New Japan and WWE had a bunch of stuff going on this week, let’s see what made Top 5 Matches!

Well this was an interesting day. An uneventful Super Bowl that caused most of the viewing public anger and sickness, a halftime show of useless proportions…BUT WAIT, Triple H had a great idea to give us a halftime alternative! So at least something about the Super Bowl was entertaining this year.

Anyway, we have a January match pool to vote on, as well as whatever comes of this Top 5. So let’s see what matches are in January:

• NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kenny Omega (c)
• NXT Blackpool Inaugural NXT UK Tag Championship: Moustache Mountain vs Grizzled Young Veterans
• SmackDown – Andrade Almas vs Rey Mysterio
• NXT Takeover Phoenix North American Championship: Johnny Gargano vs Ricochet (c)

Now as much as I love everything Rey and Andrade have been doing this year, my vote still goes to Tanahashi vs Omega, that’s gonna be a hard match to unseat from my personal top matches list this year.

Anyway, let’s get to this week now!

5. NJPW Road to New Beginning: Kushida vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

Kushida’s final match in New Japan, against a perfect opponent. The Junior Ace versus the Ace of the Universe. This match was very technical and mat based, so to some it might’ve been slow, but it was paced decently.

Kushida got in most of his signature offense, the Handspring Dropkick, Hoverboard Lock attempts and he even pulled off a Back to the Future for a fairly believable near fall. The finish had a little bit of hidden meaning as well, since Tanahashi doesn’t win with submissions often, but since this one was a modified Cloverleaf, it was like he was telling Kushida good luck.

So Kushida leaves with a loss, but it was a match to be proud of and proves their no ill will if he wanted to return in the future.

Winner: Tanahashi via Lucky Cloverleaf

Rating: *** 3/4

4. WWE World’s Collide: Velveteen Dream vs Tyler Bate

From DeMarco’s Review:
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: this match was TAKEOVER WORTHY. Seriously, this was better than some of what was on Takeover. I thought we’d get Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream, but Tyler Bate showed he belonged here and arguably should have won. I can’t fault them for the finish as Bate and an awkward landing to overcome. A hell of a match.

Winner: Dream via Purple Rainmaker Elbow

Rating: ****

3. NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo Night 1: EVIL vs Zack Sabre Jr

This match had a great thread persisting throughout. Zack has just had EVIL’s number. Singles matches, tag matches, Zack always found a way to beat EVIL and embarass him a little. So EVIL battled from underneath the entire time. It also helped the underdog story since SANADA lost in the previous match to Suzuki, so if EVIL were to lose, that would be heavily disheartening for reigning tag champs.

Zack dominated a good bit of the match until EVIL hits Darkness Falls on the ramp. Then he begins to finally put some moves together. Sabre tries to catch EVIL a few times, reverses the STO multiple times, stays away from the Banshee Muzzle, but EVIL catches him finally with Everything is Evil and gets the long awaited victory.

Winner: EVIL via Everything is Evil

Rating: ****

Honorable Mentions:

NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo Night 1: Minoru Suzuki vs SANADA
Winner: Suzuki via Gotch Style Piledriver
Rating: *** 3/4
Stardom World of Stardom Championship: Hazuki vs Kagetsu (c)
Winner: Kagetsu via submission
Rating: *** 3/4
NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo Night 2 IWGP Jr Tag Titles: Shingo Takagi & BUSHI (c) vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
Winner: LIJ via Rebellion
Rating: *** 3/4
NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo Night 1: Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Jay White & Bad Luck Fale
Winner: Jay White via Inverted Figure Four
Rating: *** 3/4
WWE World’s Collide: Drew Gulak vs Jordan Devlin
Winner: Devlin via Ireland’s Call
Rating: *** 1/2
WWE World’s Collide: Tyler Bate vs Cedric Alexander
Winner: Bate via Tyler Driver ’97
Rating: *** 1/2
NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo Night 2 IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Taichi
Winner: Naito via Destino
Rating: *** 1/2
WWE World’s Collide: Adam Cole vs Tyler Bate
Winner: Bate via Tyler Driver ’97
Rating: *** 1/2
Impact: Pentagon Jr, Fenix & Taurus vs LAX & Daga
Winner: Pentagon via Spike Fear Factor
Rating: *** 1/4
WWE World’s Collide: Velveteen Dream vs Jordan Devlin
Winner: Dream via Purple Rainmaker Elbow
Rating: *** 1/4
NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo Night 1: Taichi, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI
Winner: Taichi via Dangerous Backdrop
Rating: *** 1/4
WWE World’s Collide: Humberto Carrillo vs Zack Gibson
Winner: Carrillo via Headstand Arabian Moonsault
Rating: ***
Impact: Eli Drake & Eddie Edwards vs Wentz & Dez
Winner: Drake via Gravy Train
Rating: ***

2. NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo Night 2 IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles: EVIL & SANADA (c) vs Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr

This was a hell of a tag team match. Suzuki and Sabre took turns torturing each LIJ member, along with tossing them around the audience and burying them under chairs and barricades.

