(Writer's note- My apologies to the all the Fight Network fans who have been wondering what the hell happened to part three of this series. The delay was due to an unforeseen and unavoidable medical issue. But hell, if Scott Hall can show up a year late for a TNA pay per view and Randy Couture can show up twelve years late for a fight with Mark Coleman, hopefully all of you can forgive my being a week or two late. Moving on...) 

30) Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka (ECW One Night Stand 2005)

Rarely has anyone's career gone off the rails quite like Mike Awesome's. After establishing himself as a sadistic, almost unstoppable force in FMW and ECW, an alleged pay-dispute with ECW head Paul Heyman led to Awesome jumping ship to WCW while he was still the reigning ECW World Heavyweight Champion. Having thoroughly burned his bridges behind him, Awesome was helpless to watch as WCW turned him into a joke, going from "The Career Killer" to "The Fat-Chick Thriller," then "That Seventies Guy," before finally becoming a decidedly American member of Lance Storm's Team Canada. When Vince McMahon bought WCW, Awesome signed with the WWF, but despite a brief Hardcore Championship reign at the start of the Invasion angle, Awesome quickly became a non-factor, spending most of his year and a half tenure with the company as a glorified (and at times not-so-glorified) jobber. Three years later, at 2005's ECW: One Night Stand pay per view, Mike Awesome was set to square off against his long time rival Masato Tanaka in front of an openly hostile crowd. The show was called Joey Styles, who was outspoken in his utter contempt for Awesome, calling him a Judas, and literally wishing for Awesome to drop dead halfway through the match.

Despite the cold response he was initially met with, Awesome won over the crowd (and to an extent, even Styles) through sheer brutality, as he and Tanaka proceeded to beat six shades of hell out of one another in one of the most intense matches ever produced under the ECW banner. Though far from a technical masterpiece, the match carried with it the unmatched sound and fury of brutal chair shots and shattering tables, made all the more unforgettable by the subsequent reactions from one of the most rabid crowds ever assembled. By the end the arena was ringing with well deserved chants of "This Match Rules" as Mike Awesome put Tanaka away with an incredible Awesome Bomb over the top rope through a table on the outside, following him out with a crazy Slingshot Body Press for the pinfall. This was more than just the best match of one of the most memorable pay-per-views of the decade- it was Mike Awesome's redemption, and a final flash of brilliance from one of wrestling's most under-rated big men of all time. 

29) Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania23)

This one can be summed up in exactly two words: Dream Match. At Wrestlemania 23 in 2005, two of the greatest wrestlers in WWE history stepped into the ring for the first time, in a match fans had been begging to see for years. The storyline was simple, but compelling- after launching an unprovoked attack on Michaels at the Royal Rumble, Kurt Angle revealed that he had hated Michaels since 1996- the year Angle won his Olympic gold medal, and Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart in the first Iron Man Match at Wrestlemania XII. Angle felt like Michaels' victory overshadowed his own, and vowed to prove he was the better man once and for all by taking down "Mister Wrestlemania" at his own event. In the weeks leading up to the big event, things got even more personal as Angle tried to repeat some of Michaels' greatest feats, attacking Michaels' old friends Marty Jannetty and Sherri Martel in the process.

The match showed off just how similarly Michaels and Angle operated inside the ring. Early on, Angle tried to take advantage of Michaels with aggressive mat wrestling and brawling tactics, only to find the Heart-Break Kid willing to meet him hold for hold and punch for punch. The action spilled to the outside, and Angle finally got the upper hand with an Angle Slam into the ring post (Gee, someone targeting Michaels' back...imagine that). Michaels weathered a beating and eventually came back with a Diving Cross Body from the top rope to the outside, cracking Angle in the mouth with his knee and leaving the Olympic champion spitting out mouthfuls of blood. Michaels set Angle up on the announce table and followed up with a Springboard Splash, but the table stayed firm, leading to an ugly crash and a near double count out. The last few minutes of the match were as action packed as any Wrestlemania match had ever been, with Angle reversing two Sweet Chin Music attempts into first an Ankle Lock and then the Angle Slam. A Moonsault from Angle got nothing but mat, but when Michaels went up top himself, Angle met him with an amazing Running Super Angle Slam, which somehow still only got a two count. Michaels finally hit Sweet Chin Music, but Angle kicked out, and immediately locked on the Ankle Lock again. Though Michaels kicked Angle off his feet again and again, Angle hung on like a rabid pit bull, finally sinking in the leg grapevine. As the seconds ticked away with Angle wrenching away at his ankle, Michaels finally tapped out. Both men were met with a standing ovation afterwards, a fitting end to an incredible match. 

