The 411 Wrestling Top 5 8.01.12: Week 182 – Top Five TNA vs. WWE Dream Matches

Jake St-Pierre
Unlike the ROH/TNA dream thing, I booked this more closely to a real card since I had a lot more to work with. Also, I picked the matches I thought would be the best. So if I left someone off, get over it.

HM: Justin Gabriel/Zema Ion – I’m not a huge fan of Mr. Ion, but he is talented and he would no doubt thrive in the ring with Gabriel. It would be a really exciting opener too.
HM: Nattie Neidhart/Mickie James – Both are very serviceable wrestlers (especially Nattie) so this would be fun filler.
HM: Robbie E/Zack Ryder – This would garner interest based on the fact that both of their gimmicks portray huge douches. It might be a pretty decent match though and good filler.

5. Beth Phoenix/Gail Kim – This is probably a small dream match for anyone who is a huge fan of women’s wrestling and as a moderate fan, it is for me too. They are both exquisite wrestlers who don’t get the time they deserve (more so with Beth) on their respective programs. If you give these girls 15 minutes, you’re likely to get a match on par with the main events. You can play the same story you had with Gail and Awesome Kong, with Gail using her quickness to try and beat the badass Phoenix. It’s simple and with workers like Gail and Beth, you are guaranteed an exciting match.

4. The Usos vs. Daniels/Kazarian – Okay, I know it sounds dumb but in reality, The Usos are a very good tag team, who through the terrible treatment of tag teams in WWE has had some damn good matches. They are exciting and charismatic if a tad green, so putting them with widely experienced wrestlers like Kaz and Daniels, you are likely to get a very exciting bout with some nice high spots. Plus with Daniels’ ring savvy, some good psychology and overall smart work. It probably sounds dumb to some WWE pessimists, but I promise you if these guys got a good chunk of time, they would produce some good stuff

3. Brock Lesnar/Samoa Joe – I was almost tempted to pick Joe/Punk IV for the sheer coolness of seeing that match on a bigger stage, but I chose this. This match would rule. You know it, your imaginary girlfriend knows it, and your dog knows it. I don’t care if Brock has had only one match in 6 years; this match would be off the charts. You wouldn’t have to worry about shortage of hard hitting, as these two are two of the stiffest wrestlers in US history. Plus, they both have worked enough to know how to WORK instead of just kill each other, so really it’s a multi-dimensional match we’re talking about here. It’s a lot like Joe/Elgin would be, except that Brock has some major UFC credibility to go with it and Joe has some experience in working that kind of hybrid style. If you build both up like killers, this would draw some insane cash and have the big fight atmosphere-wrestling misses today. It all may seem like hyperbole, but watch Brock’s match with Cena and tell me a match between him and SAMOA JOE wouldn’t kill? It would.

2. James Storm/Daniel Bryan – This is really as basic as you can get in wrestling. Storm is the ultimate good guy in today’s wrestling world, as he usually stays within the rules and has a good head on his shoulders. The crowd would love him because of his exceptional wrestling skill and his obvious charisma. Then on the other hand, you have maybe the best heel (and definitely the best wrestler) in the biz in Daniel Bryan. Yeah, he’s a tremendous worker…even casual fans know that. But really, he’s a conniving little shit who manipulates people into getting what he wants. It’s the basis of everything wrestling should be about: good guy vs. bad guy. Plus, there’s enough for a smart fan to like here too. They both have a lot of natural charisma about them, they have relatable personalities, and they are both extremely good wrestlers. You have a good feud and a great wrestling match waiting with Storm and Bryan.

1. CM Punk/Austin Aries – These two are the champs for their respective promotions, so to some this would be an automatic pick. However, these two have a history together. They had an absolute classic at ROH’s Death Before Dishonor III, in which the previously face Austin Aries was booed seven ways to Sunday in favor of the supposedly-departing Punk, who was NEVER cheered in New Jersey. This match ended up with Punk winning and being crowned Ring of Honor World Champion. The aftermath began one of the best angles of the 2000’s and one that WWE tried to rip off last year but unfortunately…well, we all know what happened. However, with all that, you can hark back to the past and give these two a pretty compelling story although it might turn Punk heel. And on top of that, these two have become much better workers (scary to think about, eh?) since that night and with formidable time, it would certainly show. This may just be my fanboy coming out, but I believe that this match would trump anything any promotion has going at the moment. They’re two tremendous wrestlers and they both have charisma coursing through them. You have a money feud and a money match waiting with these two. Of course, it won’t happen but this is wrestling and weirder shit has taken place.

