The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results)

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Cap
GME

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The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 6:55:11 GMT -5

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Post by Cap on Dec 10, 2021 6:55:11 GMT -5

The results are in and the day has arrived. I present to you the 2021 Results for the Greatest Match Ever Project.

This year we had 19 Ballots and 632 matches receiving votes.

We have decided to leave ties this year as there didn't seem to be much benefit to arbitrarily picking either high vote or # of ballots as the tie breaker. With this many voters and this many ballots for each match, a tie is a tie.

We have included quotes from voters (pulled from ballots and the forum) for each match. If you had a great line for a match that I missed, I apologize. Please add it here and let us know why this match belongs here on the list.

2021 Greatest Match Ever Results

100-T. Aja Kong vs Yumika Hotta (WWWA World Championship – AJW – 1/24/1994)
Total Points: 298
# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: Tetsujin - 20

2020 Finish: 62

“Holy hell, this sucked to watch. Every second of this match I just wanted it to be over. These ladies really hate each other, professional wrestling is real and Aja Kong needs to go to jail for assault. I don’t think these two even knew there was a wrestling match going on until the last 5 minutes. A truly brutal spectacle.” - Darren

100-T. Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama (GHC Heavyweight Championship - NOAH - 7/10/2004)
Total Points: 298
# of Ballots: 5

High Vote: EnviousStupid - 22

2020 Finish: 60

“One of the best bombfests ever and the apron and floor spots, as dangerous as they were, made sense within the context of the match. A bit too many finisher kickouts, but it justified Kobashi's need to go for the Burning Hammer.” - Bossrock

99. Jaguar Yokota vs La Galactica (UWA Women’s Championship - AJW - 2/27/1985)
Total Points: 299
# of Ballots: 5

High Vote: mvz - 8

2020 Finish: 516-T

“This is my favourite discovery for 2021 GME. Do you like joshi? Go watch this. Do you like lucha? Go watch this. Do you like bloody brawls and interferences? Go watch it!” - Tetsujin

98. Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami, Kengo Kimura, Umanosuke Ueda & Kantaro Hoshino vs. Akira Maeda, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Nobuhiko Takada, Kazuo Yamazaki & Osamu Kid (Elimination Match - NJPW 3/26/1986)
Total Points: 303
# of Ballots: 5
High Vote: Cactus - 4
2020 Finish: 94

“What we got here was a super hot inter-promotional war where everyone gets a chance to shine. There's zero downtime in this match and it well over half an hour. I thought the roof was going to blow off the building when Maeda and Inoki interacted… The finish with Inoki cleaning house on the last two wrestlers gave me 'John Cena taking out the entire Nexus by himself at Summerslam 2010' vibes, but don't let that stop you from watching one of the best matches NJPW has ever put out.” - Cactus

97. Daniel Bryan vs HHH (WWE – 4/6/2014)
Total Points: 311
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Cactus - 5
2020 Finish: 160

“Maybe my favorite match of all time, getting the live bump of course. It is a match that feels like it shouldn’t exist. WWE didn’t want to give it to us. HHH gave the performance of his career. It is overflowing with pro wrestling conflict. Man of the people vs corporation, undersized underdog vs muscled up super hero, nice guy vs jerk, pro wrestling vs sports entertainment. Just a wonderful bit of business that exists despite the odds.” - Cap

96. Atsushi Onita vs Terry Funk (No Rope Barbed Wire Exploding Ring Death Match - FMW - 5/5/1993)
Total Points: 312
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Cactus - 21
2020 Finish: 142

“Wow, I loved everything about this, even down to the little things like how this was shot. There is a lot of barbed wire spots in this, but they treat them all with respect and I'd never been more on the edge of my seat than I was watching these two start the match with the most intense lock-up ever… This felt like part-short film, part wrestling match. Screw your Firefly Funhouses and your Boneyard matches, this is how you do cinematic wrestling!” - Cactus

95. Shinobu Kandori vs Akira Hokuto (AJW – 12/6/1993)
Total Points: 314
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: Darrenn - 17
2020 Finish: 589

“Really glad folks encouraged me to watch this in the final month or so of the project. I had always liked the match, but came away from this watch really seeing it as truly great on its own merit and not just a match that lives in the shadow of the GOAT.” - Cap

93-T. Jumbo Tsuruta vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW - 6/8/1990)
Total Points: 317
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Control21 - 6
2020 Finish: 80

“Battle of generations is one of the oldest stories but I don't know if it was ever told better than Jumbo vs Misawa. I think argument can be made for this as the most important match in history. Launched Misawa into superstardom in turn creating the Kings Road style which along with the NJPW Juniors is probably the strongest influence on today's wrestling worldwide.” - Superstar Sleeze

93-T. Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero (WWE Undisputed Championship - WWE - 2/15/2004)
Total Points: 317
# of Ballots: 5
High Vote: Tim Livingston - 18
2020 Finish: 141

“Unbelievable match that exceeded all of my expectations. It is capped off by one of the all time feel good finishes in wrestling history” - Cap

91-T. Akira Maeda vs Tatsumi Fujinami (NJPW - 6/12/1986)
Total Points: 322
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Control21 - 8
2020 Finish: 81

“One of the greatest examples of a match where two competing visions and philosophies clash. This is one of my go to matches when citing the best from NJPW's history. Akira Maeda and Tatsumi Fujinami were at the top of their game here, and this was incredible from start to finish.” - Control21

91-T. Jun Akiyama vs. Kenta Kobashi (Triple Crown Championship - AJPW - 7/24/1998)
Total Points: 322
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: NintendoLogic - 15
2020 Finish: 50

“Some typical late 90s All Japan excess keeps this from reaching five-star status in my eyes, but there's plenty of really fundamentally great wrestling here that just about any fan who isn't completely allergic to head drops and pop-up sequences should be able to enjoy. This is probably the best-ever marriage of high-end offense and high-end psychology.” - NintendoLogic

90. El Hijo del Santo vs Negro Casas vs El Dandy (Hair vs Hair vs Mask – CMLL – 12/6/1996)
Total Points: 323
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Gramsci - 16
2020 Finish: 58

“Apuestas matches are really just the best style of wrestling possible. And this is a classic with 3 of the best luchadores ever. This is part of the classic El Hijo del Santo heel turn. The is mostly a long Mask vs Hair match between Santo and El Dandy and it is fucking awesome. This is super violent and is one of the bloodiest matches of all time. Great stuff.” - Elliott

89. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW – 4/16/1993)
Total Points: 331
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Cap - 8
2020 Finish: 74

“I finally pulled the trigger on ranking this higher than the more famous July match. Maybe it is the hand cam, maybe not, but this is just a little grittier, rough around the edges, and more urgent. The devil is in the details, but this felt like a bar fight, but one that has gone too far and the July match felt a little more like an AJPW epic.” - Cap

88. Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (WWF - 11/17/1996)
Total Points: 334
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Grimmas - 3
2020 Finish: 124

“What I love about this is that it feels like a love letter to old school wrestling and the end of an era. Jim Ross tells the story perfectly, Austin knows Bret and uses his moves through out the match. One of my all-time favourite wrestling moments is Bret Hart’s come back in this match where he wins a first fight after losing one earlier. The emotion here is priceless.” - Grimmas

87. Tetsuya Naito vs Kenny Omega (NJPW - 8/13/2016)
Total Points: 336
# of Ballots: 5
High Vote: Tetsujin - 13
2020 Finish: 294

“This starts the same way that all Naito matches start, with Naito trying to psych out Omega. This works and the two end up spitting at each other. I might be down on a lot of Omega's work in AEW, but he was magnificent here.” - Cactus

86. Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Super Tiger (UWFi – 12/5/1984)
Total Points: 338
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Superstar Sleeze - 4
2020 Finish: 108

“One of the greatest, most influential matches of all time and it ends with a grown ass man kicking one of the toughest dudes in wrestling to death for like 5 minutes. Good fucking stuff” - Cap

85. The Four Horsemen vs. The Super Powers (War Games - JCP - 7/4/1987)
Total Points: 339
# of Ballots: 4
High Vote: mvz - 2
2020 Finish: 118

“Definitely one of the best WARGAMES matches of all time. Much, much better than Wargames II and overall it had a lot more energy & zip than the other ones that I have seen. The Road Warriors remain the best suited for this environment. Road Warrior Animal may have gotten one of the loudest sustained roars I have ever heard in my life. That was enough to power the city of Greensboro.” - Superstar Sleeze

84. Dump Matsumoto vs Yukari Omori (AJW 3/20/1986)
Total Points: 343
# of Ballots: 4
High Vote: Elliott - 1
2020 Finish: 246

“This is an unbelievable match. Dump is at her absolute monsterous peak. This is all brawling, run ins, emotion etc. Ohmori was an incredible wrestler. The hidden gem of the 80s AJW legends for sure. You've heard all about Chigusa, Jaguar, Dump & Devil, the Jumping Bomb Angels, etc. But Yukari Ohmori was just as good. She could brawl with Dump & Devil or work classic title matches against Chigusa. This is on the level of the best matches ever. Anytime scissors are dangling out of your arm and you keep brawling, you’re a legend. But this is a Dump performance for the ages.” - Elliott

83. Chigusa Naguyo vs Dump Matsumoto (Hair vs Hair - AJW - 8/28/1985)
Total Points: 348
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Elliott - 5
2020 Finish: 126

“It’s hard to assess the action when it almost doesn’t matter. With an all-time great babyface-heel dynamic, the effect they achieved with this match is beyond just about any other match I’ve seen. I agree with those who wrote that this was powerful and bordering on disturbing. But it felt like one of a kind” - mvz

82. Mitsuharu Misawa and Jun Akiyama vs. Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW - 5/23/1996)
Total Points: 358
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: NintendoLogic - 7
2020 Finish: 90

“Superstar babyface and junior partner vs. two violent heels is one of my favorite match archetypes because it combines a virtually idiot-proof formula with the kind of animosity and aggression I really value in wrestling…. this is a top ten tag in company history” - NintendoLogic

81. Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (2/3 Falls – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – NJPW – 6/9/2018)
Total Points: 360
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Kas - 2
2020 Finish: 99

“Having to conclude the most highly acclaimed series of matches of this generation is a near-impossible task, yet the intricate and ambitious story-telling alongside the quality of work on display ensured that they smashed the lofty expectations that people had for this match.” - Kas

80. Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama (GHC Heavyweight Championship – NOAH – 4/25/2004)
Total Points: 362
# of Ballots: 9
High Vote: NintendoLogic - 3
2020 Finish: 72

“I may prefer the the AJPW match between these two, but not by much. I could watch these two try to do murder to each other all day long. Takayama is such a great foil for Kobashi” - Cap

79. Sasha Banks vs Bayley (NXT Women’s Championship WWE - 8/22/2015)
Total Points: 372
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Grimmas - 4
2020 Finish: 182

“This match is just special and very few matches have that feel to it. The crowd was amazing from the entrances to the finish. The story they tell is perfect. I loved all the hand work by Sasha and Bayley’s selling of it. They way that comes back towards the end was tremendous as well. This also had some insane moves as well, including the Super Reverse Hurrancanara. This match was really an instant classic and clearly the best match of 2015.” - Grimmas

78.Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (Triple Crown Championship – AJPW – 10/31/1998)
Total Points: 373
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: Bossrock - 3
2020 Finish: 52

“I understand the excess criticisms, but I don't think I've ever seen a better display of offense and escalation in any other match I've seen. The story is the same as the others in their feud, but I think this one gets the point across the best: Kobashi is Misawa's near-equal and always looks like he's going to put him away but fails because of two things. One, he's unable to hit the surefire move that will beat him. Two, Misawa manages to pull some crazy maneuver out of his hat to permanently turn the tide. And while Misawa has to hit bomb after bomb to put Kobashi away, it's only a matter of time before the latter's reserves run out. A surefire classic and tough match to beat.” - Bossrock

77. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (Triple Crown Championship – AJPW – 7/24/1995)
Total Points: 376
# of Ballots: 9
High Vote: andyLFC - 23
2020 Finish: 102

“I think I have it as the second best match in the rivalry behind 6/3/94… This almost feels like a sprint with plenty of bombs being thrown early but still the detail, awesome selling, pacing, momentum shifts and transitions are present that set it apart… Ultra hard-hitting heavyweight match with plenty of drama that flew by in 24 minutes.” - andyLFC

76. Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns ft. Seth Rollins (WWE World Heavyweight Championship - WWE - 3/29/2015)
Total Points: 378
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Cactus - 7
2020 Finish: 49

“Probably the stiffest Mania match ever and nothing like the WWE house style at all. Both guys give fantastic selling performances not just in terms of bumping but the emotional impact of everything that's taking place. Roman's eyes sticking out his head when he realises he has Brock in trouble is the kind of body language selling we need more of in wrestling.” - Kadaveri

74-T. Terry Funk vs Stan Hansen (AJPW - 4/14/1983)
Total Points: 384
# of Ballots: 10
High Vote: Elliott - 33
2020 Finish: 54

“Two of the best wrestlers ever having a stone cold classic. This is Funk vs Hansen so it is a wild brawl with an epic blade job. This is the one where Funk just constantly goes after Hansen’s leg to set up the spinning toe-hold, ultimately leading to his own demise. Terrific selling, blood, punches and a crazy crowd including the Terry Funk Cheerleaders. Dory running out dressed like an 80s middle school science teacher to brawl is a lovely touch.” - Elliott

