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| How are these two guys gonna have two of the best matches of the year? Photo Credit: WWE.com |
The grand finale of the match countdown for this year. Remember, if you don't see a match you thought should be on here, leave it in the comments. If I didn't see it, I'll tell you. If I didn't like it, I'll tell you too.
AJ Styles vs. Stevie Richards
Impact, November 11th (airdate)
A match that told a story, had big spots that made sense and finished with a memorably sick variation on a signature move? It happens a lot in many feds, but in TNA, especially on free TV, it doesn't happen very much. The one Impact match that people cite as a MOTY candidate is the Styles/Kurt Angle match from the January 4th show, but to me, that was a morass of spots stringed together haphazardly in an attempt to titillate without any semblance of story and destroyed both their finishers. This match had a legit story (Styles wanting to put out Richards, a member of EV 2.0), a few memorable spots, including the big one of Richards countering a Styles high spot with a Stevie Kick, and ended with an absolutely sick variation on the Styles Clash. One of the best matches in TNA all year.
Sheamus vs. John Morrison
Survivor Series, November 21st
The premise behind the match, Morrison fighting another grown-ass man's battle for him, was lame, but the payoff match for the original heat in this feud was amazing. Sheamus was wonderfully stiff as he usually is, but Morrison was a revelation, bumping and brawling like he was Shawn Michaels in 1996. The finish, which was seamless and featured something other than the overly-flippy Starship Pain, put an exclamation point on the action.
Mickie James vs. Tara
Steel Cage Match, Impact, December 9th (airdate)
They gave this match the main event on Impact, and it paid off. This was a damn good brawl between two women who have been in the business for a good long time and know how to get a match over. It was a nice brawl that ended on an insane spot from the top of the cage, maybe one of the best free TV spots of the year with Mickie's leap onto Tara.
Roderick Strong vs. Austin Aries
ROH on HDNet, December 13th (airdate)
Aries is the kind of guy who straddles the line between indie strong-style and traditional storyteller so well, and this is one of those examples. You put him in there with Tyler Black and he'll give you something watchable. Put him in there with a CAPABLE worker such as Roddy? It's masterful theater, which is what this match was. Aries, who had spent the last two years going heel, worked face here, playing off his former tag partner's recently-found heel antics. It started out slowly, but once Aries started going on offense, it picked up. Best spot of the match was Aries going to the outside on Strong, missing, but then recovering and throwing him into the guardrail. There was great selling, and Aries put Strong over strong on the way out. ROH is going to miss Austin Aries, and this match is going to serve as a stark reminder how much.
Sheamus vs. John Morrison
Number One Contenders Ladder Match, Tables, Ladders and Chairs, December 19th
This was much like their Survivor Series match, only enhanced with the addition of ladders. On a card with two other ladder matches, this one managed to have its own identity that wasn't borrowed from a prior ladder match. Morrison bumped great here again, and Sheamus again was on point with his offense. Fantastic match that stood out on a PPV with mostly good wrestling action on it.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
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