Tuesday, April 28, 2020

GODDAMN! Thats Glam! Ratt - Ratt EP (Independent, 1983)

GODDAMN! Thats Glam! 

Ratt- Ratt (1983), Extended Play



Stephen Pearcy - Singer
Robbin "King" Crosby - Guitar
Warren DeMartini - Guitar
Juan Croucier - Bass
Bobby Blotzer - Drums

Writers: Stephen Pearcy & Robbin Crosby

Producer: Liam Sternberg (Akron, Ohio apparently there was an Akron Sound similar to Minneapolis Sound centered around Devo. He actually wrote "Walk Like An Egyptian", more of a New Wave guy, but he banged out quite the heavy metal record).



I fucking love Ratt. Ratt was one of the first bands that cemented my love of glam metal. Motley Crue was definitely my first favorite and made me want to seek out every glam/LA metal band ever. Pretty much immediately found Ratt and it was love at first listen. I feel so fortunate that I have gotten to see Ratt twice well technically three times. The first time was Bobby Blotzer's band of hired misfits, which was really more of a Ratt cover band with the original drummer. At the end time, Ratt had not toured in years so I jumped at the chance and drove 4 hours round trip to watch them along with Warrant (Robert Mason who looks like Ricky Morton as lead singer) and Bret Michaels playing all your Poison favorites. It was a pretty epic night of hairspray. The next year I saw the crown jewel of Ratt performances. 

I got to see Ratt with Stephen Pearcy, Warren DeMartini, Carlos Cavaso (ex-Quiet Riot) and Juan Crocuier on bass! Outside of seeing Robbin Crosby (who sadly passed away in 2002), this was the best possible lineup. This was the lineup that recorded the killer "Infestation" album in 2011, which smokes, definitely check out "Eat Me Alive" if you have not and check out the whole album if you have time. "Infestation" should have been the follow up to "Invasion of Your Privacy". Pearcy & DeMartini were able to capture the classic Ratt sound and even though they didnt do any Quiet Riot songs, it was cool to say I have seen Cavaso in person. The best part and the number one reason anyone should see Ratt is Juan Croucier on fucking bass. The Dude is a walking riot and totally stole the show. He does so many tricks and funny faces it is incredible. Everyone needs to see it! I had the luck of headbanging next to a hot blonde, Melissa, who was super into it and we both were marking out over Juan Croucier. Unfortunately, she had a boyfriend, who I call "Danzig" because he was wearing a "Danzig" shirt, had his arms folded and looked nonplussed about the whole situation. Ratt fucking rules dude, get your head out of your ass. I ended up running into Melissa & Danzig at Kip Winger doing all your Winger favorites UNPLUGGED, I think at LA Guns (Phil Lewis & Tracii Gunns) and last year at Sebastien Bach. Never have talked to Danzig, seems like wet blanket. But every time, she fucking rocks out hard and we have a great time. This one is for Melissa, hope you are getting through COVID-19 ok and that we will be banging out heads and screaming our lungs out while "Danzig" stands in the background with his arms folded sooner rather than later! 

The most recent time I saw Ratt we lost the axemen of DeMartini and Cavaso but I had such a great time the time before watching Juan Croucier that I went again and had a blast! I think that's the night I accidentally attended Lynnfield High School Class of 1987 reunion. Shannon knew how to rock and fucking roll! One thing I have learned hot, middle-aged babes attend Ratt concerts. Honestly as long as Juan Croucier is on stage and they are playing Ratt, I'd go see them, he puts on a helluva performance. 

As you can tell, I fucking love Ratt. Obviously, I want to write about them, but I dont want to write about the usual suspects like "Out of the Cellar" (probably the greatest Glam Metal album of all time) or "Invasion of your Privacy" (another perfect album). I finally listened to "Detonator" (1990) a couple weeks ago and to my chagrin it was decidedly mediocre and didnt inspire me to want to write. I could write about 1986's "Dancing Undercover", but even though it is less well-known than its predecessors (check out "Looking for Love" for the best under the radar Ratt song), it is still pretty well-known. Then I was listening to one of my favorite Ratt songs and a live staple, "You Think Youre Tough" then it hit me I can write about their debut EP! It flies under the radar and it fucking rocks just as hard as "Out of the Cellar" and "Invasion of Your Privacy". 

Ratt's history is a little confusing to me but my understanding is that Stephen Pearcy had a band called Mickey Ratt in San Diego and moved to LA. He met Robbin Crosby, who joined the band. This became the nucleus of the band. Jake E. Lee was the other original guitarist, but just as Ozzy Osbourne raided fellow LA Glam outfit, Quiet Riot for Randy Rhoads, he snagged Jake E. Lee after Rhoads' tragic death. A very young Warren DeMartini, 18 years old I believe, joined the band what a crazy way to become an adult. Juan Croucier was actually originally in Dokken but departed there and joined Ratt. As much I like to be Rokken with Dokken, Ratt was the better band and the world is a better place for Croucier to be in Ratt. All this is important because there is an important distinction to be made between Ratt EP, Out of the Cellar and Invasion of Your Privacy. 

The Ratt EP is the most metal album released by Ratt. "Tell The World" was originally released on "Metal Massacre" a compilation album that featured underground bands such as Metallica & Bitch. The reason for this sound is this is album where Robbin Crosby had the most influence. I think Out of the Cellar is a nice blend of the DeMartini/Crosby sounds. Invasion of Your Privacy becomes more heavily influenced by DeMartini and his more Van Halen-shred style sound. DeMartini smokes and is a great guitarist but the music became much flashier. Robbin Crosby was a badass, meat & potatoes gritty guitar player. He brought the staccato riffing of Judas Priest to the band. It was this element that made Ratt sound like the most metal of the glam metal bands. 

Because of this strong influence of Robbin Crosby and his staccato riffing, the album sounds like twisted steel & sex appeal. It is 22 minutes of explosive ferocity that goes for the jugular and never lets up. Crosby's guitar literally sounds like he is bending steel with his fingers and every song is a bonecrusher.  The sex appeal comes from the cocksure swagger of Stephen Pearcy who has never sound better.

The first song "Sweet Cheetah" comes from my favorite hybrid genre glam speed metal. Other classics from this genre from Ratt include "Im Insane" (another Crosby classic, you can tell Im a Crosby classic) and "Body Talks". I don't have much to say about this song besides the fact that I love it as an opener. They come at you guns blazing with speed metal and that riff, which is very Judas Priest, lets you know this a real deal heavy metal band.

The band correctly identified "You Think You're Tough" as the best song on the EP and the one that should be released as a single and make a video for. The music video which features Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx & Tommy Lee was retroactive because of the MASSIVE success of Out of the Cellar (3x Platinum) they wanted a fourth single, but instead of digging from that album they went back and pulled from the EP, a wise decision. I love this song this is such a great heavy metal song. It starts off with that perfect Judas Priest-style riff alone and then as soon as the rhythm section kicks in you have to headbang. It is compulsory. I found the perfect word for the riff, menacing. It is a menacing riff. The whole EP has this bounce to the rhythm section which I just love. I would say a similar bounce can be found on "Living After Midnight" by Judas Priest. Another aspect, I really like about this song is they add some interesting wrinkles. LA Metal songs are usually pretty straightforward. It is the same riff from beginning to end, verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus and no really tempo/time changes. It is not like thrash or progressive metal. What I like about this song is in the bridge to the chorus they have a cool breakdown and Croucier sings the breakdown on his own. I think they should have done more things like that. The solo is also the best solo on the record and the best Crosby solo. It is explosive at the start, but it doesnt shred, it has a lot of feel and texture to it. Then he leads back into the sort of breakdown that preceded it and then a little squeal before going back to that riff. 

The next two songs, "U Got It" and "Tell The World", I fucking love too and wish they got played live. They both feature that bouncy rhythm section I was talking about. I love how it contrasts with the pummeling power of Crosby's guitar. "U Got It" is not speed metal but at the same time it is very uptempo and I really dig it. There is a great run from DeMartini in this after the first rendition of the chorus where you could tell where the future of Ratt was going. It similar to "Lack of Communication" which is my favorite Ratt in that it is a kickass riff with an uptempo feel and where the solo comes in a weird spot. I feel like Ratt took the Judas Priest blueprint and really did the impossible managed to keep the heavy metal integrity but make the songs filled with hooks. "Tell The World" has a similar vibe to "U Got It" just another kick ass guitar-driven song. A really great driving song. "Tell The World" has some really great guitar fills that I cant tell who it is coming from, but they rip. I will say the weakest aspect of Ratt has always been the lyrics. I love Pearcy's strained vocals it makes it sound like the words are coming out of a blender just like the grind of the guitars, but the lyrics are usually cliche-ridden and just arent really that intelligent. I think the biggest improvement between this EP and Out of the Cellar is Ratt really figured out how to write a chorus. These choruses are just barked out with some gang-shouting behind them. On Out of the Cellar, the choruses become the hook and it is the part people really latch onto. 

The penultimate song is the earlier version of "Back For More" it is the one slight misstep on the EP. They really improved this song on Out of the Cellar which maybe the only reason I noticed a lot of production flaws (there is this weird bass chord thats totally out of place every so often that drives me nuts). They wrap up with a bitchin' cover of Aerosmith's "Walking The Dog" which they have played at the last two live shows I have went to and I think they do a great job metallizing the blues-rock classic with Pearcy staying true to Steven Tyler's vocal rhythm. 

Since Ratt is an EP, on an independent label (they would be signed to Atlantic after the EP, and it comes before the monster of a debut album "Out of the Cellar", the Ratt EP flies under the radar. For those Ratt fans that want a little more of a harsher, metal sounding Ratt or who those Judas Priest fans that wish more Priest songs sound like "Living After Midnight" definitely give this a spin. It is 22 minutes of testosterone-addled metal that will surely leave you feeling SUPERCHARGED! 

  

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

GODDAMN! That's Glam! Stryper - Against The Law (Enigma, 1990)

GODDAMN! Thats Glam! 

Stryper- Against The Law (1990), #39 Billboard Albums Chart



Michael Sweet - Vocals, Guitar
Oz Fox - Guitar
Tim Gaines - Bass
Robert Sweet - Drums

Writer: Michael Sweet Solo

Producer: Tom Werman (Shout At The Devil, Cheap Trick's In Color, Heaven Tonight, Dream Police and Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry. Apparently owns a B&B in Lenox, MA might have to check that out and do a podcast, dude must have great stories!)


