10 Greatest Match Finishes In Modern Wrestling History

9. Bullet Club Vs. Will Ospreay, Matty Sydal & Ricochet - PWG Battle Of Los Angeles 2016

CM Punk Ring
PWG

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla to you is either exhilarating or obnoxious, depending on whether you've watched it or whether you have listened to Jim Cornette's description of the invisible hand grenade spot.

A dual proving ground and super-Indy, at its best, the creativity was boundless and the insanity unremitting. This was the stage that all the big scouts watched, and the stage that encouraged undiluted expression. This materialised as winking f*ck-it bullsh*t at times, but the freedom also engineered twist-heavy turbo-drama designed to make the taste-making, discerning crowd lose their minds. It was a challenge - this crowd of regulars had seen so much excess - and yet they entered meltdown mode at the finish of this demented six-man. It wasn't a flexing, soulless dance.

This was counter-heavy pro wrestling that put in the work to earn its delirium. Ricochet beckoned Sydal in the ring; Ospreay grabbed Ricochet's face to scream tactics at him. The finish wasn't just obviously mapped in the back; the teams made it seem as if it were unfolding in real-time.

The Bucks were foiled attempting More Bang, but Matt won back the advantage with a maverick Tombstone reversal from a Ricochet tilt-a-whirl. Before Nick could execute the Meltzer Driver, Ospreay cut him off at the pass with an awesome top-rope Oscutter. Sydal shooting starred into a Meltzer Driver riff before all three babyfaces executed perfectly synchronised stereo shooting stars for the win.

Creating thunder in a building of 300, this was an inexorable peak into transcendent pro wrestling.

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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!