#Highspots wrestling network

[justoutofthecornerofyoureye]

watching a super old Popping Dogs episode where Dustin says he’s fed up of trying to pick up girls and he’s just gonna give up and cut his dick off and like… what was happening there???

#chuck taylor #popping dogs and talking hogs #Highspots wrestling network #aew #all elite wrestling #sexy chuckie t #or like not so sexy apparently?

[maxwelljacobfriedman]

MJF Out of Character

*Version 2.0 June 2022*

Podcasts (in reverse chronological order)

Off The Hop Rope w/ Mark Sterling (and VSK) - October 2019:

1st Ep - They drink and watch MJF vs Matt Cross from All In

MJF is a lightweight and gets very maudlin and sweet and I HIGHLY recommend at least listening from minute 43 to the end (but really the whole thing is interesting).

VSK: That was the most sincere and real thing I’ve ever heard him [MJF] say, and it’s blowing me away right now.

Mark: Just a cider and a half, that’s all it takes.

Max: I’m pretty drunk.

2nd Ep - Have been drinking and watch/discuss MJF vs VSK from CAP

Drunk MJF trying to describe parentheses: “The bubble boys - what are those things called? When there’s two, like, half circles and then you put words in them?”

These have both been taken down by the podcast so I have them for download here: Drive Link 

The Card Is Going To Change - Episode 138: MJF & Swoggle Take Over The Podcast - March 2019

Dylan: You’re a good person

Max *whispering*: Don’t tell them that

Available on AIW 

Kickin Ass with Jesse and Andy (the Butcher and the Blade) - Episode 45: Maxwell Jacob Friedman is Better Than You! - September 2018

They all like each other a lot. Andy and Max especially seem to be fans of one another, and in retrospect it’s very nice that MJF’s character brought Butcher/Blade/Bunny into AEW.

YT Link

The Wrestling Podcast About Nothing - MJF SHOOTS! - October 2017

You hear him go from MJF to Max right at the beginning

Talks about Sami Callahan being his wrestling dad at CZW

He’s so EARNEST

WPAN

Videos

Highspots Network (Subscription Paywall)

Ego's Amigos: Rickey Shane Page & MJF - (CW: Ethan Page makes a couple of in very poor taste antisemitic jokes. RSP is a sweetheart.)

Ego's Amigos: Ricky Starks & MJEFF - (CW: I find this one incredibly distressing. Everyone is mean to MJF, and not in a fun way. Ethan Page, especially, comes off as a bully, and antisemitic.)

Sorry You're Watching This: MJEFF - (This one I unreservedly recommend, and exciting news! I found it on: Bilibili)

Bonus - Youtube Playlist - MJF DOESN’T WANT YOU TO WATCH THIS (Videos with MJF out of character/sort of out of character/he almost breaks/you can tell he’s being goofy):

Playlists don’t allow time markers, so a couple notes:

“Shook Commentary #3: The King and MJF”: Comes in at 3:13

“Pimp My Scooter” - Vlog 278: Quick cameo at 10:33

“MJF crashes Colt Cabana interview”: 0:35-2:12

#mjf #maxwell jacob friedman #all elite wrestling #i don't think this will show up in tags bc of links so reblogging is appreciated

[ijustthinkevilunoisneat]

This is inspired by the Wheeler Yuta spreadsheet

thought it was a really awesome idea so did it with Uno. I'll keep adding to it but I thought I'd ask if you would like piracy links added to the list, stick to YouTube and Dailymotion or links to things like IWTV and Highspots Network.

#evil uno #aew #all elite wrestling

[jellybelly30]

Good news for anyone who wants to catch up with OTT Wrestling via Highspots Network!

#jordan devlin #session moth martina #ott wrestling #highspots network

[or-ng-c-ss-dy]

watching old indies is fun because it’s your little guy in the worst outfit you’ve ever seen in front of a crowd who legitimately couldn’t give less of a shit (unless you’re watching old chikara and then they care almost a little too much). your little guy will probably wrestle like thirty times on the show, one was a battle royal that somehow only lasted five minutes, and he probably made like $20 and changed in a hallway next to a high school kid’s stinky locker. the vibes are wild and highspots network is lying about the video quality being 480p

#iwa midsouth spring heat 2006-core aesthetic #everyone should be tagging their little guy so i can gateke-- uh i mean see who you're talking about

[gutwrenchflowerbomb]

Hey y’all!

