Top Matches Of 2012

If this article doesn't get the desired amount of views, Thomas Hall will be to blame..

Who doesn't love a good list? With Christmas rapidly approaching I contacted Scott to see if he'd be interested in doing a Top Matches style article with a couple fellow BoD'ers. At first he was opposed, but later that night the Ghosts of BoD showed up, and he quickly changed his mind. Especially when he saw that the Ghost of BoD Future offered up a vision of the wife leaving and Scott ending up sharing a studio apartment with The Fuj.

There was no set number for people to list, so we came up with whatever number we wanted.

Thomas Hall -

To begin with, this is going to be a WWE heavy list. I only watch WWE and TNA and there's a lot more WWE out there than TNA, so there's a bigger selection of matches for WWE to pick from. Also I've always been a WWF/E guy and it's a natural bias for me. Also this is a combination of my favorites and what I found to be the best matches of the year, so your stances on them may widely vary. Let's get to it.

10. Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode – Destination X

This was a match where the build to the match worked better than the overall match, even though the match itself was quite good. The story behind the match was Aries cashing in the X Title to get a guaranteed world title match here. This is where things got interesting, as you had Aries as the unbeatable X Division Champion facing the longest reigning world champion in company history. The idea was simple: take two guys who are perceived as unbeatable and put them in a match. The fact that the match was great helped a lot too.

9. Big Show vs. Sheamus – Hell in a Cell

This makes the list for the simple reason of how shocking it was. By shocking, I mean people were expecting a horrible match but we got a great showdown instead. Sheamus playing the giant killer worked very well for him as he's strong enough to be able to move Show around, but at the same time he's small enough to make Show's offense look good. This turned into the heavyweight slugfest, as in a match where both guys use their biggest power moves possible and the last man standing wins. Those can get very fun in a hurry, and this got excellent by the ending.

8. John Cena vs. The Rock – Wrestlemania 28

This isn't on here for the match, but rather the buildup. Cena vs. Rock was one of the only matches ever where I knew it would be good, but no matter how good it was I absolutely had to see it. I don't recall a match ever before where that happened other than maybe Rock vs. Austin II. The match itself is very good but I wouldn't call it great. Cena losing is still a questionable move, but it's not the worst decision of all time. On top of that, a match that draws a million PPV buys has to be doing something right.

7. CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan – Over the Limit

The idea here is simple: take two guys that can work almost any style and give them 25 minutes. The match was good and the fans reacted to it. I don't have much else here because I actually don't remember much of the match, but the ratings I have for it seem to say I really liked it, so here's a spot for it.

6. Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus – Extreme Rules

This was another war, with Sheamus' arm being such a factor that you couldn't tell if he was going to survive or not. This wasn't really a rematch but rather the first match between them, as the first match is the infamous 18 seconds match. It was 2/3 falls because that's EXTREME of course. These two beat the tar out of each other and it turned into an incredibly entertaining match. This match was also a part of the eventual Daniel Bryan anger management story, as he snapped in the first fall and kicked Sheamus long enough for a DQ. I like Sheamus a lot and this match was a good example of why.

5. James Storm vs. Bobby Roode – Lockdown

This was a bloodbath and seemingly the perfect blowoff for this feud. Naturally since this is TNA the feud continued over the summer and finally ended at Bound For Glory, but that's another story. The majority of the match was an excellent brawl with both guys bleeding like crazy. Storm kept beating on Roode until he couldn't take anymore, but the superkick knocked Roode out of the cage to keep the title on him. The problem of the match at the end of the day was there was no reason for Roode to keep the title here other than to extend the feud. If this was the blowoff, it likely would have cracked the top three.

4. Shield vs. HELL NO/Ryback – Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC Match)

That's likely high for this match but it blew my mind at TLC. This was the Shield's debut match and to say they delivered is the understatement of the year. It was a 25 minute war between six guys that looked like they wanted to maim each other. There were some huge spots, with the biggest one being Rollins going off the huge ladder and into a pile of tables, somehow without breaking his neck.

On top of that, the psychology was excellent here. The idea behind the match was Shield pounding down one guy at a time, giving them a 3-2 advantage at any given time. This was played up for the entirety of the match and it worked very well throughout. The match was all about a (non) blood feud and it came off feeling like a war rather than a match. On top of that, the idea of it being pinfall or submission made things even better. I'm surprised I rated this so high actually.

3. Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk – Wrestlemania 28

If this wasn't on this card, it would have been the best match of the night by far. This was built upon the Punk is Drunk story with Jericho pushing the idea that Punk is an addict no matter how straightedge he is. This set Punk off, setting up a war here. Much like Wrestlemania 25 though, they decided that if the champion got disqualified, he would lose the title. In other words, we need a 22 minute wrestling match from Chris Jericho and CM Punk.