74-T. Nigel McGuinness vs Bryan Danielson (ROH World Title - ROH - 2/23/2008)
Total Points: 384
# of Ballots: 5
High Vote: Darrenn - 10
2020 Finish: 165

“Quite possibly one of the greatest in-ring stories I’ve ever seen with Bryan refusing to go for shots to the head even when he has the opportunity to win. Nigel is a brilliant shit as he tries to get disqualified when Bryan accidentally drops him during a German suplex and then takes the most dastardly route imaginable in response to Bryan’s code of ethics. Some uncomfortable spots when you consider both men’s physical conditions, but the strikes and grappling are as good as you would expect between these two.” - bossrock

73. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jun Akiyama (AJPW - 2/27/2000)
Total Points: 385
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Superstar Sleeze - 15
2020 Finish: 50

“This match reminds me so much of The Dark Knight in how it is perfect confluence of the superficial with meaning. What makes the Dark Knight so great is there is enough fireworks and eye candy to appeal to our audiovisual senses, but all rooted in a beautifully woven story. It appeals to pretty much facet of humanity, much like this match. You have the story of the young upstart looking to dethrone warrior-king by attacking his neck ruthlessly and violently. The old warrior-king has plenty of fight left in him, but eventually he overcome by the surmounting pain and the indefatigable resolve of the young upstart. On top of that, this is one of best offensive spectacles to ever be produced. Akiyama does a tremendous job of never letting up just zeroing in when Misawa is coming back he does not stop coming forward. Misawa is one of the ultimate underneath workers in this match he gives Akiyama even more offense than he would usual, which shows how much he trusted him at this point.” - Superstar Sleeze

72. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (Hell in a Cell - WWF World Title - WWF - 10/5/1997)
Total Points: 395
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: bossrock - 13
2020 Finish: 57

“To me, this is the greatest WWE match of all-time which is pretty impressive considering it was the first time they did this kind of match. Tremendous story of Taker finally being able to get his hands on Michaels and just brutalizing him throughout the entire opening stretch. Michaels is able to use his speed and resiliency to fight Taker off, but only for short bursts. And while the point of the match was to prevent outside interference from DX or Michaels' escaping, the way they circumvented it with the injured cameraman was actually quite brilliant. The ending certainly wasn't clean, but it really worked perfectly.” - bossrock

71. Vader vs Sting (WCW - 7/12/1992)
Total Points: 397
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Darren - 14
2020 Finish: 120

“The match is so great and Sting/Vader trilogy has become the stuff of legend that this match seems so much more important than it actually intended to be. That is a true testament to the workers in this match who gave an A+ effort bell to bell. Sting was the consummate babyface looking the monster in the eye, marching forward and never backing down. Vader is the stuff of nightmares that Wooly Mammoth that can KO you in one shot. I loved how smartly the shine was built with Sting overcoming Vader early in raucous fashion. Then that transition to the heat segment where the sitdown splash was a metaphor for how every fan in that building felt. Then that absolutely tremendous finish so much excitement and drama. When pro wrestling is done this well, it is hard to beat.” - Superstar Sleeze

70. Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kota Ibushi (IWGP IC Title – NJPW – 1/4/2015)
Total Points: 400
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Kas - 11
2020 Finish: 71

“This was just absolutely sensational. For the first time, I'd say, Ibushi showed that he belonged in the upper echelon of New Japan, and showed why he was hotly touted as one of the best up and comers in wrestling showing great character work and storytelling abilities throughout. Nakamura has this uncanny ability to make every match of his feel longer than they are. Sometimes that's detrimental and can make his matches drag, but when it works, it makes the match feel epic, like in this case where the 20 or so minutes felt more like 30. That's not even to mention the incredible offense by both men; Nakamura's knees were brutal, and Ibushi delving into his endless arsenal of moves was awe-inspiring, including an unreal German suplex from the outside to the end. Ibushi snapping into killer mode is always great to see, and the final stretch was amazing as well, with an incredibly smooth sequence where Nakamura hits a beautiful Landslide before finally nailing the Bomaye to the back of the head for the win… one of the greatest examples of the New Japan main event style you will see.” - Kas

69. Kenta Kobashi Mitsuharu Misawa Toshiaki Kawada vs Akira Taue Jumbo Tsuruta Masunobi Fuchi (AJPW - 10/19/1990)
Total Points: 404
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: NintendoLogic - 5
2020 Finish: 33

“This match succeeds on so many levels that pointing out flaws feels like nitpicking. It combines action and hatred at level hardly ever equaled before or since, and everything flows beautifully and logically from what came before.” - NintendoLogic

68. Bryan Danielson vs Takeshi Morishima (ROH World Title – ROH – 8/25/2007)
Total Points: 419
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Darrenn - 9
2020 Finish: 59

“This is an all time Danielson performance. He not only works through a pretty serious injury, he leans into it and somehow manages to believably establish dominance over Morishima. In hindsight, even though Mori had a truly splendid run in ROH, this match was crucial in establishing him as a killer. Danielson proves to be the better wrestler in terms of his ability to get the upper hand and impose his will. He hits him with everything he has…. but it isn’t enough. Morishima not only survives… he has enough left to put Bryan away with a few big moves. This establishes Mori as a monster and later they would wind up playing a few matches worth of chess based on this really top notch performance.” - Cap

66-T. Terry Funk & Dory Funk Jr. vs. Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy (AJPW - 8/31/1983)
Total Points: 421
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: Cactus - 19
2020 Finish: 79

“When it comes to wrestling that makes you feel something, I don't think anything warms my heart as much as Terry Funk's initial retirement match. From the molten hot Japanese crowd falling over themselves during the Funks’ entrance, to the raw emotion felt in the postmatch promo. Featuring one of the favourite matchups ever in Stan & Terry, this delivers on the heated brawling that both excel at, before shifting into more traditional heat segments and comebacks that all clicked with the crowd. Had Terry ended his career after this, he would have still been regarded as a legend.” - EnviousStupid

66-T. Kenta Kobashi vs Samoa Joe (ROH – 10/2/2005)
Total Points: 421
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: Tetsujin - 28
2020 Finish: 106

“This is the "Jesus coming back to Earth" moment for pro wrestling fans. We all know the legendary welcome the ROH fans gave to Kobashi. This feels like the biggest dream match possible, especially in the mid 00s: the biggest draw in the business at that moment, probably the best wrestler in the world as well, against the, at that moment, face of the indies boom the industry was living. The match itself is a masterpiece by Kobashi, looking maximalist while actually doing the absolute minimum, only relying on different chops combinations and a couple of lariats to take down the young beast. They never reached that final level of epicness, especially Kobashi didn't use some of his endgame tools (for example, I think a Moonsault would've been more appropriate to secure the win against Joe than a regular running lariat). The machine-gun chop spot is one of my all time favourites, and how can you not be entertained by this? The ringwork is fucking great and then you have the crowd making it an out-of-the-body experience.” - Tetsujin

64-T. Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior (Retirement Match – WWF – 3/24/1991)
Total Points: 422
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: mvz - 4
2020 Finish: 123

“this is the wrestling I grew up with and fell in love with at its zenith. Savage and Sherri work so hard to make this special, and Warrior is excellent, his best performance by a wide margin. The multilayered drama from when the match starts to climax to the end of the postmatch is a great achievement. It is first-rate storytelling, dramatic and purposeful. The only match that gives me chills every time.” - mvz

64-T. Shinobu Kandori vs Bull Nakano (Chain Match – AJW/LLPW – 7/14/1994)
Total Points: 422
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: mvz - 10
2020 Finish: 83

“Rewatching this made me even more confident that being stupid high on it is the right thing. 20 or so minutes of violence and mayhem. Bull is so badass and Kandori never gives up the fight.” - mvz

63. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Volk Han (RINGS - 9/26/1997)
Total Points: 427
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Gramsci - 7
2020 Finish: 45

“I used to struggle with shoot-style as I thought it was too focused on hyper-realism and not the story-telling and character work that I love in my wrestling, but I was so wrong about shoot-style not having good story-telling after sitting down and watching all three of the Han/Tamura trilogy. You need to watch all three matches to get the whole picture and see how one Kiyoshi Tamura starts the series as a promising upstart and ends it as a RINGS legend who's able to tap out the iconic Volk Han. Han looked like a damn anaconda at times when he would wrap his body around Tamura in an effort to tap him out with many types of unique submissions. Tamura felt like the best fighter in the world when he tried to take out Han with his deadly strikes. Just perfect execution and body language. This was the perfect way to wrap up the trilogy.” - Cactus

62. Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs Ted DiBiase (Loser Leaves Town, Coal Miner's Glove on a Pole, Tuxedo, Steel Cage Match - UWF - 3/30/1985)
Total Points: 428
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: JKWebb - 24
2020 Finish: 38

“This is one of the most stupid matches ever, and also one of the most violent matches ever, so it might be the craziest match ever. Seriously, how they managed to incorporate all these dumb gimmicks from their long-term rivalry into the actual match to produce such a carnage, in less than fifteen minutes, is beyond comprehesion to me. The proof that everything could work in pro wrestling when treated right.” - Tetsujin

60-T. Jerry Lawler vs Terry Funk (No DQ Match - CWA - 3/23/1981)
Total Points: 430
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: mvz - 13
2020 Finish: 61

“Two of the greatest wrestlers ever punching the shit out of each other and then bashing each other with a chair. Which results in one of the greatest under 15 minute long matches ever. This is just classic. This starts as an amazing brawl before the chair gets involved and then it turns up a notch. Funk going after Lawler's knee to set up the spinning toe hold and Lawler's selling is just perfect and really makes this stand out from the pack.” - Elliott

60-T. Ric Flair v. Terry Funk (NWA - 11/15/1989)
Total Points - 430
# of Ballots - 6
High Vote: Darrenn - 11
2020 Finish: 46

“I love this match, is everything you could have asked for for the finale of this rivalry. Flair's babyface on fire performance was so great, I always wondered how the wrestling world would have been if he was a longtime babyface his whole career, instead of the most iconic heel ever.” - Tetsujin

59. Mitsuhara Misawa vs Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW – 9/1/1990)
Total Points: 433
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: AndyLFC - 27
2020 Finish: 132

“This will get grouped together with their earlier match and its greatness is probably somewhat dependent upon that first match, but I strongly prefer this one. This match is so sharp, has such a big and important feel to it, and tells a fascinatingly simple story. It is full of memorable spots and high emotion” - Cap

58. Buddy Rose/Doug Somers vs The Midnight Rockers (AWA - 8/30/1986)
Total Points: 441
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: JKWebb - 11
2020 Finish: 69

“Blood. In. The. Sand.

If you have not watched this, you must. Pitch perfect selling from the Rockers especially Michaels and great heel work from Rose & Somers working the cut. The epitome of drama!” - Superstar Sleeze

57. Eddie Guerrero vs John Bradshaw Layfield (WWE World Title – WWE – 5/16/2004)
Total Points: 447
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: EnviousStupid - 1
2020 Finish: 43

“The greatest match of all time. Wrestling that transcends the form we know and love. Visceral in ways we'll likely never see again on a national stage. Holding themes of race and class that wound up being almost prophetic 12 years later. JBL switches between oversized stooge and big brute so efficiently, it's probably his career performance. Meanwhile Eddie, the best babyface in the world at the time, overachieves in his own role and it's only elevated by the best bladejob I've ever seen. It's the kind of wound that tears down artificial barriers in wrestling, allowing realism to settle in on a man who wants nothing more than to make the bastard that hurt his family pay. It's the match that made JBL into a viable contender for the title to myself and many others, as well as the match I always remember whenever Eddie Guerrero is brought up. A tour de force in every sense of the term.” - EnviousStupid

56. Necro Butcher vs Samoa Joe (IWA Mid-South - 6/11/2005)
Total Points: 450
# of Ballots: 10
High Vote: Tim Livingston - 29
2020 Finish: 121

“Sometimes you need 30 minutes to tell the right story and sometimes, like in this case, you need just 10. It all depends on the story being told. Some of the spots are just uncomfortable to watch, but I'll be damned if this is not only one of the best matches of the 2000's, but also one of the best sprints ever. Joe dominates a lot of this match but Necro just won't give up and is almost like a zombie in the way he keeps coming back. Controlled chaos at its absolute finest.” - bossrock

55. Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Yoshihisa Yamamoto (RINGS - 6/24/1999)
Total Points: 452
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Gramsci - 2
2020 Finish: 27

“When I think of pro wrestling as sport, this is the probably the ultimate example of it from everything that I've seen.” - Mattsdmf

54. El Satanico vs El Dandy (Hair vs Hair – EMLL – 12/14/1990)
Total Points: 455
# of Ballots: 9
High Vote: Mattsdmf - 8
2020 Finish: 40

“The peak of El Dandy and El Satanico’s 1990. They each had one of the best single years ever in wrestling and then cap the year off having their best match against each other. This is an awesome bloody brawl. Blood, punches, fantastic selling from two of the best ever at their best.” - Elliott

53. Stan Hansen vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW – 2/28/1993)
Total Points: 457
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: JKWebb - 21
2020 Finish: 42

“The first twenty minutes of this is just excellent. It is a 5 minute bar room brawl sprint that feels uncooperative, chaotic and like a shoot. Then as each man becomes fatigued it becomes a slugfest first trying to take out each other's legs and then just hitting each other as hard as possible. Hansen sold his ass off for Kawada and really busted out some neat stuff. Kawada felt like a superstar in this match. He was at a disadvantage and turned it around and made you feel like Hansen was the one that was surviving. I think they could have cut out 2-3 minutes of the last 5 minutes of the match and tightened it up. One nearfall for Kawada would have been plenty. Regardless, this match is epic and really shows Hansen's range all in one match and how much of an asskicker Kawada is.” - Superstar Sleeze

52. CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar (No DQ Match -WWE - 8/18/2013)
Total Points: 461
# of Ballots: 10
High Vote: Darrenn - 16
2020 Finish: 114

“One of the best WWE matches of the 2010's and an argument could be made for the best of either guy's career. Proof that before Brock went overboard with Suplex City, got lazy, and got grossly out of shape, he was an absolute beast of a wrestler. Punk was great as a fired-up face as well.” - bossrock

51. Ricky Steamboat vs Rick Rude (Iron Man Match – WCW – 6/20/1992)
Total Points: 463
# of Ballots: 10
High Vote: Tetsujin - 19
2020 Finish: 35

“Pro wrestling can be deep, it can be more sport-focused, it can be whatever, but in the end, the pleasure of watching a great babyface against a great heel is the core of the business. And here, Steamboat puts on an all-time great babyface performance, and Rude puts on an all-time great heel performance. Everything clicked. Some people might criticize the fact there're too many falls, but honestly I don't mind them that much and think almost all of them are perfectly justified. Rude's strategy is infamous. The climax is absolutely dramatic. They both sell like gods. What a wonderful, timeless match.” - Tetsujin

50. Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue (AJPW - 5/21/1994)
Total Points: 475
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: andyLFC - 13
2020 Finish: 85

“You really can't go wrong with these four in the ring. While I would have it behind 6/9/95, I would actually put it ahead of 12/3/93. While the '95 was the absolute pinnacle of storytelling between these two teams, this one comes pretty close. The teases between Misawa and Kawada just one month before their Triple Crown match were fantastic… With excellent storytelling and unrelenting action with no downtime for an astounding 44 minutes, you know you have one of the greatest matches of all time.” Bossrock

49. Stan Hansen vs Carlos Colon (Texas Bullrope Match – CWP – 1/6/1987)
Total Points: 480.
# of Ballots: 10
High Vote: Bossrock - 28
2020 Finish: 53

“Colon isn't the best brawler in the world, but he more than makes up for it by being charismatic and knowing how to milk the drama with the bull rope. Colon cartwheeling to start his comeback popped me big time! A cartwheel in a bloodbath like this could have felt out of place, but Colon made it work. These two just pounded the shit out of each other, using the bull rope to batter and choke each other. They both get juice and the crowd went apeshit for them. Hansen was exceptional here. His body language was top-notch and he falls over like a big redwood whenever Colon was able to best him during the struggle with the rope. Never had a tug of war felt tenser than it did when these two were pulling away!” - Cactus

47-T. Dangerous Alliance vs. Sting's Squadron (War Games - WCW - 5/17/1992)
Total Points: 488
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Tim Livingston - 4
2020 Finish: 101

“This lives up to the ridiculously high expectations that I had for this. I can't remember the last time I was suckered into a babyface showing some fire as much as was when Dustin Rhodes entered the match. The War Games stipulation hid Sting's limitations well and they had me hooked with the Nikita storyline about whether or not he was going to turn or not. This had the right amount of bells and whistles enhancing an already action-packed match, such as Madusa climbing the cage and the heels using part of the ring post as a weapon. This had picture-perfect pacing and everyone played their roles to a tee.” - Cactus

47-T. CM Punk vs John Cena (WWE World Title - WWE - 7/17/2011)
Total Points: 488
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: EnviousStupid, Kadavari - 16
2020 Finish: 82

“This match began the WWE Renaissance of 2011-2014 when WWE in-ring work was just stellar. It was one great match after another. My wrestling fandom was on life support, 2010 was a brutally boring year and the first half of 2011 was even worse. CM Punk’s pipebomb promo was an adrenaline shot that WWE badly needed. I was lucky enough to attend the go home show to MITB in Boston Best go home show ever. That Cena/Punk/Vince promo was incredible. We got this PPV, I’d only get one year and this was a must buy. I loved this match. It is sad in a way but it didn’t live up to the memory. It is still great and an incredible moment in time but didn’t have the same zing.” Superstar Sleeze

46. Negro Casas vs El Hijo del Santo (Hair vs Mask – CMLL – 9/19/1997)
Total Points: 491
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: Gramsci - 5
2020 Finish: 41

“I really enjoyed this. I have seen a handful of Negro Casas before but this felt like the first time I really "got" him. Santo I have gotten but I do feel like he is more rewarding the more I watch him. Great moments throughout that conveyed the competitiveness and hate. I liked the finish too.” - mvz

“In terms of greatness, this might be up there with Hash/Takada, Hogan/André, '01 Austin/Rock or '03 Misawa/Kobashi. This match feels special like no other when it comes to lucha libre: a 10-year-old rivalry, mask vs hair, one fall, it doesn't get any better than this. The actual match delivers obviously, and what I like the most about it is how they show the animosity between the two, with nasty matwork and constantly fighting each other, without turning the whole match into an out of control bloody brawl like many other generic luchas de apuestas. This is personal, but they don't ruin the tradition, they want to defeat the other as by the rules as possible.” - Tetsujin

45. Akira Hokuto vs Meiko Satomura (GAEA - 4/29/2001)
Total Points: 492
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: Grimmas - 6
2020 Finish: 313

“This has everything I want in a match. Outstanding dynamic between the two wrestlers that you can sense right away. Powerful offense with selling that gets it across. A real sense that both wrestlers want to win badly. Memorable spots. And this is a case where the ringside seconds and crowd heat add to the match. Just super.” - mvz

“An absolutely outstanding match that pits one of the greatest to lace up her boots against the future of the business. The homestretch of this is about as good as anything you are going to find in wrestling.” - Cap

44. Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs. Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen (AJPW - 12/6/1989)
Total Points: 493
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Bossrock - 18
2020 Finish: 64

“I imagine Makoto Hashi saw this match and Yatsu's performance in particular at some point and said to himself "You know what, this is what I want to do with my life." Although shambolic at points, this is loaded with great ideas and moments.” - NintendoLogic

“Love this match. Hansen and Tenryu are just relentless going after Yatsu’s head with some dangerous looking stuff. Jumbo comes in and is an amazing hot tag, pissed off and on fire. It was so sweet when Yatsu gets some revenge on Hansen, and when Hansen is busted open it fees like his team is in real trouble. Some insane sequences down the stretch before Hansen pulls out the heart breaking lariat. Great performances from all four and a top notch match.” - mvz

43. John Cena vs Umaga (Last Man Standing – WWE World Title – WWE – 1/28/2007)
Total Points: 496
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: Grimmas - 18
2020 Finish: 51

“If there's anything I could fault this match for, it's that Cena never really seemed on the verge of defeat, due in large part to the absurdly slow WWE ten-counts (at one point, he got up at the referee's count of 7 where something like 28 seconds had passed in real time). But that's a minor complaint when the action is this good. Not only is this the best ever WWE gimmick match, it's probably the best possible WWE gimmick match.” - NintendoLogic

42. Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada & Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Masa Fuchi & Akira Taue (AJPW - 4/20/1991)
Total Points: 502
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: Bossrock - 5
2020 Finish: 26

This one is absolutely fantastic in its own right. Misawa hangs back a bit in this and it's on the long side, but there's still tons of action and Taue and Kawada deliver star-making performances with their unbridled hatred and aggression. Kawada flipping off Taue has to be one of my favorite moments in all of wrestling.” - Bossrock

41. Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee (Loser Leaves Town – Southern Heavyweight Title – CWA – 6/6/1983)
Total Points: 509
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: JKWebb - 8
2020 Finish: 84

“The closest I've ever seen wrestling embody the kind of action and drama of a Rocky movie. Two all-time punchers nailing each other with everything they have. Built on urgency that never stops growing with the most satisfying payoff possible. A classic style of match that may never age in my eyes.” - EnviousStupid

“The clipping holds this back somewhat, but what we have is about as good as pro wrestling gets. More than anything, this is a battle of attrition. Most of the shifts in momentum come off big counters, but it never feels your-turn my-turn thanks to both men's brilliant fatigued selling. It's similar to Hokuto/Kandori in that regard. Combine that with the awesome punches you expect from a high-end Memphis bout and you have an undisputed classic.” - NintendoLogic

40. Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuinness (ROH Title vs ROH Pure Title – ROH – 8/12/2006)
Total Points: 517
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Cactus - 11
2020 Finish: 39

“It feels like the general temperature on this match has lowered over time. Sometimes this is in a vacuum and sometimes it is juxtaposed to other matches in their series. I’ve never really felt it until this run. I still think this match is absolutely top shelf, but I’m starting to understand that it’s greatness might be a bit more in the moment and a bit less of the timeless variety. That feeling didn’t smack me hard enough to lower it more than a few spots behind some other things I watched in this run and it may not ever (I still think fondly on this moment in wrestling history). This is still top shelf wrestling in front of a WHITE HOT crowed” - Cap

“This was an incredibly engaging and competitive technical classic with an all time brilliant heel performance from Bryan. McGuinness is the hometown hero and Bryan wants to rain on his parade and the crowd might respect Danielson, but they don't like him. The rule with the rope breaks was a great bit of psychology. When Nigel uses up his third and final rope break, he has to pray that he doesn't get caught in another submission as the ropes can't save him anymore. The ring post stuff might be a bit much for a post CTE world, but I'll be lying if I said it didn't hook me into the match even further.” - Cactus

39. Megumi Kudo vs Combat Toyoda (No Rope Exploding Barb Wire Death Match – FMW Independent Womens Title/ WWA Title – FMW – 5/5/1996)
Total Points: 522
# of Ballots: 9
High Vote: Kas - 9
2020 Finish: 36

“Easily the best death match ever. This has blood and explosions and neck breaking suplexes, sure, but the psychology and emotion are what put this over the top. I feel like I don’t see it as much these days, but I used to see the “every move mattered” phrase thrown around a lot, and this is really a match where every move mattered. I expect I’ll be the high vote for this match, but I really hope people who have seen it will revisit it and consider it. There isn’t an All Japan match that I would rank ahead of this one.” - Elliott

“This is all drama and all heart. There is so much to love about this and honestly the violence is completely secondary to the masterful storytelling and orchestration of drama. It is truly stunning. Every big spot feels massive because of how they tease and work up to everything.” - Cap

38. Manami Toyota/Toshiyo Yamada vs Mayumi Ozaki/Dynamite Kansai (WWWA Tag Team Titles - AJW - 11/26/1992)
Total Points: 532
# of Ballots: 8
High Vote: Tim Livingston - 8
2020 Finish: 63

“This performances in this match impressed me and they gelled into an overall great match. Ozaki has such great charisma and I’ve been enthralled in the bits that I have seen but she was on another level here. Her tactics with the hand kicking and cross arm breakers seemed so infuriating to the crowd but she was simply brilliant. I have liked Kansai in most of what I have seen and she played the great dominant force, it she also showed some vulnerability and it was smart booking to have her on the wrong end of the second fall. That was the kind of thoughtfulness that elevates this to a higher plane. Yamaha was game to fight with Kansai, taking a beating but also having moments to shine. I don’t have the fatigue with Toyota that many of you have but the flaws are easy to see once you hear about them. They were held in check to an extent here, plus I just tried to accept that this is who she is.” - mvz

37. Devil Masami vs Chigusa Nagayo (WWWA All Pacific Title – AJW – 8/22/1985)
Total Points: 581
# of Ballots: 9
High Vote: Cap - 3
2020 Finish: 73

“You can say a lot of things to argue this match is legendary: the fact Devil is 23 and Chigusa is 21 at the time, the strikes, the matwork, the character work... But, to me, the true greatness of this match is the structure. These two badass women don't stop fighting each other, not in a "go go go style" kind of way, but in a more slow yet still brutal way; there's almost no downtimes at all. This was a marathon for these two. By the end of the match, you can feel they're tired as fucking hell and any single strike could make the difference. They're perfectly selling the climax of a long, epic encounter, and it's so satisfying to watch. This is peak 80s joshi, by far, and one of the best long title matches ever.” - Tetsujin

“Sometimes when you find yourself in a tense situation or in a conflict with a colleague or friend you just have to ask yourself, “does this person have the proper respect for Devil Masami?” and if the answer is no then you shouldn’t concern yourself with what they think. Twenty three year old Devil Masami might have been the greatest wrestler ever. Twenty one year old Chingusa Nagayo isn’t too far behind. This match is just brilliant. The selling, the grappling, the strikes. Everything is done with such intent and every moment is dripping with tension. Masami’s facial expressions were phenomenal here. Nagayo has a strange and unique charisma that shines in the action more than anywhere else. Just preposterously good.” - Cap

36. Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (NWA World Heavyweight Title - WCW - 2/20/1989)
Total Points: 617
# of Ballots: 10
High Vote: Tim Livingston - 12
2020 Finish: 29

“I think this may be the greatest pure workrate match of all time. It is an action-packed thrill ride that leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat from jump. The fact it doesn't go long is the first unpredictable thing. The teased Dusty Finish only for Steamboat to actually win is the second. It is a 20-25 minute sprint. Think about that. We talk about sprints being sub-10 minutes. They sprinted 20+ and never lost their way.” - Superstar Sleeze

35. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Minoru Suzuki (IWGP Heavyweight Title - NJPW - 10/8/2012)
Total Points: 633
# of Ballots: 11
High Vote: Control21 - 10
2020 Finish: 70

