The Top 5 Best Matches in the FLPW

August and September were the first two months of the FLPW on Twitch, and in that time period the AI in WWE 2k16 made a broad range of matches, ranging from absolutely terrible to some outstanding gems. With the reboot of the FLPW just a week away, let's look back at the matches that really made us say "damn!"

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5: Double J vs V-Nation
September 23rd, 2016 - Doubles Title Match

Although there might be better tag-team matches than this title match, none of them are much as a blast to watch back as this match. Double J, since ending the almost month-long doubles reign of the Beast Crew. The bulk of the match was pretty standard, but it's worth watching for the ending, where Jake Rapture and El Koogs busted out a brand new finisher that surprised everyone.

You can watch the match here.

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4: Sgt. Cooper vs Jacob Drummond vs Ken Nakano
August 30th, 2016 - #1 Contender's Match for the World's Bestest Championship

Before this match, previous triple threat matches were extremely lackluster. The AI would consistently try to pin a wrestler despite the third man standing in the ring ready to break it up, leading to incredibly boring matches that would not end. Although this match is guilty of that, this number one contender's match was anything but lackluster or boring.

At the beginning of the match, everyone and their mother picked Sergeant Cooper to win the match, seeing how he has a reputation for sneaky victories. However, as the match stretched on and weapons got introduced, it got more and more brutal. Nobody could guess who would win. At the end of the match, the ring was a virtual bloody hardware store.

You can watch the match here.

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3: Eddie Chumbo vs Tyler T-Man
August 8th, 2016 - The 1st FLPW Twitch Tournament Grand Final

August 8th was the first ever official FLPW Twitch stream, and all started off with a marathon 7-hour stream that concluded with the grand finals of the first FLPW tournament. The final match was between Hardcore Union member Eddie Chumbo and Beast Crew representative Tyler "Straight Savage" T-Man.

It is surprising how high this match ranks considering it was at a point when the characters weren't as refined as they are now. All the audience had to go on was their previous matches, but everyone wanted to see Chumbo's cheating ass get pinned, and T-Man looked unstoppable after defeating Jacob Drummond, Chris Furious, and Johnny Talladega to get to the grand finals. It was an excellent match that was a great climax to a full-day stream, and it's success boded well for the continuation of FLPW streams on Twitch.

You can watch the full match here.

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2: John Polak vs Johnny Talladega
September 27th, 2016 - For the International Canadian Championship of the World

For the longest time, the International Canadian Championship was dwarfed by the star power of the World's Bestest Championship and the amazing rivalries happening with the National American Championship. However, one rival would bring heat back to the maple leaf belt.

After Johnny Talladega won his rivalry against Jordan Wassink, John Polak became the number one contender after Jacob's successful quest to whip his tag-team partner back into form following some disappointing matches. With the threat of Jacob leaving his tag partner if he lost the match, John fought for more than just the Canadian Title. The match is filled with several false finishes and with such high stakes, the match kept me on the edge of my seat while I was commentating it.

You can watch it in full here.

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1: Maximilian Wolf vs Thomas Warren
September 19th, 2016 - For the National US Championship of America

You probably saw this one coming.

Thomas Warren's story of finally getting a singles belt in the FLPW was the best thing to come out of the Twitch streams. After multiple attempts of trying to get himself into the the US rankings led him to losses against Jake Rapture and Maximilian Wolf, It seemed that Thomas Warren was not going to get the American Title anytime soon.

However, after Maximilian defeated Trent "T The MC' McRae to move on to fight Thomas Warren in a number one contender's match, Salty Marcellus shocked everyone by dropping the National American Title to move on to bigger and better things in the World's division. This meant that the simple number one contender's match became a title match for the vacant championship. What followed was the best wrestling match I've ever seen any two AI in any wrestling game create.

It had everything: false finishes early on, outside brawls, and finisher reversals at points when any move could have put someone down for a three count. The ending could not have been more perfect, but I can't really gush about it because it will ruin it for people who have not seen it yet. The payoff is masterful.

I highly encourage anyone reading this who has not seen the match yet to check it out here.

Fight Card for Show of the Masters 2016

Singles Match
T.G. McCullough VS Chris Fuirous
For the World's Bestest Champion of the World title!
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Tag-Team Match
V-Nation VS Double J
For the Doubles titles!
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Singles Match
Maximilian Wolf VS Thomas Warren
For the National US Championship of America!
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6-Man Ladder Match
Ken Nakano VS Pubert Adams
Salty Marcellus VS Marcus Gravy
Trent "T The MC" McRae VS Trevor Warren
For a "Master Contract". It allows you to proceed with a title match anywhere, anytime.
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No-DQ Match
El Koogs VS Anthony "Milbro" Brown
For the Hardcore title!
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Singles Match
Johnny Talladega VS John Polak
For the International Canadian Championship title!
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Last Man Standing Match
Velze Formadill VS Eddie Chumbo
Formadill looking to get even with Chumbo after he cost the rising star his opportunity at last Friday's elimination chamber match.