"There are no atheists in foxholes." Is it accidental that I found Stryper during the COVID-19 lockdown? God works in mysterious ways. :P

I have known of Stryper's existence since freshman year of college. As I was devouring any and all 80s heavy metal, especially that of the glam-tinged variety, I ran across Stryper. My first Stryper song  was "Calling You" after watching the music video. I liked it enough that I downloaded it. Stryper looked like a typical LA band, big hair and makeup. They did seem to have this gimmick of wearing yellow & black stripes, which made them look like the Killer Bees. I didnt think much of it.  Then I kept listening to the song which I loved more for the vocals, really well-done harmonies especially the really glammy ending. As I listening to the song, I realized there was something odd about the song. Is he singing about a Man? Oh wait, are they singing about God & Jesus? Then I looked it up they were a Christian Glam Metal band. "Holy shit!" :P

Even though I am a practicing Catholic, Christian rock has never really been my jam. There are some Church hymns that I really dig ("Here I Am Lord" gets me everytime, I am always crying during that song). However, once you add guitars and drums to it, you end up with "My God is an Awesome God" and I am lactose intolerant to that level of cheeze.  I find most Christian Rock to be excessively cheezy and I also dont like how it is mixed. It is mixed specifically so you can hear the lyrics. So the vocals ride high in the mix and the actual rock is buried. So it takes the balls away from the music. What I love about Stryper is they sound like a heavy metal band first that just happens to sing about Christ rather than a Christian band that plays heavy metal in the background. Stryper shows you can keep your balls and still praise the Lord above.

Over the years, I have found myself to like a couple more Stryper songs such as "Free" and "To Hell With The Devil", but the Power of Christ never compelled me to listen to an entire album. Then Stryper's number came up. I have a list of 355 Heavy Metal Albums from the 80s (yes the 80s include 1990 & 1991) and I use a random number generator and up came Stryper's Solider Under Command, their debut album. It fucking rocked! I mean face-melting, head-banging metal rock! I was impressed. It was very clear that Stryper was influenced by the Holy Trinity: Ozzy, Priest & Maiden! What did you think that I meant a different Holy Trinity? :P 

Stryper came from Sunset Strip at the same time as Motley Crue & Ratt and were a part of what is called "The First Wave of Glam Metal". I think what really separates the First Wave from the Second Wave is that First Wave really made sure to put the Metal in Glam Metal. So I really shouldnt have been surprised that Stryper was committed to the Heavy Metal cause as much as they were the Christian Cause. "To Hell With The Devil" which is definitely my favorite Stryper album reinforces all those influence and not to mention Scorpions and Van Halen. I was tempted to write about that album, but I like the hidden gems. "To Hell With The Devil" is Stryper's calling card, if you know Stryper you have at least heard of the album. "In God We Trust", the 1988 follow-up, follows the trend of Glam Metal to lighten up the sound, this album relies more heavily on keyboards and makes Stryper sound like a slightly heavy Styx. It is a very ok album and then I heard 1990's Against The Law. I was hooked and I was like I got my next article. When I heard that Michael Sweet disowns the album basically after I listened to it, I knew I had to write about it because I love great albums disowned by the band. 

In 1990, Stryper were PISSED! When you are pissed, you can make some kickass rock 'n' roll. As you can imagine, Stryper took some serious flack for being a Christian Glam Metal band. Heavy metal fans were pretty merciless in mocking Hair Metal bands like Motley Crue and Ratt, they must have been 10x worse for a Christian Glam band. However, Stryper got it from both sides as there were a lot of modern day Pharisees in the American Evangelical movement that condemned the mixing of Christianity and the Devil's music, heavy metal. There were a lot of protests at Stryper concerts from these hardline nutjobs and Stryper just said enough! They are straightened their hair as was common at the time. They ditched the Yellow & Black garb for leather pants and the vests or big shirts fashionable at the time. Perhaps, most importantly, they stopped singing about God. Stryper went SECULAR on Against The Law. 

I have listened/read a couple Michael Sweet (band-leader) interviews and he repeats that Stryper is a heavy metal band comprised of Christians, not a Christian band. I do agree that there is a difference. I found most of the songs on "To Hell With The Devil" are not explicitly Christian but sung from a Christian worldview. I think "Against The Law" takes this further, but it is not like Stryper all of sudden did a Sleaze record where they are banging a three chicks a night and blowing a couple 8-balls. The songs are just about more everyday life. For Christ sake, the one big time party song "Not That Kind of Guy" (a very direct Van Halen speed metal song rip-off right down to ripping-off Michael Anthony's backing vocals) is about all the women that want to sleep with Michael Sweet, but sorry honey he is just not that kind of guy. You can't help but laugh at the role reversal and humblebrag of the song. No Stryper did not become Motley Crue or Slayer, but "Against The Law" is a refreshing change of pace from the "Soliders Under Command" and shows their versatility. 

I need to find a way to shorten up my preludes. You guys need to tell me to shut up and get to the music because this is a gem of an album. I would say Stryper has two really big strengths, one is Michael Sweet's incredible voice and the other is the twin metal guitar attack of Sweet & Fox. This album is definitely more of a vocally-driven album as it really shows off Michael Sweet's insane power and expansive range. He is screaming, shreiking and screeching all over the album like a Banshee from Hell erm...Heaven? Sweet has described himself as "Heavy Metal Dennis DeYoung" and while I can see that I think he sounds a lot closer to the Metal God himself Rob Halford especially in how he can do these full-throated screams with such power and conviction. 

I think the best song to really show off Michael's vocal prowess is the song "Two Bodies" . This song is proof that Michael Sweet is just as good as Halford or Dickinson. That may be blasphemy to some, but only the Gospel Truth comes out of my mouth. ;) Listen to how he sings "Together" tell me you don't get chills. I love how the chorus evolves. On the second go-around, he adds "Oh Yeah" after "Together" and "No, No, No" after "Stone" to fill everything out. The cherry on top is that he harmonizes "Never" at the end of the chorus for great texture. Then on the third refrain, he bring it all home when he absolutely lets it rip on "Stone". Holy shit, I just listened to it. What an awesome vocal performance from Michael and a great arrangement. As for the song, you will get tired of me saying but it was very Van Halen-derived. This song was definitely more indebted to Van Hagar-era. I love Van Halen, but I cant think of the exact song. It starts off with an acoustic intro and then abruptly stops and the electric guitar and drums kick in for extra oomph during the chorus. The abrupt stop is definitely cribbed from "Finish What Ya Started", but I feel like there's another Van Halen song that has similar loud-soft dynamics to this song. I would give credit Stryper credit on this song for those very loud-soft dynamics, which is something that is missed in their earlier rock the hell out of you approach. It shows versatility and maturity. Speaking of "Rock The Hell Out Of You"...

A lot of "Against The Law" sounds like mid-tempo Van Hagar, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make Stryper come off as a big derivative, which I think is not true about the band. Stryper is not as innovative as a Van Halen or a Judas Priest but they definitely have a distinct sound. "Rock The Hell Out Of You" is distinctly Stryper right down to the playful Christian title that both works both ways. It is a speed metal song that absolutely melts where Michael Sweet screams his bloody head off. The beginning sounds like it could come right off the scorching hot Judas Priest Painkiller album (same year, same producer, incidentally). I think what really separates this from great speed metal and makes it unique is how Stryper leans into their glam influences and uses harmonized vocals on the chorus. You get Sweet screaming "We Will" like a fucking Metal God and then Oz & Co. singing "Rock The Hell Out of You" in a very full catchy way. The solo is a ripcord and Sweet comes back in all cylinder firing. If you like speed metal with a lot of really good screaming, definitely check this out. 

The other song on "Against The Law" that I think is definitively Stryper is "All For One", which is actually something I saw Michael Sweet say. Always good to agree with the bandleader on that. One thing that dawned me is that Stryper may have actually innovated American Power Metal and perhaps the Power Metal genre in general years before Helloween. Power Metal is an amalgamation of Dio/Blackmore's fantasy metal with the twin melodic guitar approach of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden with big soaring vocals and large gang-choruses. Think about it, replace the fantasy lyrics with Christian lyrics and that sounds a lot like Stryper. "All For One" would not sound out of place at all on an Iced Earth album. This is the Arena Metal song that Halford was obsessed with writing trying and failing most famously with "United". Stryper knocks it out of the park because of how proficient they are at all vocals and they sound absolutely HUGE on the chorus. The "Tell Me" on the bridge to the chorus is just money.  The other trick is how good the rhythm section is. This has that Iron Maiden gallop/rumble to it that keeps the listener entranced. For further proof that Stryper was at least key if not the true innovator of power metal check out "The Way" on To Hell With The Devil for proof that Stryper did speed/power metal too not just the stomping arena anthems. 

Finally, my favorite song off "Against The Law" is "Two-Time Woman" that infectious gang-chorus immediately caught my ear and never let go. Stryper has a lot of kickass metal jams, but this song proves that Stryper can let their hair down and have some fun. I love that Oz is wearing a "Headbanger's Ball" shirt in the music video. I love the guitar work in this again it definitely feels more Van Hagar then their earlier harmonized Scorpions-esque leads. I think the gang-chorus sounds like Damn Yankees and shows their Arena Rock influences like Styx & Night Ranger. I think usually they take on a more glam-tinged gang choruses but in this case it is closer to the late 70s Arena Rock. I love how Sweet screams "Way" right before the blues-y solo from Oz Fox which is unusual compared to the rest of the album and the rest of their work.  

