Greatest Match Since 2019 Tournament

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graph: Nov 22, 2006; aaag peanuts

Edward Mass posted:

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Akito vs. ASUKA from DDT Wrestle Peter Pan against the Lucha Brothers vs. the Young Bucks from AEW All Out

;_;

# ? Feb 9, 2024 07:10

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 18:18

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Yeah tough choice and a busy day for me I'll get the tale of the tape up soon

# ? Feb 9, 2024 07:26

kalensc: Sep 10, 2003; Only Trust Your Respirator, kupo!
Art/Quote by: Rubby

SG Bamboo posted:

Easy choice, the IPPON lightube match was my first experience with ASUKA and was one of my favourite matches that year while the cagematch was good it was a fair bit below my favourite cage match that year, the Nakajima vs Kitamiya hair vs hair match in NOAH

Here's a link to the DDT match, which has a short demonstration of the rules beforehand

Merci!

# ? Feb 9, 2024 07:51

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

The light tube match was so loving great, had to vote for it.

# ? Feb 9, 2024 09:03

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 6: Akito vs. ASUKA - July 15, 2019 (DDT Wrestle Peter Pan) against The Lucha Brothers vs. the Young Bucks - September 5, 2021 (AEW All Out)

Akito vs. ASUKA - July 15, 2019 (DDT Wrestle Peter Pan)

What We Said
Qualified for Match of The Year

Jerusalem posted:

This was masterfully put together, incredibly entertaining and is the best and only use I ever want to see a Light-tube have in a pro-wrestling match ever.

Draxion posted:

Really unique and incredibly tense - not even just for a gimmick match, just in general.

TTBF posted:

That match invoked an entirely different form of tension than most matches and it delivered way more than I expected.

RealFoxy posted:

And for those in total confusion, there's one light tube in the match and you lose instantly if you break it. They had a live demonstration with trainees and everything

a cyborg mug posted:

Yeah, you'll never see wrestlers move so gingerly in a ring. Absolute edge-of-your-seat stuff that people seriously should watch

IceAgeComing posted:

very fun and perhaps the most clever match of the year in terms of how they made it really really work.

Jerusalem posted:

Just an interesting little fact, with the Peter Pan show that just aired, DDT is now only one MOTYC behind AEW's current total, which I thought was pretty cool considering how much attention AEW has gotten since it started running shows

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: N/A Cagematch Ratings: 8.63 based on 86 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 77 with 17 points from 4 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�This was something you would expect from DDT, but for me never to the level it went. The concept of a one light tube deathmatch was goofy enough, but when I found out it was the one who breaks it loses, I had no idea what I was getting into. To my delight, this was incredible. It wasn�t something that for a wrestling match you toss on the spreadsheet and rank late in the year, it was something that makes your sheet because of how difficult it had to be to work this match. From the high spots involving the tube, the bumps around it, chain wrestling over it, flip bumps from the top, a missed moonsault, the works. Everything made you gasp for the fact one slight bit of error ends this match, whether it was a planned finish, or a legit accident. This kept my attention throughout because I didn�t know how it could end. Asuka at one point missed a spinning roundhouse kick that actually caught the tube, but didn�t break it, causing the building to gasp as they almost saw a finish. After a bit more, Akito goes for a muscle buster, only to have Asuka flip out, and throw a kick to the head that Akito counters by putting the tube to his head, thus causing Askua to break the tube on his head, giving him the win. This is one that probably wont rank near as high as I had it, but for me I just couldn�t get over how risky everything was having to make sure you don�t break the tube. Great work all around, facials were great, the ref helped with the nerves, and just a fantastic story. This is what makes DDT so special to so many fans. Such a simple concept that came out to perfection.� Ryan Cooke

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

MatteoMerdok - 6.0
"I gave this match *** 1/4 stars out of five. Really fun match, but I would not call it great. Entertaining in it's gimmick. Served it's purpose but not a workrate classic."

arrancar - 6.0
"Very unique concept with a lighttube needing to NOT be broken in order to win. There were some genuinely gripping moments watching both wrestlers narrowly and creatively avoid crashing into the tube. Pretty much every single spot and exchange here was different to the rest, meaning the match was always progressively more and more entertaining without a single dull moment. I can't consider this a great match simply because it's such a full-on silly gimmick match, but it had enough traditional wrestling tropes weaved in to ensure it was still pretty good. ***1/4"

Dooby -6.0
"A very amusing match to say the least. Both wrestlers are known to be very good, so I didn't doubt they would make this entertaining. That said there wasn't much to the match besides not trying to break the light tube. It made for some creative spots and sequences, but at the end of the day, amusing is all I can think of the match, ***1/2."

Watch for free here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSrH4TuKq1I

The Lucha Brothers vs. the Young Bucks - September 5, 2021 (AEW All Out)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year

Jerusalem posted:

This match was crazy and delivered exactly on what was expected, elevated even further by the rabid crowd. Two of the legitimately best tag teams in the world doing the most crazy, innovative and terrifying poo poo imaginable.

Oh Snapple! posted:

The strength of the pop on that breakup from Fenix is all I needed for this tbh

Also right winners and gently caress yes!!!!

Truther Vandross posted:

Match of the loving forever Jesus Christ

Dango Bango posted:

Behind Bucks vs. Hangman/Omega as AEW's best all-time match.

SatoshiMiwa posted:

It's gonna win the Observer match of the year award easily

Oh Snapple! posted:

yeah wrestling is done here

lock it up j-ru

GEORGE W BUSHI posted:

Not gonna start nominating every great AEW match because they'll probably already have enough votes by the time I get to the thread but this was special. Maybe the best Young Bucks match I've seen

Dimebags Brain posted:

Real good show, second favorite of the year, tag match was a top 3 match of the year.

njsykora posted:

I can�t really vote anything else from the show as a MOTYC just because I think the tag title match was one of if not the best match I�ve ever seen.

pumpinglemma posted:

gently caress your "contender" bullshit.

D.N. Nation posted:

I always go into to these sorts of things thinking "awards-baiting spot-fest," expecting to enjoy it but having no emotional attachment, and they still get me every time. Penta didn't even need the mask for all the crimson he had.

Rarity posted:

Penta diving in front of his brother to protect him from the tackshoe

a cyborg mug posted:

Notice the C is missing from YB vs LB because it�s not a �candidate�, it just IS the best match. Yes, I did the same gimmick for the ChocoPro match earlier. I like pro wrestling

algebra testes posted:

I would have thrown money into the ring had I seen this live.

A Fancy Hat posted:

That tag title match deserves to be on the short list of best wrestling matches ever, simple as that.

SG Bamboo posted:

Some great moments in this, Fenix in particular did some very impressive things. Let out a laugh when the guy on the outside threw the black bag into the ring over the cage and it went straight to Matt who promptly dropped it. Not my favourite cage match this year but still very enjoyable

boxcarhobo posted:

this is not a call out or anything, i just got to see what someone would consider a better cage match than that match, so give it up, what was the best cagematch this year

SG Bamboo posted:

I've no doubt that someone who follows AEW week to week would prefer the one from All Out, just like I prefer the Noah one as an avid watcher of that promotion. I loving love Katsu Nakajima and couldn't believe when that absolute prick Kitamiya turned his back on their partnership and then didn't have the good graces to give up the tag belt that Kongoh earned.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: *****3/4 WON Awards: Match of The Year Cagematch Ratings: 9.50 based on 890 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 1 with 999 points from 107 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�Fantastic cage match � emotional ending.� -Joe Towner

�The best tag team match of 2021. Maybe the best cage match ever. Need I say more?� -Jeuron Dove

�I don�t know what else needs to be said about this match other than it was an instant classic. The AEW Tag Team Division is the best in the world, full stop, and it keeps getting better. The Lucha Brothers each bring an insane amount of charisma and god-given talent to each match there in; Penta is so charismatic that he could believably do promos even without the very talented Alex Abrahantes translating for the non-Spanish speaking masses, and I don�t think there�s anybody in the world with the ability in the ring that matches Fenix at his best. On the other side, for better or worse, the Young Bucks know how to make every show feel like it�s about them, and their run as champs was excellent throughout the year. The best match of the year, bar none.� -Slyguy46

�Best Tag Match I have seen since Misawa&Kobashi vs Kawada&Taue from All Japan� -The Future Hall of Famer Scottie B

�What a surprise, the �Tag Team Wrestling Matters� company has delivered another Match of the Year Tag Title bout. From the peacocking Lucha Bros intro, to the post match hug of Penta�s daughter, everything about this match captures the big fight feel that we just haven�t been seeing for much of the Pandemic Era. Brutal, bloody, a giant thing for Fenix to hurl himself off of (Get well soon!), the match has every ounce of drama you would expect from two teams with the best chemistry in the business. While other matches such as Omega/Danielson or the Hangman Page broadway might have stolen the headlines because of their big implications, at the end of the day this will be the match from 2021 that will hold up as the best of the year.� -Jason �Njiska� Westhaver

