Dr Gregory House's Top 40 Matches of 2013- Part 3

Hi everybody (Hi Doctor House)

Bet you thought I'd given up on this didn't you, anyways I'm back, on a noble quest to list my top 40 favourite wrestling matches of a calendar year that finished 5 months ago

Link to part 1- https://www.606v2.com/t51148-dr-gregory-house-s-top-40-matches-of-2013-part-1?highlight=dr+gregory+house
Link to part 2- https://www.606v2.com/t51912-dr-gregory-house-s-top-40-matches-of-2013-part-2?highlight=dr+gregory+house

The selection criteria follows no specific pattern, from the quality of the in ring action, to the significance of the event, to my personal preference for the people involved, the most important thing is how the match made me feel and if I felt it was worthy of this list.

I've tried to include a little background to each match and facilitate a way for you to watch the match, a link if possible, but some companies like PWG and DGUSA are a nightmare to find online so I'll give links to the DVD and PPV streaming sites I use for both.

Lastly, because I am the most insecure man on earth, apologise if I come across as a little patronising when talking about some of the lesser known companies on this list, I appreciate that many members of this board have a wide knowledge of wrestling but I wanted to take the time to explain to people who mainly concentrate on WWE and TNA why I enjoyed what I watched.

The end is in sight as I'm covering matches 20-11, please enjoy
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#20- Team Hell No & The Undertaker vs The Shield- WWE Raw 22/4/13

A match I still can't quite believe they gave away on Raw, fresh off 'mania, Taker decided to pull on the boots again to battle the Shield in a 6 man, in terms of action there's not a huge amount to differentiate from the numerous fantastic 6 man's the Hounds of Justice delivered that year but in terms of occasion, facing the Deadman in what looks in hindsight to have been his last match on Raw, sets it apart.

Where can I watch this?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwRGJddZqaA

#19- Johnny Gargano vs Micheal Elgin- Battle of Los Angeles- Night 2

A classic David vs Goliath contest between two men with such good reputations on the indy scene it would be unfair to them not to expect a spectacular match, a match where technical wizard Gargano attempts to slay the bigger Elgin while he dementedly tries to put him away with his Buckle Bomb/Liger Bomb combo, featuring one of the best displays of Elgin's awe inspiring stalling suplexes (around a minute or so, with squats!), the finish is a series of move-z but by god it's spectacular (not to mention pretty painful looking), very enjoyable contest.

Where can I watch this?- https://www.highspots.com/

#18- Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs Kazushi Sakuraba- IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match- NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 7

Another one of Nakamura's myriad of brilliant matches against interesting opponents, here he takes on former MMA fighter, 'The Gracie Hunter' Sakuraba, probably one of the closest matches to a real MMA fight, which may not be to everyone's tastes but there's no doubt both men execute it very well, the highlight for me is one instance where Nakamura shoots for a takedown (yes I'm trying out some of my MMA vernacular, impressed?) and Sakuraba counters with a knee to the face for a great near fall, like many of Nakamura's matches this year, it was unusual and different but undeniably brilliant.

Where can I watch this?- I genuinely can't find this match anywhere, looks like NJPW have gone hard ass on their copyright for this match (though many others are available for some reason), if you're tech savvy you might be able to dig it out but it's beyond me, sorry guys

#17- Tomohiro Ishii vs Hiroshi Tanahashi- G1 Climax Day 2

38, 5.7ft, chubby, balding, Tomohiro Ishii has it all going for him, but this man with his no nonsense, stone cold killer attitude, is one of the most beloved cult heroes in New Japan, in this match another gem from the G1 Climax (this was a brilliant tournament, have you got it yet), he faces Tanahashi in  a match of the hard hitting brawler vs the 6 time champion super worker, even against Tanahashi, Ishii's popularity is very evident, which works in the favour of the match as it allows Tanahashi to work subtle heel which he excels at, the finish of the match is brilliant as the crowd explode when Ishii pulls off the shock win.

