To see in the New Year, I decided to create a top 10 of the matches I’ve reviewed in the blog this year. Due to the fact the blog only started in September, and the fact I’m pretty useless at getting round to writing stuff up means that the pool of matches to choose from is pretty shallow, but I’m pretty happy with this final list:
10. Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito vs. Milano Collection AT & Taichi Ishikari (NJPW, 2009)
Fun time-limit draw between two teams of junior heavyweights, which benefits from a fine ending sprint as both teams try to get the win before the time goes.
9. Little Guido vs Super Crazy (ECW Living Dangerously 2000)
The standout match on an otherwise average card saw two guys cram as much as they can into ten minutes. Even the Sal E Graziano interference helps the match, essentially giving both guys another item to throw themselves from.
8. Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. Konnan (WCW Slamboree 1996)
Choice US title match jammed in between a poor Battlebowl tournament. Tells a nice story with Liger having to change tactics when he realises Konnan can hang with him on the mat, before falling prey to one big move.
7. Danny Boy Collins vs. Kid McCoy (Best Of Reslo Vol 1)
Ahead of it’s time junior heavyweight style match from the UK sees two guys happy to work snugly whilst exchanging some quality matwork. Collins looks especially good here.
6. Masato Tanaka & Kohei Sato vs Daisuke Ikeda & Takashi Sugiura (Zero-One Truth Century Creation 2003)
Hard-hitting interpromotional tag match sees all four guys crank it up, resulting in a 15 minute tag match that feels far shorter than that.
5. Bob Backlund vs Stan Hansen (WWE Wrestling’s Most Incredible Steel Cage Matches)
In which Bob Backlund shows how tough he is by not backing down when trapped in a cage with the clubbing Texan. Superb brawl between two greats.
4. Masahiro Chono, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Jushin Thunder Liger & AKIRA vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Tomoaki Honma (NJPW 2009)
Mayhem reigns with the veteran faces clashing with the evil heels. The heels are suitably vicious in working over Tenzan, and frequent tags keep this fast-paced and very entertaining
3. Derrick Bateman vs. Byron Saxton (FCW 2010)
One of my shocks of the year, a perfectly crafted grudge match which sees a furious Bateman seeking revenge on smug heel Saxton, only for Saxton to take advantage of a lucky break and work over the head of his dazed foe. A good story well told, helped by Bateman’s glazed eye selling.
2. The Superflies (Jimmy Ocean and Ricky Knight) vs. Tony Stewart and Geraint Clewd (Best Of Reslo Vol 1)
2/3 falls tag match sees the sleazy Superflies pull out all the cheap heat tactics in the heel handbook to work over the dynamic young faces. Fantastic crowd reactions and the ‘Flies willingness to make their green, if willing, opponents look great makes this a superb tag-formula match.
1. Bob Backlund vs Pat Patterson (WWE Wrestling’s Most Incredible Steel Cage Matches)
An even better Backlund tag brawl, this time fuelled by a mutual desperation to win the title from both men. Both men attack each other like feral animals and the ending sequence, where a frantic Backlund powers his way out by kicking away at Patterson’s face, is superb.
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