Jim’s top 10 matches of all-time: Part 1 (10-6)

Full disclosure… I was born in 1994 and there are a few noticeable gaps in this list where I was a lapsed fan. I’m sure there was an amazing Summerslam opener in 2008 or something that’s worthy of the list, but if I didn’t watch it at the time then it can’t sit with us.

10. Britt Baker v Thunder Rosa (Unsanctioned Lights Out match) – AEW Dynamite St. Patrick's Day Slam 2021

For some of the faults that come with AEW’s unsanctioned matches (like wins/losses not really counting although we’ve just seen it happen), they have provided some of the most amazing spectacles in wrestling for the past few years. A lot of people might prefer the Moxley/Omega bloodbath from Full Gear 2019, but for my money this one tops it.

Talk about overdelivering on expectations… It’s fair to say that AEW have struggled to consistently build their Women’s Division since 2019, with so-so booking and lack of star power really hampering the progression of the division. Mainstream women’s wrestling had rarely seen high levels of gnarly violence before, so when this match was turned lights out my expectations weren’t super high. But both women put on a show that Mick Foley would be proud of. Double juice, a plethora of weapons and excellent false finishes created for an outstanding match, with Britt’s sadistic bloody smile catapulting her into stardom.

9. Stadium Stampede – AEW Double or Nothing 2020

Chaotic Good on the alignment chart.

The landscape of pro wrestling was bleak at the start of COVID. Wrestling companies had to try and maintain an engaging show without a crowd to fuel matches and promos, and naturally the product suffered early on. These struggles forged creative and experimental ways to simulate the feeling of a live arena crowd and gradually wrestling found its feet.

Perhaps the most creative solution found to the lack of live crowd was to take the wrestling out of the arena and into an NFL stadium. It felt like there were 10 different things going on, yet it never felt bloated or overbooked. This would’ve been a bastard to produce with multiple cameramen following each brawl, but it was expertly produced and managed to cover everything.

High spot after high spot ensuring you couldn’t look away for a second; Hangman’s horseback arrival, Matt Jackson’s goalpost moonsault and 100-yard northern lights suplexes, and Sammy’s golfcart escape and subsequent dive to finish the match represented how fun wrestling can be.

8. Daniel Bryan v Kofi Kingston – Wrestlemania 35

‘You deserve it!’

The build to Kofimania was incredible, and like some other iconic storyline builds this came about by chance. Kofi Kingston was generally beloved by all, but for many years it was entrenched that his position was tag-team champ with the New Day or occasional US champion. No shame in that, but it felt like they hadn’t really tested the waters with a singles Kofi push.

And then Mustafa Ali gets injured, Kofi is inserted, and we see one of the most organic rises to the top-card since his opponent’s, Daniel Bryan. I sat watching this match in full belief Kofi was gonna do it, no selling Bryan’s kicks had the crowd electric. I could have easily included this match on the list too. His eventual loss dampened the crowd who thought the push was for one night only, but it was just the start.

The road to Kofimania expertly mirrored that of Daniel Bryan’s ‘yes movement’ years before, and what better antagonist to have in this story than the man himself. Labelled a B+ player having to jump hurdle after hurdle to get his title match, the road to Kofimania produced some of the most heart-warming moments in wrestling for a long time. Big E and Xavier Woods’ run through the tag-team gauntlet while everyone watched in the back was remarkable, and the Usos’ forfeit was the icing on the cake.

I have to give a shout-out to Daniel Bryan here. Plucky face or despicable heel, he is just the best at it, and he served as the perfect final boss for Kofi. The two went on to produce a great match with a deserved ending, the New Day holding a victorious Kofi on their shoulders as new champion.

7. Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle v Triple H & Stephanie McMahon – Wrestlemania 34

I wish I could say that this match had a great build and that I was chomping at the bit to see it. I was intrigued about a debuting Ronda but I didn’t expect it to be my favourite match of the card. A mixed-tag match with two non-wrestlers and two old legends had no right to be this good.

It felt like Angle and Triple H were in there for an eternity before slowly building to the hot tag. The world had wanted a gobby Stephanie to get her comeuppance for a long time, and she finally did when Kurt tagged Ronda in. Although Stephanie getting dragged in by her hair or having her arm ‘broken’ were nice touches, this match will be remembered for Ronda squaring up to Triple H and lifting him up for a slam.

This match was all about Ronda. She was already a big name from the UFC, but after this match it was clear she was on her way to becoming one of the biggest stars in the company.

6. Eddie Guerrero v Brock Lesnar – No Way Out 2004

Simply put, this is the first storyline that made me fall in love with wrestling. To a 10-year-old me and all my friends, Eddie Guerrero was the man. Watching back on his matches now I have a greater appreciation for him as an in-ring technician, but at the time he was a master on the mic.

Imagine me at 10, a mark who thought no one could possibly beat Brock. At the time I thought he would hold the belt forever, but Eddie’s babyface run had gathered so much momentum that this was the perfect David v Goliath story to take the belt off Brock. The final frogsplash and ref dragging himself over to count the fall is one of the most iconic moments from the Ruthless Aggression era, cementing Eddie’s place in history.

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