????: USA Today
This last decade (2010-2019) we saw how the wrestling business changes big time.
From the rise on popularity of NJPW, the birth of AEW, and the growth of the indie scene, the wrestling business has changed forever.
This decade has seen the growth of wrestling outside of the WWE walls and it’s time to look back at the best things that happened in this decade in wrestling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ms0DFxpptk
The Promo of the Decade
On June 27, 2011, CM Punk made the infamous promo called “The Pipe Bomb”. A promo that would remain in the memory of wrestling fans from that day and would later have a legendary status.
CM Punk’s Pipe Bomb was one of the greatest promos ever made and to this day wrestling fans talk about the impact of this promo had on them.
In his promo, CM Punk “shoots” on WWE TV and talks about several subjects like Vince McMahon, the fans, promotions, and other wrestlers. CM Punk after this promo became a hero in the eyes of the fans, and his name would be chanted years later after he left WWE in a way to protest in them every time something bad would happen on TV.
Honorable Mentions:
Cody Rhodes (AEW Dynamite EP6); The Miz (Talking Smack, Aug 23,2016); CM Punk contract Negotiation (July 11, 2011); Mark Henry (RAW June 27, 2013); Jay Lethal’s Ric Flair impersonation promo (TNA 2010) and Daniel Bryan’s retirement speech (RAW Feb 8, 2016).
Match of the Decade
This decade has seen some of the best matches of all times, but Omega vs. Okada IV was with no doubts the best match of this decade and a contender of the best match of all times.
Omega and Okada were at their best in this match. This bout is the perfect example of storytelling in modern wrestling and how they made mentions to their previous bouts and their rivalry overall. This match showed the world why Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada are considered two of the best wrestlers of the modern era and of all times.
If you haven’t seen this match, I would recommend watching it immediately, but you need to watch their previous bouts to understand better the story both men were telling in the ring.
Honorable Mentions:
Omega vs. Okada I,II and III; Ospreay vs. Takagi (BOSJ 2019 Finals); Omega vs. Tanahashi (WK 13); Naito vs. Omega (G1 Climax 2017 Finals); Okada vs. Shibata (Sakura Genesis 2017); Tanahashi vs. Ibushi (G1 Climax 2018 Finals); Okada vs. Tanahashi (Wrestling Dontaku 2018); Omega vs. Ibushi (G1 Climax 2018 Day 18); Gargano vs. Cole (NXT TakeOver: New York 2019); Okada vs. Ospreay (G1 Climax 2019 Day 7); Okada vs. Tanahashi (G1 Climax 2018 Day 17); Omega vs. Jericho (WK 12); Gargano vs. Ciampa (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 2018); Ibushi vs. Nakamura (WK 9); Styles vs. Nakamura (WK 10); Almas vs. Gargano (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia) and Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros (All Out); Suzuki vs. Tanahashi (KOPW 2012); John Cena vs. CM Punk (MITB 2011); Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan (WM 35); Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker (WM 25); Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker (WM 26); Omega vs. Ishii (G1 Climax 2018 Day 14) and Okada vs. Tanahashi (KOPW 2013).
PPV of the Decade
In this last decade, the number of amazing PPVs was off the roof, but the best PPV of this last decade must go to All In. This was a historic PPV that would change the landscape of wrestling forever and lead to the birth of AEW. A fun PPV from top to bottom. The card had some of the craziest matches you’ll ever see, and the crowd was just hot for everything.
The PPV had matches like:
- Omega vs. Pentagon.
- Golden Elite vs. Mysterio, Fenix, and Bandido.
- Okada vs. Scrull.
- Hangman Page vs. Joey Janela.
- Over the Budget Battle Royal.
Honorable Mentions:
NXT TakeOver: New Orleans; Wrestle Kingdom(8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13); NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn (3 and 4); NXT
TakeOver: Philadelphia; Dominion( 2017, 2018 and 2019); MITB (2011 and 2016); KOPW 2012; TLC 2012; Double or Nothing and NXT TakeOver: Chicago.
Feud of the Decade
Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi had the best feud of this decade. This rivalry had some of the best matches you’ll ever see in any of the previous decades, and this was the feud that made NJPW start getting noticed all over the world.
This rivalry between the two aces of NJPW keeps going and both men never disappoint in the time to deliver a caliber match, the chemistry both men have with one another is just unbelievable.
Honorable Mentions:
Omega\Okada
Steen\El Generico
CM Punk\Cena
Ciampa\Gargano
Tag Team of the Decade
Tag team wrestling in this last decade has seen a lot of amazing tag teams like The Golden Lovers, The Usos, The New Day, Lucha Bros and many others have some of the tag team wrestling moments and matches of the decade. But the tag team that has revitalized people’s interest in tag team wrestling are The Young Bucks.
The Young Bucks in this last decade has wrestled all over the world and had some of the best tag team matches you’ll ever see. Because of the way WWE has booked tag team wrestling like an afterthought and this mentality would pass to other promotions, but The Young Bucks with their hard work turned this around and now all the industry sees the importance of tag team wrestling once more.
Honorable Mentions:
The Usos; G.O.D; The New Day; The Revival; ReDragon and DIY.
Female Wrestler of the Decade
This decade has seen the evolution of women’s wrestling all over the industry, but Charlotte Flair, 10 times women’s champion, has been the most outstanding and consistent female wrestler of this last decade.
Charlotte Flair in this last decade was incredible in all departments, great promos, amazing matches, and most recently, she was part of the first-ever women’s WrestleMania main event.
Honorable Mentions:
Io Shirai; Becky Lynch; Sasha Banks; Bayley; Meiko Satomura; Mayu Iwatani; Tessa Blanchard and Ronda Rousey.
Male Wrestler of the Decade
Kazuchika Okada has been the most consistent and the best wrestler of this decade. His bouts with Ishii, Omega, Naito, Tanahashi and many more are considered classics. Okada had arguably had the best championship run is seen in modern wrestling history, with a total of 720 days and 13 title defenses as the IWGP Heavyweight champion.
Okada during this decade as part of the best feud of the decade with Tanahashi and with Omega was able to make 4 of the best matches in wrestling history.
Some of the accomplishments Okada has obtained in this last decade are:
- CBS Sports- Best wrestling match (2018)
- Nikkan Sports- Best match of the year (2012, 2014, 2017 and 2018)
- Tokyo Sports- Best Bout (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018)
- WON Awards- Pro-Wrestling match of the year (2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018)
This last decade belongs to Okada, and he’s just 32, so the next decade could easily belong to Okada.
Honorable Mentions:
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kenny Omega, Johnny Gargano, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, Minoru Suzuki, Adam Cole, John Cena, and Brock Lesnar.
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The Scrap’s Juan Carlos Reneo is from Spain, he writes about and loves professional wrestling. Make sure to follow him on Twitter (@ReneusMeister).
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