�This was my all-time match tag team match and cage match ever all in one. Everything about it was as perfect as I�ve ever seen.� -Josh Boutwell

�Pro wrestling is at it�s best when you can feel something. Pro wrestling is at it�s VERY best when it MAKES you feel something, and this match delivered. The entrances, the post-match celebration, the drama, the action, the twists and turns, this match made me finally feel something after a long, long time of detachment.� -Shane D

�I wasn�t expecting anything great to come out of this match. I am not a big fan of the stipulation, I was getting tired of watching the two teams wrestle each other and I was initially hoping to see the Jurassic Express face the Young bucks at the PPV. However, these two teams gave us one of the best cage matches ever. The match had a lot of creative spots and great storytelling that made the Lucha Brothers get a bigger pop from the Chicago crowd than CM Punk that night.� -Saud Al-Rasheedi

�An absolutely brutal match that had even my non-fan girlfriend enthralled. This is not a type of match I want to see all the time, but as an occasional blow-off to an intense feud, it�ll do. It also gets credit for going against-type: The main complaint about the Bucks and Penta/Fenix from a certain section of fans is that they�re all highspots and no story. The cage limited the opportunity for highspots and the story was heavily focused here.� -Greg Parks

�This was a war! The Lucha Brothers come in like true babyfaces and run wild early on before the Bucks are able to use the cage to batter the brothers. They try to isolate and pick off the Lucha Brothers and hit their trademark moves to end it quickly, but it�s not enough. So the Bucks get violent! They rip at the Lucha Brothers� mask and bust both brothers open. Hit low blows on them and even use a shoe with thumbtacks on it for superkicks! They hit the BTE Trigger but the pin is broken up! The crowd is going mental at this point! The Lucha Brothers fire up and fight back. Fenix hits an insane dive off the top of the cage! Double team piledriver by the Lucha Brothers ends it! New Champions! The crowd loses their minds! What a match! What a finish!� -Alex Kalil

�The best tag team steel cage match ever� -Sidney L. Pullar

�I will forever have the image of Penta�s torn up, bloody mask smiling to his little girl in the crowd burned into my mind. The perfect ending to an incredible title reign from the Bucks.� -Sam Brown

�AEW capitalizes on its promise of top-tier tag team wrestling, filled with emotion, action, entrances, and intensity.� -David Majors

�This was an amazing spectacle of two of the greatest modern tag teams at the top of their game. You have great spots, storytelling, violent clashes, and the cage was actually used and worked as a gimmick. I was jumping up and down from beginning to end, and it is the best match live I have ever seen. It was a special match that created a special moment that I won�t forget.� -Abraham Delgado

�Insane�thats it�just insane� -Markeem Graham

�The biggest stage for the Lucha Brothers to shine on globally presented them with one of their best matches as a team and a showcase for just how masterful each team is at their style.� -Jeremy Peeples

�Very few moments this year matched the emotions conveyed after this match. The frightening juxtaposition of Pentagon, bloodied and mask ripped, greeting his family as an AEW champion for the first time was awe inspiring, something you could never script out properly. This was a match in which all four men truly gave it their all. The experience equally exhausting and cathartic for the audience as we watched a two year long feud come to a close on as high a note as you could imagine.� -Brian Moore

�It feels like AEW tradition at this point that every year the Bucks and Lucha Brothers are going to have a summer match and it�s going to be absolutely fantastic. This may have exceeded all the previous matches. From the amazing Lucha Brothers Entrance, to the tacks spot with the shoe, in which in a year with a lot of tack spots rises above the rest with a great piece of storytelling, to the performance of Fenix who once again made his case for 2021�s most impressive wrestler.� -Kentucky210

�The Fenix pinfall breakup in this match is the best pinfall breakup in history. For as loud as the crowd seemed on TV, it was even louder live. I had never felt anything like it.� -Brady Childs

�Fast-paced action, great story-telling, death-defying moments. Everything you would expect from these two tag teams.� -J.D. Oliva

�Perhaps the best match I have ever had the privilege of watching live. An amazing affair, story, wrestling, crowd investment, and emotion. Ask anyone who was in the suite with me that night, I was losing my drat mind. They might of not of been noticing as they were using their drat minds also. I remember everyone high-fiving each other once the match was over. Can�t blame us, it was that loving awesome.

I love pro-wrestling, and this match was a magnification of EVERYTHING I love about pro-wrestling, the spectacle, the athleticism, the sheer drama of it all, and the happy ending of watching The Lucha Brothers finally win the titles. I will treasure the fact I got to see this match live and in person for the remainder of my days. Fantastic, easy five stars, stellar, and I�ve watched it over and over again ever since. This is easily my favorite/best match of the year!� -Jeri L. Evagood

�I�ve been critical of how the Lucha Bros have been booked in AEW as both a tag team and as singles competitors. But here, everything was done to perfection. From the incredible entrance from the Lucha Bros alone, this was going to be the best match these two teams have had. Young Bucks and Lucha Bros have a chemistry that few others have and the low bar for any pairing of them is just a great match. This actually felt like a war, with Penta in particular gushing blood all over the place. Unfortunately the Lucha Bros tag reign would be a dud due to horrible booking once again, but one night, it was all done right.� -BlastoSTG

�Going to All Out was one of the greatest nights of my life, and this match is a big reason why. From the live performance of the Lucha Bros� theme, expertly done by Mikey Rukus and Muelas De Gallo, I knew I was in for something special. Sure, I was initially hesitant about what these teams could do inside the limits of a steel cage, but those doubts were quickly assuaged as the match went on. It turns out Fenix doesn�t need to jump over the top rope to make people lose their minds, he can just jump off the top of the cage instead. The Bucks were on top of their game, combining wildly cool sequences with punchable faces and heart-pounding drama. The bloody and defiant Lucha Bros, with an energetic Alex Abrahantes as their hypeman, made for great babyfaces. And then you have the third participant in this match, the crowd. We were, no pun intended, all in for this match. When Rey Fenix broke up the pin after the BTE Trigger, a move that had put away team after team during the Bucks� reign, we went absolutely bonkers. Then when the Lucha Bros won, I literally leapt to my feet in rapturous joy. After dealing with so much real-life nonsense over the past few years, this match made all of it disappear. It�s the best match I�ve ever seen live.� -Andrew Rich

�The Young Bucks and The Lucha Brothers have had a number of excellent tag team encounters in AEW, and after each one, you�re often left with the thought �There�s no way they�re topping that�. However, this Steel Cage Match from the All Out PPV in September somehow managed to top all of their previous bouts together. There was incredible action right from the opening bell, and while one might think that the Steel Cage would limit these four, that was certainly not the case here. The two teams used the Steel Cage to great effect, and the match closed with The Lucha Brothers finally winning the AEW World Tag Team Titles in front of a red hot crowd in Chicago. These are two of the absolute best tag teams in the world, and once again, they knocked it out of the park.� -Sean Sedor

�I was there, in the �VOW Suite� with my 36 week pregnant fiance, two of my absolute best friends, several members of the VOW crew, and Dave Meltzer in the suite next to us. As unbelievable an experience being at All Out live was, this match might have been even better. There�s two things that stick out the most about this one. First is Fenix�s perfect dive off the cage. The second, and something that will be etched into my brain forever, came curtesy of Alex Abrahantes. All four were laying on the mat in the ring, and Alex FIRED THE gently caress UP. He was waving his arms, jumping and running back and forth outside the cage, and stoking the fire of an already red hot Chicago crowd. The swell of noise that he caused is something like I have never heard and ever experienced. He took the crowd from a fever pitch to euphoria. Not only is this easily the best match I have ever experienced live, but it�s one of my favorite matches ever.� -Steve Case

�This match stands as possibly one of the best tag-team matches of all time, and I feel that is exceptional, considering that the AEW Tag Titles were contested in a steel cage. A steel cage removes the need for tagging in and out, which undercuts much of the fundamental and unique psychology that we love specifically about tag-team wrestling. The fact that the Jackson Brothers, along with Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix composed one of the most highly dramatic tag bouts in ages, without the benefit if the tropes that make tag-team wrestling what it is, speaks to the skill of which these four competitors not only executed their match and told their story � but they defied the conventions of their division and still managed to have an unmistakable classic of tag-team wrestling. A feat unmatched by any other match of 2021.� -Reuel Castillo

�A rip roaring rollercoaster of emotion, showmanship and super cool wrestling. Top drawer� -Joey O�Doherty

�Seeing this match live was an experience that I will never forget in my time as a fan of professional wrestling. From the vivid entrance that welcomed the Lucha Brothers to the NOW Arena to the heelish audacity for the Young Bucks to lace their shoes with thumbtacks at the sole, this was a violent, personal battle that cemented these two groups as being the soulmates of tag team wrestling. I�m in awe about how they keep outdoing their rematches against each other. The crowd was thoroughly behind the Lucha Brothers. Chanting what must have felt like 100 �cero miedos� for the whole cage match was an experience that could only be met at a pro wrestling event.� -Caro

�This match was everything that is good and wonderful about pro wrestling.

