Opinion

Andrew’s Top 5 (10) Matches: Week Ending 9/20/2020

Okay, there were a lot of good matches this week, so it’s 10 instead of 5. But it’s not only Japanese tournaments! The list is fairly diverse, feast your eyes!

Published

5 years ago

September 21, 2020

Andrew Balaz

Holy cavalcade of coverage Batman! With all the Japanese tournaments and the fact that north american television decided to put on a few pretty big matches – WHO HAS THE TIME!?

Well I think I made time for most of it…I still have a 9-5 shoot job, so it’s a little rough. Let’s get last week’s winner out of the way, NXT: Vacant NXT Championship: Finn Balor vs Adam Cole, won the vote. Now let me preface this week a little bit. First world problems, I know, but there are TOO MANY good matches. It’s a Top 10 this week because just wow. I also numbered the Honorable Mentions to highlight how much quality there was all week.

So let’s get to this monster of a list!

Quick Top 10:

G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 1: Minoru Suzuki vs Tomohiro Ishii
Rating: **** 1/2
N-1 Victory B Block: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Kenoh
Rating: **** 1/2
G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 2: Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
Rating: **** 1/2
AEW Dynamite: Parking Lot Fight: Santana & Ortiz vs Best Friends
Rating: **** 1/4
Stardom 5Star GP Red Stars Day 6: Tam Nakano vs Giulia
Rating: ****
NXT: Shotzi Blackheart vs Io Shirai
Rating: ****
N-1 Victory Day 2: A Block: Manabu Soya vs Masa Kitamiya
Rating: ****
AJPW Champion Carnival Day 3: Shotaro Ashino vs Kento Miyahara
Rating: ****
IMPACT!: The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) & Madman Fulton & Ace Austin vs Motor City Machine Guns & The Good Brothers
Rating: ****
Stardom 5Star GP Blue Stars Day 5: Momo Watanabe vs Utami Hayashishita
Rating: ****

Honorable Mentions:

G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 1: Shingo Takagi vs Jay White
Rating: *** 3/4
N-1 Victory A Block: Masaaki Mochizuki vs Kaito Kiyomiya
Rating: *** 3/4
Stardom 5Star GP Blue Stars Day 6: Utami Hayashishita vs Maika
Rating: *** 3/4
G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 2: KENTA vs Hirooki Goto
Rating: *** 3/4
NXT: North American Championship: Timothy Thatcher vs Damian Priest
Rating: *** 3/4
G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 1: Kazuchika Okada vs Kota Ibushi
Rating: *** 3/4
Stardom 5Star GP Blue Stars Day 5: AZM vs Syuri
Rating: *** 3/4
N-1 Victory Day 2: B Block: Takashi Sugiura vs Shuhei Taniguchi
Rating: *** 3/4
G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 2: EVIL vs Zack Sabre Jr
Rating: *** 3/4
AJPW Champion Carnival: SUWAMA vs Jake Lee
Rating: *** 3/4
AEW Dynamite: Chris Jericho & Jake Hager vs Private Party
Rating: *** 1/2
G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 2: YOSHI-HASHI vs Juice Robinson
Rating: *** 1/2
N-1 Victory Day 2: A Block: Masaaki Mochizuki vs Kazushi Sakuraba
Rating: *** 1/2
Stardom 5Star GP Blue Stars Day 5: Jungle Kyona vs Natsuko Tora
Rating: *** 1/2
N-1 Victory A Block: Go Shiozaki vs Manabu Soya
Rating: *** 1/2
NXT: NXT Tag Team Championship: Breezango (c) vs Imperium
Rating: *** 1/2
AEW Dynamite: Hangman Page vs Frankie Kazarian
Rating: *** 1/2
Stardom 5Star GP Red Stars Day 5: Tam Nakano vs Saya Kamitani
Rating: *** 1/4
NJPW Strong Ep. 7: Alex Zayne & ACH vs Guerrillas of Destiny
Rating: *** 1/4
IMPACT!: Trey Miguel vs TJP
Rating: *** 1/4
UWN Prime Time Live: West Coast Pro Championship: Hammerstone (c) vs EJ Sparks
Rating: *** 1/4
N-1 Victory Day 2: B Block: Naomichi Marufuji vs Yoshiki Inamura
Rating: *** 1/4
Stardom 5Star GP Red Stars Day 5: Mayu Iwatani vs Himeka
Rating: *** 1/4
Stardom 5Star GP Blue Stars Day 5: Jungle Kyona vs Maika
Rating: *** 1/4
G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 1: Taichi vs Jeff Cobb
Rating: *** 1/4
Stardom 5Star GP Red Stars Day 6: Mayu Iwatani vs Saya Kamitani
Rating: ***
IMPACT!: Brian Myers vs Willie Mack
Rating: ***
N-1 Victory B Block: Yoshiki Inamura vs Takashi Sugiura
Rating: ***
IMPACT!: Kimber Lee & Deonna Purrazzo vs Susie & Kylie Rae
Rating: ***
NJPW Strong Ep. 7: Misterioso & Fred Rosser vs PJ Black & Rocky Romero
Rating: ***
Stardom 5Star GP Red Stars Day 5: Mayu Iwatani vs Death-Yama
Rating: ***

