2024'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 > 2024's Best and Worst Pro-Wrestling Matches of the Year (plus Recommended)

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SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

SG Bamboo posted:

TJPW Ittenyon '24 January 4th
MOTYC
Hyper Misao vs Shoko Nakajima - Daruma Deathmatch
- Art, outside of the ending which fell flat for me this was perfect

Maki Itoh vs Rina Yamashita
- Defied all expectations from ref Matsui getting bribed to Rina getting sliced up with a pizza cutter, wonderful stuff

Max the Impaler (c) vs Yuki Arai - International Princess Title
- Despite Max's best efforts Yuki Arai will not die

Miyu Yamashita (c) vs Masha Slamovitch - Princess of Princess Title
- Yo what a loving war to finish out the show, enjoyed this way more than I expected to

HM
Mizuki vs Nao Kakuta
Aja Kong vs Wakana Uehara
Daydream (Rika Tatsumi and Miu Watanabe) vs Daisy Monkey (Arisu Endo and Suzume) vs Ryo Mizunami and Yuki Aino - Vacant Princess Tag Titles

Yep, I believe the Teej will be just fine in this radical post-Yuka world

Yeah agreed. Fun show live!

# ¿ Jan 4, 2024 06:16

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 13:30

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Jerusalem posted:

HM: Zack Sabre Jr.(c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi for the New Japan Television Title - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 1/4
Best match that Tanahashi has had in ages, and not just because human socialist octopus Zack Sabre Jr. is incredible (which he is) - the 15 minute time limit really works to both their advantage in terms of pacing.

HM: Shingo Takagi (C) vs. Tama Tonga for the Never Openweight Title - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 1/4
I knew the match would be good but also felt like I'd already seen all they had to offer in a match against each other. But the setting made all the difference, crowd was hot and both guys were giving it their all. Right on the edge of MOTYC for me.

MOTYC: Hiromu Takahashi (C) vs. El Desperado for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 1/4
It's two of the best Junior Heavyweight wrestlers in the world fighting for the title at Wrestle Kingdom, and it absolutely lives up to the hype.

HM: Will Ospreay (C) vs. Jon Moxley vs. David Finlay for the IWGP Global Championship - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 1/4
This was kind of incredible in the sense that they did absolutely everything they could to ruin this match on multiple occasions and somehow it kept being fantastic regardless until the end result was the least interesting person in the match and in his own faction winning the title.

MOTYC: Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 1/4
Two of the best to ever do it, doing it at the highest level. An absolutely incredible experience.

HM: SANADA (C) vs. Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 1/4
It suffered from having to follow Danielson/Okada, and I know that some people were feeling less than enthusiastic about this as a main event, but I dig both guys and I like the storyline of former stablemates who had a mostly amicable parting but now are competing for the top spot in the company. Match built really well and had a fantastic finish, helped by a very, very, very hot crowd.

Yes agreed. Amazing show to watch live

# ¿ Jan 4, 2024 12:55

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

This was probably the most fun full day of wrestling I ever had between those shows. So tired but the good tired

# ¿ Jan 4, 2024 13:46

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Jerusalem posted:

MOTYC: Jon Moxley vs. Shingo Takagi in a Street Fight - NJPW Battle in the Valley 1/13

Holy poo poo, these two loving killed each other. Wish the audio quality for commentary wasn't so badly mixed so the hot crowd came through better, but that's like... that's my ONLY complaint about the match!

Yeah agreed

# ¿ Jan 14, 2024 07:07

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Motyc: Okada vs Ospreay: Battle of the Valley Jan 13th

Amazing match between 2 of the best. Just so good

# ¿ Jan 14, 2024 07:50

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

SG Bamboo posted:

HM
Giulia (c) vs Trish Adora
Eddie Kingston (c) vs Gabe Kidd - NJPW STRONG Openweight Title

Eddie/Gabe would have hit MOTYC if the ending weren't poo poo, such fire between the two

Nth

# ¿ Jan 14, 2024 07:58

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Pylons posted:

AEW Dynamite 1/17

HM: Christian Cage vs. Dustin Rhodes
hm Samoa Joe vs. HOOK

Changed the maine event to HM but otherwise agree

# ¿ Jan 18, 2024 05:02

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Jerusalem posted:

HM: Adam Copeland vs. Minoru Suzuki - AEW Dynamite 1/24

A match I could have never dreamed happening, and it was drat good!

