2014 Professional Wrestling Matches of the Year

And we're underway.

So, this year we'll go with three lists.  At the top will be the ongoing ranking of every 4 1/2+ and up matches I see this year; in 2013 there were fewer than 20 which is less than half the total we were getting pretty regularly just a few years ago.

Next, the WWE 4 star and up matches; previously, I've also included 4 star matches from TNA; if any occur, I'll include them as well.

Finally, a grab bag of 4 and 4 1/4 matches.  They won't be ranked, nor should they be seen as comprehensive, just a list as I see them.

I'm done.  This is the list.  

Match of the Year
1. Harashima v. Kodaka v. Omega (DDT Aug) 5
2, Goto v. Ishii (NJPW Nov) 4 3/4
3. Marufuji v. Nakajima (NOAH July) 4 3/4
4. Ishii v. Ibushi (NJPW May) 4 3/4
5. Go v. Suwama (AJPW Sept) 4 3/4
6. Kenta v. Yuji Nagata (NOAH-Dec '13) 4 3/4
7. Elita/T-Hawk v Tozawa/Shingo (DG July) 4 3/4
8. Naito v. Ishii (NJPW Feb) 4 3/4
9. Yoshino v. Mochizuki (Dragon Gate Jan) 4 3/4
10. Kenta/Marufuji v. Nakajima/Sugiura (NOAH May) 4 3/4

11. Tanaka/Sugiura v. Hidaka/Hayato (Zero One, Sep) 4 1/2
12. Ibushi v. Kondo (DDT Aug) 4 1/2
13. Shibata v. Nagata (NJPW Aug) 4 1/2
14. Styles v. Suzuki (NJPW Aug) 4 1/2
15. Styles v. Tanahashi (NJPW Oct) 4 1/2
16. Ishii v. Yujiro (NJPW Oct) 4 1/2
17. Ibushi v. Ricochet (NJPW June) 4 1/2
18. Takeshita/Endo v. Kudo/Takanashi (DDT Oct) 4 1/2
19. Ishii v. Naito (NJPW Apr) 4 1/2
20. Kenta v. Yuji Nagata (NOAH Feb) 4 1/2

21. Harashima v. Ishii (KDojo Sept) 4 1/2
22. T-Hawk/Eita v. Susuma/Kagetora (DGate Sep) 4 1/2
23. Nakamura v. Ishii (NJPW Aug) 4 1/2
24. Nakamura v. Okada (NJPW Aug) 4 1/2
25. Okada v. Naito (NJPW Oct) 4 1/2
26. Marufuji v. Nakajima (NOAH Oct) 4 1/2
27. Styles v. O'Reilly (ROH Sep) 4 1/2
28. Nakamura v. Tanahashi (NJPW Feb) 4 1/2
29. Nakamura v. Tanahashi (NJPW Apr) 4 1/2
30. Shelley/Kushida v. Young Bucks (NJPW June) 4 1/2

31. Young Bucks v. Fish/O'Reilly (NJPW/ROH May) 4 1/2
32. Cesaro v. Sami Zayn (WWE NXT Feb) 4 1/2

Best WWE/TNA Matches
1. Cesaro v. Sami Zayn (Feb) 4 1/2
2. Aries v. Sanada (TNA, Feb) 4 1/4
3. John Cena d. Bray Wyatt (June) 4 1/4
4. Seth Rollins d. Dean Ambrose (Aug) 4 1/4
5. Elimination Chamber (Feb) 4 1/4
6. American Wolves v. Bad Influence (TNA, Aug) 4
7. Sami Zayn v. Adrian Neville (NXT, Nov) 4
8. Daniel Bryan v. HHH (April) 4
9. Brock Lesnar v. John Cena (Aug) 4
10. Wyatt Family v. The Shield (Feb) 4
11. Daniel Bryan v. Bray Wyatt (Jan) 4
12. Wolves v. Hardys v. Dudleys (TNA, Oct) 4
13. Shield v. Evolution (May) 4
14. Wyatt Family v. Usos (July) 4
15. Wyatt Family v. The Shield (Apr) 4
16. Wyatt Family v. The Shield (Mar) 4
17. MITB-Briefcase (June) 4
18. Sami Zayn v. Tyler Breeze (NXT May) 4

