The Top Ten 7.18.07: Matches of 2007....So Far
Posted by Julian Williams on 07.18.2007
Instead of focusing on the recent negativity, let's take a look back at the matches this year that made us happy to be wrestling fans.
Good morning folks, how you guys doing? Good I hope. Welcome back to another opinionated version of The Top Ten. I, as always, am your host Julian and this week we're going to take a look at The Top Ten Matches of 2007….So Far. Sorry about the column being a couple days late, but my computer decided to go bonkers on me so I had to use my ladyfriend's computer in order to post this. 2K7 has been a pretty decent year for in-ring quality and while it might not match up to previous years, there have been a few classic matches which I think will be talked about for some time. I have seen a vast amount of wrestling so far this year from WWE, TNA and ROH, but there are some matches I've probably missed so if you don't see one of your favorite matches on here, be sure to let me know about it. Enough with this intro, let's get to the good stuff.
Reader Feedback
First up is John who has a little beef with my wrestler acquisition list:
The favoritism in this list is horrid. Bert Hart going to WCW or Triple H going to the WWE is easily a bigger event in wrestling history then any listed in 6-10, with the exception of Kurt Angle, and then only because kurt angle was already a huge name. With being tied to the great screw job in wrestling history, why wasn't Bert number 1? I understand why Benoit was not listed, your a spineless coward. What about Eddie Guerrero leaving WCW for the WWE. RVD going to the WWE (during the invasion). Goldberg coming to the WWE. Undertaker coming to the WWE. Fact of the matter is there have been countless acquisition in wrestling history, have had a larger over all then Samoa Joe. If you were to write this listed in decade, he might belong on it, but in current day no he does not. He is a great wrestler working for a second rate wrestling promotion. He is still, at the early stages of his wrestling career and has not had to stand the test of time. Well being very known in the wrestling community, he is no where near the household name, that many other listed there are. If you want a list like this to have any credibility and mean something, try to block out modern day prejudices and consider to full impact on wrestling history, not just current seen. This list really have been made up of the acquistions, of some of wrestling greatest draws, which the half largely was.
While John makes a good point here that acquisitions such as The Undertaker, RVD, and Goldberg were big moves, I cant say that I would place any of them above any of the acquisitions I listed. The Undertaker wound up being one of the most respected and popular wrestlers of all-time, but before his debut he was Mean Mark Calloway so nobody was chomping at the bits to see him. Once he debuted the Undertaker character and developed it, that is when his popularity rose, he wasn't a success from the get-go. Goldberg's debut in the ‘E was huge news, but bad booking and Goldberg's demands wound up making it one of the most lackluster acquisitions ever. The man was booed for the majority of his run and it wasn't until his final few months that the fans started to actually get behind him and then he was out the door. RVD is an acquisition that I could see being on the list even though the ‘E blew it big time with him since within a couple months of his debut, he was one of, if not THE most over wrestler on the roster. I still remember the reactions RVD would get everytime he came out, it would be deafening. So instead of pushing him in the main event, the ‘E shunted him to the midcard and soon RVD wasn't relevant anymore until he returned from his injury and won the WWE Title, but then all that went up in smoke. The Bret Hart acquisition, though huge news at the time, wound up being a monumental bust for WCW and some say that was the beginning of the end for them. Bret definitely didn't make the impact in WCW that many thought he would, even though that is more the fault of the writers than Bret. The acquisitions I listed were the ones I felt were most beneficial for the company those wrestlers went to at the time. Joe's career might still be in the early stages and he certainly hasn't had as legendary a career as The Undertaker or Bret Hart, but his contributions to TNA helped put them on the map when they were still floundering on FSN and trying to find a permanent home. He helped bring the fans in and I think he is a key part to the future success of TNA. I guess me and John will just have to agree to disagree. Or have a Mexican Cervacas and Barbed Wire Death Match. I like that option.
Next up is an anonymous reader who has a more personal take on the Benoit tragedy:
I just read your piece and your poll about Chris and I felt there was something that really needed to be said.
Chris was a good friend of mine for a number of years before life took us in different directions. During that time he was someone that was always supportive, always positive, always had a way of taking whatever was driving me to the brink of insanity, turning it just a bit to shed a new light on it and making it seem much less insurmountable.