“This is basically the total opposite of what you expect when thinking about "big 10s NJPW matches". There's not a single pinfall attempt in the whole match until the actual finish, that should tell you something. My absolute favourite matches have two or more wrestlers clashing not only in style but also in personality, and those two have very defined and radically different styles, and obviously their personalities are as opposite as you can imagine, so yeah, I obviously love it. Just from the very beginning, with Tana "airguitarring" Suzuki and MiSu's reaction, you know you're gonna watch something more than an epic big title match.” - Tetsujin

34. Jumbo Tsuruta and Genichiro Tenryu vs Riki Choshu and Yoshiaki Yatsu (NWA International Tag Titles - AJPW – 1/28/1986)
Total Points: 648
# of Ballots: 12
High Vote: - EnviousStupid - 4
2020 Finish: 30

“The height of the Choshu’s Army invades All Japan era and my pick for the best Japanese vs Japanese tag match ever. This has incredible drama and storytelling with everyone hitting their roles just right. This is fast paced with a bonkers crowd, tons of emotion, hot moves and just everything you could want from a big time heavyweight tag match. Holds up remarkably well for a match that is 30+ years old.” - Elliott

“Just four workers being badass, with great action and pace, and incredible crowd. Choshu's performance in this is awesome.” - Tetsujin

33. Sgt. Slaughter vs Iron Sheik (Bootcamp Match – WWF – 6/16/1984)
Total Points: 652
# of Ballots: 12
High Vote: Grimmas - 13
2020 Finish: 44

“Wonderful pro wrestling theater. The WWE can be a maddening organization, but when it hits with its over the top caricature driven violence… it really hits. This is a great example.” - Cap

“This is one of those "WTF more can you say about it?" matches. It was highly regarded as a classic match when it happened and has remained so with near universal appeal. I can't remember ever reading a bad review or even someone saying it was anything less than a great match. It'll be interesting to see how this does compared to similar matches like Magnum vs Tully. I'd also like to see people talk about it in direct comparison to something like Funk vs Hansen or Chicana vs Perro.” - Elliott

“This is everything you can want in a bloody blow off match. Slaughter gets his bloody revenge, Sheik is a coward. This is a thing of beautiful hateful beauty.” - Grimmas

32. Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair (NWA World Heavyweight Title - NWA - 5/7/1989)
Total Points: 656
# of Ballots: 11
High Vote: EnviousStupid - 3
2020 Finish: 76

“My favourite of the Flair-Steamboat trilogy. It doesn't have the screwy finish of Chicago, nor is it as long as New Orleans. It's high octane Flair and Steamboat, all killer and no filler!” - Grimmas

“Yeap, WrestleWar is the best of the series. It always have been the best of the series for me. The Chi-Town match isn't nearly as good as the other two of the trilogy, but has an excellent characters clash. Clash VI is all about athletic exhibition and proving who's the actual best wrestler, with some character traits here and there to armonizing it more. But WrestleWar not only has the higher stakes because it is the final match and feels like their ultimate battle, but because it balances their great personalities and their excellent level of ringwork in a way that makes it feel completed. And, if you're one of those guys that rank matches based on the overall experience, from the pre-match promo to the post-match angle (if it has one), this match also works for you in these kind of lists because it has one of the greatest post-match segments of all time courtesy of Flair and you-know-who. Fantastic match.” - Tetsujin

31. Eddy Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. (Mask vs. Title - Cruiserweight Title - 10/27/1997)
Total Points: 657
# of Ballots: 11
High Vote: Mattsdmf - 12
2020 Finish: 17

“This is another match that hardly needs to be hyped up. Not only do I not recall ever seeing a serious criticism of this match, I can't even imagine what possible basis there would be to levy such criticism. Whether you like fast-paced high-flying action or more traditional pro wrestling psychology with strong face and heel work, this match has you covered. More than anything, I don't know of any other match that comes close to making such mind-blowing spots look uncooperative. With all that said, right now I think I'm leaning toward the June 2005 match these two had on Smackdown being better. It feels more complete to me even if it isn't nearly as spectacular.” - NintendoLogic

30. Mankind vs Shawn Michaels (WWF World Title - WWF - 9/22/1996)
Total Points: 658
# of Ballots: 11
High Vote: Cactus - 13
2020 Finish: 11

“A personal pick of mine. This was a very great brawl with a unique stipulation at the time and had a very cinematic quality to it that sucked me in as a young wrestling fan. It was these kind of matches and wrestlers that sparked the love of wrestling in me.” - Mattsdmf

“Even as a recent shoot-style convert, this match flew by and the 30 minutes felt like 15. Tamura looks a lot different since I last saw him during the Volk Han trilogy. He's no longer a pretty boy, but he's now more built up and looks like a total badass. This was two mat maestros putting on some of the most impressive matwork and submission wrestling that I'd ever seen in a pro-wrestling match.” - Cactus

29. Ric Flair vs Ricky Morton (Cage Match - NWA World Title – JCP – 7/5/1986)
Total Points: 679
# of Ballots: 11
High Vote: Darrenn - 1
2020 Finish: 37

“This feels like the greatest match I’ve ever seen. It’s been penciled in as my #1 since I started a list.” - Darren

“In a feud that was centered around what a real man is and how that relates to what women find attractive, I cant think of a better ending then a fucking ballshot by the man posturing as a tough, macho man, but is really a vindictive, arrogant and small man. They both focused on the face with laser precision. There was only one way to end this and that was an attack on the anatomical representation of manhood. It worked on two levels it exposed Flair as the total opposite of what a real man is by stooping so low to win the match and also to psychically assault Morton's manhood after disfiguring his face. I think I just convinced myself this is the greatest pro wrestling match of all time. *****” - Superstar Sleeze

28. Shinobu Kandori/Akira Hokuto vs Bull Nakano/Aja Kong (AJPW – 3/27/1994)
Total Points: 691
# of Ballots: 9
High Vote: Kadaveri - 1
2020 Finish: 22

“It blows my mind that we never got an Aja Kong vs Shinobu Kandori singles match. The taste we got here tells me a full match would have been something else. This match is really all about Hokuto though. She is the star of this complicated play. This is four masters of their craft doing what they do best, beating the hell out of one another and telling a story. I just love how the force of nature that is Kong and Bull force Kandori and Hokuto to work together to survive. This one dropped a touch for me as well on this watch, as I finish my write up the next day, I think maybe it fell a few spots too many.” - Cap

“I thought it was one of the greatest matches ever the first time I saw it without much knowledge of 90s Joshi, and numerous times now I've watched an earlier match including these four which this match calls back to making it even better than I first thought… As for the length, I strongly feel this is a match which NEEDS to be long otherwise it wouldn't work. The central narrative of the match is Hokuto and Kandori gradually turning from sworn enemies into partners working together. The match needs to be of this length to sell that story believably.” - Kadaveri

27. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada (NJPW - 4/7/2013)
Total Points: 698
# of Ballots: 11
High Vote: Kas - 1
2020 Finish: 48

“The struggle for every move, the vicious limb-work from Tanahashi, the unbelievable arm selling from Okada, the impeccable character work, the tense finishing stretch. Everything clicks here and it makes for a transcendent piece of pro wrestling.” - Kas

“Definitely the best match they had together that I have seen so far. I agree with NJPW faboys that this is indeed ***** and the MOTY 2013 (sorry Tanahashi/Ishii). It was superb and the match they needed to have for this feud to ever be considered great.” - Superstar Sleeze

26. Atlantis vs Vilano III (Mask vs Mask – CMLL – 3/17/2000)
Total Points: 710
# of Ballots: 11
High Vote: Grimmas - 2
2020 Finish: 34

“I love every second of this match, from the appearance of Villano III till the show goes off the air. The crowd is jacked! Atlantis is Bret Hart in Calgary over. It's a special environment” - Grimmas

“If you need proof that blood can instantly make a match better, look no further than this match. While it's still a very good match in a vacuum, the blood loss is really what adds to the drama and urgency. You have your standard mat work before the accidental headbutt, but once that happens we're off to the races. Both guys(Atlantis especially as he drops Villano on top of him during the Bow and Arrow lock) sell absolute exhaustion as they try every submission and pin attempt in their bag of tricks to put the other away. Really interesting and unique war of attrition.” - Bossrock

25. Greg Valentine vs Roddy Piper (Dog Collar Match – U.S. Title – JCP – 11/24/1983)
Total Points: 714
# of Ballots: 12
High Vote: JKWebb - 15
2020 Finish: 28

“Our friend Elliott isn’t right about everything (COUGH-KAWADA-HANSEN-COUGH), but he was right about this match. Every time I watch it back it creeps up my list a little bit. Valentine is mean. Piper is mean. The chain is mean. This match…. is mean! I think it is more a matter of this match resonating more with my evolving taste than anything else. Piper’s brand of chaos and violence grows on me more every year and Valentine is about as tried and true an ass beater as there ever was in wrestling. The story goes that they pulled few punches in this and you can feel that when you watch. This is a true show stealer.” - Cap

“The brutality is still stunning at times. Piper is an incredible fired up baby face and Valentine is vicious, a great combination. Top 10 contender for me.” - mvz

“So simple yet so effective. Piper is great at controlling Valentine with the chain and pummeling him when he has him trapped and Valentine does a tremendous job working over Piper's ear. That's all there really is to it and that's all they really needed. And Piper looking at the blood from his ear might be one of the greatest fired-up face moments of all time.” - Bossrock

24. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (RINGS – 6/27/1998)
Total Points: 729
# of Ballots: 9
High Vote: Control21 - 2
2020 Finish: 15

“Beautiful tomes have been written about this match, and I can only repeat what those works have said. This has a legitimate claim to the title of the greatest wrestling match of all time. This was a pure display of athleticism, conditioning, technical skill, grappling, wrestling, psychology, and storytelling.” - Control21

“Sometimes when I watch the Han vs Tamura matches it feels almost like they are showing off. They are such gifted grapplers with so much chemistry that they can do things in the ring that others just simply can’t. It doesn’t really take anything away from those matches, but the matches feel a touch more “athletic contest” and a touch less “fight” sometimes as a result. Tamura and Kahsaka have that ability, but they avoid tipping – even slightly – away from that “fight” feel. This is about as close to perfect as it gets in terms of shoot style grappling.” - Cap

23. Ric Flair vs Terry Funk (NWA Title – NWA – 7/23/1989)
Total Points: 748
# of Ballots:11
High Vote: Bossrock - 7
2020 Finish: 20

“I actually prefer this to the I Quit match. It's up there with Austin vs. Dude Love as one of those chaotic brawls where the overbooking enhances it. I'm including all of the post-match as part of the overall package” - Kadavari

“Best match of 1989, possibly best match of the 80's, and I'd wager the best match of either guy's career. Out of control yet still cowardly heel Funk is one of the best ever and Flair proves that he's a tremendous, fired-up face. This is honestly my favorite version of Flair. All-time great brawl” - Bossrock

“Truly chaotic energy from bell to bell. I love their I Quit match, but this is lightening in a bottle kinda stuff.” - Cap

22. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WWF - 3/20/1994)
Total Points: 757
# of Ballots: 12
High Vote: Grimmas - 10
2020 Finish: 24

“Easily the best WrestleMania opening match and one of the very best of both wrestlers' careers. The in-ring work, the character development and the awesome finish really cement this as an all time match.” - Mattsdmf

“I think everybody knows this match very well. The best opener in WWE pay-per-view history. The best sibling rivalry feud ever and the match is just about perfect. Maybe if you don’t have a sibling you may not get the story as well, but regardless it rules. The whole lay out to make Owen a star with the perfect and shocking finish. Great ***** wrestling.” - Grimmas

21. Sangre Chicana vs MS-1 (Hair vs Hair – EMLL – 9/23/1983)
Total Points: 761
# of Ballots: 12
High Vote: Cap - 2
2020 Finish: 10

“Every year I wonder if this is the year Sangre Chicana v MS-1 jumps back into the #1 spot for me and every year it doesn’t happen. #2 isn’t bad… not too bad. This is minimalist wrestling at its absolute finest. This match and Kandori/Hokuto have something important in common. They externally capture the internal struggle each wrestler is facing perfectly. There is a point in this match where both men are beaten and spent, but the match isn’t over. They have to dig deep and find the ability to throw hands despite not being able to lift them. They are at their physical limits… but they can… not… quit. That internal struggle pops off the screen here. The best wrestling often isn’t just man vs man. It is man vs himself. That is why these two matches avoided the chaos of my top 30 rewatch and remained on top.

