The Silver Report: March 2019

WrestleMania is just around the corner and if you looked below, I have a whole lot to talk about. Maybe a little too much, but WrestleMania season really gets me in the mood to rant. And to be honest, I'd rather write my frustrations here than screaming at my TV.

Who am I kidding? I'll scream at the TV regardless.

The State of WrestleMania

Maybe it was rose-tinted glasses or a lack of exposure to wrestling outside of WWE, but WrestleMania was the be-all-end-all for the formative years of my fandom. Although shows, matches, and storylines could surpass the Grandest Stage of Them All throughout the year, I always looked to WrestleMania to consistently be the best that wrestling had to offer.A decade ago that idea slowly started to be chipped away with WrestleMania 25.

Despite having arguably the greatest match of all time in Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels on the card, WrestleMania 25 was nowhere near the standard that I held WrestleMania to. A few years later, I eventually started to notice the build to WrestleMania slowly deteriorate. No longer did it feel that WrestleMania was built on the biggest and best feuds WWE had to offer, but whatever matches got the most people and the biggest stars on the card.

WrestleMania lost the spark that made it special in order to appeal the most casual audience possible. While I've reluctantly come to accept this fact, there are ways for WWE to make WrestleMania appeal to both casual and hardcore audiences. WrestleMania 30 and 31 are proof. The problem is that most of WWE — chief among them being Vince McMahon — is out of touch with the companies' fanbase and the current state of the industry, so they don't change their way of booking until they absolutely have to. The "Women's Evolution" is more than enough evidence of that fact.

With the stage set, let me say that the build to WrestleMania 35 has been the worst I've experienced in 16 years watching.

Mainly due to the card not being finalized backstage until early March, the last couple of months have been rudderless. As a viewer, it has felt like stories and possible matches changed dramatically from week-to-week with no real direction. Due to this haphazard approach to booking, the last two months following the Royal Rumble has been wasted. For proof, just look at the main event program.

Over the course of the last two months, Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey has gone from one of the most anticipated main events in WrestleMania history to a nonsensical mess. To help demonstrate how insane it has gotten, the build for this match has consisted of:

• Becky Lynch being suspended for not getting her injured knee checked by doctors;
• Becky attacking Stephanie McMahon, which led to Steph further injuring Becky's knee;
• Becky being reinstated after apologizing to Triple H and Steph;
• Vince McMahon suspending Becky until the after WrestleMania because he doesn't like her attitude; 
• Vince placing Charlotte Flair in the WrestleMania match in Becky's stead;
• At Elimination Chamber, Becky outrunning trained security guard while hobbling on crutches to attack Charlotte and Ronda Rousey with said crutches;
• Becky being arrested for doing the same thing on Raw a week later;
• Ronda "vacating" the Raw Women's Championship because she wanted to fight Becky;
• Becky being reinstated to fight Charlotte Flair for the "vacant" Raw Women's Championship at Fastlane;
• Ronda returning to take back the championship she previously vacated (that's not how vacating a title works!!) and turning heel by attacking Becky;
• Heel Ronda going on to remind the world that professional wrestling is fake ad nauseam;
• Becky finally being added to the WrestleMania match thanks to a Ronda rundown and beatdown;
• Charlotte beating Asuka for the Smackdown Women's Championship;
• Steph announcing both Raw and Smackdown Women's Titles will be on the line in the WrestleMania main event, and;
• All three getting arrested for brawling after their match against the Riott Squad.

All of that happened over the course of 10 weeks. Just take all that in. It didn't happen over a six months, a year, or some other reasonable timeline. No, it was all crammed in 10 damn weeks! 

As proved by the build to Survivor Series, WWE had an open goal with Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey. Instead, they overbooked this match way past the point of jumping the shark. They cleared the shark and have completely obliterated my confidence in this match. While the talent may be there, none of the booking has proven that this match won't be as big of a debacle — if not worse.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is KofiMania.

This campaign to get Kofi Kingston into the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania all started with an unfortunate twist of fate. Mustafa Ali was originally meant to compete in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber but had to be pulled from the match following a concussion. Kofi would take Mustafa's place in the match and go onto steal the show in a gauntlet match on the Smackdown before the pay-per-view and in the Elimination Chamber itself.

Despite plans for the WWE Championship already being put in place, these incredible performances along with the thunderous crowd reactions forced WWE creative take notice and give Kofi the chance to finally shine in the main event scene.

While the road to the WWE Championship match being set in stone was a little rough, the story has been a resounding success. Much like Daniel Bryan's road to WrestleMania 30, Kofi's plight has felt organic and heartwarming. Little touches, like the entire face roster cheering on Kofi and callbacks to Bryan's plight with the "B+ player" verbiage, have gone a long way in making this feud feel well thought out and main event caliber. Instead of insulting our intelligence with overbooked nonsense, out-of-touch booking, and drastic changes on a weekly basis.

At the end of this long, long rant, all I really have to say is WrestleMania has the lost the magic that I remember from my formative years of watching. Although I don't hold it to the same reverence, it's not all doom and gloom. For all the underdeveloped stories, overpacked matches, and hotshot booking, there are some glimmers of greatness. You just have to expect it won't be for the entire eight-hour runtime.

