By the time the 2010’s rolled around, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) remained unopposed for more than a decade and so it would stay that way. However, big changes would be coming. The stereotypical image of the “tall, muscled, superman” was not cutting it with fans anymore which gave way to once ridiculed “indie darlings” to take over. CM Punk and Daniel Bryan would become the breakout stars at the beginning of the decade and by it’s close names like Seth Rollins and Jon Moxley followed their path. Women’s wrestling would see a “revolution” and “evolution” as it was no longer about hiring talentless pretty faces but became about presenting actual female wrestling talent. The rise of social media saw WWE roll with the tide but felt the opposite side of it’s pull with fans having more of a platform than ever to voice their displeasure or criticism. However, if fans were getting frustrated at the WWE’s direction and booking decisions, they would be given some faith when Triple H took control and rebranded NXT. The arrival of the black and gold brand presented a WWE product that championed revolutionary talent and amazing content whilst acting as a feeder system for getting wrestlers ready for the bigger stage.
Despite trying it’s best, Total Non-Stop Action (TNA) failed to pose any kind of threat to WWE. This decade would see it come close to closing it’s doors on many occasions and swap hands a number of times. Rebranding itself many times before settling on Impact Wrestling, it would not be till towards the later half of the decade it would start to steady itself. But it was not all doom and gloom. A few diamonds in the rough can be found during this tumultuous time. The company still saw new talent establish itself here before moving on to bigger pastors and it would still make use of bringing in former names associated with WWE. During this time, Matt Hardy would introduce the idea of the “cinematic match” which became incredibly divisive among fans.
Other parts of the world would see wrestling go from strength to strength. After suffering throughout the 2000’s, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) would reassert itself as the top Japanese promotion and begin to reach WWE levels of popularity outside. This was in part thanks to it’s new home grown stars like Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Niato and Shinsuke Nakamura. But it was also in part to welcoming western talent like Kenny Omega, Prince Devitt and The Young Bucks. It’s WrestleKingdom event became the next big wrestling show besides Wrestlemania. In another corner of the world, the United Kingdom would see the resurrection of its scene after it had been dead since the 1980’s. Grown from aspiring talent and fans frustrated at the lack of a scene, companies like Progress, Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) and Fight Club Pro would pop up and make the UK the place to be for wrestling. So much so that WWE took notice and would introduce it’s own brand over there in NXT UK and introduce the United Kingdom Championship.
If anything, the 2010’s would be looked back on as a true evolution for wrestling. The in-ring work had never been better and the talent produced was staggering. On top of that the winds of change started to blow. WWE may still be on top before the decade was out but the likes of NJPW would start to give them worry. Not too mention, a new major up start in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) would make it’s first steps in the closing year…
Pre -1980's
1980's
1990's
2000's
2020's
Rey Mysterio
vs The Undertaker
WWE - Royal Rumble '10 - January 31, 2010
It’s hard not to notice a trend by this point of matches being hastily thrown together at the Royal Rumble. But when you know the history in what followed for Mean Mark you can see why he just needed someone to fight before setting up his big Wrestlemania feud. No disrespect to Mysterio at all as if you need someone just to put on a good match then he is high
on the list. Despite the hastiness it was still a terrific bout with the pair playing up the big man – little man dynamic but still allowing moments for Rey to get some solid offence in against Undertaker.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
Shawn Michaels
vs The Undertaker
WWE - Wrestlemania 26 - March 28, 2010
When it comes to their first Mania showdown you would be forgiven in feeling there wasn’t much to the build and story. After all it was just another challenge for the streak scenario. Thankfully, their second encounter made up for this and then some. A year on and Michaels had become infatuated with beating Undertaker, so much so he was going to win the Rumble and challenge him for his world title. After getting so close and failing to do so, Michaels took it a step further by costing Undertaker his title at the Elimination Chamber. Now with his full attention the match was set but Michaels would have to put his career on the line. Going into this it was genuinely hard to call who would walk away. Michaels showed no signs of retiring and
