My Top 12 WWE Matches of the past 10 Years Part 1
Sami Zayn vs Cesaro ( two out of Three Falls match)
While Sami Zayn hasn't had the best of rides up on the main roster when he debuted in NXT several years back the former indie star made quite the name for himself. Victories over top stars focused attention on him as the young star made an impact but after scoring a victory over Swiss Superman Cesaro the up and comer found himself part of one of the most iconic rivalries in NXT history. Their story was kept basic with this simply being a battle of the best of the best and that simplicity is what made is so brilliant and really has always been what NXT is about. Neither superstar could let go of their previous loss to one another both looking to one-up the other. After equal victories in both singles and tag team action, the two collided in a memorable two out of three falls match back in two thousand and thirteen. The match was a perfect mix of modern day wrestling and an old school vibe. An intense and personal rivalry was shown throughout the match with Zayn wasting no time attempting to get the upper hand attacking Cesaro as the WWE star made his way to the ring. The punches to the head, the over the rope flip, and a boot to the face was enough for Zayn to score the first pinfall but a captivating and intense contest resulted in Cesaro picking up the overall victory. This was a close intense match that had you hooked from start to finish. It allowed NXT to arrive and be highlighted as a must-see show for fans of pure, phenomenal modern day wrestling while also showing Cesaro to be one of the most underutilized and talented in-ring performers in the WWE today and Zayn a future star of the company.
Shawn Michales vs Ric Flair (Wrestlemania)
The really is no denying that both Shawn Michales and Ric Flair are two all-time greats in the world of professional wrestling and so it will come as no surprise that their Wrestlemania collision back in two thousand and eight makes today's top ten list. I grew up loving both these men despite their heel persona's really being the standout for both careers. I admired that styles, in-ring talent and characters and so when they collided at the grandest stage of them all with Flair's career on the line ten-year-old me was hooked to the TV screen completely captivated. Flair had found himself in this position after confronted by Mr. McMahon. The Nature Boy had been interrupted by the chairmen moments after he had told the crowd he would never retire and it was revealed by McMahon that Flairs next match loss would end his career. The weeks that followed saw Ric win several matches to keep his career going, however, knowing his lucky run wouldn't last forever Flair wanted to go one on one with Mr. Wrestlemania himself, Shawn Michales and after much persuasion, Michales agreed to the match which would become one of the most iconic matches in WWE history. With the crowd left completely captivated I watched as a kid on the edge of my seat. The back and forth contest had everyone wondering just who would walk out the victor and whether or not Flair would still have a WWE career. Close calls, breathtaking moments and submission hold that had me yelling me at my screen all came together to create one of my personal favorite matches of all time and those closing moments that saw Michales say the words "I'm sorry... I love you" still brings a little tear to my eyes as that third Sweet Chin music of the night resulted in a win for Shawn and the end of a legendary career.
Sasha Banks VS Bayley (NXT Takeover Brooklyn)
I'm gonna say it... Sasha Banks vs Bayley at NXT Takeover Brooklyn may just be the best WWE Women's match of all time. In the mist of a women's revolution, these two took things to a whole new level sending women's wrestling to heights it had never reached in previous years. Co-main eventing the NXT live special these two took complete advantage of every single second they were given and in the process would deliver one of the best women's wrestling matches I have ever seen. Heading into this match the underdog this was Bayley's last chance to prove herself. She had previously come so close yet so far away from getting her hands on the NXT Women's championship but victories over Becky Lynch and former champ Charlotte landed her this huge title match and she was not about to let another opportunity slip through her fingers. The match itself was simply phenomenal. The match of the night Banks and Bayley provided a totally captivating and entertaining contest I know I personally have re-watched several times since. Sasha worked her heel role perfectly, belittling her opponent Banks was the cocky, arrogant champ desperate to keep hold of her title. Diving over the referee and top rope, attacking Bayley's injured hand and heading to the top rope, Banks pulled everything out of the bag but it just wasn't enough for Bayley had come more than prepared. In the end, it was a reverse top tope hurricanrana followed up by a belly to Bayley that resulted in the big win for Bayley who would become the brand new NXT Women's champion. This was a match that raised the bar and changed women's wrestling forever. It took a growing revolution to new heights and the shared moment with all four horsewomen was the icing on top of the cake.