5t. Stardom 5Star GP Blue Stars Day 5: Momo Watanabe vs Utami Hayashishita

From Mathew’s Review:

Utami slammed her down and went for the pin as Momo kicked out, leaving Utami frustrated as she went to pin her again but no luck with Momo kicking out again. Utami throws her into the corner and charges at her but Momo moved to deliver a Dropkick and delivers one more once Utami sat down and picked her up for a Suplex as Utami kicked out. Utami catches Momo with a judo flip and does it one more time before pinning her and Momo kicked out again as not a lot of time is left. The two are on the top rope and Momo attempts a Superplex but she would toss her over with what looks like a Uranagi and tops it off with a Somato as Utami barely kicked out. Momo went for a kick but Utami ducked and catches her for a German Suplex. The two slowly get up as they go blow for blow until Momo got up and roundhouse her in the face and delivers a Somato to her back and then a regular one to pin her and Utami kicked out again! Momo is wasting no time and delivers a Package Driver to get her down but Utami with another kickout as she just won’t quit.

Momo climbed to the top rope and goes for a Dropkick but Utami went under her and catches her for another German Suplex, making her crash into the turnbuckle and that looked brutal. Utami picked her up for the Kryptonite Krunch and pins her as Momo would kick out but just barely! Utami puts her in a Sleeper Hold and would turn it into a German Suplex Hold and Momo would kick out again as we have less than a minute left now! Utami attempts the Torture Rack but Momo fought off her to apply the Crossface Chickenwing for a moment and turns it into a Torture Rack of her own. Momo puts her down to hit the Tequila Sunrise and Utami kicked out! Momo calls for the Peach Sunrise and Utami flipped over her and got up to hit a Lariat as the bell rings and we have a tie!

Winner: Time Limit Draw

5t. IMPACT!: The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) & Madman Fulton & Ace Austin vs Motor City Machine Guns & The Good Brothers

From My Results:

Ace tagged out to Josh Alexander while the Guns and the Machine Gun were having some discourse and we get some beautiful fluid tandem offense from The Guns. Shelley hits the blind tag, shoulder blocks, slingshot Sentons and Splashes, each member of the heel team comes in and The Guns dispatch each one, even Fulton. As the Good Brothers react like Emilio Esteves and Charlie Sheen during Men at Work, “Golf Clap? Golf Clap.”

After the commercial, Alexander gets an opening to bring in Ethan Page and the heels get rolling. Page then tags in Fulton and Shelley has this look on his face like “dammit”. Fun moment when Alex tries to jump over Fulton, Fulton grabs him, but only Sabin is reach out for the tag. Good Brothers are more like “We’re over here, get closer…” which then allows a really nice Northern Lights Suplex for Fulton for a near fall.

After Shelley eats offense for a while, Sabin finally gets sick of waiting, jumps into to help Shelley and Shelley tags out to Karl. The match goes into 5^th gear from here. Dives, tandem moves, signature spams, both teams do the Japanese corner train spot, more signature moves, just a frenetic pace that you don’t see much in American wrestling.

The North manage to pull off their Tandem Inverted Mat Slam finish, but Ace Austin tags himself in right beforehand, so Ace gets the pin on a champion and The North are fuming a bit as we fade to black.

Winner: Ace Austin via Inverted Mat Slam (The North’s Finisher)

5t. AJPW Champion Carnival Day 3: Shotaro Ashino vs Kento Miyahara

From Mathew’s Review:

We got the crowd clapping to the beat of a Metallica song while Kento’s finger was playing along with them, it’s great since Ashino’s theme is from Metallica. The two locked up and they struggled till they made their way to the ropes as the referee calls them to break it up, but it looked like Kento was about to slap him but doesn’t as the two are in a standstill. When it comes to just ground work, Shotaro has a better advantage and he showed that while they locked up again and he had Kento’s arm locked till Kento backed into the ropes as the ref called for the break again, but Shotaro doesn’t give Kento the same courtesy he gave him and hits a European Uppercut before backing up. Once they got outside, Kento does his usual headbutts to him and throws him around before bringing him back into the ring and once Kento had one foot over the rope, Ashino went into the attack and hits a Dragon Screw on that leg and has him where he wants him now. Ashino just gets Kento’s leg around the turnbuckle post and twists it onto the post, making him scream in agony before letting go. This is the type of stuff Yoshi should’ve been doing when they fought but Ashino does leg work the best and he shows it. There was one takeaway from making this match great and that was that I could’ve done it without the interference from Enfants Terribles since it would’ve just been better without help from anyone as this match alone screams Triple Crown Championship and we’re getting it for the Carnival.

