So I was on DVDVR and reading around a bit and I decided to steal one of their threads.

So what do you guys think that the best matches in the world have been since 2000? I'll throw some obvious ones out there......

Kobashi/Misawa - 3/1/03
Joe/Punk II
7/04 Kobashi vs. Akiyama
7/05 Kobashi vs. Sasaki
5/01 Mutoh vs. Tenryu
2/05 Kawada vs. Kojima
1/00 Cactus Jack vs. Triple H
2/01 Triple H vs. Steve Austin
4/01 Steve Austin vs. The Rock
5/01 Triple H & Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho
10/02 Chris Benoit & Kurt Angle vs. Edge & Rey Mysterio
1/03 Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle
3/04 Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H
4/05 Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle

That match was so satisfying for so many different reasons.

1) Benoit and Jericho go over Austin and HHH.

2) Triple H is injured and then needs several months off.

3) It just plain kicked ass.

So NOBODY has anything to add to this thread?

Everyone and their mother is going to tell me I'm missing some integral ingredient by choosing this match, but I have not been more emotionally invested in a match and more impressed by the way it was worked in this millenium than Eddie Guerrero vs Brock Lesnar from No Way Out 04. I'm somewhat of an ROHbot, but this had me marking harder than anything I've seen in a long time.

Although I really enjoyed Eddie/Brock from NWO04 but I feel that the match is really overrated by a lot of people. It's a match where Eddie REALLY looked good, yet Brock looked REALLY inexperienced. Although it's still a awesome match that deserves to be on a list of their greatest, but I don't think it could crack the top 5 or even maybe top 10.

I'm having trouble coming up with anything, but Eddie/ Brock would definitely be on the short list. I couldn't disagree more about Brock looking inexperienced. To me, that was the one match that showed me he could step up and hang with the real workers. In my opinion, it was his best match. Others high on my list would be Angle / HBK from WM21, and Joe/ Punk II. Those are all fairly recent, so there are probably a few from each year like that.

There's no doubt that he can hang so to speak with the real workers, but you have to look closer to what I'm talking about.

Brock's transitions in the match are very OFF. He was using knee's to the stomach like Angle uses suplexes when he's lost. Although he did bump for Eddie about as effectively as he could. In the match you can tell it's Eddie clearly working hard to make Brock look good. He was selling for him like crazy and it actually helped the match. Notice how Eddie super sell's all of Brock's suplexes. Brock almost screws up the incredible heat that the match had by constantly going into body locks and the match seems to get mispaced (if that's a word) and the move has very little purpose or value.

It's a good match, but with a more experenced person in the match you would easily be adding more snowflakes.

See, to me, that was the story of the match. A much bigger, stronger Brock trying to counteract the speed and precision of Eddie. Kudos to Eddie for the selling which emphasized this difference, but Brock should get credit too for selling the knee shots from Eddie, which turned out to be vitally important to the match.

I would agree that Brock's selling was VERY good at times in the match. That's also the reason why I have a problem with it too. Brock shouldn't be selling for Eddie that much in the match. Now, don't get me wrong.....it's VERY admirable for Brock to do that. It's clear that there is a shitload of respect for Eddie legit in the match from Brock. But it's not the correct way of doing it. The major point in the match (like you said) was to make Eddie the underdog. Luckily the crowd stayed hot for it, but somewhere else at a different day, at a different time..........it could have lost it. Then the match would be totally ruined. It's just something that showed Brock's inexperience in the match. It was still one hell of a match..........it's just not perfect.

I wouldn't call it perfect, but not for the reasons you mentioned. The run in and ref bump did it for me. As far as Brock selling for Eddie: If you've ever seen Bob Sapp fight anyone worth a crap you'd understand how realistic that was. The first thing an experienced fighter does is start kicking the side of Sapps knees. Once his legs are all but gone, he's a sitting duck. I thought they played that aspect to perfection in the match, with Eddie continually going after the knees. At first it was the only offens that was effective, but as the match wore on (and in kayfabe, Brocks knees weakened) Brock had no choice but to sell othwer offense.

THANK YOU! Someone besides me finally comes out and say that match is overrated! It's a great match, but a ***** classic? I don't think so, and I tend to give out great ratings to Brock matches, despite my not-so-nice comments regarding him.

Oh yeah, I didn't reply before because I never noticed the topic. Silly goose me. Let me see your listed WWE matches...