Source: Digital Spy

March Madness

You can't talk about wrestling in March without talking about the New Japan Cup. However, this year New Japan's annual March tournament saw a few changes.

First, a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the main event of G1 Supercard was on the line, instead of the winner getting a shot at the singles title of their choice. With these higher stakes, the field of competitors was expanded from the regular 16 to 32. Considering the entrants doubling for this year's New Japan Cup, entry was given to all comers including junior heavyweights, Young Lions, and champions.

As the biggest New Japan Cup in history, did bigger mean better?

Yes and no.

Doubling the pool of competitors opened the tournament to a lot of variety, be it in style, character, or even move set. Within a three week period, we saw epic strong style slugfests, stunning technical showcases, hilarious comedy matches, and unbelievable athletic performances. Out of the 31 matches, no bout felt the same — a very impressive feat.

Unfortunately, not everything was the best New Japan had to offer. Despite playing host to the best match of the tournament in Ishii vs. Nagata — no joke, it's a bona fide Match of the Year contender — the first round was a mixed bag as New Japan put everybody in this year's Cup including green newcomers, broken down older talent, and Taichi. Plus, some highly anticipated match-ups, such as Okada vs. Ospreay and Tanahashi vs. Sabre Jr., were a little disappointing in my opinion.

Although some may scoff at Okada, an established main eventer, winning the Cup over pushing somebody new into the main event picture, remember that the current IWGP Champion Jay White is that new star in the midst of a push. Plus, the New Japan Cup elevated talent in different ways. Just look at Young Lion Shota Umino's incredible performance against Tanahashi, Ishii getting the best out of Nagata, Taichi, and Yoshi-Hashi, Chase Owens' surprise victory over Juice Robinson, and Will Ospreay defeating two more heavyweights. On top of all that, Sanada had a career-defining run in this year's tournament beating the likes of Hirooki Goto, Minoru Suzuki, and Hiroshi Tanahashi before falling to Okada in the finals.

All-in-all, we won't fully know if the 2019 New Japan Cup was an outright success until we see its fallout at the G1 Supercard. However, we do know it put a spotlight a great wrestling and some upcoming stars.

Source: New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Must-See Matches of March

3/3/2019
Stardom
Momo Watanabe vs. Jungle Kyona

3/6/2019
47th Anniversary
Jay White vs. Will Ospreay

NXT

Aleister Black & Ricochet vs. Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner

#DIY vs. Undisputed Era

3/8/2019
New Japan Cup Night 1
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yuji Nagata

3/10/2019 
New Japan Cup Night 3
Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito

3/11/2019
New Japan Cup Night 4
Hirooki Goto vs. Sanada

3/16/2019
New Japan Cup Night 7
Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

3/21/2019
NXT
Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black vs. Matt Riddle vs. Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream

3/23/2019
New Japan Cup Night 11
Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Sanada

3/24/2019 
New Japan Cup Finals
Kazuchika Okada vs. Sanada

Best Matches of 2018

Source: WWE

It's that time of year again. Time to look back at the past year and determine which matches were the best of the best.

Personally, I'm finding it harder and harder to whittle down the list since there is so much high-quality wrestling readily available. I only regularly follow WWE and New Japan, which is just a small piece of this enormous pie that is professional wrestling. There are great matches happening everywhere — and some aren't even televised!

What I'm trying to say is don't take this or any other "Best of 2018" as the be-all end-all. It's all subjective since we all like and dislike different things. Use these lists to get a feel for matches you may have missed or gain a new appreciation for the matches you already love.

So without further ado, here are my favourite matches from 2018 in chronological order. If you are looking to check any of these bouts for yourself, I highly recommend subscribing to the WWE Network, NJPW World, and/or the Global Wrestling Network.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito 

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12

While Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho gets all the attention from fans and critics, it's the main of Wrestle Kingdom 12 that does it for yours truly.

Going into this match, both men wanted a chance to redeem their underwhelming IWGP Heavyweight Championship match from four years prior. Suffice to say, they did just that and more. In fact, Okada and Naito put on one of the slickest matches of the year as they kept the fast and dramatic pace you see in the closing minutes of most New Japan matches going for nearly 30 minutes.

Despite falling short of fulfilling his destiny of winning the Heavyweight Title in the Tokyo Dome, Naito proved to the critics and the world that he can deliver when the lights are the brightest.

Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Johnny Gargano 

NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia

With how many phenomenal NXT TakeOver matches that happened in 2018, it can be easy to forget that arguably the best year in NXT history all started with this bout.

As the first match by WWE to receive five stars from Dave Meltzer in over six years, Almas vs. Gargano was nothing short of special. Looking at this match technically, it's a master class in wrestling. Both men weaved together moves and counters in a way that was much more than a combat sport — it was pure artistry.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

NXT TakeOver: New Orleans

Nothing last year could touch the feud between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. From their beloved partnership as #DIY to Ciampa's heartbreaking betrayal, the NXT faithful watched this feud bubble in the background for two years before it was brought front and center for NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.