28) Lita vs. Trish Stratus (Unforgiven 2006)

One of the things the last decade will be remembered for is the way in which women's wrestling in North America was legitimized for the first time in nearly half a century. Though the mud wrestling matches and half-assed dance offs of the Attitude era are still very much around, now and then actual women wrestlers are allowed to show that you don't need a Y chromosome to kick some ass in the ring. Though many women had a hand in the battle royal of the sexes- and at least one man, Dave Finlay- the most important figure in the movement to credibility was without a doubt Trish Stratus (and what a lovely figure it was).

When Trish announced her imminent retirement, a match was for the Women's Championship in her hometown of Toronto. Her opponent was to be Lita, a woman with whom Trish had what could best be called a love-hate relationship; in the six years since the two first crossed paths, Trish and Lita had spent about half their time as partners and half as bitter enemies, with each taking a turn at playing both heel and babyface. At Unforgiven though, there was no question who the fans were rooting for, as the home town girl returned home to a superstar reaction.

From the opening bell onward, the match was a surprisingly hard-hitting brawl. Trish and Lita played off the idea that they knew one another's offence backwards and forwards, allowing Trish to dodge the Moonsault, and Lita to counter the Stratusfaction by tossing Trish to the outside. Though the two women were as evenly match as any two opponents could ever be, Lita's ruthlessness gave her the edge as she worked to simply beat Trish up, plain and simple. Trish fought back, but even the Chick Kick could only net a two count. When Lita reversed the Stratusfaction once again, it looked like Trish's career would come to a close on a bittersweet note- but Trish had one last trick up her sleeve. With the Toronto crowd going absolutely ballistic, Trish trapped Lita in the most iconic Canadian move of them all, the Sharpshooter, in the first and only time in Trish's career that she ever used the manoeuvre. Lita quickly tapped out, and Trish retired as the Women's Champion in her home town, the first and only woman to hold the belt a record seven times. The greatest woman wrestler in WWE's storied history took her final bows in front of a roaring crowd, receiving a well deserved standing ovation from not just the crowd, but the ring announcers and commentary team as well. Jim Ross said it best- "Congratulations Trish... there was never anyone any better."  

27) Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett- No Disqualification Match (Genesis 2009) 

When Jeff Jarrett returned to TNA after a long hiatus and beat Kurt Angle at Bound for Glory in his first match back, Angle became obsessed with getting his win back. Over the following three months, Angle used every conceivable dirty tactic to lure Jarrett into a rematch, right down to threatening Jarrett's three young daughters. Jarrett finally agreed to take Angle on at the first pay-per-view of 2009, Genesis, in one of the most personal grudge matched in TNA history. In an intense display, Jarrett silenced his detractors by putting on his best performance in years- even if he did seem determined to kill himself, taking one nasty spill after another.

The match began as a back and forth affair, with Jarrett countering Angle's superior technical skills with the pure reckless abandon of blind rage. Jarrett soon sent Angle to the outside and tried to follow him out with a Vaulting Body Press, but caught his foot on the top rope and ended up crashing down to the floor face first. Ouch. Immediately afterward, Angle grabbed the timekeeper's bell and used it to level Jarrett, leaving the King of the Mountain with a nasty gash on his forehead. The two men fought their way up to the top of the entrance ramp, where Jarrett's bad luck asserted itself again. Angle went for the Angle Slam off the stage, but overshot the table waiting down below, sending Jarrett crashing to the unprotected floor. Literally crawling back to the ring, both men struggled to catch their breath. On hands and knees, Jarrett and Angle exchanged a look of pure hatred and began throwing haymakers at each other once again. With both the Stroke and the Angle Slam resulting in two counts, Jarrett grabbed his guitar, but Angle cut him off with a low blow. Snatching up a steel chair, Angle drilled Jarrett with a brutal chair shot, but unbelievably, Jarrett kicked out. Determined to give Angle a taste of his own medicine, Jarrett hit Angle with a chair shot of his own, but when he went for the cover, Angle somehow managed to snag a quick crucifix hold, rolling Jarrett over for the one-two-three. January 11th, 2009 may not have been the luckiest night Jeff Jarrett ever had, but it was the night he had one of the best matches of his career. 