“Chicana's selling is extraordinary. MS-1's heel-work is perfect. They milk absolutely everything from an insanely hot crowd. Most definitely a top ten contender.” - Kas

20. Stan Hansen/Terry Gordy vs Genichiro Tenryu/Toshiaki Kawada (AJ Tag Titles – Real World Tag Finals – AJPW – 12/16/1988)
Total Points: 778
# of Ballots: 12
High Vote: Superstar Sleeze - 10
2020 Finish: 12

“Legendary match tag match. I don't think they created the "Go it Alone" formula here, but this is one of the absolute most memorable examples of it. Classic match. Everytime Hansen & Tenryu were in the ring against or with each other in the late 80s time period was absolutely magic. Kawada managed to keep up with the big boys and added a fresh dynamic to the main event tag mix before getting taken out. Awesome match that totally holds up.” - Elliott

“This is a contender for Greatest Match Ever for me. Great combination of strategy and brutality… JBL would cream himself over how many MONSTER LARIATS are in this match… Even though, the last half of the match was full of impending doom, they did a great job working in hope spots. I thought Hansen sold exhaustion fabulously. Gordy was a great dick heel sidekick. Hansen's individual performance in this match is a candidate for greatest performance in a single match. Kawada was great as the fearless rookie and selling the knee is Kawada's bread and butter. Tenryu was perfect in his role as veteran asskicker that's outgunned, but is going to down in a hail of bullets. The best non-90sAJPW tag match in history in my book! *****” - Superstar Sleeze

19. Volk Han vs Kiyoshi Tamura (RINGS – 1/22/1997)
Total Points: 792
# of Ballots: 12
High Vote: Control21 - 9
2020 Finish: 21

“The second bout in the Han/Tamura trilogy and their best outing. Tamura's slightly more polished since the last time they've met, but he still falls victim to Han's devastating wristlock throw minutes into this encounter, even if he is able to recover from it quicker and more efficiently than he did during the '96 match. Volk Han's a master seller. He's able to convey emotions without it making the hyper-realistic grappling look like a total work. He gets caught in an armbar early and he uses the first rope break of the match to escape and he has an ashamed look on his face as if he was a puppy who just shat on the rug. I don't need to tell how brilliant the matwork was or how every submission looked like it could have ended the match as I'm sure you already know that if you're aware of either Han or Tamura” - Cactus

“I don’t want to say I was a shoot style skeptic, but the first couple of Kayla he’s I had tried didn’t really click. I watched this trilogy and I think all three matches are top 100 caliber. This was the best of the bunch for me, gripping mat work and some moments of high drama.” - mvz

18. Katsuyori Shibata vs Kazuchika Okada (IWGP HW Title – NJPW – 4/9/2017)
Total Points: 795
# of Ballots: 10
High Vote: Tetsujin - 3
2020 Finish: 19

“I will never forget watching this match for the first time ever, right as it was happening. And now that Shibata is back again (kind of?), I enjoy it even more. Shibata's performance is one of the very best I've ever seen, quite probably the best performance. I'm not joking, it is that good. He does whatever he wants with Okada, the unbeatable champion, the prodigy kid, and forces him to break his limit in pure Dragon Ball style if he wants to beat him. You want to give me a Rainmaker, the instakill finisher that has led you to this huge success in your short career? FUCK IT MOTHERFUCKER YOU BETTER TRY HARDER BECAUSE I'M NOT FUCKING FALLING!!!!! Best spot ever. Almost best match ever.” - Tetsujin

“On a re-watch, this is a number one contender. While Shibata dominated, I feel Okada got in enough offence to make his victory a lot more believable than something like the Suzuki match in February, and that the somewhat abrupt finish fit in with the overall story of Okada having to capitalise on Shibata's smallest mistakes. I do think Okada was tremendous here, but Shibata absolutely stole the show with his offence, his intensity, his selling, and several of those subtleties that make Shibata stand out as a wrestler.” - Kas

17. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (AJPW - 12/3/1993)
Total Points: 797
# of Ballots: 13
High Vote: andyLFC - 10
2020 Finish: 25

“Kawada's turned his back on Misawa and Kobashi and has joined forces with his former enemy, Akira Taue. Kawada starts this one off as an arrogant yet in control turncoat, but as soon as Kobashi starts returning his leg kicks, Massive Dickhead Kawada comes out in full force. The leg kicks from Kobashi send Kawada to the ground, clutching his leg in agony. It's redundant to say what a great seller Kawada is at this point, but this match might feature his best sell job. Him not being able to bridge on a German suplex because of his hurt wheel might be my favorite piece of singular selling ever. Taue plays his role as Kawada's heavy well by holding the fiery Kobashi back while Kawada stretches out Misawa. The finishing stretch is all kinds of fun, with non-stop action and constant momentum shifts. Excellent stuff.” - Cactus

16. Tully Blanchard vs Magnum TA (Cage Match – US Title – JCP – 11/28/1985)
Total Points: 804
# of Ballots: 12
High Vote: JK Webb - 1
2020 Finish: 31

“I had this in a pack with a few other brawls and thought I ought to see it again. This is why we rewatch, even if we know the match front to back. You never know how a match is going to hit you, and this gave me the feeling of moving into another world, a world of grittiness and wailing and inappropriate behavior, and that's the thing that puts a match among the very best. The last few minutes are still stunning and shocking and the whole thing remains extraordinary and timeless.” - mvz

“The more I watch this match and the more I watch wrestling generally, the more this seems sort of singular. The feel of this fight is just so personal and visceral. It is so beautifully unpolished. Where other matches of this ilk have gotten the mic work wrong, this match gets it right. The screams of “NO” are as important as any physical selling they do to put over just how brutal this is. On this watch I was really taken by the long periods of silence on commentary. They really let the violence soak in and the match is better for it.” - Cap

15. Brock Lesnar vs John Cena (WWE - 4/29/2012)
Total Points: 824
# of Ballots: 11
High Vote: Darrenn - 2
2020 Finish: 65

“The best match in WWF/E history, I remember the feeling I had when watching this for the first time and thinking for a second that Brock was going crazy and that the beating was being real. I've never had the same feeling with a match since then. Cena's promo at the end of the match only adds greatness to this act, it's a promo of an Ace who just beat the invading monster, it reminded me of Bryan's promo after his match with Morishima in Final Battle 2008, but this being better. It's awesome how this guy got Chicago to support him during the match and at the end of it.” - Gramsci

“Another one of those matches that feel like the most special thing ever. This match can't be duplicated ever again: it needs a returning to pro wrestling, post-UFC Brock Lesnar, and a peak Ace of PG WWE John Cena to work as specially as it did. If only Cena earned his victory more, this would be a top 5 contender, no kidding. Unique carnage of a match. I'm not a Cena guy by any means, I don't get the guy and think he's way overrated, but when he has to deliver in big matches against better opponents he usually does in a BIG way, and this is not only a proof of that, but his most special big match ever. He fucking turned the Chicago crowd to his favour. What a match, I don't believe in a better option to start my (very hard to put together)” - Tetsujin

14. Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (GHC Title – NOAH – 3/1/2003)
Total Points: 831
# of Ballots: 11
High Vote: Tetsujin - 1
2020 Finish: 13

“I wrote about why I consider this the greatest match of all time in its thread, so go read it if you want. I'm only gonna say that this is the match that manages to make me FEEL the most, by far. The best possible climax for the best pro wrestling rivalry ever, the true definition of what pro wrestling can bring to the table. Perfect isn't enough in this case. This goes beyond wrestling.” - Tetsujin

“Might be their most excessive match and sees Kobashi in all of his chopping caricature glory. That being said...this is an incredible match. A great culmination of everything they had done to that point and again featured the one big spot that looked like Kobashi could never overcome...and then he finally does. Not only that, but he's finally able to hit the Burning Hammer where his inability in the previous matches were a factor in his defeats.” - Bossrock

13. Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (2/3 Falls – NWA Title – WCW – 4/2/1989)
Total Points: 841
# of Ballots: 14
High Vote: JKWebb - 5
2020 Finish: 14

“I have no idea what to make of this match. It took a bit of slide this year, but I couldn’t really let it slide too far. I watched this and Bock/Hennig and Jumbo/Tenryu in the same day. They are – I think pretty chalky picks for great wrestling… For me, Steamboat is the man in this match. Flair does a great Ric Flair in this, but I really felt the exhaustion and heart in Steamer’s performance. It isn’t really interesting to say this match is still pretty great, but this match is still pretty great.” - Cap

““Incredible match on so many levels from a physical standpoint to go 54 minutes and still be wrestling so fast and so quickly speaks to their conditioning. From a booking standpoint, this is a great way to sell the PPV rematch with the draw finish that still ties back to the pure wrestling. From a psychology and pacing, just great with Flair trying so much at the beginning, but Steamboat having an answer for everything. Flair winning the first fall even though Steamboat dominated was smart booking because he made the second fall that much hotter and this was a much longer second fall than in most 2/3 falls matches. Flair got some solid heat and I really liked the run up to the Double Chickenwing. I loved the pacing hey wrestled an excellent 35 minutes, but really kicked into high gear in the last twenty minutes, HUGE chop exchanges, great Steamboat selling and big nearfalls.” - Superstar Sleeze

12. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Akira Taue (Champions Carnival Final – AJPW – 4/15/1995)
Total Points: 848
# of Ballots: 14
High Vote: Superstar Sleeze - 3
2020 Finish: 18

“The thing that makes me love this match so much, to the point of putting it above every single other 90s AJPW classic, is the character dynamic: this is closer to a northamerican "monster heel vs babyface underdog" kind of match than a japanese "two great fighters going all out" kind of match, and to me it's a perfect mix of both worlds. Misawa doesn't work like the final boss of the company here, he has to fight from underneath, and Taue is soooo fucking good as the mountain to climb... It's still a 90s AJPW classic and you're gonna feel it, but at the same time is the most different of the 90s AJPW classics because of that change of tone, and how they perfected it within their own style. Everyone loves this match, but you always see it a step below 9/6/95, 3/6/94, 29/7/93, 20/1/97, etc, and sorry but 15/4/95 is exactly at the same tier as all those other matches: a clear #1 contender to the greatest wrestling match of all time. Fuck it, it is the best 90s AJPW match of all time.” - Tetsujin

“It is one of those matches where you feel like you reached a Pro Wrestling Nirvana as a pro wrestling fan. This is one of the best individual Misawa performances I have ever seen as he puts over Taue as a force to reckoned with and himself as a resilient wrestler that overcomes adversity with his heart and elbows. Taue stepped up his game huge throughout the Carnival and there was no brighter moment than this match where he ate Misawa’s offense well and was totally ruthless against the eye. This match represents what pro wrestling should be: the simulation of human struggle. Taue is struggling to step out from Misawa’s shadow and is willing to do anything to finally end his “Reign of Terror”. - Superstar Sleeze

11. Nick Bockwinkel vs Curt Hennig (AWA Title – AWA – 11/21/1986)
Total Points: 914
# of Ballots: 11
High Vote: Tetsujin - 2
2020 Finish: 23

“There's no way that my ADD-riddled brain should have been able to handle this 60-minute draw. This was a lengthy match with even lengthier holds and they managed to keep my attention the whole time. They never stop working when they are in a hold, and the exchanges outside of the holds are exciting and quick. All their fundamentals were rock-solid and this match reminded me a lot of Flair vs Steamboat. This was a simple story of experience versus youth… You aren't going to find a better sixty-minute broadway than this.” - Cactus

“I said it before. Minute by minute, this might be the best match ever. There's absolutely not a single thing they do that doesn't contribute to the perfection of the match. This is a story about Curt Henning demonstrating to everyone how he's ready to take Bockwinkel's place both as the best technician, the most intelligent guy, and obviously the world champion. They structured that story perfectly in this one hour match, and because of that I'm always fascinated about how quickly time goes on while watching this. Again, this is a sixty minute match worked mostly around matwork, so it's not like it's easy to make it look shorter. But they did it. The level of excellence in this match is so high, that the ref bump is the absolute best ref bump ever and the ref's selling might be up there with the bet Kobashi or Liger performance for a couple of minutes.” -Tetsujin

10. Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu (Triple Crown Title – AJPW – 6/5/1989)
Total Points: 1016
# of Ballots: 14
High Vote: Darrenn - 4
2020 Finish: 6

“On June 5th, 1989 a baby was born to two proud, badass fathers, a baby that would go on to take over the wrestling world. On that night, Tenryu and Tsuruta made sweet violence to one another and birthed the baby Kings Road. This is such an undeniable match. The stiffness, the pace…. I just love everything about this. It feels like one day I am going to possibly wake up and realize I am actually low on this and it belongs in my top 10 or 5. This year is not quite that year, but securely in the top 20 is nothing to shake a stick at.” - Cap

“One of the best matches of the 80s and maybe best Jumbo's performance ever; him working the crowd here is just something else. A great story about the Ace being jealous of his former partner.” - Tetsujin

9. Holy Demon Army vs Mitsuharu Misawa/Jun Akiyama (Tag League Final – AJPW – 12/6/1996)
Total Points: 1019
# of Ballots: 14
High Vote: Tim Livingston - 1
2020 Finish: 9

“Might be the greatest tag team match of all time and did a great job building off their previous encounter that year. At the very least, a strong contender for best match of the 90's.” - Bossrock

“There's so much to unpack here. Taue is here to be the brains to Kawada's brawn. He needs to keep Kawada's temper in check, much like in the 6/9/95 tag. Akiyama is lacking in experience, but he has a lot of heart and is a much better tag partner than Kobashi ever was to Misawa. Some of the head drops here were nasty, especially the spike Backdrop Drivers that Misawa ate. The strike exchanges between Kawada and Misawa show us that their epic rivalry is far from over. Akiyama and Misawa isolate Kawada and it's all up for Taue to save the day. He gets the tag and takes out Akiyama with a brutal chokeslam to the floor, and it's not long before the Holy Demon Army scores the victory by pinning Misawa. This was probably my favorite AJPW King's Road match, behind the 6/9/95 tag of course!” - Cactus

8. Stan Hansen vs Andre The Giant (NJPW – 9/23/1981)
Total Points: 1064
# of Ballots: 16
High Vote: mvz, Grimmas - 5
2020 Finish: 16

