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2014 Match Recommendations


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Use this thread to recommend any matches you've watched that happen in calendar year 2014 that you enjoyed and think others may like. I'll use this post to edit a master list as you add things to the thread. This is not just a thread to dump YouTube links. Please include a few comments about what you are watching to explain what others may like about it. If it happens in 2014, it can go here, regardless of the promotion or country in which it takes place.

 

WWE

Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs Luke Harper & Eric Rowan (WWE Smackdown 01/03/14)

 

NJPW

Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 8 01/04/14)

 

WWC

Los Matadores vs Thunder & Lightning (WWC 01/05/14)

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Los Matadores v. Thunder and Lightning - WWC 1/5

 

 

We don't get very many full matches from Puerto Rico, so when they show up I always consider them a treat. This wasn't a great match, but it was complete, it was a well worked tag, and it was the best Los Matadores match I've seen by far. This was really pretty straight forward with your face shine, your heel control and then your babyface comeback,but I thought they did some cool stuff working with the staples. I really liked Thunder and Lightning's punches, their big lariats and the mid-match devastation device variation. The hope spot with one of the Matadors getting pulled off apron was good stuff and I liked the powerslam before the Eddie Guerrero tribute finish a lot too. Kind of a marginal match to kick things off with, but again it's modern PR and we don't get a ton of that this complete.

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This is more so for this week's TV recommendations. I just saw Kongo vs. Raymond Rowe from last night's ROH TV. It was the first match in this year's Top Prospect tournament. This was ungodly stiff. Felt like Gordy and Kamala fighting over the last slice of pizza in a Texas dive bar. Rowe was just throwing nasty forearm after forearm into Kongo's face and skull. You could see welts on these guys as this was coming to a close as they'd beat the hell out of each other.

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This is more so for this week's TV recommendations. I just saw Kongo vs. Raymond Rowe from last night's ROH TV. It was the first match in this year's Top Prospect tournament. This was ungodly stiff. Felt like Gordy and Kamala fighting over the last slice of pizza in a Texas dive bar. Rowe was just throwing nasty forearm after forearm into Kongo's face and skull. You could see welts on these guys as this was coming to a close as they'd beat the hell out of each other.

Ray Rowe had a GREAT match with Chris Hero for Inspire Pro out of Austin on 1/5 as well.

 

Rowe is a guy who is going to break out this year. I saw him a bunch of times live last year, and he was always in the best or second best match every time.

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I just watched Rowe v. Kongo. I have no clue how good it was, and there were things about the match that really irked me, but it definitely stood out a ton which is a huge plus. ROH is a show jam packed every week with matches that run together, featuring guys who all work the same, and often look the same. Well Rowe and Kongo both look really different, and watching them work this Ishii v. Shibata tribute match in a high stakes match really was refreshing. In isolation it's not bad or anything, but it's a lot more interesting if you suffer through ROH semi-regularly.

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The Rhodes Brothers (Goldust & Cody Rhodes) vs. The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro & Jack Swagger) - WWE RAW, 1/6

 

This was worked similar to the aforementioned SmackDown tag match in the sense that Cody is the FIP (I haven't followed wrestling in years, so I'm not sure if this is your standard awesome Rhodes Brothers match or not, but it seems like it) and Goldust is the one coming off the hot tag. The only difference from the SmackDown tag is that the Real Americans aren't giants like the Wyatt Family and it gives Goldust more time to work his offense before it ends.

 

John Cena vs. Damien Sandow - WWE RAW, 1/13

 

Again, I haven't followed wrestling in years, so I have no idea how good Cena's been, if Sandow is any good, if this the norm for either guy or nothing, but I thought this was awesome. This was worked somewhat like a main event with them breaking out big stuff leading to some hot neatfalls minus the kicking out of the finishers constantly which is a good thing. Cena made Sandows offense look great and even though it was a given Cena would win, it still came off as if Sandow was going to pull off the upset at some points. The crowd was hot for the majority of the match and the commentary was on point too. I'm sure Cena's pulled off the AA countering the crossface like that before, but I haven't kept up with wrestling regularly in years, so I can't confirm that, but I still think it was an awesome way to finish the match. Fun stuff.

 

I'd like to hear others opinions on the Cena/Sandow match because I may have awkward taste in wrestling and maybe the only one who dug it since I've seen no one talk about it, so that'd be nice.