What followed was a classic, with both guys showing some insane psychology and the finish coming from Punk hooking the Anaconda Vice for the second time. Earlier in the match, Jericho had kneed Punk in the head to escape the hold, so to end the match, Punk leaned his head forward to prevent the knees. I'm a huge fan of people learning during the match and adapting to it later to win. Excellent match here.

T-1. Undertaker vs. HHH – Wrestlemania 28 (Hell in a Cell)

T-1. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena – Extreme Rules (Extreme Rules)

I tried and tried but I can't decide between the two of these. They're different kinds of matches but they both were home runs in what they were going for. In wrestling, there is more than kind of great story and great match to end it. These two matches were prime examples of two very different kinds of stories and we'll look at them a bit here. We'll start with the battle of the legends in the cage.

To begin with, when I refer to the first HHH vs. Undertaker match, I mean the one that happened in 2011, not the one from eleven years ago.

This match might have the longest buildup for a match in the modern era. Think about it. This match was legitimately built up for over three years. The Shawn matches were more or less forerunners to this match, as was the match at last year's Wrestlemania. It helped that all three of the previous matches ranged anywhere from good to excellent. Every part of the final match was great, starting with the buildup.

The stipulation for the match was set up on an episode of Raw after HHH and Undertaker had spent a few weeks glaring at each other and cutting overly dramatic promos. At the end of the day though, a stipulation was promised. My guess was that it was going to Streak vs. career again, but in something that hasn't happened in years, HHH offered a Hell in a Cell match at a point in the year other than the HIAC PPV.

This showed what is lacking from the HIAC PPV. As opposed to the PPV, this match felt natural and a logical progression and ending to the feud between Undertaker and HHH. On top of that, having the match come out of nowhere rather than being the inevitable conclusion makes the match feel bigger. The match fit the feud rather than the feud being made to fit the match, which you can't get at the PPV anymore.

Now let's get to the actual match. With Shawn as the referee, the question became could the Streak actually end. The problem with Undertaker matches at Wrestlemania is making people believe the Streak is in jeopardy. The second Shawn match and the first HHH match couldn't get over this issue: at no point did I ever feel that the Streak was in jeopardy. The matches were good, but they didn't hit that higher level. On the other hand, the first Shawn match and the second HHH match had me freaking out over the near falls. That's not something that often happens, but when it does, things get awesome.

The match itself was an all out war with a ton of drama the whole way through. Between HHH massacring Undertaker with a chair and Shawn nearly stopping it to the DX finisher of a superkick into a Pedigree only getting two to Undertaker not being able to finish HHH despite using finisher after finisher. After finally finishing him with a tombstone, we got perhaps the image of the year with the three legends embracing. I'm not sure what era this ended, but it was a great way to end that era.

Now let's move on to the next month and the other match of the year. The night after Wrestlemania, Brock Lesnar returned and laid out John Cena with an F5. They brawled a few times over the next few weeks until we got to their Extreme Rules match, appropriately enough at Extreme Rules. The bell rang and the war was on.

This match was a war from the bell and was the most physical match I've seen in years. John Cena took one of the worst beatings I can ever remember but he stayed in the match somehow. This match was all about violence and it worked amazingly well. It was more of a fight than a match, which is something we haven't seen in the company in years. These two beat each other up and the place was losing their minds over it.

On top of that, and I know this isn't the most popular opinion, but this match was a testament to John Cena, as was the match the previous month's battle with Rock. Cena has reached the point where no one on the regular roster can give him a legitimate challenge, so they had to bring in one of the biggest stars of all time and the former UFC World Heavyweight Champion. That says a lot about where Cena is on the all time greatness scale.

Overall, 2012 had some great matches, but the problem was getting between those matches. The TV shows are beyond watered down at this point as there's too much TV going on. The good thing is that the PPV matches can be quite good, but the TV continues to get worse. Between the AJ saga and Aces and 8's and Del Rio vs. Sheamus, these stories just go on too long. Still though, some matches were excellent and are well worth checking out again.

Caliber Winfield -  

Much like Tom, I have a WWE heavy list, because I'm mainly a WWE guy. I'm a big pro-wrestling fan, but it doesn't consume most of my day. I watched most of the big matches from TNA this year, and while there were a ton of great ones, they just couldn't top the stuff in my top 5.