“Yes yes yes… King Kong vs Godzilla… Got it. Greatest spectacle match ever. I know I know. I think my favorite thing about this match this go around is how much fun they seemed to be having playing roles they don’t really get to play much elsewhere. These are two bulls that didn’t often get to play off the size, power, and offense of another big bull they seem to be relishing the chance. Andre is Andre. He is a giant. It is literally in his name. Hansen isn’t quite on his level in terms of size and force, but he has to be one of the top “fire power” wrestlers ever, so when he gets to come out and put the peddle to the metal… the results are wonderful. Don’t hear what I’m not saying. There is nothing playful about this, but it does look like they are having fun and I’m here for that.” - Cap

“This has fantastic storytelling, pitch perfect selling, a super hot crowd, maybe the simplest yet most memorable transition I’ve ever seen, and certainly one of the most memorable finishes of all time.” - Elliott

“Just such great pro wrestling with one of the best narratives and some of the best displays of offense and selling.” - Bossrock

7. Can-Am Express vs Kenta Kobashi/Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (All Asia Tag Title – AJPW – 5/25/1992)
Total Points: 1146
# of Ballots: 17
High Vote: Tim Livingston - 5
2020 Finish: 7

“If this was a favorites list, this would be a strong #1 contender. Spectacular tag match that was a state of the art take on Southern Tag Wrestling in 1992 that holds up today as a classic match. Maybe the greatest crowd in the history of wrestling that takes beyond being a great wrestling match and makes it feel like a great sporting event. This was like the greatest college basketball game ever.” - Elliott

“It's not often that AJPW utilized the Southern tag formula, but they did here and it's fantastic. Kikuchi was incredible as the fiery underdog and face in peril while Kobashi was violent and explosive with the hot tag. Match of the Year for 1992 and a contender for best match of the 90's.” - Bossrock

“Kikuchi puts in a performance of a lifetime in front of his hometown, but I thought Kroffat and Furnas stole the show as the smug American technicians, They might not be known for their charisma, but they brought it all out here. This is a great match for puro newcomers due its American-style layout and it kills the idea that Japanese crowds are quiet dead in the water.” - Cactus

6. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW – 7/29/1993)
Total Points: 1242
# of Ballots: 17
High Vote: JKWebb - 7
2020 Finish: 8

“A couple of years ago I really dug into this larger rivalry and found out it was basically the GOAT rivalry. This is the most well known classic from that rivalry and it deserves a spot in the top 10.” - Cap

“I dont think Hansen and Kobashi ever had a bad match together. Their series is almost as prolific as Flair vs Steamboat. Like Flair & Steamboat, they were made for each because they were opposites. Hansen was the obnoxious, foreign, veteran bully doing "Bull in the China Shop" routine while Kobashi was the plucky, native, young upstart whose passion and emotion flows from every pore. This is their most famous match. I love the structure. Kobashi bumrushing Hansen trying desperately to win within the first 10 minutes with Hansen getting very little offense in and then BANG the boot in the corner and the POWERBOMB on the floor and it is a whole different ball game. It is interesting for the first time I just watched the '93 Carnival match and what is weird is that instead of enhancing this match it actually hurt it. I thought the Carnival match had more struggle and Hansen really made Kobashi earn his offense. This Match had the bigger moments.” - Superstar Sleeze

“This has fantastic storytelling, pitch perfect selling, a super hot crowd, maybe the simplest yet most memorable transition I’ve ever seen, and certainly one of the most memorable finishes of all time.” - Elliott

5. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (Triple Crown Title – AJPW – 6/3/1994)
Total Points: 1280
# of Ballots: 17
High Vote: Control21 - 1
2020 Finish: 3

“While this match does not get the same praise it received in the 1990s, I still see it as the greatest wrestling match ever. I don't know if we ever got a match like this again to be perfectly honest. Shibata vs Okada comes close but this was the epitome of total war in a professional wrestling bout. Even with the slow start, the brutal beatdowns these guys gave each simply can't be topped by any other. When I think of AJPW's vaunted Ōdō-style, this is the first match that comes to mind.” - Control21

“I still think Tiger Driver '91 looks gnarlier than the Ganso Bomb! How the flying fuck was Kawada still conscious after all that. Misawa was fucking furious! All Japan is so good at working finishing stretches that take you on this roller coaster ride. The build to that first Powerbomb was great. Then the build to Misawa's win was great because those Kappo Kicks came out of nowhere. When they fought, they fucking went after each other. That was the stand up fire fight we wanted to see since they brawled in the middle of that tag match with Akiyama and Fuchi.” - Superstar Sleeze

4. Shinobu Kandori vs Akira Hokuto (AJW – 4/2/1993)
Total Points: 1325
# of Ballots: 15
High Vote: Cap, mvz, Grimmas - 1
2020 Finish: 2

“This is the greatest match of all time…. Period. Bow down to the queens.” - Cap

“Like the best of the best of anything, it blows you away the first time you watch it, and the more you see it, the richer it is and the more you love it.” - mvz

“It's a wonderfully violent spectacle that really comes off as a shoot with the selling, blood loss, and shall I say "sloppiness" of some of the bigger offensive moves. It all came off as very authentic. While I probably still won't rank it as high as most folks, I really do love this match now and am glad I can appreciate it for what it is.” - Bossrock

“Akira Hokuto’s 1993 has the rep as one of the greatest years of all time for a wrestler, and this match is the backbone of that case. Incredible match with everything you could possibly want: Big Bombs, Stiff Strikes, Submissions, Dives, Brawling, Blood, Selling, Psychology, Heat, Emotion. Everything. This match is everything. The fact that it isn’t the obvious #1 is staggering.” - Elliott

3. Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (Triple Crown Title – AJPW - 1/20/1997)
Total Points: 1355
# of Ballots: 15
High Vote: Bossrock, NintendoLogic , andyLFC - 2
2020 Finish: 5

“This is probably the greatest match of all time from a pure psychology standpoint. The only thing keeping it out of the #1 spot in my rankings is the lack of overt hostility. It's a hard-fought but sporting match between respectful adversaries rather than a grudge match between mortal enemies. If you combined the psychology of this match with the animosity displayed in 6/3/94, you'd likely have the greatest match of all time going away. As it is, I can count the matches I'd seriously consider ranking above this on one hand.” - NintendoLogic

“You all know why this match is this good. As I said, the Invasion Attack Tana/Okada match is basically a modern version of this match when it comes to structure and plot devices, but that one had two rivals that didn't like each other, and this one is worked between two guys that are best friends, but know what they have to do to win the big one. Kobashi's growth as a main eventer is outstanding, everything he tries in this match works perfectly (for example, those arm-submissions as false finishes), Misawa gives us his best selling performance ever, everything from the apron spot to the end of the match is wonderful, brilliant, perfect pro wrestling, GOD I LOVE THIS MATCH SO MUCH. We all know this match, so no more words for it. We still have four better matches to go. How crazy.” - Tetsujin

“One of the best offensive wrestling matches in history with a great story of Kobashi trying to take away Misawa's best weapon (the forearm). And for as long as it is, it never drags or lets up for one second.” - Bossrock

2. Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (I Quit Match – WWF – 3/23/1997)
Total Points: 1383
# of Ballots: 17
High Vote: Cactus, Mattsdmf - 2
2020 Finish: 4

“As I've said several times in the past, this is the match I've watched more than any other as well as the one that had the most influence on what I look for in a wrestling match. I can't imagine this ever falling out of desert island status for me.” - NintendoLogic

“This is Bret Hart's Five Act Masterpiece. Act One: Brawl Outside sets the mood, establishes this a fight. Act Two: Bret works the knee. We get the rhythm of the match and its a submission match and the Sharpshooter is always looming. Act Three: Austin's first desperation comeback with the steel chair. He tries to win the match with conventional submissions. Act Four: Austin is busted wide open. Bret beats the shit out of him and is almost taunting him in the way he is not putting Austin away and is instead dishing out excessive punishment like he is running up the score. Act Five: Austin, bleeding profusely, makes a furious comeback that includes nutshots, middle fingers and trying to choke out Bret with with an electrical cord, but Bret hits Austin with the ring bell. Then it all climaxes in that amazing moment that is seared in all wrestling fans' minds with Austin fighting through the Sharpshooter, blood squirting from his head, passing out from the pain.” - Superstar Sleeze

“A match I feel like I could close my eyes and watch I've seen it so much.” - Elliott

1. Holy Demon Army vs Kenta Kobashi/Mitsuharu Misawa (Tag League Final – AJPW – 6/9/1995)
Total Points: 1629
# of Ballots: 18
High Vote: mattsdmf, andyLFC, Superstar Sleeze, Cactus, Gramsci, NintendoLogic, Bossrock - 1
2020 Finish: 1

“It still is my favourite match ever, the one I could come back any day of my life and put some random minutes of it and still find one or two great spots that make me thing "oh yeah, that's why this is so good!". Seriously, I dare you to go to YouTube, put this match, go to a random minute mark and watch a full minute of the vid. If nothing special happen in those sixty seconds, I owe you money. This match is the perfect example of how well storytelling can be implemented in pro wrestling, as you have four of the best workers ever putting on one of their best performances of their careers.” - Tetsujin

“It's annoying how perfect this match is. The main reason I love this match is Kobashi's performance. His knee problems are no secret to anyone. When a simple kick sends Kobashi to the floor, Kawada and Taue devise their strategy to tear his leg to shit. Kobashi takes so many nasty shots to his knees and he makes you wonder if he is actually hurt. In the last 10-15 minutes of the match, Kobashi is barely walking. He tries to save Misawa from a beating by protecting him and it's just brilliant storytelling. This is tense, gripping and ripe with great storytelling. This is the greatest pro-wrestling match ever, in my opinion. I think I am going to struggle to find a match better than this.” - Cactus

“It is hard to argue with this being called the greatest match of all time. I’ve never watched it and felt let down. Truly masterful physicality and storytelling.” - Cap

“Just wanna wish the greatest match of all time a happy 26th birthday.” Bossrock (June 9th, 2021)

“I am getting choked up again just thinking about it. Four men with four distinctly different performances that come together to create the Greatest Pro Wrestling Match of All Time! It is 6/9/95. *****” - SuperstarSleeze

Thank you for everyone who voted and/or participated in convresation this year and a huge final thank you to my fellow mods for all the work they did in putting this together.

Last Edit: Dec 20, 2021 9:26:16 GMT -5 by Cap

Blog (very sporadically updated): markoutmountain.wordpress.com/

Running Top 25 MOTY: tiny.cc/cfkquz

Cap GME Posts: 2,284	The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 6:57:54 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Cap on Dec 10, 2021 6:57:54 GMT -5 Lots of interesting movement on this list, much of it on display from the very start. I'll obviously hold my broader observations until everything is rolled out.
	Blog (very sporadically updated): markoutmountain.wordpress.com/ Running Top 25 MOTY: tiny.cc/cfkquz

tetsujin
GME

Posts: 803

The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 7:47:18 GMT -5

Quote

Post by tetsujin on Dec 10, 2021 7:47:18 GMT -5

Holy shit great first entries! Love the fact Naito/Omega, Lesnar/Eddie, Bryan/HHH and Banks/Bayley made it, they all clearly belong in the top 100 in my opinion. Very happy for Yokota/Galáctica too, right now I would say that match is the biggest winner of the overall project this year alongside Dump/Omori, the two greatest newest entries. Oh and I won't rest until Okada/Omega IV is completely out of the list (I guess I'll have to rewatch it to have it fresh and explain deeply why I think it's as bad as I say, but fuck just the idea exhausts me).

Also, good call leaving ties, more excellence on the list!

kas
GME

Posts: 509

The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 8:02:22 GMT -5

Quote

Post by kas on Dec 10, 2021 8:02:22 GMT -5

The top 100 starts with an absolute bang, there are some incredible matches here.

96. Atsushi Onita vs Terry Funk (No Rope Barbed Wire Exploding Ring Death Match - FMW - 5/5/1993)

Total Points: 312

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: Cactus - 21

2020 Finish: 142

This was a last minute addition to my list and I'm so glad this cracked the top 100.

95. Shinobu Kandori vs Akira Hokuto (AJW – 12/6/1993)

Total Points: 314

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: Darrenn - 17

2020 Finish: 589

I didn't vote for it, but I'm glad it's getting some recognition because it is rather overlooked in the grand scheme of things. Finishing on 8 ballots is impressive, and going from 589 to 95 has to be the biggest jump.

87. Tetsuya Naito vs Kenny Omega (NJPW - 8/13/2016)

Total Points: 336

# of Ballots: 5

High Vote: Tetsujin - 13

2020 Finish: 294

Best heel vs heel match ever.

84. Dump Matsumoto vs Yukari Omori (AJW 3/20/1986)

Total Points: 343

# of Ballots: 4

High Vote: Elliott - 1

2020 Finish: 246

Only 4 ballots yet it finished at such a high place. Completely deserved, I've never seen anything like it in a wrestling ring.

81. Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (2/3 Falls – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – NJPW – 6/9/2018)

Total Points: 360

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Kas - 2

2020 Finish: 99

I'm glad that the best match to take place on 6/9 didn't fall out of the top 100 like I thought it would

79. Sasha Banks vs Bayley (NXT Women’s Championship WWE - 8/22/2015)

Total Points: 372

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Grimmas - 4

2020 Finish: 182

Awesome to see a top 5 pick for this. Every time I watch this I come away higher on it than I was before.