Unlike Gargano's wrestling clinic with Almas, this Unsanctioned match was all about storytelling. The match slowly built over the course of its 40-minute runtime by making some ingenious callbacks to their match at the Cruiserweight Classic, Gargano's sacrifice in the ladder match against the Authors of Pain, and Ciampa's attacks with the crutch. After an emotionally draining 40 minutes, this slow burn hit its climax as Gargano used Ciampa's own knee brace — from the knee injury that led to Ciampa's betrayal — for the submission victory.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Night 2

To newer fans of New Japan brought in by the likes of Okada, Omega, Naito, and Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi felt like a relic of a bygone era. Although the Ace was key in leading New Japan to its current success, many — myself included — believed his position at the top of the company had been passed to the new crop of main event talent.

Well, we were all wrong as Tanahashi used 2018 to prove to his critics that he is still one of the best wrestlers on the planet. And this meeting with Okada at Wrestling Dontaku was the match that made everyone take notice.

Despite falling short of stopping Okada's record-breaking title reign, Tanahashi put on an unbelievable performance that saw the Ace hit Okada with everything from his signature Slingblade and High Fly Flow to Okada's own Tombstone Piledriver and Rainmaker lariat.

Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori 

NJPW Best of the Super Jr. 25 Finals

Rather than being a spectacle of high flying and fast-paced action that the Junior Heavyweights are known for, the finals between Hiromu Takahashi and Taiji Ishimori blended the disparate styles showcased throughout the Best of the Super Jr. tourney into one epic match-up.

The match was mostly a technical affair where both men worked over different body parts. Fast-paced action segments and huge spots were used as brief flourishes, heavy hitting strong style strike exchanges emphasized the physical toll of the match, and quick move-countermove sequences conveyed their intense desperation to win.

All-in-all, this is the absolute best of New Japan's Junior division putting on a 34-minute wrestling clinic. Enough said.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega 

NJPW Dominion 2018

Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. The fourth meeting between Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada — their third for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship — was easily the tensest match of 2018.

This match was so tense that every move felt monumental. The swings in momentum made your heart skip a beat, especially if you were cheering for Omega. Each fall in this two out of three fall affair built to an incredible crescendo as Omega hit the One-Winged Angel for the final three count to the soundtrack of Don Callis repeatedly screaming "Hook the leg!"

As the culmination of Kenny Omega's two-year journey to the top of New Japan, this match is as perfect as you can get in this sport. I know that I couldn't hold back the tears when the final fall was recorded — and a match that can move one to tears is indeed special.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

NXT TakeOver: Chicago II

Did you think this feud was over with the Unsanctioned match at TakeOver: New Orleans? Well, think again.

The deep-seated hatred between Gargano and Ciampa boiled over into a Street Fight reminiscent of the old-school hardcore matches from the late 90s and early 2000s. As such, both men tried to maim each other with anything they could get their hands on — even ripping up the ring to reveal the wooden boarding underneath! Every strike, grapple, and weapon shot escalated the tension of the match until it was all released through the incredible and highly emotional climax.

While I've gone into detail on it before, the final five to 10 minutes of this Street Fight skyrocketed it to legendary status. Seeing Ciampa pull Gargano down to his level by making Johnny Wrestling snap felt like watching the fall of a once great superhero. It unleashed demons within Gargano that have gone onto mold him into something darker and arguably better.

Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era 

NXT 7/11/2018

Considering the consistently excellent quality of NXT TakeOvers, people have forgotten how good matches on NXT TV can be.

During 2018, NXT TV played host to a whole bunch of matches that could've easily stolen the show at a TakeOver. Although I don't have enough room to highlight them all here — that's what the Silver Report's Must-See Matches section is for — there's one match that deserves to be showcased on this list. That match is Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era from the July 11 edition of NXT.

Looking at this match on a base level, it's a textbook tag team match. The heels (Undisputed Era) isolate a member of the face team (Moustache Mountain) and work over a body part until the faces get the hot tag. What makes this match special is how it slightly subverts this formula to elicit a passionate response from those watching.

Most of the Undisputed Era's offense is spent dissecting Trent Seven's leg in order to set up the impassioned finish. After Tyler Bate accidentally falls into Seven for a tag, the injured Seven puts up a valiant fight only to be caught into a devastating heel hook from Kyle O'Reilly. Blocked from breaking up the submission by the referee, Bate struggles with the decision of whether to throw in the towel or not. As Seven screams worsen, Bate caves, thus ending Moustache Mountains' NXT Tag Title reign but saving his partner and mentor for further injury.

Pentagon Jr. vs. Sami Callihan

Impact Slammiversary XVI

2018 was a major year for Impact Wrestling. After years of rampant mismanagement, laughable storylines, and horrendous wrestling, nobody thought the former Total Nonstop Action would ever turn things around. To the surprise of everyone, Impact, with the help of Don Callis and Scott D'Amore, did just that and Slammiversary XVI was the event that solidified their new place in the industry.

The one match on the card that — quite literally — hammered home Impact's bold new lease on life was Pentagon Jr. vs. Sami Callihan, Mask vs. Hair. While both men showcased some great technical wrestling throughout, it was the sheer brutality and gruesome violence that etched this match into the minds of wrestling fans.