John Cena vs Daniel Bryan (SummerSlam 2013)
John Cena has been apart of far too many standout matches for me to list. Over the next couple of weeks, you can expect to see him feature in several of these kinds of matches and rightfully so. Love him or hate him he is an all-time great and there's really no denying that and what better match to prove that very point than his one on one against Daniel Bryan back at SummerSlam two thousand and thirteen. With Bryan asserting this match would be between "Cena the Entertainer" and "Bryan the Wrestler" it appeared to light a little fire under the ass of John Cena who throughout the match showcased dazzling move combinations fans weren't too familiar with seeing him use. Of course, John played the powerhouse and used his strength advantage to just that but there was a reason Bryan was in this match in the first place; the WWE universe loved him and after listening to the WWE universe Cena had granted him this big opportunity. Bryan however, isn't the typical WWE guys Vince McMahon loves and it was made clear the chairmen would rather Cena take the role far more than Daniel. This is where Triple H would play role booked as the special guest referee, an impartial and fair official a decision Bryan would later regret being made. The match itself was a brilliant showing of an all-time great and the new people's champion. Showing his tenacity Bryan brought technical wrestling to life on this night and proved to be a new kind of challenge Cena wasn't quite ready for on the night. Throughout the match, Cena's power worked to his advantage and it looked as though Mr unbeatable was about to score another victory and keep hold of his title but in the end, Bryan was finally able to keep the big man down for the three count becoming the brand new WWE Champion. When you take into consideration the shock ending of Orton cashing in and Triple H turning on Bryan this really does make for a classic match and one of the best of the past ten years without a shadow of a doubt!
Triple H vs The Undertaker (Wrestlemania
One of my personal all-time favourite WWE matches is up next, Triple H VS The Undertaker at Wrestlemania twenty-seven. This was yet another clash of two all-time greats and with Shawn Michales taking on the role as special guest referee and taking into consideration the match was inside Hell in a Cell then you can tell this was always set to be an all-time great. Out of every match I have spoken about in today's blog post it's this one I have gone back and re-watched more than any other. I grew up loving watching these three compete and so to see them all apart of a historic match once again was a true standout moment. Taker and Triple H went to war in this match pushing each other to the limits and the personal connections throughout this match were just so key. We all know the history between Taker and Michales and their previous Wrestlemania encounters and of course the long history between Michales and Triple. With so much to take into consideration it was unclear as to what would happen with Michales taking on the role as special guest referee but after a lengthy, gripping and entertaining match it was Taker who scored another win keeping his streak alive and the closing moments that saw a sign of respect between the three makes for a very special moment.
The Revival vs DIY (NXT Takeover Toronto)
NXT has been the land of changing women's wrestling and bringing tag team wrestling back to life. If you want yourself some good WWE tag team action NXT is the place to go and the two teams that have been nailing it? DIY and the Revival. While Gargano and Ciampa no longer work alongside each other during the time these two were together they created some epic tag team action and were apart of some of the best tag team wrestling matches I have ever seen. The chemistry between DIY and the Revival is something that cannot be taught. It's simple, these were two of the best and every single time they shared a ring they proved that very point. There isn't a single match of theirs that isn't noted as a brilliant bout but the standout without a shadow of a doubt comes from NXT Takeover Toronto, their main event two out of three falls match. This is wrestling gold. There's not much else you can say. An intense match that literally had everyone completely captivated this match shined a light on tag team wrestling that we hadn't seen in the WWE in a long time. We had two very different teams who had two things in common, their brilliant wrestling skill and their passion to be NXT Tag team champions. The Revival are an old school team who really do know how to put on a great match while DIY consisted of two indie stars that prove time and time again to be two of the best of the best, when colliding together the four superstars gave one epic match that was noted as the match of the year and the match that raised the bar in terms of tag team wrestling show that is how it's done.
And that sums up part one! This post will continue over the coming weeks but for now, you can have your say and tell me what your favourite WWE match of the past ten years is by leaving a comment bellow or by dropping me a tweet over at @TezangiVictoria.
Recent Blog Posts:
Last Week in Wrestling
5 Wrestlers the WWE Must Sign in 2018
WWE Returns We Want to see This Year
Comments
Post a Comment