1/00 Cactus Jack vs. Triple H - 100% agreed. This match made Triple H and probably 1 of my MOTYC for 2000. Actually 1 of my favorite matches to watch on a rainy day.

2/01 Triple H vs. Steve Austin - I've only seen it a few times, but from what I remember, it's a pretty darn good match. Best since 2000? Maybe, but it's no slouch in contention.

4/01 Steve Austin vs. The Rock - Outside of the overbooked finish, hell yes.

5/01 Triple H & Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho - No comment. Haven't seen the full version since it aired.

10/02 Chris Benoit & Kurt Angle vs. Edge & Rey Mysterio - These guys had too many matches for me to tell them apart, so no comment.

1/03 Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle - Agreed.

3/04 Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H - Yes and No. While I remember loving this match, after each viewing, it loses its magic. Benoit winning though still rules.

4/05 Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle - Debatable, but my bias towards HBK will hurt my true opinion, so no comment.

Joe/Punk II: I bought this dvd at the ROH show on Saturday, I'll probably watch it tonight or tomorrow.

1/00 Cactus Jack vs. Triple H: Agreed. This match showcased the best of both HHH and Foley's brawling abilities and was absolutely brutal. This match made Triple H.

2/01 Triple H vs. Steve Austin: Haven't watched it in a few years, but I remember loving the hell out of it at the time.

4/01 Steve Austin vs. The Rock: Agreed.

5/01 Triple H & Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho: Agreed.

10/02 Chris Benoit & Kurt Angle vs. Edge & Rey Mysterio: Yeah, but I felt the 2/3 falls match they had a couple of weeks later was superior (partly because I was there live).

1/03 Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle: Agreed.

3/04 Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H: IT's been said before, but when I am yelling "TAP!" during a match which I know is staged and has a predetermined finish, they must be doing something right.

4/05 Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle: I agree, but I still like the Vengeance match better.

Guys.....feel free to add to this list.......I just listed stuff that was from the top of my head...

If we're talking just straight wrestling, how about Ki/Dragon at RRC 1 or Dragon/London at Epic Encounter?

I mentioned Angle/Austin from SummerSlam 2001 in another topic. Just an awesome match with a nice little story. Angle won't quit, Austin's frustration and his relentless assaults to try and beat Angle (and failing).

Yeah. Those two along with maybe the triple threat from Era of Honor Begins, Danielson/Cide from Reborn Stage 2 and of course the Punk/Joe series deserve to be mentioned.

As for the stuff already listed, I'm partial to Angle/Benoit from the Rumble. I don't know why, but I STILL mark like a bitch everytime I watch this. Super match.

I'll also throw out Benoit/Regal from the Pillman Memorial in 2000. Holds up well and is one of the smartest wrestling matches ever, I think.

TLC's also need mention, but they all kind of run together for me, so I wouldn't really call one match the best, but the series as a whole was great.

Personally I think that Ki/Dragon from RRC is decent...............but a bit overrated.

I totally agree 100% though with Dragon/London from Epic Encounter though......hell of a match. Now that I'm thinking about it, I really should pull that match out for a rewatch.

I'll throw out JBL/Cena at Judgment Day this past spring, it was a great brawl and a much better match than I thought both JBL or Cena had in them.

Best? No. Very Good? Yes. Please man... Cactus/HHH circles it blindfolded for violent ass kickings. There's no way I could consider that the best. Eddie/JBL from Judgment Day 2004 was better I think, and that was under normal rules IIRC.

Forgot to mention Styles vs. London from ROH. I liked it better than Danielson/Styles from ASE, and that's saying something.

I really love Styles/Danielson, that's prolly my number 2 behind Eddie/Brock. But that's for personal reasons.

It was one of the best of 2005 thus far, so I stand by my addition. Though I agree, I actually thought the entire JBL/Eddie series in 2004 was tremendous, so good points.

And I watched Joe/Punk II last night. I'll agree with that one for sure.

In all fairness though I will also admit that I'm big on the JBL/Cena match at Judgement Day. I don't know if it would be on this list, but an honorable mention would be due for that one.

Honorable mention sounds fair, just not on a best in the last 5 years list. Best in 2005? Good candidate for WWE, easily.

Yeah, I'd say that's a fair assessment.

First two matches that pop into my head:

Benoit/HBK/HHH WM XX
and
Misawa/Kobashi 3/1/03