the streak already had an air about it that said no one should beat it. As such it is easy to see why many pick this over the first encounter as the in-ring work was just as on par with first.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network and YouTube
CM Punk
vs John Cena
WWE - Money in the Bank '11 - July 17, 2011
Do I have your attention now? No words held truer meaning than to a frustrated CM Punk in the build going into Money in the Bank 2011. By dropping the now legendary Pipebomb promo, CM Punk woke up anyone who was late to the party as to why he was the real deal. Whether the promo was a shoot, a work or a work-shoot is irrelevant. It
remains one of the best ever spoken, full of real emotions and mounting tension. On the back of that alone it was enough to launch Punk into the stratosphere and made anticipation for his showdown with John Cena a must see. Punk’s hometown crowd of Chicago are ravenous before he even makes his entrance and remains that way until the show goes off air. Then the bell rings we are treated to an amazing contest, one that constantly teeters on the unknown. Would Punk walk away the winner and leave WWE with the belt? Or would Cena retain and leave Punk with 15 minutes of fame? Despite being sloppy in parts it is enthralling throughout and when Punk’s hand is raised at the end in felt like true vindication and that the start of something new was upon us.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
The Rock
vs CM Punk
WWE Royal Rumble '13 - January 27, 2013
There is a lot you can say against this match in hindsight. Maybe The Rock really didn’t need the belt. Maybe this wasn’t the way to end Punk’s historic reign. Maybe this match should have been saved for Mania. Maybe the Mania match should have been a triple threat featuring Punk. All of that aside, it’s still just
amazing to see these two icons of their respective eras tear it up in the ring. As he had already demonstrated with his return, you would never think Rocky had left wrestling for as long as he did. No doubt having the work horse that is Punk in there with him helped massively. Even with a very screwy finish to the match it is still a great showing and at the time a lot of people couldn’t help but feel nostalgic over seeing the Rock lift the WWE title one last time.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
The Undertaker
vs CM Punk
WWE - Wrestlemania 29 - April 7, 2013
In our opinion, the last great Undertaker match at Mania and possibly the last great match he has ever had period. Not to mention the match that gave CM Punk his Wrestlemania moment. It’s interesting to see all that would follow from this match. A year later the streak would end and Punk would walk away from wrestling almost
entirely. But what a true clinic this match is. If anyone thought Undertaker was slowing down at the time then this match certainly doesn’t show it and Punk wrestles like he had some kind of death wish (he would later reveal that was somewhat the case). The story going into was also white hot, utilising the recent passing of Undertakers long term manager and friend Paul Bearer, with Punk demonstrating why he was one of the best heels in the business.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
Tomohiro Ishii
vs Katsuyori Shibata
NJPW - G1 Climax 23 - Night 4 - August 4, 2013
If it’s one thing wrestling fans hate, it is the word “fake”. Not to go to heavy on the debate but wrestling is anything but the F word. Yet despite this, it can be hard to show the naysayers an example of wrestling that will at least make them understand. This match however is a near perfect example of highlighting why wrestling deserves to be held in the category of combat sport. In this 10-minute bout, Shibata and Ishii blur the lines
completely of wrestling being predetermined and legitimate. For the whole bout the two trade stiff shot after stiff shot, even challenging one another to try and hit the other harder. Barely an actual move is used but when they do even a simple suplex looks absolutely devastating. Ishii looks out on his feet at several moments, especially after a corner drop kick in which Shibata delivers an unbelievable hang time before connecting. It is tough watching going back especially given Shibata had to retire early due to this style. The moment were they straight headbutt one another shows why he may have needed to dial it back slightly. By the end of it you have seen a perfect display of “strong style” wrestling and a match even the toughest of critic cannot deny that wrestling can be very real.