Damnit, camera guy for cutting off what Kento was doing to get momentum back since he focused on Yuma watching from the back, he does this twice and it was annoying. Kento had Shotaro in the corner and hits the first Blackout, making him go out the ring again. Koji Doi chopblocks Kento when the referee wasn’t looking and Shotaro has time to breathe. Ashino hits stiff European Uppercuts to daze him and runs the ropes, metting a kick from Kento and gets him with the Brainbuster, causing them both to go down. Kento hits a second Blackout and a German Suplex on top, and as he goes for another Blackout, Shotaro ducked and grabbed his foot to apply the Ankle Lock. Ashino has it locked in tight and Kento is trying to fight it off. Love how he struggles here with all the leg work Ashino did but tapped to Yoshi with miminal work during day one. Kento was able to flip around to try and pin him as Ashino kicked out at two to break the hold. Kento goes for the Shutdown German Suplex Hold but Shotaro broke it off and kneeled down to grab his ankle again for the Ankle Lock! Kento was able to get to the ropes as Ashino hits a German Suplex but Kento gets up and hits another Blackout. Ashino is dazed as Kento quickly went over behind him and would hit the Shutdown German Suplex Hold for the pinfall victory! Kento is still in the race but it seems like Shotaro is now eliminated as well.

Winner: Kento via Shutdown Suplex Hold

5t. N-1 Victory Day 2: A Block: Manabu Soya vs Masa Kitamiya

From My Results:

This was a titanic bout between two heavyweights. There was lariats, clubbing, standing and taking punishment; everything you could ask for from two power wrestlers. Both trying to get the other to budge with Shoulder Tackles and displays of power that fizzled at the force of the other.

Realizing that the power was very close to equal between the two, Soya broke out a kneeling Neck Crank variation to get Kitamiya to tap. This was a great win for Soya since it helps stabilize him in the tournament; it was inner faction, so it gives him personal bragging rights and hopefully leads to more with him. Kitamiya however, tends to struggle quite a bit against other power wrestlers.

Winner: Soya via Neck Crank

5t. NXT: Shotzi Blackheart vs Io Shirai

From Mitchell’s Coverage:

Shotzi brings Shirai up to a fireman’s carry but Shirai fights out. Shirai shoves and FLAPJACKS Shotzi down! Shotzi flounders up, into the TIGER FEINT! Shirai climbs up top, aims at Shotzi, for the missile dropkick! Cover, TWO!! Shirai won’t slow down, she goes back up top, but Shotzi trips her up! Shotzi spins Shirai around, goes up top and SUPER STEINERS! Cover, TWO!! Shotzi can’t believe how close yet so far she is from defeating the champion! Shotzi puts Shirai in the drop zone, heads back up top, but Shirai SHOTEIS first! Shirai climbs up, throws forearms and then grabs a leg. Shotzi resists the superplex, clubs Shirai back and puts her down on the apron! Shotzi boots Shirai, hops on abut Shirai bucks her off! Shirai APRON GERMAN SUPLEXES Shotzi down!!

Both women are down but only Shirai is on the apron! Shotzi is dazed as she slowly stirs and is somehow still okay to continue! Shirai drags Shotzi up and in to finish this directly. Cover, TWO!! Shirai is frustrated that Shotzi survived, but Shotzi is in the corner, still dazed. Shirai runs corner to corner, SHINKANSEN! Then Shirai puts Shotzi back in the drop zone before going back up top. Shirai goes OVER THE MOON!! Cover, Shirai wins!!

Winner: Io via Moonsault

5t. Stardom 5Star GP Red Stars Day 6: Tam Nakano vs Giulia

From My Results:

Even if Tam can’t cut a pre-match promo without the giggles, boy does she know how to wrestle with hatred. The strikes between these two were great, the fact that when one had the upper hand, the smiled with dubious delight. It was a great match that helped you feel the level of their disdain.

Giulia hit a gorgeous flying Octopus hold which Tam fought to the ropes, but Giulia transitioned to a Sunset Flip leaving our number 1 idol in the universe on the backfoot for a while. It wasn’t until Tam slipped a Glorious Driver into a Dragon Sleeper, broke the hold and then cold cocked Giulia with a Spinning Crane Kick that looked on point. Tam hits a German Suplex, a regular Tiger Suplex, holds on, to hit one more Tiger Suplex with the bridge. Tam picks up the win, eliminating Giulia from 5Star contention and solidifying her bid at the White Belt next month.

Winner: Tam via Tiger Suplex Hold

4, AEW Dynamite: Parking Lot Fight: Santana & Ortiz vs Best Friends

From Mitchell’s Coverage:

PNP regroup and they point at Trent and his bloody back. Ortiz SMACKS Trent with what’s left of the wood! Santana toys with Chuck while Ortiz rains down rights. Another SMACK from the wood! Trent gets up on noodle legs but Ortiz ROCKS him! Santana presses Chuck into another car’s trunk, and says, “This was the biggest mistake you have ever done in your f***ing life!” Santana punches Chuck over and over into the car’s license plate! Chuck can barely cover up! But he refuses to give up! Meanwhile, Ortiz has put Trent on that wood bridge on the truck bed! Santana grabs the baseball bat Chuck found and takes aim. But wait, who is that coming out of the car trunk!? It’s ORANGE CASSIDY!!