It had the athleticism, it had the violence, but perhaps most importantly, it had the payoff to a couple of longterm narratives. First, the match felt like a cap to one of AEW�s first-established feuds, as the Bucks & Lucha Bros reignited their rivalry that produced some of the best matches in the company�s short history back in 2019. Second, the match saw 2 villains in the Young Bucks forced to finally defend their belts on an even playing field, thanks to the added stipulation steel cage.

In the end, all of the elements mentioned above came together (along with a heartwarming postmatch which saw a still-bloody Penta embrace his wife & kids) to create one of the most memorable pro wrestling matches, not just of 2021, but of all time.� -Liam Renner

�Every time I watch the Young Bucks and the Lucha Bros wrestle they find a way to blow my mind. This All Out steel cage match was incredible. It was refreshing to watch a cage match where the participants weren�t trying to run out of the cage. Instead, they just wanted to beat the crap out of each other. There were so many great spots and double team moves in this match. I popped for the return of the infamous shoe full of thumbtacks which left Penta a bloody mess. I�ll never forget Fenix�s insane Crossbody off the top of the cage. This is easily one of the best cage matches I�ve seen in my 30 years of watching wrestling.� -Jeremy Donovan

�Two years ago, I wrote that the Young Bucks were undoubtedly the greatest tag team of all-time after their ladder match with the Lucha Bros at All Out 2019. In the then-Sears Center (now the NOW Arena). Two years later, in that same building, against that same team, the Bucks put forth their greatest performance yet. This was the full Young Bucks experience on display: an exhausting, exciting, and innovative display of tag team wrestling. They hit every note perfectly. I had assumed I had seen everything possible from these two teams, but they raised the stakes in this now-legendary feud once more. Each time the Bucks put forth another MOTYC effort, it�s like watching Kareem win the title with the Lakers in �85 or Jordan winning the latter half of his six titles. It�s rare that we get to see the greatest of all-time in any given field pad their resume in real-time. The Young Bucks, with the help of matches like this, are continuing to propel their legacy into uncharted territory.� -Case Lowe

�For years, the cage match was an outdated relic. WWE and TNA had overutilized the match and the importance of it dwindled. Years went by without a significant cage match on national television. The more relevant matches were typically done on indie shows, who because of the cost/set-up associated with the cage, would only break it out for a truly important match.

The Young Bucks and Lucha Brothers do not seem like an ideal teams to have a great cage match, since both teams are so excellent at diving outside the ring and along the ropes. However, they showed they could have a cage classic that would rival any other match of its kind in history, a thrilling display in front of a molten hot Chicago crowd. While fans theorized before the match that some truly crazy stunts would be the highlight of the match; both teams played it relatively conservative given past risks they have taken. In a lot of ways that made the match even more impressive; it was an amazing spectacle, but there were no instances where you thought somebody died. A classic tag team match between two of the best teams to ever do it.� -Jesse Collings

�These two teams have had many classics throughout their many encounters, but this was probably their best yet. Violent and exciting match. The Bucks and the Lucha Bros are just perfect for each other.� -Evandro Furtado

�The Young Bucks have become staples of giving the fans of professional wrestling at least one match a year that can be in the consideration as at least tag team match of the year. However, over the last two years, they have been able to put on some of the best tag team matches of all time. That�s where we go here as the Steel Cage battle between them and The Lucha Brothers is potentially the best tag team match I have ever witnessed. The story at hand was simple as the match went on and you could begin to feel for Penta and Fenix. As Penta stepped in front of his brother to take the spiked superkick, it was easy to forget that this was a match for tag team gold. The bout was filled with jaw-dropping spots and ridiculous moments that make this one of the best tag team matches of all time.� -Scott Edwards Jr.

�Two teams ready and willing to do the stupidest things in a cage, what�s not to love.� -Semi Salmikannas

�It is the best match I�ve ever seen live. It is the best match of the Young Bucks excellent title reign, as well as the best match of the Lucha Bros career as a team. The Bucks solidified themselves as one of, if not the best tag team of all time with their excellent reign as AEW Tag Team Champions. This was a match that deserved to end that reign as it was AEW�s best match of the year. Just an excellent combination of emotion, athleticism, and violence coming together in a perfect storm of a wrestling match. The highlight of AEW�s most-marquee PPV of the year.� -Suit Williams

�It could be the fact we drove into town to watch this live, but the sheer craziness of the fast paced spots, no sells, bumps, and huge dive from Fenix, this felt like something special. We see gimmick matches all the time now a days with the basic standard American wrestling has now, but this one had just that feel of them having a wrestling match, with the cage as a bonus. We laughed at war games how it�s just people hitting each other with things just do it, where as this was guys working a match, having the gimmick surrounding them as a bonus. This felt the same way the Takeda vs Kodaka match from June 2018. They had a fantastic wrestling match, and just used the extra elements as a bonus. The payoff also of the Lucha Bros finally winning the titles also helped the cause, as the Bucks had been the most dominant team in wrestling over the course of the last year or so.� -Ryan Cooke

�After having three classics to start the promotion just two years prior, these two legendary teams topped themselves, including the infamous tacks on the Jordans. Remarkable match which was made better being there live.� -Tyler Forness

�Two red hot teams, locked in a cage, and doing their damndest to murder one another. Hard to imagine it not being on the absolute top of anyone�s list, but drat was 2021 a crowded year for banger matches. Fenix deserves special credit for how absolutely insane he was.� -James �NuclearConvoy�

�The greatest cagematch I�ve ever seen. That�s it. That�s the only way to describe this.� -Ed Kody

�I really didn�t expect my ballot to be so AEW heavy, but what can you say against the amazing run this company had this year? All Out, one of their best shows ever, reached its apex with one of the most amazing cage matches, most amazing tag title matches of all time. Am I biased to the Lucha Bros? 100%, but they and the Bucks decided to blow away all expectations and top their insane ladder match from 2 years prior. Great, great stuff here.� -Tim Teresi

�Lucha Bros and Young Bucks can�t seem to help themselves in Chicago. 2 out of the last 3 All Out shows featured these two teams going (forgive me) all out! This cage match was absurd in all the right ways.� -Doug Fowler (Skeach101)

�What a match. This is one of the greatest rivalries in tag wrestling. The cage added another dimension and both teams delivered.� -BJ Bethel

�I regret to inform you the Young Bucks are the greatest tag team of all time. Sorry to be controversial! Sorry about that. At this point I don�t think there�s anyone close. All of their high-level matches are near perfect. In terms of understanding the crowd, they might be smarter wrestlers than anyone working today. Add Fenix � who somehow makes impossible things possible � and a steel cage, and you just have a beautiful tag team wrestling match. Not sure what I can add that hasn�t already been said except maybe that the Lucha Bros. intro alone made this an automatic five-star classic.� -Paul DeBenedetto

�My brother (an overly excitable wrestling fan who hates the Bucks), his girlfriend (a bewildered non-fan who kept asking what the hell was happening), and my exceptionally stoic English friend (a not as excitable but very invested fan) were at my house for All Out and watching with the three of them really crystallized just what made this match so special. Every twist and turn, from the Bucks� tack-covered sneakers to Fenix�s characteristically spectacular and spontaneous comebacks popped my living like you wouldn�t believe. My brother and I are jumping up and down yelling �oh my god,� my brother�s girlfriend is gasping and muttering �this is sick� and asking my wife if these guys are going to be okay, and my friend is silently grinning. It was a perfectly intense viewing experience. It was also an extremely rewarding babyface triumph from a company that is making a wonderful habit of delivering such moments. Pentagon bleeding his face off from behind a torn mask and screaming for the Bucks not to superkick his brother with their weird tack-shoes was a highlight. That kind of emotion is such a treat in wrestling and it�s what makes this match so memorable for me.� -Casey Fiore

�I�m going to start this one by first saying this, I am not a fan of the Young Bucks at all I wont say why because this isn�t the time and place for it but I�ll just say that they aren�t for me. However having said that I can�t be biased against them because when they are good and they are put up against the right opponents (in this case the Lucha Bro�s) they are GOOD! I ordered this show to see this match because it intrigued me as a Lucha Brother�s fan. AEW�s PPV price is very steep in today�s market but this match alone paid for the entire show that�s how good it was! Sometimes when there�s a cage match wrestlers based on experience wont take advantage of their environment inside of it but this match was excellent because all four men used the cage to their advantage whenever they could which added to the match. It can�t even count how many times someone got trapped in between the cage and the ring itself. The cage itself was really well done because we�ve all seen some pretty crappy cage set ups at events I�m sure but the look of the cage was a sight to see in and of itself. Another thing that I really liked about this match and the way that it was set up was that these teams wanted to not only beat each other up as they did throughout but the match ended with a pinfall victory. When I first got into wrestling a cage match was always something that excited me when they happened but what I didn�t like was the cage escape rules so when someone escaped the cage I never felt that it really solved anything at all. However with this match it ended in a pinfall and it needed to in a grudge match of this magnitude oh and did I mention BLOOD? Because this match had lots of it, go watch this match RIGHT NOW you wont be disappointed! Also just a warning this match is not for the faint of heart.� -Nathan Neumann

