Match of the Month (August 2015)

In a month dominated by New Japan Pro Wrestling — specifically NJPW’s G1 Climax 25 — it’s fitting our Match of the Month is the finale of the nearly two month tournament. From the moment voting opened there was almost no doubt, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (August 16, 2015) was August 2015’s Match of the Month.

The most surprising thing though, it wasn’t even close. Our #2 and #3 matches in August were separated by only 0.05%, #3 and #4 by just 1.1% but the gap between #1 and #2 was a little over 9%.

Nakamura vs. Tanahashi was almost untouchable, holding a win percentage over other match on the list. It’s lowest percentage matchup was the spectacular NXT Women’s Title match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn between Sasha Banks and Bayley. Still, Nakamura/Tanahashi beat that match 59% of the time. It really had an unbelievable month.

Speaking of the women, the much publicized match finished a surprisingly third on our list. While I didn’t think it would win, I thought it would be a shoe-in for #2. Instead, AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi from Night 17 of NJPW’s G1 Climax 25 slipped in by the thinest of margins. More surprising, Styles/Tanahashi beat Banks/Bayley is head-to-head match ups 53% of the time. Banks/Bayley dominated the lower half of this month’s pool but struggled mighty against the top two finishers winning only 47% and 41% of their match ups respectively.

August will be remembered as the month NJPW dominated this list like never before. While there was signs of diversity throughout the nomination process, the end result of our Top 10 was seven NJPW G1 Climax 25 matches, one NXT, one WWE and one Lucha Underground. More diversity can be found in the matches that didn’t place in the Top 10 with appearances from EVOLVE, Japan’s standout Joshi promotion STARDOM and Dragon Gate.

If you’re interested in seeing how each match performed in H2H matches (via our Elo voting system) please click to the drop-down arrow to the left of the header H2H Analysis. Thanks to Josh Engleman (@JoshEngleman) for collecting data throughout the process as well as all VOW contributors who wrote analysis. Last but of course not least everyone who nominated and voted this month, we can’t do it without you.

Previous Winners (2015)

• January: Kota Ibushi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
• February: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii
• March: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins
• April: AJ Styles vs Kota Ibushi
• May: Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch
• June: KUSHIDA vs. Kyle O’Reilly
• July: Kazuchika Okada vs. A.J. Styles

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 25 – Finals
August 16, 2015
Watch: http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00333_19_09

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 656-154 (81.0%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,64,6,4,92%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,55,7,3,89%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,57,8,6,88%
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,37,6,10,87%
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,49,8,11,86%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,61,11,4,85%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,46,9,9,83%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,54,11,4,83%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,53,12,6,81%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,54,14,3,80%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,48,19,6,72%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,39,16,6,71%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,41,28,3,59%
[/easytable][/expand]

Match Analysis: Calling me a Tanahashi Hater would be harsh, but I’ve never been an ardent fan. This, however, is no place to be a contrarian — Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura put on a master’s class in professional wrestling in the G1 Climax Final. Not only did this match deliver on all of the hopes we all had for the final, it was the culmination — in the form of a metaphoric exclamation point — that NJPW is still the best place to watch professional wrestling. The desperation of both wrestlers to win this tournament, a win that would mean so much for both of their careers and legacies as both legends are heading into the end of their primes, was palpable, moving and important.

Even with all the talk about Bayley vs. Sasha Banks and the rest of the G1, there was only ever one choice for the VOW August Match of the Month. You all got it right. -Alex Wendland (@AlexWendland)

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. AJ Styles
New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax – Night 17
August 14, 2015
Watch: http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00333_17_1

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 584-230 (71.7%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,58,7,5,89%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,55,10,5,85%
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,40,7,10,85%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,46,9,12,84%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,54,12,4,81%
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,45,11,11,80%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,53,14,4,79%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,50,17,5,75%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,47,16,3,74%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,46,19,5,71%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,34,27,6,56%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,38,33,2,53%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,19,48,6,28%
[/easytable][/expand]

Match Analysis: In their match to determine the winner of the A Block, Tanahashi and Styles showed why they are two of the very best wrestlers in the world. Both men made every move meaningful with their impeccable execution. Whether it was an important reversal or an impactful bump, they made so many moments in this match stand out and feel really special.