Where can I watch this?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWVqJNIUgJ0

#16- Sami Zayn vs Antonio Cesaro- WWE NXT 21/8/13

A 2 out of 3 falls match, this is a chapter in Sami Zayn's battles with Antonio Cesaro in NXT and a great example of when you just send two top workers out to wrestle. The first two falls went by fairly quickly but the third was a classic contest built around some amazing spots and dramatic near falls, the finish with Cesaro countering a DDT into an uppercut is particularly fantastic. If you only watch on match from NXT in 2013 make it this one.

Where can I watch this?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JwCJmmaPkw

#15- Tomohiro Ishii vs. Katsuyori Shibata- NJPW G1 Climax Day 4

Want to see two men batter the Frak out of each other? Well you came to the right place, I've already mentioned Shibata and the cult hero Ishii, both men beloved for their hard hitting, take no prisoners style, so when these two met of the magnificent day 4 of the G1 Climax, the consequences were inevitable. If you are not a fan of the Japanese style of wrestling you are unlikely to be won over by this match as these two go hell for leather, at one point, to show off the size of their balls presumably, entering into a willing trade of sickening chops and shin kicks to the chest for over a minute, the action does pick up towards the finish though and by the time Ishii picks up the win at the end you feel he has been to hell and back. Dave Meltzer gave this match one of his elusive 5 star ratings, personally I don't think it's quite that good, still it was a tremendous war and probably the best example of the Poresu style in it's traditional hard striking form you'll see anywhere in 2013.

Where can I watch this?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASVEQ6VGkQA

#14- The Young Bucks & Adam Cole vs AR Fox, Rich Swann & Candice Le Rae- PWG Battle of Los Angeles- Night 2

The night we all got on our knees and sucked Candice Le Rae's d***, in my opinion the pinnacle of PWG's 6 man(/woman) spotfest tags in 2013, with a solid core built around the battle between heel world champion Adam Cole and the gutsy Candice Le Rae (probably most famous for a 4 minute match with Gail Kim on Impact which is exciting despite its length) complemented superbly by the athletic highflying insanity of the Bucks, Swann and Fox, who at one stage does a front flip over the ringpost into the crowd (and presumably onto an opponent but I'm not sure), all brought to life by a heated crowd who are as firmly behind Candice as they are singing 'All Night Long' by Lionel Ritchie (which is Rich Swann's theme before you think they've all gone mental), the finish, a triple superkick to Candice followed by a german suplex, may not please detractors of man on woman violence, but if it doesn't get you heel heat I don't know what will, a match you could only see in PWG.

Where can I watch this?- https://www.highspots.com/

#13- Team Hell No & Randy Orton vs The Shield- WWE Smackdown 14/6/13

A gem that doesn't get talked about much these days, but a match that really put down a marker in Bryan's ascent to the top of the WWE, this was the night the Shield were finally beaten in 6 man action, in front of a red hot crowd (unusual for Smackdown) all 6 men were superb, but none more so than Bryan who showed all of his trademark energy and finesse before finally picking up the win.

Where can I watch this?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzSLywMSyNo

#12- Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs Karl Anderson- IWGP Championship Match- NJPW A New Beginning

To some this is a great match, to Tanahashi it's just another example of why he's such a special main event talent, here he is facing Karl 'Machine Gun' Anderson, not a bad worker by any means but a man more famous for his tag team with Giant Bernard/Albert/Tensai than his singles work, but facing Tanahashi, he pulls out the best singles contest of his career, in the long New Japan main event that has become Tanahashi's speciality over the years replete with innovative counters and near falls that hooked the crowd hoping to see Anderson upset the odds (this was prior to him becoming chief douche No2 in the Bullet Club), alas it was not to be, but Tanahashi was on fire in 2013 and when he's churing out performances like this on B PPV's against good but not great opposition it's easy to see why.