�One of the greatest cage matches I have ever witnessed.� -Jacob Nelson

�Was in the building for this and couldn�t believe how much they did and how crazy it got. Had to catch your breath after this match.� -Very Worried About Ibushi�s Shoulder

�The greatest Steel Cage tag team match ever, this match should be the case study on how to do this type of match. With so many moments that will on video montages in the years to come, maybe it�s iconic moment even eclipsing Fenix�s dive off the top of the cage came after the 3-count when a bloodied Penta embraces his children.� -Peter Edge

�The best tag team of all time does it again. The best tag match ever.� -Lee Malone

�On 4 September 2019, Case Lowe wrote an article titled �Are we sure the Young Bucks aren�t the Greatest Tag Team Ever?� and I was one of the many people who replied in the comments� �Yes, we�re pretty sure�. Fast forward 2 years of peak tag wrestling in AEW and this match, and I�m not so sure anymore.� -PW_IND

�This is actually the sole tag match of my list � the Tag Match of the Year. Honestly, I don�t usually love these sorts of spot-eccentric matches, but for a reason I can�t quite put my finger on, I absolutely loved this steel cage fight. It�s an oddity to me that I can�t not rate this match so highly on my list. Somehow, it just hit the perfect spot.� -Jamie Johnson

�The crown jewel of AEW�s best pay-per-view show to date. Arguably, the greatest tag match in the young history of a company that made tag team wrestling a point of emphasis from day one. The greatest tag team in history (or at least the modern era) is bested by excellent opponents peaking at the right time. It might not be tag team perfection, but it might very well be the closest we�ll get for a long time.� -TDE

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Mohabrok - 0.0
"Spots spots spots spots spots *Sequence* spots spots spots *Finisher* spots spots spots spots spots spots spots *Superkick Party* spots spots spots spots spots, wow this is the greatest match of all time? this is just bad picture of tag team wrestling. Sad, really SAD"

LivingLegend - 0.0
"This was horrendous and probably the worst "match" I have ever watched. The overly choreographed spots, that asinine sequence where they take turns super kicking each other for what feels like 5 minutes, just, god drat. How can anyone call this wrestling' It's a circus act. The Young Bucks have been wrestling for well over a decade and they can't sell for poo poo. Awful awful awful. Criticize guys like Gargano and Adam Cole all you want, but they don't disrespect the business as much as The Bucks do. [DUD]"

fez_machine fucked around with this message at 10:31 on Feb 9, 2024

# ? Feb 9, 2024 10:29

TinTower: Apr 21, 2010; You don't have to 8e a good person to 8e a hero.

Complaining about a tag match being too much of a spot-fest is like complaining about salt for being too salty.

# ? Feb 9, 2024 12:10

duckdealer: Feb 28, 2011

This one was tough but went with Young Bucks vs Lucha Bros.

# ? Feb 9, 2024 12:30

Lid: Feb 18, 2005; And the mercy seat is awaiting,
And I think my head is burning,
And in a way I'm yearning,
To be done with all this measuring of proof.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth,
And anyway I told the truth,
And I'm not afraid to die.

The reference to Gargano/Cole made me guffaw.

# ? Feb 9, 2024 12:38

super macho dude: Aug 9, 2014

There will plenty of 5 star cagematches in AEW, sounds insane to say but true, but that DDT reverse deathmatch was a once in a lifetime thing.

# ? Feb 9, 2024 13:20

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

super macho dude posted:

There will plenty of 5 star cagematches in AEW, sounds insane to say but true, but that DDT reverse deathmatch was a once in a lifetime thing.

Akito has actually been doing them for awhile

https://www.ddtpro.com/news/18630

(it is however the best one)

fez_machine fucked around with this message at 13:31 on Feb 9, 2024

# ? Feb 9, 2024 13:28

super macho dude: Aug 9, 2014

Shut up. Just give me this this one time.

# ? Feb 9, 2024 13:51

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

Akito has never gotten his props, man is smooth as silk. A lesser man would have froze when the finish got botched but he scrambled out a short little sequence to avoid just repeating the spot.

fez_machine posted:

Akito has actually been doing them for awhile

https://www.ddtpro.com/news/18630

(it is however the best one)

That Akito/Janela light tube match was also pretty rad, nearly as tense as this one I voted for

# ? Feb 9, 2024 14:19

STING 64: Oct 20, 2006

akito v asuka

# ? Feb 9, 2024 23:05

Tampa Bae: Aug 23, 2021; Please, this is all I have

as good as the Lucha/Bucks match was, unique matches stick with me a lot longer and ASUKA/Akito gets my vote. Think I've watched the light tube match a dozen times since it happened, it's so good

# ? Feb 9, 2024 23:07

Quid: Jul 19, 2006

fez_machine posted:

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:
LivingLegend - 0.0
"How can anyone call this wrestling' It's a circus act."

Didn't wrestling start as a sideshow circus act?

# ? Feb 9, 2024 23:15

AlmightyPants: Mar 14, 2001; King of Scheduling; Pillbug

I had to think hard about this one. I loved the light tube match so very much and I'll just show it to friends without any prompting. That said, this isn't most memorable or favorite match, this is greatest match, that that cage match was unbelievably great.

# ? Feb 10, 2024 05:35

Nea: Feb 28, 2014; Funny Little Guy Aficionado.

how do you vote in this?

# ? Feb 10, 2024 21:59

Edward Mass: Sep 14, 2011; 𝅘𝅥𝅮 I wanna go home with the armadillo
Good country music from Amarillo and Abilene
Friendliest people and the prettiest women you've ever seen𝅘𝅥𝅮

Nea posted:

how do you vote in this?

Click on the link in my most recent post!

# ? Feb 10, 2024 22:19

kalensc: Sep 10, 2003; Only Trust Your Respirator, kupo!
Art/Quote by: Rubby

SG Bamboo posted:

Akito has never gotten his props, man is smooth as silk. A lesser man would have froze when the finish got botched but he scrambled out a short little sequence to avoid just repeating the spot.

That Akito/Janela light tube match was also pretty rad, nearly as tense as this one I voted for

Can you clue me in re: the intended finish?

# ? Feb 10, 2024 23:50

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

kalensc posted:

Can you clue me in re: the intended finish?

It was maybe 90 seconds earlier, Asuka went for the kick but Akito wasn't holding the lightube close enough to his face for it to break against him so the tube just got pushed in his hands. Instead of Asuka just going for the kick again they had a short bodyslam struggle, exploder into the corner and attempted muscle buster to get back into the position for Asuka to throw the kick a second time, except this time Akito was holding it close enough to break on him

# ? Feb 11, 2024 00:28

Edward Mass: Sep 14, 2011; 𝅘𝅥𝅮 I wanna go home with the armadillo
Good country music from Amarillo and Abilene
Friendliest people and the prettiest women you've ever seen𝅘𝅥𝅮

With 64.71% of the vote, Akito vs. ASUKA advacnes.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA from NJPW New Japan Cup Final against Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita from AEW All Out

# ? Feb 11, 2024 06:00

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 7: Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA - March 24, 2019 (NJPW New Japan Cup Final) against Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita - September 3, 2023 (AEW All Out)

Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA - March 24, 2019 (NJPW New Japan Cup Final)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year status

jesus WEP posted:

I�m not sure if this tops Ishii/Okada but it was a hell of a match that just flew past and had some of the cleverest spots I�ve seen in ages, and the most convincing nearfalls to boot

Jerusalem posted:

Started slow but the back half picked up and the last quarter was loving sensational. My heart was in my throat throughout, simply amazing performances by both.

Rarity posted:

holy loving poo poo

Aesculus posted:

god drat

Burn Down Canberra posted:

So good

MassRafTer posted:

Loved how they fooled me the last few minutes. Not on nearfalls but they'd set up sequences and counters that seemed so obvious, then add a little twist, then do something totally unexpected. Really good stuff. Okada did do the best version of the lazy horrible Jeff Jarrett raise one arm kickout I've seen in years though. He actually made it seem like he was too hosed up to do anything more, and unlike Jeff he actually got his shoulder up.

Jerusalem posted:

I am so glad I'm not the only one who saw that and immediately thought,"Wait, is that what Jeff Jarrett thought he was doing all these years?"