All in all, I really enjoy "Against The Law" and hope that people give it chance. I understand why the band does not like it. The pressure had gotten to them. They started drinking and many of their marriages fell apart. Michael left the band after the album. It must suck that the people you are trying to support were their most vocal critics. Out of that darkness, I thought they wrote a killer album, but I get why they wouldnt want to revisit those dark times. Even though more than not, it does sound very derivative of Van Hagar on most tracks what holds this together is terrific musicianship of Stryper. Michael is a helluva singer and guitar player. He & Oz rocked on this album and the rhythm section kept right up with them. Michael Sweet really got a chance to show off his amazing voice throughout this album, which is so powerful and filled with emotion.  So what they lacked in innovation they made up for in Spirit. :) 










Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 56: Best of WWE 2010-2014 (John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 55:
The Best of World Wrestling Entertainment 2010-2014

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at http://gweproject.freeforums.net/) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Subject: This fifty-sixth volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the conclusion of the Top 24 countdown of the best matches to take place in WWE between 2010-2014. This will be the first ever four part series in Pro Wrestling Love history! There has never been a better time to be a WWE fan than from 2012-2014 if you love in-ring action. In my opinion, 2013 is the best year wrestling-wise in the history of the company.  The year 2010 was a strange year for the WWE as the WWE lost a lot of this its essential support structure for John Cena. The year 2010 saw Shawn Michaels go into retirement, HHH & Undertaker went into semi-retirement, Batista & Jericho left and it was Edge's last full year. This left just John Cena and Randy Orton as main eventers by the end of 2010. The year 2010 saw a complete overhaul in the WWE main event scene. The key replacements came in the form of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan who were the new major minted main eventers during the first half of the 2010s. I selected the year 2014 as the end year because seems like the year they finally transitioned away from John Cena being The Man. The year 2015 seemed like the year Roman Reigns would begin his era but instead it has become more like the Brock Lesnar era, which I am not complaining about as a big Brock fanboy, but that's for a different blog.   You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

Contact Info: @superstarsleeze on Twitter, Instagram & ProWrestlingOnly.com.



Top Six WWE Matches 2010-2014

#6. WWE Champion John Cena vs CM Punk - Money In The Bank 2011
WWE Match of the Year, 2011

For one month, wrestling was cool again. Much like WWE right before this time period, I had been going through the motions. Sure I watched every single week since Wrestlemania XIX, but I was in funk. Just like that CM Punk woke me and the WWE the fuck up and I have never really looked back having gone to two Wrestlemanias since then. It was because of the Punk angle that I started investing more time watching older footage and now even when the product gets depressing or mundane there is always Piper/Snuka, Islanders/Striker Force, Flair/Luger, All Japan and 8 million other things to be watched. So as I try to remember the 21st century haze that I lived through, I figure what better match to start with then the match that rekindled my love for pro wrestling.

As much as I love WCW, it is like when WWF bought WCW they inherited all their stupidity when it came to booking: random burials, discontinuities, lack of clear direction, last minute booking, and bad finishes but without any of that panache that WCW brought to stupidity. There was usually something charming about WCW's idiocy whereas WWE is just mundane and depressing at times. Well for one night, they got everything right. I loved the dichotomy between the crowd and the announce team. The announce team openly cheering for Cena, Mr. WWE with Lawler openly questioning why the crowd would be loyal to Punk. Cole did an amazing job putting over how colossal this match is. By the time the opening bell rings, even three years removed from the match, this match feels like the biggest match since Rock/Austin at Wrestlemania X-7. The term "big match" feel gets thrown around but it is amazing how colossal the whole event feels. Cena is just so solemn. He is portraying so well from the get go how much pressure he is under and how big the match is. Not to be outdone, Punk's cool swagger reminds you the most dangerous man is the man who does not give one fuck.


I do not think this match would work in front of any other 21st century crowd except this one. They were able to take advantage of the natural molten crowd heat deliver a slow-build championship match, which has never ever been the forte of the WWF, except for a smattering of them during Bret Hart's heyday. Both men are very cautious at the outset, which proves under his cool exterior CM Punk does care very deeply about this and his bravado may carry him so far. I like how the pepper in big bomb teases like a Punk roundhouse, Anaconda Vice (EDIT: didnt come off that great in my re-watch), FU early to keep everyone on their toes in between well-worked chain wrestling. It is not the best chain wrestling in the world, but it is better than what usually passes for chain wrestling in the WWE. I actually liked how back and forth it was because it really established them as equals. (EDIT: I liked how they worked in and out of headlock because it made the sequences breathe. I liked how in the first movement sequence that Punk won gave the crowd their victory. The second movement sequence gives the crowd a pop for Punk doing You Cant See Me and the double finish tease. Things feel more calculated and mechanical this watch, you can see Punk calling long sequences in the headlock.The crowd heat is still tremendous and spot selection is smart. Cena got more offense than I remembered at the beginning, Sting-style Bulldog, Big Clothesline and fisherman suplex, which I think is smart to establish Punk as the underdog and keep the crowd hot for Punk. I am kinda surprised action marks like Meltzer rated this so highly because there is a lot work in and out of holds.) 

The first transition is brilliant as Cena gets caught going for a home run early and pays via a Punk DDT (EDIT: Punk hit a back suplex out of a chinlock and there was no DDT, Cena gets dumped outside and then kneedrop happens. A stronger transition would have be much better)  and then a knee drop from middle rope on to neck. Punk looks to hit a cross-body but it is a bit low and it looks like it could have jammed Cena's leg. Cena kicks out and immediately retreats to the apron to tend to his knee. Planned spot or not, it is brilliant work by Cena. (EDIT: Thought the same thing all these years later. It looks like really smart improv on Cena's part. The suplex by Cena from the ring to the floor is such a huge spot.)

It is time I bring up my quibble of the match. I really liked the layout, but the execution was sometimes suspect (Punk not landing on his feet on the FU and seeming to be a bit off in general on spots) and the lack of struggle (transitions in & out of submissions) was very noticeable. There was token resistance by Punk before he was suplexed over the top rope all the way to the floor by Cena. The selling and bump by Punk were incredible and were the main focal points of the spot. However, all the details count and maybe it is because I have watched so much NOAH at this point, but you got to sell you don't want to go over the top rope too. Where was the struggle and tease to really build that spot to the next level. The match was almost too neat at some points is all. (EDIT: Yes that what I meant by mechanical is that it is too neat. I liked overarrching layout of Punk working from underneath, but I think it is inefficient. There are some superfluous spots. )

Even though struggle within a move was not always there. The struggle over the course the match is what drove this. Punk really had to earn his offense to keep Cena down. (EDIT: I do think this is the strong suit of the match is that Punk has to prove himself to Cena in contrast to the Summerslam 2013 D-Bry match where Bryan felt like Cena's equal from jump.) It really felt like you were watching a star being born because Punk was not backing down. He was never discouraged every time Cena had an answer (Edit: Like Cena using his raw power to counter the G2S with a gutwrench suplex) but Punk kept pressing. I love when Cena knows he is about to get a big heel reaction for something and he just plays it up as it's just Johnny being Johnny. Nothing is a better example of this then when he goes for the Five Knuckle Shuffle and the crowd boos furiously only for Punk to kick him in the head and hit a suicide. What an ingenious crowd pleasing spot! Cena had answers, but Punk kept coming. Then Punk hitting those stiff, stiff knees to the jaw to Cena when he was leaning on the ropes were probably my favorite moment (EDIT: Great context as this was after Cena had gone for the FU). Neither Cena nor Punk is particularly stiff and that made those knees really stand out. (EDIT: Punk springboard clothesline was a great nearfall surprised I didnt mention it) Finally, finally Punk seems to have Cena on the ropes, but again Cena has an answer this in the form of the STFU (EDIT: Cena ducking the kick and picking the ankle was awesome). I loved Cole cheering for a Cena tap out victory added so much to the atmosphere (EDIT: There were 2 STFS actually and each one was awesome. This one was created by a finish switcherroo into an STF and then leads to Anaconda Vice, which I mentioned as poor submission struggle, which it was.) Cena hits the first FU, (Edit: which was a flash FU) but Punk kicks out, which triggers a big pop. I have to say it, but fuck, I hate the catch you midair powerbomb, it has never looked good (EDIT: Not only is that always a bad spot, it was particularly bad version of the spot). (EDIT: The back half of this match is far superior to the front half. I was surprised how almost pedestrian the front half was with the crowd, commentary and story bailing them out of a pretty much tepid start). The follow-up to second FU with a super FU had a pretty lame set-up. I take it back the best spot of the match is Punk finally hitting Go 2 Sleep only for Cena to roll out of the ring. His expression said it all. The championship may have eluded his grasp. Vinny Mac and Johnny Ace worried that Punk is edging closer to victory come out as an insurance policy. Given the storyline, you got to do the Montreal Screwjob tease while Punk is in the STFU, but Cena DECKS Johnny Ace. (EDIT: GREAT SPOT!) Cena says NOT THIS WAY! Punk says YES THIS WAY when he hits him with a Go 2 Sleep to win the title. Love the Del Rio tease and the blowing a kiss to Vince! (EDIT: What a great finish!)

In retrospect, this match is the inverse of the 2013 RAW match (EDIT: Another match I need to rewatch). Punk had Cena's number and it was Cena's last hurdle before going to Wrestlemania to face Rock to exorcise his demons. In the 2013 match, Cena had to prove to Punk that he was on his level as Punk had an answer for each of his moves, but eventually Cena would "unlock" his moves and go on to finally vanquish CM Punk. In this match, Cena was the King and Punk needed to prove he was on the level of the champion. Punk with dogged determination withstood all of Cena's best shots and finally hit the Go 2 Sleep only for Cena to roll out of the ring. You get the fun chaos at the end and when the fracas ended it was Punk blowing a kiss to Vince hightailing it through his hometown crowd. I would need to watch the 2013 match again, but Im pretty sure I liked the work in that match more. However, this match just has so many extracurriculars to deny it the highest praise. (EDIT: Disagree, the front half is just not high enough quality to still call this *****) They worked a very novel match in front of a molten crowd with great commentary. (EDIT: I dont think it is that novel) It all culminated in a fantastic finish. (EDIT: Yep it did) I know I bitched about a couple things above, but this perfect confluence of match, opponents, crowd and finish overwhelm any minor complaints. (EDIT: I agree the wrestlers, story, crowd, and commentary bolster what would be otherwise just a great match into a classic, but this is not a ***** match like I thought. Both men were so stolid early on. I understood they were selling caution, but it felt very mechanical artificial. Once Punk kicked Cena in the head for five-knuckle shuffle the match kicked into high gear, but before that it felt bereft of emotion. The finish run was electric. Punk felt like he was letting it all hang out and Cena became his Everest. The extracurriculars with Vince and Johnny Ace were done perfectly. Still a classic, just not the greatest of all time)

#5. John Cena vs CM Punk - RAW 2/25/13

Cena comes into this match 0-2-1 against Punk in match since Money In The Bank '11 and I dont think there was anyone Cena had a losing record against since 2005. This is the very reason Cena is putting up his No. 1 Contendership (Royal Rumble Victory) against Punk. If he can't beat Punk, he doesnt deserve to go against The Rock at Mania. The year 2013 was all about Cena exorcising his demons. The two biggest bugbears were The Rock and CM Punk. Cena has to prove himself against Punk (who was not in the Rumble, he was busy losing the title to The Rock) and prove he can beat so he can head into Mania with a clear conscience.