Where can I watch this?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2vreY7SdNQ

#11- CM Punk vs The Undertaker- WWE Wrestlemania 29

A match that needs no introduction, famous more probably for it's appalling build up, it raised many questions like could Punk end the streak? And could it live up to the high expectations 'Taker matches had set over the previous 7 or so years? The answer to the 1st question was an inevitable no, but when all is said and done, the match delivered on the night, with the expectations of the historic legacy lying heavy on them, Punk, proving once again that he really delivers on the big stage, and Taker served up a match that more than met the standards of previous years, and managed to fit in that one 'oh my god is this it?' moments that came to define this match.

Where can I watch this?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9B8dcskMzY


Hope you all enjoyed reading this, I know I say this everytime but I'm determined to get Part 4 (the top 10 matches) out in a timely fashion, so keep your eyes pealed, until then all comments and criticisms welcomed

Greg

I appreciate its entirely opinion based but I just cant agree with Punk - Taker being so high. I think that'll raise a frw eyebrows.

How do you manage to keep up with so many different promotions House? Like you said trying to follow companies like DG:USA, Evolve & PWG, the only way to do so is by purchasing the DVD's or iPPV which are not cheap by any-means. NJPW is slightly easier because the bigger shows eventually end up on YouTube along with WWE, but it can really can become an expensive hobby.

Oh, Cracking List by the way   Real mix of talent there so I will be looking forward to seeing what makes the Top 10, I have a feeling that NJPW will be well represented there

#13- Team Hell No & Randy Orton vs The Shield- WWE Smackdown 14/6/13

A gem that doesn't get talked about much these days, but a match that really put down a marker in Bryan's ascent to the top of the WWE, this was the night the Shield were finally beaten in 6 man action

I might be wrong but didnt The Shields first loss come against Christian and The Usos?

Samo wrote:I appreciate its entirely opinion based but I just cant agree with Punk - Taker being so high. I think that'll raise a frw eyebrows.

Possibly so but like you said it's an opinion thing, I am...sorry was, a big mark for streak matches, this match for me had everything, the great sense of occasion, good in ring action, and that one 'is this it?' moment when Punk nailed Taker with the urn, I wouldn't say it was quite on the level of WMs 24, 25, 26 and 28 all which would easily have cracked the top 10 but still a great match for me, I also think it was voted MOTY in FSM maganzine's end of year awards IIRC (it was certainly top 3) and was one of the 4 WWE matches to be given 4.5 stars buy Meltzer (none were higher), so I don't know if it was a bit more universally popular than you realise.

Shot 21 LCFC wrote:#13- Team Hell No & Randy Orton vs The Shield- WWE Smackdown 14/6/13

A gem that doesn't get talked about much these days, but a match that really put down a marker in Bryan's ascent to the top of the WWE, this was the night the Shield were finally beaten in 6 man action

I might be wrong but didnt The Shields first loss come against Christian and The Usos?

I think that was there second

The_Enigma wrote:How do you manage to keep up with so many different promotions House? Like you said trying to follow companies like DG:USA, Evolve & PWG, the only way to do so is by purchasing the DVD's or iPPV which are not cheap by any-means. NJPW is slightly easier because the bigger shows eventually end up on YouTube along with WWE, but it can really can become an expensive hobby.

Oh, Cracking List by the way   Real mix of talent there so I will be looking forward to seeing what makes the Top 10, I have a feeling that NJPW will be well represented there

Cheers Enigma, for keeping up with PWG, DG:USA and Evolve, I do indeed put down the hard cash, I'm slightly fortunate that I can still enjoy a wrestling show after reading the spoilers, so I often tend to read a review for shows (sometimes 2 or 3 to get a rounded opinion) before going making a purchase, hence why Open the Ultimate Gate is the only DG:USA show I have seen this year as none of the others have been that well reviewed.