We saw a painful spot where Suzuki had SANADA in Knee Bar to the side and Sabre put EVIL in what seemed like a grounded stretch, and the LIJ team looked like they were done. SANADA gets murdered for most of the match, and a brief respite is found when EVIL crawls to the corner finally for a tag. In a great feat of resiliency EVIL takes out Sabre with Everything is Evil, SANADA puts Suzuki into a position to get caught in a Magic Killer, which SANADA follows up with the Keiji Mutoh taught Moonsault, as a nice way to give Suzuki nightmares from his 2007 loss to Mutoh.

Los Ingobernables de Japon swept their matches, Suzuki-Gun looks completely defeated, but the crowd goes home happy since LIJ is the most over faction in Japan.

Winner: SANADA via Magic Killer/Moonsault combo

Rating: **** 1/4

1. WWE Halftime Heat: Ricochet, Aleister Black & Velveteen Dream vs Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano & Adam Cole

From Mitchell’s Coverage:

Fans chant “Johnny Halftime!” for the new NXT North American Champion. Teams sort out and we begin with Johnny Halftime and Ricochet. They tie up as fans chant “NXT! NXT!” Gargano gets a headlock and Ricochet pushes but Gargano holds on. Ricochet rolls to a cover, ONE! Ricochet fights out with forearms but Gargano runs him over, only for Ricochet to kip-up! He CHOPS Gargano but Gargano sunset flips. Ricochet rolls through but Gargano slips out to headscissor, Ricochet handsprings and rolls to headcissor! Dropkick, too! Gargano gets to a corner while fans are fired up for Ricochet. Ricochet runs corner to corner but blocks the boot. Gargano goes up and over for the school boy kick! Gargano wrenches Ricochet and tags in Cole instead of Ciampa. Cole wrenches Ricochet and keeps him from the corner.

Ricochet rolls and handsprings but into a back suplex. He lands on his feet, hot tag to Aleister! Aleister runs in but Cole seeps and covers, ONE! Cole kicks and whips but Aleister boots him down! Aleister hops up and over and things speed up. Aleister slips off Cole’s back to fire off forearms. He blocks a kick to give kicks and a strike fest! Cover, TWO! Aleister keeps on Cole with a suplex but Cole knees out. Ciampa tags in but has to duck the roundhouse! Ciampa rolls Aleister but Aleister rolls through. They run, Dream tags in for a flying arm-drag! Dram tackles Ciampa over and over, then whips him corner to corner. Ciampa reverses but Dream slides to a spinning stop! Dream’s in three point stance, but Ciampa kicks him right in the face! Fans boo as Ciampa throws hands in the corner.

Ciampa knees low then whips but Dream elbows back. Dream hops up and leaps for an ax handle! Ciampa bails out but Aleister fakes Ciampa out. It’s Dream who LEAPS to ax handle Gargano! Ricochet adds his own superhero landing, then Dream fakes Gargano out, too! Everyone cheers this super trio on as they sit in the ring! Cole and Gargano return but get hit away. Ciampa drags Dream out as the brawl is on. Ciampa throws Dream into the post! Then he suplexes Dream onto railing, for a knee strike! Fans boo as Ciampa pats himself on the back. Gargano literally steps over Dream before Ciampa puts Dream back in the ring. Fans rally up while Dream endures a chinlock. Dream feeds off the energy and jawbreakers free! Gargano tags in as Dream rocks Ciampa with a haymaker.

Dream whips but Ciampa reverses, slingshot spear from Gargano! Cover, ONE! Gargano keeps on Dream with a buckle bump, and tags Cole in again. Cole bumps and stomp Draem in the open corner while fans boo. But fans still echo the catchphrase, BAYBAY! Cole sneak attacks ALeister and misses Ricochet. Cole cheers himself on as he leaps, but into a SUPERKICK! Both Dream and Cole are down but fans rally up. Hot tag to Ricochet! Ricochet rallies on all three opponents, headscissors for Ciampa. Gargano gets Ricochet but Ricochet sends him into Ciampa, combination neckbreaker and DDT! Tiger Feint and springboard lariat for Cole, standing moonsault on top! Cover, TWO!