I sometimes find myself with a bit of free time. I usually end up watching indie wrestling and/or making gifs from it. But I thought I would make it more interesting.

Send me your requests! I have a subscription to IWTV, Highspots, NJPW World and WWE Network. I have ways to find AEW episodes or PPVs. You can send me a request for a specific match. You can tell me two wrestlers and I can see if they have ever wrestled each other and if that match is available to me. Or you can just send me a wrestler and maybe a year and I’ll randomly pick one!

Also: text posts sometimes feel weirdly empty so here are my cats when they were just a few months old vs now

#wrestling #gifs #iwtv #highspots #wwe #aew #njpw #cats

[paquettesdownfall]

I remember when eddie did ego's on highspots network that he didn't want to get married or have kid till he found the right person or till he was stable in wrestling. He went to say something about some people settling and not being happy or something along those lines but he didn't say it but thats the impression I was getting. Plus I wouldn't be surprised if he went on to mock her.

There are enough examples in the wrestling business of guys who settled for the wrong person and then found the right one after their career. And I don't mean that in relation to Mox, because he didn't settle for the wrong woman, but for a really ridiculous shit show.

[beingallelite]

Hoffman Estates, Illinois — All Elite Wrestling returned to familiar ground in the suburbs of Chicago on Saturday, trying to recreate the magic that launched the brand's leading stars into the wrestling stratosphere at last year's All In.

Mission accomplished.

All Out was a five-hour extravaganza, mixing diverse wrestling styles to create a show unlike anything fans had ever seen from a mainstream promotion. From the old-school southern shenanigans of Cody Rhodes and Shawn Spears to the state-of-the-art stunt spectacular performed by the Young Bucks and Lucha Brothers, it was a wrestling show that had something remarkable for every fan in the building.

The energy was electric—and contagious. The live crowd couldn't get enough, and the building was full to bursting with fans who felt invested, not just in individual wrestlers or storylines, but in the entire enterprise.

Something special is brewing in the wrestling industry, and AEW is at the heart of it.

Last week, Off the Top Rope's Jonathan Snowden talked to one of the event's architects, All Elite Wrestling executive Brandi Rhodes, about the launch of a new wrestling promotion, her savvy use of social media and her role in building a women's division from the ground up.

This week, we continue that conversation with a discussion of one of the most multifaceted talent rosters in professional wrestling history.

Jonathan Snowden: I'm assuming you're often the only woman in the room when a lot of important decisions are being made. Is it kind of your duty to keep an eye out for the other women on the roster and help make sure they aren't pushed in directions creatively that a man might not realize could make them uncomfortable?

Brandi Rhodes: That's the goal. I haven't had any situations like that yet, but we're about to start weekly TV. So we'll see some of the ideas. But there have been for myself at times in wrestling, times when I had to say, 'Hey, wait a minute, I'm not really comfortable with that' or, 'That doesn't work for me.'

It's interesting to see how a lot of people don't see the other side of the coin. Since they haven't been there. Someone might suggest your character say something that they'd never say. It doesn't occur to them that there are people who think differently about something, from another perspective.

I think it probably will be helpful to have me there. I'm also someone who is always looking at things from different angles. There's always two answers. Cody and I run a lot of things by each other. We're able to help each other see things differently than we would singularly.

JS: What's an example of a time you remember when you were asked to do something you didn't feel right about doing? Is there a moment that stands out?

Rhodes: Ideas that made it seem like I wasn't particularly faithful to my husband. That's an area I don't like to go. It's just not for me.

And the fans, they know us. They know Cody and I, and they like our relationship. So, I would never want to kind of scoff in their faces and make it seem like it's something that it's not.