Available on New Japan World
Cody Rhodes & Goldust
vs Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins
WWE - Battlegrounds '13 - October 6, 2013
I think we can all agree, the Authority story in WWE was largely overblown and dragged it’s heels way longer than it should have. However, a few diamonds can be found within its rough. Going into Battleground, Cody had been fired for apparent insubordination leaving his older brother Goldust to get him reinstated. A match was set for the Rhodes Brothers to earn Cody’s job back but if they lost then they were gone along with their dad,
Dusty, from NXT. There only obstacle was the dominant stable The Shield. On what is typically a nothing PPV, this match was a total show stealer by a mile. It highlighted that WWE had some of the best talent around yet certain members would constantly hit the glass ceiling. Crazy to think in a few short years two of the people would be main eventers in WWE and the other three would leave to prove themselves by establishing AEW.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
The Shield
vs The Wyatt Family
WWE - Elimination Chamber '14 - February 23, 2014
When looking back at WWE the last decade or so they have had a real issue with creating good stables. You can count out more failed groups than you can good ones. However, in 2014 they had two of their best stables in recent memory and it was inevitable they would square off. Both were full of original graduates from the NXT brand and showed proof that
it was a system that could work. Now on the main stage they were shaping up to become the future big stars of WWE and this 6-man tag match proved it. So many different styles were on display here and rather than become an overblown mess it all fed into each other perfectly. In truth, the one downside is this match should have been saved for Wrestlemania a month later.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
The Shield
vs Evolution
WWE - Extreme Rules '14 - May 4, 2014
The road to the end of the Shield was one fraught with plenty of teases and dissention in the ranks. Yet just when you thought they would implode, the group found a way to carry on. It seems fitting that the last feud they would have together for a while was with the man who used to control them and his original crew. In
many respects, this was WWE’s current best stable against probably the last true great stable that came before. Over the handful of battles they had this stands out as the best.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
John Cena
vs Brock Lesnar
vs Seth Rollins
Triple Threat Match - WWE - Royal Rumble '15
- January 25, 2015
Triple threat matches are a mixed bag. There are just as many examples of bad ones as there are good. This one however is a shining example of when they can be pulled off to perfection. What is on display here is three very different wrestling styles mashing together to
give the fans a little of everything. The speed and agility of Rollins. The pure brute force and strength of Lesnar. And the more straightforward work style of Cena. Put all this together and you get a match that constantly keeps you on your toes. There is a little something for everyone here depending on the style of wrestling you like plus plenty of no DQ shenanigans to keep the entertainment going and add to the in-ring story.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network and YouTube
Daniel Bryan vs Dean Ambrose
vs Dolph Ziggler vs Luke Harper
vs R-Truth vs Stardust vs Bad News Barrett
Ladder Match - WWE - Wrestlemania 31 - March 29, 2015
It’s amazing to see the difference a year makes. At the previous Wrestlemania, Daniel Bryan stood tall at the end of the show, both world titles aloft as confetti rained down. Sadly, he would vacate those belts a few months later and would take time off due to injuries. When he
returned everyone thought he would be the odds-on favourite to win the Rumble and recapture the gold. That didn’t happen. Instead, he opened this Mania with a terrific ladder match, proving why the Showcase of the Immortals delivers such a spectacle match well. There is a great variety of talent here, all getting a chance to shine on the biggest stage. In the end it would be Bryan standing tall and although it wasn’t the world title, people were excited to see Bryan revamp the mid-card belt. Sadly, history would repeat itself and Bryan had to give up the belt and seemingly his career for some time.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
The Revival
vs American Alpha
NXT Takeover: Dallas - April 1, 2016
Solid proof that NXT in 2016 was the place to go if you wanted superb tag team action. On the one side you had American Alpha, a team that delivered some of the most incredible and technically sound wrestling. On the other side was the Revival, a team that had mastered in-ring psychology and were