I loved this match in 2013 and remember thinking it was one of the best matches of the year. The match totally holds up and it is the best of their series. They take all the best elements of their previous matches and add on a badass finish. They have the great opening of the Summerslam 2011 match, the excellent counterwrestling of the 2012 match, a great story like the Money In The Bank Match and by adding a really great finish they top them all. Yes the story is different than Money In The Bank, but it is a great sports story. Punk has Cena's number and Cena needs to get the monkey off his back. They really built great chemistry together and it shows in how much tighter the opening of their match is. I love Cena stepping on Punk's calf into order to break out of the headlock, one of my favorite escapes. Cena's wristlock looks great. Cena's hiptoss comes off like a big deal and it is little victories like that that are treated huge in this match. Punk is full heel in this match suffocating Cena at every turn and this creates a hole for Cena to dig himself out of, which is where Cena thrives.

What truly makes this match great and memorable is how Cena wrestles this match like Misawa with this amazing extended comeback. It was almost like Cena had to unlock every part of his comeback. There is so much I remember from this match which is impressive for a match that is almost 7 years old and I have not watched since I watched it live in Feburary 2013. The spot I remember the most is Cena missing that first shouldertackle and going flying out of the ring. When I saw it, I popped all over again because I knew what was coming and that was the excellent extended comeback. Punk dove out on Cena and wiped him out. The rest of the match is just balls to the wall and it is paced so beautifully. What killed the Night of Champions match was the pacing and the over-escalation early, here they did not run out of things to do. Cena would go every step of the way first getting the Shoulder tackles off a hiptoss out of an abdominal stretch. The Protobomb got countered into an Anaconda Vice, but Cena flipped that into a cover to force the break. An underrated aspect of this match is that Cena is just as good at countering. Punk gets his neckbreaker and signals Go 2 Sleep, but Cena teases STF however Punk makes the ropes. From there, he hits his springboard clothesline only for two. The second one Cena turns into an STF. The submission trade here was actually really good. They actually struggled in and out. In WWE, they are usually terrible about that. 

Cena ducks a big kick to the head to get the Protobomb showing that Cena can evade just as well as Punk. However, he does You Cant See Me gesture only for Punk to kick him in the head. The next spot shows Cena's grit and his never give up attitude. He eats a knee to the head and on the customary bulldog that follows Cena struggles and stops Punk's momentum and wrestles it into a Protobomb and then a Five Knuckle Shuffle. It should be noted that Punk did not get a lot of his spots in. He never gets the Bulldog. Cena opts for the Powerbomb because Punk has the FU scouted, great spot. They do a great job making Cena earn his top rope leg drop to the back of the head. Punk hits a desperation big kick to the head and then the big knee. This is my one quibble in the whole match which is otherwise perfect, Cena hits a Flash F-U for two! After two big head-rocking blows, I dont like hitting a flash F-U.

The finish is amazing. Punk powders after kicking out. Cena wants to win fair & sqaure. Punk sends him into the post and leaves him for dead. Punk is ok with a countout win. This is great. Cena makes it back at 9. Now we get the Go 2 Sleep! 1-2-NO! HUGE! Unlike the Night of Champions, where they let things peter out and Punk dawdles, Punk immediately goes back to the well which is the wise thing to do. Cena counters into the STF and this is the big STF nearfall before Punk could still struggle now Punk is so spent he can only go for the ropes. Punk throws a wild kick to the knee and then HITS A PILEDRIVER~! This is definitely one of the famous spots of the match and it is totally what the match needed. This is way better than the errant moonsault from Night of Champions. The Piledriver felt so big! Huge nearfall. I love how they saved the Macho Man Elbow for here as it gave Punk one last thing. He misses it. Missed moves are huge and this is the key. Punk was in control and here it is Cena that evades. Cena uses a Hurricanarana perfectly, it discombobulated Punk and he would never expect it and after that discombobulation this allows him to hit the F-U to win! Had he gone for the F-U first theres a chance Punk could have scouted it but the Hurricanarana allowed Cena to mask it. Genius!

This match is the epitome of what I like in my pro wrestling really logical progression that is rooted in the fundamentals of the two wrestlers and their story. Absolutely fantastic and one of the greatest matches of all time. *****

#4. The Shield vs. Ryback & Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan & Kane) - WWE TLC 2012 TLC

Is this the greatest debut match in a promotion in the history of wrestling? Not only is it an excellent match, but it represented a total paradigm shift in how WWE presented six-man tags and a return to more chaotic matches. On commentary, Lawler stated that Rollins tweeted "Tonight, we change the world" Usually, that is a whole lot of carny bluster, but on this night The Shield completely changed the game. It was not the moves or the spots themselves that changed wrestling, it was the presentation and the strategy. The presentation was utter raucous mayhem, but not in the ECW garbage way or the Southern hate-filled brawl way. It was closer to wrestling's version of a gang beatdown. It was three men attempting to survive a ruthless assault from three thugs. There were no neat little segments laid out like a typical wrestling match, but just constant action for 20 minutes or so. That is when strategy was so critical in making this match so unique in the WWE history. The Shield wrestled as a unit. No one member felt like the standout star. They were all equals united by the goal to decimate and defeat their opponents. This meant constant isolation of the opposing team. They would lose the advantage momentarily only to have another member come flying out of nowhere to reestablish command of the match. While Team Hell No were the Tag Champs at the time they were primarily singles wrestlers, thus it made sense that Ryback & Team Hell No would not know how to combat The Shield except by brute force. The Shield is not an equation you can brute force.

Even though, Ryback was on the losing end of the match, I thought he was the standout star of the match. He wrestled huge in this match. Although, he was greeted by "Goldberg" chants early on, by the time he was mounting his comeback the Brooklyn crowd was chanting "Feed Me More". He was one man wrecking ball and the only one that could manage to really string together a combination of offense on The Shield. His heart in trying to battle The Shield essentially on his own and being the only one that was able to take a member of the Shield out (Rollins) made him look like a huge star in my eyes. With Cena, Rock, Undertaker and HHH all taking up spots at Wrestlemania, it is a shame because Ryback was really hosed that year.

They set the tone right away with a melee to start. Ryback gains the advantage on Ambrose, but eventually the numbers game overwhelms him (not before he busts out the 'ol burst out of the gang beatdown spot that looks awesome). The Shield is able to press their advantage on Kane & Bryan taking out each using the ladder. The Shield really excelled at using weapons to consolidate. Kane is able to get a pinfall attempt on Reigns so Ambrose immediately starts chopping him down with a chair and then DDT onto a chair. Ryback is able to gain the upper hand on Ambrose & Rollins long enough to try for Double Shellshock, but Reigns saves. I know it is a Cole cliche, but the pack of dogs mentality is such a great way to describe what is going on. Reigns to the Spanish Announce Table "Get up, fools, this my table now", I always knew he was going to be cash money. Triple powerbomb onto the Spanish Announce Table takes Ryback out of picture.

Bryan comes flying through the ropes onto all of The Shield. Team Hell No gamely try to battle The Shield, but without Ryback they fall prey to the numbers advantage. I love how as Ambrose & Rollins are dismantling the smaller Bryan they have Reigns patrolling to make sure that Kane and Ryback dont get up. However, when neither Ambrose nor Rollins can pin Bryan after a double superplex, Reigns rushes into pin Bryan allowing Kane to make the save. It is the details that make a classic. Kane is able to get a mini-comeback that climaxes with chokeslamming Ambrose through a chair. Of course just as Kane is starting to cook, Rollins chop blocks his knee and Reigns spears him through the barricade. Then they friggin' bury Kane in rubble. That is so bitchin! Back in the ring. little Daniel Bryan is able to apply the Yes-Lock on Ambrose, but here comes the Shield and gets it on each one of them, but he too falls prey to the numbers game. It looks like The Shield has the match won after Rollins curb stomps Bryan's head into a chair, but Ryback pulls Ambrose out. The Beast has risen! RYBACK SMASH~! Everyone goes flying. Scream for me, Brooklyn! "FEED ME MORE!" Ryback meat hook clothesline, SHELL SHOCK~! The Shield dive on Ryback. On the outside, Ryback just shoves Reigns into some chairs. It was the little spots like that. In wrestling, you expect an Irish Whip into chairs, but when a guy just kinda shoves a guy when he is not totally ready into chairs it just stands out as really cool. Ambrose then literally bounces a chair off of Ryback. It looked sick.

Ambrose and Reigns leave Rollins to dive off a very high ladder onto a prone Ryback on a chair, but Ryback will not be denied and Rollins tries to scale the ladder higher to escape, but ends off being thrown onto a bunch of tables. The back of his head clips a table, fuck that must have hurt. Back in the ring, Ambrose sets up Reigns to powerbomb Bryan through a table for the win while Ryback tries to crawl to ring to make the save, but it is too late. Ambrose and Reigns collect their fallen comrade, but can hold their heads high because they accomplished what they set out to do they changed the world. Everything was so well-timed. There was never a minute of downtime. There was no beatdown that ever dragged. Each babyface got their comeback climaxing with Ryback big one at the end and each babyface got taken out. The Shield came off as the most destructive force in WWE history because instead of relying on the power of one, they relied on the power of three. I have seen people only go as high as ****1/2, but someone needs to tell me where the flaws were in this, but given how this match pretty much changed the WWE landscape in one match I am going the full monty

#3. Brock Lesnar vs CM Punk - Summerslam 2013 No DQ
WWE Match of the Year, 2013

If someone wants to declare Brock Lesnar the GOAT, I would not bat an eye. He is like Volk Han to me, the only real knock against him is that he does not have the volume that other wrestlers possess. In terms of a per match basis, it is hard to argue against The Beast. His rare combination of size, power, speed, offense, selling, bumping and most importantly a high pro wrestling IQ make him a once in a lifetime wrestler that I am so glad I have seen multiple times live. He is imposing and without lifting a finger is inherently a mountain for a babyface in this case CM Punk to climb. His  power is awe-inspiring as he hurls these men around or he just shoulder tackles the ring steps. How many times did he catch CM Punk and just chuck him across the ring or sling him over the announce table. His speed well the woman in the front row said it all when he was peeling around the corner to blast Punk, "Oh Shit!". I have said before and I will say it again I have seen LeBron James live about 10 times in my life and I am not sure he is the greatest athlete I have ever seen...that's how crazy Brock is. Brock's offense is brutal and engrossing. Watching him three vertical suplexes in a row...I dont think I have ever seen a vertical suplex look so violent and so impressive. His selling is his bread and butter. It is the thing that no one talks about, but it is the lynchpin that makes everything else work. No one is better at making the babyface look they have a chance than Brock Lesnar. He did a great job for CM Punk throughout this match. That was the thread of this match was that CM Punk had come up with a strategy to defeat Brock Lesnar. That strategy is a combination of head shots and an aerial assault.

