1001 MATCHES: Recency Effect

(by PHIL RIPPA)

This section is all matches that occurred in the last 5 years (hence the “recent” part).


351) CHRIS HERO VS. KENTA – NOAH/WXW “GENESIS IN GERMANY” (05/15/11)

https://youtu.be/Y30SML8AUOE

Oh so you mean the Ring of Honor match? No, no, my friend. Kassius Ohno and Hideo Itami had a wonderful match in Germany. This is the first one takes place weeks before Hero’s secret tryout match with the WWE that got him and Cesaro signed. Now years later, Hero is Top 3 in the world not working for the E and Kenta is a Faberge egg.

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352) JUN AKIYAMA vs. SUWAMA – ALL JAPAN (10/23/11 – Triple Crown)

https://vimeo.com/31691185

https://vimeo.com/31691185

Dean quasi reviews this in DVDVR #171 (though it is much more meta with Dean talking about the things he still likes in wrestling and what motivates him. Now, like 4 years later the dream might be dead.)

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353) FANTASY VS. MERCURIO – CMLL GUERREROS DEL RING (10/10/12 (Taped), 10/20/12 (Aired) – Mask Match)

https://youtu.be/btT8y5Sd8vs

Wonderful minis mask match between two fellas that almost no one, outside of like six people, know. A rare big time opportunity for both guys..

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354) CHRIS MASTERS VS. KRIS TRAVIS – PRESTON CITY WRESTLING (12/09/12)

https://youtu.be/MgB-JN4ualk

Chris Masters was probably the first guy to show how much someone could thrive post-WWE career. Here he is against the late Kris Travis. This is pre-cancer Travis and shows you just what could have been if that bitch cancer hadn’t arrived. Fuck Cancer!

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355) MIZ vs. JOHN MORRISON – WWE RAW (01/03/13 – Falls Count Anywhere, WWE Championship)

http://dai.ly/x492am1

The WWE decided to open their year with Miz vs. Morrison Falls Count Anywhere for THE BELT~! and Hot Damn did it rule. You know all that stuff you love the Miz for now? Yeah, he was doing it in 2013 fuckers! TWO STEPS AHEAD OF YOU~!

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356) WILLIAM REGAL vs. KASSIUS OHNO – NXT (04/10/13)

https://youtu.be/DkC44Lk5S2w

Student vs. Teacher in NXT as the aforementioned Kassius Ohno takes on mentor/trainer William Regal in what was Regal miracle 2013 run. Matches build around trying to break people’s fingers will always be aces in my book.

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357) DAMIEN WAYNE VS. VORDELL WALKER – NWA SOUTHERN ALL STAR WRESTLING (04/21/13 (Aired) – National Heavyweight Championship)

https://youtu.be/PI-1V8rE8FI?t=30m13s

DAMIEN MOTHERFUCKING WAYNE and VORDELL MOTHERFUCKING WALKER have the war we always wanted (and expected) them to have. This is so very awesome despite the sports entertainy finish which would make Paul Heyman blush. Somehow it all still works. Even Reno Riggins – heel authority figure.

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358) DAISUKE SEKIMOTO vs. RYUICHI KAWAKAMI – BIG JAPAN (06/30/13 – BJW Strong World Heavyweight Title)

http://dai.ly/x11t0ew

“Goddam, that match is fucking awesome. STIFF~! Greatest Death Valley Driver ever” – DEAN

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359) JOHN CENA vs. DANIEL BRYAN – WWE SUMMERSLAM ’13 (08/18/13 – WWE Championship)

http://dai.ly/x2aom6x

http://dai.ly/x2aom6x

Arguably the start of the YES! Movement as Cena got to select his opponent and much to the crowd’s delight, he picked Bryan. Cena, wrestling with a hideous elbow injury that was partly the root of dropping the title which started Bryan on his journey, shows that he can hang with his common law brother-in-law. So… arguably the start of Indy Cena too.