no slouches when it came to their moves. The result was a match that would be a stand out moment for the short lived American Alpha and another in a long list for the eventually titled FTR.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
Sami Zayn
vs Shinsuke Nakamura
NXT Takeover: Dallas - April 1, 2016
If not the greatest debut match of all time than it is certainly in the running. Overseas Nakamura had become one of the biggest stars of New Japan due to his flamboyant style character that could easily kick your head off in one shot. But how to introduce him to the WWE faithful? After all, “strong style” wasn’t a word found too much
in the WWE lexicon at the time and typically most WWE fans might not be too familiar with the NJPW product. The answer was to place him in the rising sister promotion NXT and his first opponent be one of the stars that helped build the brand. Oh, and give him one of the sickest entrances ever. The result was a showcase of what the King of Strong Style was all about. Stiff shots and kicks a plenty with Zayn more than dishing out his own. Despite very different styles the pairing fed into each other perfectly. A particular highlight is Zayn attempting his dive through the ring posts into a waiting kick. By the end of the bout Nakamura had been cemented as the hot new star to western audiences and Zayn had an epic swansong before moving to the main roster.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network and YouTube
Zack Ryder vs Kevin Owens
vs Sami Zayn vs Dolph Ziggler
vs The Miz vs Sin Cara vs Stardust
Ladder Match - WWE - Wrestlemania 32 - April 3, 2016
Poor Zack Ryder. In the last few decades, he is the prime example of WWE having a majorly over talent yet squandering it because it doesn’t fit into their plans. Not too mention, Ryder got himself over all by himself. But just when you think WWE isn’t listening to the fans, they will go and shock your expectations once again. Like the previous year,
this Mania kicked off with another thrilling ladder match for the IC belt and you would be forgiven in not picking Ryder to win it. Especially when the likes of the newer talent like Owens and Zayn were featured in the match as well as previous title holders Miz and Ziggler. Yet Ryder shocked the Universe by being the one holding the belt aloft, giving him a moment that seemed to show his hard work had paid off. Let’s not talk about the next night on Raw though…
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
The Revival
vs DIY
2 out of 3 Falls Match - NXT Takeover: Toronto
- November 26, 2016
Is there such a thing as a perfect tag team match? Because if there is then this is definitely in the running. It’s a common critique that WWE has not cared about tag teams for a very long time, despite having some of the best. That’s why it is such a relief we have NXT. The black and gold brand is one of the true hot beds for this kind of wrestling and this match proves it. The in-ring action and the in-ring psychology is off the
charts in this bout. Everything feels believable and smart in the way it is structured. It is little wonder that all the people in this match would go on to become some of the most talked about wrestlers on the planet. It wouldn’t be long after this that Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa would implode, resulting in one of the best and most brutal feuds we have ever seen. As for the Revival, they would eventually reach the main roster but after seeing how poor a state the tag division was in they jumped ship to AEW to become FTR. In doing so they would cement themselves as one of the greatest tag teams in the world today.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
John Cena
vs AJ Styles
Royal Rumble '17 - January 29, 2017
In some respects, this was a dream match waiting to happen especially when you look at the parallels their careers had. While “Big Match John” was working his way up and becoming the top face of the WWE, Styles did something somewhat similar but for all different reasons. Whereas Cena represented the type of wrestling WWE fans had become accustomed
too at the time, Styles was the poster boy for what would eventually come. The much more flashy and speedier style. The “indie” style as WWE would say with a bad taste in their mouth. Yet when these two did clash it was pure brilliance every time and this was the true standout. In many respects it felt like a very traditional bout that no doubt had Jim Cornette hard as a rock but it also left room to demonstrate how much wrestling had evolved in the last decade or so.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network and YouTube
Asuka
vs Ember Moon
NXT – TakeOver: Brooklyn III – August 19, 2017
