Please enjoy the second half of this list on my top 10 wrestling matches of all time. 3 of the 5 matches are in the past 3 years as that’s honestly when I’ve been the biggest wrestling fan.
Don’t work yourself into a shoot.
This is potentially AEW’s best storyline to date, and undoubtedly the best promo work I’ve seen in a feud since Rock/Austin. Two of the best talkers walking Earth eviscerating each other on the mic was kept fresh and captivating with a stellar storyline build. This feud was full of intensity, emotion, and incorporated real-life back stories adding another level of personal animosity to the rivalry.
At the time of Punk’s arrival in AEW he was predictably the biggest babyface in the company, while MJF was likely AEW’s biggest heal. A programme was hoped for and anticipated, yet Punk never acknowledged MJF at the beginning of his run. This indirect snub was focal in the storyline as we later found out that Punk was the real-life hero of MJF. This fed beautifully into the feud as the former would use it to get into the latter’s head, while the latter would try and vilify Punk by reminding everyone that he quit wrestling, and therefore quit on the fans, back in 2014. Towards the culmination of the storyline this had started to blur the lines of who exactly was the good and bad guy… expert storytelling.
It's almost easy to forget about the amazing B plot that this feud intertwined throughout. While showcasing the rivalry between the two main characters, they also managed to build a new star in Wardlow, culminating in a massive babyface turn which both ended the current feud and set up a new one.
The match itself was superb. Max coming out to Cult of Personality while Punk came out to his old Ring of Honor theme. A spectacle of violence throughout the dog-collar match, ending with Wardlow’s face turn.
Special shoutout to Outside Interference for his unreal visual chronicle of this entire feud above.
I used to love NXT back at this time. Every card was a banger with very few misses. Every time someone was called up to the main roster you’d be sad because the better booked show lost a great talent, but they always found a way to replace them.
This was the first match that made me fall in love with the black and gold brand. The range of teams was so eclectic; plucky underdog faces (DIY), dastardly tag-team specialists (Revival) and monster heels (AOP). Each team played their part to perfection with the bulk of the quality wrestling coming from DIY and the Revival, occasionally cut off with big power spots from AOP. Using each other’s finishers, ad hoc alliances and the general chaotic nature of a triple threat made this match exciting from start to finish. The only regret is that they didn’t eliminate AoP first and let the two star teams battle it out.
Speaking of NXT classics, this one came just one month after NXT Orlando. As an English lad, watching two homegrown heroes put on a match that made an American crowd chant ‘UK’ made me very proud of British wrestling.
This is probably the match I’ve watched the most and for good reason. It was a perfect combo of chain mat-wrestling, power spots, ring psychology and near falls. I don’t think I have a favourite wrestling style, so I love matches that showcase a bit of everything in a way that makes sense in the wider story.
To this day I don’t know how those two felt they had to right to put on such a great in their early 20s, and I hope they have many more.
Holy moly, well if this isn’t the best tag team match I’ve ever seen I don’t know what is. I shouldn’t be that surprised as in the wider context this match was a big part of my favourite ever storyline, the Hangman’s Tale. I’ll try not to digress too much into the wider storyline behind this match because well, spoiler, I’ll go into plenty of detail for number 1 on this list. But to understand what makes this match so great you need to understand the backstory.
As I’ll go on to cover, the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Hangman were best friends as part of The Elite. As AEW grew, Hangman grew anxious and undervalued causing him to doubt whether he belonged on this stage with his friends. He and Kenny surprisingly won the tag titles on the Jericho cruise, but cracks were visible as Hangman chose to crowd surf by himself in celebration. He didn’t feel validated with these titles and still felt overshadowed by his fellow Elite members. He developed an aggressive edge which came to the fore at Revolution in their title defence against the Bucks.
This. Match. Was. Unreal. A jaded Hangman (mis)guided his frustrations towards the Bucks with heelish tendencies throughout the match. The Bucks and even Kenny were trying to calm him down but he was having none of it, provoking a more aggressive side of the Bucks. There were so many highlights of this match: Nick’s Northern Lights suplexes on the ramp, Kenny kicking out of the Golden Trigger at one, Hangman hitting the One-Winged Angel. After a hard-fought win we saw Hangman tease hitting Kenny with the buckshot lariat adding the perfect amount of suspense to the storyline.
Leaving this match it was impossible to imagine anything but Hangman turning heel on his friends… and that is why this is the best storyline ever.
Don’t act so shocked.
I struggle to describe the wrestling perfection that is the Hangman’s Tale. It’s hard for me to find a place where I think it could’ve been done better. This storyline faced the outbreak of Covid, the tragic loss of Brodie Lee and Hangman’s paternity leave right before his planned final big push. This story spanned over TWO YEARS and is comfortably the most invested I’ve ever been in wrestling.
At number two on this list I mentioned how Hangman’s insecurities had made him bitter and jaded against his friends, but that’s not the full story. Before All Out 2019 we find out Hangman asked the Bucks to be in his corner for his title match against Jericho, but they rebuffed him for their other duties, which planted the seeds of doubt in Hangman’s head.
Fast forward to after Revolution 2020 and the relationship between Hangman and the Elite is still damaged. FTR then join AEW, turn heel, and offer Hangman a friendship he felt he was missing from his friends. They corrupt him into costing the Bucks a tag title shot, turn on Hangman, and then beat him and Kenny for the titles. After this match Kenny abandons Page and he’s left all alone. No titles or friends.
He strikes up a wholesome friendship with the Dark Order while heel Kenny goes on to win the AEW title, convincing the Bucks to turn heel alongside him. They go on a reign of terror as Kenny becomes the belt collector, eventually leading to Hangman winning a title shot in his emphatic return.
At Full Gear they had a war in a spectacle of storytelling. Hangman refusing to cheat to win, Kenny kicking out of the One-Winged Angel were some highlights. The Bucks coming to ringside to finally watch their friend win the big one, giving the nod of approval before Hangman hit the final buckshot brings a tear to your eye.
I absolutely love what Outside Interference has done again with this 5-part video series on the Hangman’s Tale. I implore you to watch it.
Jim explains how his love of wrestling has transcended from childhood to adulthood
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MCW is joined by an old friend to discuss his relationship with wrestling
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Take a look at part 1 of Jim's top 10 matches of all time
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Take a look at part 2 of Jim's top 10 matches of all time
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