1. The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family (Elimination Chamber, Feb. 23)
The best match so far in 2014 was also the most anticipated. From the moment the Wyatt Family debuted last July and began showing signs of dominance not unlike that of The Shield, fans wondered if they would ever have the opportunity to see the two sides go at it. With WWE's tendency to book more straight-forward babyface vs. heel matches, there was a reason to be skeptical but fans kept hope alive anyway. When they Wyatts accidentally cost The Shield the opportunity to compete inside the Chamber for the WWE title, the company had the spark it needed to logically book the match. Every time the two teams stared each other down or shared the same ring, chants of "this is awesome" would break out without them ever touching. The tension between the teams and the presence of the competitors captivated the audience and created a genuine sense of excitement and intrigue around the bout. At Elimination Chamber, that sense of excitement would be paid off with a stellar six-man tag match that had the audience on the edge of its seat from start to finish. Dean Ambrose, the yapping Chihuahua who talks a big game but gets beat down when confronted, found himself isolated from his partners and on the receiving end of a nasty assault by Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. A hot tag to Seth Rollins injected the match with unbridled energy as the "Architect of the Shield" threw caution to the wind, throwing his body at Harper with little regard. The arrival of Reigns to the match initiated the finish. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1ehfbm_ab1-elimination-chamber-the-shield-vs-the-wyatt-vf_sport Action poured outside the ring as Ambrose and Wyatt fought through the crowd, the former not to be seen again. Back at ringside, Harper and Rowan put Rollins through the Spanish announce table, ending his night and putting Reigns at a severe numbers disadvantage. The powerhouse competitor tore through the Wyatt Family and appeared to be on his way to an improbable victory when Wyatt came from out of nowhere, threw his entire body at the second-generation star and finished him with Sister Abigail. There was absolutely no doubt about it; when the match was over, fans knew they had just seen the Match of the Year. While more than six months remain in the year, it will take a truly special match to overcome the excitement, the quality and the booking that came together to create one of the best six-man tag team matches WWE has ever produced.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