Agreed

# ¿ Jan 25, 2024 04:12

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

SG Bamboo posted:

NJPW Road to the New Beginning February 4th
MOTYC
HENARE vs Gabe Kidd
- If Gedo doesn't have big plans cooking for Gabe then I don't know what the gently caress, what a war

HM
David Finlay vs Callum Newman
- A hell of a squash

Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira and TJP) (c) vs War Dogs (Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors) - IWGP Jr Tag Titles
- A very good wrestling match in front of a hot crowd that was let down by being a small part of a much larger puzzle

Agreed

# ¿ Feb 5, 2024 03:33

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Pylons posted:

AEW Dynamite 2/7

HM: Toni Storm vs. Red Velvet
HM: Team CMLL (Hechicero, Volador Jr, & Mascara Dorada) vs. The BCC (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, & Bryan Danielson)
HM: Chris Jericho vs. Konosuke Takeshita
MOTYC: Ricky Starks & Big Bill vs. Darby Allin & Sting

Agreed

# ¿ Feb 8, 2024 04:07

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Jerusalem posted:

HM: Orange Cassidy (C) vs. Tomohiro Ishii for the AEW International Title - AEW Collision 2/10

I always rave about Ishii's sense of timing but goddamn if Orange didn't demonstrate how exceptional his own is in this beautiful, beautiful match.

Yeah agreed

# ¿ Feb 11, 2024 04:01

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

SG Bamboo posted:

NJPW The New Beginning February 11th
MOTYC
Zack Sabre Jr vs Bryan Danielson
- It's crazy, you watch Danielson and he's a master grappler but put him against ZSJ and you realise that Zack is on a complete other level, just ungody smooth transitions from the long mover

United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Francesco Akira, TJP, HENARE and Will Ospreay) vs War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, David Finlay, Alex Coughlin and Clark Connors) - Steel Cage
- An fuckin insane spectacle, if you only tuned in for Zack and Bryan watch this poo poo as well. Drags quite a bit in the last ten minutes but the stuff before that was fantastic

HM
Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Far from their best match but no less emotional, it really hit me after the bell that a rivalry that has been going my entire time watching New Japan is over

Yeah agreed

# ¿ Feb 12, 2024 00:54

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

SG Bamboo posted:

NJPW/CMLL Fantasticamania February 18th
MOTYC
Templario vs Soberano Jr
- Match so good it had me checking out how much a Templario mask would set me back, fantastic stuff

HM
Brillante Jr vs Tit�n
Volador Jr vs Rocky Romero

Best night of the tour

Yeah nth

# ¿ Feb 19, 2024 04:03

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Jerusalem posted:

HM: Dark Panther vs. OKUMURA - NJPW/CMLL Fantasticamania 2/19
HM: Atlantis Jr. vs. Hechicero - NJPW/CMLL Fantasticamania 2/19
HM: Mistico vs. �ltimo Guerrero - NJPW/CMLL Fantasticamania 2/19
HM: M�scara Dorada vs. Stuka Jr. - NJPW/CMLL Fantasticamania 2/19

drat good final night, my match of the night was probably Atlantis Jr. vs. Hechicero but every match was a blast, including the fun multimans.

Yeah nth. Fun show!

# ¿ Feb 20, 2024 01:41

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

SG Bamboo posted:

NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo February 24th
MOTYC
Hiromu Takahashi vs DOUKI
- Sicko poo poo with crowd favourite Douki going up against the most popular junior in the world

Shingo Takagi vs Taichi
- Shingo and Taichi do the Shingo and Taichi match, but this time in front of Taichi's hometown crowd. It ruled

HM
CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii) vs United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Great O-Khan, Callum Newman and Francesco Akira) and Matt Riddle
- Literally every part of the match that didn't involve Riddle I greatly enjoyed, not the match I would have chosen for Okada's last but very happy with the match we got

Tetsuya Naito (c) vs SANADA - IWGP World Heabyweight Title
- Some great parts and the crowd were well behind Naito, something just felt really off about the last five minutes or so with a couple of incredibly deflating botches

Solid show, only down parts were the HoT match and being personally disappointed by the Hair vs Hair match

Yeah agreed

# ¿ Feb 25, 2024 03:24

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

AEW Revolution

HM: Garcia/Christian, Ftr/BCC, Swerve/Hangman/Samoe Joe
MOTYC: Eddie/Bryan, Takeshita/Ospreay, Sting & Darby/Young Bucks

Sting/Darby vs Bucks was HM as a match but the intro and post match made it MOTYC

# ¿ Mar 4, 2024 05:58

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Pylons posted:

AEW Dynamite 3/6

HM: HOOK vs. Brian Cage
HM: Riho vs. Kris Statlander
MOTYC: Kyle Fletcher vs. Will Ospreay

Riho vs. Statlander is a borderline MOTYC.