I have not spoken to Chris for a couple years but I have thought of him and seeing him when I would occasionally tune into wrestling always provided me with a bit of a pick me up and I'm not the only person that would say these things about Chris. This is a guy that was liked and respected by everyone. People that he met just for a moment, people that worked with him every day. No one I have ever met had anything negative to say about Chris.
So two weeks ago I woke up to a phone call from a friend telling me that they were sorry to hear about Chris... that's how I found out. The more I found out the more horrified I was. I wrestled for days trying to figure out how you mourn a friend when his final actions were ones that you find inconceivable and unforgivable. And then I realized... we have all screwed up. We have all had that moment when we did something that we could never imagine doing under normal circumstances. Difference is that most of us were able to move beyond that moment, dull the impact of that moment from peoples memories based on our actions that followed. None of us would want the entirety our lives to be judged based on the worst day of it.
To erase Chris from history is to judge him based on the worst day of his life and to ignore all of the good ones. It would mean ignoring the smiles he put on young kids faces when he took the time to stop and say hello. Ignoring the times he spent with Make a Wish Foundation kids which he did because he felt they gave more to him than he could ever give to them by reminding him just how lucky he was. Ignoring the young up and comers in the business that he gave an encouraging word to, mentored and taught so much in the ring to. It would mean ignoring the man that Chris was and remembering only a single action that he made.
I can't begin to understand, try to explain. or justify the actions of Chris on that horrible weekend. I just know that I never met the man that was capable of doing that and I simply can't allow the actions of someone that I did not know to erase that reality of the man that I did. A man that I respected and was honored to call a friend.
Chris Benoit was a great person and an amazing wrestler that was loved and respected by everyone he competed against. He should not be forgotten, he should not be ignored and he should not be erased from the sport. We cannot erase the events of that horrible weekend no matter how badly we wish we could. Trying to remove him from our memories will not bring him, Daniel or Nancy back. Maybe reminding us now and then though could help someone from falling victim to a similar fate.
What's so puzzling with the Benoit tragedy is that virtually everybody who has talked about him mentions how great a person he was and a man completely devoted to friends and family. It's still weird to me to think of Benoit as a murderer as he seemed like one of the last people who would ever be capable of such a horrific act. At first I couldn't blame the WWE for distancing themselves from Benoit. After all, who wants to be associated with a murderer, especially a child murderer? That would be like a business office keeping up the plaque of their employee of the year after he killed his family. It wouldn't be good for business. I think eventually the WWE will slowly put back mentions of Benoit. Hell, on WWE 24/7 this week, the preview for the Monday Night Wars mentions that Benoit is in action. He certainly won't be inducted into the Hall Of Fame or get any kind of major recognition for all his contributions to the sport, but I think that within a couple of years people will be more willing to forgive Benoit and look back fondly on his matches. I only poised the poll because I didn't know if people were ready to hear mentions of Benoit on a regular basis. I know that for me, it's going to take a long time until I'm able to watch a Benoit match with fondness, but I can understand how many fans out there take comfort in watching Chris in all his glory before he reached the lowest part, and end, of his life.
Next is Lynx who calls me out for not mentioning a multi-man jump:
Mate, I can kinda understand why you left it off, given the poll (to which I voted yes, he should be included), but seriously, Benoit incident aside, you should have had the Radicalz jumping on that list. In one fell swoop, WWE got 3, possibly 4 (I am on the fence with Saturn) of the best talents. Out of it came 2 future (and one past) heavyweight champions, a multi-time light heavyweight champion, and 3 guys who have gone on to help a lot of talent pick up their game. Then again, it is kind of a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation, although I would have done it, cause it means not ignoring 2 guys legacy cause of 1others.
Lynx makes a great point here as honestly, I shouldn't have left all the Radicalz off of the list, but I didn't want to include that acquisition in lieu of the Benoit tragedy. But in all honesty, they definitely deserved to be in the top 10, maybe even in the top 5. I remember being completely shocked when I saw all four of them stroll to ringside and I knew at that point that WCW's days were numbered.
Finally we have Mark who mentions a few more significant acquisitions:
Julian--
The wrestler aquistions piece was pretty good but I felt you were a little off the mark on a couple of choices. The Steve Austin & Mick Foley moves to WWF weren't that big at the time, unless of course you are basing this list off of overall impact. Because to me their debuts meant about as much as HHH's move from WCW and I actually marked out much more for initial news of Dustin Rhodes and then Vader and then Marc Mero coming over from WCW.