SHAWN S. LEALOS
HM: RVD and Jeff Hardy vs. The Prime Time Players – I want a tag team match on the card. I would also make this competitive to build up the Players but RVD and Hardy would go over to get the crowd pumped up.
HM: Bully Ray vs. Sheamus – Big man match between a great bad guy and an over face.
HM: James Storm vs. Dolph Ziggler – One of the hottest faces in TNA against one of the brightest up-and-coming heals in the WWE.

5. Daniel Bryan vs. CM Punk vs. Austin Aries vs. Samoa Joe – This would be a four-corners elimination match between four of the best Ring of Honor wrestlers ever to make it to the top of either the WWE or TNA. This would allow fans to see what made them great in ROH while also showing how much better they have all gotten since jumping to the big league.

4. Kurt Angle vs. John Cena – It is not a new match but it pits one of the best wrestlers of all time against one of the most popular/hated of all time. That, and it is a main event quality match. I would also put Angle over Cena, just for the hell of it.

3. Chris Jericho vs. A.J. Styles vs. Chris Daniels vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Kazarian – This would be a Money in the Bank styled match, with the winner getting a world title shot at whatever company they work for. Putting these men in a match like this could create the best one of its kind ever put on.

2. The Rock vs. Bobby Roode – I know Bobby Roode isn’t the champion anymore, but he will win it back soon. With that said, Roode is the perfect dickhead heal and the Rock is the most popular wrestler in the world, even as a part time star. I think their promos could be great and it would be amazing to see Rock frustrating Roode week after week, leading up to the match. Fans would want to see Roode dead and Rock would give them what they want.

1. The Undertaker vs. Sting – The main event has to be the match that the world has always wanted to see but probably never will. Sure Mean Mark and Sting both used to wrestle in WCW (I don’t know if they fought), but Undertaker is ten times the wrestler he was when he was Mean Mark. Sting vs. Undertaker is one of the last dream matches left that can still be done. This match would main event any card, anywhere, and could even be Undertaker’s biggest WrestleMania event ever.

MICHAEL WEYER
HM: Gail Kim vs. Beth Phoenix – Having been short-shrifted out of that feud in WWE, would be great for the two to have a chance at last to tear things up.
HM: Eric Young vs. Santino Marrella – We have to have some comedy segment so why not pit the two respective goofballs of their promotions against each other? This could be physical comedy on a par with Charlie Chaplin.
HM: Bully Ray, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Bobby Roode and James Storm vs. Christian, Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston and Sheamus – Survivor Series style battle to get more big faces of the companies out there.

5. HHH vs. Jeff Jarrett – Yes, you might have to widen the ring to make room for both egos but that’s the point. Two men infamous for their backstage politics and demanding the spotlight/title so long going at it, the IWC would go nuts wondering who would job to whom. The two might surprisingly gel well with their rough styles but expect the King of Kings to show Jarrett who really deserves the main event spot after a sledgehammer/guitar duel.

4. Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk – Their 2004 war is still legend among ROH fans. Now just imagine them restarting it on a grand stage, maybe in an Iron Man match. These two should still have amazing chemistry and the build alone would be great with the promos and attacks but the actual match should be a brilliant affair to be a MOTY candidate and each proving to their respective companies how big a deal they really are.

3. Daniel Bryan vs. Austin Aries – Two amazing workers pitted together is good enough. But have them build it up with weeks of promos and you’ll have some of the best entertainment imaginable. The match should be a terrific clash of technical skills and brawling, each man egging the crowd on to get wilder and prove once more that “the little guys” can more than steal the show from the big guns.

