10. AJ Lee vs. Kaitlyn (Payback, June 16th)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdL_KMFVcgM If you have to do a double take after reading that a match for the Diva's Championship made the "Can't Miss" list for 2013, then that is all the more reason why you need to watch it. Women's wrestling had not been remotely interesting since Trish Stratus retired in September 2006. Yet, the moment that AJ Lee she of the considerable personality who spent most of 2012 endearing herself to the audience in some way, shape, or form decided to turn her attention toward wrestling in her gender's division, the Diva's title once again became a meaningful belt. Her rivalry with Kaitlyn was actually interesting. A faux-secret admirer storyline left AJ in a unique position to be the one actually inducing the craziness rather than exemplifying it. Kaitlyn lost her cool when it was revealed that Lee was behind the gifts and the flattering notes. With a more than adequate TV plot behind it, their subsequent PPV match had the kind of heat that the Chicago crowd amplified far beyond what it likely would have garnered from any other audience across the United States. The Second City came alive midway through the match, as they began to appreciate that the women were working really hard to provide a memorable match for themselves and their division. AJ, in particular, showed off a rare bumping ability that both looks great and likely ensures that her career won't last very long. Kaitlyn was much, much better in than most of her peers would have been in the same role, psychologically engaging herself into the story of the match. When she connected with a Spear that appeared to break AJ in half, but instead of follow with a cover, decided to blow her a kiss in retaliation to the mockery that Lee had made of her the week prior, it set up one of the rare false finishes in modern Diva's Championship history that actually brought emotions out of the audience, at large. AJ's title victory came at the end of the greatest women's wrestling match in WWE since Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James at WrestleMania 22.
Chad Matthews
Contributor
"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.
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