SatoshiMiwa posted:

Yes oh yes

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 8.44 based on 141 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 190 with 4 points from 2 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

N/A

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

NastyYaffa - 2.0

"The beginning hold exchanging wasn't the most compelling stuff, but I still liked it - SANADA especially brought some charm into things & him locking Okada in the Paradise Lock was legitimately an awesome moment. Then there's some dull stuff with Okada on top, and then shortly the match becomes your usual Okada big match counterfestival - you either like it, or you don't care for it, and unfortunately I am on the latter boat. *1/2"

Konosuke Takeshita - September 3, 2023 (AEW All Out)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year satus

LionYeti posted:

Hot drat that ruled

Kvantum posted:

This show just don't quit.

Jerusalem posted:

It absolutely ruled but had the misfortune of being on the same card with two other absolutely spectacular matches.

Lamuella posted:

It's recency bias but I wouldn't be surprised if Kenny vs Soup becomes my favourite singles match of all time.

closet statist posted:

I was a bit soft on omega / takeshita somehow (???) so Ill hold off the nom until a rewatch I think. Whole show was great though. tony has done it again

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 9.05 based on 652 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 60 with 30 points from 9 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�An underrated banger and a match I was personally waiting for all year after the Don Callis turning on Kenny Omega thing. Kenny Omega in a big match on a ppv? Consider the show stolen and give him match of the night every single time. This was a high octane match that felt like a G1 Climax encounter. Omega took some nasty bumps in this one. Avalanche Blue Thunder Bomb? Are you kidding me? It�s a stiff, explosive match full of high impact offense and it never slows down. A Kenny Omega special, if you will. Even the Don Callis interference was done well. Omega�s unselfishness isn�t talked about enough. Guy is always putting people over and making them look excellent while doing it. This was the biggest win of Takeshita�s career and one of the best clean wins over a huge star in AEW�s history. It�s a shame Takeshita hasn�t done much since.� -Noveliss

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Wieczus - 4.0
"On this show we have seen two ideas of putting over a young talent in a match. One was Danielson who did an excellent job of making Ricky a star with a match that made sense in which every little move told a story. The other one was Omega who thinks that kicking out of every single move in the world makes a star. Brainbuster on the floor in the first minutes, needless Senton on the chairs and again the screwdriver bollocks. This is just cheap and lazy."

Mizzle Assault Ant - 4.0
"They made a huge deal about "I will end your career and possibly murder you! ", but it felt like the match itself reflected nothing of that. Aside from one or two spots, it seemed to be wrestled basically like any ol' exhibition match between these two might be with no particular intensity or fire. If anything I thought Takeshita really carried the match, but he has been so forgotten in the build that it didn't capture my excitement very much to see it. It's been so much Don Callis, who continued to poke his nose in with the lame screwdriver spots. The only spot that actually seemed serious was the head drop, and Misawa could tell you it's a bad idea to play with those, ah wait, no he can't actually. And then Omega didn't even bother selling it after about 30 seconds, so why even do it? Another more is less Omega match. The crowd liked it a lot so the job was done, but it wasn't really for me."

# ? Feb 11, 2024 06:01

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

Here is a link to the New Japan Cup Match, which I will have to rewatch myself because I don't remember it at all

# ? Feb 11, 2024 06:18

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

SG Bamboo posted:

Here is a link to the New Japan Cup Match, which I will have to rewatch myself because I don't remember it at all

seems like you weren't the only one given how steeply it fell from a Meltzer 5 star to not making the main VOW rankings by the end of the year

# ? Feb 11, 2024 06:27

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

Okada/SANADA for sure, I got so invested in SANADA as a potential top guy and it was so loving great to see that pay off last year.

# ? Feb 11, 2024 07:46

Cavauro: Jan 9, 2008

this latest vote went back and forth early, with a surge by one side most recently. it's still a close one right up the rear end. every vote counts big so vote now. here's that match-up link again

Edward Mass posted:

With 64.71% of the vote, Akito vs. ASUKA advacnes.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA from NJPW New Japan Cup Final against Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita from AEW All Out

# ? Feb 12, 2024 01:38

Cavauro: Jan 9, 2008

there has now been a second minor surge just as wild as the first. get in there

# ? Feb 13, 2024 02:38

Edward Mass: Sep 14, 2011; 𝅘𝅥𝅮 I wanna go home with the armadillo
Good country music from Amarillo and Abilene
Friendliest people and the prettiest women you've ever seen𝅘𝅥𝅮

With 72.22% of the vote, Omega/Takeshita advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano from WWE NXT TakeOver: New York against Kenny Omega vs. "Hangman" Adam Page from AEW Full Gear

# ? Feb 13, 2024 06:04

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 8: Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano - April 5, 2019 (WWE NXT TakeOver: New York) against Kenny Omega vs. "Hangman" Adam Page - November 13, 2021 (AEW Full Gear)

Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano - April 5, 2019 (WWE NXT TakeOver: New York)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year status

Truther Vandross posted:

Started slow but HOLY loving poo poo

Cav posted:

Stated off a little slow, but that third fall was an absolute banger.

Jerusalem posted:

First half was a little underwhelming but GODDAMN that second half.

mfcrocker posted:

absolutely, somehow the best match on the card

Akileese posted:

Probably match of the weekend. Started a bit slow but an amazing end sequence.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: *****1/2 Cagematch Ratings: 9.20 based on 523 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 5 with 233 points from 33 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�Best match I�ve ever seen live on an amazing card� Arya Witner

�I was in attendance for this match and in the building Cole was way more over with the crowd than Gargano was. In the finishing stretch, people in my section were getting very upset every time Gargano kicked out, and to be honest he kicked out of so many killer Cole moves that it felt like overkill. On rewatch, it didn�t feel like overkill at all. Here you have Cole, and arrogant prick leader of a group that isn�t afraid to get involved in one another�s matches, who has told his opponent that his Takeover milestones and his teammates will help carry him to victory. Then you have Gargano, whose months-long plan to get another title shot against his arch-nemesis went up in flames when said nemesis went down with a possible career-ending injury. Those two stories crashed together here spectacular fashion, as Gargano absorbed everything that Cole threw at him, caught on to Cole�s patterns, and tapped him out twice to win the title. What makes his title win here all the more satisfying is that he didn�t have to sacrifice his ethics to do it. After months of cheating and losing or cheating only to win the secondary title, he won like a man and got the biggest prize of all (while Cole lost even though he cheated as much as he could). The spectre of Tommaso Ciampa hung heavy over this match, with both Gargano and Cole using moves from the former champ�s arsenal to play mind games and get an advantage. While this wasn�t the ending to the Gargano/Ciampa story we were expecting, it was very satisfying given the circumstances.� Brad Garoon

�Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole are incapable of having anything less than stellar matches at TakeOvers. This match was the cap on a night that had at least three match of the year contenders between NXT and NJPW.� Slyguy46

�One of the best WWE moments of the last decade, as Gargano completes his fairytale-like rise to the top of NXT. A rare long term WWE story that paid off that is also a sad reminder of how good this company could be if they really cared.� Paco Silva

�I was lucky enough to be in the building for this one. The energy in the building during this match is something I�ve never felt at a wrestling show before. A+ stuff from these two.� Brett Miles

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Mizzle Assault Ant -0.0
"Fair play to those who love this match, to me this is the nadir of NXT and the surest sign that I made the right choice to high tail it away from the brand. This was pretty much the exact opposite of what I want to see in wrestling. Melodramatic in the extreme, billed as a blood feud but totally lacking in any real intensity, Gargano becomes invincible for lack of any better ideas, and good god the match just goes on and on and on forever."

Makai Club - 0.0
"I think this match is a perfect example of WWE big matches failing. The first two falls were so forgettable and mediocre. Small things like Gargano going down to the first Last Shot, but not the second. It just common sense really that would've helped the first parts of the match along the way, but nope, it didn't happen. Then the third fall happened, and the match turned from mediocre to awful at an alarming rate. I know that people will praise anything that has a long series of kick outs, even if the entire match is very mediocre. Just the way it is nowadays, people only care about a closing stretch without taking in account the build up to that spot. Even then, the finishing stretch was nothing but kick outs on an absolutely ridiculous scale. It was laughable at how many kick outs there actually was in the match. There was more than 10 kick outs, at least including, Gargano kicking out of chasing the dragon, a Panama Sunrise, tons of superkicks, a fairy tale ending on the table, absolutely EVERYTHING Cole has and he kicked out of all of it. A huge burial of Cole? s offence, and I don't use burial lightly. This is the stuff people, rightly, criticised Roman vs Brock at WM 34 for. It's certainly way worse than what Cena did to the Nexus because at least it didn't have this amount of unnecessary excess that this match haf. Their selling was so awful too - both guys have no clue on when to no sell moves and when to sell. The no sell superkick into another superkick is one of the worst sequences in Wrestling and people should stop using it. This wouldn't be out of place in the worst of PWG which is saying a ton. There is literally nothing I thought that was enjoyable about this match barring a pretty nice spear on the apron. The rest was a true masterpiece of pure garbage. DUD"

Shoot Headbutt Lover - 0.0
"The more I think and watch this match my brain hurts, I know they had the story of making Gargano look like superman cause he's been kicked around for months but jesus does he have to no sell everybody's finisher' It just makes the move weaker than him looking stronger. Also this match runs so long and does all the typical 2 out of 3 falls cliches. EDIT: So I rewatched this match and it's even worse than I remember, the fact of the matter is this, Bar the Undisputed Era run ins, this would've been the exact same match if Ciampa was in Cole's place. The fact that this blatant laziness of not booking a new match shows how inept Shawn Michaels is as a road agent and it hurt the performance of the match. Even if Ciampa was in, it'd still have moves not having any significance, the "shocked face" that Gargano always puts on in a big match, too many false finishes, and be an overtly long match that I as a fan never want to see continue and was the reason my fandom of NXT decreased. If I didn't get into Stardom and then AEW later in 2019, I think this would've killed my enjoyment of pro wrestling because it is the antithesis of what I want in professional wrestling."