It cannot be understated how precious Asuka’s title reign was during her run in NXT. Despite already having had a strong lineage before her, no other woman had held the belt for as long or in such dominant fashion. That was until Ember Moon showed up. In their first encounter Moon came the closest to beating the streak with many viewing Asuka was lucky
to escape with the win. That led to this rematch being set up and it is clear from the off Moon is taking no prisoners. The match is an absolute slug fest with both women throwing the kind of shots that would make New Japan blush. Moon is like a women possessed throughout and demonstrates why she might be the one to finally topple the Empress of Tomorrow. What is brilliant about it is that Asuka seems very aware of this as she tries to pull off some heel like tactics by using the referee to block an Eclipse attempt and then also use the tights for a shifty pin attempt. The closing moments are absolutely gripping with near falls and an amazing sequence of pins and submissions that keep you on edge as to who might synch that victory. In the end Asuka is just able to stay a head of Moon locking in the Asuka Lock for the victory. Many may argue if Moon should have been the one to win here and end the reign that was passing 540 days but no one can doubt it launched her further as a star.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network and YouTube
The Usos
vs The New Day
WWE - Hell in a Cell Match - Hell in a Cell '17
- October 7, 2017
No one could argue that Hell in a Cell has lost a lot of it’s menace and lustre. At one time, it was the ultimate end to a feud. The match to bring out when you had two opponents who wanted to do nothing more but destroy each other. It’s a match steeped in legacy, yet that
legacy has been somewhat tarnished when you can set your watch every year to when the match will occur. Enter the Usos and New Day to bring a bit of credibility back to that legacy. The result was a Cell match that was an absolutely brutal war. It didn’t need to rely on the action leaving the Cell and teasing a climb to the top. Instead it was completely contained and the two teams made full use of the environment, bringing some of the most innovative uses of that playground you will ever see.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network and YouTube
Meiko Satomura
vs Pete Dunne
Fight Club Pro – Dream Tag Team Invitational ’18 (Night Three)
– April 1, 2018
Intergender wrestling is still in its rarity which is a shame. That is not to say it doesn’t happen, many promotions champion it, but in the eyes of the more mainstream products it is stuck in the past. WWE for example won’t even show intergender fighting but even if they did it would play out the same; nasty
man is going to hurt innocent woman. This match should be shown as an example of why intergender can work so well. Built as an actual match, going into it Satomura had already proved she could hang with the big boys as she was the Fight Club Pro champion (World, not Women’s!). Dunne carries the same air of heelish cockiness that is slightly dialled up as him coming across thinking this will be easy. As he finds out though it is anything but... Throughout the match when Dunne is dominating you never feel like Satomura is in peril because you know she will come back strong. And boy does she! Watching Dunne’s face after he is levelled with a stunning forearm is priceless. Meiko is called the Final Boss for a reason as she answers all of Dunnes offence with her own. Even in defeat, Meiko is made to look like a badass with it taking a Bitter End and three tombstone piledrivers to put her away. We are in the age of the Women’s Revolution with the next obvious step being Evolution as the women can more than hold their own with the men and in many cases outshine them.
Available on Fight Club Pro On Demand
The Golden Lovers
vs The Young Bucks
NJPW - Strong Style Evolved - March 25, 2018
Hands down, one of the most fascinating and best told stories in wrestling is that of Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi; The Golden Lovers. So much so, I could not possibly do it justice by reciting it all here. Going into this match, the Lovers had only just reignited their friendship but Omega was torn between it and his allegiance to Bullet Club. Enter his fellow Bullet Club stable mates and his other best friends
the Young Bucks. The result is one of the most emotional and hard fought tag battles you’ll ever see. The storytelling here is constantly top notch as Omega is constantly fighting back wanting to do too much damage to the Bucks but also wants to stay loyal to Ibushi. Even by the end, it would still be a long way off things being resolved but you felt like you had seen an important chapter come to a close.