I will admit I may be a little bit biased since I saw this match live. But in all honesty, being there live to hear the ting of metal as both men hammered each other with railroad spikes and experience the crowd lose it when Callihan kicked out of a Penta Driver through two chairs was the best birthday present this wrestling fanatic could ever ask for.

Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano

NXT TakeOver: WarGames II

Johnny Gargano's slow descent into villainy was easily the best storyline of 2018. What made this storyline even better was that Gargano still believed he was the hero — that he was only doing what was absolutely necessary to get rid of evil incarnate, Tomasso Ciampa. Unfortunately, one of Gargano's "heroic" actions made an enemy of Aleister Black.

Much like Gargano's other matches on this list, the ensuing bout was nothing short of phenomenal. In a match that stole the show at TakeOver: WarGames II, Black and Gargano held nothing back. Black brought the stiff strikes and cracking kicks while Gargano brought the smooth chain wrestling and high-flying offense.

Although the wrestling was top notch, the story of Gargano trying to play both sides of the face/heel coin as Black cut through the shenanigans in order to get his revenge made this match feel incredibly significant to development both wrestlers. Plus, Black absolving Gargano of his sins before hitting the final Black Mass for the win was the cherry on top of this delicious match.

The Silver Report: September 2018

To be honest, I do quite a bit of rambling this report, so I am going to keep this intro short and (too) sweet.

As I will go into more detail briefly, September was a huge month for independent and alternative wrestling. We now live in a world where companies that aren't named WWE can sell out a 10,000+ seat arena, where wrestlers are more concerned with satisfying the fans than lining their pockets, where men and women are quite literally changing the world of wrestling as we speak. In short, we live in a post All In wrestling industry and that is gosh darn exciting.

Going "All In" on Independent Wrestling

Love it or hate it, you have to admit it that All In was special.

Like mentioned above, it quite literally changed the wrestling industry. While independent wrestling may not be on the same level as the WWE (and probably never will be), All In and its success made the mainstream take notice. It introduced the talents and styles of many different wrestling organizations to a larger audience than ever before via streaming services, pay-per-view, and WGN America. Hopefully, this exposure will lead to new and lapsed wrestling fans tuning into their alternative of choice over or in addition to WWE. Believe me, All In's impact will be felt for years to come.

Although All In will definitely be remembered for its impact on the industry, that's not all it will be remembered for. From Zero Hour to the main event — which finished only seconds before the broadcast was cut — it was a celebration of wrestling's past, present, and future. You had Stephen Amell throw himself through a table, an old-school NWA championship match with boxing-style entrances, Hangman Page carried out of the arena by penis druids, Chris Jericho attacked Kenny Omega while dressed as Pentagon Jr., a 30-minute match condensed into a non-stop 12 minutes, just to name a few great moments.

Looking at the show critically, All In was a great show. Some may even say it was one of the best shows of the year. Personally, I say All In is on the lower half of that list due to its rather slow start and some of the angles and gags being a little too hard for those who haven't caught up on Being the Elite to understand. Despite my qualms with the show, things kick into high gear once you hit the Chicago Street Fight and the show doesn't let up for a second.

In summation, huge thumbs up to Cody and the Young Bucks for putting this show together, the talent that put their bodies on the line for our entertainment, and the staff that made the broadcast possible. Without everybody's hard work, this incredible show would never have happened.

Source: Sports Illustrated

Bad Form in the Cell

I went into Hell in a Cell with low expectations. Like most main roster PPVs, the matches looked good on paper, but considering WWE's track record, there's always the chance that they'll find a way to screw it up.

Going into the main event, Hell in a Cell was doing better than the average main roster show these days. There were a couple stinkers in the Raw Women's Title Match and the Mixed Tag Team bout, but there was enough okay to great matches to counteract the bad. And the main event was Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman in a Hell in a Cell match. What could possibly go wrong?

Other than Mick Foley botching a two count, everything was all good until Roman speared Braun through a table. After the proceeding kickout, Roman and Braun would lay in the ring as all hell broke loose around them.

First, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre ran down to bully their way into the cell, only for Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins to stop them. The two teams would fight outside and on top of the cell for a good eight to 10 minutes before Rollins and Ziggler put each other through the announce tables at ringside. Then a returning Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman stormed the cell. Lesnar kicked down the door while Heyman maced Foley's eyes. Brock would then go on to F5 Roman onto Braun. After Lesnar made his quote-on-quote statement, he and Heyman left as a substitute referee called off the match right before the show cut to black.

It's hard to summarize how angry this debacle of a match made me. WWE quite literally flushed away all the work they did to try to rebuild the Universal Championship and Raw's main event scene. And just to bring back Brock Lesnar of all people! Seriously, WWE needs to move on because this over-reliance on Lesnar is doing serious damage to their product. Not only did Brock Lesnar's return at Hell in a Cell ruin a perfectly good main event, it made a mockery of the Money in the Bank contract (not that they've already done that multiple times in the past month) and made the top face and heel on Raw look like total chumps.

While these shenanigans may make a memorable moment, they'll also get people to take their money elsewhere. Especially in this post All In wrestling industry.