Donnie - 0.0
"This is the start of my descent into madness, I'm sure of it. Everything about this is offence and cruel, and makes me want to jump into the sun. Its truly, truly loving awful from start to finish. To be told "I didn't get it" drove me nuts for a long while, but i now see I;m the one whose normal and everyone is off their rocker"

Kenny Omega vs. "Hangman" Adam Page - November 13, 2021 (AEW Full Gear)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year status

Cerebral Bore posted:

Pro wrestling is art.

Rarity posted:

I cried

Jerusalem posted:

loving perfection and beautiful and glorious oh my God

Dango Bango posted:

I *ugly* cried

Testekill posted:

pro wrestling is good

Maxwell Lord posted:

That felt like something special- the two figures were larger than life, evenly matched, and though there was only one outcome that would work they made it feel like anything could happen. Just top level stuff.

I Before E posted:

beautiful moment

Kevino07 posted:

an exceptional culmination of 2 years of build.

LionYeti posted:

(Anything that makes this loving 30 year old internet and irony poisoned dude ugly cry in his apartment is worth mention)

forkboy84 posted:

You have to love a big match which lives up to the hype and expectations and build. Ruled. There was a couple of tiny things that stop me going the full 5* because I'm not into it but genuinely an excellent match, one of the best this year and the culmination to a great story that took potential and made a star.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: *****1/2 Cagematch Ratings: 9.27 based on 702 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 11 with 208 points from 32 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�I was at this match live and initially gave it ***3/4 stars. I deserve to be flagellated for this. Upon re-watch on the flight back from this show, it jumped all the way up to my match of the year. Everything about this match is perfect and is on my Mount Rushmore of matches, not just for the action, pacing, and performances of everyone involved, but for putting a cap on this excellent two year story and elevating Adam Page.� -Brady Childs

�The culmination of 2 year-long storyline with more twists and turns than my intestines saw the hard-fought and emotional pay off of not just Adam Page�s star-making fall and redemption, but the Elite�s break up and the Young Bucks friendship with Adam Page.� -/u/AKittyCat

�Just like Okada/Naito from last year and all of my moty choices in the past couple of years, my favorite match was the one that had the story that I was invested in the most. Hangman�s quest to win the big one kept me at the edge of my seat until the final moments of this match. Hangman winning didn�t just make sense in the context of the story, it also was the right call because he improved so much as an in ring worker in the last two years, and this match proved that he is genuinely one of the best in AEW�s stacked roster.� -Saud Al-Rasheedi

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

NastyYaffa -5.0
"I didn't think this match was good. It almost was like the most generic big time Kenny Omega match possible with big moves galore & not much of a "hook" to grab me. But with that being said, usually in Kenny Omega matches like that, I also come away with stuff that I enjoyed. Such was the case here, as he & his opponent definitely have some badass looking arsenal, and the moment of Hangman finally winning the big one after years of build was awesome. Not my kind of a match, but it wasn't bad + the moment boosts it a bit."

Electric Wind God Fist - 5.0
"Real average stuff, nothing to chew on during most of the time, as has been often the case during his heel run, when Kenny Omega is working from the top, the match never has any fire to it, at least Hangman Page finally winning the gold is a feels good moment."

# ? Feb 13, 2024 06:05

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

What I say

gently caress the fed

fez_machine fucked around with this message at 06:29 on Feb 13, 2024

# ? Feb 13, 2024 06:05

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

Hangman winning the title was an absolutely incredible, beautiful moment, goddamn.

# ? Feb 13, 2024 10:56

duckdealer: Feb 28, 2011

Easiest vote so far.

# ? Feb 13, 2024 13:55

Captain Foo: May 11, 2004; we vibin'
we slidin'
we breathin'
we dyin'

Jerusalem posted:

Hangman winning the title was an absolutely incredible, beautiful moment, goddamn.

# ? Feb 13, 2024 17:43

closet statist: Mar 9, 2010

Love both of these but hangman omega just has so much weight to it.

At what point during the tournament do we get a match Mizzle Assault Ant hasn't reviewed?

# ? Feb 13, 2024 21:36

Captain Foo: May 11, 2004; we vibin'
we slidin'
we breathin'
we dyin'

closet statist posted:

Love both of these but hangman omega just has so much weight to it.

At what point during the tournament do we get a match Mizzle Assault Ant hasn't reviewed?

What is that person�s favorite match anyway

# ? Feb 13, 2024 22:22

TinTower: Apr 21, 2010; You don't have to 8e a good person to 8e a hero.

He gave Danielson vs. Okada II a 10/10 rating.

Guy's probably not that hot on Ospreay, which is understandable.

# ? Feb 13, 2024 22:44

Edward Mass: Sep 14, 2011; 𝅘𝅥𝅮 I wanna go home with the armadillo
Good country music from Amarillo and Abilene
Friendliest people and the prettiest women you've ever seen𝅘𝅥𝅮

With 95.24% of the vote, Omega/Page advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 1 against Fuminori Abe vs. Takuya Nomura from Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura Produce Kakuto Tanteidan ~ Bokura Wa Kakuto Tanteidan

# ? Feb 15, 2024 06:00

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 9: Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi - January 4, 2020 (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 1) against Fuminori Abe vs. Takuya Nomura - October 12, 2023 (Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura Produce Kakuto Tanteidan ~ Bokura Wa Kakuto Tanteidan)

Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi - January 4, 2020 (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 1)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year status

Jerusalem posted:

I'm gonna be honest with you folks. I wrote this based on the entrance outfits alone. That the match ended up being loving incredible was simply the icing on the cake. Also that loving in-and-out of the ring sequence was literally inhuman.

YourHumbleMessiah posted:

holy poo poo

SatoshiMiwa posted:

YES THIS

jesus WEP posted:

Shut �er down Jerusalem, this is it

SalTheBard posted:

Just end this thread and start a new one.

Cerebral Bore posted:

Not a candidate because nobody will top this.

Rarity posted:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ThePariah posted:

Well MOTY is decided, see y'all next year

ThePariah posted:

Well MOTY is decided, see y'all next year

forkboy84 posted:

God I'm glad my boy is back and as insane as ever.

Ziggy Tzardust posted:

I think I need a cigarette

TTBF posted:

Close the thread, not even Okada has a chance at beating this.

Benne posted:

Hiromu came back from a career-threatening neck injury that kept him out for 14 months, had arguably the best match of his career, and immediately re-established himself as a top guy. I don't think it's a hot take to say that performance cemented him as one of the all-time greats and a modern-day legend, with so much more to come.

TriffTshngo posted:

MOTYC: IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - Will Ospreay vs Hiromu Takahashi
https://twitter.com/GIFSkull/status/1213404161666011136

Queer Salutations posted:

The way this match flowed, just so smooth in the way they'd float over each other to position for spots (like the setup for the shooting star).