The strategy only works if Lesnar sells it. Lesnar was committed to getting Punk over as worthy challenger. Up until this point, the babyface shine against Lesnar did NOT exist. Punk was the first to get one against Lesnar. It makes sense, Punk was the smallest Lesnar opponent to date (he is not that small, but compared to Cena and HHH I am saying). The babyface shine exists to excite the crowd AND to invest the crowd in the belief that the babyface can win. America loves an underdog, but the caveat is that underdog has to have a chance. You don't need to establish that Cena and HHH have a chance they are who they are. You do need for Punk. This was not Punk running through his standard moveset. This is Punk with a clear game plan: hit Brock Lesnar in the head and hurl his body at Brock. Brock did Brock things at the beginning, but that existed so that Punk had to EARN his shine. I love that. Punk comes in with flying knees to the head. There is no one who does knocked loopy better than Brock. Watch how he registers it by going down to one knee but he is clearly discombobulated. Then Punk comes flying in with another one. Brock is the best big man bumper in history. Watch how he falls through those ropes. Then Punk comes flying out of the ring to pulverize Brock. Another example is Punk shoves Brock into the ring post to evade destruction and then comes flying off the top rope with a clothesline. Punk is smaller than Brock. He needs to use the top rope, speed and jumping to create enough momentum to hurt Brock and that's what I love about this match is how much sense it makes. Punk does a great job using the head-rocking strikes to set this all up.

The issue with Punk's strategy is that he can get distracted.  The crux of this match is NOT Punk vs Brock. It is Punk vs Heyman and that's so crucial to understand this match. Brock is simply Heyman's mercenary, his proxy in battle. Punk's real beef is with Heyman, his supposed friend that betrayed him at Money in the Bank. I think they should do more matches like this to keep the Brock character fresh and to give Heyman a different angle to promote Brock matches. Punk does get distracted by Heyman and it costs him. Brock wrecks him and throws him around like a ragdoll. I love the spot where Brock double stomps the announce table guard and splits it over Punk. It probably didnt hurt Punk at all, but it looked cool. Brock works the bearhug and lower back. I love how scrappy Punk is. Again he sticks to the mantra of constantly hitting Brock in the head and then trying to jump off something high onto Brock, but Brock keeps catching him and throwing him. The drama was just great. I want to put over Brock a lot because in my opinion I don't think he gets enough credit for being a phenomenal wrestler, but Punk is great in this because he does NOT sell too much. He does NOT die. There is a tendency in pro wrestling today to sell what too much in the moment and then  blow it off. He keeps a very consistent register. I am in fucking pain but I am fighting through it to win the match. That's selling I can get behind!

Now Punk adds a new dimension to his strategy, survival. After being caught and thrown across the entirety of the ring, Punk realizes he is not in there with a man, he is in there with The Beast. So now he is not too proud to bite the ear, punch him in the balls or use a steel chair. The name of the game is survival. He is using those tactics to still set up the head-rocking shots (tons of knees to the head) and his aerial assault. Those tactics become incorporated out of desperation. The knees to head after the ear biting especially the flying knee from the top rope were incredible! The best part was how Brock sold them. Like I said no one does discombobulation better than Brock. The roundhouse kick to the head that preceded the flying elbow POPPED me and the crowd HUGE! This is one of the few WWE matches of the 2010s where I felt like the crowd was fully invested in the match and the pro wrestlers. That they werent there to have fun or chant "This is Awesome". They were Ooooh and Aaaahing and were invested in Punk winning. They forgot they were supposed to be aware they were watching wrestling and they were just watching pro wrestling and going on this thrill ride.

After the elbow drop, normally Punk would go for the G2S. Now this 100% deviates from the strategy, BUT Punk does need a killshot to slay the Beast. He ultimately decides this is the best route to go even if it makes him every vulnerable to Brock. Brock ends up putting him in the Double Wristlock. Punk counters into an attempted cross armbreaker and then a Triangle. This was a great way to introduce some submission wrestling and give the fans a change of pace. Punk shows he can go on the mat but ultimately succumbs to Lesnar's inhuman power. He did survive the first slam, but the second full on Running Ligerbomb by Lesnar was too much. Thats when Lesnar hit those three vicious vertical suplex slams. At this point, Lesnar's pride has been wounded. The knees/kicks to head, almost tapping to the Triangle was too much for The Beast to bear and so he went to get a chair to annihilate Punk. Punk comes flying into our screen from the top rope onto floor wiping out Brock, chair and all. What a moment! What a hope spot and comeback! Punk slams the chair into Brock and the crowd goes wild. Punk uses the low blow to set up more chair shots. Chair Shot from the Heavens! It fits so well with the rest of the match! Great nearfall! Now Heyman is worried and starts interfering. GO 2 SLEEP! The best part is Heyman breaks it up.

I love it! I love it! I love it! You dont know would Punk have won, would Brock have kicked out, Heyman robbed us of that, but the fact that Heyman interfered means he was worried. His anxiety tells the story that the every fan should believe that Punk would have won the match right then. Terrific booking! They do it all over again. Punk chases Heyman and Brock lies in wait. Brock thinks he has Punk in the F-5, but Punk does the Eddie Guerrero and DDTs him. Again, a head-rocking shot that sets up a nearfall and then the Anaconda Vice. This is Punk's other finish and again Heyman is worried so he interferes. He robs us of that conclusion, but we know from his anxiety that Brock had nowhere to go and was on the verge of tapping. The finish is excellent!

Punk hauls off and PUNCHES HEYMAN RIGHT IN THE FACE! YES! YES! YES! Anaconda Vice on Heyman! So blinded by his rage for Heyman and Brock SMASHES THE CHAIR INTO PUNK! F-5! 1-2-3! FUCKING PERFECT!

Genius match! I have already wrote a ton of words about it so I don't think I can summarize it really. CM Punk's best match ever and in Brock's Top 5.

#2. John Cena vs Brock Lesnar - Extreme Rules 2012
WWE Match of the Year, 2012

Pride comes before the fall. My favorite gimmick in pro wrestling is the cocky shooter and there is no better cocky shooter than Brock Fucking Lesnar. Those sitdown interviews in the build to this match were amazing, obnoxious schoolyard bully bullshit that only works because Brock Lesnar is on the short list of legit baddest men on this planet. Give me those any day over the interminable Paul E. promos we get nowadays. Cena's subdued response was pitch perfect he recognized the credible threat of Brock, but he was going to defend the industry he loves.

Incredible match and we all know that. The violence is definitely an integral part. They set that tone early with Lesnar cutting Cena open hardway with his sharp elbows and they end the match with Cena getting his receipt busting Lesnar open with the chain. The blood flowed freely for the first time in years. To me more than the hard-hitting lariats and elbows, this match was made by the character work. The match was clearly designed to get Brock over as the new top star. The camera was on him the vast majority of the time. Cena did a great job selling, but more often than not we were watching Lesnar mug for the camera. I love the little shit like Lesnar using his foot to push Cena out of the ring onto the floor with a thud like he is human garbage. The cocky attitude of goading Cena to get back up. Of course, when it came time for Lesnar to show vulnerability he did so in spades. Look as Cena picks him up in the kimura and drives him into the steel steps. That look of fear is why Brock Lesnar is one of the smartest wrestlers ever. He knows it is a work. He can show ass. He can show fear. The match is greatly improved. What makes a bully a bully is in his heart of hearts he is an insecure coward. That is Brock Lesnar. He is a badass, but in pro wrestling he knows it is the best interest of the match, his opponent and the product for him to show fear and vulnerability.

That's Brock Lesnar, I think Cena did even more to put this match over as a classic. John Cena is clearly in way over his head against Brock Lesnar, but he never gives up. He is a scrappy, blue collar muthafucker thats going to tackle Lesnar, he is going to reverse elbow Lesnar hard, he is going to punch him. It is all to no avail. Lesnar quashes every takedown, every punch, every shoulder tackle with his own big ass offense. Cena never gives up. That's how to live life. We are all in over our heads at some point, fighting a Brock Lesnar, but we dont give up and we just keep fighting. It was Cena's hope spots and the subsequent cutoffs that made this match so engaging. I already mentioned one of the hope spots in the previous paragraph. There are few moments to me in wrestling history as John Cena picking up Brock Lesnar in the kimura and ramming him down onto those steel steps. Cena was getting his ass kicked from pillar to post and for him to do that to Brock. Goddamn! I was pumping my fist here six years later cheering him on.

Like many, I originally thought the finish was a copout, but I think it was genius now. The whole Brock does not where Cena went after after he missed the legdrop is great. I love how he gets on the stairs to look for him and then spots Cena's hand. The way Brock's face changes with that sick, sadistic smile. We say sick, sadistic smile a lot in pro wrestling, but no one has a better one than Brock Lesnar. You really believe especially in this match that Brock was going to do baddd things to Cena. That following bump by Brock was even MORE INSANE than I remembered it. Holy Shit! When Brock is on his A-Game, he is the best seller and best bumper in the WWE and he is like 300 fucking lbs. He is The Beast. What a fucking wipe out. He sells the leg, shakes it off and that look of "Lets do that again, but this time I KILL THE BITCH" is amazing.

That's when it happens in a supreme moment of pride and arrogance, Brock Lesnar goes for that very move that nearly seriously hurt him and leaves him completely vulnerable as he is flyign through the air, but this time John Cena has his Thug Life Chain and he drills Brock right in the head. Brock's selling after this is amazing, but all the focus is back on Cena's who is FIRED UP! F-U ON THE STAIRS! 1-2-3!

Home Fucking Run! Two of the all-time greats putting on a match that displays their unique characters and physical abilities telling the story of Pride vs Perseverance.