JS: You guys have a slogan, "AEW is for everyone." I know just how real that is, and I wanted to personally thank you for your commitment to sensory inclusion. We have two kids on the autism spectrum, and going to an event like yours can be kind of terrifying. But we came out to Double or Nothing, and the sensory room you put together with KultureCity made a huge difference. Why was this so important to you? Because I was told you championed the cause.

Rhodes: Thank you for sharing that with me. I love hearing from people who had wonderful experiences with the sensory room. It really makes me so happy.

KultureCity actually reached out to me. I didn't know anything about them or their mission, because it was really vague to me what they represented. I met with [CEO] Julian Maha, and he told me that when we said "AEW is for everyone," it might not be true. He said: 'You're missing a big part of the market. You're missing people with invisible illnesses.' I said, 'Wow." Because we 100 percent were, and we hadn't thought about it.

It's just one of those things people don't think about unless it personally affects them. It can easily slip your mind unless you're confronted with it. But I've been to countless wrestling shows over the last seven or eight years. I've been a part of many meet-and-greets where someone had a need like this and no one knew what to do. Personally, it was embarrassing when we didn't know how to help people and they would just have to leave.

So, when Julian brought this up, I was all for it. If I can keep those moments from happening for any family, I'm all for whatever it takes to make that happen. We are fully in with KultureCity and doing everything we can to get them to as many events as possible.

JS: Inclusion seems to be important generally to this company. From Nyla Rose to Sonny Kiss to the Chinese superstars from OWE, you've been finding talent where most mainstream wrestling companies don't even think to look for it. Are there barriers you're intentionally breaking down, or is it just a matter of being open to talented performers, whatever their background might be?

Rhodes: It's not something we set out to do. We never said, 'We need to check these boxes.' That's not a good way to find the best talent, in my opinion. As long as you keep in mind that what you're looking for is the best person, regardless of anything else, you're going to find the best of the best. And I think that's what we've got here.

In our case, we were very, very lucky. A lot of talent just kind of fell in our lap, which is wonderful when you don't have to search very hard for such talented people.

Our agenda was always to have an open mind about everything. When you have someone like Sonny Kiss, who is very much on the surface who he is, there is no way we're going to say, 'Maybe he should be different, do different moves or act a different way.' He is who he is, and who he is is perfect. He's very talented, and we absolutely love having Sonny as part of the roster.

JS: You guys have made great use of social media. Before I was familiar with the wrestling work of many of your young performers, I met them on your YouTube shows Being The Elite and The Road to All Out series. Both those shows are great at making you really care about the people who make up this company.

But is that possible with some of the foreign talents? I think Riho and [Hikaru] Shida had a really compelling match at All Out—how do you present them on a YouTube show the same way with the language and cultural barriers that might be there?

Rhodes: That's always a challenge, as many people have seen in wrestling over the years with characters when English isn't their first language. However, there have also been plenty of examples where it hasn't been a factor at all because they've been able to express themselves in other ways.

There are things we have in mind to let people know more about some of these wrestlers and how they came to be, what their background is and who they are in the ring. It's something you'll have to see as we roll it out, but there are definitely plans.

JS: AEW launches on TNT on Oct. 2, just a few weeks after WWE takes their NXT brand into the mainstream on the USA Network. Old-school wrestling fans have seen a version of this before, but for new fans, this may be the first time they've been asked to make a choice. So, with WWE just a click away, why should fans choose to take a leap of faith with AEW?

Rhodes: We've been at the cusp of something amazing in wrestling, something we're calling a revolution. This is the first time in almost 20 years that there has been another brand that is this strong and on prime time.

The fanbase has expressed that they've wanted this and needed this for so long. It's been proven with the sellouts we've been having at multiple arenas throughout the country that people really, really do want this alternative.

We vow to bring that alternative in many, many ways. We've talked about it across many mediums, and we'll stay true to our belief that bell-to-bell wrestling is the most important thing.

Our roster is so diverse, and I think our show will be different than anything people have seen. We just hope to continue this movement, and fans will come with us and tune in every week so we can keep doing what we're doing. That's what makes this possible: the fans. As long as the fans keep rallying behind us and stick with us, we're going to do really, really well.

