2021's Best and Worst Pro-Wrestling Matches of the Year (plus Recommended)

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > The Hammer House: Stinger Splash Zone > 2021's Best and Worst Pro-Wrestling Matches of the Year (plus Recommended)

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Dimebags Brain: Feb 18, 2013

forkboy84 posted:

HM
26th December
Dragongate Final Gate 2021
Kota Minoura vs Shun Skywalker

Excellently told story, though from an in-ring perspective I had slightly higher expectations. Still an awful lot to like.

forkboy84 posted:

MOTYC
26th December
Dragongate Final Gate 2021
HIGH-END (Ben-K, Dragon Kid & Keisuke Okuda) vs Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu, Jacky Funky Kamei & Kzy) vs RED (BxB Hulk, Eita & Kaito Ishida)

forkboy84 posted:

HM
26th December
Dragongate Final Gate 2021
Open The Twin Gate Titles
DoiYoshi Mk.2 (Naruki Doi & Takashi Yoshida) vs RED (HYO & SB KENTo)

forkboy84 posted:

MOTYC
26th December
Dragongate Final Gate 2021
Open The Dream Gate Title
YAMATO vs KAI

Kind of on the fence about this one but ultimately OK giving this the MOTYC nod.

2nd these. Shun/Minoura was fantastic and I'm not on the fence about the Dream Gate match, it was excellent.

# ? Dec 27, 2021 19:07

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# ? May 16, 2024 13:40

Penguin Patrol: Mar 3, 2005; by Fluffdaddy

SG Bamboo posted:

DDT Never Mind December 26th
MOTYC
NEO Itoh Respect Army (Maki Itoh and Chris Brookes) and Minoru Suzuki vs Eruption (Saki Akai, Kazusada Higuchi and Yukio Sakaguchi)
- Goddamn Eruption are so loving cool. I've been hype for the Suzuki/Sakaguchi showdown since it's been announced because they are both murder grandpas and it was real sweet. I loved everyhitng they did here, big fan of all six of these guys and they did everything I wanted them to. And also I will never tire of Chris Brookes standing next to small Japanese women

Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs Yuji Okabayashi - KO-D Openweight Title
- Absolutely incredible, Takeshita is the best young wrestler in the world and deserves more eyes on him

HM
Sanshiro Takagi vs Maku Donaruto
- Umm, the gently caress was this? One guy was dressed as if Ronald McDonald was a serial killer, the other was Colonel Sanders. They took some pretty gnarly bumps including several with the plastic containers that always make me wince. I'm not convinced this wasn't a fever dream, it was just so weird

Kazuki Hirata vs Shuji Kondo
- Hirata makes everything entertaining, he's such a gem. Kondo was also fun, his past in Dragon Gate makes him a good vessel for comedy and he had some fun with Owashi at ringside, who is his teammate in Aagan Iisou but also Hirata's teammate in DisasterBox

Burning (Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada and Yuya Koroku) vs 37KAMIINA (Shunma Katsumata, MAO, Yuki Ueno and Yoi Kojima)
- I'm very happy Koroku is working with Akiyama, he's got so much potential. If you like the highy energy big team matches DDT do you'll enjoy this one

Daisuke Sasaki (c) vs Masahiro Takanashi - DDT Universal Championship
- Masa had the entire ChocoCrew here to watch Sasaki take the craziest goddamn bump i've seen from him (from what I could tell it looked like he was going for a cross body from the top to the floor clearing the guard rail and a table). Outside of the Mad Paulie poo poo this was good, it annoys me that Sasaki rarely shows off how good he is, the various deperation rollups near the end were a particular highlight from both guys

Great show, wish I watched it live

nth all these

# ? Dec 27, 2021 23:29

Punch McLightning: Sep 19, 2005; you know what that means; Grimey Drawer

forkboy84 posted:

I've watched 2,825. It's a feat I will probably never repeat unless I win the lottery.

holy poo poo

# ? Dec 28, 2021 00:24

forkboy84: Jun 13, 2012; Corgis love bread. And Puro

I can't believe I am besmerching the sanctity of the thread by nominating a video game match but it was really loving good

MOTYC
20th August
new Legacy Inc Wrestling Games Grand Prix Match 10
Wrestling Games Grand Prix Title
Mitsuhara Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxN-Cf5Un6g

# ? Dec 28, 2021 01:23

Stall_19: Jan 2, 2013; Prodigy of Victor von Doom

forkboy84 posted:

I can't believe I am besmerching the sanctity of the thread by nominating a video game match but it was really loving good

MOTYC
20th August
new Legacy Inc Wrestling Games Grand Prix Match 10
Wrestling Games Grand Prix Title
Mitsuhara Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxN-Cf5Un6g

Honestly a less ridiculous MOTYC nomination than some of them here.

