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Thank you for creating AEW Jay 
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Jan 28, 2023 23:54
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Hey J-Ru do you have any stats on the women's representation in the top 50 compared to previous years?
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Jan 28, 2023 23:55
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Rarity posted:Hey J-Ru do you have any stats on the women's representation in the top 50 compared to previous years? There's Kris Stat, who fell in the rankings.
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Jan 28, 2023 23:59
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Rarity posted:Hey J-Ru do you have any stats on the women's representation in the top 50 compared to previous years? I'll do a proper stats post at a later point, but just talking roughly, about 26% of the wrestlers picked this year were women compared to 27% in 2021, 30% in 2020 & 22% in 2019. This might be somewhat misleading though, especially 2020 where we had a much lower overall number of entries. A comparative ranking of where women placed in each year would be handy too, so I'll make sure to do that.
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Jan 29, 2023 00:04
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this kid is nuts posted:one of the most well-rounded wrestlers going. Numero6 posted:Funny and Mean. Slim Jim Pickens posted:has been distressingly violent this year. Skjorte posted:she's capable of much more than she's shown Stateside so far.  Yuka Sakazaki 2021 Position: 62/63 | 2020 Position: 11/43 | 2019 Position: 47/63 | Times Voted #1: 0 In 2020, Yuka ranked as the subforum's most popular woman's wrestler, only to see a dramatic fall in 2021 to 62nd out of 63 in the rankings. Her #32 ranking this year marks a midway point between these extremes, a sign perhaps that enough people have been exposed to her beyond simply being the AYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY girl from AEW that they've grown to appreciate just how talented she is in the ring, how much energy and excitement she brings to her matches, the big match feel she manages to bring to main events, the unpredictability of just how things are going to turn out. Also that's she a Chaos Djinn who takes a sadistic joy from wreaking havoc and pain upon the world! Tiny with a high-pitched voice, you wouldn't think that Yuka Sakazaki would be some kind of unholy pain elemental... and yet here we are. She's a bully and a jerk and mean and also extremely funny and very, very earnest when she gives tearful promos about helping take TJPW to greater heights. Along with her equally monstrous tag partner Mizuki, she cast a long shadow over the tag division in TJPW as part of Magical Sugar Rabbits, but her return to top title status as the Princess of Princess Champion has really given her the chance to inflict violence at a top level. It's part of the fun of watching her wrestle, knowing how good she is, knowing that she's presumably a very nice and good person in real life... but in that ring (and backstage) she is just so gleeful as she's wreaking havoc! Hopefully she can bring more of that personality across in her appearances in AEW in 2023 (her cheerful assault of Athena backstage recently offers promise that will hopefully be realized), but in the meantime fans (and those fearful) of her can enjoy watching her at the top of TJPW doing what she does best: being mean!
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Jan 29, 2023 00:05
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AYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY
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Jan 29, 2023 00:07
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Numero6 posted:
this kid is nuts posted:great at emoting and pantomime character stuff, which is an underappreciated and valuable part of our beloved sport fez_machine posted:resulted in some of the funniest moments of the year. Pinwiz11 posted:the best story of the year Penguin Patrol posted:I bet this isn't even her final form Slim Jim Pickens posted:the first to stand up to an invasion of wasteland raiders from Ohio, attracting their attention and tanking damage that nobody else would consider worthwhile. karmicknight posted:3 (in clown years)  Pom Harajuku 2021 Position: 62/63 | 2020 Position: Did Not Rank | 2019 Position: Did Not Rank | Times Voted #1: 1 Oh Pom. She isn't very good, but she tries very hard. Well kind of, until she gets scared. But she always comes back for more. Well, gets dragged back. Pom has been one of the comedy undercard/midcard acts in TJPW and she's been fine and fun in her own way in that respect, but then the Princess Cup happened in August. Then magic happened. Max the Impaler, six inches taller and far heavier, faced Pom in a match where the terrified clown hit the perfect mixture of exaggerated panic and resignation to her fate. Realizing the gold they'd stumbled on, TJPW kept up the pairing in various ways, careful not to overdo it but building anticipation for the moments where Pom would find herself in Max's clutches yet again. Fans loved it, with incredible fanart popping up online, and people gained a new appreciation for Pom's use of facial expression and body language. How much of her high ranking is recency bias or just enjoying the "meme" status of Pom's horror? I honestly couldn't say, but the quotes above indicate that there's more to it than that. People like Pom, which to paraphrase a quote above, is a very underappreciated and valuable part of our beloved sport too. She ranks above Yuka Sakazaki this year, and Yuka is the top Champion of TJPW! That doesn't mean Pom is going to be champion (almost certainly not!), but it does tell you that this otherwise almost entirely unnoticed in earlier years wrestler is currently enjoying popularity and has the opportunity to grow from there... if Max doesn't get her first!