I thought the Joe and Cage to TNA bits were good and I thought Angle's should've been higher. Hogan and Hall & Nash's moves were of course great, as was Luger's. Jericho was another good obvious choice and I had almost forgotten about Flair's, but it was a great one.
I think some good ones you missed were Sting coming to TNA, both The Dudley Boyz' moves from WWF and then to TNA, Tazz' arrival to WWF, Big Show coming to WWF, and two I'm really surprised you forgot-Bret Hart going to WCW and The Radicalz showing up in the WWF.
Anyways, good stuff.
I think that Austin's and Foley's inclusion on the list were more out of personal preference on my behalf since I enjoyed both of them when they were in WCW. I remember watching WCW Saturday Night at my Godmother's house and loving the Hollywood Blondes and the crazy antics of Cactus Jack. So when I saw them finally reach my favorite promotion, the WWE, I was extremely happy. Matt makes some great picks here as The Dudley Boyz helped usher in a new era of violence in the WWE and the reaction that Tazz got at MSG during his debut was phenomenal.
That's it for the mailbag this week. I want to thank all you guys that sent in your feedback and thoughts. Be sure to keep up the good work. Let's move on to another important matter.
Poll Results
So last week I asked all of you guys an important question about whether Chris Benoit should be included in future Top Ten lists or not. Well the results are in (drumroll please):
Yes: 80%
No: 20%
Well there you go, the yes' have it. I was a bit surprised with how one-sided the results were, but you guys have spoken and I guess you don't want the wrestling legacy of Chris Benoit to die with him. So in future top ten lists, I will judge Benoit fairly and if he deserves a spot on any given list, he will certainly be there with nothing but positive statements. Alright, now that we have that manner out of the way, let's get to the list.
The Top Ten Matches of 2007….So Far
Honorable Mention: James Storm vs. Chris Harris (Impact, 6/7)
This was the rematch of their incredible Sacrifice match and I'll be damned if these guys didn't nearly top that fantastic effort. Just like their Sacrifice match, these two had a wild brawl that went all over the Impact Zone and included such spots like Harris diving from the ring onto Storm who was in the crowd, Storm driving Harris through a table with a senton splash and Harris spearing Storm THROUGH the bottom of Impact Zone stage. This was just an insane match that showed why these two are key assets in the future success of TNA.
Honorable Mention: BJ Whitmer vs. Brent Albright (ROH 5th Year Festival: NY)
I may be a little biased towards this match since I was there live, but this was an absolute show-stealer. On a card that featured Homicide returning to his hometown as the champ and the dream match of Joe/Morishima, this is the match that garnered the most attention from the crowd. These two men beat the holy shit out of each other and performed some of the most death-defying moves that I have ever seen. You knew you were in for something special when the match started with Albright hurling BJ off the top rope through a table on the floor. Some of the crazy moves in this match included both men crashing from the top rope through a table on the floor, BJ giving Albright TWO Exploder Suplexs through a table, Albright giving BJ an Awesomebomb from the ring through THREE tables stacked up on the outside, and BJ giving Albright an Exploder Suplex from the top rope through a pair of tables in the middle of the ring. This was just intense, brutal stuff that had the crowd going insane.
Honorable Mention: The Hardys vs. TWGTT (One Night Stand)
Even though this match could have been so much better, I think it's a testimony to these two teams that despite a few flaws in the match, it was still a highly entertaining affair. The spots where Shelton got backdropped over the top rope onto a ladder and when Shelton did a sit down senton from a ladder inside of the ring to Matt Hardy on the outside were both unbelievably sick. If they had hit the spots that were blown, specifically the wheelbarrow to Jeff Hardy into the ladder and the springboard-to-the-ladder attempt by Shelton (even though the way he recovered his slip up was a great testimony to his athleticism), this match would have been an unforgettable classic. Regardless, this was still an awesome match that should be remembered for some time.
Honorable Mention: James Storm vs. Chris Harris (Sacrifice)
This match was a Texas Death Match and these guys had a lot to prove after the horrific blindfold match they had the previous match. This time, these guys didn't have any stupid restrictions to hold them back and instead let it all hang out and they delivered one of the most unforgettable matches of the year. Both men bled like stuck pigs and we saw some sick moves like a whirly bird powerbomb through a table, a sick superkick through a steel chair, and Harris finally get some vindication by annihilating Storm with a glass bottle. This was a superbly intense match and was finally a great payoff to a long, drawn out feud.
