superstars in the WWE The Rock, and Stone Cold?
The NWO cost Austin his chance at becoming the Undisputed Champion at No Way Out during his match with Chris Jericho. Adding insult to injury, the NWO spray-painted ‘The Texas Rattlesnake’ with their brand logo just like they did in WCW. As you can imagine, Austin was pissed and out for revenge against the group and primarily Scott Hall.
Hall would challenge Stone Cold to a match at WrestleMania 18. Both superstars beat the living hell out of each other leading up to this highly-anticipated match for who runs the WWE.
The glass broke and Stone Cold made his iconic entrance, and black and white NWO covered Halls’ entrance alongside Kevin Nash. With the odds stacked against ‘The Toughest S.O.B’ could Austin or NWO prove their dominance? Sadly the NWO broke up that very night when Hulk Hogan came to the aid of his adversary The Rock after their ‘iconic’ dream match. Stone Cold would ensure the victory with the Stunner. Hall would perform an Oscar-worthy sell over the finisher.
What a time to be a wrestling fan in the 2000s when nothing was impossible for WWE. Who would’ve thought WCW would go out of business and Hogan would make his long-awaited return to WWE?
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Opinion
King’s WrestleMania Rewind: Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens (WWE WrestleMania 36)
Chris King takes a look at the most underrated WWE WrestleMania matches, and starts off with Seth Rollins battling Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 36!
Chris King takes a look at the most underrated WWE WrestleMania matches, and starts off with Seth Rollins battling Kevin Owens in the WWE Performance Center at WrestleMania 36!
Chris King is starting a new series heading into WrestleMania season dubbed WrestleMania Rewind. Each week he’ll be going back and sharing his insight over underrated matches at the Show of Shows. First up, is Kevin Owens vs. “The Monday Night Messiah” Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 36.
At the 2019 edition of Survivor Series, Rollins sacrificed himself during the men’s traditional match allowing SmackDown to ultimately gain the victory. The following night the self-proclaimed Messiah, berated the whole roster but KO was not having any part of it. Owens quickly became a huge barrier in Rollins’ cause for the greater good. The Authors of Pain attacked Owens with Rollins’ character in question.
Owens finally had enough of his rival’s mind games and torment and challenged Rollins to a match on the Grandest Stage Of Them All. Rollins mockingly accepted his challenge and the match was made official for night one of WrestleMania. Owens came out of the gate beating the holy hell out of the Monday Night Messiah trying to achieve his long-awaited moment at Mania but, Rollins tried to steal a disqualification victory by using the ring bell.
Owens hellbent on revenge provoked Rollins into turning their encounter into a no-disqualification contest where the fight could be taken all over the empty arena. The highlight of the match, was when KO used the WrestleMania sign to deliver a thunderous senton bomb through the announce table. Owens would secure the victory with a Stunner in an incredible match. Despite having no crowd during the pandemic era, both KO and Rollins put on an intense performance under the brightest lights.
In my personal opinion, this was a great feud that helped both superstars in their transformation as compelling characters for years to come.
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