Last Edit: Dec 10, 2021 8:02:57 GMT -5 by kas

Cap GME Posts: 2,284	The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 8:07:01 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Cap on Dec 10, 2021 8:07:01 GMT -5 The absolute HEAT going on with Omega/Okada already. Shots fired from both camps!
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Cap
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Posts: 2,284

The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 8:26:28 GMT -5

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Post by Cap on Dec 10, 2021 8:26:28 GMT -5

100-T. Aja Kong vs Yumika Hotta (WWWA World Championship – AJW – 1/24/1994)
Total Points: 298
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Tetsujin - 20
2020 Finish: 62

Overall a great year for Joshi so far, but a 90s classic that I think the world of drops. It still remains in the top 100, so I can’t complain at all.

99. Jaguar Yokota vs La Galactica (UWA Women’s Championship - AJW - 2/27/1985)

Total Points: 299
# of Ballots: 5
High Vote: mvz - 8
2020 Finish: 516-T

I can’t say enough about this match. To me, and many others, this is the biggest discovery of the last year. Absolutely thrilled it made the list this year. I haven’t looked at it carefully, but I do think this is the biggest jump of the year. Though I think there were 2-3 that were on only one ballot last year and jumped into the top 100. Given how the scoring works, jumps like these are more a matter of how high or low they were on their one ballot before than anything. Not insignificant. I think this was at the bottom of one list last year and now it has a top 10 vote and is in the top 100. It could be the result of any number of phenomena, fickleness, group think, member influence, the general ebbs and flows of taste…. But I think honestly, it is just a fucking awesome match that needs to be on there.

96. Atsushi Onita vs Terry Funk (No Rope Barbed Wire Exploding Ring Death Match - FMW - 5/5/1993)

Total Points: 312
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Cactus - 21
2020 Finish: 142

I always feel like I SHOULD include this match, but never do. I’m glad to see it get a spot on the list.

90. El Hijo del Santo vs Negro Casas vs El Dandy (Hair vs Hair vs Mask – CMLL – 12/6/1996)

Total Points: 323
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Gramsci - 16
2020 Finish: 58

Another drop for lucha. I guess something has to give, but what is generally a good year for Joshi so far has not been so great for some lucha hits.

84. Dump Matsumoto vs Yukari Omori (AJW 3/20/1986)

Total Points: 343
# of Ballots: 4
High Vote: Elliott - 1
2020 Finish: 246

Probably the biggest talking point of the list (maybe Jaguar/Galactica), at least so far. Dump Matsumoto knows how to rile folks up, even 35 years later.

81. Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (2/3 Falls – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – NJPW – 6/9/2018)

Total Points: 360
# of Ballots: 6
High Vote: Kas - 2
2020 Finish: 99

Some folks are already talking about this one. I may be gravitating away from the big NJPW style a bit, but this is still a banger. It has my vote this year and will continue to have it.

77. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (Triple Crown Championship – AJPW – 7/24/1995)

Total Points: 376
# of Ballots: 9
High Vote: andyLFC - 23
2020 Finish: 102

This is my favorite Kawada/Misawa match, even if I think another (you probably can guess which one) is “better”. Maybe I pull the trigger on switching them in the future.

76. Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns ft. Seth Rollins (WWE World Heavyweight Championship - WWE - 3/29/2015)

Total Points: 378
# of Ballots: 7
High Vote: Cactus - 7
2020 Finish: 49

I wish I could detach the match from the ending, but I can’t This is a sure fire classic that gets spoiled by the WWE’s terrible timing. I’ll always think of this as one of the biggest mistakes in wrestling history. They tried for so long to get the fans to buy into Reigns and they FINALLY did it in the body of this match, only to ax the momentum with Rollins. I liked Rollins a the time too… I just hated the move.

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KB8
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Posts: 606

The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 12:04:07 GMT -5

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Post by KB8 on Dec 10, 2021 12:04:07 GMT -5

Top 100! I might say more than 20 words! To hell with it!

100-T. Aja Kong vs Yumika Hotta (WWWA World Championship – AJW – 1/24/1994)

Total Points: 298

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: Tetsujin - 20

2020 Finish: 62

Tremendous bit of barbarity. Sort of harrowing as well. Worthy top 100 match.

100-T. Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama (GHC Heavyweight Championship - NOAH - 7/10/2004)

Total Points: 298

# of Ballots: 5

High Vote: EnviousStupid - 22

2020 Finish: 60

This really isn't the sort of thing I have any interest in watching in the year 2021.

99. Jaguar Yokota vs La Galactica (UWA Women’s Championship - AJW - 2/27/1985)

Total Points: 299

# of Ballots: 5

High Vote: mvz - 8

2020 Finish: 516-T

I know, I have lost of 80s joshi to watch. I promise I really do know.

98. Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami, Kengo Kimura, Umanosuke Ueda & Kantaro Hoshino vs. Akira Maeda, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Nobuhiko Takada, Kazuo Yamazaki & Osamu Kid (Elimination Match - NJPW 3/26/1986)

Total Points: 303

# of Ballots: 5

High Vote: Cactus - 4

2020 Finish: 94

If not the ultimate New Japan multi-man match, then at least top 3. I say "this might be my favourite match-type" about a few different match-types, and often at that. Lucha title matches, lucha apuesta matches, high end RINGS-like shoot style, southern tag formula...I love all of them. But the New Japan multi-man might really be my favourite match-type ever.

97. Daniel Bryan vs HHH (WWE – 4/6/2014)

Total Points: 311

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Cactus - 5

2020 Finish: 160

Haven't seen this since the day after the PPV, but at the time I thought it was potentially the best Helmsley match ever, and one of his best performances. I'll watch it again some day and maybe it won't hold up quite as well, but for now at least I still have the memory.

96. Atsushi Onita vs Terry Funk (No Rope Barbed Wire Exploding Ring Death Match - FMW - 5/5/1993)

Total Points: 312

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: Cactus - 21

2020 Finish: 142

I don't remember this too well now, but what I do remember is that it was badass and Funk was incredible in it.

95. Shinobu Kandori vs Akira Hokuto (AJW – 12/6/1993)

Total Points: 314

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: Darrenn - 17

2020 Finish: 589

So, I'm going to be THAT douchebag and say he prefers this to the Dream Slam match. "Oh the universally acclaimed match is FINE and all, but the lesser talked about version is where the money REALLY is." Just shut up and drink yer white Russian, mate. So I apologise for being the snooty prick at the dinner party you have no interest in attending. BUT. I said in the Dream Slam thread that it might be the best match I've ever seen that I don't really have any connection to. Like, I don't have much interest in ever watching it again even though there are plenty of things on an objective level that I would call good or great about it. "How great can it be if you don't actually find it ENJOYABLE?" is a whole other can of worms, and it's not that I don't find Dream Slam enjoyable, it's just that...well I enjoy this one waaaaay the fuck more and I thought it was legit amazing into the bargain. The performances from both are outrageously good and I thought it was about as close to pro wrestling theatre as I've ever seen. I tend to think most people are full of shit when they go on at length about how 90s All Japan is one big piece of art and its NARRATIVE AMBITION can never be matched and whatever else, because at the end of the day basically all wrestling is a carny monkey show with folk walloping each other in the face with varying degrees of legitimacy, but this is about as close to something I'd call narratively ambitious as I've seen in a stupid wrestling ring. I never voted for it the first time because I hadn't seen it, but I would've voted for it this time and will vote for it next time and I'll probably be the high voter when I'm at it.

93-T. Jumbo Tsuruta vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW - 6/8/1990)

Total Points: 317

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Control21 - 6

2020 Finish: 80

I'll always like this to some degree because, like for most people who got into Japanese wrestling at the time I did, it was my gateway to 90s All Japan and provided some context to all of the names that kept appearing on those Five-Star Matches lists I'd read on the internet and be like "who is Mitsuharu Misawa fer chrissakes?! Did he collect wheelie bins like Duke Droese?" I watched it again a few years ago and it's not something I'd vote for now, but it absolutely deserves its rep and has some incredible shit in it either way.

93-T. Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero (WWE Undisputed Championship - WWE - 2/15/2004)

Total Points: 317

# of Ballots: 5

High Vote: Tim Livingston - 18

2020 Finish: 141

I'd genuinely rank this outside the top 5 Eddie Guerrero matches of 2004, but at the same time I'd happily call it a great match and come the fuck on it's Eddie Guerrero winning the big win one so OF COURSE I can't help but love it in one way or another. It rules and I'm glad it made the top 100.

91-T. Akira Maeda vs Tatsumi Fujinami (NJPW - 6/12/1986)

Total Points: 322

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: Control21 - 8

2020 Finish: 81

This made my top 10 during the New Japan 80s project and if I rewatched it today I can almost guarantee I'd like it even more now. A brilliant match.

91-T. Jun Akiyama vs. Kenta Kobashi (Triple Crown Championship - AJPW - 7/24/1998)

Total Points: 322

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: NintendoLogic - 15

2020 Finish: 50

It's honestly been so long that I remember nothing of this. While I'm not as down on 90s All Japan as Elliot it's really not a period I have too much interest in revisiting. That said, this is one I do want to watch again and I look forward to doing so when I'm 55.

90. El Hijo del Santo vs Negro Casas vs El Dandy (Hair vs Hair vs Mask – CMLL – 12/6/1996)

Total Points: 323

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Gramsci - 16

2020 Finish: 58

This might be my favourite match-type, you know. I'm guessing this took a drop because I never turned in a bastard list this year, which is unfortunate but I cannot blame others for my own failings as a human being. An amazing blood-drenched classic of a thing.

89. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW – 4/16/1993)

Total Points: 331

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Cap - 8

2020 Finish: 74

I haven't seen this match in at least ten years. I know I liked it before and I'm quite sure I'd like it again now.

88. Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (WWF - 11/17/1996)

Total Points: 334

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Grimmas - 3

2020 Finish: 124

Excellent match. I don't feel like I have anything new to add to the discourse on it, but yeah, would be a real contender for my list and I might actually have voted for it last time.

87. Tetsuya Naito vs Kenny Omega (NJPW - 8/13/2016)

Total Points: 336

# of Ballots: 5

High Vote: Tetsujin - 13

2020 Finish: 294

I have nothing to say about any of these matches. Don't like either guy, don't have much interest in watching them wrestle each other. But I'm quite sure someone else would look at my list and scratch their head at me thinking Dick Murdoch v Afa is a top 50 match of all time and THAT, dear friends, is where the fun is.

86. Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Super Tiger (UWFi – 12/5/1984)

Total Points: 338

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Superstar Sleeze - 4

2020 Finish: 108

I haven't seen this one in years, but the whole series is immaculate and I'm overjoyed that this picked up a top 5 vote.

85. The Four Horsemen vs. The Super Powers (War Games - JCP - 7/4/1987)

Total Points: 339

# of Ballots: 4

High Vote: mvz - 2

2020 Finish: 118

Seriously, it's been so long since I've seen this that I'm questioning whether I ever actually DID see it. I'm very hyped about watching it whenever I get there on goodhelmet's 4 Horsemen set. In like eight years or whatever.

84. Dump Matsumoto vs Yukari Omori (AJW 3/20/1986)

Total Points: 343

# of Ballots: 4

High Vote: Elliott - 1

2020 Finish: 246

I'm starting to feel like that Bernie Sanders meme where he's once again asking for your support except I'm once again asking for your patience in me getting to the 80s joshi.

83. Chigusa Naguyo vs Dump Matsumoto (Hair vs Hair - AJW - 8/28/1985)

Total Points: 348

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Elliott - 5

2020 Finish: 126

I've seen one of these matches and this might be it but if not please see above. Thank you for your time.

82. Mitsuharu Misawa and Jun Akiyama vs. Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW - 5/23/1996)

Total Points: 358

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: NintendoLogic - 7

2020 Finish: 90

I watched this recently enough to know that it's good.

81. Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (2/3 Falls – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – NJPW – 6/9/2018)

Total Points: 360

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Kas - 2

2020 Finish: 99

Oh, it's these fellas again. That's interesting.

80. Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama (GHC Heavyweight Championship – NOAH – 4/25/2004)

Total Points: 362

# of Ballots: 9

High Vote: NintendoLogic - 3

2020 Finish: 72

Strangely, the last time I watched this the first half didn't totally grab me. The finishing run, however, is absolutely balls out great. A top 5 pick is awesome.

79. Sasha Banks vs Bayley (NXT Women’s Championship WWE - 8/22/2015)

Total Points: 372

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Grimmas - 4

2020 Finish: 182

I thought this was really good, but not something I loved. I've never really been on board with Bayley being great but I did think Sasha was awesome in it.

78.Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (Triple Crown Championship – AJPW – 10/31/1998)

Total Points: 373

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: Bossrock - 3

2020 Finish: 52

I could not tell you a thing about this in the year 2021.

77. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (Triple Crown Championship – AJPW – 7/24/1995)

Total Points: 376

# of Ballots: 9

High Vote: andyLFC - 23

2020 Finish: 102

This one I really do want to rewatch. Possibly some day.

76. Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns ft. Seth Rollins (WWE World Heavyweight Championship - WWE - 3/29/2015)

Total Points: 378

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: Cactus - 7

2020 Finish: 49

I largely agree with people who say they should've just pulled the trigger on Roman here. Honestly, I'm not joking, adlib the fucking thing when you hear the crowd FINALLY getting on board with Reigns and tell Rollins to stay his ass backstage. The ending isn't a major buzzkill for me personally, but I understand why it is for lots of people and I do wish they'd gone without it either way. That said, everything up to then is stupidly badass incredible and it would probably be my #1 Wrestlemania match of all time. Lesnar's selling performance here is otherworldly and even though they've had him try to replicate this sort of thing many times since, this still feels crazy unique for WWE (well, it does to me, but then I haven't watched much WWE since then so whaaaatevah).