No one is better than Tanahashi at heightening the drama of a match, and Styles’ signature offence gets big reactions from the New Japan crowd every time, even when the move is only being teased. A particularly brilliant sequence saw Styles kicking out of Tanahashi’s version of the Styles Clash before retaliating with his very own High Fly Flow, with both moments elevated by dramatic kickouts. Both men’s focus on the leg, with Styles’ Calf Killer and Tana’s dragon screws, heightened the tension towards the end of the match as submission finishes were teased. Neither man was able to hold the upper hand for long enough to put the other away until Tana finally bought enough time to hit a High Fly Flow to a standing Styles, and followed it up with another emphatic blow to win. This was possibly the best ‘epic main event’ style New Japan match since the main event matches at Wrestle Kingdom 9, and a great example of the superb ability of both Styles and Tanahashi.  -Oliver Court (@AnotherOli)

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks
WWE NXT
NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn
August 22, 2015
Watch: WWE Network

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 602-244 (71.2%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,53,4,11,93%
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,52,6,5,90%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,56,8,1,88%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,44,8,9,85%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,57,12,3,83%
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,58,13,2,82%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,52,14,4,79%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,52,20,2,72%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,45,20,2,70%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,36,30,3,55%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,36,31,1,54%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,33,38,2,47%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,28,41,3,41%
[/easytable][/expand]

Match Analysis: While the so-called Divas Revolution may be failing to connect with WWE audiences, down in NXT, Bayley and Sasha Banks showed exactly why expectations are so high. These two wrestlers had me emotionally invested in a WWE match, thanks to their a straight-forward, character driven build up, and both girls delivered an exciting, dramatic match that left me highly entertained. With Bayley oozing sympathy as the ultra-underdog and as Banks played her role as bully antagonist to perfection, this match had me glued to the screen, something many WWE feuds/matches have failed to do in recent times and it gives me hope that this kind of entertainment will eventually transfer into the Main Rosters Diva Division.

While some will find faults with the match, I feel I have to discount any knit-picking flaws I found for the sheer happiness I felt from seeing Bayley victorious and giving NXT Takeover a true feel good moment, especially since the result seemed like a foregone conclusion before hand. -Joey O’Doherty (@AwesomeoJoe)

Kazuchika Okada vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 25 – Night 18
August 15, 2015
Watch: http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00333_18_1

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 539-230 (70.1%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,58,8,5,87%
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,42,8,11,84%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,48,10,10,83%
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,41,9,11,82%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,48,12,4,80%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,50,14,3,78%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,43,12,5,78%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,41,12,4,77%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,51,17,5,75%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,45,19,2,71%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,30,36,3,45%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,27,34,6,44%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,16,39,6,29%
[/easytable][/expand]

Match Analysis: The definitive match (in my opinion) of the 25th G1 Climax. With the huge Sumo Hall crowd on the edge of their seats from the opening bell until the out of nowhere but perfect finish, this match was two of New Japan’s finest on the absolute top of their game. 

On first viewing the finish seemed rushed but it was perfect in how it both elevated Nakamura to the finals and managed to keep Okada strong. Okada didn’t really “lose”, he tapped because there was no other choice. Nakamura locked him in the perfect armbar, Okada tried like hell to break out of it but just couldn’t. Once Okada finally realized there was no getting out, he tapped in a “god dammit, you got me this time” fashion. Minutes later, Nakamura offered a fist bump to his CHAOS stablematch and Okada obliged. On this night, the better man won, but there will be another time and another place for these two to add to their already tremendous legacies. -Rich Kraetsch (@VoicesWrestling)

Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii
New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 25 – Night 18
August 15, 2015
Watch: http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00333_18_1

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 490-313 (61.0%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,47,8,8,86%
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,53,9,4,86%
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,43,13,10,78%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,54,17,4,76%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,48,16,2,75%
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,35,12,12,75%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,54,20,3,73%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,44,18,5,72%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,36,26,7,59%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,31,36,1,46%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,19,46,5,29%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,12,41,4,23%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,11,54,4,17%
[/easytable][/expand]

Match Analysis: The essential #BigMike match. Also, maybe the best hoss fight of 2015. These two went at it in front of a packed, energetic Sumo Hall crowd that ate up their passion and fighting spirit. Elgin proved to the world that he is talented enough to be mixing it up with New Japan’s best with this match. I loved the way this match built. It started off hot with each guy trying to prove that they were the toughest, but by the end, it was more about survival. Elgin was barely kicking out of Ishii’s bombs and vice versa. My favorite tournament match of the G1. -Case Lowe (@_InYourCase)