Source: India Today

Chaos in Kobe

Ever since Jay White returned from excursion late last year, the Switchblade has stirred up a whole lot of drama in New Japan, especially for Chaos.

Originally White was brought into the faction following WrestleKingdom by Kazuchika Okada as a challenger for midcard heavyweight titles like the IWGP Intercontinental and U.S. championships. Lately, the silver-tongued fiend has made an effort to challenge Okada's leadership at every turn. From his mind games with Yoshi-Hashi to trying to instill a killer edge in younger members Sho and Yoh, White's anarchist antics went unpunished as the faction concerned itself with the G1 then Okada's opportunity to win Hiroshi Tanahashi's place in the main event of WrestleKingdom.

With Chaos' attention diverted away from the problem child, nobody clued into what would happen next. Following Okada's loss to Tanahashi in the main event of Destruction in Kobe, White made his intentions clear — he won't be apart of a Chaos led by Okada.

White would take care of Tanahashi with a swift Blade Runner before turning his attention to the defeated Okada. As White's attack began, Yoshi-Hashi ran down for the save only to be dispatched by White almost immediately. Following Yoshi-Hashi's run-in was longtime Chaos member and Okada's former manger Gedo. Considering their former partnership, Okada turned his back to a chair-wielding Gedo as he readied to gang up on the mutinous White. Unfortunately for Okada, Gedo would blast the Rainmaker with a chair shot and align himself with the Switchblade to bring an end to Destruction in Kobe.

Although I haven't been a big fan of White's in-ring style since his return from excursion, I have to say that he has tremendous potential as New Japan's trickster, a character that uses his greater intellect to trick others for their own amusement. This manipulative nature has come across perfectly in White's antagonistic tenure in Chaos and his incredible promo work. Add Gedo into the mix and there's a lot of ways the Switchblade can make his ascent to the main event of New Japan.

So, will you breathe with the Switchblade?

Source: New Japan Pro Wrestling

Must-See Matches of September

9/1/2018

All In

Hangman Page vs. Joey Janela - Chicago Street Fight

Kenny Omega vs. Penta El Zero M

Golden Elite vs. Bandido, Fenix & Rey Mysterio

9/5/2018
NXT
Johnny Gargano vs. Velveteen Dream

9/7/2018

Road to Destruction Night 2

Golden Lovers vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Will Ospreay

9/15/2018
Destruction in Hiroshima
Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii

9/16/2018
Hell in a Cell
Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose

9/19/2018
NXT
Pete Dunne vs. Ricochet

9/23/2018
Destruction in Kobe
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada

9/30/2018
Fighting Spirit Unleashed
Will Ospreay vs. Marty Scurll
Golden Lovers vs. Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii

The Silver Report: June 2018

All throughout the month of June, there was one statement I heard repeated by the media and friends alike. It was that we are in the middle of new golden age for professional wrestling. And it's a statement that I have to agree with wholeheartedly.

Other than the poor state of WWE's main roster product (although SmackDown has drastically improved recently despite some stumbles), there is so much great wrestling being churned out on a weekly, maybe even daily, basis. You just have to be willing to step out of the casual wrestling bubble that is WWE. Or if you aren't willing to take the plunge yet, take a little deeper dive into the WWE Network and give NXT, 205 Live, and the yearly tournaments a try. They can serve as the gateway to New Japan, Stardom, Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, RevPro, and the hundreds of other promotions out there.

Although I can't watch everything, I hope what I highlight in these reports from the major storyline developments to the must-see matches helps you broaden your view of professional wrestling and entice you to try give these promotions not named WWE a chance. You never know, you might love what you find.

Omega Wins the Big One!

How long have we all waited for Kenny Omega to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship? Was it from the moment he won the G1? Or was it from the match that broke Dave Meltzer's five-star scale? Or was it from the 60-minute draw in Osaka a year ago?

No matter how long it took, the payoff to Omega's nearly two year journey to the top of New Japan was absolutely incredible. I know I couldn't hold back my tears when Red Shoes' arm came down to record the final fall. While it was part pride for a fellow countryman, the tears came from a deep emotional connection that Omega established with the New Japan faithful, myself included, through incredible matches, unbelievable selling, and next level storytelling.

While the result may have been the biggest takeaway, the 2 out of 3 Falls match that led to it was nothing short of spectacular. Running for a grand total of one hour and four minutes, Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada put on a match that lived up to their incredibly high standard and in some cases, surpassed what came before.

If you're not watching New Japan already, there is no better time than the present to give the best wrestling promotion today a chance.

Did Gargano Go Too Far?

A week after New Japan wowed wrestling fans with Dominion, NXT told them to hold their beer with the wonderful TakeOver: Chicago II. Undisputed Era's Strong and O'Reilly beat Burch and Lorcan in one of the finest tag team matches this year. Velveteen Dream continued his streak of strong performances in a losing effort against Ricochet. Even, Aleister Black got a great heavyweight brawl out of Lars Sullivan.

But all of those great moments couldn't compare to WWE's crown jewel of storytelling — Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa.