Cassidy has his fist wrapped in something, and gives Santana a FULL METAL ORANGE PUNCH! That something was a steel chain!! Cassidy drags Santana up and fireman’s carries him over to the red sedan. He hands Santana off to Chuck for an AWFUL WAFFLE on the hood! Trent turns things around on Ortiz to get him up and around for a CRUNCHIE through the wood!! Cover, Best Friends win!!

Winner: Best Friends via Strong Zero

1t. G1 Climax 30 B Block Day 2: Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

From My Results:

Whenever Naito would put a few things together, Tanahashi would strike back and go after the knees. It wasn’t until Naito tapped into a small bit of viciousness and grabbed Tanahashi’s wrist and smashed him about 20 times with clubbing back elbow strikes. Tana did manage to hit a few Sling Blades after that, but it was at that point that Naito looked to be building towards an idea.

Tanahashi hit a Standing High Fly Flow, so he went to hit it flush once Naito was down, but Naito rolled and Tanahashi ate mat. Gloria, Valentia, Running Destino and finally the full arm wringer Destino. A really well paced match, with great offense from both and showed a lot of character from both men.

Winner: Naito via Destino

1t. N-1 Victory B Block Day 1: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Kenoh

From My Results:

This starts off very pensive. Both circle for a few seconds, try to engage in a lockup, but back away quickly. Both were very familiar with one another before being a part of the same faction, so it’s no shock things will start slowly. Especially given the last two big victories were taken by Kenoh and he managed to knock Nakajima out twice.

After the slow start, they start measuring one another with traded kicks and the “anything you can do, I can do better” mentality. But once one stings, the pace sharply quickens. To say strikes were traded is an understatement. I mean, if you watch this, you’d be hard pressed to remember they are in the same faction.

Kenoh gets an advantage and goes for a few of his Double Foot or Double Knee dives, while Nakajima opens up slightly altered spots. He applies a Cobra Twist, pulls out his old Diamond Bomb, to go along with a flurry of kicks and his corner cocky pose spot. This match was less of a kickfest than usual, but still contained all of the grit and aggression that we’ve come to expect from their matches.

After lighting up Kenoh with a Punt Kick, he goes full mount and rains down elbows on what looks like a barely conscious body. But instead of looking for the knockout, Nakajima makes a point to win with the Vertical Spike.

Winner: Nakajima via Vertical Spike

1t. G1 Climax 30 A Block Day 1: Minoru Suzuki vs Tomohiro Ishii

From Mitchell’s Coverage:

Suzuki brings Ishii around but Ishii LARIATS first! Ishii dares Suzuki to sit up, then runs, bu tinto a spin and a SLEEPER! Then the spin, but no Gotch as Ishii Alabama lifts for a CRUNCHIE!! Both men are down and the fans are thunderous! Ishii gets up and sits Suzuki up, for the SLIDING LARIAT! Cover, TWO!! Suzuki survives but Ishii isn’t going to stop! Ishii suplexes, Suzuki resists and goes aftre the arm! Ishii breaks free to enziguri! Suzuki is down again but Ishii steadies himself first. Ishii runs at Suzuki, to clothesline him at the ropes! Ishii keeps moving, Suzuki gets around to waistlock and drag him down, into a SLEEPER! Ishii fights up but Suzuki spins him, GOTCH-

NO! Ishii powers up and back drops out! Suzuki boots, Ishii LARIATS! Suzuki stays up and fires off more palm strikes. Both men SLAP and SLAP, then Suzuki ROCKS Ishii and then DECKS him!! Suzuki sits Ishii up, runs, and BASEMENT BOOTS! But Ishii is up!? Ishii LARIATS Suzuki down! Ishii rests in a corner but Suzuki laughs as he rises! Suzuki boots, Ishii blocks and headbutts! Ishii fires up, waits for Suzuki to stand, and runs to LARIAT again! But Ishii isn’t done, he drags Suzuki up for the suplex, and- No! Suzuki rolls back, spins Ishii around, Gotch PILEDRIVER!!! Cover, Suzuki wins!!

Winner: Suzuki via Gotch Style Piledriver

Thoughts:

Wait, there’s a few more weeks of this? Oh boy…

ANYWHO, I don’t even know where to start with this week. AEW was surprisingly good, NXT wasn’t far behind, the Japanese tournaments top my personal enjoyment and the Impact 8 man was patterned like a Japanese match…so put all of these on a dart board, close your eyes, and toss a dart.

I guess I’ll personally pick Tanahashi versus Naito as my pick for the week, but damn it’s close. Seven different companies, three women’s matches, and this is still early on in a few of the tournaments.

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: WrestleMania 41 Las Vegas

Time for The Chairshot personalities to put their money where their mouths are! WreslteMania 41 predictions from the “expert” staff at TheChairshot.com and Chairshot Radio Network.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 18, 2025

PC Tunney

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Chairshot Staff Picks. And what better setting than WrestleMania for this article to return! This 41st edition has one of the most stacked rosters in WWE history. So, without further ado, let us get to the predictions and prognostications…

AJ – The New Day
Andrew – The New Day – No one seems to hold tag titles long anymore.
Dave – The New Day – They have earned it.
DJ – The New Day – Feel tha Powah!
DPP – War Raiders – Big E distraction.
Jason – The New Day – We are not getting E in a working capacity though everyone wants it.
Patrick – The New Day – WWE doesn’t care about this match, so why should I?
Rey – The New Day – Its a New Day, bruh.
Rob – The New Day – New Day rocks and wins!
Greg – The New Day – New. Day wins. New. Day wins!