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Jan 29, 2023 00:10
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personified.
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This is a travesty of justice
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Jan 29, 2023 00:12
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Rarity posted:This is a travesty of pom de justice
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Jan 29, 2023 00:14
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Jerusalem posted:Tiny with a high-pitched voice, you wouldn't think that Yuka Sakazaki would be some kind of unholy pain elemental... and yet here we are.
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Jan 29, 2023 00:14
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pressedbunny posted:If wrestling has taught me anything, it's that there's nothing on the planet more dangerous than a small Japanese woman. The only cure is Aja Kong 
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Jan 29, 2023 00:15
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TUS posted:For me, one of the only reasons I watch AEW (Good wrestling aside) Diplomat posted:Even though his shtick is a bit one note, I have not yet gotten bored of it Veryslightlymad posted:It feels weird that we live in a world where being able to piss everyone off is an honest-to-god marketable talent, but here we fuckin' are.  MJF 2021 Position: 20/63 | 2020 Position: 14/43 | 2019 Position: 55/63 | Times Voted #1: 0 Falling 10 ranks from last year (but still beating CM Punk!) is somewhat of a surprise, because 2022 was the year MJF finally achieved his goal after all the cheating and schemes and sneakiness he learned a valuable lesson on how to finally succeed.... cheat and scheme and be sneaky even more than before! Maybe it's because he only actually wrestled 9 times the entire year? Maybe it's because he overshadowed the end of the long built WARDLOW story with his sudden disappearance/no-show of a Meet'n'Greet and then didn't return to AEW for 4 months? Maybe it's because his promos started getting so long that people began posting memes about how long they were. Or maybe because the ending to the whole Regal storyline kind of overshadowed everything with his abrupt departure to return to WWE? Or maybe there were just 29 other wrestlers who were more popular!?! It's often mentioned just how good MJF is for such a young age, and now as AEW Champion he's already hit the apex in terms of what all wrestlers are supposedly always aiming for. For as good as he is, it's easy to forget that he's got a long time to go to improve and develop his craft (just look at the masterclass in promos William Regal gave him one Dynamite), and the missteps along the way are missteps being made by a guy still in mid-20s holy poo poo. It's remarkable how good he is, how seemingly confident and self-assured as a character, how well he holds up opposite guys with far more experience than him... some with more experience than years he has been alive! He may have only had 9 matches all year, but almost every one was a big deal, even the two brief Shawn Dean matches which should have been throwaways were used to great effect to puncture some of his ego with, as two of the 3 matches he lost (the third being the aforementioned WARDLOW match). Plus, since becoming AEW Champion he's already been involved in two fascinating feuds, the first with Ricky Starks and the second a follow-up to the William Regal storyline with Bryan Danielson now gunning for him. 2023 offers interesting times ahead for MJF, who finally caught that car he was chasing and now has to figure out what the hell to do with it.