Ricochet brings Cole up. Cole slips out but Ricochet standing switches, only to get the enziguri. Tag to Gargano, tilt-o-whirl but Ricochet tags in Aleister! Aleister rallies on Gargano, sweeps the legs and hits the knee! Ciampa returns but Alesiter dodges, DOUBLE Quebrada! Cover, TWO! Aleister keeps moving, going up top to ASAI onto Ciampa and Cole! Gargano DIVES onto Aleister but Dream LEAPS onto them all! Ricochet gets up and triangle drpokicks Ciampa back down, then FLIES over Gargano to hit Ciampa and Cole! Gargano gets METEORA from Alesiter! Roundhouse to German Supelx, bridging cover, TWO!! Aleister almost ended this right there!

Fans rally up as Aleister drags Gargano back up. Tag to Dream, and they go to double suplex. Ciampa helps Gargano and DIY brawl with Dream and Aleister. Dream and Gargano duoble clothesline while Aleister boots Ciampa to a corner. Aleister runs in but is put on the apron, Cole SUPERKICKS Aleister! Ricochet yanks Cole down but Ciampa has Aleister, DRAPING DDT! Ricochet moonsaults on Ciampa! Gargano slingshot DDT’s Ricochet! Dream Sidewinders Gargano!! Cover, TWO!! Fans are thunderous as they declare “This is Awesome!” Both Gargano and Dream slowly stir. Tag to Ricochet and Dream lifts Gargano. Gargano escapes them both but gets an uppercut, to give a discus lariat!

Gargano tags Cole, and Cole goes after Ricochet. Ricochet fights both of them off with haymakers and chops! Ricochet shoves Cole into Gargano, then SUPERKICKS Cole! He runs at Gargano but Gargano rolls up and over again. Gargano’s school boy turns into Ricochet’s standing shooting star! Ricochet hops up and moonsaults into Cole’s SUPERKICK!! Cover, TWO!! Cole is beside himself but fans hope these six “Fight Forever!” Cole stands and aims at Ricochet with his knee bared. He runs but Ricocht ducks and rolls up! TWO, and Cole throws hands. Aleister and Ciampa return, and they brawl alongside Ricochet and Cole. Gargano and Dream return and they add onto the brawl. The two trios back off, and then fire off!

Aleister stomps away on Ciampa while Gargano throws Dream out. Cole boots Ricochet but Ricochet uppercuts and swing kicks. Gargano reverse-ranas Ricochet! Gargano enziguris Aleister but gets a big knee! Ciampa lariats Aleister, then drags Dream in, but Dream suplexes them both up and out! Cole is still on the top rope and aims at Ricochet. Panama Sunrise Destroyer!! Cover, TWO!? How?! The fans don’t care, because this match is still going! Ricochet stirs while Cole backs off in shock. Ciampa returns, and so does Gargano. DIY coordinate with Cole, UndisputeDIY Vice!! Cover, but Aleister breaks it in time! Gargano throws Aleister out hard, but Dream tags in. Dream sees all three opponents are there, but he just throws hands!

Dream is fighting them all at once with big hands, but he gets a DOUBLE SUPERKICK! Ciampa underhooks but Aleister makes the save! Dream SUPERKICKS Ciampa, then ducks to send Cole’s SUPERKICK into Ciampa, too! Cole ducks and sends Aleister’s boot into Ciampa! Aleister moves but Gargano stops his kick from hitting Ciampa. Gargano gets BLACK MASS! Dream scoops Ciampa, Dream valley Driver! Aleister blocks Cole’s boot, to give him a BLACK MASS! Dream gives Cole a Dream Valley Driver, too! Ricochet adds his springboard 450 splash! Dream hits Purple Rain Maker! Cover, Dream’s team wins!

Winner: Dream via Purple Rainmaker Elbow

Rating: **** 1/2

Thoughts:

As much as some may think I have a Japan bias, I have to go with my rankings this week. Halftime Heat was a great match with little wrinkles of Gargano not wanting to tag Ciampa, but then stopping himself from almost Superkicking Ciampa. Plus Aleister Black really turned it up. I haven’t seen his strikes look that crisp, fast and deadly in a long time.  Along with the callbacks from the Ricochet Moonsault, Adam Cole Superkick spot, or even Dream doing the homage to Lawrence Taylor (I’m pretty sure).

So yes, Halftime Heat is my vote. Use Your Head and drop in your opinions on this week.