#1. Daniel Bryan vs Triple H w/Stephanie McMahon - Wrestlemania XXX
WWE Match of the Year, 2014

In light of recent events, this match should only be more cherished as the night everything was right with the world of pro wrestling. The most emotionally impactful of the match of the year contenders of 2014. The Shield versus Wyatts made the best use of past history, AJ Styles vs Minoru Suzuki told the most interesting intra-match story and Tanahashi/Nakamura rocked the limb psychology like no one else this year. Wrestling should not hit in you the head, it should hit you in the gut. When I watch this match, I was moved moreso now than probably when it happened. Daniel Bryan represents so much more to me than just a great wrestler. He proves if you love it, want it and work hard enough for it that anything is possibly. We all know the obstacles in front of him and he just kept his head down plowed through them and became the World Champion on the Grandest Stage of Them All. Before the fairy tale ending, Bryan had to face the man who was the exact antithesis of Bryan. He was not the populist choice. He was a member of the Kliq, given a forced push to the top, and married the boss' daughter. Triple H is a lightning rod of controversy. Some contend he is a great ring general and master of ring psychology while loathing his backstage politics and knack for burying opponents. Others call his entire reputation a sham manufactured by the WWE to work the fans into believing he was one of the greatest of all-time when he was just a mediocre wrestler that happened to be connected to the correct people. This made him the absolute perfect opponent for Daniel Bryan because no matter your feelings on Triple H, he represented everything corporate and artificial about pro wrestling while Daniel Bryan embodied the passion and humanity of pro wrestling.

Triple H offers his hand to begin the match and Bryan kicks it away only to roll him up quickly. Bryan came to play, brutha. Bryan is on him with kicks and HHH bails. Stephanie, who is a total smokeshow tonight with those short shorts, gives The Game exhorts while Bryan now offers his hand. What I love about the early part of the match is that even though Bryan shoulder is taped and HHH targets it, it is not as soon as HHH attacks it that Bryan just writhes in pain. There are levels of pain. Bryan is able to fight through the first couple attacks because of his determination and he can't afford it to be worked on. Yes, it causes a wince, but it is a just brief inconvenience. It is a babyface shine that is truly earned that culminates with Bryan hitting a tornado DDT from the apron and the somersault off the top rope onto The Game. Triple H seems shaken from this onslaught and has underestimated Daniel Bryan. He is able to cause Bryan to lose his balance on the top rope. HHH is not going to fuck around and looks to end this early with a Pedigree on the announce table, but the feisty Bryan fights out so Triple H quickly switches gears and wrenches the bad shoulder right into the edge of the announce table. OUCH!

Only now does the heat on Bryan begin with Triple H destroying Bryan's arm and delivering the best limb work of his career. Stephanie laying the badmouth on Bryan, "Mess with the bull, you are going to get the horns" among others was just awesome. She would be such an excellent manager if she ever committed to it full time. Bryan's first hope spot is his signature suicide dive, but Triple H blasts him with a right hand. HHH hits a nasty back suplex with the arm behind the back on the apron. Triple H busting out the Crossface Chickenwing into the Crippler Crossface was wicked cool. Daniel Bryan will not be denied. He makes it to the ropes and begins his signature high-octane comeback. Triple H looks to cut him off with a suplex, but Bryan gets two Germans of his own. Triple H looks to stop the bleeding with a Chickenwing Crossface, but has to settle for the Tiger Suplex. Sick! Triple H showing he is not always a Cerebral Assassin mounts D-Bry on the top rope, which gives him the high ground and the chance to hit a sunset flip powerbomb. Daniel Bryan with a repeated running dropkicks, but on the third Triple H bursts out of the corner with a wicked lariat. I love the struggle of this match. You really feel like two men are fighting strongly for their respective ideologies and pride. Neither one wants to give an inch to the other. Triple H is getting anxious and abandons the arm work for the one surefire way to end this: The Pedigree. Bryan counters into a pinning attempt. Bryan's diving headbutt eats a boot and HHH right back on the arm with a Crippler Crossface, but Bryan reverses into the YESLock. Triple H after all the smack he talks feels desperate to end this. Bryan is a fucking maniac and hits not one full speed suicide dive, but two full-speed suicide dives! Bryan is feeling it, kip up, YES CHANTS! He is looking for that Knee that took down Cena. SPINEBUSTER~! PEDIGREE~! IT IS OVER 1-2-NO! NO! NO! YES! YES! YES! Honest to God, had totally forgotten Triple H hit the Pedigree in this match and Bryan kicked out. I actually saw him hit the Pedigree, my stomach dropped, then I remembered Bryan won and was ecstatic he kicked out. Now if that is not the hallmark of a great fucking match, I don't know what is! Triple H is flabberghasted and tries to beat the shit out of him while Stephanie screams in the background. This is Daniel Bryan's night and Triple H is coming to the realization he cannot overcome the power of Daniel Bryan and the People! Triple H desperately tries to pull the trigger on a second Pedigree, but Bryan wriggles out until finally EXPLODING KNEE~! 1-2-3! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

Awesome match that feels like a real war and really mirrors Bryan's rise to the top. Bryan had to earn every single move in this match. His babyface shine was earned working through Triple H's early arm work. Then he fought tooth and nail not submit to HHH's killer arm work. From there, just when you think Bryan has the match won, it turns on a dime and Triple H hits his knockout shot and Bryan kicks out. They don't waste time with 8 million false finishes. Triple H gets his and keeps going for another Pedigree and then Exploding Knee knocks him out. Stephanie has to carry her husband out while they watch Daniel Bryan go to the main event of Wrestlemania. It is such a feel-good story combined with amazing fundamentals. I don't see a flaw.



Monday, April 13, 2020

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 55: Best of WWE 2010-2014 (Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, Shawn Michaels)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 55:
The Best of World Wrestling Entertainment 2010-2014

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at http://gweproject.freeforums.net/) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Subject: This fifty-first volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the halfway of the Top 24 countdown of the best matches to take place in WWE between 2010-2014. This will be the first ever four part series in Pro Wrestling Love history! There has never been a better time to be a WWE fan than from 2012-2014 if you love in-ring action. In my opinion, 2013 is the best year wrestling-wise in the history of the company.  The year 2010 was a strange year for the WWE as the WWE lost a lot of this its essential support structure for John Cena. The year 2010 saw Shawn Michaels go into retirement, HHH & Undertaker went into semi-retirement, Batista & Jericho left and it was Edge's last full year. This left just John Cena and Randy Orton as main eventers by the end of 2010. The year 2010 saw a complete overhaul in the WWE main event scene. The key replacements came in the form of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan who were the new major minted main eventers during the first half of the 2010s. I selected the year 2014 as the end year because seems like the year they finally transitioned away from John Cena being The Man. The year 2015 seemed like the year Roman Reigns would begin his era but instead it has become more like the Brock Lesnar era, which I am not complaining about as a big Brock fanboy, but that's for a different blog.   You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

Contact Info: @superstarsleeze on Twitter, Instagram & ProWrestlingOnly.com.



The Best of WWE 2010-2014: #12-#7

#12. Brock Lesnar vs Triple H - WWE Summerslam 2012

This is the match that actually inspired me to join PWO. I found PWO in the spring of 2012 and fell in love instantly, but like most people started out as a lurker. I loved this match so much and was surprised a lot of people here didn't like it so I decided to join and speak up. The rest is history.

I still think this is one of the most underrated matches in WWE history. I am a huge, unabashed Brock mark and this is a stellar Brock performance. Brock has a pro wrestling IQ so much higher than everybody else it is scary. He just has a great feel. He knows exactly what makes sense for Brock Lesnar. We start with the usual Brock bullying and crowding the corner, which is the perfect start. Now watch how HHH clotheslines him over the top rope twice. First off you see the impressive athleticism of Brock. I have seen LeBron James in person live and I am not sure if he is the greatest athlete I have ever seen because Brock is just that damn freakish. Brock is a great bumper and at his size all his bumps look great. The key is how does he sell it. He is NOT selling pain. He is selling shock. Big difference! That's pro wrestling IQ.

Then we go into Brock Beast Mode. He literally takes the gloves off. How does he take control a cheap shot to the back of the head. Michael Cole does a great job pointing out you would be docked one point in UFC and the next time would be a DQ. Brock is an asshole. He is a bully. That is not a respectful move. Great job by Cole putting over this heelish action. Then it is a focused attack on the arm. It is Brock Lesnar in all his reigning offensive glory. Slamming HHH on the bad arm (he broke it in the build to the match). I loved the King Kong Spot where Brock tips the announce table on its side, ascends it and then leaps into the air and crashed down on HHH. HHH was great with peppering in hope spots and shots to make Brock cut him off. His arm is in pain, but he can still fight back and he showed that. This was the Brock show but HHH was doing a good job. Brock was great with all the cutoffs. What is also great is how they foreshadow the big turning point. HHH is throwing kneelifts and punches to Brock's gut constantly. By the time we get into the latter stage of the match, we see the best Brock, the wounded bear Brock.

Andre and Vader had this special charisma when it came to selling. They were even more dangerous as these "wounded bears". Perhaps the greatest of them all is Brock Lesnar. I have consistently said that Brock Lesnar is the seller on the WWE Roster since 2012. AJ Styles is a close second just as AJ is the best bumper and Brock is a close second. You can already see Brock selling those shots the stomach. How it is slowing him down and the grimace on his face. Then when HHH pulls him into the pointed edge of the announce table stomach, wow, some of the best selling of all time. Brock Lesnar put on an absolute master class in selling. HHH to his credit stayed on it. Every punch and kneelift was to the gut. Brock was milking it. It had me on the edge of my seat just like back in 2012. Pedigree was a great final hope spot. Then the BALLSHOT~! I forgot about that. The match was effectively No DQ, No Countout because HHH told the ref to let everything go. Here you have the man who is supposed to bring legitimacy back to WWE. He is the Shootfighter and he has to stoop to a low blow. That's great fucking heeling! I love that shit! I love when a monster heel cheats because it just much more terrible. It also puts over how desperate he was. I liked the F-5 kickout to give HHH a little love and protection. The one part of the match I didnt dig was the finish. I think first Double Wristlock (I refuse to call it a Kimura, we are in pro wrestling) should have ended it. The Pedigree -> Flash Submission is stupid modern day wrestling where moves don't matter. What is so great about this match is every move up until the finish had consequence and had meaning.