Brandi Rhodes is the chief brand officer for All Elite Wrestling and a standout performer. You can follow her on Twitter and YouTube for further glimpses into a life well-lived.

Match of the Week

Young Bucks vs. Lucha Brothers (AEW All Out, Aug. 31): These teams have been squaring off for months, to the point where their combined excellence has become almost routine. A ladder match successfully upped the ante, ramping up the danger, level of difficulty and excitement in ways that would have been unimaginable just two decades ago when Edge, Christian and the Hardy Boyz set the standard for all to follow.

With all due respect to WWE's legends of the form, this match surpassed even their best efforts. It was consistently innovative, daring and almost too much for several people in my section at Sears Centre, who hid their faces in their hands and literally begged for someone to stop the match before someone died in the ring.

No one did, but only because the performers executed some of the most bonkers highspots imaginable and almost never missed a beat.

'Hard Times' Promo of the Week

Chris Jericho was on top of the world as he cruised Tallahassee, Florida, in a limousine on his way to a local LongHorn Steakhouse. Jericho was the new AEW world champion, and to the victor go the spoils.

Afterward, however, there was a bit of a problem: he couldn't find the belt. As the internet mocked him savagely, Jericho leaned into the storm and made the moment his own.

Here's a taste of his genius, delivered in a hot tub with a scarf on, because it's Chris Jericho and he can:

"Now, as I sit here in my palatial estate, in my beautiful mansion, getting ready to have a little bit of the bubbly, I'm just imagining what I would do to that son of a b---h if he was here right now.

"And as a result, I am launching a worldwide investigation, using the top private investigators in the world today, to find out who committed this crime. And trust me, as the AEW champion ... I promise to regain and restore and find—and reclaim!—the AEW championship and once again give you another reason to finally give me the 'thank you' that I deserve.

"You're welcome."

Update: He got it back!

#all elite wrestling #aew #all out #brandi rhodes #the young bucks #chris jericho #matt jackson #nick jackson #lucha brothers #pentagon jr #fenix #article #posted on: 9.5.19 #bleacher report

[shitloadsofwrestling]

Vicky Lyons Vs. Daffney Highspots Wrestling [October 31st, 2008]

After watching the Mick Foley special 20 Years Of Hell on the WWE Network, I felt compelled to look up this match between Vicky Lyons and Daffney. The story here is that Lyons was hit by a car at a young age, but grew up loving professional wrestling. Undeterred by her injury, Lyons chased a career in wrestling and had her one and only match against Daffney after several years of training. Lyons passed away in 2011, remembered by fellow trainee Caleb Konley as “a tough gal, but sweet as could be”. Cedric Alexander remembers her:

This photo was taken on the night of the match:

#daffney #vicky lyons #pro wrestling #2000s #2008 #rest in peace

[scholarandelbow-blog]

This Week in a Gif

$5 Wrestling…MAYBE is available on Highspots Wrestling Network

#tam vs. grad school #grad school #wrestling #$5 wrestling #jeff hart #(my favorite wrestler) #i had a blog in my head about my campus walks to metal #but my brain is still scrambled from experiencing the longest week in my life #i'll get it out eventually #but man talk about mental fatigue #gif

[lakemermaids]

All these people getting $1000s stolen because PWTees got hacked is really shocking, if anything in wrestling was going to steal my credit card I would have predicted Highspots Network

[squaredcirclesirens]

RESULTS: Queens of Combat - "Royalty Returns"

Queens of Combat held “Royalty Returns” earlier today at Hebron Hall in Charlotte, North Carolina where they ran two shows to be released n the Women’s Wrestling Network and through Highspots in the near future. Here are results via Eric James:

Show One:

Samantha Heights defeated Madi Maxx.

Angel Rose defeated Xia Brookside.

Aja Perera defeated Ray Lyn.

Brittany Blake defeated Veda Scott.

Hudson Envy defeated Savannah Evans by DQ after Ruthless Ambition jumped Hudson.

Ruthless Ambition (Maria Manic & Penelope Ford)  defeated Jessicka Havok and Nevaeh.

