Suzuki one is pretty hit or miss I think. It was unique in the fact that it only had one pin attempt the entire match. Personally, I love it...I'm also a huge Tanahashi mark. I could see how somebody would think it's slow and not that great though.

Just caught Shibata vs Ishii.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x22...rs-match_sport

Finish was so odd. They are trading moves, can only get a one count on each other. Then all of a sudden a brainbuster results in a 3 count. Surely one of the shortest Meltzer 5 star matches ever. Great match while it lasted, though.

I love that match so much. I've watched that a ton since it happened. Immediately gave that 5*. Gives Joe/Kobashi a slight run for it's money.

Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black - New Horizons: This match happens one month after the last one.

This match starts off fantastic with Bryan stretching Tyler for the first 10 or so minutes. He just tries to rip Tyler's left arm off and it's fantastic. Some of the best limb work you'll ever see. Tyler gets the advantage and muscles Bryan up while Bryan has an arm lock and turns it into a bucklebomb! The ****ing ring breaks on that move with the turnbuckle coming clean off when the force of Bryan's body hits it. It gets awkward for a couple of minutes and then it ends awkwardly a couple of minutes later.

Rating: ***1/2.

It's funny that Bryan won all 3 of their matches together. If this happened in WWE, people would be crying that Cena was burying young talent but in this case, Tyler looked better each time.

Random match:

HHH vs. Stone Cold - 2/3 falls match @ No Way Out 2001: I'm sure 95% of the people on here have seen this match. If you haven't, go watch it because the match is far too long (~45 minutes) for me to write about it. Coincidentally, I saw a topic on another forum that was "What's the best feud of this year". My reply was there isn't one because there hasn't been a single one based on the two sides hating each other. This match is the perfect example of a feud where people hate each other and in the match they fight and beat the **** out of each other until they have no energy left and HHH literally falls on Austin for the 3 count. Great climax to the feud and something every feud should aspire to have.



Rating: *****

Austin (c) vs. Rock - Shane special referee in a NHB match @ Backlash 1999: Awesome video package that shows Rock throwing Austin and his belt in the river, Rock delivering his eulogy of "dearly Trailer Park Trash", along with Austin running Rock's new Lincoln over with his monster truck.

We come back from the package and we see Vince tucking Stephanie into his limo which elicits a chuckle from me, knowing that Taker is driving her away to end the ppv. Austin's pop is deafening and one of the biggest pops I've ever heard.

They brawl back and forth for 10-15 minutes until Rocky Rock Bottoms Austin through the spanish table. Rock gets gets on the headset and talks trash for a minute. Rock then commandeers a camera to which comes the famous middle finger/stunner combo through the table from Austin when Rock turns around from filming "the millions and millions of Rock's fans".

Finally back in the ring, Shane nails Rock with the title inadvertently. Austin covers Rock and Shane counts 1-2-:
Shane runs away. Vince comes up behind Shane with the hidden Smoking Skull belt and wallops Shane after a few second stare down. Earl Hebner in the ring ftw for SCSA.

Such a great match and really shows how great the AE was at its best despite this being the worst year of the AE.

Rating: 60% (****1/2)

Post match: "Where to, Stephanie!"

Claudio vs. Nigel (c) vs. Bryan vs. Tyler - Death Before Dishonor VI (2008): This is an elimination match, tag style, for the ROH World Championship. Nigel, who had just turned heel a couple of months ago, does some incredible heel work only tagging in when others are hurt and then delivering damage while working the crowd hard. Seth, Bryan, and Cesaro do their amazing ring things. Nigel gets in trouble against Claudio but the other two drop off the apron when Nigel goes for a tag and Nigel gets his comeuppance but doesn't get pinned. Instead he tags Bryan eventually and Bryan pins Claudio rather quickly.

Claudio is irate and destroys Bryan after being eliminated. Nigel comes in and locks in his arm lock (London Dungeon), Bryan doesn't respond and gets eliminated setting up Seth Rollings vs. Nigel McGuinness.

A bunch of high spots happen since they're not worn down yet because the match was rather short at this point. Nigel hits 3 lariats on Seth but can't get the 3. Seth regains the advantage and hits the Phoenix splash! 1-2-kickout!!! Nigel regains shortly after and hits 3 consecutive lariats for the win.

Rating: ****1/4. Some great character work in here from all 4.

Austin/HHH vs Jericho/Benoit - RAW on 5/21/01. Heyman and Ross provide the epic commentary. Austin, the WWF world champion, comes out before HHH which I've always found mind boggling.

I'm sure everybody here has seen this match. If you haven't...go watch it, right now! It's amazing that we can't have matches like this nowadays. Every RAW ends with a tag match. You'd think they could go back and look at the expert heel work and expert face work in this match to try to pull out a good match.

A completely rabid crowd for this match enhances the experience tenfold. I always cringe when I see HHH tear his quad. I've pulled it and I was barely able to walk for the next few hours, I can't imagine how much pain he was in when in the Walls of Jericho or trying to even get in the ring to hit Austin with the hammer. This match completely legitimized Chris Benoit.

I can't get imgur to work so no images for that last match

Rating: *****. I'd put this in my top 25 matches of all time that have happened in North America. Absolutely amazing.

Listened to the Lapsed Fan podcast that featured KotR 1998. I ended up watching the final two matches of that show afterward.

Mankind vs. The Undertaker - Hell in a Cell: I think pictures sum this match up nicely.



Apparently The Undertaker whispered to Mankind to stay down after the following bump so he could pin him but Mick is stubborn.




Taker gets busted open and nobody gives a **** because it doesn't get more extreme than what Mankind did.


Should Mankind have gotten offense in after taking those two huge bumps? I don't think so.


Mick takes a chokeslam on the tacks.


An absolutely horrifying match. I've seen the match at least 20 times but I cringe every single time I watch it. It is brutal. Thankfully Mick survived and thankfully this showed that Vince does indeed have a heart.

Steve Austin vs. Kane - First Blood match: This match was at least a decent brawl until the overbooked ending and the cluster**** of raising and lowering the cage. Mankind comes down, who mind you, can barely even walk, let alone swing a chair at Austin. Undertaker comes after Mick. Undertaker attempts to hit Mick with a chair but wallops Austin instead resulting in Austin blading and losing. Austin wasn't happy.



This match resulted in Kane's only WWE reign which lasted a grand total of one day.



Both matches: no rating, just fun brawls and car crashes.