5. Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton - WWE Title (WrestleMania XXX)
Does this surprise you? There has been a consensus forming since April 6th that Mania XXX would be remembered for the opening segment, the opening match, the Streak ending, and Bryan winning the title. Lost in that conversation, so the consensus goes, is the actual match that crowned Bryan champion. Go back and watch it again. It does not deserve to be forgotten. In fact, quite the opposite. It deserves a thorough look for Match of the Year. Here is why: If you break down a match to its essential elements, what do you look for to award critical success? Selling, psychology, crowd participation, the strength of the story (before and during the match), the effectiveness of the false finishes, innovation, and climax...in no particular order. Well, what about the triple threat that main-evented WrestleMania was lacking in any of those areas? The crowd was as invested in the match as any other crowd has been for any other match. The execution of the story was excellent. The pre-Mania story - Boo-Tista and Randy Orton the long-reigning champ - was not best of the year, but it was still strong. The Batista Bomb into the RKO through the announce table had never been done before. There were a handful of legitimate near falls. The climax of the match with Bryan knee-plussing Orton and making Batista tap out to the Yes Lock was a candidate for the year's best. Expertly booked, one might say.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