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: *****1/2 Cagematch Ratings: 9.46 based on 467 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 5 with 508 points from 78 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

Deciding which match from 2020 would take my top spot was a very tough call to make, as I felt that three different matches were right on the same level. Ultimately, I decided to go with Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi from Night 1 of Wrestle Kingdom 14. The matches that were part of the Double Gold Dash had all the attention (rightfully so, in many respects), but the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title arguably stole the entire weekend. It was an incredible match between two of the best wrestlers in the world today. Ospreay was impeccable as always, while Hiromu had an outstanding performance in his own right, and was able to regain the title that he lost after suffering his serious neck injury in 2018. They were able to prove that, with the right combination, the juniors can go into the Tokyo Dome and put on a match that�s just as strong as the critically acclaimed Wrestle Kingdom main events.� -Sean Sedor

�Will Ospreay and Hiromu Takahashi are both fantastic professional wrestlers, this was Hiromu�s first match back there is a lot of backstory to how this match got set up that goes all the way back to Power Struggle 2019. After Will Ospreay defeated Bushi to retain the Junior Heavyweight Championship he grabbed a microphone and promptly issued an open challenge to anyone in the Junior Heavyweight Division to a match at Wrestle Kingdom 14. To Ospreay�s surprise and everyone else�s in attendance for that matter, the challenge was answered by the returning Hiromu Takahashi who had previously broken his neck in a match with Dragon Lee on July 7th 2018 at the g1 Special in San Francisco California. Hiromu�s emergence from the curtain created one of the loudest reactions that I can remember in quite some time. There�s not a living soul who didn�t want to see Hiromu come back and once he got into the ring it set up what was to come. When Hiromu would make his way to the ring at Wrestle Kingdom he was laser-focused determined to do one thing and one thing only and that was to dethrone Will Ospreay and once again become the king of the junior division and to regain his rightful crown that he never officially lost. It�s the ultimate redemption story that fans everywhere wanted to see. The match began and the crowd was into it, they would wrestle to the ground and Ospreay would divert his focus for a moment to showboat in the corner before things picked up again. They would trade blows in the center in the ring the match was an offensive exhibition between both men as they both gave their best efforts against the other. Hiromu would powerbomb Ospreay on the apron Hiromu would then run from the apron and hit Ospreay with a dropkick that sent him into the guardrail. The beginning of the match was brutal Hiromu doesn�t pace things he goes 100% from the opening bell because that�s Hiromu. Ospreay would catch Hiromu coming back into the ring with a DDT sending his head directly into the mat. This match was phenomenal it was an absolute war to see who the better man was. The current King of the Super Juniors in Will Ospreay vs. the returning King in Hiromu Takahashi who came back to lay claim to what was rightfully his, this match had zero room for error and they nailed everything that they did it was a true joy to watch. Hiromu hadn�t wrestled a single match in a year and a half prior to this match taking place but there was zero rust on him and he didn�t miss a beat at all he was the man that everyone wanted to see and he made the effort to give us a performance that we would never forget! For everything surrounding the match with the backstory involving Hiromu his journey back to the ring, as he looked to get back what was taken from him there is no doubt in my mind that this is the best match of 2020, TIMEBOMB FOREVER!!!� -Nathan Neumann

�Stealing the show at the Tokyo Dome is likely to land you a top 3 spot maybe just on principle alone. There were high expectations for this and they blew it out of the water.� -Sean Ross Sapp

�An absolute spectacle of innovative high spots and the rewatchability factor is through the roof.� -Bill Bodkin

�The ceiling for this match was �greatest match of all time.� Of all the matches as Wrestle Kingdom, this was the one that had me salivating the most. It�s too tempting to turn a critical eye onto everything I watch these days, but the exchange of dodged dives to the outside dragged me into this match in a way that not many matches can. This is junior wrestling at its best.� -Neil David

�Wrestle Kingdom was so long ago that I had somewhat forgotten about this match since I first saw it. The only thing I could immediately recall from Wrestle Kingdom 14 were the two main event matches. However, when looking back at my notes from earlier this year, it was clear this was one of the best matches of 2020. As you would expect from these two; this was a match full of insane risks and intricate spots, worked at a furious pace that made it seem like no move was too ambitious from taking place at any moment. The excellent story, of Hiromu Takahashi returning from his broken neck and battling Ospreay, who had basically outgrown the NJPW Junior Heavyweight division, was also a huge part of what made this match so good.� -Jesse Collings

�After tragically breaking his neck over 17 months prior to this match, there were some questions about whether he could go and he silenced them within the first 5 minutes. This match had everything you could want out of an IWGP Junior Title Match at the Tokyo Dome: high flying, crazy spots done to perfection and even the debut of a devastating finisher in the Time Bomb 2. Hiromu showed us that he never truly left.� -Tyler Forness

�Hiromu�s first big test after recovering from a broken neck, in hindsight this was perhaps more of a canvas for Ospreay to test out the heelish side that later be used as part of the Empire � particularly since the focus of this was was on one man. Hiromu. Of course there was focus on his neck, but the story of the match was about Hiromu�s resilience � that what that didn�t kill him did make him stronger, and that all that time off hadn�t taken him out of the game. The same emotions we all felt a few months earlier on his return came back in full force for this � and would have set up for something much different had the world not gone to hell.� -Ian Hamilton

�Blistering pace, non stop action, immaculate execution. Have a feeling this will be forgotten in this year�s voting, but it was sublime.� -Jeremy Sexton

�Two of the very best wrestlers in the world delivering a clinic on one of the year�s biggest shows. Oh, and a wonderfully executed comeback angle, culminating in a title change. You can�t ask for much more really.� -Andrew Sinclair

�Hiromu�s Tokyo Dome comeback started with a real banger against Will Ospreay. Despite it being pretty clear that Hiromu was going to win �his� title back from the �Aerial Assassin� the match delivered big time. Those two men showed unreal athleticism, great selling of Hiromu�s neck and great intensity. Will Ospreay made a case for the best wrestler around, and Hiromu was as good as he ever was before his career-threatening injury and thus they had the best match on the first day of Wrestle Kingdom.� -Christian Gascoigne

�The cream of the crop of the juniors division delivered in a big way at Wrestle Kingdom. One of those pairings that simply can�t have a bad match together.� -Greg Parks

�State of the art action. Out of this world chemistry with these two men. The story telling was phenomenal using Hiromu�s real life neck injury to ramp up the drama. Fantastic junior heavyweight title match.� -Sid Pullar III

�Take two of the best wrestlers on the planet, with one of them making his big match return from injury, and give them 25 minutes to go balls out in the Tokyo Dome. Ospreay capped off his incredible 2019 with this, and Hiromu let the world know that even a broken neck wouldn�t stop him from being one of New Japan�s brightest stars.� -Suit Williams

�Incredible performance by Takahashi in his first singles match in eighteen months after that horrible neck injury. In the context of that lengthy hiatus, Hiromu�s performance was all the more remarkable.� -Mo Chantra

�The biggest question coming into this match was if Hiromu would be as crazy as he was before he broke his neck. Within the first minute of this match we got our answer. About as excellent as you think it would be on paper, and more.� -Bryan Rose

�One of the best junior heavyweight matches of all time. Takahashi became the junior ace for years to come in both positioning and ability and Ospreay graduated to the heavyweight division. A sublime combination of high spots and psychology.� -Benno

�Ospreay picked up right where he left off in 2019. Takahashi was back in top form. Crazy sequences, this match was just explosive from start to finish and they maintained an amazing pace.� -Noveliss

�This is one of the best Jr. Heavyweight matches that I ever seen between two of the best wrestlers right now in the world. The finishing stretch to the match was just tremendous.� -Filip Pejic

�Two elite level junior heavyweights putting on one of the greatest Jr Heavyweight title matches ever. Showed that both men are destined for bigger things than this title.� -Ed Kody

�This match is absolutely incredible. For starters the story of Hiromu returning to his throne after being out for a year and a half was very heartwarming. To see him come back and wrestle like he never left, like the absolute madman he is, was excellent. He was arguably one of the most over acts in the Tokyo Dome those two nights, second to Naito and maybe Okada. Ospreay and Hiromu and some of the most incredible sequences I�ve ever seen. Just a complete masterclass in high flying action.� -Christopher Duarte

�New Japan has an all time great baby face in Hiromu. He is better than Yamada, Sayama and Dynamite Kid. That was my favourite comeback story.� -Salih Arandi

�As Ospreay took his final bow as a junior heavyweight, Hiromu returned to take over as the leader of the division. It was only right that they had an absolute classic and the best of their series of matches. Filled with flawless, jaw-dropping sequences, it�s a match so amazing you have to remind yourself that Hiromu was returning from a broken neck. 2020 was a noteworthy year for both men, and it all started right here.� -Andrew Rich

�Hiromu Takahashi walked in the dome fresh off a broken neck and with Will Ospreay perhaps reached the stylistic peak of Jr. Heavyweight wrestling. There�s too many incredible moves to count, but you�ve all seen the GIFs, highlighted by Will going out and in the ring like a madman. In his swan song to Jr Heavyweight status, he left the torch with Hiromu in a thriller that saw Takahashi break out an entire new finisher to put down the Brit. This is the unofficial cap to Ospreay�s legendary 2019 run which saw him own a calendar year like no wrestler had done before him. While the jr belt may reach bigger heights to come at the dome, I don�t know if it�ll ever be better.� -Rich Latta

�Two of the best junior heavyweights in the world locked horns for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title. Going into this match we were all worried about the status of Hirmou�s surgically repaired neck. Ospreay played into those concerns about targeting the neck throughout the match. Ospreay�s assault on the previously injured neck did not slow the Ticking Time Bomb down. This match had several awe-inspiring sequences and counters. Both men moved with such precision and grace. They made the most difficult moves look easy. These two elevated the standard for junior heavyweight wrestling.� -Jeremy Donovan

�A clear babyface vs. heel dynamic isn�t something you always see in high-profile NJPW matches (I believe it�s for the best), but this match was all the better for it. Hiromu was the obvious fan favourite, with this being his first singles match back after his career-threatening neck injury. It was fought in an electric, exhilarating style which included incredible high-flying and spectacular strike combinations.