Available on New Japan World
Moustache Mountain
vs Undisputed Era
NXT - July 11, 2018
Like all things in life, wrestling has to move on with the times and as such some of the old ways will inevitably get left behind. Now and again though, old school becomes new again. Following their win on home soil to become the champions, Moustache Mountain would immediately defend the belts against Undisputed Era a few days later. UE wanted the belts back and they did so in truly smart
fashion. What started in a strong back and fourth action ended with Trent Seven being cut off from his team mate, locked in submission after submission. With the risk of Seven facing permanent injury, Tyler Bate had to go on his own battle with himself over whether to throw in the towel or not. In the end he did so to save his team mate. What is amazing here is to see a story where the belts became an afterthought to a team who cared more about one another. As such you have a match with some of the best layered story telling and emotion.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network
Anti - Fun Police
vs Team Tremendous
Progress - Chapter 79: One Big Neck With Sausage Hands
- October 29, 2018
When it comes to comedy in wrestling it is usually clearly defined. You usually have matches that will just be straight up played for comedy and nothing else. Typically, if you try to blend comedy into a straight wrestling match it will produce mixed results. This match however pulls it off masterfully. Split into two
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halves, the first part feels like pure comedy before the second comes crashing in with some terrific in-ring action. Yet each half has perfect little hints that cause both sides of the coin to blur together leaving you with a match that will have you laughing your ass off and being blown away at the contest. Finger guns. Pleads to stop. A ring crew member getting shot. It's impossible to do the match justice by writing about it. Not too mention, the Progress faithfuls are on fine form with some amazing chants ("He's got no fun! On his d**k!). Also, by the end of this match, you will believe big men can fly. Big man lucha indeed.
Available on Demand-Progress
CCK
vs LAX
Progress - Chapter 87: Breadknife - March 31, 2019
If you aren’t fully versed in Progress then this tag team feud is one of the best kept secrets. Featuring two of the best teams on the planet, the first contest occured during Progress' Coast to Coast tour in New York. The friendly exhibtion was a mindblowing match, so much so they were invited over the UK for a follow up. With one win a piece this third encounter was supposed to be
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the decider. With the other two matches being such showstealers, fans were expecting another gripping and friendly installment. Well they got half of that. If you know CCK, then you know they aren't shy to pulling out the dirty tactics to score a win. Very slowly the match begins to break down until Brookes and Gresham use the dirtiest tactic of all to win. A countout. If you are someone who hates a countout finish, we urge you to go watch this and see how effective it can be. Not only was it a scorching heat grabbing move but it ensured you had to see the follow up.
Available on Demand Progress
Kofi Kingston
vs Daniel Bryan
WWE - Wrestlemania 35 - April 7, 2019
If you ever wanted to see a grown man with tears of joy in his eyes, look no further to a slightly drunk Greg at the end of this match. A story that was both 11 years in the making and occurred accidentally, Kofimania was the big take going into this Wrestlemania 35. Finding himself in this spot after some chance changes in the build, Kofi was entering this match looking like the main
event talent everyone knew he could be. To make the match even better, Bryan was on an absolute tear as a heel champion delivering some of his best work since returning to the ring. The result was one of the best wrestling matches Mania has ever seen and one that you genuinely didn’t know who would walk away as the victor. In the end the dream was realised and many a happy tear was shed after such a long and epic journey for one of the most deserving talents.
Available on Peacock/WWE Network and YouTube
Trent Seven
vs Walter
Progress - Super Strong Style 16 - Day 2 - May 5, 2019
Despite trying their best, it can be tricky for the indies to pull off long-term story telling. With no guarantees on talent and injuries occurring, a story will be grounded fast. But thankfully in this case it all planned out perfectly. Built around the classic fued trope of disrespect, Seven wanted to bring down the dominance of Walter who was ruling Progress (and
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damn near every other promotion) with an iron fist. If you ever doubted Seven’s ability in the ring when compared to the rest of his British Strong Style stable mates this match will make you a firm believer of the Trent Seven Army. You’d be forgiven going into this one that Walter was easily going to walk away with the win but then that is the pure magic of this match as mid-way through you think Seven could actually pull of the seemingly impossible.
Available on Demand-Progress and Peacock/WWE Network
Orange Cassidy
vs Gentleman Jervis
WrestleCircus - Encore - May 12, 2019
Way before he became a breakout star on AEW, Orange Cassidy was essentially doing the same schtick on the indies. A lot of buzz was already well around Cassidy across various promotions, that if you already knew what he was about then you sort of expected it wouldn’t take long for him to win over a wider audience. He’s not just a guy
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who understands comedy in wrestling, he just gets wrestling completely. His match here with Jervis shows that there is a place for comedy matches on a wrestling card to add more variety. But that the fans will also buy into it as well. The structure to the match is well done, with a lot of the laughs coming from Jervis trying to wrestle a straight up match but being dumbfounded at Cassidy’s offense (or is it lack of offense?). Between them, the pair take the most standard of wrestling hold and deconstruct it to show its absurdity. In a hilarious way! What’s more the crowd and commentary really help by playing up to it all (“Drop down. Drop Down. Drop Down.”) Plus, you’ll never see a match again where the bout was almost over by making your opponent fall asleep.