Tunney’s Take: War Machine – Yes, WAR MACHINE. I have personally had the pleasure of throwing back a few cold ones with these guys on more than one occasion. Not only being tag champs in WWE but defending the titles at Mania and against The New Day is really cool for me as a long-time fan. Would it be fun to see The New Day have another title run.. YES. I think it’s smarter to give the War Raiders a big Mania W.

Chairshot Pick: THE NEW DAY 9-2

AJ – Jade Cargill
Andrew – Jade Cargill – She needs to stay a dominant force.
Dave – Jade Cargill – Gotta gear her up for the long term.
DJ – No contest – Naomi puts another beat down on Jade.
DPP – Jade Cargill – Nervous for how this match will go.
Jason – Naomi – Way more runway with Naomi as a bad guy. Keep it going!
Patrick – Jade Cargill – Jade gets her revenge.
Rey – Jade Cargill – Best non-title feud going. Naomi should win but Jade sneaks by.
Rob – Naomi – Naomi gets help to win.
Greg – Jade Cargill – They ain’t beating Jade here.

Tunney’s Take: Jade Cargill – I imagine WWE sees Jade’s ceiling much higher than Naomi’s. What better way to keep Jade climbing the ladder towards a World Title than to pick up a decisive victory in Vegas!

Chairshot Pick: Jade Cargill 8-2-1

AJ – Jacob Fatu – “AJ does a pretty good LA Knight impersonation” – PC Tunney
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – I’m biased, Jacob for President.
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Getting gold back in the Bloodline is smart.
DJ – Jacob Fatu
DPP – Jacob Fatu
Jason – Jacob Fatu – Thanks for coming pal, YEAH!
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – C’mon cuz! All gas no brakes with it. Yadadamean??
Rob – LA Knight – Solo costs Jacob.
Greg – LA Knight – Solo screws Jacob.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – It has been quite the journey for the Samoan Werewolf. I feel like that journey and the positive turn around it has taken deserves to be rewarded. Let’s see what Jacob can do on his own. Plus, LA Knight is ready to challenge for a World Title.

Chairshot Pick: Jacob Fatu 9-2

AJ – Tiffany Straton
Andrew – Tiffany Straton – I hate Charlotte Flair, no objectivity here.
Dave – Charlotte Flair – Tiffy might be the future, but she kinda failed the litmus test.
DJ – Charlotte Flair – The Queen crowns the freshman.
DPP – Tiffany Stratton
Jason – Charlotte Flair – Tiff wasn’t ready for this spot. Charnos is inevitable.
Patrick – Charlotte Flair – Lol Charlotte wins.
Rey – Charlotte Flair – Tiffany SHOULD win but, if Charlotte can squash, she will.
Rob – Charlotte Flair – Charlotte gets number 15.
Greg – Tiffany Stratton – Lol Charlotte wins. (Actually she doesn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Charlotte Flair – Charlotte needs the title for the first time in her career. Tiffy has had a nice run but now needs to take that all important step of not losing momentum after losing the title. Despite the drama and lackluster build here, I see a really good match coming this weekend from these two.

Chairshot Pick: Charlotte Flair 7-4

AJ – El Grande Americano
Andrew – El Grande Americano – I’d like to see Gable gain some momentum. Rey is Teflon.
Dave – El Grand Americano – He needs a marque win much more than Rey.
DJ – Rey Mysterio
DPP – El Grande Americano – Grande wins with the switcheroo to prove he is not Gable.
Jason – Rey Mysterio – Unmask Grande at the end. It is fun but has a shelf life.
Patrick – El Grande Americano – TOTALLY NOT CHAD GABLE
Rey – Rey Mysterio – Someone’s mask is coming off and it ain’t Rey.
Rob – El Grande Americano
Greg – Rey Mysterio – Hall of Famer wins but doesn’t take the mask.

Tunney’s Take: Rey Mysterio – Go listen to DWI 471. DP, Greg and I lay out exactly what this match should be, FUN! Multiple Americanos!!!

Chairshot Pick: El Grande Americano 6-5

AJ – Jey Uso
Andrew – Jey Uso – Kinda booked themselves into a corner here.
Dave – Jey Uso – It just makes sense.
DJ – Jey Uso – Jey YEETS all over The Ring Genreal.
DPP – Jey Uso – Jey wins after normal Gunther beating.
Jason – Jey Uso – Land the plane man. YEET
Patrick – Jey Uso – Jey has earned this one.
Rey – Jey Uso – YEEEEEEEEEEEET!
Rob – Jey Uso – YEET
Greg – Jey Uso – If Jey loses we riot. We don’t cause he wins.