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360) DR CEREBRO/ GOLDEN MAGIC/ MASCARA PURPURA vs. DANNY CASAS/ OFICIAL 911/ SUPER NOVA – IWRG (1/5/2014)

https://youtu.be/kNc8TqrKnzI

Reviewed by DEAN in DVDVR #172

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361) THUNDER/NATHAN CRUZ/DAVE MASTIFF/ROBBIE DYNAMITE vs. JAXX CANNON/TONY SPITFIRE/JAMES MASON/DEAN ALLMARK – ALL STAR WRESTLING (03/15/14 – Best 3 out of 5)

https://youtu.be/wZZCkSo5scA

One can call this an early decade British Wrestling showcase. Best 3 out of 5 Falls is BRILLIANT for an 8 man and adds so much to the psychology. I wanna kiss Dave Mastiff. Dean wants to kiss Dean Allmark. And everyone wants James Mason to wrestle forever.

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362) ANGELICO/JACK EVANS vs. HIJO DEL FANTASMA/PSICOSIS vs. AEROSTAR/DRAGO vs. DEMON ROCKER/MACHINE ROCKER – AAA REY DE REYES ’14 (03/16/14 (Taped), 03/29/14 (Aired) – AAA TAG TITLES)

https://youtu.be/cY6lGP4ygzU

A classic mat based cont…. hehehehehe… God I couldn’t even finish that sentence. Classic spotfest between a lot of guys you became familiar with in Lucha Underground. I really should have counted the number of times I cringed and then said “Man, he almost landed on his head.”

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363) BIFF BUSICK vs. TIMOTHY THATCHER – BEYOND WRESTLING (04/13/14)

https://youtu.be/qlihuzEUfmI

Many folks introduction to both Gulak and Thatcher due to the availability of this match.

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364) MAD BLANKEY (AKIRA TOZAWA/BXB HULK) vs. WORLD-1 INTERNATIONAL (NARUKI DOI/RICOCHET) – DRAGON GATE (07/21/14)

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE

Spotty, spotty, spot, spot, spot yet somehow not infuriating. Tozawa is such a great heel. Ricochet has punchable hair.

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365) KAIRI HOJO vs. MAYU IWATANI – STARDOM (05/17/15)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k3WqI1zEhbAmpFcSSQg

More Kairi Hojo for you to fall in love with before she shows up in NXT.  2015 was so insanely great for women’s wrestling that this probably wouldn’t make my Top 5 for the year yet would be #1 in almost any other of the last five years.

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366) FRED YEHI VS. ANTHONY HENRY – PASSION OF WRESTLING (07/18/15)

https://youtu.be/6TFBGlKkhvM

The ridiculously great Fred Yehi has this barn burner of a match with Henry in front of 100 people in a high school gym in Georgia and the #1 Fred Yehi hater child. (This kid is being raised to be a proper wrestling fan. FUCK THE HEELS!). If you get this on your local indy show, never ever complain.

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367) MAXIMO SEXY VS. KAMAITACHI – CMLL (01/01/16 – Hair Match)

https://youtu.be/Lc-asq3InVQ

The first excellent match of this year. Yes, Kamaitachi can go when not with Dragon Lee.

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368) SEXY STAR VS. MARIPOSA – LUCHA UNDERGROUND (05/04/16 (Aired) – No Mas (aka I Quit) Match)

https://youtu.be/V9MLmHnmIr0

Sexy Star is not very good at the actual wrestling. She will, however, take an ass beating and bleed like she should be working Carlos Colon in a baseball stadium in Puerto Rico. Here, my boo Melissa (shh… kayfabe) takes her and says “We are gonna blow the roof of this mother.” This is everything one can love about Lucha Underground and everything one can hate about Lucha Underground.

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369) WILL OSPREAY VS. RICOCHET – NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS (05/27/16)

If you haven’t watched this by now, you probably should. The “What Color Is The Dress?” match of 2016 internet wrestling. Plus, it allowed Vader to get himself over again in the year 2016.

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370) RAY GONZALEZ vs. MIGHTY URSUS – WWC NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS ’16 (07/16/16 – Hair Match)

https://youtu.be/jqCPdiu0TDQ

Gonzalez and Ursus bleed and brawl all over Jose Pepin Cestero Arena because PUERTO RICO DADDY!!! God, we don’t give Mighty Ursus enough love around here. FYI – it’s actually Gonzalez’s hair vs. Mighty Ursus’ manager’s hair.

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