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Vordell Walker v. Dagon Briggs - Roulette Match USWA 1/17

 

 

I thought this was an awesome match. I guess you could argue this lost some steam toward the end, and there was a spot or two that I could see drawing groans in certain quarters, but taken as a whole this is the sort of match likely to be near the top of my indie MOTY chart in twelve months. The gimmick was the old bit where every corner has a bag with a weapon in it, but they actually used the gimmicks sparingly and effectively. In fact this ended up being a match worked around the excess, rather than a match all about the excess. In some ways this felt like an IWRG match as you had some really nice opening matwork (seriously I really loved the hell out of some of this), which built to some intense and violent brawling on the floor, which eventually led to the action coming back in the ring and some big near falls and spots before the finish. Lots of nasty spots in this including guys getting smashed into chairs, smacked with belts, choked with nooses, et. Walker hit his big running knee as a reset at one point, there was another great reset spot on a superplex, and I even liked the flash forward roll slam Briggs did though i could see some loathing it. I also loved the finish as you had Walker get to the tacks , only for Briggs to get a chain from the other bag and deck Vordell for the fall. This is the best match I've seen in 2013 so far and a great beginning to the year for Walker.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt - WWE Royal Rumble, 1/26

 

Aside from the meaningless legwork some people have seemed to be bothered by, this was a very good match. Both guys just went balls to the wall working a more high impact style than that to be expected in the WWE. Loved Bray's offense with the senton on the outside and the huge lariat spot. DBryan busting out the diving tornado DDT from the ring apron and the curb stomp were some neat spot too. The finishing bit with Bray catching DBryan's suicide dive and hitting the Sister Abigail into the guard barrier was a sick spot and neat way to wrap things up. Far from a MOTY candidate, but a fun match worth checking out if you haven't already.

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Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt - WWE Royal Rumble, 1/26

 

Aside from the meaningless legwork some people have seemed to be bothered by, this was a very good match. Both guys just went balls to the wall working a more high impact style than that to be expected in the WWE. Loved Bray's offense with the senton on the outside and the huge lariat spot. DBryan busting out the diving tornado DDT from the ring apron and the curb stomp were some neat spot too. The finishing bit with Bray catching DBryan's suicide dive and hitting the Sister Abigail into the guard barrier was a sick spot and neat way to wrap things up. Far from a MOTY candidate, but a fun match worth checking out if you haven't already.

It's my match of the year so far.

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The Shield vs Sheamus, Bryan & Rey - Smackdown 31/1 airdate

 

The main event here was just as awesome as the Raw match and everyone involved was absolutely murderously good. Roman is gaining confidence by the minute now. Sheamus coming back to wreck things has been amazing and he was a total boss at the start of this match. And the final stretch was a contender for the most intricate one they've done yet. A definite inclusion for this week's poll.

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Titan vs. Virus (CMLL - 1/29)

 

 

I was hyped for this and it didn't disappoint. Usual great Virus mat work and Titan holds up his end very well. Everything was very well executed. I don't want to spoil too much other then just to say it is a very we'll worked Lucha title match with excellent mat work, well placed flying spots, and some very good near falls. Probably moves ahead of Wyatt/Bryan for my favorite match so far this year.

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Pimping 3MB vs. Uso's & Big E Langston - WWE Main Event 1/29/14. Unbelievable double dive/apron spear highspot with all six wiped out on the floor as a result. Got a lot of time and kept a great, athletic, high tempo pace. Really dug this.

The Usos/Langston spear/dive sequence was ridiculous. I agree, really fun match. Main Event has had a few matches I have really liked this year like this one and Del Rio vs. Sin Cara from a few weeks back.

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  • 1 month later...

Did some cleaning out of the DVR and skimmed through some ROH tv. When that show started i thought it was horrible but now i think its coming around a bit. Not great but i find myself watching a lot more of each show. Anywho , a couple weeks ago there was a tv title match with Ciampa definding against Hanson. These guys didnt go for anything epic and thats why it worked. Just went out and got there shit in. Hanson did a few big guys strength spots and some fat guy agility spots and looked good. Ciampa brought some intensity and the ligit feeling that he could hurt someone. And when he starts his rope running for his dive you start to think that someone might be him. Scary dive. Quick and fun, check it out.

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