10) The Undertaker vs. Batista (Backlash)
This was some good shit right here. These two had some great chemistry together and they proved the haters wrong on back-to-back PPV's. This was a stiff, brutal match and both men seemed hell bent to making their opponent stay down for the three count. I should have known that this was going to go to a double count out since that's the way that 98% of Last Man Standing matches in the ‘E usually end. I loved the end of the match with Batista spearing ‘Taker off of the stage because it showed he was desperate enough to regain the World Championship that he would but his own life at risk for it. I even loved the cheesy explosions and set destruction. This was a very fun match that wasn't quite as good as their ‘Mania match, but still damn good.
9) The 2007 Royal Rumble
After last year's disappointing Royal Rumble, the WWE had to come correct (yes, I just used slang from like 1993) with this year's version and they certainly did. This Rumble was packed with excitement from beginning to end and featured one of the best finishes to the Rumble in recent history. That final eight minute encounter between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels was absolutely fantastic as you had no idea which man was going to win and both men came close to being eliminated numerous times. The Undertaker eventually won it, signifying his first Rumble win and becoming the first man to ever win it from the number 30 spot. This was a Rumble that satisfied and got people excited for Wrestlemania, which is exactly what the Rumble is supposed to do.
8) Money In The Bank III (Wrestlemania 23)
This match had a lot to live up to due to the high quality of the two previous MITB matches and I think it definitely delivered. There was a numerous amount of insane shit seen in this match. From Kennedy cracking the back of his head on a ladder after missing a Kenton Bomb to Randy giving Punk an RKO from the top of the ladder to Matt taking a splat on the mat when Finlay turned over his ladder to Finlay giving Matt the Celtic Cross on a ladder to Booker giving Randy a Bookend from the top of the ladder to Kennedy giving Hornswoggle the Green Bay Plunge from the top of the ladder to Jeff Hardy's INSANE dive from the top of a ladder which broke both Edge and another ladder in half. That dive may have replaced Jeff's Impact Zone swanton as his most insane spot to date. I think this match was better than last year's MITB and on par with the first one. That Jeff/Edge spot is definitely one that is going to go down as an all-time Wrestlemania moment.
7) Samoa Joe vs. Christian (Destination X)
This match seemed to finally signify Joe's ascension into the upper tier of TNA as he was hell bent to dethrone Christian. These two had a terrific match that went all over the Impact Zone and featured Joe giving Christian a STJoe on the floor, a sick powerslam for a close two count, a spear from the apron to the floor by Joe to Captain Charisma, and Joe locking in the clutch on Christian. Damn, Joe really dominated this match now that I think of it. Christian was able to squirm his way out with a victory after landing on top of Joe during the clutch and getting his feet on the rope to pick up the cheap pin. This was a fantastic match and I would love to see another encounter between these two guys.
6) Samoa Joe vs. Morishima (ROH 5th Year Festival: NY)
Once again, I may be a bit biased since I saw this match live, but this was match was GLORIOUS. These two had an absolutely brutal, stiff match that wasn't exactly the classic that Joe/Kobashi was, but was still a fantastic match. Joe was able to get the big man up for a muscle buster, but Morishima kicked out it. Morishima delivered some wicked suplexes on Joe, dropping on his head a bunch of times and in turn making my girlfriend turn from a Joe fan to a Morishima fan. Damn traitor. The match ended when Joe locked on the clutch and Morishima passed out. Great match that is definitely worth buying the DVD to see.
5) Batista vs. The Undertaker (Wrestlemania 23)
The quality of this match surprised the hell out of me. I was expecting a pretty decent match between these two but they far exceeded my expectations. First off, The Undertaker's entrance was great and it was probably his best entrance since WM14. Secondly, Batista looked REALLY motivated and it showed as he delivered his best performance since his HIAC match with HHH a couple years ago. The Undertaker was no slouch either and for the second consecutive year, he busted out the no hands dive over the top rope, which is ALWAYS impressive for a man of his size. This was just a great big man match and you could feel the crowd literally gasp after Batista hit the Batista Bomb as some thought that may be the end to ‘Taker's streak. If Batista had kicked out of The Tombstone, I would have officially marked out like a little bitch, but alas it didn't happen and the streak continues. One of my friends who I watched the show with said this match should have gone on last and I can't disagree because the pop that ‘Taker got after winning was HUGE and would have been a great way to close the show. Really good match that pleasantly surprised me in terms of overall quality.