  Show Two:

Jessicka Havok defeated Madi Maxx.

Samantha Heights defeated Veda Scott.

Angel Rose defeated Aja Perera, Xia Brookside and Ray Lyn in a Fatal 4 Way.

Hudson Envy, Brittany Blake & Nevaeh defeated Ruthless Ambition (Maria Manic & Penelope Ford) and Savannah Evans. After the match, Hudson Envy announces she’s leaving due to injuries, and Su Yung comes and bows to her, handing her a glove before Kimber Lee interrupts and bashes Su and Hudson, getting a TON of heel heat.

Su Yung defeated Kimber Lee to retain the Queens of Combat Championship after a brawl that went into the bathroom, the concessions, outside, and everywhere.

website | twitter | tumblr | instagram

#Aja Perera #Brittany Blake #Diamante #Hudson Envy #Indies #Jessicka Havok #Kimber Lee #Madi Maxx #Maria Manic #Neveah #Penelope Ford #Queens of Combat #Ray Lyn #Results #Samantha Heights #Savannah Evans #Su Yung #Veda Scott #Xia Brookside

[alluctor]

so i grabbed a highspots network subscription on a whim and since today was rainy i decided to finally get back on that westside extreme horse i’ve been meaning to for the past year. 

i guess i oughta tag the two people i know might actually care about this post: @vertigoambrosia @msawesometuna

not a lot of specifics here but i guess spoilers for wxw from 16 carat 2017 to shotgun 301. 

kinda bugs me i totally missed the jurn simmons face turn because honestly i think i prefer him as a face? he’s just a chill dude. i may have to go back and learn some more jurn history.

is there anything more off-putting than bobby gunns’ gimmick? i have never been a smoker nor have i ever judged any of my friends who smoked (thankfully most who did have quit or started vaping) but something about the king of smoke style just makes me downright disgusted. which is probably precisely the point. i’m impressed yet horrified. 

ilja dragunov is such a deserving winner. what a good wrestle boy ;___;

that final match was just so fucking stunning. may end up on my MOTY list, for sure. brutal and perfect.

after finishing up 16 carat i started to selectively watch shotgun eps, skipping some matches but watching all the promos and interviews and segments.

maybe it’s just being new to it but i really dig the way that the wxw “world” feels like a world. too many times companies have storylines where none of them intersect - you got a feud here, another there, and nobody interacts with one another until they have a feud together. wxw seems to have defined angles but also people interact with one another outside of those angles, which is cool.

there is also this weird low-fi soap opera feel to a lot of shotgun segments that make me feel like i’m watching the soap marienhof, which used to be every finnish school kid’s afternoon viewing. i love it?

also there’s a real organic feel to everything. people reference their past histories a lot, and stories seem to grow out of character’s career graphs, whether they’re losing or winning, gaining momentum or not able to get something good going. 

this is very simple stuff but honestly most wrestling is at its best when it is simple because that way the matches are what gets to shine, and when people get to be themselves it makes the characters they portray so much more authentic. 

I LOVE WALTER. das ist alles für heute. danke schön, bis später. (i took 9 years of german and i still need subtitles. kill me.) 

#good german happy funtime wrestling

[kinghelmsley]

Hey guys. So I seen a few people say they’ve never actually seen Candice wrestle a woman, so I put together a little list of some full matches that I’ve seen on youtube. Also some other women that are included in the Mae Young Tournament are in some of these as well so I thought that’d be good 😊 There’s some more of her on the Highspots Network if you wanna check that out also 💕🌟💕  If you guys want, I could also make a list of her intergender wrestling in the future, for people who wanna get more familiar with her. 

Deonna Purrazzo vs Candice LeRae Candice LeRae vs. Tessa Blanchard Candice LeRae vs Kimber Lee Heidi Lovelace/Candice LeRae vs. Tessa Blanchard/Jessicka Havok Highlight Video of Candice LeRae vs Nixon Newell Nixon Newell v Mia Yim v Kay Lee Ray v Candice LeRae v Session Moth Martina

#candice lerae #deonna purrazzo #tessa blanchard #heidi lovelace #jessicka havok #nixon newell #kay lee ray #mia yim #session moth martina

[closetofanxiety]

Here’s a list of wrestling promotions I currently pay attention to

Why not? I’m on my lunch break and like to make lists.