26) Do FIXER vs. Blood Generation (Supercard of Honor 2006)

There is absolutely nothing I can say to do this match justice. Presented as a Dragon Gate special attraction feature for Ring of Honor's first "Supercard of Honor", this match featured a face off between two of Dragon Gate's pre-eminent factions, with Do FIXER (Genki Horiguchi, Ryo Saito and Dragon Kid) squaring off against Blood Generation (CIMA, Naruki Doi and Masato Yoshino). Even with no major storylines or angles behind this match, it will easily be remembered for years to come as one of the best matches in ROH history- and undoubtedly the best "exhibition match" of the decade. And again, sheer words can't convey just how amazing this match really was. I could say that all six men displayed an incredible technical acumen that puts most North American wrestlers to shame. I could mention that if I were to try to list off all the innovative moves and incredible high spots in this match, I'd be here until 2011. I could point out that Dragon Kid may be the best high-flyer since Rey Mysterio in his prime, and that when Masato Yoshino runs the ropes it looks like I'm fast-forwarding my DVD, that Naruki Doi. It's not enough though- this match needs to be seen to be believed. What I can say though is that by the time this match really kicks into high gear around the fifteen minute mark, even ROH's announcer Lenny Leonard (one of the best play-by-play men in the business) gives up on calling the match and just watches as six of the most entertaining wrestlers Dragon Gate has ever produced tore the house down in front of a crowd that was literally begging for more. 

25) Desmond Wolfe vs. Kurt Angle- Three Degrees of Pain Match (Final Resolution 2009)

Just a few short months ago, Ring of Honor mainstay Nigel McGuiness signed with TNA, and made his debut (under the somewhat goofy name Desmond Wolfe) by challenging one of the promotion's top dogs, Kurt Angle. Amidst a series of cheap shots and sneak attacks, Wolfe defeated Angle in a Street Fight on Impact, before Angle evened things up with a submission victory at Turning Point. The rubber match was set for TNA's last pay-per-view of the decade, Final Resolution, in a Best Two out of Three Falls "Three Degrees of Pain" match. Held inside a steel cage, the match was booked to have each fall held under specific rules- first a pinfall only match, then a submission match, and finally a match which could only be won by escaping the cage. Undaunted by the typical TNA overbooking, Wolfe and Angle proceeded to deliver an absolute mat classic, showcasing the real art and science of professional wrestling. The match was well served by Taz and Mike Tenay who diverted from the typical pro wrestling announcer chatter, instead calling the match move for move, closely analyzing the logic and psychology behind everything happening inside the ring. With the rising popularity of Mixed Martial Arts, this match almost seemed to be a preview of what pro wrestling may end up evolving into over the coming decade.

Wolfe spent much of the early part of the match working on Angle's arm, in anticipation for the upcoming submission rules fall. After trading holds and high impact manoeuvres with the Olympic champion, Nigel finally put Angle away with a brutal lariat and the Tower of London. Though clearly the worse for wear, Angle struggled to come back in the second fall, targeting Wolfe's left leg for the Ankle Lock. Displaying his amazing grasp of counter wrestling, Wolfe countered the hold again and again, first into a Figure Four Hammerlock, then into a Leg-Trap Kimura, and finally into an Ankle Lock of his own. Angle's determination to use the move that one him so many matches in the past finally paid off with his fourth attempt, as he finally sunk in the Ankle Lock and grapevined Wolfe's leg for the tap out.

The third fall began with both men nursing their wounded limbs. With one working arm, Angle had trouble climbing the cage, while Wolfe was hobbling around on one good leg. With it now legal to use the cage as a weapon, Angle sent Wolfe face-first into the mesh, slicing open the Englishman's forehead. In one brilliant spot, Angle tried to come off the top rope with a splash, but Wolfe countered by raising his bad leg, catching Angle in his injured shoulder and leaving both men writing in pain. Wolfe made a play for the cage door, crawling on his hands and knees until his fingertips were just grazing the floor before Angle dragged him back into the ring and slapped on the Ankle Lock once again. Wolfe tapped out frantically, but with the escape-only rules in effect, the referee was unable to stop the match. Angle finally broke the hold to try to escape the cage, leaving Wolfe convulsing in pain. Though Wolfe made one last desperate attempt to crawl out the cage door, Angle managed to scale the cage wall and touch down on the outside first to win one of the smartest, best thought out matches of the decade. 