Tunney’s Take: Jey Uso – ‘Til sweat drop down my balls, ‘Til all these bitches crawl, ‘Til all… YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chairshot Pick: Jey Uso 11-0

AJ – Roman Reigns
Andrew – Seth Rollins – I can see Rollins being the last piece of Team Rock.
Dave – Roman Reigns – I can’t see Roman losing two years in a row.
DJ – Seth Rollins – Paul Heyman is a Seth Freakin Rollins guy.
DPP – Seth Rollins – The Rock helps Rollins.
Jason – Roman Reigns – Seth’s favor is a red herring. Make-A-Wish Brooks got his main, now look at the lights.
Patrick – Seth Rollins – Seth Rollins… Paul Heyman guy.
Rey – Seth Rollins – I smeeeeellllllll a new soul to sell.
Rob – Roman Reigns – Paul Heyman helps Roman win.
Greg – Seth Rollins – Brock Lesnar returns to help Seth win.

Tunney’s Take: CM Punk – I really have no idea here. I picked Punk because nobody else did. This is going to be professional wrestling cinema at its finest. The story is thick and neatly woven. All the participants are legends and so are the potential party crashers. Will The Rock stick his nose in here? Will Brock Lesnar return to play a factor? Obviously, Paul Heyman has a Plan A… but what is it? All these questions and more will be answered Saturday as night 1 will definitely go out with a bang!

Chairshot Pick: Seth Rollins 6-4-1

AJ – Iyo Sky
Andrew – Iyo Sky – Rhea vs Bianca doesn’t need a belt to be compelling.
Dave – Rhea Ripley – Going with Rhea barely, hoping Iyo wins.
DJ – Iyo Sky – Unfinished business.
DPP – Iyo Sky – Rhea and Bianca are too consumed with each other.
Jason – Iyo Sky – More layers to Rhea/Bianca. Iyo rules.
Patrick – Iyo Sky – Iyo stole the build and gets the win.
Rey – Iyo Sky – Smart money is on the underdog champ.
Rob – Iyo Sky – Iyo survives.
Greg – Bianca Belair – Naomi helps Bianca win and turn heel.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – Rhea is the best women’s wrestler in the world. Give her the biggest win on the grandest stage of them all!!! Bianca needs to go full heel. Iyo has been amazing in this build.

Chairshot Pick: Iyo Sky 8-2-1

AJ – Dominik Mysterio
Andrew – Finn Balor – I can see a Judgement Day meltdown incoming.
Dave – Bron Breakker – Bron is about to become a MegaStar.
DJ – Bron Breakker – Judgement Day implodes.
DPP – Dominik Mysterio – Finn take the pin.
Jason – Penta – I literally do not care because the winner is us, the fans.
Patrick – Bron Breakker – The WWE doesn’t care about this matchup, so why should I?
Rey – Dominik Mysterio – Only match without a clear winner. I choose chaos.
Rob – Bron Breakker – Finn and Dom cancel each other out.
Greg – Dominik Mysterio – Dom steals the pin from Bron, on Finn.

Tunney’s Take: Bron Breakker – The case can be made for any of these four to walk away with the most prestigious non-World title in pro wrestling history. The short of it is though that the Main Event picture isn’t really readily accessible for Breakker right now. Let this IC reign go through the summer, to SummerSlam.

Chairshot Pick: Bron Breakker 5-4-1-1

AJ – Damian Priest – “AJ does a pretty good Drew impersonation” – PC Tunney
Andrew – Drew McIntyre – Priest has not been interesting in this face incarnation.
Dave – Drew McIntyre – Time for Drew to get that win back.
DJ – Fuck finish – To be continued at Backlash.
DPP – Drew McIntyre – Physical matchup!
Jason – Drew McIntyre – Either one is fine here.
Patrick – Drew McIntyre – With two eyes, Drew turns the tide.
Rey – Drew McIntyre – Low key match of the weekend.
Rob – Damien Priest
Greg – Damien Priest – Priest wins, Drew tweets about it half hour later.

Tunney’s Take: Drew McIntyre – With the addition of the Street fight rules, these two behemoths have a really good chance to have one of the best matches of the entire weekend (winks at Rey Ca$h-A-Mania)! I do wonder what is next for both of these talents moving forward. Priest has staled since leaving the Judgement Day and Drew seems stuck in the same cycle for a while now. Very interested to see what the summer holds for this pair.

Chairshot Pick: Drew McIntyre 7-3-1

WHO WILL BE RANDY’S OPPONENT?!?

AJ – Nick Aldis – Orton wins
Andrew – Orton and Aldis vs Solo and Tama – Orton and Aldis win
Dave – Someone is getting an RKO!
DJ – A segment w/ the Wyatt s6cks.
DPP – Rusev – Aldis introduces Rusev who defeats Orton.
Jason – Nick Aldis – You got one more in ya, bubba. Aldis wins!
Patrick – Nick Aldis
Rey – Solo then Rusev – Solo in a squash and Rusev MATCHKA(wins)
Rob – Nick Aldis – Aldis proves himself, Orton wins.
Greg – Nick Aldis – Orton beats Aldis, they shake after.