Additional 4 Star Matches
Tanahashi/Naito v. Okada/Nakamura (NJPW-Dec '13) 4
Hulk v. Yoshino (DGate Dec '13) 4
Goto v. Shibata (NJPW Jan) 4
Nakamura v. Tanahashi (NJPW Jan) 4 1/4
Ibushi v. Devitt (NJPW Jan) 4
Okada v. Naito (NJPW Jan) 4
Richards v. Fox (Evolve Jan) 4 1/4
Okada v. Goto (NJPW Feb) 4 1/4
Lethal v. Styles (ROH Feb) 4
Okada v. Ibushi (NJPW Mar) 4 1/4
Marufuji/Ishimori v. Hayato/Kajiwara (D-Ring Feb) 4
Young Bucks v. Red Dragon (ROH Mar) 4 1/4
Hero v. Styles (ROH Mar) 4 1/4
Elgin v. Steen (ROH Apr) 4
Ishii v. Honma (NJPW May) 4 1/4
Young Bucks v. Shelley/Kushida v. Romero/Koslov (ROH/NJPW May) 4
Elgin v. Styles (ROH May) 4
Elgin v. Okada v. Styles (ROH/NJPW May) 4
Flamita v. Susumu (DG May) 4
Yamato v. Ricochet (DG May) 4
Okada v. Styles (NJPW May) 4
Ricochet v. Kushida (NJPW June) 4 1/4
Kenta/Takayama v. Marufuji/Nakajmima (NOAH April) 4
Ishii v. Yujiro (NJPW June) 4
Suwama v. Miyahara (AJPW July) 4
American Wolves v. Minoru/Kanemoto (W1 June) 4 1/4
Marufuji v. Nagata (NOAH July) 4 1/4
Ricochet v. ACH (PWG May) 4
Cole v. O'Reilly (PWG May) 4 1/4
Nakamura v. Shibata (NJPW July) 4
Styles d. Okada (NJPW July) 4 1/4
Hulk v. Yamato (DG July) 4
Styles v. Naito (NJPW July) 4 1/4
Tanahashi v. Shibata (NJPW July) 4 1/4
Ishii v. Honma (NJPW July) 4
Ishii v. Tanahashi (NJPW July) 4
Nakamura v. Honma (NJPW July) 4
Makabe v. Naito (NJPW Aug) 4
Goto v. Naito (NJPW Aug) 4
Suzuki v. Makabe (NJPW Aug) 4
Honma v. Shibata (NJPW Aug) 4 1/4
Tanahashi v. Nakamura (NJPW Aug) 4 1/4
Suzuki v. Naito (NJPW Aug) 4
Okada v. Goto (NJPW Aug) 4
Ishii v. Nagata (NJPW Aug) 4
Okada v. Suzuki (NJPW Aug) 4 1/4
O'Reilly v. Elgin (ROH Aug) 4
Tanahashi v. Styles (NJPW Aug) 4
Kai v. Sai (Zero One Aug) 4
Irie/Ishii v. Miyahara/Kotaro (AJPW Aug) 4
Aoki v. Kotaro (NOAH Aug) 4
Young Bucks v. Bad Influence (ROH Sep) 4 1/4
Neville v. Zayn v. Kidd v. Breeze (WWE Sep) 4
Bucks v. Briscoes (ROH Sep) 4
Ishii v. Endo (DDT Aug) 4
Ciampa v. Elgin (ROH Sep) 4
Kai v. Tanaka (Wrestle 1 Sep) 4
Hardys v. Bucks (NEW Aug) 4
Marufuji v. Sekimoto (NOAH Oct) 4
BxB Hulk v. Cyber Kong (DG Oct) 4
Suguira/Tanaka v. Nicholls/Haste (NOAH Oct) 4 1/4
Hulk v. Tozawa (DG Nov )4
Fish/O'Reilly v. Kushida/Shelley (Nov NJPW) 4 1/4
Tanahashi/Ibushi v. Okada/Hashi (Nov NJPW) 4
Bucks v. Hardys (Nov House of Hardcore) 4
Sabre v. O'Reilly (Aug PWG) 4
Sabre v. Cole (Aug PWG) 4 1/4
Bucks v. Daniels/Kazarian (Aug PWG) 4 1/4
Goto v. Makabe (Sep NJPW) 4
Tanahashi v. Shibata (Sep NJPW) 4 1/4

#FarewellCandlestick: The 100 Greatest Moments in Candlestick Park History: #3

#4 is here.

#3 October 15, 1962 1962 World Series Game Six

It was as close as Candlestick ever got to seeing a World Series Champion Giants club.

The '62 series took 5 days off due to rain; 35 year old Billy Pierce was near the end of a borderline Hall of Fame career and took the ball against Whitey Ford.  He threw a 3 hit complete game; Orlando Cepeda had 3 hits, and the Giants forced a Game 7 with a 5-2 win over the Yankees.

The second greatest moment in Candlestick history is tomorrow.