I am sour on the finish, but it does not negate how tremendous this match is especially as a standalone Brock performance and you see all three aspects of Brock that make him great, Brock the Bumper, Brock the Asskicker and Brock the Seller. Come in with an open mind and give this a shot. ****1/2

#11. World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton vs Mark Henry - Night of Champions 2011

"WELCOME TO THE HALL OF PAIN" That post-match promo has to go down as one of the best championship victory promos of all time.

It seems that Mark Henry coined the term "Hall of Pain" on the Smackdown before this show. I gotta check out that promo. Amazing match. Best Mark Henry match I have seen thus far. There are a couple different elements at work here. It is not just Mark's power and mass versus Orton's speed and guile. Mark Henry is the "Worlds Strongest Failure" according to Randy Orton. He is a career underachiever. How will he perform in the biggest match of his career. Henry shows off some of that power early but Orton goes for the legs. Orton can be uptempo when he wants to be. Garvin stomp by Orton focused on the legs. Mark ends up on the outside and rips the cover off the announce table. Show his inexperience. Orton has him rattled. Mark hits a big boot on Orton. I cant believe Mark can pick up his leg that high. Orton has one last gasp with the sleeper. Great idea. Mark backs him in he corner. Orton is on the top rope and one swing of that bear paw sends Orton crashing to the floor. Mark Henry in control is a beautiful thing. Mark Henry is just in a zone. One of the best super heavyweight, power heat segments. Stretching Orton's back across the ring post. Big bodyslam and that big ass splash. Orton is trying to fire up and Mark hits these huge headbutts. The entire Hall of Pain run built to this moment and Mark Henry was ready. However, this confidence turns to arrogance. Mark Henry starts to toy with the World Heavyweight Champion. I use that term to remind everyone this is the World Heavyweight Champion he is wrestling, Mark Henry is on the roll of a lifetime, but even he should not take the World Heavyweight Champion lightly. Orton starts to build some momentum. He has a great punch and European Uppercut. Henry stymies him with one of those big headbutts. Orton to the mat. Henry splash, but nobody is home. Here is the Champion's opening. He is rocking. I liked the rapid fire ten count punches in the corner with Henry on one knee. Orton hits some massive clotheslines but Orton cant get him off his feet. Standing dropkick knocks the big man down! We got a fight on our hands now, boys!

Now we get to unique part of the match. Henry shoves Orton off when he goes for the Hangsman DDT and hits a heavy clothesline. Mark Henry hits the World Strongest Slam and Orton kicks out?!?! What's unique? This was not an act of finisher trading. This was a spot that was built to. Mark Henry had control let that control slip from his grasp by getting cocky and once he regained control he went for the kill, but Orton kicked out. This actually built to another segment instead of spot trading. By kicking out of the World Strongest Slam in this context, you truly believe Orton will win. In a typical wrestling match with this build, Orton is a 95% chance of winning. I think this one of the most effective red herrings they have ever produced.

Having had his finish kicked out of, Mark Henry does the sensible thing and goes for a bigger bomb. The Vaderbomb. He eats feet. You feel that Orton finish stretch that will end up in victory. He kicks Mark Henry down to size. DDT. Hangsman DDT. Yep Orton has this one. He moves in for the kill and with one flick of his tree trunk like leg Mark Henry takes Orton's knee. Orton sells it like he has been shot in the leg. Orton's selljob is incredible. The way he is writhing in pain. Everything he tries to get up, he sort of collapses. He cant put any pressure on his leg. He uses Mark Henry to get up. Mark Henry is all business. Not a single shred of mercy. Orton defiant goes for the RKO and Henry throws him off. World's Strongest Slam. 1-2-3. WELCOME TO THE HALL OF PAIN!

Amazing match. Early frustration from Mark Henry before settling into a groove. I loved how he earned that heat segment fighting through a sleeper and knocking Orotn off the top. He ruled that heat segment. I loved how he got cockier and cockier allowing Orton back in. Orton was terrific in this match. Good selling early, awesome fire late and the leg selling at the end was downright awesome. The kickout of the Worlds Strongest Slam is one of the best false finishes they have had in awhile. Like I said 95% of the time when a match is paced like that, the babyface goes over after kicking out of a heel's finish. Awesome curveball. Loved the finish with Mark injuring the leg, Orton's selling, the last ditch RKO attempt and then Mark Henry finishing the job. Badass.

#10. WWE Champion CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan - WWE Over The Limit 2012

It is still amazing that this happened in a WWE ring on a WWE PPV for the WWE Championship but here it is and they delivered the goods. This is the last major WWE match I had never seen at least once before and it lived up to the hype.

The simplistic story to this match is that of dual limb psychology with CM Punk targeting the leg of D-Bry and Bryan working over Punk's midsection. However, there is a lot more meat on the bone than just a story of dual limb psychology. The match is decidedly lo-fi and rooted in the fundamentals. This is not simply a Greatest Hits Collection of two of the best Indy wrestlers. Punk never even hits a Go 2 Sleep. There are not a zillion nearfalls. There are no overwrought sequences. It is a wrestling match. Just men playing the human game of chess. In addition, the psychology of their characters play a role into the match. I loved Daniel Bryan's character at this time. He was a size too small, but the chip on his shoulder was three sizes too big if ya catch my drift. He had a great Napoleon complex that would cause him to whip himself into a frenzy and we would see that rage in this match. As Michael Cole likes to say that pugnacious pitbull, he would become enraged at losing control of the match and suffocate Punk with a barrage of knees to the midsection. On the other hand, Punk is a cool customer, nonchalant smartass. He enjoys saying he has a count of 5 and has a huge shit-eating grin on his face after this. However, he is also the babyface and he is the one delivering the fiery comebacks. I loved the grit he shows in the match. He comes off like a DIY Punk in all his matches because how raw his performance is, but in this match he keeps it even simpler which is great. The best part of the whole match may have been Bryan is going to stretch Punk out and Punk fights it off by grabbing his own kneepad to avoid it being cinched in. What a spot!

The match begins with Punk targeting the leg of Bryan by attacking it in the corner. He eventually makes strong in-roads into injuring the leg. There's a nice part where Bryan does his customary flip in the corner, but he can explode into his all-out assault because he clutches the knee and so Punk is able to tease Go 2 Sleep and when Bryan evades kick him in the knee. Working Bryan's leg is like working KENTA's leg, it is a risky proposition, but here Bryan is mostly on his best behavior. You could claim this is heel in peril as opposed to a shine which it is, however it fits the story of the match. Bryan is being shown up in his own style and this will be cause to piss him off. In addition, Punk is the champion so he needs to establish why he is the champion and why he is the better wrestler. The highlights of the first segment is Punk's wicked curb stomp and then Kneecrusher and dumping him over the top rope.

The second segment begins when Punk tries to follow Bryan outside but not with his trademark suicide dive but rather with a baseball slide because Bryan had moved to the apron. Bryan duck and hid. He tackles Punk and drives him ribs first into the barricade. He then hands him out to dry gut first on the ribs establishing the abdomen as his target. Bryan hit a missile dropkick and again the knee keeps him from pressing his advantage and so he settles for a sitting abdominal stretch which will hurt Punk and allow him time to recuperate. This is when Punk grabs his kneepad to stop the stretch from taking place, but Bryan breaks his grip. I like Punk going for the figure-4 when he gets out. Bryan fights him off twice. Then Bryan toe kicks him in the gut to re-consolidate the advantage, kneelift, swift kick to the back, all great. Mexican Surfboard! Perfect! Dragon Clutch, Punk breaks his grip and goes to town with elbows. Punk is relentless and he gets on top and gets a cover for no count. I loved that exchange. It was so gritty and so smart to go for cover on that. Punk gets a Fisherman Suplex at one point and then stomps the knee. Bryan kicks the abs again and gets a suplex. The first big highspot of the match goes to D-Bry with a top rope diving headbutt for two. They then hit a double crossbody which levels the playing field.

Minor quibble is the double crossbody probably should have hurt Punk more but Punk is the one who comes out firing on all cylinders and hits his usual comeback sequence with the neckbreaker, powerslam and suicide dive. What I like about this is Bryan makes him earn the powerslam and Suicide Dive. He is still fighting back and Punk has to fight through Bryan's offense. One of the best spots of the match is Bryan hitting a dropkick to the injured ribs when Punk is sailing through the air on a Springboard Clothesline. Bryan is pissed. He goes for his Yes! Kicks! but they dont have the same zip on them so Punk counters into a Dragon Leg Screw->Figure-4! OH SHIT! That's awesome! This is when Punk says I have until 5. Punk goes for a kneecrusher but Bryan wriggle free into a Sunset Flip. Punk becomes inspired and drop toeholds into a La Magistral Cradle. He tries again, Bryan has it scouted BANG! WICKED KICK TO THE HEAD! Punk deadweight sells but kicks out at 2! Now thats a damn great pro wrestling exchange. Bryan exposes the injured knee and buries it repeatedly into Punk's midsection. Ok, thats the best spot of the match! What a great Fuck You! You think you hurt me? Well here's my injured body part and I am going to use it to further fuck you up. Holy shit! Thats great! Bryan goes for a superplex, but Punk desperately knocks him off and Bryan takes a bad spill crotching himself on the top rope, recovers and Punk nails a Springboard Clothesline for two. That was Punk's first big nearfall.

This resets things again for the final hurrah. They fight on their knees work up to base each missing wild kicks to the head. They tease Go 2 Sleep and YESLock. Punk nails a huge kick to the head and this is his second big nearfall. He goes up to the top rope for the Macho Man Elbow with bad ribs and his face says it all. "This is gonna hurt" and boy it does as he is left writhing in pain not able to capitalize. Instead Bryan goes into frenzy with a barrage of knees to the midsection and Bryan looks triumphant. The ref rips him off. Bryan is YES! He does the Psychosis dropkick ass-bump into the corner. Punk nails the big step-up knee. Bryan puts on the brakes and wrestles him into the YESLock. Punk rolls him on his back to get the pinfall but as the ref counts three, Punk is tapping. Ooooooooooooooo DRAMA!

Again, I dont like the step-up knee leading to someone else's offense. I just got knee'd in the head should not be leading to F-Us and YESLocks. If you wanna shove Punk off and take a moment for you to both sell thats fine, but the Knee to the Head should not be the Macho Man Reviving Elbow of the 2010s. Besides a few minor selling quibbles like above, this match is tremendous. It is a match wrestled organically and they take what is given them. They are not shoehorning their stock highspots into the match. They incorporating them based on how the match presents them. Great counterwrestling throughout, they wove the injured bodyparts from beginning to end and a great sense of struggle and urgency. This is an all-timer!