24) Bryan Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima (Manhattan Mayhem II)

When Bryan Daniels returned to Ring of Honor in early 2007 after taking several months off to recover from a shoulder injury, he quickly set his sights on regaining the ROH World Championship. There was just one thing standing in his way- the belt currently belonged to one of the biggest and meanest men on the ROH roster, Takeshi Morishima. Despite giving up six inches and almost one hundred and fifteen pounds to his opponent, the American Dragon was determined to walk out of the Manhattan Center with the belt around his waist. Danielson wrestled a smart match right from the get-go, trying to cut his much larger opponent down to size with stiff leg kicks. Soon however he was forced on the defensive and trapped in the corner, where Morishima began to hammer down at him with brutal clubbing blows. Despite all his technical acumen, Danielson had almost no answer for Morishima's brutal offence. Thrown to the outside, Danielson suffered one hard strike after another until a missed kick finally allowed him to upend Morishima, tossing him over the barricade into the crowd. Danielson followed up with a running Springboard Splash from the top rope into the stands, taking out most of the first few rows of chairs. Even still, Morishima remained a virtually immovable object, shrugging off most of Danielson's offence and punishing him with one massive move after another, including a hard lariat, a German Suplex and a brutal Uranage.

After rolling through a Lou Thesz Press and briefly catching Morishima in a Single Leg Boston Crab, Danielson's continuous targeting of his opponent's legs finally began to pay off, as for the first time Morishima showed difficulty in getting back to his feet. Danielson seemed poised to finally gain some momentum... until Morishima stood up and nailed him square in the face with a massive boot. Still, Morishima was slowing down, and after a series of hard elbows and kicks, Danielson managed to briefly lock on the Cattle Mutilation, broken up when Morishima managed to edge his way to the ropes. Fighting off exhaustion, Danielson set Morishima up for a Backdrop Suplex off the top rope, but Morishima pivoted in mid-air and landed with his full weight on top of Danielson's chest. Staggering back to his feet, Danielson was rocked by a series of hard elbow strikes and a lariat that almost turned him inside out. Though he somehow managed to kick out of the ensuing cover by two, Danielson was completely spent, and Morishima finished him off with the Backdrop Driver.

This match was a clear match of the year candidate, not only for Ring of Honor, but throughout the world of professional wrestling. What makes this match all the more amazing though is that when Morishima kicked Danielson in the face just a few minutes into the match, Danielson suffered a legitimate broken orbital bone and a detached retina. It's one thing to have an amazing match, but wrestling an amazing match while in extreme pain and half-blind? Let's just say, there aren't many guys out there like Brian Danielson. 

23) Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H- Triple Threat Match (Wrestlemania XX) 

When Smackdown's Chris Benoit won the 2004 Royal Rumble, he made the choice to challenge Raw's Triple H for the World Championship in the main event at Wrestlemania. This didn't sit too well with Shawn Michaels, who had been feuding with Triple H for the better part of two years, and had most recently wrestled him to a draw in a Last Man Standing match. When Michaels attacked Benoit at his contract signing with Triple H, the decision was made to turn the match into the first Triple Threat main event in Wrestlemania history. Deep down, many WWE fans probably felt that Chris Benoit would never get his run as World champion. The glimmer of hope that came from Benoit winning the Rumble was all but dashed when Michaels was added to the title match. Nevertheless, Benoit was the heavy crowd favourite, as the New York crowd vocalized how all of Benoit's fans were hoping against all hope that the Rabid Wolverine would somehow come out on top.

Early on in the match, Triple H seemed to have the disadvantage, as Benoit and Michaels were tripping over one another to get at him. Even still, the match was remarkably even, in part because all three men were forced to fight defensively, spending half their time and energy preventing their opponents from pinning one another. Benoit managed to draw first blood, catapulting Michaels into the ring post, leaving the Heart Break Kid with a nasty laceration across his forehead. Benoit's momentum was soon cut off however, as Triple H and Michaels briefly put their differences aside to put Benoit through an announce table with a Double Vertical Suplex. With the Wolverine temporarily neutralized, the former D-Generation X team mates prepared to settle their feud once and for all. His face awash with blood, Michaels tried to even the score by sending Triple H face-first into the ring steps, leaving him similarly bloodied. Still, Michaels' stamina had begun to falter, and Triple H managed to nail him with the Pedigree clean in the center of the ring for a near fall that was narrowly broken up by the newly recovered Benoit.