4) John Cena vs. Umaga (Royal Rumble)
What a brutal war this was. I was expecting a good match based on the above average encounter they had at New Year's Revolution, but this exceeded my expectations as well as the expectations of just about everybody I think. I will never forget Umaga running the tables and doing that crazy dive onto the announce table or Cena choking out Umaga with the ring ropes with this look of desperation and craziness on his face. Umaga turned me into a fan of his after this match as I now greatly respect his abilities in the ring. And if Cena couldn't end all the hate after this classic performance, I don't know what will.
3) John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania 23)
This match delivered in a big time way no matter what the haters of this match might say. I watched it again recently and I was even more impressed the second time around than I was during the initial viewing. I liked how both men at certain points played either the face-in-peril or the heel-in-control. It really made the match unique. The match was completely awesome and definitely had that big time feel, despite a dead crowd. The only negative part of the match was when HBK focused on Cena's leg for like a good 5 minutes and then Cena just shook it off and was running all around the ring like nothing was wrong with him. That's the only thing that prevented this match from being a 5* classic, but everything else was so damn good, that you can forgive them for that little fuckup. Great match that was definitely worth the price of Wrestlemania alone.
2) John Cena vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels (Backlash)
This was a phenomenal match and it showed why all four men (yes, even bitch ass Orton) deserve to be in the upper echelon of the WWE. It was well paced, action packed, and filled with tense moments that made you wonder who was going to pick up the win. I knew that Cena was going to win, but I think that the way they did it was absolutely genius. Shawn had Cena beat after the superkick, but Cena was just fortunate enough to land on top of Orton otherwise his title would be lost. It added great tension to the Cena/Michaels feud and even though they blew it by having Cena start feuding with Khali, it was immensely intriguing at the time. This was a fun match and a great way to cap off a great PPV.
1) John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (Raw, 4/23)
This was the followup to their epic Wrestlemania encounter and this match surpassed the classic effort of that matchup. This is the first match in a long time that I can remember going an hour without being previously announced. It was a pleasant surprise to see a nice, long, classic wrestling match on free TV. Some people complained about the slow pace in the early going, but I feel that added to the intrigue of this matchup. It told a terrific story as both men kept on kicking out, refusing to give up until finally, after 55 grueling minutes, Michaels was able to connect with Sweet Chin Music and put down Cena for the three count. This is one of the best free TV matches I've seen in a while, not since the days of the heralded Smackdown Six have I seen such a great, long match for free. Now if the ‘E could just give us matches like this on a regular basis, I would have nothing to complain about. Nah, I'm sure I'd find something.
Drive-By Pimpin'
Check out all these great columns by my 411 brethren:
-Andy Clark's "Shimmy"
-Ari's "Column Of Honor"
-Sean, Alex and David's "Triple Threat"
-Bayani's "Truth B Told"
-Weyer's "Shining The Spotlight"
-Byers' "Cheap Wrestling for Cheap People"
-Larry and Geoff's "4R's"
-Fact Or Fiction
-O'Dog's " Goodness"
-Sat and Uncle Trunx's "High Road/Low Road"
-Phill Feltham's "Quick Talkdown"
-Sarnecky's "Piledriver Report"
-Slimmer's News Report
-Hidden Highlights
-Carapola's "That Was Then" and "Friendly Competition"
-The Fink's Payload
-Gamble's "Just 'Spose"
-Cook's "Ask 411"
-Meehan's "Meethinks"
-Sforcina's "Evolution Schematic"
-Prag's "In Defense Of?."
-Wrestlers of the Week
-Sullivan's "Crystal Ball"
-Randle's "Wrestling News Experience"
-Joe Boo's "Ringside Or Cheap Seats"
-Linkous' "Why I Love Wrestling"
-Double M's Rasslin Report
-News To Start Your Weekend
-Dunn's Rawtopsy, Smackdown Breakdown, & ECW eXperience
-Your News, Larry's Views
-Zac Calhoun's "The Ripple Effect"
-Joe Estee's "Keys To The Game"
-Halden's "You're An Idiot And Here's Why"
-Buy......OR SELL!!
The Sign-Off
That will do it for this episode kids. Be sure to ask your parents if you can send in some feedback and be sure to come back next week when the topic will be The Top Ten Great American Bash Matches. Until then, go wash your ass!