Sergei Alkaev Suffers Injury From El Koogs Match

At what was supposed to be a short comedic relief match, Sergei Alkaev is out injured after an improper baseball bat shot left him with a concussion. The match involved El Koogs performing multiple baseball bat strikes to Sergei in a row. It is unsure how long he will be out of action for, but until further notice he is not medically cleared to compete.

September 29th Wrap-Up

We've reached the end of September, and we're entering month 3 of the FLPW. Every title is going to be on the line October 3rd in a special stream titled "Show of the Masters". It's arguably the first major event in the FLPW, since all the episodes up to this point have been in the same arena, barring colour changes based on the division.

 Every single match September 29th was a #1 contender's match to see who's fighting for what title at Show of the Masters - the main event being the first ever FLPW elimination chamber match to see who would move on to fight Chris Furious.

The first two matches of the night were essentially "loser bracket" matches for the main event. Over the last few weeks there's been world rankings matches, and the winner of those matches were given a guaranteed spot in the elimination chamber main event. The people who won were Velze Formadill, Ken Nakano, Jacob Drummond, and Pubert Adams. The people who lost in those matches were Eddie Chumbo, T.G. McCullough, Trevor Warren, and Salty Marcellus. The losers faced each other to see who would start out 1st and 2nd in the chamber event.

T.G. versus Trevor was the first match on the card, and it ended with T.G. getting his first singles win on stream in a very long time. He was able to kick out of Trevor's Kill Confirmed as well as a modified t-bone suplex to eventually win with a barrage of elbow drops.

Salty is handed another loss after the former US Champion of America got speared by Chumbo. This is yet another loss for Marcellus since he broke in to the world division. When questioned about it, Salty said that he'd rather lose fighting for the best prize in the FLPW than consistently destroy the US division. I guess it's all about perspective.

El Koogs fought Sergei in a hardcore match that lasted 2 minutes and 25 seconds. El Koogs grabbed a baseball bat early in the match and pretty much just committed assault on the Bulletproof P.M.C. member. There's talk that Sergei suffered a concussion during the match and will be unable to wrestle some time, and it's pretty hard not to believe that after you've had the most unstable member of V-Nation kill you with sporting equipment. El Koogs moves on to fight Anthony "Milbro" Brown for the Hardcore Championship at Show of the Masters.

Next up was a messy 6-man battle royal for the Canadian #1 contendership. Johnnu Talladega, the man John Polak beat to become Canadian Champion, ended up winning the match after eliminated Alan Morrison. Polak and Talladega are set to have a title rematch at Show of the Masters, and if it's anything like their title match last Tuesday, then it might end up stealing the show.

Tyler "Straight Savage" T-Man faced Maximilian Wolf in a US #1 contender's match, and T-Man ended up getting caught out of the air and directly into a Maximum Impact. Just like Talladega and Polak, Max has a major feud with current US Champion Thomas Warren. After their outstanding match two weeks ago (currently considered match of the year), it's very suitable that we finally get to see another anticipated rematch at Show of the Masters.

Second last match of the night went to V-Nation fighting the Hardcore Union. The Union were teasing a mystery third team member all night (since Chumbo was out competing in the main event), and that third wheel turned into Anthony "Milbro" Brown. Chumbo was at ringside trying to bend the rules as much as possible, but in the end Milbro didn't really doing anything in the match at all, leading V-Nation to easily get the win.

The main event: the first every FLPW elimination chamber match. What a ride. The first elimination didn't happen for a good 10 minutes; Velze Formadill got pinned by Eddie Chumbo after a Chum-Bomb. The two have been in a rivalry as of late, since Formadill was the reason Chumbo had to face Salty earlier that night. A match has been set between the two to settle their differences once and for all in a last man standing match at Show of the Masters.

Second one out was Pubert Adams, who was given the Drummond Drop from Jacob Drummond after earlier kicking out of Jacob's signature reverse DDT. Velze and Pubert were among the crowd favourites to win.

The next elimination was by T.G. McCullough of all people! T.G. had taken all the punishment in the world at the beginning of the match, taking both a Guillotine from Pubert Adams and a Chum-Bomb from Eddie Chumbo. Somehow he showed the reliance to proceed on, throw Jacob Drummond out of the ring, then TGDDT him on the steel cage. 1-2-3.

The next elimination was Ken Nakano pinning Eddie Chumbo after a pedigree. Ken held back for a while as T.G. and Chumbo continued to brawl, and when the time was right, Ken interrupted Chumbo with a kick leading right into his finisher.

Ken then spent the next 10 minutes beating the ever-loving piss out of T.G., while T.G. was kicking out of absolutely everything. Though Ken was able to shut down most of T.G. reversals, all it took was an opening for a TGDDT to happen, and somehow T.G. McCullough wins the title shot against Chris Furious.

As impressive as T.G.'s resiliency was, it's hard to see him posing a threat to Chris Furious in the main event of Show of the Masters. T.G. hasn't picked up a singles win ever before September 29th, and his performance in the chamber appears to be a fluke. However, he's earned his title shot, so I wish him good luck.

Show of the Masters, people. It's going to be sick.