Yeah agreed

# ¿ Mar 7, 2024 04:07

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

SG Bamboo posted:

NJPW New Japan Cup March 10th
MOTYC
Yota Tsuji vs Jeff Cobb
- BEEEEEEEF, really brough the mood back after the bullshit in the previous match

Yeah this was realy good agreed

# ¿ Mar 11, 2024 06:16

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

MassRafTer posted:

AEW Dynamite Big Bu$iness 3/13

HM: The Elite vs Eddie Kingston, Pac and Penta 0M
MOTYC: Jay White vs Darby Allin
MOTYC: Riho vs Willow Nightingale

I'm going to guess the Darby match wasn't as crazy on TV but it was nuts live especially with two people who had never been to an AEW show before and were horrified by that final bump.

Yeah agreed

# ¿ Mar 14, 2024 16:39

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Pylons posted:

AEW Collision 3/16

MOTY: Bryan Danielson vs. Katsuyori Shibata

JESUS CHRIST THIS loving RULED

Agreed

# ¿ Mar 18, 2024 00:26

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

SG Bamboo posted:

NJPW New Japan Cup March 20th
MOTYC
Hirooki Goto vs Yota Tsuji
- Fantastic end to a pretty middling tournament, Goto turned back the clock a decade and made me believe that maybe this is the time that the G in New Gapan stands for Goto

MassRafTer posted:

AEW Dynamite 3/20
HM: Kazuchika Okada vs Eddie Kingston

AEW Dynamite & AEW Rampage 3/20
HM: Adam Copeland vs Christian Cage

AEW Rampage 3/20
HM: Orange Cassidy and Trent? vs Kyle Fletcher and Will Hobbs
HM: Konosuke Takeshita vs Rocky Romero
MOTYC: Julia Hart and Skye Blue vs Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander

nth to these noms

# ¿ Mar 21, 2024 05:47

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

MassRafTer posted:

The only thing that really kept Cope/Cage III from MOTYC for me is I thought it just wasn't nearly as good as the second match which was close to my Top 10 of 2023. I loved the finish, thought the run ins were a little stretched out, and loved the rest, so it was a great TV main event but not quite what we've seen from them before or the Christian/Darby PPV match.

I think that and the ref asking if they quit all the time kinda of interrupted the flow just enough to drag it down to HM for me too

But good day of wrestling

# ¿ Mar 21, 2024 05:53

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Pylons posted:

AEW Dynamite 3/27

MOTYC: Will Ospreay vs. Katsuyori Shibata
HM: Private Party (Isaiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) vs. The Young Bucks (Nicholas & Matthew Jackson)
HM: Kris Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale vs. Skye Blue vs. Anna Jay
MOTY: Swerve Strickland vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Yeah agreed

# ¿ Mar 28, 2024 06:10

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

MassRafTer posted:

CMLL Dos Leyendas 3/29

HM: Magnus y Rugido vs Neon y Brillante Jr
HM: Esfinge vs Zandokan Jr.
MOTYC: Barbaro Cavernario vs Averno
HM: Lluvia, Stephanie Vaquer y Zeuxis vs La Catalina, Tessa Blanchard y Willow Nightingale
MOTYC: Soberano Jr. y Atlantis Jr. vs Rocky Romero y Mascara Dorada
MOTYC: Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley y Matt Sydal vs Blue Panther, M�stico, �ltimo Guerrero y Volador Jr.

Possibly the show of the year.

Yeah agreed. Just a fun show and the main had molten heat

# ¿ Mar 30, 2024 06:25

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

HM: CMLL Arena Mexico 4/05 - Misitico/Volador Jr/Atlantis JR vs Rocky Romero/Templario/Averno

# ¿ Apr 6, 2024 05:23

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

HM: CMLL Arena Mexico 04-05. Bryan Danielson vs Blue Panther

Heat helped carry it but this was super fun and Panther kept up despite his age and Bryan was having the time of his life doing a main event single in Arena Mexico

# ¿ Apr 6, 2024 05:47

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

SG Bamboo posted:

NJPW Sakura Genesis April 6th
MOTYC
War Dogs (Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney) (c) vs Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira and TJP) vs Intergalactic JetSetters (Kevin Knight and KUSHIDA) - IWGP Jr Tag Titles
- Ridiculous match, unrelenting energy and bodies flying every which way like New Japan used to open every ppv with

HM
New Japan (Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg) vs 2AW (Shoki Chicharito, Ayato Yoshida and Takuro Niki)
- Great showcase of the indy guys and also Boltin being a fuckin beast

Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Yota Tsuji - IWGP World Heavyweight Title
- A very very good match that I pretty much never doubted would end the way it did

Very good show, not wall to wall bangers but it was good vibes basically the whole time. Even the two HoT matches were immediately followed by the coolest poo poo ever to perk me right back up

Agreed. Fun show!

# ¿ Apr 7, 2024 06:53

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

MassRafTer posted:

CMLL Arena Coliseo Aniversario 4/6

HM: Mistico and Mascara Dorada vs Soberano Jr and Templario

Really great third fall and some fun mascot nonsense too.