2. Undertaker vs. Abyss – Oh come on, this just writes itself. The Dead Man vs. the Monster, perhaps in Hell in a Cell to make it wilder. Just turn them loose in a hail of brutal attacks and shots and you’ll have a wild brawl that should more than make fans of monster battles happy.

1. John Cena vs. Sting – I know people don’t like it but the fact is, Cena IS the face of WWE right now. He’s an icon for the company in many ways, their top guy, and their big face. So pitting him against the big face of TNA is only natural. The match itself may not be great but still a major deal for the star of his time and one of the past to clash one-on-one, a real dream match for many and the promos alone would be pretty worthwhile.

Robert S. Leighty Jr
HM: Sheamus vs. Bobby Roode – Bad ass face vs. sneaky bastard heel always works.
HM: Austin Aries vs. Chris Jericho – Just seems like a fantastic pairing that would produce a great match.
HM: HHH vs. Jeff Jarrett – This was mentioned earlier and I actually love the idea. There is enough backstory to make this one entertaining, and the match would be solid as well.

5. CM Punk vs. Kurt Angle – I had visions of this match in my head when Kurt Angle was made part of the new ECW, but he soon left for TNA. The match would be fantastic as would the promos and build.

4. AJ Styles vs. Rey Mysterio – Rey may not be what he used to be, but I would bet that he could still go in a match with someone that can pull off the same crazy shit he can. This is a dream match for those that love the high flying style and these are two of the best of all time.

3. Samoa Joe vs. John Cena – It seems these two are friends outside the ring and for some reason I have always been curious to see a match between the two. Cena always delivers the goods on PPV and a motivated Joe would be more than willing to beat the shit out of Cena for everyone’s pleasure.

2. The Undertaker vs. Sting – The match many thought we were getting at WM XXVII in Atlanta, and one that a lot of people still hold out hope that we will be seeing one day. The intrigue in this match is that Sting is the one guy that has the same mystique around him as Taker does. This is basically the face of WCW (now TNA) against the phenom of the WWE.

1. Hulk Hogan vs. Steve Austin – The dream match of all dream matches, and I don’t care how broken down either man is at this point in their career. The crowd reaction alone would make this a memorable match.

Michael Ornelas
Note: I have this built as though it’s all on one card, and there are very similar ramifications to the Survivor Series PPV in 2001 in which the companies are merging and the losing side goes out of business. It is also a Survivor Series.

HM: Rey Mysterio vs. AJ Styles vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Zema Ion vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Kazarian – This would be a killer Ultimate X match for both the X Championship and immunity to being fired.
HM: Cody Rhodes, Sheamus, & Alberto Del Rio vs. James Storm, Hernandez, & Crimson – Just a match to get more of the important names on the card.
HM: John Cena, Chris Jericho, Christian, Kane, & The Big Show vs. Jeff Hardy, Bully Ray, Abyss, Rob Van Dam & Ken Anderson – Survivor Series Rules. This could be just as fun as the 2001 Invasion blow-off match. The fact that 3 of the 5 on Team WWE are the same as 11 years ago is just gravy. It would main event the evening, and it counts as two wins.

5. Austin Aries vs. Dolph Ziggler – In this hypothetical world, Dolph – for one night only – is allowed to use his Money in the Bank briefcase to cash it in on the TNA World Champion. The pace of this match could have the potential to show up Dragon Gate and the bumps would be nothing like you’ve ever seen before. They are also close match-ups physically and would make the perceived level of competition seem virtually equal.

4. Triple H vs. Bobby Roode – I feel like Roode’s persona is very similar to Triple H’s in the sense of how he carries himself. This would be a match in which Triple H is frustrated that he’s lost his youth and that the younger version of him (Roode) has seemingly surpassed him. This would be the most personal match on the card.

3. Daniel Bryan vs. Kurt Angle – Submission match for Bryan’s World Heavyweight Championship. The exchange of holds in this match could be unrivaled as both men excel in this environment. This could truly be one of the best match-ups in the wrestling world today, and I’d had have Bryan play his current aggressive heel persona. Will Kurt Angle tap out? Yes. Will Bryan stay World Heavyweight Champion? Yes. Will Daniel Bryan establish himself as the best submission wrestling in the world? Yes. Yes! YES! Sorry about that….

