2023'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 > 2023's Best and Worst Pro-Wrestling Matches of the Year (plus Recommended)

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

AEW Dark - January 3rd, 2023

HM: Top Flight vs. The Workhorsemen

Barry Bluejeans fucked around with this message at 16:56 on Jan 4, 2023

# ¿ Jan 4, 2023 16:45

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 22:58

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

Jerusalem posted:

HM: Switchblade Jay White vs. Hikuleo in a Loser Leaves Japan Match - NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2/11
HM: Tama Tonga (C) vs. El Phantasmo for the NEVER Openweight Title - NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2/11
MOTYC: Kazuchika Okada (C) vs. Shingo Takagi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship - NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2/11

First two matches were very interesting and a lot of fun to watch. The main event was incredible: top guys wrestling in front of a white-hot Osaka crowd, time ceasing to have all meaning in the best New Japan tradition, Okada back at absolute full power once again now that crowds can make noise, Shingo reminding everybody he wasn't just champ during COVID as a placeholder but is legit one of the best wrestlers in the world.

This is where I'm at, nth. Fantastic show.

# ¿ Feb 11, 2023 12:51

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

Sticky Nate posted:

WMOTY: EC3 vs Kevin Kiley - NWA Nuff Said 2/11

Don't read a recap and don't look at gifs. You have to see it for yourself.

Jesus Christ this was sad. Right from the moment Kiley came out looking like Gollum it was obvious that the match would be a trainwreck. Nth.

# ¿ Feb 12, 2023 10:30

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

I'll go HM too, Naito and ELP play really well off of each other and could easily produce a MOTYC with more time and a bigger stage

# ¿ Mar 5, 2023 12:30

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

MassRafTer posted:

HM: Will Hobbs vs Wardlow

This rocked!

Nth, plus:

HM: JAS vs. Top Flight & AR Fox

e:

MassRafTer posted:

NWA Power 3/8

WMOTYC: Beast Mode vs Trevor Murdoch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI1yedgqi_4

The wrestler so incredible I had to create a thread, but he deserve the nomination here. This is the worst match you will see in TYOOL 2023 unless we get my dream match, Beast Mode vs Tyrus. Just click the video, you'll love it.

Nth, my God this was terrible. Match was awful enough on its own but what really baffled me was the decision to have a debuting monster lose his first match. Corgan is such a loving moron.

Barry Bluejeans fucked around with this message at 12:23 on Mar 9, 2023

# ¿ Mar 9, 2023 11:48

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

Yep, I'll go HM on both of those too.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2023 12:55

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

MassRafTer posted:

NWA Power 2/22

WMOTYC: Blunt Force Trauma vs Mims and Dak Draper

A 4 minute match where 3 minutes are Blunt Force Trauma getting heat on Mims and then when they are in total control of the match Aron Stevens their manager punches Mims in front of the ref for the DQ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0986Sg9rIE&t=1s

The NWA is so bad.

And then Draper chases off BFT and Stevens on his own, lol. In a matter of seconds BFT went from dominating the match to looking like dopes and cowards.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2023 05:08

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

Jerusalem posted:

[spoiler=user:MassRafTer]
Hey guys I think we might need to stage an intervention, I'm worried about MRT watching all this NWA stuff.
[/spoiler=user:MassRafTer]

If MRT is willing to wade through the muck and report back on the funniest matches offered by Corgan's Calvacade of Crap, then I for one salute him for his service :patriot:

# ¿ Mar 15, 2023 09:22

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

Jerusalem posted:

MOTYC: Hiromu Takahashi (C) vs. Lio Rush for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship - NJPW New Japan Cup Finals 3/21

Astounding match in front of an incredible crowd. Lio playing the speed demon with Hiromu struggling to keep up, Hiromu playing the hoss able to power out of and through Lio's high speed offense, the gradual shift in figuring out each other's timing (not in a bad way, it was excellently managed), lead to a match that built to a perfect crescendo and a perfectly executed ending. Amazing stuff.

yep, nth

# ¿ Mar 21, 2023 11:27

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

Welcome back, I really appreciate the effort you put into archiving/providing access to matches and I'm glad you're feeling better

# ¿ Apr 24, 2023 10:47

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

Pro Wrestling NOAH - Majestic 2023 (May 4th, 2023)

HM: Maya Yukihi & SAKI vs Sumire Natsu & Ryo Mizunami
HM: Dralistico vs Rey Escorpi�n
HM: Hayata vs. Ninja Mack
HM: Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. vs Hideki Suzuki
HM: Go Shiozaki & Kaito Kiyomiya & Yoshiki Inamura vs Kenoh & Katsuhiko Nakajima & Manabu Soya
MOTYC: Jake Lee vs. Naomichi Marufuji

Great show!

# ¿ May 4, 2023 16:55

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

G PRO WRESTLING Ver. 52 (May 16th, 2023)

HM: T-Hawk (c) vs. Check Shimatani (G-Rex Championship)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgba9VoxUF0

Barry Bluejeans fucked around with this message at 14:51 on May 16, 2023

# ¿ May 16, 2023 14:33

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

NOAH Sunny Voyage (May 31st, 2023)

MOTYC: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kenoh

I was surprised to see this match as the main event of a random-rear end touring show and doubly surprised when Nakajima and Kenoh treated it as though they were working the Tokyo Dome. An absolute war that featured some spectacular violence and magnificent character work, my only nitpick was that there were some obvious stalling here and there but that's to be expected with a 45 minute draw.

# ¿ Jun 1, 2023 17:02

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

Pro Wrestling NOAH - Star Navigation 2023 (June 22nd)

HM: YO-HEY & Tadasuke vs Chris Ridgeway & Daga
HM: Kenoh vs. Go Shiozaki

I liked the tag match more, lots of great near-falls and a ton of drama near the end. Both are worth checking out though.

# ¿ Jun 22, 2023 19:09

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

ROH on Honor Club (July 6th, 2023)

HM: Komander vs. Gringo Loco

# ¿ Jul 7, 2023 11:27

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

GLEAT VER.MEGA (August 4th, 2023)

HM: T-Hawk vs. Hayato Tamura
MOTYC: Takanori Ito, Soma Watanabe, El Lindaman, Check Shimatani & Kaito Ishida vs. Kota Ibushi, Shuji Ishikawa, Daisuke Sekimoto, Hagane Shinno & Yumehito Imanari

# ¿ Aug 4, 2023 17:02

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

NOAH N-1 Victory Block Finals (August 27th)

HM: Kenoh vs. Jake Lee
HM: Manabu Soya vs. Go Shiozaki

Of the two I liked Kenoh/Lee a little more but both are borderline MOTY candidates, I suspect that's where I would've rated them had I been more invested in this year's N-1. Still, both are well worth going out of your way to watch even if you're like me and haven't seen much of the tournament.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2023 19:56

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

I haven't watched it yet but some enterprising individual put the whole show on YT, match starts around 1:26:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSI_R3jaavY

# ¿ Sep 9, 2023 17:14

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 22:58

Barry Bluejeans: Feb 2, 2017; ATTENTHUN THITIZENTH

Pillowpants posted:

Kingston seems off to me - like that friend in high school who used to power bomb you off his couch and then jump off a mini van roof for the pin.

yeah he rules

# ¿ Dec 3, 2023 17:51

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > The Hammer House: Stinger Splash Zone > 2023's Best and Worst Pro-Wrestling Matches of the Year (plus Recommended)