Daniel Bryan vs Goldberg
In this match, you'll see two of the most opposite performers in the entire tournament. At the height of their careers, these were also two of the most popular. The Yes Movement vs one of the most impressive undefeated streaks in wrestling history. Who do you have?
Big Show vs Kazuchika Okada
The Big Show has been around for decades. Okada was 8 when Big Show debuted as The Giant in WCW. Upon entering WCW, The Giant was thrust into a feud with Hulk Hogan. He has always been a spectacle and that has carried him to gold every where he has been. Okada is having quite possibly the greatest year in professional wrestling history, and many would say he is having the greatest IWGP heavyweight title reign ever. If he, as many expects, holds the title until Wrestle Kingom, he will have held the title longer than anyone in history. The question that must be asked, which is more important? Longevity or in-ring prowess.
Randy Orton vs Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy barely squeaked by Bam Bam Bigelow. Now he has Randy Orton in the second round. One half of the Hardy Boyz, the Charismatic Enigma has made quite the singles career for himself as well. One of the most impressive things about Hardy is his ability to perform anywhere on the card. Not only that, but he still makes any match he is in feel important. Orton has won the WWE title over a dozen times. His pedigree injected the Viper right into the main event scene, and he has stayed there for over a decade. To make this a little more interesting, in one on one matches, Jeff Hardy has a 3-4 advantage over Randy Orton.
Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker
Going into the 2010s, I would have laughed if you called either of these wrestlers the other's greatest rival. Well, here we are in 2017, and a strong argument could be made for exactly that. While I wouldn't personally go as far to say that myself, this is undoubtedly an exciting matchup. In singles matches (and one triple threat) Brock Lesnar has the slight advantage at 5-3-1, but it is worth noting The Undertaker once beat Brock Lesnar and The Big Show in a handicap match.
Edge vs Sting
Sting barely beat out Jake Roberts in the battle of the creepy guys. Now he takes on The Rated R Superstar. Sting was the face of WCW. If it weren't for his run at the end of his career with WWE, he would've been the greatest talent to never work for Vince. Edge is an 11 time world heavyweight champion, while sting has captured this title in the organizations he was a part of 12 times. A battle between these two in their primes is money. I'd say you just need to vote for who you like best.
Scott Hall vs The Miz
The Miz took down Christopher Daniels, but it was the most tightly contested match of the first round. Both of these men were great intercontinental champions. The Miz headlined Wrestlemania against John Cena. Scott Hall was one half of The Outsiders. The mic battle leading up to this match would undoubtedly be incredible.
Finn Balor vs Kenny Omega
This is an interesting match if you are talking about these two in their prime. Omega really hit his stride in Japan when Balor left for the WWE. If we're talking about match quality, I don't know if we'll see a better pairing this tournament, though there might be two contenders in this round.
Vader vs Ric Flair
These two are two of the biggest stars WCW ever saw. You might find it surprising that the two have only faced off three times in one on one matches. All 3 times were for the WCW world heavyweight title, and each time Ric Flair came out victorious. This isn't to discredit Vader. While we all know that Ric Flair is a 16 time champion, Vader is the greatest big man of his generation.
Kevin Owens vs Bret Hart
Bret Hart took out Chris Jericho fairly easily, eliminating someone I considered a dark horse for the final four, and someone I would put in mine for sure. The Excellence of Execution has moved on to another Canadian, Kevin Owens. While the two might seem to have very different styles, Owens appearing to be a bit more of a brawler, this would be a very good match. KO has been in his fair share of very entertaining matches, and is possibly just as well known for his time in PWG and ROH as for his time in NXT and WWE. Early into his time with WWE, the sky is the limit for Owens, but is Hart the end of the line for him here?
Rob Van Dam vs Jushin Thunder Liger
ECW's most notable high-flyer taking on the greatest super junior of all time, surprisingly, these two have never faced off. Liger has been a major player all over the world since the 1980s. He has had 26 reigns globally as a light heavyweight, cruiserweight, junior, or whatever you'd like to call it. RVD has held every major title in the WWE. He was also Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Most Popular Wrestler for 2001 and 2002. Liger, on the other hand, has several awards from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, ranging from Best Technical Wrestler to Best Gimmick.
Macho Man vs CM Punk
Eddie Guerrero fell victim to the luck of the draw, as he came up against Macho Man Randy Savage in the first round. Eddie is another wrestler who could have easily made it to the final four with a different path. But Macho Man beat him easily. That just goes to show you how great Randy Savage was. In round 2, he comes up against an even bigger challenge. The Second City Saint is easily one of the most popular superstars in recent memory, and unlike many other wrestlers in this tournament, went out with plenty of career left in him. I am very intrigued to see how this one goes. Of course the two have the added connection of Punk's tribute elbow.
Batista vs Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan is the only unanimous winner in the first round. Batista got by Kane by just one vote. If Batista were from a different era, there is no doubt in my mind he would have been just as big or bigger than Hogan. He is one of the scariest looking wrestlers we have ever seen. He made wrestling a part of pop culture. Hulk Hogan IS pop culture. I would put him on par with baseball and apple pie when it comes to America. Batista has placed himself into the American lexicon thanks to his role in Guardians of the Galaxy, and his size and ability have always made him special. This is a match between two true Goliaths.
Triple H vs AJ Styles
Both of these guys won in a landslide, each receiving 90% of votes. They are also both the second leader of two major factions (DX and Bullet Club respectively), and most would say did it better than any other leader. The Game has found himself playing the foil to every major face in the Attitude Era, and really at many points through today. Meanwhile, The Phenomenal One was the heart and soul of TNA and was the first face of western expansion for New Japan. With two very different styles, this would be a barn burner, and part of me is holding out we might get to see this showdown at a Wrestlemania in the future.
Rey Mysterio vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
Well this is an interesting match. Purely from a one on one match standpoint, I would love to see these two styles clash. The ultimate underdog with a heart the size of the Big Show taking on the Texas Rattlesnake. The high flyer with beautiful form against the ugly brawling of Stone Cold. Having just missed each other in WCW, WWF, and ECW, surprisingly, these two have never battled. But they do here. Figure Four Writer's Block: making dreams happen.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Mick Foley
Shinsuke Nakamura took down Mitsuharu Misawa, who on paper, was a favorite to win the tournament. No one has more 5 star matches than Misawa. Yet Nakamura took him down. The King of Strong Style is taking on the King of Hardcore. Mrs. Foley's baby boy slayed the dragon in round one, but in his career, he has faced very few like Nakamura. These are certainly two of the most uniquely charismatic talents in the tournament, and I'm excited to see who takes this round two showdown.
John Cena vs The Rock
John Cena eliminated another favorite to win it all, Shawn Michaels. The Rock beat DDP in the battle of the People's Champions. These are two of the most charismatic superstars of all time. These two are 1-1 against each other. In this tournament, we will decide who is the better man. Officially. Like we'll petition the WWE, and make them deliver an official proclamation.
So there you have it! Your matchups for round two. Tomorrow, we will see a guest post on Okada, and later in the week, we will see an argument for Ric Flair, both by special guest contributors. But until then, happy voting, and stay (too) sweet.
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