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Jan 29, 2023 00:15
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I'm better than you unless you're one of these 29 people
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Jan 29, 2023 00:18
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Just done a check-in and I've still got 10 of my top 20 still to show up. Holding up hope that Zack cracks the top 10 
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Jan 29, 2023 00:20
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 Mei Saint-Michel 2021 Position: 28/63 | 2020 Position: 26/43 | 2019 Position: 60/63 | Times Voted #1: 1 fez_machine posted:a fistful of great matches and one grand entrance. Surprisingly, despite a very quiet year for Mei Saint-Michel, she still managed to rank only one spot off from her 2021 ranking. All this despite only wrestling twice, though her last match was a doozy, as the full NEO Biishiki-gun returned to wrestle at TJPW Grand Princess, involving one of the most incredible ring entrances of all time. After that, she and her noble mistress Sakisama returned to France, presumably to recharge their batteries before returning to Japan sometime in 2023 to look down their noses (well, Sakisama will be doing the looking down) once more. Mei Suruga 2021 Position: 28/63 | 2020 Position: 16/43 | 2019 Position: 60/63 | Times Voted #1: 1 this kid is nuts posted:it truly is insane how complete a performer she is only a few years into wrestling. In comparison to the little Goblin maid, Mei Suruga had a much busier year to scratch and claw her way to this #29 ranking. In addition to her near weekly appearances for Gatoh Move ChocoPro, she not only appeared at Stardom but won the Cinderella Rumble on Night 2 of the World Climax Event, though she wasn't able to achieve victory (and the title) when she fought for the High Speed Title against AZM on the final night of the Cinderella Tournament. With further appearances at Oz Academy and SEAdLINNNG, she also made a rare appearance in TJPW of all places, as well as appearances in CMLL in Mexico, DPW in the United States and SPW in Singapore. All of which is to say Mei Suruga is putting the work in, building on her already exceptional talent under the tutelage of Emi Sakura. It's been a common refrain throughout these rankings at how remarkable some of these wrestlers are at such a young age, and Mei Suruga is a great reminder of that, because she was already so good when she started that it is easy to forget that she is only 23-years-old. Who knows how much better she'll be over 2023, with more experience, appearances on AEW television, and fielding the obvious growing interest promotions have in booking her. Why wouldn't they? She's loving great!
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Jan 29, 2023 00:21
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Mei Suruga and Mei Sant-Michel tied for points AGAIN?! What a coincidence!
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Jan 29, 2023 00:25
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Personally I think that little goblin is ballot stuffing, but every time I go to check I end up slipping on this conveniently placed tray.
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Jan 29, 2023 00:26
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SamuraiFoochs posted:just been absolutely killing it in every way. Senerio posted:strong man strong and swing and uppercut.  Claudio Castagnoli 2021 Position: Did Not Rank | 2020 Position: Did Not Rank | 2019 Position: 26/63 | Times Voted #1: 1 Imagine not doing everything in your power to keep Claudio Castagnoli under contract. After 11 years with the promotion, the former Cesaro decided not to accept an offered contract extension from WWE because he wasn't happy with the terms on offer. He would have stayed! They just needed to offer him the right benefits/compensation, and instead they let him go. After all, he has an accent, he could never be a success in wrestling! Four months later, Claudio was the surprise replacement for a hurt Bryan Danielson at the New Japan/AEW Forbidden Door show, where he wrestled Zack Sabre Jr. and won the match. Initially he'd been signed by Tony Khan to be a major fixture on the relaunch of ROH when it came, but circumstances meant they appeared on AEW instead... and it's easy to forget that he's only been with the promotion for six months by the end of 2022, because he got a LOT done in that time. He did a lot in WWE over the previous 11 years too, but somehow everything seems more impactful in AEW. His part in the Blood and Guts match where the Blackpool Combat Club defeated The Jericho Appreciation Society was a masterwork in developing multiple storylines, including a longstanding "rivalry" between he and Eddie Kingston who believed he was a glory hog. Claudio certainly got plenty of glory in AEW, winning the ROH title from Jonathan Gresham to finally tick off an accomplishment that had eluded him during the glory years in ROH of the mid-to-late 2000s. He'd lose that title to Chris Jericho in September, pursuing it and putting his status as a "wrestler" up as stakes in a title match where a loss would have been the (frankly intriguing) forced inclusion of him as a "sports entertainer" in the Jericho Appreciation Society. But he prevailed, winning the title back and ending a year he started in WWE as a fixture in AEW as well as the ROH Champion. That accent doesn't seem to be causing any problems, by the way!
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Jan 29, 2023 00:27
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This is the best group of three random wrestlers you could get.