# ? Dec 28, 2021 01:46

Punch McLightning: Sep 19, 2005; you know what that means; Grimey Drawer

MOTYC: Jay White vs. Tomohiro Ishii, NJPW Battle in the Valley, Nov 13

HM: Matt Makowski vs. Wheeler YUTA, Beyond Uncharted Territory, Dec 23
HM: Gabriel Kidd vs. Jonathan Gresham, NJPW Strong, Dec 11

# ? Dec 28, 2021 03:12

forkboy84: Jun 13, 2012; Corgis love bread. And Puro

HM
22nd December
AEW Dynamite
Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood & MJF vs CM Punk, Darby Allin & Sting

# ? Dec 28, 2021 03:14

Ziggy Tzardust: Apr 7, 2006

forkboy84 posted:

I can't believe I am besmerching the sanctity of the thread by nominating a video game match but it was really loving good

MOTYC
20th August
new Legacy Inc Wrestling Games Grand Prix Match 10
Wrestling Games Grand Prix Title
Mitsuhara Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxN-Cf5Un6g

WGGP has been fantastic. The Steiner vs Test match was also insane

# ? Dec 28, 2021 08:23

Lamuella: Jun 26, 2003; It's like goldy or bronzy, but made of iron.

HM: Lee Moriarty vs Shawn Spears, AEW Dark Elevation December 27.

Spears is significantly underrated as a technical wrestler. Moriarty is a phenom. They go to town with this one.

# ? Dec 28, 2021 09:13

Lily Catts: Oct 17, 2012; Show me the way to you
(Heavy Metal)

forkboy84 posted:

HM
26th December
Dragongate Final Gate 2021
Kota Minoura vs Shun Skywalker

Excellently told story, though from an in-ring perspective I had slightly higher expectations. Still an awful lot to like.

forkboy84 posted:

MOTYC
26th December
Dragongate Final Gate 2021
HIGH-END (Ben-K, Dragon Kid & Keisuke Okuda) vs Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu, Jacky Funky Kamei & Kzy) vs RED (BxB Hulk, Eita & Kaito Ishida)

forkboy84 posted:

HM
26th December
Dragongate Final Gate 2021
Open The Twin Gate Titles
DoiYoshi Mk.2 (Naruki Doi & Takashi Yoshida) vs RED (HYO & SB KENTo)

forkboy84 posted:

MOTYC
26th December
Dragongate Final Gate 2021
Open The Twin Gate Titles
YAMATO vs KAI

Kind of on the fence about this one but ultimately OK giving this the MOTYC nod.

Nth to all, but especially to the 3-way elimination tag, everyone worked hard for a year's supply of spicy ramen (it was a sponsored match)

# ? Dec 28, 2021 16:43

Chinston Wurchill: Jun 27, 2010; It's not that kind of test.

Lamuella posted:

HM: Lee Moriarty vs Shawn Spears, AEW Dark Elevation December 27.

Spears is significantly underrated as a technical wrestler. Moriarty is a phenom. They go to town with this one.

I'll second this. Very good, and now I want Moriarty to win the Owen assuming it's focused on young guns.

# ? Dec 28, 2021 17:33

Senerio: Oct 19, 2009; Roëmænce is ælive!

forkboy84 posted:

I can't believe I am besmerching the sanctity of the thread by nominating a video game match but it was really loving good

MOTYC
20th August
new Legacy Inc Wrestling Games Grand Prix Match 10
Wrestling Games Grand Prix Title
Mitsuhara Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxN-Cf5Un6g

# ? Dec 28, 2021 19:58

Punch McLightning: Sep 19, 2005; you know what that means; Grimey Drawer

HM: Aramis vs. Arez, MLW Fusion, September 29 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1atvH3syE7s
HM: Dragon Lee vs. El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Willie Mack vs. Bandido, The Crash 10th Anniversary, November 5 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7QyayNVk_g

The Crash match is a near MOTYC for me.

# ? Dec 28, 2021 20:43

Kevino07: Oct 16, 2008

HM - Sonny Kiss vs Joey Janela, No DQ match, AEW Dark 12/29

# ? Dec 29, 2021 02:02

Testekill: Nov 1, 2012; I demand to be taken seriously

Kevino07 posted:

HM - Sonny Kiss vs Joey Janela, No DQ match, AEW Dark 12/29

2nd, this was a really good blow off to their feud.