Although many fans dismissed the Street Fight beforehand for being a similar stipulation to their Unsanctioned match in New Orleans, this match was completely different. Instead of being a visceral wrestling match with little weapon use, this match was the closest thing to an old-school hardcore match we'll ever see in the WWE nowadays. From chairs to kendo sticks to steel stairs to the ring boarding, Gargano and Ciampa used every weapon at their disposal to maim one another. You felt the personal escalation of this feud with every punch and weapon shot.

The match built to a callback to the very beginning of this feud, which poetically began at the very first TakeOver: Chicago. Ciampa took Gargano over to the entrance way to reenact the assault from a year earlier. Unfortunately as Ciampa was setting up Gargano for an Air Raid Crash through a table, he spat on Gargano's wedding ring before throwing it away. Ciampa's final act of defiance caused Gargano to snap as he put Ciampa through the table with the Air Raid Crash instead. But that wasn't enough for the crazed Johnny Wrestling as he pulled Ciampa away from being stretchered out of the building for more punishment. In the ring, Gargano handcuffed Ciampa's arms behind his back before laying in with thrust kicks to the face and a vicious Garga-No-Escape submission. Since Ciampa was defenseless, security ran into pull Gargano away, but in the commotion, Ciampa would catch Gargano middle-rope DDT on the exposed ring boarding for the win.

While some may not have enjoyed this match compared to the TakeOver: New Orleans main event, I loved this from bell-to-bell. It was another phenomenal entry in this feud, which has catapulted both wrestlers in new directions. Ciampa looks poised to solidify himself as the number one heel on NXT by challenging Aleister Black for the NXT Title, while Gargano's obsession with Ciampa could have this beloved babyface deal with some inner demons before finally ousting his outer ones.

Must-See Matches of June

6/3/2018
Best of the Super Jr. 25 Night 13
Flip Gordon vs. Will Ospreay
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kushida

6/4/2018

Best of the Super Jr. 25 Finals

Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori

6/9/2018

Dominion

Hiromu Takahashi vs. Will Ospreay
Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega - 2 out of 3 Falls Match

6/13/2018

NXT

Pete Dunne vs. Kyle O'Reilly

6/16/2018

NXT TakeOver: Chicago II

Undisputed Era vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch

Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream

Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa - Chicago Street Fight

6/19/2018
Smackdown
Big E vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Samoa Joe vs. The Miz vs. Rusev - Gauntlet Match

6/25/2018
United Kingdom Championship Tournament
British Strong Style vs. Undisputed Era

6/26/2018
NXT UK Championship
Pete Dunne vs. Zack Gibson

6/27/2018
NXT
Mustache Mountain & Ricochet vs. Undisputed Era 

The Silver Report: May 2018

May was a busy month for yours truly. In between watching the insane amount of wrestling programming week-to-week, I made it out to a live show in my general area. The show was ROH's annual stop in the Great White North for War of the Worlds, ROH's joint tour with select wrestlers from New Japan.

As my third time going to the Toronto stop of the War of the Worlds tour, I knew what to expect in terms of quality, but what made it special this time around was going with my friends (two of which had never been to a ROH show before). As fun as it was see the Young Bucks and Super Smash Bros. tear the house down and how funny it was to watch Colt Cabana pick a fight with Darryl Jr., seeing my friends enjoy it with me made my night.

Well that and meeting Tetsuya Naito. I still can't believe I worked up the courage to meet him.

Lucky Number 12

Kazuchika Okada's fourth reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion has broke a number of records for New Japan. At just shy of two years come June's Dominion supershow, Okada has the single longest reign in the championships' 31 year history, along with ousting Hiroshi Tanahashi for the top spot for total combined days as champion by 200 days. While those records are incredible, there's one record that New Japan's golden boy wanted to overcome — Tanahashi's 11 straight defenses as IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

When Okada tied the feat with a victory over Zack Sabre Jr. at Sakura Genesis, there was no way Tanahashi would just stand aside and let his greatest rival break the record that established his legacy. So, Tanahashi made the challenge for the title at May's Wrestling Dontaku. Wouldn't it be poetic for Tanahashi to end Okada's reign in Okada's 12th defense of the title, just like Okada did the same to Tanahashi in 2012?

The stage was set for Wrestling Dontaku. With the crowd in Fukuoka clearly behind Tanahashi, the former Ace hit Okada with everything he had from his signature Slingblade and High Fly Flow to Okada's own Tombstone Piledriver and Rainmaker lariat. Despite Tanahashi's best efforts, Okada overcame his offense to hit a single desperation Rainmaker for the win and Tanahashi's most cherished record.

Despite the heart-breaking loss, Hiroshi Tanahashi put on a phenomenal performance that showed to many newer New Japan fans, myself included, that he is truly as legendary as his "Once in a Century Talent" moniker proclaims. As for Okada, he's got one hell of a 13th title defense set for Dominion — a two out of three falls no time limit match against Kenny Omega. But I'll talk more about that match next month.