Beyond Wrestling - my local, more or less. I watch their weekly “Uncharted Territory” show, which has been very good. The last two weeks haven’t felt quite as essential as the first few months, but there are still gems. It’s great to see that Drew Cordeiro can really develop detailed and immersive storylines working on a week-to-week basis. Hopefully they do a season 2 after their big show at the end of this month. 

Impact Wrestling - It’s the most TNA thing ever that the vast majority of its fans gave up on Impact just as it got consistently good. I’ve been watching ever since last year’s Slammiversary show, which for my money was the best PPV of 2018. There are still plenty of things I don’t like about Impact - they constantly go to the well with old ECW guys; most of the titles are booked in an oddly dull manner; the presence of Michael Elgin - but they get more right than they get wrong. 

Major League Wrestling - This company has zero buzz, and its roster almost feels like it’s like a Region 2 Impact or something. But I watch their weekly show for free on Fite TV, and it’s better than decent. They spotlight a lot of wrestlers who don’t get much attention elsewhere, the matches are consistently entertaining, and the commentary’s good. 

Stardom - I am currently not a subscriber to their streaming service, but I’m sure I’ll be back. It’s fairly easy to keep up via Twitter and YouTube. They’ve seemed a little directionless since Io Shirai left last summer, and they don’t really have anyone on the roster who feels like a Top Star. Tokyo Cyber Squad has been very entertaining, though. 

Sendai Girls - I subscribed to their streaming service, but they update full shows more frequently on their YouTube channel, so I guess I’m a sucker? Anyway, these shows are a wild ride. The tonal variation, from comedy to brutality, is so abrupt it occasionally takes place multiple times in the same match, but at least it’s different. They were kind of in danger of getting a late period AWA vibe in terms of reluctance to elevate younger stars, but then last month Sareee won the world title, which is great, unless she signs with WWE, as has been rumored. Mika Iwata could be a huge star as well, although she’s hurt right now. 

All Elite Wrestling - To the extent that it’s possible to closely follow a promotion that is about to have its third show ever, I closely follow AEW. I’ve really enjoyed the shows I’ve seen so far, although there are some bugs to be worked out of the system. There’s going to be another “Librarian” match happening on the pre-show this Saturday, and they’re all hur-hur-hur about it on Twitter, like YOU DON’T WANT THE LIBRARIANS? YOU’RE GETTING LIBRARIANS AND YOU’LL LIKE IT! “Vince McMahon pushing Baron Corbin, but ironically” seems like a bad move. 

Wrestling Has a Tomorrow - This is the worst name for a wrestling promotion in the history of wrestling promotions. I don’t even know if anyone outside the greater Providence area is capable of seeing their shows. Maybe they’re on Highspots? Anyway, they’re trying to be what Beyond Wrestling was a few years ago, even running shows in Beyond’s former home. For whatever reason, the same 100 people attend every WHAT show, no more and no less. I got to see a lot of Private Party matches there, in a two-thirds empty room, and now they’re going to be on national television. 

Game Changer Wrestling - GCW seems to be mostly about producing a series of spectacles rather than weaving long-term storylines, but I’m on board for it. They had the best show of Mania Week (Bloodsport), they did a high-concept backyard show on July 4, and now they’re doing a show in the guise of a super-local Southern indie promotion called WOMBAT. They’re the only company I can think of that could get away with doing a death match tournament and a comedy event featuring Teddy Hart reading a children’s book about what it’s like to be a cat. 

WWE - Yeah, yeah. I dropped my network sub, but it’s impossible to avoid knowledge of what’s happening in Vinceland, at least ambiently. I’ll put on Raw or Smackdown, pay attention for 20 minutes, and then find myself getting up and doing other things in the house while the shows are on in the background. It’s just not my thing these days, maybe that will change.