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Jan 29, 2023 00:29
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 Samoa Joe 2021 Position: Did Not Rank | 2020 Position: Did Not Rank | 2019 Position: 24/63 | Times Voted #1: 1 Nehru the Damaja posted:He's clearly in the twilight of his career, but he's been one of the best for like 20 years. Nea posted:if this is what old and busted looks like for him i gotta get around to watchin some poo poo from his prime. Jerusalem posted:it's simply a reminder of just how much of a monster he was in his prime Claudio wasn't the only star that WWE let slip out of their grasp either... this one twice! After being fired from WWE in April of 2021, he was re-signed in June to be in NXT as part of an angle operating as the enforcer for General Manager William Regal. After winning the NXT title, he was forced to vacate it after getting COVID, and then got fired AGAIN in January of 2022. Just under 4 months later he was in AEW as well as being part of the Tony Khan owned ROH in their PPVs, winning the television title. It was great to see him regularly wrestling again, but something did seem a little off. A lengthy absence raised concerns he was injured or unwell again, and all those years taking hard bumps in TNA (including a TERRIBLE bump on arena steps) might finally be catching up with Joe, now in his mid-40s and weighing in the high 200s. Turns out he was just working on a television show! Once fully back in the fold, Joe quickly put aside any concerns that he was washed. After working briefly with WARDLOW he turned on him, laying him out after WARDLOW declared his plans to win ALL the belts in the promotion, which would have included Joe's Television title. Joe put up his belt against WARDLOW's TNT title in a threeway involving Powerhouse Hobbs, and came out on top with both TV titles. Declaring himself the "King of Television" and insisting that reporters at media scrums address him with the proper respect before he would acknowledge them, Joe has been wonderful as an arrogant monster fully confident in his ability to crush all resistance to him. Certainly Darby Allin and WARDLOW experienced that for themselves when he beat them both so badly the referees were forced to end the matches, and he went into 2023 seemingly justified in his belief that NOBODY could topple the King of Television. What a relief to have Joe back wrestling again, winning again, with titles again, crushing fools again, just generally being amazing like we always knew he could be. Taichi 2021 Position: 32/63 | 2020 Position: 9/43 | 2019 Position: 19/63 | Times Voted #1: 2 Burn Down Canberra posted:might best represent the promotion at its best. Veryslightlymad posted:a guy that can do comedy bit and a serious beat-the-piss-out-of-each-other bit in the same match. this kid is nuts posted:I love him and his beautiful tit flexes GEORGE W BUSHI posted:He’s Just One Guy, but he’s been one of the most compelling wrestlers in NJPW for years. I was sure this was it, this was the year that Taichi was going to topple (or gently replace) Minoru Suzuki from power and claim Suzuki-Gun for his own. It all seemed so obvious, Taichi was the Suzuki-Gun member who seemed to have the most success, to be most comfortable in the leadership role, to have the back of all the other members, to have a trusted lieutenant in Zack Sabre Jr. and the good will of the fans to continue Suzuki-Gun's status as dirtbag assholes... who are all genuinely good friends and who the fans love! But it wasn't to be, though it turns out not to have been the mad ramblings of a deranged fan but something that Taichi himself had heard becoming increasingly talked about and taken pains to let Suzuki and the others know was not something he was interested in doing. Suzuki-Gun ended on December 23rd, the faction-mates saying an emotional goodbye and setting off on different paths - some together, but no longer Suzuki-Gun. This included the end of Dangerous Tekkers, Taichi's delightful bromance/partnership with Zack Sabre Jr., not with any animosity but with the understanding that it was time they went their different ways to try different things. Why is any of this important? Because... well... because people really, really like Taichi! They're invested in him! They long for his success but mostly his happiness. Somehow over the last few years, the once kind of lazy, disinterested and rather one-note gimmick has turned into a valued, interesting and INTERESTED wrestler who brings it in the ring, tells compelling stories, and not only pushes himself forward as a wrestler but a semi-promoter as well through his joint shows with TAKA Michinoku and later El Desperado. In 2022 in New Japan, Taichi spent a lot of time involved in KOPW silliness, making for some fun matches but never really threatening the main event or even upper midcard scene. Which didn't mean he wasn't drawing attention, as his challenge of mentor and notoriously grumpy wrestling legend Toshiaki Kawada after a match against SANADA demonstrated. Perhaps more importantly, Kawada - long retired and seemingly never interested in a return - didn't immediately dismiss the idea, which if anything goes to show how much Taichi has improved from the somewhat one-note status he held in previous years. Taichi isn't everybody's cup of tea, but those that like him REALLY like him, are REALLY invested in his continued improvement, and want to see him succeed. With Suzuki-Gun done, hopefully he takes the opportunity to continue to push himself forward to even greater heights.
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Jan 29, 2023 00:32
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I want to see Joe vs Taichi now
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Jan 29, 2023 00:34
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Wasn't impressed when Joe first got to AEW but his King of Television run has been killer. Miho, please take Taichi back my heart hurts  Seams posted:I want to see Joe vs Taichi now gently caress yeah this would rule
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Jan 29, 2023 00:35
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Seams posted:I want to see Joe vs Taichi now God yes that would be awesome.