Yeah agreed. Fun tag

# ¿ Apr 7, 2024 07:13

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Jerusalem posted:

HM: Stephanie Vaquer (C) vs. AZM for the NJPW Strong Openweight Women's Title - NJPW Windy City Riot 4/12
Really great showcase for both ladies, with a great aftermath that has me excited for what comes next.

MOTYC: Shota Umino vs. Scapegoat Jack Perry - NJPW Windy City Riot 4/12
The match was VERY well worked but this was elevated by the absolutely electric atmosphere in the Chicago crowd, and Perry (and Shota!) playing into that so effectively to make this more than the sum of its parts.

HM: Mustafa Ali vs. Hiromu Takahashi - NJPW Windy City Riot 4/12
This was a ton of fun (you HAVE to see Daryl Jr's new look) with things taking a step up in intensity for the last few minutes.

HM: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Nic Nemeth - NJPW Windy City Riot 4/12
The match was good and Nemeth did well, but Ishii is legitimately one of the best wrestlers in the world. Just incredible.

HM: Tetsuya Naito (C) vs. Jon Moxley for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title - NJPW Windy City Riot 4/12
I really, really, really liked this match. Others might not. I did!

Yeah agreed

# ¿ Apr 13, 2024 04:45

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Pylons posted:

AEW Dynamite 4/17

HM: The Elite (Nicholas & Matthew Jackson & Kazuchika Okada) vs. Red Death Triangle (Daniel Garcia, Penta El Zero Miedo & PAC)
MOTYC: Will Ospreay vs. Claudio Castagnoli

# ¿ Apr 18, 2024 03:15

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

HM: Mistico vs Mascara Dorada vs Atlantis Jr - Elimination match CMLL Arena Mexico April 19th

# ¿ Apr 20, 2024 05:44

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

MassRafTer posted:

Second, that was wild. Totally unexpected finish.

Yeah that surprised me for not only who won but how he won

# ¿ Apr 20, 2024 05:54

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

AEW Dynasty: HM: Swerve vs Samoa Joe
Toni Storm vs Thunder Rosa
house of Black vs Copeland/Briscoe/Kingston
Roderick Strong vs Kyle O'Riley
Young Bucks vs FtR

MOTYC: Okada vs Pac
Ospreay vs Danielson

# ¿ Apr 22, 2024 05:03

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

I thought that added to the match. Otoh despite the great finish I thought the ladder match had to many dead moments to be MOTYC though the match needed it cause of what it followed

# ¿ Apr 22, 2024 05:17

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Dango Bango posted:

I need to go back and Nth this one because I wanted to not care but they definitely won me over with that match.

Yeah I was kinda of like that at the midpoint and than it won me over and now I'm hoping they run it back for Collision in Vancouver

# ¿ Apr 22, 2024 14:30

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Cmll 4/26 - HM: Angel de Oro vs Templario
Mascara Dorada vs Magnus vs Titan

# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 06:01

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

SG Bamboo posted:

NJPW Road to Wrestling Dontaku April 27th
HM
LIJ (BUSHI, Hiromu, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji and Tetsuya Naito) vs War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, Clark Connors and David Finlay) and Jake Lee - Elimination match
- Crowd was pumped, I was pumped, Jake Lee looked like a dumbass

Jackie D posted:

AEW Collision 4/27

HM: Rey Fenix vs. The Beast, Mortos

HM: The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) vs. Grizzled Young Vets (James Drake & Zack Gibson)
HM: Swerve Strickland vs. Claudio Castagnoli

MassRafTer posted:

AEW Collision 4/27

AEW Rampage 4/27
MOTYC: Chuck Taylor vs Trent?
HM: Thunder Rosa vs Deonna Purrazzo

agreed to all of these

# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 07:36

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Chinston Wurchill posted:

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku April 29

HM: BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors

Yeah nth.,...that was fun

# ¿ Apr 30, 2024 06:35

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

MassRafTer posted:

AEW Dynamite 5/1

HM: Jericho vs Shibata

AEW Rampage 5/1

HM: Willow Nightingale vs Skye Blue

Agreed

# ¿ May 2, 2024 04:23

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 13:30

SatoshiMiwa: May 6, 2007

Jerusalem posted:

MOTYC: Shingo Takagi (C) vs. Gabe Kidd for the NEVER Openweight Title - NJPW Dontaku Night 2 5/4
This was great, they just beat the poo poo out of each other and it played perfectly to Gabe's unhinged character.

By God nth

# ¿ May 5, 2024 04:45

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > The Hammer House: Stinger Splash Zone > 2024's Best and Worst Pro-Wrestling Matches of the Year (plus Recommended)

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