End of 2015 Round Up Post

As is now tradition, this is the round-up of the best stuff I reviewed last year. Thankfully, I've not seen enough shit this year to justify the return of the Bottom 5 again this year, so let's hope 2016 wont see me forced to bring it back. Also included is the top 5 matches I've seen live this year. I've pretty much stopped doing live reports, as they aren't as much fun to write and mean I don't just sit back and enjoy live shows, but these were the best 5 matches I saw in person this year. Enjoy!

Top 10 Blog Matches of the Year

 10. Yuko Miyamoto & Shinobu vs Konaka Pale One & DINASTY (666 07/03/2010)

Amidst all the wacky antics and baffling action in the 666 federation came this straight-up tag match that was a fine piece of work. Nice tag psychology, some snug exchanges and a fun ending sequence made this a pleasant surprise

9. Tom Zenk vs Brian Pillman (WCW Wrestlewar 1992)

Narrowly beating out the Pillman/Liger match from Superbrawl. Just felt this had more of a story running through it, the ex-tag partners who know each other well, one a bit stronger, the other a bit quicker. Part of the reason Wrestlewar is such a great PPV

8. 1-2-3 Kid & Marty Jannetty vs the Quebeccers (WWF Raw 10/01/1994)

There’s not been an abundance of gems on 1994 Raws, but this absolutely is one of them. Plays nicely on the expectations of the audience who know there can’t possibly be a title change so close to the Rumble…can there? Add to this some nice heel double teams and two great underdog faces, and the result is a terrific match.

7. Tyler Bate vs Jay Lethal (SWA Summer Blowout 2014)

His US debut in CHIKARA saw American audiences discover something we’ve known over here for a while: Tyler Bate is a bona fide star. Here he takes on a guy in Jay Lethal who I’ve liked over the years, but also disliked in many places, and they put on a great match. Lethal’s RoH TV title is on the line, so the result is never in doubt, but they make you believe it might be, and that’s great wrestling.

6. Rush vs Negro Casas (CMLL 16/08/2014)

Negro Casas really is the evergreen star of lucha. This was a hair-vs-hair, and though the first two falls were great, the final fall is so exciting and both guys really put their all into it.   

5. Jushin Liger vs Robbie Dynamite (All Star Wrestling 03/10/2014)

Dean Allmark’s YouTube account is a real blessing for fans of British wrestling, as he puts up all manner of fun All Star stuff. This came from a full show from last October he uploaded, and was a fine main event match. You’d forgive Liger for holding back a bit in a small Croydon town hall, but he throws back the years here. Dynamite isn’t just along for the ride, and both guys match up perfectly.

4. Bull Power vs Otto Wanz (Best of Reslo Vol 2)

A pre-Vader Leon White taking on another big bear of a man in Wanz, in late 80’s Austria. This was two behemoths going at it, almost felt like a Rocky match with Wanz taking an early pummelling, but slowly chiselling away at Power. Loved this.

3. Jerry Lawler vs Terry Funk (3PW Broadcast From Hell)

Even more odd than a 666 match making the list is an entry from my less-than-beloved 3PW. Here, two veteran campaigners put on the best match on a card full of ex-ECW stars and hot indy names by knowing the perfect way to get a reaction. WWE employee Lawler gleefully soaks up the hatred as he drills away at the beloved Funk, trolling the shit out of the audience and loving every minute. A masterclass in crowd work.

2. Mark Andrews vs Zack Sabre Jr (The Best of Mark Andrews: Fly Or Die Trying)

So my favourite UK indy Triple X Wrestling didn’t run any shows this year, but I was still able to relive some fond memories via this match that appeared on a great Andrews best of comp. This was top of my list for 2013, and I actually enjoyed it more the second time around. One of the best underdog faces in the UK vs the all-conquering technical wizard led to a really compelling match.

1. Sting, Nikita Koloff, Ricky Steamboat, Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes vs Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Larry Zbyszko, Bobby Eaton & Arn Anderson (WCW Wrestlewar 1992)

It would have to be something special to keep one of my favourite live matches off the top of the list, but this is truly special. One of my favourite matches of all time, it’s a brutal, blood-soaked war, that manages to incorporate great story-telling, logical action, great spots and even some intricate little details into a fantastic match. The shortest 30 minutes in wrestling.

 Top 5 Live Matches of the Year

5. Mark Haskins vs DJZ (SWE, 27/2)

4. Mark Andrews & Pete Dunne vs Will Ospreay & Chris Sabin (SWE, 27/2)

3. Wild Boar vs Justin Hammer Sysum (Legacy, 6/6)

2. T-Bone vs El Ligero vs Chris Tyler (HOPE, 6/2)

1. Jack Jester vs Ryan Smile vs El Ligero vs Chris Tyler vs Joseph Conners vs LJ Heron (HOPE, 17/7)

HOPE Wrestling put on some of my favourite shows of the year in 2015, and were my favourite UK promotion of the year. This, on their 2^nd year anniversary show, was to crown the first HOPE wrestling champion, and really showed that they were right to wait. The crowd were rabid for this one, and the action was frantic, non-stop fun from start to finish.