Promotions I dip into from time to time

New Japan Pro Wrestling - NXT - Northeast Wrestling - Blitzkrieg Pro Wrestling - Absolute Intense Wrestling - Black Label Pro Wrestling - Pro Wrestling Eve - Rise - Southern Underground Pro - Alpha 1 Wrestling - Ring of Honor - Over The Top - DDT - Chikara

Promotions I used to follow but for one reason or another have stopped paying attention to

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla - Progress - AAW - Shine - Shimmer - Combat Zone Wrestling - XWA (New England) - Pro Wrestling Revolver 

Promotions that no amount of trying can get me to care about

EVOLVE 

#lists #official rankings

[the1stmjc]

Top 5 WWE Matches of 2016

Lists! People love lists and with 2016 in the books I have decided that my first WWE related write-up will be a Best of 2016 list. I spent the first week of 2017 on the WWE Network watching matches that left an impression on me and I think I am ready to make a Top 5 WWE Matches of 2016.

Why 5 and not 10? I struggled to find 10 matches that deserved to be next to each other. The Top 5 or so are all matches that I felt were fantastic and I did not want to have the last two or three matches on the list feel like they were just thrown in to reach 10. Plus, having a smaller list means I had to really think about the matches I choose and decide if I found them worthwhile.

So without further ado here is my Top 5 Matches of 2016

Number 5:

Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Fall Count Anywhere for The Women’s Championship (RAW, Nov. 29th)

The Women’s Revolution found its footing in 2016, but it still struggled somewhat. The brand split did the movement no favors and despite the best efforts of Sasha Banks and Charlotte they had opportunities to put on classics only for those chances to just miss the mark.

The WrestleMania triple threat was solid, but it relied too much on roll-ups to be exciting and Ric Flair’s interference left me annoyed. Charlotte and Sasha had a decent match at Summerslam only for the match to be overshadowed by some cringe worthy botches that concerned me for the safety of Sasha Banks. And then we had that awkward ending to the Hell and the Cell match and the questionable Iron (Wo)Man Match.

In between all that there was a genuine classic that took place on  Monday Night Raw when the two women faced off in a Falls Count Anywhere match. From the start of the match there was a level of intensity not really seen in the other matches. The match felt like a fight with the Banks and Flair brawling more than stringing together highspots.

The went from the ring to the stage to the crowd and it felt like there were stakes. Charlotte got to show off her athleticism with some high spots that were not overdone and did not require a lot of setups while Sasha was able to show off her aggressive side and scrappiness.

And most importantly they nailed the finish. The finish was believable with the on the rails Bank Statement looking vicious. It was the first time since their main roster debut that I felt like they had a near flawless match.

Number 4:

DIY vs. The Revival for the NXT Tag Team Championships (NXT Takeover Brooklyn)

I love The Revival and I needed to acknowledge them somewhere on my list, they are what makes tag team wrestling great. They are old school fighters that do not rely on flashy moves to get them over and are a cohesive unit.  

The Revival defended their titles at6 NXT Takeover Brooklyn against indie darlings Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, who had a match at the Cruiserweight Classic against each other that I considered for my list. This match-up was a perfect mesh of talents with two contrasting styles, The Revivals no thrills fighting versus the more flashy indie style of DIY.

The match had everything you’d want from a tag team match, a mix of fast paced action and classic tag team isolation. The isolation of an opponent is done perfectly by The Revival, they work an opponent so well that when that person finally makes the hot ag you cannot help but jump out of your seat and cheer.  And this match had plenty of those moments.

And my god were all the false finishers earned and executed perfectly. One thing I notice with WWE matches is the over reliance on false finishes and how quickly I get annoyed by them, but these false finishes had me hooked and I had no idea who was going to end up the winner and neither did the crowd who were on their feet most of the match.

The ending was emotional and The Revival walked away the champs while DIY sat in the ring disappointed, but more over than ever. There were so many twists and turns in the actual match that I almost expected Ciampa to turn heel and I was so happy that it didn’t happen.