5. Bobby Roode vs James Storm – Street Fight – Bound For Glory, 2012
Hey, did you know James Storm is a redneck?! Just in case you didn't know. It would have made more sense for King Mo to be the enforcer in the Aces & Eights match. I mean, what's he gonna enforce here? The lighting and camera guys? Kudos to Storm's blade job, one of the goriest I've ever seen, and something that's absolute perfect in a match of this magnitude. Later, Roode sells the JS' version of the Codebreaker like The Rock sold the Stunner. Near the end, Roode breaks out the guaranteed pop, the thumbtacks.. They were over used for a while there, but now they're rarely seen and a perfect addition to a match such as this. The way Roode collapsed after getting hit with the beer bottle was fantastic, and made all the greater when Storm sat him up, only to send him crashing back into the tacks with the Last Call. This was a great brawl that was made all that more special by the fact we just don't see these types of matches that often anymore. It is a shame that this wasn't for the title, and in the main event, as it should have been.

Storm grabs the pin after Last Call at 17:35 | ****3/4

4. Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus – 2/3 Falls for the World Heavyweight Championship – Extreme Rules

Sheamus has finally shown the rest of us what Triple H has seen in him. He went out there and hung with the best technical wrestler today, in one hell of an exciting match. They started off with the traditional style of wrestling, trading locks & holds back and forth. Once they elevated past that, they beat the hell out of each other to try and score the first & crucial win. It was great to see Bryan get so viscous, drawing out the DQ for refusing to quit kicking Sheamus’ shoulder, and then following it up by slapping him in the Yes-Lock until the fella passed out. I was pissed at the WM match up, but in hindsight, it wasn’t a bad move. As it gave a real reason for having 2 out of 3 falls, Sheamus a chance to prove he’s no fluke champion, and showed that Bryan deserves to be a main event star. One hell of a match, with a nice, clean finish. Best technical match of the year.
Daniel eats a Brogue Kick and a pin at 23:01 | ****3/4

3. CM Punk [C] vs John Cena - WWE Championship - Night of Champions

It should come as no surprise what a great match this is. The last two matches between these two, Punk & Cena were evenly matched, however, this time around, the last year's experience has put Punk on a different level. He dominates Cena for the first half of the match, and stops short his come back at every corner, countering the 5 Knuckle Shuffle twice. One of which is a sweet counter into the Vice, as he looks right into Cena's face and screams "I'M BEST IN THE WORLD!". It's also fantastic to see Heyman on the outside, at times beaming like a proud father, and at others worrying like a wife. In this match, I truly see Punk as best in the World. Cena can't put him down, and Punk has an answer for him at every turn. An awesome spot where Punk hits a Rock Bottom, trying just about everything to wipe Cena out. Both men are dead, absolutely dead, and I'm a bit upset that I know who wins, because this would have been incredible to see live. Honestly, this match deserves the full monty, because it was nothing but absolute fire the entire bout. Without a doubt their best match to date. I'd love to go full monty, but I can't with that ending. In any other year, this would have been on everyone's list, but 2012 had a large list of not only MOTYC, but matches that could contend to be the best.

Both CM Punk & John Cena's shoulders are down for the count of 3 at 26:50 | ****3/4

2. John Cena vs Brock Lesnar – Extreme Rules Match - Extreme Rules

Brock is such a fucking bad-ass. That's the only way I can even begin to describe him; a fucking bad-ass. While re-watching matches for this list, the video before this match got me amped to see it, despite the fact I'd already seen it twice. The elbows he unleashes on Cena in the beginning are unbelievable, and easily the most vicious start to a match ever.  Later, Lil Naitch earns credit for taking the sickest ref bump I've ever seen; a full force elbow from Lesnar, and then Lesnar earns more than he already had for picking the ref up with one hand, like so much luggage. This is one of those matches that will be talked about for as long as pro-wrestling is around, and beyond. They had a chance to tell a great story with Cena, and of course they just went with the same ol' come the end, but until then, a masterpiece.

Cena pins Brock after an FU on the steel steps at 17:52 | ****3/4

1. Chris Jericho vs CM Punk [C] – Street Fight for the WWE Title - Extreme Rules

Yes. Hell yes. This is exactly why I was so excited for Jericho to return, because I knew who ever he’d get put with, I’d be guaranteed at least one classic. After Sheamus & Bryan put on one of the best technical matches we’d seen in years, Punk & Jericho come out to deliver a match that’s the exact opposite, and even BETTER. It’s not often that matches have me sitting & cheering, and getting completely absorbed into what’s on the screen, but they did just that. I knew what the finish was, and I was STILL marking out at the near falls. This was absolutely brutal, and a war not seen since Jericho took on Shawn in the Unsanctioned Match. They played this so well, with Jericho keeping up his taunts, and Punk losing it on several occasions. I absolutely loved this, with the match reaching 5 stars before Punk even put Jericho through the announce table. Not only is it my pick for MOTY, but it's my 2^nd favorite match of all time.
Punk hits the GTS for the pin at 25:15 | *****

Scott Keith -

Ho ho ho, Merry Everyone! 