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Jan 29, 2023 00:36
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Skjorte posted:my favorite wrestler of the 2010s. 1glitch0 posted:Always fun when he pops up. Nehru the Damaja posted:He just constantly delivers. TV Zombie posted:No notes.  Tomohiro Ishii 2021 Position: 16/63 | 2020 Position: 7/43 | 2019 Position: 2/63 | Times Voted #1: 1 His lowest ranking ever still sees Tomohiro Ishii skirting around the Top 25 mark, despite a year where he was largely excess to all the major storylines happening in New Japan and his presence was mostly relegated to multi-man matches where he ended up brawling post-match with people... and it still ruled, because Ishii rules and even "just" seeing him wrestle a bunch of dudes and get into brawls is a wild time and something to be cherished. He opened the year feuding with.... sigh..... EVIL, but you can't hold that against him. Losing the NEVER Openweight Title at Wrestle Kingdom, he failed to win it back in a Lumberjack Death match in February, and was knocked out in the first round of the New Japan Cup, as well as the first round of the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament against Adam Cole in AEW. He couldn't beat Tanahashi to win the vacant US Title in New Japan, but had better luck taking a shot at the new AEW All Atlantic Belt, till an injury dropped him out of the planned Fourway at Forbidden Door. He managed 6 points in the G1, couldn't get past the first round of the New Japan Television Title tournament, losing to Ren Narita, and was beaten by Chris Jericho in a ROH World Title shot. So... that's a year of failures both in Japan and America... and it didn't impact on Ishii's believability or intimidation factor as a monster wrestler in the slightest. Because Ishii only has one gear, and it's all the numbers crossed out and replaced by a big meaty arm that he lariats you with.... my analogy kind of got away from me there, but the point is that Ishii's "one match" is "have a loving banger" and that's what he's still doing sometimes on a multi-weekly basis in EVERY match he has. He doesn't adjust down his intensity, you know exactly what you're gonna get, and you're happy to get it, because it's so, so, so good. People keep saying he'll have to slow down eventually, that time and age will catch up with him. I'm sure that they're right, but I also can't help but ponder what'll happen when time finally slaps a hand on Ishii's shoulder, and he turns around to lariat it's head off. I hope it's on New Japan World!
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Jan 29, 2023 00:37
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TOUGH AND HARD STONE PITBULL BITE U
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Jan 29, 2023 00:38
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Skjorte posted:Finally… a Canadian Maple Leaf specialist. Numero6 posted:In a just world, she would have been its centerpiece. Rarity posted:She’d make my list even if she hadn’t wrestled at all – yeah you heard me J-Ru, gently caress you I make my own rules.  Maki Itoh 2021 Position: 22/63 | 2020 Position: 21/43 | 2019 Position: 25/63 | Times Voted #1: 2 This is as low as she's ever ranked... but it's also roughly about where she always ranks, higher in fact accounting for 2020's lesser number of spots. The Cutest in the World, the leader of the Itoh Respect Army (and NEO Itoh Respect Army!), the... fired Idol....! Her 2022 started strong with her winning the International Princess Title from Hikari Noa which she would go on to defend 4 times before losing it in July to the visiting Alex Windsor. This included trips overseas, wrestling for Prestige, NEW & GCW, as well as losing in the first round of the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament to eventual winner Dr. Britt Baker DMD. But of course, while Itoh has improved wrestling wise and can more than carry her own side of a match (her Kokeshis and her double-teams with Miyu Yamashita are top notch in terms of timing and execution) it is her character work that has always been her big appeal. On top of all the usual bits she does - crying to get in a cheap shot, flipping the bird, casual swearing etc - she frequently adds new wrinkles that help build and reinforce her status as a somewhat narcissistic, sometimes scatterbrained but always wildly entertaining wrestler who also suffers from self-esteem issues. Whether it is excitedly racing backstage in the midst of celebrating her friend's win so she can show off HER title as well, or grumpily complaining that her friend doesn't truly like her just to get the validation she craves, or showing up as the wedding singer at Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green's vow renewal ceremony! Itoh loves to be the centre of attention, both to feed her ego and also reassure her that yes, she matters. Or maybe that's just reading too much into things and she's exactly what she appears to be on the surface: a foul-mouthed former idol who likes violence! It's pro-wrestling, you can take as much or as little as you like from it, and it's entertaining all the same! Itoh certainly is that, a delightful addition to every show she appears on, whether wrestling or singing or just basking in attention.