For PWG in particular I'm a big fan so I do watch a lot of their stuff, my top tip for PWG is to purchase the internet downloads from Highspots.com, the quality is good and you can have them downloaded in around an hour, but the real bonus is due to the $-£ conversion rate, the more expensive shows generally come in about £9 with the cheaper ones under £5 and for some available for as little as £3 with no delivery charges!, the download  is also released at the same rate as DVD's become available for UK orders so your not missing out by waiting (unless you want to pay the $40 delivery from the US), personally I don't see this as a significant outlay of money when compared to the cinema/dvds/pub etc as I'm paying for roughly around 3 hours of something I really enjoy.

Not doubting its popularity but I remember coming away from that match pretty underwhelmed. I think its partly remembered so fondly because it was surrounded by a relatively poor card. I also reckon I could name atleast 7 Undertaker Mania matches I think are better than this one.

I'll go back and rewatch it though, see if I can prove myself wrong.

I personally have preferred 4 of Taker's streak matches like I said above, 24, 25, 26 and 28 were all classics that could easily crack the top 10 of this list if not higher, but I think beyond that the Punk match fairs well, I think the match jars with some people as it was very different from the style of match we became accustomed to over the 4 years of HBK/HHH matches

PS thanks for all the feedback so far guys it's great

Gregory, brilliant idea. I am however, intrigued, to see your top 10 as if I was doing a list of matches from last year I'd have had the Gargano v Elgin my match in my top 5 no doubt. Absolutely incredible stuff. Elgin is a monster.

Please, if I can have one request.. If you don't have Prince Devitt v Kota Ibushi v Low Ki in your top 10, please let people know about it. Incredible.

I think the Undertaker-CM Punk match has to be applauded to be so good after such poor build up, the build up to the likes of his Edge match, both Michaels matches and both Triple H matches were a lot better than the Punk build up and so for them to still get a good match was testament to the match rather than being able to have a good story behind them which will always make a match better because of what it means.

Dr Gregory House MD wrote:

The_Enigma wrote:How do you manage to keep up with so many different promotions House? Like you said trying to follow companies like DG:USA, Evolve & PWG, the only way to do so is by purchasing the DVD's or iPPV which are not cheap by any-means. NJPW is slightly easier because the bigger shows eventually end up on YouTube along with WWE, but it can really can become an expensive hobby.

Oh, Cracking List by the way   Real mix of talent there so I will be looking forward to seeing what makes the Top 10, I have a feeling that NJPW will be well represented there

Cheers Enigma, for keeping up with PWG, DG:USA and Evolve, I do indeed put down the hard cash, I'm slightly fortunate that I can still enjoy a wrestling show after reading the spoilers, so I often tend to read a review for shows (sometimes 2 or 3 to get a rounded opinion) before going making a purchase, hence why Open the Ultimate Gate is the only DG:USA show I have seen this year as none of the others have been that well reviewed.

For PWG in particular I'm a big fan so I do watch a lot of their stuff, my top tip for PWG is to purchase the internet downloads from Highspots.com, the quality is good and you can have them downloaded in around an hour, but the real bonus is due to the $-£ conversion rate, the more expensive shows generally come in about £9 with the cheaper ones under £5 and for some available for as little as £3 with no delivery charges!, the download  is also released at the same rate as DVD's become available for UK orders so your not missing out by waiting (unless you want to pay the $40 delivery from the US), personally I don't see this as a significant outlay of money when compared to the cinema/dvds/pub etc as I'm paying for roughly around 3 hours of something I really enjoy.

Some excellent points there House. When purchasing any shows, I also tend to read multiple online reviews on the basis of what kind of ratings each kind of match gets with also avoiding what actually happens or the overall result of each match-up! I have yet to pull the trigger on internet downloads, which is probably only the reason why you can count on one hand how many ROH/PWG DVD's I have, but once I sort myself out with a new laptop later this year, I'm going to look at picking up some shows. Smart Mark Video also do the same where you can pick up CHIKARA, CZW, AAW and other independent shows at $11.99 which works out to be around £7!

Tooze actually pointed this out to me, but if you use this website (http://www.amerchandise.co.uk/store/) you can purchase ROH, DGUSA, WWE & TNA shows without paying the delivery charges. I've yet to use this site but do indeed tend to.