Stupid Wrestling Blog: whiskeyandwrestling.blogspot.com/

mvz Moderator Posts: 648	The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 17:03:56 GMT -5 via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by mvz on Dec 10, 2021 17:03:56 GMT -5 Since it is mentioned here I want to shout out that Duck Murdoch v Afa match, if we do a favorites project that is definitely going to show up for me. Amazing fun.

bossrock Moderator Posts: 1,037	The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 17:24:51 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by bossrock on Dec 10, 2021 17:24:51 GMT -5 It's always fun to compare how much the top 100 changes each year.
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elliott
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Posts: 4,676

The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 17:30:30 GMT -5 via mobile

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Post by elliott on Dec 10, 2021 17:30:30 GMT -5

Dec 10, 2021 17:03:56 GMT -5 mvz said:

Since it is mentioned here I want to shout out that Duck Murdoch v Afa match, if we do a favorites project that is definitely going to show up for me. Amazing fun.

I need to see this...

mvz
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Posts: 648

The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 20:22:13 GMT -5 via mobile

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Post by mvz on Dec 10, 2021 20:22:13 GMT -5

Great batch of matches here.

I love seeing so many joshi matches making a big move into the top 100. Whether I ranked them or not every one is outstanding.

I don’t want to repeat a comment, but Sasha vs Bayley was a match I kept moving up on my board.

Also thrilled to see wargames 87 in the top 100, it is a key match in my fandom that feels as fresh unique and urgent as ever.

mvz Moderator Posts: 648	The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 10, 2021 20:24:24 GMT -5 via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by mvz on Dec 10, 2021 20:24:24 GMT -5 Oh and one more thing, happy to see two 80s new Japan classics ( the 10 man tag and Fujinami-Maeda) hang in there with this stiff competition. Two timeless classics that I ranked.

Cap GME Posts: 2,284	The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 13, 2021 8:25:41 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Cap on Dec 13, 2021 8:25:41 GMT -5 Updated through 51. I'm absolutely blown away that I am not the high vote on a few of these.
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kas
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Posts: 509

The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 13, 2021 9:15:17 GMT -5

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Post by kas on Dec 13, 2021 9:15:17 GMT -5

Some more monster matches in this batch, holy hell.

74-T. Terry Funk vs Stan Hansen (AJPW - 4/14/1983)

Total Points: 384

# of Ballots: 10

High Vote: Elliott - 33

2020 Finish: 54

Huge surprise to see this one fall, and it might not be finished falling. Big shame, I actually voted for this one this year!

69. Kenta Kobashi Mitsuharu Misawa Toshiaki Kawada vs Akira Taue Jumbo Tsuruta Masunobi Fuchi (AJPW - 10/19/1990)

Total Points: 404

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: NintendoLogic - 5

2020 Finish: 33

Big drop for this one. This always struck me as clearly the best of their 6-mans, so again it's a shame to see this fall

66-T. Kenta Kobashi vs Samoa Joe (ROH – 10/2/2005)

Total Points: 421

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: Tetsujin - 28

2020 Finish: 106

So happy to see this in the top 100. Tetsujin is awesome for putting it that high.

64-T. Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior (Retirement Match – WWF – 3/24/1991)

Total Points: 422

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: mvz - 4

2020 Finish: 123

In terms of pure melodrama it doesn't get better than this match. Very worthy top 100 finish.

64-T. Shinobu Kandori vs Bull Nakano (Chain Match – AJW/LLPW – 7/14/1994)

Total Points: 422

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: mvz - 4

2020 Finish: 83

This was the first Kandori match I ever watched. Goes without saying that I've been a fan ever since.

56. Necro Butcher vs Samoa Joe (IWA Mid-South - 6/11/2005)

Total Points: 450

# of Ballots: 10

High Vote: Tim Livingston - 29

2020 Finish: 121

The punishment that Necro takes in this match is some of the most uncomfortable shit in (and just outside of) a wrestling ring. There's no match quite like it.

55. Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Yoshihisa Yamamoto (RINGS - 6/24/1999)

Total Points: 452

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: Gramsci - 2

2020 Finish: 27

Saw it for the first time this year, and it's good for sure, but stuff like Han/Tamura and Kohsaka/Tamura stand out to me in a much bigger way than this one.

KB8
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Posts: 606

The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results) Dec 13, 2021 10:05:52 GMT -5

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Post by KB8 on Dec 13, 2021 10:05:52 GMT -5

74-T. Terry Funk vs Stan Hansen (AJPW - 4/14/1983)

Total Points: 384

# of Ballots: 10

High Vote: Elliott - 33

2020 Finish: 54

At times I think this is top 50, at times I think it's top 10. It's incredible any which way you slice it.

74-T. Nigel McGuinness vs Bryan Danielson (ROH World Title - ROH - 2/23/2008)

Total Points: 384

# of Ballots: 5

High Vote: Darrenn - 10

2020 Finish: 165

Cards on the table - I have no real interest in ever watching these matches again. That said, I thought this one was sensational the last time I watched it. The most impressive thing is that they had a fucking Ring of Honor crowd so completely worked to the point where they were doing a "USA" chant as if Nigel was the Iron Sheik and Danielson was Hogan himself. I actually reckon I'd still like this, but who knows if I'll ever rewatch it.

73. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jun Akiyama (AJPW - 2/27/2000)

Total Points: 385

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Superstar Sleeze - 15

2020 Finish: 50

I'd consider voting for this, though I feel like I'd settle on it being more top match of the 00s good rather than top match of the forever good. But it's very good and would probably hold up much better than a lot of late 90s All Japan bombfests.

72. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (Hell in a Cell - WWF World Title - WWF - 10/5/1997)

Total Points: 395

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: bossrock - 13

2020 Finish: 57

Twenty years ago I'd have called this the best WWF match ever. Ten years ago not so much, but I might circle back to loving it again whenever I rewatch it.

71. Vader vs Sting (WCW - 7/12/1992)

Total Points: 397

# of Ballots: 6

High Vote: Darren - 14

2020 Finish: 120

Kind of surprised this finished ahead of the strap match, but either way this is an all-time level match-up and you can't really go wrong with Sting v Vader in any capacity.

70. Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kota Ibushi (IWGP IC Title – NJPW – 1/4/2015)

Total Points: 400

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: Kas - 11

2020 Finish: 71

I actually watched this at the time and thought it was very good. The sort of thing I can see non-modern New Japan fans liking (I mean, if *I* liked it then...)

69. Kenta Kobashi Mitsuharu Misawa Toshiaki Kawada vs Akira Taue Jumbo Tsuruta Masunobi Fuchi (AJPW - 10/19/1990)

Total Points: 404

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: NintendoLogic - 5

2020 Finish: 33

Yeah, great six-man. Lots of hate and any match where someone's broken nose gets worked over and Fuchi stands on someone's face like it's a discarded cigarette is going to be awesome.

68. Bryan Danielson vs Takeshi Morishima (ROH World Title – ROH – 8/25/2007)

Total Points: 419

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: Darrenn - 9

2020 Finish: 59

Good, but never been a favourite.

66-T. Terry Funk & Dory Funk Jr. vs. Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy (AJPW - 8/31/1983)

Total Points: 421

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: Cactus - 19

2020 Finish: 79

Scorching hot match and a great way for Terry Funk to go out. If only he'd wrestled a little longer he might've BEEN something.

66-T. Kenta Kobashi vs Samoa Joe (ROH – 10/2/2005)

Total Points: 421

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: Tetsujin - 28

2020 Finish: 106

Indy dream match epic done right. Well, done as right as possible when you take into consideration that Necro Butcher isn't involved. Won't be for everyone and on paper not really for me either, but it worked and I'm sort of surprised it didn't land a higher vote than 28.

64-T. Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior (Retirement Match – WWF – 3/24/1991)

Total Points: 422

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: mvz - 4

2020 Finish: 123

Obviously amazing. WWF melodrama at its best. Warrior asking his gods why they've forsaken him after Savage kicks out of the splash is the greatest bit of nonsense in wrestling history.

64-T. Shinobu Kandori vs Bull Nakano (Chain Match – AJW/LLPW – 7/14/1994)

Total Points: 422

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: mvz - 4

2020 Finish: 83

Still never seen this. I'm definitely hyped, though.

63. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Volk Han (RINGS - 9/26/1997)

Total Points: 427

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: Gramsci - 7

2020 Finish: 45

This is actually my favourite of their series. An incredible bout, one of the best ever done in the style and a top 15 match in history.

62. Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs Ted DiBiase (Loser Leaves Town, Coal Miner's Glove on a Pole, Tuxedo, Steel Cage Match - UWF - 3/30/1985)

Total Points: 428

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: JKWebb - 24

2020 Finish: 38

I think this is right there with the other acclaimed brawls of the 80s. Tully/Magnum in the cage (which is balls out incredible in its own right, btw), Flair/Morton (which is also balls out incredible), at least one of the Dundee/Lawler LLTs, Lawler/Mantell, etc. Just a wild 12 minutes. DiBiase pulling Duggan's white shirt over his face, leaving Duggan to stagger around blind as that white shirt turns deep red with blood, while DiBiase punches his brains out is pretty much peak pro wrestling.

60-T. Jerry Lawler vs Terry Funk (No DQ Match - CWA - 3/23/1981)

Total Points: 430

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: mvz - 13

2020 Finish: 61

Ridiculously amazing match. Since the DVDVR Memphis project way back in 2008 (holy fuck that was not yesterday) I think I've rewatched this more than any other match from that set. Just sensational, from a sensational feud overall.

59. Mitsuhara Misawa vs Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW – 9/1/1990)

Total Points: 433

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: AndyLFC - 27

2020 Finish: 132

Once upon a time this might've been my #1. I didn't love it quite as much on last watch and honestly I'd probably not bother voting for it at all now, but it still rules and it's one of the all-time great Jumbo performances - a man who knows the prodigy is coming for the crown, but he won't relinquish it unless the prodigy kills him first.

58. Buddy Rose/Doug Somers vs The Midnight Rockers (AWA - 8/30/1986)

Total Points: 441

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: JKWebb - 11

2020 Finish: 69

One of the best US tags of the 80s. Love the top 10 pick (11 is basically 10, fuck off).

57. Eddie Guerrero vs John Bradshaw Layfield (WWE World Title – WWE – 5/16/2004)

Total Points: 447

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: EnviousStupid - 1

2020 Finish: 43

“The greatest match of all time. Wrestling that transcends the form we know and love. Visceral in ways we'll likely never see again on a national stage. Holding themes of race and class that wound up being almost prophetic 12 years later. JBL switches between oversized stooge and big brute so efficiently, it's probably his career performance. Meanwhile Eddie, the best babyface in the world at the time, overachieves in his own role and it's only elevated by the best bladejob I've ever seen. It's the kind of wound that tears down artificial barriers in wrestling, allowing realism to settle in on a man who wants nothing more than to make the bastard that hurt his family pay. It's the match that made JBL into a viable contender for the title to myself and many others, as well as the match I always remember whenever Eddie Guerrero is brought up. A tour de force in every sense of the term.” - EnviousStupid

I'm just keeping the ES blurb because oh boy that's better than anything I could write about it.

56. Necro Butcher vs Samoa Joe (IWA Mid-South - 6/11/2005)

Total Points: 450

# of Ballots: 10

High Vote: Tim Livingston - 29

2020 Finish: 121

Primitive. The AMBIANCE of Necro Butcher matches is almost unmatched and this just FEELS like a Necro Butcher match more than any other. It's sort of disturbing. A faux-MMA dickhead rolls into a meth lab trailer park and kicks the living shit out of the lead cook. Necro takes an exploder on his face. The fucking maniac.

55. Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Yoshihisa Yamamoto (RINGS - 6/24/1999)

Total Points: 452

# of Ballots: 7

High Vote: Gramsci - 2

2020 Finish: 27

If I had to put together a list of wrestling matches I haven't seen that I'm most excited about finally watching, this would be my #1. I'll get to it eventually.

54. El Satanico vs El Dandy (Hair vs Hair – EMLL – 12/14/1990)

Total Points: 455

# of Ballots: 9

High Vote: Mattsdmf - 8

2020 Finish: 40

I think I last watched this in 2009 and I remember enough about it to know that obviously it's amazing. Dandy was the best in the world in 1990 and the fact he had one of the best matches ever in two different "sub-genres" of wrestling that year is pretty astounding.

53. Stan Hansen vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW – 2/28/1993)

Total Points: 457

# of Ballots: 8

High Vote: JKWebb - 21

2020 Finish: 42

Elliot's favourite match. Look, I haven't seen this in over a decade now, but I voted for it last time and I feel pretty confident I'll like it enough to vote for it next time.

52. CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar (No DQ Match -WWE - 8/18/2013)

Total Points: 461

# of Ballots: 10

High Vote: Darrenn - 16

2020 Finish: 114

Still never seen this.

51. Ricky Steamboat vs Rick Rude (Iron Man Match – WCW – 6/20/1992)

Total Points: 463

# of Ballots: 10

High Vote: Tetsujin - 19

2020 Finish: 35

A phenomenal match that absolutely doesn't feel out of place in a top 20.

Stupid Wrestling Blog: whiskeyandwrestling.blogspot.com/

GME Project

The 100 Greatest Matches Ever (2021 Results)

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