Testekill fucked around with this message at 02:12 on Dec 30, 2021

# ? Dec 29, 2021 02:04

YourHumbleMessiah: Oct 11, 2005

Kevino07 posted:

HM - Sonny Kiss vs Joey Janela, No DQ match, AEW Dark 12/29

Nth this was really great

# ? Dec 29, 2021 02:05

Penguin Patrol: Mar 3, 2005; by Fluffdaddy

Kevino07 posted:

HM - Sonny Kiss vs Joey Janela, No DQ match, AEW Dark 12/29

nth

# ? Dec 29, 2021 02:10

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

The Taxman posted:

This match (Eruption vs. Neo Itoh Respect Army & Minoru Suzuki) ruled, up there with some of my favorite multi-man matches I've ever seen

Are you seconding this one? :shobon:

Testekill posted:

2nd, this was a really good blow off to their feud. I wish that

My own fault for catching up on this thread before watching Dark but could you not include who won/lost the match in your nominations? :smith:

# ? Dec 29, 2021 02:58

The Taxman: Jan 2, 2007; greetings sweeties, let me give you a back massage. for i am a whiz!

Jerusalem posted:

Are you seconding this one?

Sorry for not being clear

# ? Dec 29, 2021 04:56

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

The Taxman posted:

Sorry for not being clear

No problem, because along with my Nth for:

fez_machine posted:

MOTYC: Eruption (Kazusada Higuchi, Saki Akai & Yukio Sakaguchi) vs. Neo Itoh Respect Army (Chris Brookes, Maki Itoh) & Minoru Suzuki - DDT Never Mind 12/26

that makes 7 :hellyeah:

Worth it even if only for Suzuki's interactions with his "team" :lol:

# ? Dec 29, 2021 05:16

Punch McLightning: Sep 19, 2005; you know what that means; Grimey Drawer

MOTYC: Davey Richards vs. AJ Gray, West Coast Pro, October 8

please watch this, it was fantastic, it's on IWTV

HM: Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews vs. Pretty Deadly, NXT UK, July 22

MOTYC: Kyle O'Reilly & Von Wagner vs. Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel, NXT War Games, December 5

# ? Dec 29, 2021 22:49

DarkstarIV: Apr 6, 2010; OFFICIAL RACIST

MOTYC: Syuri vs Utami, STARDOM: Dream Queendom, 12/29/21

This match was cool and good and you should watch it because I said so. Because if you don't watch it I will call you a nerd.

# ? Dec 29, 2021 23:08

forkboy84: Jun 13, 2012; Corgis love bread. And Puro

HM
14th November
2AW Grand Slam in TKP Garden City
2AW Openweight Title
Shigehiro Irie vs Tatsuya Hanami

Hanami is a decent little junior, debuted in 2018 when the promotion was still Kaientai Dojo. Not too much charisma but everything is solid really. Irie is obviously Irie, King of the Indies, current holder of 3 separate singles belts, who Cagematch says has wrestled 197 times in 2021 somehow, busiest ever year of his career (& I almost guarantee it's over 200 because he'll have appearances for some micro-indies that Cagematch doesn't track). Match is pretty much what you expect with heel heavyweight champion against underdog junior who is barely out of being a rookie, but the formula is worked, Hanami gets plenty of hope spots where you really think he can win.

# ? Dec 30, 2021 01:43

Rarity: Oct 21, 2010; ~*4 LIFE*~

HM: Lucha Bros/Jurassic Express/Christian Cage vs. FTR/Matt Hardy/Private Party, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12

Fun clusterfuck

# ? Dec 30, 2021 02:18

Kevino07: Oct 16, 2008

Rarity posted:

HM: Lucha Bros/Jurassic Express/Christian Cage vs. FTR/Matt Hardy/Private Party, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12

Fun clusterfuck

2nd. I can get behind that

# ? Dec 30, 2021 02:21

forkboy84: Jun 13, 2012; Corgis love bread. And Puro

HM
25th December
AEW Rampage
Kris Statlander vs Leyla Hirsch

Should've given them more time but I do enjoy both these women. Would like Hirsch to get an extended tour or two in Japan (I know she had 1 with Stardom that came to an end with the lockdown in 2020).

# ? Dec 30, 2021 02:44

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

Rarity posted:

HM: Lucha Bros/Jurassic Express/Christian Cage vs. FTR/Matt Hardy/Private Party, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12

Fun clusterfuck

Absolutely easy 3rding, also helped by a hot crowd.

