Bonus Views From The Turnbuckle: The Top 10 Matches Of 2016 Plus WWE Roadblock Preview

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Updated: December 17, 2016

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of WrestlingInc or its staff

It is that time of year again, time to break down the Top Ten Matches of 2016! Of course I have not seen every match from 2016; I have tried to see every major match in about the ten largest companies in world and have made a list to congratulate the ten very best. There are also some shows (ROH’s Final Battle, PWG’s Mystery Vortex, Roadblock, some Japan shows) that I haven’t seen yet so keep in mind that I’m not insulting one of those matches by not putting them on the list. Anyway here we go:Honorable Mention:Zack Sabre Jr. vs Will Ospreay: EVOLVE 58

Michael Elgin vs Kenny Omega: NJPW Dominion

Michael Elgin vs Tetsuya Naito: NJPW G1 Climax Day 4

Volador Jr. vs El Barbaro Cavernario: CMLL Super Viernes 9/30/16

Kenny Omega vs Hirooki Goto: NJPW G1 Climax Final

Kazuchika Okada vs Naomichi Marufuji: NJPW King of Pro Wrestling

Tomaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano vs The Revival: NXT TakeOver Toronto

Katsuyori Shibata vs Tomohiro Ishii: NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka

Kenny Omega vs Hiroshi Tanahashi: NJPW The New Beginning in Niigata

Shingo Takagi vs Jimmy Susumu: DG Champion Gate Day 2

Tetsuya Naito vs Tomohiro Ishii: NJPW Dontaku

The Miz vs Cesaro vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn: WWE Extreme Rules

Will Ospreay vs Ricochet: NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Day 6

YAMATO vs Shingo Takagi: DG Kobe Festival

Kota Ibushi vs Cedric Alexander: WWE CWC Day Five

Jay Lethal vs Adam Cole: ROH Death Before Dishonor

TJ Perkins vs Kota Ibushi: WWE CWC Day Ten

The Young Bucks vs Pentagon Jr. and Fenix: PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 3

Daisuke Sekimoto vs Kento Miyahara: AJPW Super Power Series Day 4

AJ Styles vs John Cena: WWE SummerSlam

Go Shiozaki vs Takashi Sugiura: NOAH Great Voyage in Osaka

Will Ospreay vs Ryusuke Taguchi: NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Final

Special Honorable Mention:

The Young Bucks vs The Addiction vs The Motor City Machine Guns: ROH All Star Extravaganza

This was just an incredible match, perhaps the very best match of 2016 but I can’t put it in the Top Ten because I attended the show it was on live and my experience with the match is different than almost everyone else who saw it for the first time on video. All three teams heading into this match said they wanted to top what The Hardys, Dudleys and Edge and Christian did at WrestleMania X-Seven and it is hard to say they didn’t accomplish that. Obviously they didn’t have the star power or the stage that the previous teams did, but the high-spots were just incredible and really they did some stuff that should never be attempted again. There was also a great storyline with Christopher Daniels heading into this match, with Daniels cutting a great promo about how this was likely his last chance to hold the tag team titles in his career. 10. The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler: WWE No Mercy

Kind of a sleeper match that I don’t think anyone was expecting to be in the MOTY conversation heading into No Mercy. There were plenty of matches that had tighter wrestler and better high spots, but this was a classic WWE match that showcased the side of their style that doesn’t exist in most other companies. The storyline that saw Dolph Ziggler put his career on the line for Miz’s Intercontinental Championship added so much drama to the match and WWE expertly strung together numerous false finishes that had fans on the edge of their seats as The Miz used every dirty heel tactic in the book to try and cheat Ziggler out of the title and end his career; but Ziggler kicked out of some great near falls and won the match. WWE struggles to build both long-term meaningful feuds and establish an obvious heel/babyface dynamic—this was the rare match that highlighted the best of both.

9. Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi: NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10

The main event of Wrestle Kingdom 10, this was the rematch from the previous year’s event when Tanahashi successfully defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Okada and then spent the next year essentially taunting Okada for never being able to defeat him. The return match saw Okada finally defeat Tanahashi on the big stage, firmly planting the torch in his hand as the ace of NJPW. Okada and Tanahashi have been at the top of most MOTY lists for the last several years and this was another classic. The chemistry that they have in the ring is unmatched and because they are both clearly the two biggest stars in the company, the fan support for their matches is also unrivaled.

8. Dragon Lee vs Kamaitachi- NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania Day 6

This took place on the last day of the joint NJPW/CMLL tour. Kamaitachi is a Japanese wrestler who had left NJPW to find success in Mexico where junior heavyweights are allowed to main event shows regularly. Dragon Lee is a super-prospect; at 21 he is already one of the top high-flyers in wrestling although his wrestling style might be so high risk he might not make it to 30. Lee and Kamaitachi formed a rivalry in CMLL throughout 2015 by having outstanding matches that included numerous high-spots. In 2016 it became THE match to have on your show, and they worked both in NJPW, ROH and other promotions having the same type of match. Their match at Fantastica Mania might have been the best of the bunch, with Kamaitachi winning thanks to a crushing powerbomb countered into a flipping-piledriver. 7. AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura: NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10

Styles’ final major match in NJPW might have been his best performance for the company at Wrestle Kingdom 10. Styles is always a brilliant performer and when it comes to putting on a show Nakamura has few peers. The two had met a couple times in the past but this was …

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