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Jan 29, 2023 00:42
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GIVE HER THE PRINCESS OF PRINCESS BELT TJPW I SWEAR TO loving GOD
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Jan 29, 2023 00:45
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Shaman Tank Spec posted:give me a wrestler who can make their kicks and strikes look like they REALLY loving HURT and you've got a fan. Numero6 posted:Not just the best, not just the coolest but just incredible. Slim Jim Pickens posted:Very powerful ring presence Senerio posted:She's so cool  Miyu Yamashita 2021 Position: 13/63 | 2020 Position: 30/43 | 2019 Position: 53/63 | Times Voted #1: 1 Miyu Yamashita strode into 2022 achieving exactly what she'd set out to do: retaining the Princess of Princess Title to keep her third reign going. But her 10 month reign would not survive another challenge after that, losing to Shoko Nakajima in March. She would not find title success again for another 6 months, losing her effort at the AEW Women's Title against Thunder Rosa in July, getting knocked out of the Tokyo Princess Cup in the Semi-Final against Miu Watanabe, and then mostly wrestling in tags with Maki Itoh peppered with the odd singles match after that. Which isn't to say she wasn't still a compelling character, it's just that without the title TJPW didn't really seem to have a particularly strong storyline for her to follow to take advantage of her status as arguably TJPW's biggest star. Happily her victory in November over Alex Windsor saw her become the Eve Champion, a title she defended both in the United Kingdom and Japan for EVE and TJPW respectively. Yamashita finds herself in the awkward position now of having achieved mostly everything in TJPW and needing something new to get her teeth into. That can happen in TJPW or it could happen in some of the overseas promotions she regularly works for, and the efforts to showcase her in AEW, EVE and Prestige is the right direction. After all, there's a reason she keeps ranking so highly in these threads, with this 24th ranking a drop down from her 2021 high of 13th but still beating the previous years. She's a phenomenally cool wrestler, a badass (dork) who throws the best looking kicks in wrestling and strides to the ring looking unbelievably awesome before following up with excellent in-ring work. She hasn't been a 3-time Princess of Princess Champion for no reason, she's a star for TJPW and she just needs a new direction (or something different beyond simply the title chase to help showcase her immense talent to the world... and most importantly of all get her ranking in future threads up!
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Jan 29, 2023 00:48
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Rarity posted:GIVE HER THE PRINCESS OF PRINCESS BELT TJPW I SWEAR TO loving GOD I'm not opposed to this, but only if it isn't at the expense of Miu Watanabe! Then Miyu can be HER second at ringside!
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Jan 29, 2023 00:49
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121000000 back to back as nature intended  Jerusalem posted:I'm not opposed to this, but only if it isn't at the expense of Miu Watanabe! Miu needs a title reign too but Maki was there first 
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Jan 29, 2023 00:50
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wow this is a good read, enjoying the graphics as well
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Jan 29, 2023 00:52
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 Darby Allin 2021 Position: 56/63 | 2020 Position: 37/43 | 2019 Position: 32/63 | Times Voted #1: 1 1glitch0 posted:Memorable matches and can do so much more than just big bumps. apophenium posted:This guy is a loving sicko freak and I can't get enough of him. A Fancy Hat posted:He represents what AEW is at its best - a crazy alternative to WWE where you'll see talent that would have been overlooked or underutilized anywhere else. Darby has never really done well in these polls outside of in 2019, but this year things seemed to hit a critical mass where his constant crazy matches, his partnership with Sting, and some hellacious beatings he took saw him skyrocket up from his 2021 ranking of 56th all the way to 23rd, his best ever showing. His attempts to win the TNT title were almost as enjoyable to watch as his attempts to explain to Andrade El Idolo that he was NOT a little boy Sting paid to fetch things for him (that Andrade wanted to buy to do errands for him instead!). Defeating Andrade and Brody King in Coffin Matches, he worked alongside Sting to defeat the House of Black after Brody King took exception to Darby praising him for his performance in their match (the feud involved, among other things, Brody hanging Darby in mid-air from the ring apron with his bare hands, which was terrifying!), and then the less spooky but far more terrifying pairing of Jay Lethal and.... oh God.... Jeff Jarrett! But with those big feuds behind him, Darby was ready to throw down with the so-called King of Television and win that TNT title that had eluded him at the start of the year. After all, he once got obliterated by Miro, what could Joe do to him that was worse than that? What that was turned out to be a stunning dismantling of Darby by the sadistic Joe, who just DESTROYED him to end Darby's 2022 with defeat. Which in no way marked a negative ending, because Darby really did have a hell of a 2022. The crowds loved to watch his matches, loved his pairing with Sting, and the two brought out the best (and worst!) in each other and rose each other to new heights. Darby ended 2022 knowing the future was taking part in the retirement match of the Great Muta in 2023, an unthinkable achievement even a year ago. Joe's destruction of him didn't bother him anymore than Miro's did, or Brody choke-hanging him, or any other of the brutality he's