#9. World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs Big Show - Hell In A Cell 2012

I love Power Wrestling! This match is straight from Bill Watts playbook of two big uglies throwing hammocks and each other. Power wrestling is so refreshing in the WWE, which is so highspot-oriented. The year 2011 was a great year for Power Wrestling with the push of Mark Henry & the Hall of Pain and his matches against Sheamus, Randy Orton and Big Show. The Hall of Pain was a grand spectacle of anti-workrate. Sheamus vs Big Show representing the closing of the triangle. What if the other two best power brusiers in the WWE wrestled? I loved the story going into the match, so simple, so elegant, who is the toughest SOB and who has the best KO shot: Brogue Kick vs KO Punch. Good shit!

The match itself is better than any of Mark Henry's output in 2011, which is say a lot because I love those aforementioned Mark Henry matches. This match is all about timing. The hope spots and cutoffs are so well-paced. The selling is executed to perfection. It is all about the gradualism and Sheamus never dies thus never undercutting his own comeback. Sheamus is the best brawler in WWE and usually has considerable size and power advantage. This is all negated by Big Show's mammoth size and Sheamus is a fish out of water. They do a great job establishing this. Big Show picking up Sheamus while Sheamus has a headlock clamped on Show was such a great visual. It made Sheamus look small, which is weird. I love how Sheamus tried to meet Big Show head on with a ton of body shots to no avail. He is a valiant champion and is going to back down from the challenge. It establishes Show as an Everest worthy of climbing. Show absorbs the blows. He registers them, but fights through them. Loved the short knee and all the big overhead chops.

Eventually Sheamus goes for the knee, but Show wisely powders. This is another great aspect of the match is how well the outside the ring is used in King of the Mountain spots. Sheamus is knows he is at disadvantage and attacks Big Show when he is vulnerable when Show is trying to re-enter the ring. Sheamus makes some headway, but Show throws him hard to the outside. Again, the outside the ring become critical. Big Show becomes the Biggest Nick Bockwinkel constantly playing King of the Mountain. Sheamus has to take hard falls to the outside. Big Show gets to rest and has the high ground OR he go outside and throw Sheamus around. This is when the Bill Watts style comes in as Show ragdolls Sheamus into barricades and announce tables. Sheamus does such a great job of selling. You believe he is beaten up and worn down, but he is not out of it. Show wisely has not hit him in the head so Sheamus' hope spots are all credible. Sheamus tries his best to mount comeback but meets a big boot from Show or a bearhug. Show gets two big nearfalls in the form of a Vaderbomb and a chokeslam (he had to earn that Chokeslam it took three attempts). I liked how Sheamus' comeback proper really began from Show missing moves like an elbow drop and then slamming himself into the post on a charge. Then Sheamus repeatedly drove him back into the ringpost. Awesome! White Noise! Solid nearfall! So with all this out of the way, it is put up or shut up time! Thats when it becomes KO Punch vs Brogue Kick and I wont spoil it from there.

Loved this match so much. Great power wrestling with awesome timing on the hope spots and cutoffs. Sheamus wrestled so well as an outgunned, game babyface showing great fire in the hope spots. Big Show was such a force of nature and excellent in his cutoff. Show also did a great job registering the hope spots but not bumping. I thought when he did bump they could have built it a bit more. I think they could have done a more interesting finish. I am not going to hold this against them but I think teasing each finish (Brogue Kick, KO Punch) would have been great. Anyways, this feels so different than so much of 2010s WWE and it is worked so tight. The pinnacle of the early 2010s bruising, power style wrestling in WWE.

#8. The Shield vs Wyatt Family - WWE Elimination Chamber 2014

I watched this match and RAW rematch back to back and came away so thrilled about the rematch's chaos that it actually overshadowed this match initially. I went back and rewatched this one and just absolutely loved it even more when paying attention to all the little details. To me, this is the match to beat for WWE match of the year.

It is crazy to think that if they pulled the trigger on a Dean Ambrose/Bray Wyatt feud at this point, I would have lapped it up. By November, I was actively rejecting it as one of the worst things on TV. It tells you how cold the product has gotten and cooled off these two molten characters are now. Ambrose was just rocking it as the firebrand that was the trigger for the chaos. I loved when everyone was turning to go to their respective corners, Ambrose just jumped the Wyatts. The tag wrestling in this was better than in the rematch. I loved how strongly they emphasized getting their opponent into their corner. That's the Shield to exploit the numbers game, but they may have met their match in the Wyatts that will throw that strategy right in their face. Rollins opening with speed to get Rowan into the Shield corner was perfect with Rowan bowling him over to escape. It put over how much strategy mattered in this match.

Roman Reigns versus Bray Wyatt felt huge during their showdown and I loved how Reigns fought through everything. Nothing was given, he had to go through the Wyatts. The beatdwon of Harper in the corner was just classic Shield. That's tag team wrestling baby! They do a great transition where Ambrose's temper gets the best of him as he takes a swipe at Bray on the apron and eats a Harper dropkick. What follows is just badass. Ambrose bites Rowan, Harper steps on Ambrose head and claws at his face. I love it, Michael! The swinging neckbreaker transition is super weak though. Rollins was a great house of fire with great speed moves and climaxing on an excellent suicide dive that got the crowd rocking. He gets the drive by knee, but whiffs on the Curb Stomp and eats a swinging powerslam. The Bray Wyatt senton on the outside looked nasty. My favorite spot of the match was Harper had Rollins by the hair just playing with his food and Rollins slaps him in defiance and Harper slaps the taste out of his mouth. That was powerful shit.

People talk up Ambrose's fighting from underneath prowess, but Rollins should not be underestimated as he fights in the corner with great urgency only for nasty Bray headbutts to keep him at bay. This match utilized Bray better as the game changer for his team. I like the idea of him letting his heavies do the dirty work, but if ever gets out of hand, he is there to keep in check. Ambrose makes the save for Rollins and eats a hellacious big boot from Harper. Rollins hits an enziguiri to get Reigns in the match (I am not digging these transitions). Reigns is so great in these hot tag situations and not just the typical Reigns offense, there is a nasty back elbow to Rowan that keeps you on your feet. In an electric moment, Reigns is thrown outside and just runs around the ring to kick Rowan's head in. AMBROSE SWARM!!! KATIE BAR THE DOOR! There is a pier-six brawl a brewin'! Harper suicide dive and Rollins says two can play at that game. Ambrose and Wyatt tumble into the crowd and Rollins gets double chokeslammed through the table. Hey, come the monitors did not explode when they were ripper out of the announce table. After more than a year of The Shield picking their opponents off one by one, The Wyatts gave them a taste of their own medicine. Now Reigns was left alone surrounded by the Wyatts just as he surrounded so many others. Luke Harper serves a beaten Reigns to his master. I loved how Reigns blocked Sister Abigail and turned it into a test of strength. SUPERMAN PUNCH! Reigns goes for the spear on Bray, but Harper takes the bullet for his leader. In the chaos, Bray hits his wicked cross body and Sister Abigail to win.

I loved the finish. The Shield's strategy was predicated on two tenets: create chaos and divide and conquer. The Wyatts took out two members of the Shield leaving Reigns alone and then in the chaos that ensued Bray Wyatt took advantage to win the match. The match weaknesses: the transitions were lame & uncreative and I would have liked more chippiness. They were too willing to just let one guy have his segment and that be that. The rematch thrives on that chaos and full court press by both teams. I think if you could combine the best parts of this match and the rematch, you would have all-time classic that really could rewrite how North American tag team wrestling is executed and presented. As is, it is still an incredible match from both an action and storytelling standpoint as the Shield essentially get beaten at their own game.

#7. The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania XXVI
WWE Match of the Year, 2010

So I did something interesting I watched this match without having watched XXV in many years. I have not watched this one in many years. I wanted to see how well this stands on its own. I would say very, very well indeed. These are not two legends coasting on their reputations, WrestleMania, and the fact this is a retirement. They built a classic from the ground up using the fundamentals of what makes pro wrestling great. Two men struggling to win a contest. I LOVED the urgency at the beginning of this match. Both men were 45, but they were explosive at the outset. I think they did a great job explaining why each slowed down. For Michaels it was the constant shots to the head and for Undertaker is the unfortunate jamming of his knee on Old School. The urgency at the beginning was refreshing and really felt like two of the best vying to win a crucial match. What I loved about the next portion is that it took about five minutes for Shawn to really injure Taker's leg. He had to EARN that advantage. Taker kept him at bay with his reach using those big jabs to keep Michaels at a distance or his size to bully Michaels around. Michaels for his part was as pugnacious as a bulldog and was going for the leg at every opportunity. Michaels sealed that deal with a figure-4 and then heel hook. Now you believe the match is anyone's ballgame. It will be the big bombs of Taker vs Michaels' attack on the leg. I thought they did a magnificent job down the stretch with each nearfall. It would be easy to fall prey to "My Turn, Your Turn", excessive nearfalls or way too much down time. They paced it perfectly. The Tombstone on the outside was awesome. A big moment, but since it happened on the outside something that Michaels can come back from. The Last Ride into a facebuster due to the bum wheel was great. That first Sweet Chin Music, holy shit, did everyone in attendance bite on that or what! The crowd went nuts for that. The Sweet Chin Music/Moonsault through the table combo was a great Holy Shit spot to send Michaels out on a high note. A sort of salute to the great career he had. Then it was time one more Sweet Chin Music to get that one last nearfall for the Heartbreak Kid. He has nothing left to do but try it again, but this time it is the Chokeslam. We all know the story from there. The Tombstone kickout, the cinematic ending with the defiant Michaels pulling up on Taker and slashing his throat and then Taker giving him the BIGGEST TOMBSTONE EVER!

First half was great. Lots of energy early they came with good in-match storyline reasons why it slowed down. The finishing stretch was perfectly paced. They were some nitpicks here and there about transitions especially in holds that keep it up from the full monty, but this is easily the 2010 WWE Match of the Year. I have one last critically acclaimed FUTEN tag team match to watch before I decide if this was 2010 match of the year, but definitely has a good shot. It will be interesting to see if this makes by Top 100 matches. Stellar WrestleMania Main Event, hard to ask for a better one.