I generally hate top 5 lists, but there was a lot of good wrestling in 2012, so here’s the definitive guide to what I thought was awesome for the year. This is not a comprehensive numerically accurate summation of the BEST matches technically, it’s the ones where I LIKED them the most and felt the most excited about wrestling in the larger sense after watching them. You’re welcome.

5) James Storm v. Robert Roode, Bound for Glory.

This match was so fun that I actually posted in the live thread about it. The flaw with the match was the booking, unfortunately, as it was set up to be the giant blowoff in a feud for the World title, but it wasn’t for the World title. And then Roode got his win back a few weeks later anyway and cost poor James Storm yet another shot at the title. However, as a demonstration of the “less is more” philosophy when it comes to blood use, this was aces. We rarely see blood on the national stage these days, so when Storm goes out there and bleeds like Ric Flair on an aspirin bender it has MEANING. The very definition of a Memphis brawl, with perhaps the perfect pro wrestling finish (Storm knocks him out with a beer bottle as retribution for losing the World title a year previous, then finishes with the superkick), this one made me giddy again, just for one night. (****1/2) 

4) The Shield v. Kane/Daniel Bryan/Ryback, TLC

Another goofy brawl, although this one had more in common with the cartoonish 90s WWF and ECW brawls that were so much fun in small doses. This one was great because it introduced new players into the main event scene and featured the smartest booking of heels I’ve seen since the Four Horsemen. The story of the match was that the Shield would constantly manipulate the numbers game to keep it 2-on-1 at all times, by incapacitating one member of the babyface team and then double-teaming one member while the third Shield member tied up another babyface. It was like a constant face-in-peril scenario, leading to an epic Ryback comeback that was the perfect use for him. Fast-paced and never boring, which is my favorite kind of brawl. (****3/4)

3) Minoru Suzuki v. Hiroshi Tanahashi, NJPW King of Pro Wrestling

I had heard endless praise for this one, and even with the impossible buildup, it was still tremendous. Suzuki is the grizzled grumpy bastard and Tanahashi is the ROCK STAR IWGP champion and it was an amazing chemistry there, with some sportsmanlike conduct to start before Tanahashi played air guitar on him and suddenly it’s ON. Some amazingly creative working of the arm from Suzuki that never feels dull, and Tanahashi just gets his ass kicked and makes a series of short comebacks by constantly taking out the leg, before the one big comeback to finish. 30 minutes flies by and I was oohing and aahing along with the Japanese crowd because the facials are so good you don’t even need to understand the language. (*****) 

2) Undertaker v. HHH, Wrestlemania 28

If this was the last match for Undertaker (which it’s likely not, but you never know) it was a hell of a way to go. Even with the Hell in a Cell concept diluted by the yearly PPV, two aging stars showed that they still knew how to tell a story and beat the hell out of each other. Although Undertaker’s new haircut and the logistics of hanging a cell in an open air stadium threatened to overshadow the match in the days leading up to it, all was forgotten once HHH tried and failed yet again to end the streak, even with conflicted special ref Shawn Michaels at least temporarily on his side. Even in a match where everyone knew what the result would be going in, the drama that unfolded still kept me on the edge of my seat, especially when D-X reunited for the superkick-pedigree spot that ALMOST convinced the audience that maybe this time, the streak would end. Once again, it shows that the old tricks and blood, used in moderation, can bring a good match into a legendary match. (*****)

1) John Cena v. Brock Lesnar, Extreme Rules

But nothing all year was going to touch this one. When Brock Lesnar returned, people knew he was “representing” UFC fighting, but no one suspected how much of it he would bring into the match with Cena. Whereas almost all of the WWE main events of the past decade or so were largely interchangeable with a few exceptions, this was DIFFERENT. It didn’t feel like any other pro wrestling match I had ever seen, it felt like some sort of shoot fight gone horribly wrong, with Lesnar repeatedly potatoing Cena and busting him up like he was a punching bag. And even Cena's typical smarmy babyface comeback suddenly became a fresh and new thing, as for once he was the sympathetic underdog fighting back against all odds with legitimate crowd support behind him. And then he won, and we all realized that it was just the same old stuff over again. But up until that moment, this was the most hellacious fight that I had ever seen and by far the most fun I had watching a pro wrestling match in 2012. This, my friends, was the Match of the Year. (****3/4)