been put through or put himself through. Darby learned a long time ago that whatever doesn't kill you... makes you stronger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB-JO2j7MEQ Shingo Takagi 2021 Position: 6/63 | 2020 Position: 10/43 | 2019 Position: 11/63 | Times Voted #1: 1 Veryslightlymad posted:He's probably in my top 3 when it comes to guys that I actually want to tune into a match for. Thauros posted:maybe the most consistent in ring guy in the world and incredibly cool Lid posted:If you hear they're going to be on a show it is going to be a loving show. Shingo, who placed 6th in 2021 as the highest ranked New Japan roster member following a year in which he carried the promotion on his back and saved them from a number of calamities, went into 2022 on top of the world... and quickly lost everything. Losing an incredible match AND his World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom to Kazuchika Okada, he made it to the semi-final of the New Japan Cup in March only to lose by referee's decision to Zack Sabre Jr.... and that was the closest he sniffed to the top of the card again for all of 2022. Mostly his time was taken up with the KOPW "title" (really a cheap trophy) and comedy matches against Taichi and El Phantasmo. They were entertaining for sure, particularly the "Who's Your Daddy" match where the loser had to call the winner "Daddy", leading to a recurring gag of El Phantasmo either begging his "daddy's" forgiveness when they were wrestling each other and he got caught trying to cheat or get one over on his opponent, or berating him as a "Bad Daddy" when he got the best of him. Entertaining... but not exactly what you'd expect as the follow-up to an incredible 2021. His matches with Taichi, though also amusing, were more interesting from a wrestling standpoint, particularly the 10 Minute Unlimited Pinfall Scramble. Apart from a not particularly memorable run in the G1 Climax, otherwise it was mostly multi-man tags with LIJ for the rest of the year, with a few special tag attractions and singles matches in PWA, AEW and even a one-off return to Dragon Gate. But look at his ranking, still in the Top 25 despite the drop from the top of the card. The quotes easily demonstrate why: Shingo is a guy who, when he wrestles, you pay attention! Sure he might be involved in some silliness, or it might not be the BIG match on the card, but you know Shingo is going to put his everything into it... and his everything is A LOT. He's an incredible wrestler, always has been and hopefully this 2022 was an aberration and New Japan hasn't forgotten (or will be reminded by stuff like his match against NOAH's Nakajima on the crossover Wrestle Kingdom night 2) just what a valuable asset who saved their asses they have in Shingo Takagi. Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Jan 29, 2023 |
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Jan 29, 2023 00:53
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And with that, we have reached the last of the tied points. From this point forward, every rank is occupied by a single wrestler only... let's see who ended up where!
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Jan 29, 2023 00:57
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NutShellBill posted:Crazy consistent in how good his matches have been. Way better than I would ever have thought on the mic, too. Carver posted:old school wrasslin appeal SalTheBard posted:When I see him on the card I know we are going to have a good match achillesforever6 posted:Is he obnoxious? Sure, but he was able to have some of the best tag matches of the year as well as some really solid singles matches to boot  Dax Harwood 2021 Position: 35/63 | 2020 Position: 41/43 | 2019 Position: Did Not Rank | Times Voted #1: 0 For years people joked(?) that they couldn't tell the difference between "bald" and "hair" in The Revival/FTR, and yet in a year where FTR were the AAA, ROH, and IWGP Tag Champions, having incredible tag matches all throughout the year to standing ovations... nobody had any problem giving Dax all the plaudits when it came to ranking their lists, while Wheeler ended up in 57th place. Dax, widely considered the better "singles" wrestler of the two, only had 8 singles matches this year (one less than AEW Champion MJF!) and lost all but two of them... and one of the ones he won... was against Cash Wheeler! Could it simply be that the squeaky wheel gets the grease? Dax is undoubtedly the more outspoken, vocal one of the pair though Cash can and has cut promos as well. Some have complained he can be a little obnoxious, but few doubt his in-ring skills or even the genuineness of his emotions. His "fight like an 8-year-old girl!" promo was exceptional, and once he gets into the ring and is working in-sync with Wheeler they are absolutely sublime. Their trilogy with the Briscoes across the length of 2022 was simply outstanding, they traveled throughout the United States, into Mexico and the UK (and were set for Japan in early 2023) and everywhere they went, every match they had, they were on fire and aiming to be recognized as what they always claimed to be: the best tag team in the world. While they didn't succeed in winning the AEW Tag Titles (again) to add to their haul, they had other great achievements too, including working alongside Ricky The Dragon Steamboat in his "return" match. They lost the AAA titles at the end of 2022, and they've spoken about the possibility of taking a break from wrestling when their current contract runs out, and it's hard to blame them given just how much they've given since breaking free from WWE. But it's Dax who gets the credit this year, and it's sensible to consider this more as a celebration of Dax than a condemnation of Cash. After all, nobody says Cash isn't any good, sometimes one wrestler just seems to stand out as the front man of the group for whatever reason, and for this year at least it was Dax Harwood who reaped the benefits.