# ? Dec 30, 2021 03:14

Testekill: Nov 1, 2012; I demand to be taken seriously

HM: Lucha Bros/Jurassic Express/Christian Cage vs. FTR/Matt Hardy/Private Party, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12

HM: Thunder Rosa vs Jade Cargill, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12

# ? Dec 30, 2021 03:20

Ivypls: Aug 24, 2019

Testekill posted:

HM: Lucha Bros/Jurassic Express/Christian Cage vs. FTR/Matt Hardy/Private Party, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12

HM: Thunder Rosa vs Jade Cargill, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12

nth for both

# ? Dec 30, 2021 03:22

forkboy84: Jun 13, 2012; Corgis love bread. And Puro

WMOTYC
26th December
DDT Never Mind 2021
Pheromones (Danshoku Dieno, Yuki Iino & Yumehito Imanari) vs Shinya Aoki, Super Sasadango Machine & Yumiko Hotta

I don't think there's an act I hate more in wrestling than Pheromones. Wrestling history. Dieno & Iino are already guys who had worn out their welcome with me, combined that with the gimmick & it is loving unbearable. If I wasn't so lazy I'd have just skipped this, but I'm Chromecasting it & the PC is in another room. Anyway, this was terrible as expected

# ? Dec 30, 2021 03:39

SG Bamboo: Aug 21, 2013; Smile. Win. Yay!

forkboy84 posted:

DDT Never Mind 2021
Pheromones (Danshoku Dieno, Yuki Iino & Yumehito Imanari) vs Shinya Aoki, Super Sasadango Machine & Yumiko Hotta

Was that the one you could see all the way up Iino's areshole when he went for a cover, or am I thinking of a different match because all Pheromones matches are the same?

# ? Dec 30, 2021 03:41

Testekill: Nov 1, 2012; I demand to be taken seriously

MOTYC: Adam Cole & ReDragon vs Best Friends, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12

What a great cap off to the TNT era

# ? Dec 30, 2021 04:01

gripebomb: Dec 13, 2006; I wanted to fight the world.

- Eddie Kingston

Testekill posted:

MOTYC: Adam Cole & ReDragon vs Best Friends, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12

What a great cap off to the TNT era

Nth. This loving owned.

# ? Dec 30, 2021 04:03

Ivypls: Aug 24, 2019

Testekill posted:

MOTYC: Adam Cole & ReDragon vs Best Friends, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12

What a great cap off to the TNT era

nth

# ? Dec 30, 2021 04:03

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

HM: ReDragon & Adam Cole vs. Best Friends & Orange Cassidy - AEW Dynamite New Year's Smash 12/29

So much fun, great double-teams, so cool to see The Undisputed Elite working together again.

# ? Dec 30, 2021 04:03

Punch McLightning: Sep 19, 2005; you know what that means; Grimey Drawer

All from AEW New Year's Smash, 12/29

HM: Lucha Bros/Jurassic Express/Christian Cage vs. FTR/Matt Hardy/Private Party
HM: Daniel Garcia & 2point0 vs. Eddie Kingston & Proud n Powerful
HM: Adam Cole & ReDRagon vs. Chuck Taylor, Orange Cassidy, & Trent

# ? Dec 30, 2021 04:07

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Punch McLightning posted:

All from AEW New Year's Smash, 12/29

HM: Lucha Bros/Jurassic Express/Christian Cage vs. FTR/Matt Hardy/Private Party
HM: Daniel Garcia & 2point0 vs. Eddie Kingston & Proud n Powerful
HM: Adam Cole & ReDRagon vs. Chuck Taylor, Orange Cassidy, & Trent

Testekill posted:

HM: Thunder Rosa vs Jade Cargill, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12

Nth on all of this, and I was pretty close to MOTYC for Eddie et al.

# ? Dec 30, 2021 04:15

Jordan7hm: Feb 17, 2011; Lipstick Apathy

Punch McLightning posted:

All from AEW New Year's Smash, 12/29

HM: Lucha Bros/Jurassic Express/Christian Cage vs. FTR/Matt Hardy/Private Party
HM: Daniel Garcia & 2point0 vs. Eddie Kingston & Proud n Powerful
HM: Adam Cole & ReDRagon vs. Chuck Taylor, Orange Cassidy, & Trent

Nth

# ? Dec 30, 2021 05:55

Rarity: Oct 21, 2010; ~*4 LIFE*~

HM: Thunder Rosa vs. Jade Cargill, AEW New Year's Smash, 29/12
MOTYC: Adam Cole/ReDragon vs. Orange Cassidy/Best Friends, 29/12

# ? Dec 30, 2021 10:09

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# ? May 16, 2024 13:40

forkboy84: Jun 13, 2012; Corgis love bread. And Puro

MOTYC
30th December
GLEAT Ver.2
Hikaru Sato & Minoru Suzuki vs Tetsuya Izuchi & Yu Iizuka

Ruled.

# ? Dec 30, 2021 11:12

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > The Hammer House: Stinger Splash Zone > 2021's Best and Worst Pro-Wrestling Matches of the Year (plus Recommended)

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