10 Awesome Wrestling Matches From 2017 (That You've Already Forgotten About)

7. Aleister Black Vs. Kyle O'Reilly - NXT July 12

Wyatt Styles EC
WWE.com

Not so much forgotten as barely seen, surely this awesome strike exhibition would have generated more buzz, had it not been eclipsed by the G1 Climax.

The two martial artists exchanged tentative kicks at a respectful distance, putting each other over and imbuing the match with an immediate sense of authenticity. O’Reilly marked the judge’s scorecard with a triangle choke and some stiff shots to the upper thigh in what was less of a wrestling match than an exhibition of MMA. Black gained the advantage with his stunning leg sweep before surveying the damage with a dead-eyed stare. Within minutes, this was an awesome fusion of big fight realism and proper wrestling theatrics.

Black, along with his multiple tattoos, has STAR written all over him. He flew around the ring with phenomenal athleticism to attack the superior mat technician from all angles. O’Reilly in response was a Venus flytrap, snaring Black with his stunning array of sudden submissions.

It was great, strategy-based storytelling plotted by two talents with an intense dedication to realism and commentators - Mauro Ranallo and Nigel McGuinness - knowledgeable and passionate enough to get a match of this unique style over perfectly.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!