Tomohiro Ishii vs Hirooki Goto
New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 25 – Night 14
August 9, 2015
Watch: http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00333_14_1

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 395-375 (51.3%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,30,8,11,80%
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,44,12,6,79%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,35,12,11,75%
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,36,16,14,70%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,46,22,4,68%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,43,25,4,63%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,33,20,7,62%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,35,25,4,58%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,26,36,7,41%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,20,45,2,30%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,17,50,5,25%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,17,51,5,25%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,14,54,3,20%
[/easytable][/expand]

Match Analysis: It has become rather fashionable to dislike Hirooki Goto’s matches and that trend was on full display in the banter surrounding this G1. To be fair, the average Goto match does not rise to the level of the average matches of many of NJPW’s best performers. But when Goto brings it and everything clicks, as it often has during his most recent push, he can produce special matches. This was one of those matches.

Yes, it was the classic New Japan strong style match but the level of brutality, and even violence, was above and beyond the normal fare. While that would be enough for me to make this a very good match, Ishii’s selling, in concert with a crowd that was on fire and a match layout that built perfectly to convincing near falls, elevated this contest to just short of a classic.  -Aaron Bentley (@AaronBentleyVOW)

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tomoaki Honma
New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 25 – Night 16
August 12, 2015
Watch: http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00333_16_1

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 375-433 (46.4%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,38,13,15,74%
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,45,17,4,73%
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,36,15,11,71%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,45,25,3,64%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,33,20,12,62%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,41,28,5,59%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,28,26,5,52%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,25,35,4,42%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,19,45,2,29%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,20,52,2,28%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,20,54,3,27%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,16,47,3,26%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,8,57,6,12%
[/easytable][/expand]

Match Analysis: Have you ever latched onto a lovable loser knowing full well you probably shouldn’t? Honma will never win the big one is something we would tell ourselves to deal with his inevitable failure. Why would anyone think he could pick up a victory in the 2015 version? Enter Korakuen Hall. Enter Stone Pitbull. Enter Kokeshi=Happiness. What unfolds is two men brutalizing each other with a conclusion even the most cynical of wrestling fans could love. It might not be a title win but for a perennial underdog, it’s the best thing ever. –Rob Barry (@RobsBrutalWorld)

Tomoaki Honma vs Michael Elgin
New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 25 – Night 8
August 1, 2015
Watch: http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00333_8_07

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 308-492 (38.5%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,38,13,10,75%
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,32,12,14,72%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,30,18,10,62%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,27,23,4,54%
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,32,30,5,52%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,36,34,5,51%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,25,43,4,37%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,25,45,3,36%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,17,54,4,24%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,12,48,4,20%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,12,54,4,19%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,12,57,3,17%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,11,61,4,15%
[/easytable][/expand]

Match Analysis: Michael Elgin came into the G1 with practically no expectations, many people thought he shouldn’t have been in the G1 at all. Honma is a pity participant in every G1 but he puts in 200% effort even if he knows his fate. Elgin was able to play his greatest hits and Honma was a great ragdoll for the second coming of Scott Norton. This was the emergence of Michael Elgin and things would never be the same again. This Michael Elgin would be a welcome addition to NJPW, I don’t think anyone would complain about that. Talk about meeting and exceeding expectations. Good on you #BigMike –Rob Barry (@RobsBrutalWorld)

John Cena vs. Seth Rollins
WWE
SummerSlam 2015
August 23, 2015
Watch: WWE Network

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 296-488 (37.8%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,27,12,10,70%
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,30,20,10,61%
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,39,29,4,58%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,29,23,12,56%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,35,31,8,53%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,34,36,5,49%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,26,28,5,48%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,22,46,4,32%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,16,48,2,25%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,14,50,3,22%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,10,55,5,15%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,8,56,1,12%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,7,55,3,11%
[/easytable][/expand]

Match Analysis: Seth Rollins finally broke out of his shell and showed everyone who watched this match what he was capable of doing on the biggest stage. At times it was spotty and some say a heel champion shouldn’t do flips that get the crowd go to “Ooh!” and “Aah!” but nuts to that, I want to be entertained and entertained I was here. Rollins was equal parts peak indie Tyler Black while still maintaining much of whats required of an established WWE main eventer. I feel bad not spending more time talking about Cena, who was great once again in this match and has had arguably the best run of his career in 2015, but, sorry John, this was the Seth Rollins show. -Rich Kraetsch (@VoicesWrestling)