Tunney’s Take: I would really love to see a singles match between Orton and Aldis. More likely this is some type of involvement with Solo and Tama. Rusev as a surprise challenger would be cool but, I feel that would be better left for RAW. An impromptu Goldberg retirement match would be crazy and fun, yet highly unlikely and illogical. Whatever happens, best believe exactly what Dave Ungar said, “Someone is getting an RKO!”.

AJ – Logan Paul
Andrew – AJ Styles – Logan doesn’t need the rub and should stay upper mid card.
Dave – Logan Paul – It’s the smart move and would be a statement win for Paul.
DJ – Logan Paul – Kross gets involved somewhere.
DPP – AJ Styles – AJ wins a great high-flying match.
Jason – AJ Styles – Just enjoy it or get a beer, nerds.
Patrick – Logan Paul – Logan Paul will main-event Mania sooner than later…
Rey – Logan Paul – Pass the torch, my wily vet.
Rob – Logan Paul – Kross helps Paul win.
Greg – AJ Styles – Styles wins after Paul’s cheating backfires.

Tunney’s Take: Logan Paul – Logan seems to really have dedicated himself to becoming great in this business. Anyone with that type of goal must have a World title on their mind. Beating AJ at Mania will be a great springboard for Logan into the Main Event sooner than later (winks at Patrick O’Dowd).

Chairshot Pick: Logan Paul 7-4

AJ – Liv & Raquel
Andrew – Liv & Raquel – Not really a fan of Lyra, she needs more work.
Dave – Liv & Raquel – This Bayley and Lyra team makes no damn sense.
DJ – Liv & Raquel – Bayley crashes out.
DPP – Liv & Raquel – Bayley continues a potential heel turn tease.
Jason – Bayley & Lyra – Finish the story!
Patrick – Bayley & Lyra – The WWE doesn’t care about this matchup, so why should I?
Rey – Liv and Raquel – Bayley want a title but it ain’t the ones in this match.
Rob – Liv & Raquel – Champs retain.
Greg – Liv & Raquel – Liv and Raquel retain thanks to Carlito and maybe JD.

Tunney’s Take: Liv & Raquel – Liv and Raquel need to be kept as the cornerstone of the women’s tag division for a lengthier period of time. Building tag teams in this division is difficult enough, let alone without a North Star.

Chairshot Pick: Liv & Raquel 9-2

AJ – Cody Rhodes
Andrew – Cody Rhodes – They are mentioning it so much, I don’t think 17 happens.
Dave – Joh Cena – Record falls and we head to summer with a built-in storyline.
DJ – John Cena – Some kind of Final Boss involvement.
DPP – John Cena – Cena wins and retires on RAW.
Jason – John Cena – Story’s over, “Captain” BIG MATCH JOHN.
Patrick – John Cena – A record breaking night for Cena.
Rey – John Cena – They’d be really stupid to turn John just to lose. (Post-Mania: Rock, Cena, T Scott, Seth & Drew, TEAM Corporate)
Rob – Cody Rhodes – Cody surprises us with the W.
Greg – Cody Rhodes – Cody wins to piss off Rock and set the table for Cena to turn back face. Crowd is behind Cena all the way through.

Tunney’s Take: Cody Rhodes – They had me until the threat of retirement. Been there. Done that. Didn’t fall in love with it back then. I love John Cena. I love this final run. John will get his 17th just not here. I expect nothing less than an absolute GEM of a match here to close WrestleMania 41. This has all been, is, and will continue to be about Cody Rhodes. WM40 defeats Roman Reigns. WM41 defeats John Cena. WM42 defeats The Rock (The Final Boss).

Chairshot Pick: John Cena 6-5

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We wait all year for this so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

For the latest, greatest and up to datest in coverage, opinions, and podcasts ALWAYS #UseYourHead and visit TheCharishot.com

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DeMarco: Top 5 Non-Title WrestleMania Matches In WWE History

Not all WrestleMania classics had titles on the line. Dive into the top 5 non-title matches that stole the show & defined legacies. #WrestleMania #WWEHistory

Published

3 weeks ago

April 16, 2025

Greg DeMarco

Shawn Michaels Kurt Angle WrestleMania 21

Not all WrestleMania classics had titles on the line. Dive into the top 5 non-title matches that stole the show and defined legacies.

WrestleMania is the Showcase Of The Immortals, but it’s not always the championship matches that steal the show—or define careers. In fact, some of the most iconic, business-defining, and emotionally resonant contests at the Grandest Stage of Them All didn’t feature a title at all. These matches succeeded because of character work, in-ring execution, and the kind of storytelling that sells tickets and moves merch.

Here are the five best non-title matches in WrestleMania history—at least, according to me!

5. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania X8 (2002)

This was never going to be a five-star technical clinic—but it was always going to be the moment. “Icon vs. Icon” was a tagline, sure, but it was also the reality: the biggest star of the ‘80s vs. the biggest star of the Attitude Era. And Toronto turned it into magic. Hogan walked in a heel but walked out immortal (again), with the SkyDome shaking on every punch, every look, every gesture.

