Almost 5-Star Match Reviews — page 5

2023 has been an interesting year for pro-wrestling, but few matches captured fan imagination as much as Roman Reigns versus Sami Zayn. When this story began almost a full year ago, few people thought that it would be so successful. Few people expected this story to have so much to offer and generate so much intrigue. Yet it grew and grew until it was by far the hottest story in the company and possibly in all of wrestling that didn’t involve “backstage stuff”.

And yet the story ended on a deflating note. It didn’t end with the big payoff most people were expecting for a variety of reasons. Some people were simply upset that their hero didn’t win in the end. Others thought the match was simply overrated given what they were used to. Others still thought the match started off strong but ended in disappointment. Which one is this? Read on to find.

The feud between Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada has become something of a romanticized legend among some circles in the pro-wrestling fandom. In an era when the biggest companies were either creating cartoon characters, putting angles and stories ahead of matches at all costs, or generally moving towards a more exaggerated presentation, AJPW kept things real…or, about as close to real as possible in wrestling.

Instead of having wild characters or a ridiculous premise, Misawa and Kawada built their feud on simple and classic ideas. They were real-life friends turned bitter enemies. One was older and got more attention while the second worked just as hard but got less recognition. Their feud was built on jealousy, shared struggles, competition, a desire for recognition, and a willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of the sport. Misawa himself once admitted that he intentionally jeopardized his friendship with Kawada so that they could both channel their energy into creating better matches.

Pro-Wrestling NOAH’s fall from grace is one of wrestling’s sadder stories. Once a company filled with promise and a bottomless well of fan support, the company enjoyed a terrific two-year peak that turned it into the biggest company in the country. In some ways it was like ROH or TNA during the same period or AEW during its first two years: a company with lots of promise thanks to a deep roster and a general potential for greatness.

But bad decisions, no matter how big or small, can doom a company, especially in the wild and unpredictable world of pro-wrestling. NOAH’s decision-makers made many creative and promotional mistakes that cost them dearly. Unable to create new stars (three words that wrestling fans will never stop seeing/hearing), and with a shrinking and aging roster, the company had no choice but to rely on the stars of the past to help build the potential stars of the future. That formula yielded mixed long-term results, but there were a few occasions in which it led to some great matches. And while hearing about a company’s misfortunes isn’t much of an uplifting subject, looking at great matches and seeing what made them so great is. To that end, let’s take another look at a great NOAH match to see how well it holds up.

A few days ago we looked at a famous Undertaker match that had an amazing story and terrific build only for the final match to disappoint. So now it’s fitting that we look at the opposite: a match with an ordinary story that ended up exceeding pretty much everyone’s expectations.

This is the match that started The Undertaker’s secondary WrestleMania Streak. From WrestleMania 23 to WrestleMania XXIX he stole the show with legendary matches that more than made the price of a ticket/PPV/Network purchase worthy. And while many people still consider his ‘Mania matches with Shawn Michaels to be his best, it’s important to compare those performances to the new measuring stick that began here.

Once upon a time, Pro Wrestling NOAH was on its way to becoming a huge success story. It boasted a deep roster mixed with established legends and rising stars, had a strong fan base whose dedication kept the company afloat, and the company was getting more good publicity then bad. While it was never in a position to compete on a global stage, it did enjoy a comfortable two-year run as the #1 company in Japan.

Few wrestlers in WWE are as revered and fondly regarded as The Undertaker and Kane.

Those two had one of the most iconic feuds to ever take place under a WWE banner. Millions of fans from around the world remember the incredible, supernatural, larger-than-life story that these two were part of. Everyone remembers the characters. Most people remember the promos. Some even recall the few moments they did some wacky and over-the-top supernatural stuff.

But how good were the actual matches between these two famous “brothers”? For all the talk, hype, and build, did their biggest matches actually deliver on what was promised? Read on to find out.

“The two coolest female wrestlers on the planet try to murder each other in a cage…honestly, what’s not to love?” – Joseph Montecillo

There’s no arguing that statement. Few women have ever done a better job at convincing people they were terrifying monsters not to be messed with than Bull Nakano and Aja Kong. From their ringnames, to their outlandish attires, to the sheer lack of f**ks they gave in the ring, these two gave the sport a serious edge that help it move away (to some extent) from its eye candy and pop idol-inspired roots.

ECW wasn’t always known for putting on any great matches. Instead it was more about the environment, the aesthetic, the overall image the company wanted to cultivate: one of being an alternative. For several years they achieved that success, often by putting on the kinds of matches and showcasing the feuds bigger American companies shied away from. Eventually, ECW became an important piece of American wrestling history because it helped expose many wrestlers to a wider audience which would, in turn, help those wrestlers move on to larger stages.

No wrestler has done a better job of bridging the amateur/legit and professional wrestling worlds better than Kurt Angle. He entered a world of larger-than-life cartoon characters and absurdist storylines and not only did he blend into this world; he thrived in it. One could make a reasonable argument that in pro-wrestling Angle was jack of all trades and king of them too. He could wrestle, brawl, dive, use weapons like the best ECW wrestler, be funny, be wacky, be serious, be insane, and so much more. It was as if he shifted from role to role on a weekly basis and embraced whatever storyline and match requirement was presented to him with the same gusto.

Many people consider 1990s joshi wrestling the peak of the art form. It was a genre-defining era when the women of AJW (and later other smaller, satellite promotion) were pushing the envelope and reimagining what it meant to be a women’s wrestler. And central to this era – at least from a North American understanding – was a woman named Manami Toyota.

Most diehard wrestling fans remember Japanese legend Kenta Kobashi’s big tour to the United States that led to one of the greatest indy matches in modern times. What most people forget is that this famously hard-hitting wrestler also did a tour of the UK and had another great match. It didn’t lead to as much positive feedback as the legendary Kobashi vs Samoa Joe singles match, but it was still impressive on its own right. How good was it? Read on to find out.