Vampiro vs. Pentagon Jr. 
Lucha Underground
Ultima Lucha
August 5, 2015
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDR6tOXzt6Q

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 279-453 (38.1%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,24,15,15,62%
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,28,18,11,61%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,24,17,13,59%
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,32,23,7,58%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,31,35,8,47%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,23,27,4,46%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,28,41,5,41%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,20,33,7,38%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,18,44,5,28%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,12,43,5,22%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,14,52,4,21%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,14,53,4,21%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,12,53,6,19%
[/easytable][/expand]

If this was fight of the month, rather than match of the month, this gore-fest would have a great shot of winning. With the stage set after a great build up, and a fantastic atmosphere, thanks to the blood-thirsty audience, this match delivered a violent battle to blow off this brutal feud. Both men seemed focused on killing each other, as they ran through sick bump after sick bump at a decent pace considering one of them was a 48-year-old, out of shape Vampiro, who resembled a blood-soaked Uncle Fester by the end of the bout.

With the combination of the sadistic yet compelling back story, some brutally vicious maneuvers, a hot crowd and some nasty blood-drenched visuals, Lucha Underground reminded the wrestling world how a blood feud should end: With plenty of blood (and a nice post match segment with a shocking twist). –Joey O’Doherty (@AwesomeoJoe)

The Others (Matches voted on but did not place in the Top 10)

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher
EVOLVE
EVOLVE 47
August 15, 2015
Watch: WWNLive.com

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 211-443 (32.2%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,31,15,11,67%
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,24,16,20,60%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,23,29,12,44%
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,22,30,10,42%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,17,24,13,41%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,18,30,10,38%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,20,33,12,38%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,12,35,11,25%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,10,48,10,17%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,9,46,9,17%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,9,46,12,16%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,8,44,9,15%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,8,47,8,14%
[/easytable][/expand]

Kazuchika Okada vs. Yuji Nagata
New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 25 – Night 16
August 12, 2015
Watch: http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00333_16_1

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 231-536 (30.1%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,26,16,14,63%
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,22,15,15,60%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,30,22,10,58%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,30,32,5,48%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,29,39,4,42%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,23,32,7,42%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,17,45,4,27%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,12,44,6,21%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,13,58,2,18%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,9,53,4,14%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,8,58,5,13%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,7,58,5,11%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,6,64,4,8%
[/easytable][/expand]

Io Shirai vs. Mayu Iwatani
STARDOM
Five Star GP 2015
August 23, 2015
Watch: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x343t3f_io-shirai-vs-mayu-iwatani-in-stardom-on-8-23-15_fun

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 165-447 (27.0%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
14,DG: Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY,14,16,22,47%
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,15,22,15,40%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,20,30,10,39%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,18,28,11,39%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,15,31,11,33%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,16,36,14,30%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,15,36,11,29%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,12,35,12,25%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,13,38,10,25%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,11,45,11,20%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,9,41,11,18%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,6,37,10,13%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,4,53,11,7%
[/easytable][/expand]

Jimmyz vs. MAD BLANKEY
Dragon Gate
Dangerous Gate 2015
August 16, 2015
Watch: https://secure.live.nicovideo.jp/product/3124

[expand title=”H2H Analysis: 148-441 (25.2%)” tag=”h4″][easytable tblsorter=”true”]
Overall,H2H Opponent,W,L,Pass,Win%[attr sort=”desc”]
13,STARDOM: Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai,16,14,22,53%
11,EVOLVE: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher,16,24,20,40%
9,LU: Pentagon Jr. vs. Vampiro,15,24,15,38%
12,NJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada,16,26,14,37%
10,WWE: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins,12,27,10,30%
8,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma,12,32,14,28%
7,NJPW: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii,13,38,15,26%
5,NJPW: Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii,13,43,10,22%
6,NJPW: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii,8,30,11,20%
4,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada,8,42,11,17%
2,NJPW: AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,7,40,10,15%
1,NJPW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi,8,49,11,14%
3,NXT: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley,6,52,5,10%
[/easytable][/expand]

Others Nominated (Matches nominated but did not receive enough votes to be included in final poll)