2. The Undertaker vs. Sting – This was heavily rumored for WrestleMania 27 (whether or not it was actually ever close to happening is speculation at best), and the feeling that Sting was going to debut with WWE had me incredibly excited. I feel that the gimmick clash is what makes this such a dream match. Whether or not the match delivers big time isn’t really that important, as the atmosphere would more than likely cover up any shortcomings in the ring (not that I’d suspect any). This dream-match probably has the most star power this side of Austin/Hogan. This would have to be contested under

1. CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe – The great trilogy from 8 years ago gets revisited, this time on a large stage. For CM Punk’s WWE Championship. And if Punk successfully defends his title (since this is hypothetically Survivor Series 2012), he will have been WWE Champion for a full PPV year — a feat not accomplished in ages. In the original trilogy, they went to two time-limit draws, and then Joe won out in the third match, successfully denying Punk of the strap. He poses the biggest threat to Punk’s title reign. With the star power each man possesses in their respective companies, this could be a huge draw, and it’d be a feather in the independent scene’s cap as well.

James Wright
HM: Brooke Hogan & Garrett Bischoff vs. Shane & Stephanie McMahon (Inferno match) – A simple way to start off the show, have the offspring of those in charge try to burn each other alive. It would never happen, but then again that’s sort of the point.
HM: Douglas Williams, Magnus & Rob Terry vs. Drew McIntyre, Wade Barrett & Sheamus/w William Regal – The British Invasion against a comparable team of Brits from the WWE. This is a personal favorite because I’ve always wanted to see these WWE guys as a tag team but it will probably never happen now so I’d like to see it at least once.
HM: Bully Ray vs. Kane vs. Abyss vs. Mick Foley (Monsters Ball Match) – This would be a brutal match full of sick spots courtesy of some of the most hardcore mainstream wrestlers of the last few decades, I’d also love to see a few persona changes thrown in there for good measure.

5. AJ Styles vs. Shawn Michaels – I honestly believe this would be an awesome match and one that Michaels could come out of retirement for. Both are solid workers and their values are about equal, they also have both achieved that perfect balance between high-flying and grappling that could lead to some breath-taking moments, but wouldn’t turn the match into a spot-fest.

4. Mr. Anderson vs. Randy Orton (Falls Count Anywhere) – This one would be personal so it’s only fitting that they would get to fight it out all over the arena. Orton arguably cost Anderson his final shot at really making it in the WWE and he has since floundered somewhat in TNA, not really being able to break out in the big way that people expected him to. I’m sure the two feel a lot of animosity towards each other and why not let them work it out in this unique environment.

3. Robert Roode vs. Triple H (No DQ) – Apart from the use of the Double-A Spinebuster the two have more in common now that Roode has just completed a long-running heel title reign where he took out every main eventer on the roster through nefarious means. They also have a similar size and style, and I think the no DQ stipulation could stop any kind of shenanigans from ending the match, meaning that they could beat the hell out of each other with sledgehammers and beer bottles until the better man finally came out on top.

2. Sting vs. Undertaker – Of all the major dream matches this is the one that I think people want to see the most and is the most realistic to perhaps actually happening one day, as long as it happens within the next couple of years. The mind games that the two could play against each other would be epic and both guys have the ability to put on a five star match if the hype and payday is big enough, I still can’t put it as the main event though, because it just doesn’t need to be.

1. Aries vs. Punk vs. Bryan vs. Joe – There is so much history here and it really sums up an era where ROH was developing some of the best future stars of the business. Sure Joe’s main time on top has passed and Aries’ is just beginning but there is no doubt that they are two of the biggest names in TNA, and Punk & Bryan have been dominating the WWE’s title scene together for months now, I think it’s safe to say that being a guy from Ring of Honor isn’t a bad thing to be in the end when going into the bigger companies. It would also show how the muscle-bound ideals of the 80s, while still kicking around somewhat, are not strong enough to suppress smaller or differently built men who possess actual talent from being in the main event and that the business is truly evolving despite there still being throwbacks clinging onto these outdated ideals.