3,000 Times Better

Beginning on May 18, the Best of the Super Jr. 25 took up the last weeks of May and continued into early June. For those not familiar with New Japan, Best of the Super Jr. is a round robin tournament which pits 16 wrestlers from the Junior weight class (pretty much New Japan's Cruiserweight division) to determine the best of the division. The 16 competitors are broken into two blocks of eight wrestlers, and the two that score the most points in their respective block will compete in the finals for the Best of the Super Jr. trophy and a Junior Heavyweight Championship match at June's Dominion.

Considering the nature of these style of tournaments, there is a whole lot of wrestling to watch. 57 matches if you want to watch the tournament in its entirety. While it's understandable to not have the time to watch it all (I am currently halfway through at the time of writing), doing so paints a great picture of the talents on display. One phenomenal performance or a string of high-quality matches can raise anybody's stock.

This year's tournament saw some established stars, like Will Ospreay, Hiromu Takahashi, and Marty Scurll, solidify their positions on top of the Juniors, strong performances from foreign talent such as Chris Sabin, Flip Gordon, and Dragon Lee, a dangerous new threat in Taiji Ishimori, and two dark horses steal the spotlight.

These two dark horses, which I'd like to highlight, were Sho and Yoh of Roppongi 3K and what a tournament these two had. As their first time in singles competition since their return from excursion, these two showed that they are two to watch in the coming years. Sho, in particular, put on one intense bout with Dragon Lee that stole the show on the first night of B-Block competition. Plus, Yoh had a great match with Will Ospreay which came very close to being among the best of the tournament; it just needed a few more minutes of back-and-forth action in my opinion. Despite their current ties to the Junior Heavyweight tag division, both members of Roppongi 3K showed that one day they will be among the top of this division.

Must-See Matches of May

5/4/2018
Wrestling Dontaku
Will Ospreay vs. Kushida
Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

5/6/2018
Backlash
Seth Rollins vs. The Miz

5/8/2018
Smackdown
Jeff Hardy vs. The Miz

5/11/2018
Epic Encounter II
Keith Lee vs. Tomohiro Ishii

War of the Worlds: Toronto
Young Bucks vs. Super Smash Bros.

5/16/2018
NXT
Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Birch vs. Undisputed Era

5/18/2018
Best of the Super Jr. 25 Night 1
Will Ospreay vs. Taiji Ishimori

5/19/2018
Best of the Super Jr. 25 Night 2
Dragon Lee vs. Sho

5/22/2018
Best of the Super Jr. 25 Night 4
Kushida vs. Marty Scurll
Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado

5/24/2018
Best of the Super Jr. 25 Night 5
Will Ospreay vs. Yoh

5/25/2018
Best of the Super Jr. 25 Night 6
Chris Sabin vs. Marty Scurll
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Dragon Lee

Best Matches of 2017

It's been a very long time since I've written on here. Just under three years, in fact. A lot has changed in my life in the last three years, but the one constant I still have in my life — for better or worse — is professional wrestling.

2017 was one hell of a year for wrestling. Fans saw the return of an Olympic hero, the rise of the Monster Among Men, the dominance of the Rainmaker, and sheer brilliance of the Elite. It was a year of highs and lows, but those highs were among the finest wrestling has seen this decade.

In all honesty, the match quality on display throughout 2017 was nothing short of breathtaking. With so many phenomenal matches, there is no way to highlight every single match that blew away fans in 2017. So here is my list of the 12 best wrestling matches of 2017 in chronological order. If you are looking to check any of these bouts for yourself, I highly recommend subscribing to the WWE Network, NJPW World, and/or ROH's Ringside Membership.

Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada 

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11

Four days into 2017 and wrestling fans witnessed the greatest match of all-time according to wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer — breaking his iconic five-star rating system. Although some might scoff at such high praise, Omega and Okada earned it with a 40-minute wrestling classic.

Starting with traditional mat-based techniques to feel each other out and slowly ramping up to the final leaping Tombstone and Rainmaker combination, it's hard for fans and casual observers not to be amazed by the titanic clash between arguably the two best wrestlers in the world today. Omega and Okada didn't just introduce jaded wrestling fans, myself included, to the glory of New Japan, it single-handedly changed the pro wrestling world as we know it. And for the better.

Pete Dunne vs. Mark Andrews 

WWE UK Championship Tournament Night 2

While the UK Tournament Finals between Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate gets more attention due to Bate's excellent performance as the injured underdog, this semifinal bout pitting Dunne and Andrews just edges it out in my opinion.

Dunne's gruesome joint manipulation and ground game paired perfectly with Andrews' high-flying offence and uncanny ability to reverse any move. This great clash of styles makes for a fast-and-furious 10-minute affair that easily showcased what WWE's UK Championship division can offer.

Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii 

NJPW New Japan Cup Night 2

Although this list is very Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada-heavy, you cannot understate how great of a 2017 Tomohiro Ishii had. In terms of match quality, he put on incredible matches with the likes of Zack Sabre Jr., Tetsuya Naito, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, and Keith Lee. But out of all of Ishii's matches, his surprise win over Kenny Omega in the first round of the New Japan Cup is his finest.

