5 Best Wrestling Matches of 2004
2004 was a tough year for WWE. Two of their biggest powerhouse wrestlers – Brock Lesnar and Goldberg, left the company. Worse, Kurt Angle, one of the most versatile wrestlers in the company who could excel as either a face or a heel, needed neck surgery and spent a huge chunk of the year as an on-screen authority figure that didn’t wrestle.
This left WWE short on top stars, especially since popular babyfaces from yesteryear like Steve Austin, The Rock and Mick Foley weren’t full-time performers anymore.
While there were a few good matches in WWE during the 2004 calendar year, they faced stiff competition from other companies. For the second straight year, Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan was the world’s most exciting wrestling promotion.
Their roster was at its deepest, they secured partnerships with other companies that led to interpromotional dream matches, and they still raked in tons of money thanks to their world champion Kenta Kobashi.
There was also a new player entering the game: Ring of Honor (ROH). Billed as the ultimate independent federation aimed at showcasing the best of the best, ROH’s reputation grew by leaps and bounds, especially after featuring one of the best matches of the year.
So which matches from which companies stole the show and became legendary in 2004? Read on…
5. Randy Orton vs. Cactus Jack – No Holds Barred Match – Backlash 2004
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x151y2f
This match is not for the faint of heart. It’s a brutal contest with hardcore moments that make even the strongest person wince. After all, it features Cactus Jack in a match without rules.
Within the first few minutes, viewers are exposed to some really violent images. The sight of Cactus Jack chasing Orton while swinging a barbed wire bat is terrifying. It’s so scary, in fact, that it caused the camera man to fall as he was probably running for his life just like Orton.
It only got more violent from there as Cactus Jack hit Orton with a barbed wire baseball bat in the face many times. Orton’s face became a bloody mess, as did Cactus’s arm from a gash from the barbed wire.
But that wasn’t enough for these two determined wrestlers. As the match progressed, even more dangerous weapons were introduced, including a table wrapped in barbed wire (it’s just as terrifying as it sounds) and thousands of thumbtacks. Luckily for Orton, he was able to avoid getting thrown into the barbed wire table. Unluckily for Orton, the same didn’t happen with the thumbtacks.
In one of the most gruesome scenes of the year, Orton landed hard on a bed of thumbtacks back and hands-first. It took him a long time to get up, and when he did, he still had countless tacks stuck in his back and hands. The pain and adrenaline must’ve been off the charts for him at that point.
While some people might criticize Orton’s wrestling style, you have to admire his dedication and willingness to do crazy things for his craft. There’s an old saying in wrestling about leaving one’s blood, sweat and tears in the ring. Well on this night, both men – but especially Orton – left tons of all three in the ring, especially blood.