Benoit locked Triple H in the Sharpshooter, and with The Game unable to claw his way to the ropes, it looked like Benoit might have come out on top after all- right until Michaels came out of nowhere and nearly decapitated Benoit with Sweet Chin Music. Michaels crawled over for the cover, but Benoit just barely managed to kick out. Retreating into the corner, Michaels stalked Benoit for another Sweet Chin Music, but Benoit ducked the kick and dumped Michaels over the top rope to the outside. Behind him, Triple H had recovered and prepared to end things with the Pedigree, but Benoit somehow reversed the move into the Crippler Crossface. Unable to reach the ropes, Triple H desperately tried to roll out of the hold, but Benoit held on and both men ended up in the very center of the ring. With no other options, Triple H finally tapped out; Benoit had finally won the World Championship. Overcome with emotion, Benoit was soon joined in the ring by his best friend Eddie Guerrero (who had himself defied the odds by winning the WWE Championship a month earlier). As confetti rained down on a roaring crowd, Benoit and Guerrero shared a tearful embrace, their lifelong ambitions having finally come to fruition. 

22) Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle- Career Threatening Steel Cage Match (Lockdown 2008)

If it seems as though I've been mentioning Kurt Angle's name a lot in this list, it should- Angle has had more good-to-excellent matches than any other wrestler in the past decade, and his TNA World Championship match against Samoa Joe at Lockdown was no exception. Even more than Angle's Three Degrees of Pain match with Desmond Wolfe (see #25), this match was a fusion of traditional pro wrestling and mixed martial arts, along with Joe's preferred Japanese Strong style. Playing into that theme, Angle ditched his traditional singlet for MMA trunks and fist taping, and former UFC fighter Frank Trigg provided guest commentary. Moreover, this may have been the first cage match in fifty years in which neither opponent ever tried to climb or escape the cage, and where the cage wasn't even used as a weapon until the final moments of the match.

Leading into the match, Angle laid down the challenge- if Joe wanted a shot at his title, he would have to put his career on the line. With that in mind, Joe laid it all on the line for a chance at the gold. Both men brought their A games to the match, as Angle used his superior conditioning and technical ability to stymie Joe's strength advantage. Angle managed to mix up his offence a bit by using a Figure Four Leg Lock, while Joe tried out a plethora of punishing submission moves, ranging from the Coquina Clutch to the Cripple Crossface, and even and old-school Lion Tamer. Ultimately though, for all the MMA focus the match had, it was down and dirty brawling that won the day when Joe threw Angle into the cage wall (the first time the cage came into play), followed up with a Savate kick and finished him off with the Muscle Buster. Having saved his career, Joe celebrated his first TNA World Championship reign... which TNA promptly dropped the ball on. Sigh... 

21) Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn (Guilty as Charged 2001)

One of the hardest things about making a list like this one is weighing the many intangible factors that make a good match truly great. Obviously the in-ring work is a huge factor, but there are other elements to consider as well; a hot crowd can make a match seem a thousand times better than it actually is, while a dead crowd can spoil a classic. A decent match that features a major title change or turn will stay in fans' minds much longer than a marginally better match that just maintains the status quo. For that matter, sometimes a match just hits the right emotional key, or has a unique ending or uncommonly smart booking... the list goes on and on. That of course brings us to Rob Van Dam versus Jerry Lynn from Guilty as Charged- a good match in its own right, but more importantly, the final match of the final pay-per-view held by the original Extreme Championship Wrestling.

This was far from the first time Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn squared off (their match at Living Dangerously 1999 was easily one of the greatest matches in ECW history) and it showed, as their intimate familiarity with one another allowed both men to fluidly countered nearly everything the other had to dish out. As always, Lynn and Van Dam brought out the best in one another, combining violent brawling with high-flying acrobatics in a way no one else can. This match wasn't about the individual spots though, as spectacular as many of them were- especially the incredible Van Terminator that Van Dam used to win the match. No, this was about the entire ECW experience...the fanatical crowd, the balance between athletics and pure, unadulterated violence, the philosophy that pro wrestling should be about two (or more) wrestlers pushing themselves physically and mentally to put on the most exciting, innovative and enthralling match possible, and to hell with anyone who says otherwise. This match was ECW at its best- one final moment of glory from a one of a kind promotion.