Available on Twitch and YouTube
Will Ospreay
vs Shingo Takagi
NJPW - Best of the Super Juniors 26 - May 13, 2019
Despite being already one of the most talked about names, 2019 was a true benchmark year for Will Ospreay. If people had not already caught the buzz in his rise to dominance then this was when he showcased why you needed to catch up. The true standout from his 2019 however is this match with Shingo Takagi. The big man showed he was no slouch when it came to agility and as such you get a
bout that is fast and frenetic with both men complimenting each other perfectly.
Available on New Japan World and YouTube
Dustin Rhodes
vs Cody
AEW - Double or Nothing '19 - May 25, 2019
As 2019 arrived, the buzz was all around the newly announced All Elite Wrestling. Long rumoured for a while, the company officially announced itself on January 1 2019 and hype immediately began to build. Despite similar successes and building an impressive roster, it was no doubt hard to build hype for the debut show, Double or
Nothing, even with the heavy use of social media and YouTube. Feuds would have to be built quickly but one more or less wrote itself. At the start of the year, Dustin left WWE and the Goldust character behind, after well over two decades of loyalty. It would be announced a month out that Cody would face his brother, saying he would defeat him as a way to “kill” the Attitude Era. But there was so much more to it than that. This was a chance for the oldest Rhodes brother to demonstrate how much of tremendous talent he was away from the goofy schtick WWE made him do. The match was nothing short of an instant classic. A Hard hitting and bloody affair which was a shock to see on a mainstream wrestling product after so long. In many respects, this match helped get AEW on the map massively and proved that an old dog like Dustin still had plenty of tricks to show.
Available on Fite TV
Cara Noir
vs Pac
Riptide Wrestling - Point Break - July 5, 2019
A real showcase to show why the UK is such a hot bed for wrestling talent in terms of past, present and future. In this case the present was represented by Pac. Having only just left WWE due to mounting frustrations, it was some time before he finally stepped back in a ring. But when he did, the Bastard had arrived. On the other side you had the future in Cara Noir. A talent making a strong name for himself but needing something to really land him on every
radar. This was it. A perfect example of showing why the UK independent scene was the place to be at the time, it did wonders for the small Brighton based promotion and the talent involved. It wouldn’t be much longer before Pac proved his star power on a big stage again in AEW and Cara would go on to become the most sort after wrestler in the independents.
Available on Independent Wrestling TV and YouTube
Schadenfreude
vs Team Fight Club Pro
Death House – Fight Club: Pro – Project Mayhem 8
– Night One – September 27, 2019
One of the best factions in recent memory has been Schadenfreude. Unless you follow UK and European wrestling then chances are you won’t be familiar which is a shame as you are missing out. They are a group that went from cool heels to running their own bonkers shows and essentially making the
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faction feel more like a brand. Or a cult (Or NOT a cult according to them). The rise of the group started in Fight Club Pro with Chris Brookes feeling he was never awarded the right opportunities despite being a main stay with the promotion. As such he gathered like minded wrestlers to form Schadenfreude and essentially rebel against the Fight Club: Pro management, beating down Martin Zaki at every chance they got. After over a year of thier dominance this match was set for all the marbles in Death House. Essentially one of the most ghetto looking cage matches you ever seen but full of the violence any deathmatch fanatic could want. Every man in this match takes their licks with the match nearly running to a full hour. By the end the canvas is coated in light tube fragments and thumbtacks, with endless debris littering the ring side area. There is too much to cover in this hour that you really just need to go check it out as it never lets up for a second. Be sure to watch the brilliant opening hype video to get caught up on the full story heading in.
Available on Fight Club: Pro On Demand