The match was everything you want from a New Japan main event — stiff strikes, crisp wrestling, and high stakes. Don't miss out on watching this diamond in the rough.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuyori Shibata 

NJPW Sakura Genesis 2017

Despite this being Okada's best match with a wrestler not named Kenny Omega, it was sadly overshadowed by the tragic end of Katsuyori Shibata's wrestling career — due to a blood clot caused by a sickeningly stiff headbutt performed during the match.

After years spent redeeming himself in the eyes of the New Japan fans and wrestlers, Shibata finally earned a chance to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Not letting this prime opportunity to dethrone New Japan's heavyweight ace Okada pass him by, Shibata brought it to Okada with stiff momentum-shifting strikes. Although Shibata's dominance eventually fell to Okada's Rainmaker finisher, Shibata won over the hearts of the wrestling faithful.

Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & The Addiction 

ROH War of the Worlds: Toronto 

Yes, I am a little biased since I saw this match live, but I can't understate how amazing it was. This six-man tag easily ranks among the best matches I've seen live and that includes the likes of Roderick Strong vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, #DIY vs. The Revival, and the 2016 Men's Traditional Survivor Series match.

From bell-to-bell, no one in Toronto's Ted Reeve Arena was sitting or silent. All six men put their all in one insane six-man tag that saw multiple Superkicks (poor Kazarian), Meltzer Drivers, High-Fly Flows, and V-Triggers. I highly recommend going out of your way to find this match — it epitomizes why pro wrestling is so much fun.

Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate 

NXT TakeOver: Chicago

Although the UK Championship division didn't takeoff in 2017 like WWE had hoped for, it consistently put on the best matches of any division in the company. One match that stood above the rest, especially in the WWE, was the second match between Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate.

A rematch of their showdown in the UK Championship Tournament finals, Bate and Dunne held nothing back. From debuting new moves to finisher kickouts, the two hit each other with everything and the kitchen sink.

If you need further proof of how great this match was, just watch the Chicago crowd. Despite starting out silent, the excellent action worked up the crowd into an absolute frenzy. They even got an American crowd to chant for another country!

Kushida vs. Will Ospreay 

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 24 Finals 

Coming off of a humiliating two-minute defeat to Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi, Kushida needed to win the 2017 Best of Super Juniors tournament in order to earn a chance to redeem himself. Unfortunately for the disgraced ace, Will Ospreay, one of the greatest high-flyers in the world today and the 2016 tournament winner, was in his way.

What resulted from this epic showdown was a match that in any other year would easily be Match of the Year. Sadly, it happened in 2017, but that shouldn't discount its greatness. Kushida and Ospreay put on a 30-minute classic that perfectly mixed high-flying risks with impressive submissions, innovative chain wrestling, and intense strikes.

Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada 

NJPW Dominion 2017

Going into Dominion, the anticipation for Omega vs. Okada II was through the roof. Everybody wanted to see how these two would top their six-star classic from Wrestle Kingdom — and they did just that.

Battling to a 60-minute time limit draw, Omega and Okada left everything in the ring that June evening. They perfectly built on their previous match with better wrestling, stiffer strikes, more drama, and unbelievable ring psychology. Although there was no definitive winner to the match, everybody watching knew that Omega and Okada put on the single best match of 2017 and possibly of all-time.

Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada 

NJPW G1 Climax 27 Night 18

For what this third encounter between Omega and Okada lacked in length, it certainly made up for in intensity. With only a 30-minute time limit to work with, Omega and Okada came out of the gates hitting each other with their most devastating offence and they didn't let up. The match was so fast-paced and crisp that it's hard to pull yourself away for even a second.

Although Omega didn't win the IWGP Heavyweight Title by dispatching Okada this time, he brought the greatest wrestling match trilogy since Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair to a grand conclusion.

Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito 

NJPW G1 Climax 27 Finals

New Japan's annual G1 Climax tournament always delivers some of the best matches of the year and 27th iteration was no slouch. Although I do prefer Omega vs. Okada III, the finals between Kenny Omega and Tetsuya Naito was just as great.

Fighting for 35 minutes, Omega and Naito showed why they were the top stars under Okada by putting on one of the most high drama matches of 2017. Don't tell me you watched the piledriver off the announce table to the concrete floor or Omega DDTing Naito's head into the top of the ring post, and didn't lose your mind.

AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor 

WWE TLC 2017

As horrible as it sounds, thank you meningitis. If it wasn't for your viral infection rocking the Raw locker room, we would have never gotten the first and currently only encounter between the two former leaders of the Bullet Club. And what a match it was.

Getting just under 20 minutes, Finn Balor and AJ Styles showed up the entire WWE roster with a match so crisp and so smooth that it looked effortless. While it may not of had the emotional hooks or story-telling beats of the other matches on this list, it was joy to watch wrestling THAT good in a WWE ring.

Undisputed Era vs. Sanity vs. Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong 

NXT TakeOver: WarGames

Despite the WWE's changes to make the former WCW stipulation their own, the first WarGames in 17 years was one hell of an entertaining match.

The nine men which made up the three teams in the match gave it their all. Quite literally too considering the smashed tables, dented chairs, bruised bodies, and busted open heads left as result of all the carnage. While it wasn't the prettiest match on this list, the sheer craziness and spectacle of this car crash had me in tears from pure enjoyment.