What made this work was its self-awareness. Rock and Hogan read the crowd and flipped roles mid-match—Rock became the arrogant aggressor while Hogan Hulked Up to thunderous applause. It’s not often a non-title match headlines a card emotionally the way this one did, but it dominated every headline and highlight reel.

4. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart – WrestleMania X (1994)

Sibling rivalries don’t usually lead to technical masterpieces, but then again, this wasn’t your average family drama. Owen and Bret opened WrestleMania X with a wrestling clinic that stood tall over a night packed with title changes. Owen needed to prove he was more than Bret’s little brother, and he did it by out-wrestling the best wrestler in the company. Clean. One-two-three.

It wasn’t just a great match—it was perfect storytelling. Owen’s victory, contrasted with Bret’s later world title win, set the tone for an entire year of brother-vs-brother tension. Bret became champion, but Owen had the moral victory—and all the bragging rights. This is proof that opening matches can steal the show.

3. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 25 (2009)

If WrestleMania moments could be trademarked, this match would be the reason why. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels wasn’t about championships—it was about legacy. Michaels wanted to be the man who ended The Streak. The build was steeped in biblical imagery: light vs. dark, heaven vs. hell. And the match? Pure perfection. Each man brought everything they had—near-falls, psychology, reversals that had 70,000+ people gasping in unison.

It was 30 minutes of generational storytelling that transcended pro wrestling. And here’s the kicker—it wasn’t even the main event. Yet it dwarfed everything that followed. Meltzer gave it 4.75 stars, fans gave it their hearts, and WWE gave it a sequel the next year. A match so good it forced the company to run it back—because lightning actually struck.

Now, if THIS MATCH is #3, what could possible be #2 and #1…

2. Bret Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin – WrestleMania 13 (1997)

This wasn’t just a match—it was the turning point of an era. The Submission Match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin was as violent as it was poetic, with Ken Shamrock enforcing the rules and the Chicago crowd growing more frenzied by the second. The brilliance? The shift. Bret Hart, the traditionalist hero, grew darker and more self-righteous by the second, while the disrespectful anti-hero Austin refused to quit, even when drowning in his own blood. There was no title on the line, but the stakes felt bigger than gold.

The infamous double turn changed the business. Austin’s defiance turned him into the voice of a new generation of fans—blue collar, anti-authority, Attitude Era. Meanwhile, Bret would go on to lead the heel Hart Foundation. WWE didn’t need a championship to create a moment that catapulted Austin into superstardom and ignited the company’s hottest era. This match is business-first booking at its absolute best.

1. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 21 (2005)

Dream matches often disappoint. This one didn’t. At WrestleMania 21, Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle went hold-for-hold and spot-for-spot with Mr. WrestleMania himself, and together they delivered a masterclass in in-ring psychology. Every sequence had stakes, every near-fall had meaning. It was a stylistic war: Michaels’ heart vs. Angle’s intensity.

Angle forcing Michaels to tap was a statement—it told fans that pure wrestling, not just spectacle, could still main-event caliber storytelling without any need for a title. Michaels sold the ankle lock like death, and Angle’s post-match collapse sold the moment as a hard-fought war. This is the kind of match that keeps purists up at night, smiling, and leaves the storytelling fans like myself as happy as can be!

10 Honorable Mentions (Not Honorable, Just For The Heck Of It)

Edge vs. Mick Foley – WrestleMania 22 (2006)
A hardcore war that solidified Edge as a top-tier main eventer. That flaming table spear is still played in every Edge highlight reel.
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon – WrestleMania 33 (2017)
Everyone expected smoke and mirrors—what they got was a surprisingly technical, high-energy opener that kicked off the show right.
The Undertaker vs. Triple H – WrestleMania 28 (2012)
“End of an Era” wasn’t just a tagline. The Hell in a Cell match, with HBK as referee, was a brutal epilogue to a generation’s legacy.
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho – WrestleMania XIX (2003)
A student-teacher battle of wills. Jericho’s low blow post-match was the perfect heel punctuation to a career-defining contest.
Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins – WrestleMania 31 (2015)
The greatest RKO of all time. That curb stomp reversal belongs in a museum.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show – WrestleMania XXIV (2008)
More sports-entertainment than wrestling, but a crossover moment that made mainstream headlines and paid off with a great finish.
Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis – WrestleMania III (1987)
A retirement match with big heat, a hot crowd, and Piper walking off into the sunset (for a minute).
The Firefly Funhouse Match – John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt – WrestleMania 36 (2020)
Cinematic weirdness at its best. A meta masterstroke that broke Cena down in layers.
Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison – WrestleMania 37 (2021)
Bad Bunny stunned everyone. He didn’t just belong—he elevated the show.
Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio – WrestleMania 39 (2023)
Father vs. son in a grudge match that played perfectly off real-life drama and Hall of Fame weekend emotions.

Some of these matches shaped legacies. Others shifted eras. But all of them proved that the most memorable moments at WrestleMania don’t need a title—they just need truth in the storytelling and fire in the execution.