Number 3:

A.J. Styles vs. John Cena (Summerslam)

A..J. Styles had one hell of a year and it was the passing of the torch from John Cena that was the perfect way to crown his year. It is rare that John Cena puts someone over multiple times, he always gets his revenge, but not this time. Sure he did not get his revenge due to his busy schedule and sure passing the torch from one 39 year old to another 39 year old is not ideal, but damn if it wasn’t spectacular.

The previous bouts between Cena and Styles ended with outside interference and that is what I expected here and instead I got a classic Summerslam match.

From the start Styles worked the match like a cocky heel out to prove himself to the WWE Universe that he was a legit star and a better wrestler than John Cena. He didn’t have to prove himself  of course though he still needed to get a clean win to show that this was his company now.

This was just a great match with both stars pulling out their best moves. Styles can work with anyone and made Cena look like a better wrestler. It’s not that Cena is a bad wrestler in fact he is a fantastic wrestler, he just sometimes feels like he is going through the motions. At Summerslam Cena was on fire and Styles matched that fire and set the tone for how the rest of his year would go.

It is important that the match had a clean finish and I was happy Cena was willing to put Styles over clean. Now we have Styles on the top of Smackdown Live and it all started at Summerslam.

Number 2

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (Battleground)

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens is a feud that will go down in history as one of the greatest feuds of all time. Their time in the WWE has been short and the WWE have been able to tell a great story from NXT to the main roster without the ability to call back too much of their history thanks to the Generico aspect.

Their WWE feud came to its climax in great fashion at one of WWE’s less important PPV shows Battleground. I have to admit that I am a huge Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens fan and this was a great way to end their feud for now. I still think they deserve a blowout at one of the marquee shows, but I’m fine with waiting for that.

At Battleground though they put on a show stealer in the middle of the card. From the video package to the closing bell, these two put on what I consider perfect wrestling storytelling. The match started with intensity and only settled down briefly for Owen’s to do his heel chin lock routine. After they broke out of that, the match felt like a legit battle and fight.

I almost thought for a second that these men were trying to kill each other. I still have no idea if that fall Sami Zayn took on the apron was a botch or intentional and that is AMAZING. That is when wrestling is at its best, when they blur the lines of reality. I would assume based on how fast Owens worked Zayn after the botch that it was a work, but I still don’t know.

Other amazing spots was the Suplex/Brainbuster Zayn did to Owens which felt way more brutal than anything I would expect to see on WWE programming. Owens did some cool things like the superkick block of Zayn’s through the ropes Tornado DDT that immediately was followed by a cannonball.

It was the final sequence though that made this match special and should have catapulted both superstars into the main event picture. It starts with the two Exploders Zayn gives Owens followed by the Helluva Kick. When Zayn is holding a knocked out Owens in his arms and you think maybe Zayn is feeling remorse only for him to go for one more kick! That is when this match jumps to another level. They put on one hell of a match, but this singular moment is the most memorable thing from the match and is storytelling at its best.

Number 1:

Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT Takeover Dallas)

If Zayn vs. Owens is storytelling at its best then Zayn vs. Nakamura is  pure wrestling at its best. This match had no story to tell and the two competitors had no history for the WWE to build from. It was just two of the best wrestlers in the world doing what they do best.

NXT crowds outside of Full Sail (sorry) are the best and they treated this match like it a classic even before the bell rung. There was something in the air that night that made this match feel like the biggest match of the year despite no real stakes involved, no title no stipulations, nothing.

Shinsuke Nakamura could not have asked for a better debut opponent and Zayn could not have asked for a better opponent for his final NXT match.

Nakamura is a heavy hitter and he was able to go at Zayn without holding back. It did not feel like a WWE match it felt like something else, something special. Zayn showed his ability to do any style by matching Nakamura’s Strong Style. There were times when I was concerned for Zayn with some of Nakamura’s stikes looking brutal, but Zayn at certain points would strike just as hard.

I do not even think this match was flashy, it was just an amazing pure wrestling match. The competitors left it all in the ring and the “Fight Forever” chants were well deserved. I could watch these two fight every week till the end of time and I cannot wait for a rematch in the future.

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