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Jan 29, 2023 00:59
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DUDES WITH ATTITUDES
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Jan 29, 2023 01:01
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drat that Aussie Open match was so loving good yo
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Jan 29, 2023 01:02
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Imagine having as great a match as that first Briscoes/FTR match. Then doing it again. Then doing it AGAIN again. Each one an absolute banger. And then there were all the other fantastic FTR matches this year. Starting to think this FTR might be pretty good!
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Jan 29, 2023 01:03
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edogawa rando posted:I just think they're really neat. Diplomat posted:Just keeps getting better and better graph posted:push this man Pinwiz11 posted:they've strapped the rocket to his back. Let's goooooooooo! Rarity posted:He always had the swag, he always had the glamour, he always had the charisma, all that’s changed is now everyone knows it. Cartridgeblowers posted:Great intro, great promo, and the best spear in the biz.  Ricky Starks 2021 Position: 51/63 | 2020 Position: 14/43 | 2019 Position: Did Not Rank | Times Voted #1: 0 After a strong showing in 2020 reverted to a low ranking in 2021, Ricky turned it all around to just miss out on the Top 20 (Ricky fans will kick themselves when they see just how close it was!) in 2022. It's not hard to see why, this year marked a point where Ricky made a very clear and welcome shift into a different kind of wrestler to what we had seen up to that point. The "old" Ricky was still talented and entertaining, but what came in the wake of Ricky's loss of the FTW title to HOOK completely elevated him to a new level... and then went even further to wrap up the year. After months of defending the FTW title against a variety of opponents, Ricky finally lost it in a surprise extra challenge following his defeat of Danhausen when fellow Team Taz member HOOK came out to take a shot at the belt his father created and made famous in the first place. Lasting only 1 second longer against HOOK than Danhausen had against Ricky himself, Starks was magnanimous in defeat... and that was his undoing. Team Taz partner and supposedly close friend Powerhouse Hobbs says Starks' acceptance of his defeat as weakness, and so he pounced. Following the attack, a match-up just over a month later saw Ricky demolished in 5 minutes by his larger, more powerful opponent, and things were not looking good for Ricky... until he followed up with an Unsanctioned Lights Out match, where he took lessons from his previous thrashing to eventually defeat Hobbs and gain a measure of revenge. Things took off from there, he won the AEW World Title Eliminator tournament to earn a future shot at MJF, then won the Dynamite Diamond Ring Battle Royal to win a shot at the previous holder of the ring.... who was again, MJF! That lead to the next moment that Ricky ascended to a higher tier, as he largely abandoned his prepared promo to go off the cuff in a verbal battle with MJF where he absolutely annihilated the champion. While he would end up losing the "Winner Takes All" match against MJF at Winter is Coming, there was no doubt that Ricky now belonged in the upper echelon of AEW, a far cry from the start of the year where he was wrestling enjoyable but largely forgettable FTW Title defenses. They'll need to follow up in 2023, and Ricky will need to continue to step up to the plate, but given how he's knocked it out of the park every time so far, the future looks Absolute.
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Jan 29, 2023 01:04
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSdGat6ryBk
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Jan 29, 2023 01:05
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I got banned from using the phone after I racked up tens of thousands of dollars in bills calling the Starksline, which considering it is a 1-800 Line was pretty impressive.
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Jan 29, 2023 01:09
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