With a year filled of empty arena, limited and clap crowd wrestling, it is really refreshing to revisit a packed Tokyo Dome crowd, stomping their feet, chanting and cheering on the wrestlers relentlessly � an outstanding match all round.� -Jamie Johnson

�I mean, it�s Hirmou and Will Ospreay in the Dome, does anything more need to be said? Despite being away for over a year recovering from a neck injury, Hiromu hasn�t missed a beat and delivers exactly the kind of insane performance he�s known for. Will Ospreay is no slouch either giving his all in his final title match as a junior. Come for the return, stay for the Sasuke Special.� -Jason Westhaver

�Hiromu�s big singles return showed he was every bit as good as before. New Japan�s decision to run with EVIL during the early days of the pandemic era instead of elevating Hiromu remains one of the most baffling booking decisions Gedo has ever made.� -Jarrett Seidler

�I don�t even know what to say here. It�s Ospreay vs.Hiromu. It�s exactly what you expect it to be.� -Doug Fowler (Skeach101)

�Innovative and athletic excellence from two of the best juniors on the planet.� -Matt Carlins

�Relentless pace and exhilarating action from two of the best wrestlers in the world. Had some of the best sequences and spots that you would see in 2020. Just incredible athletic ability from these lads. But at the same time, it felt like a gruelling and intense battle. Like the nastiness from Ospreay when he attacked the head and neck of Takahashi. The added layer of this being Hiromu�s big comeback singles match from a major injury had made this even more of a triumphant moment.� -ScorpioCorp

�Another 2 men who may each have a claim to the title of best wrestler world. This match was state-of-the-art pro wrestling. Big innovative moves, incredible selling, and the culmination of the story of Hiromu�s return from injury.� -Liam Renner

�Hiromu Takahashi suffered a near career ending injury. Many were concerned that even if Hiromu did return, he wouldn�t be the same worker he was pre-injury. Hiromu put all those concerns to bed with just one match. In the first 5 minutes of the match alone, the opening sequence itself, he showed that he hadn�t missed a beat. He was just as good if not better. Ospreay on the other hand closed out one of the best years of any wrestlers ever. This match was 21st century state of the art Junior heavyweight wrestling at its best. Action packed with tons of creative spots and innovative sequences, it managed to live up to the insanely high expectations everyone had for it.� -PW_IND

�Great drama for Hiromu�s singles return. Crowd really up for this, and clearly nervous for Hiromu�s neck (audible gasps of concern when Will has Hiromu on his shoulders on top rope). A few awesome spots and sequences, particularly the Sasuke Special, but held together by enough aggression and selling in between to stop it being a �dance�.� -Gareth Hodgson

�It really shouldn�t be possible for a match to hold a finishing like pace for the entire match, Yet somehow Hiromu and Will did just that. Not only was there a lot of spots but this match also had a unique point of storytelling with Ospreay slowly turning more heel and trying to destroy Takahashi�s neck which would set him up for the rest of his 2020.� -Kentucky210

�Two of the best Jrs. in the world, one being Hiromu�s return to single action after his injury, the other the MVP of 2019, and Wrestle Kingdom. How the hell will that combination not work? This was an exciting match that you probably have seen via gif form a million times and an example of great storytelling and moment. Hiromu and Ospreay did what they do best at the biggest stage in Japan.� -Abraham Delgado

�Two of the best Juniors giving it their all at the Dome� -Cristoff

�Hiromu was back. That was all that mattered. In November 2019 at Power Struggle, I either woke up in the middle of the night or stayed up way too late to watch a surprisingly good Ospreay vs. BUSHI match as an appetizer for a main course � the return of Hiromu Takahashi. And it didn�t disappoint. And his first singles match here at Wrestle Kingdom didn�t disappoint either. He came to the ring in his incredible rainbow peacock entrance gear � something that sounds ridiculous, but when it�s worn by a man this charismatic it works. And then the match started and he hadn�t lost a step. He was in the ring with a man many consider the best wrestler in the world and he matched him every step of the way � despite being on the shelf with a broken freaking neck for 18 months. And then there was the sequence. Or should I say THE SEQUENCE. If you�ve seen the match you know. The two continue to put on a show until the finish, when Hiromu debuts the Time Bomb 2.0, which is presented beautifully by the NJPW production crew. The camera work in New Japan is always top notch and the way they shoot the move here with a low angle shot, making Hiromu look larger than life, and also with the camera squared on the wrestlers makes it all look amazing and very distinctive from the OG Time Bomb. The hook of the leg is clearly seen and the move is emphasized so much by the camera work that you know as a viewer � this is the end. Luckily for us, it was only the beginning of Hiromu�s incredible 2020.� -S. Dakota Jones

�One of the best Junior Heavyweight matches ever. Just an incredible match.� -Mike Gilbert

�Will Ospreay spent the entirety of 2019 making himself THE guy to welcome Hiromu Takahashi back on the biggest stage possible. He stockpiled accolades thrown his way from every conceivable direction, and for his final act as a junior, handed the baton back to a ticking timebomb. To his credit, Takahashi was astonishing, especially when you consider that it was his first singles match in 17 months. Anyone who�s seen the match can still perfectly envision Will�s Fosbury Flop at the nine-minute mark and the �are you loving kidding me� sequence that followed, but I�d encourage you to go back and listen to the crowd during it. Hoo-boy.� -Jonathan Hernandez

�Not gonna lie , it had some overdose of flashy moves, but the match gets away with it by creativity. Spots in that match was uniqe and interesting. That Space Flying Tiger Drop sequence was amazing. Looked very spectacular. Both Hiromu and Ospreay used everything in their arsenal. When it comes to junior matches , I can call it best in Dome history. But generally I�ve seen better matches. I was concerned about Hiromu�s neck. But he proved me wrong. He took some bad bumps. Ospreay�s athleticism was great as always. The ending was great. Ospreay , kicking out from Time Bomb and Hiromu introducing a new move. That Modified Emerald Flowsion looked to strong. Like a real finisher. I can easily say that , both guys stole the show with that match. Amazing show stealer by two of the best. Thats what I can call a true Wrestle Kingdom quality title match.� -Kaan �nverdi

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Zo-Zu - 5.0
"Well worked and occasionally exciting but far too backloaded with nearfalls. It's emblematic of NJPW's cack-arse and self-diluting match-booking policies. A great match for fans of incessant and loveless noise, but fans of actual wrestling matches will find it overworked and undercooked."

Damian - 5.0
"Boring match. I don't get why the Juniors work the same style as the heavyweights. Epic long matches with little high-flying action and hard strikes. That's Tanahashi's thing, and shouldn't be Takahashi's too. **1/2."

Mizzle Assault Ant - 5.0
"I've pretty much lost all interest in modern Will Ospreay, but I really like Hiromu so I wanted to give this a chance. The match was basically mixed for me, Hiromu did very well and Ospreay irritated me constantly, while also sporting by far his worst look."

arkhamoutlaw1 - 5.0
"Unfortunately, even a year later, I still feel underwhelmed by Hiromu's big return match in spite of him being one of my favourites in the world. The problem isn't him but Ospreay, who removes all the great aspects of his previous work with Hiromu in favour of egotistical dominance and empty workrate. Great finish, great result, great moment, underwhelming match."

Fuminori Abe vs. Takuya Nomura - October 12, 2023 (Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura Produce Kakuto Tanteidan ~ Bokura Wa Kakuto Tanteidan)

Watch on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNMkX4taMZ0

What We Said

Qualified for Match Of The Year status

SG Bamboo posted:

Two best friends beat the absolute gently caress out of each other, to do any less would do the other a disservice. it got livestreamed of Wrestle Universe and is the stiffest poo poo you're likely to see

The Taxman posted:

WHAT THE gently caress

Lily Catts posted:

Honestly everyone should watch it. Shinjuku FACE is such a great venue and the hot crowd helped.

forkboy84 posted:

gently caress. This was so good. So violent. So stupidly, unnecessarily stiff. MOTY for me.

I will say that if you have Wrestle Universe then you should watch it over there to increase the chance this gets broadcasted live again when they do another edition.

Sticky Nate posted:

this is extremely my poo poo

SG Bamboo posted:

Some hero has posted Abe Vs Nomura on dailymotion. Watch it, it's 20 minutes of two absolute lunatics

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8os8xe

Jerusalem posted:

thought it was a real fun main event.

HulkaMatt posted:

Heard good things about this, was worried it might be overhyped in the first half - though I thought it was real fun. Then in the second half it got so so great. Think it peaked just before the finish but gut feeling is I give it around ****1/2 and want to see more of these guys. MOTYC for sure.

Suplex Liberace posted:

absolutly savage match

Big Coffin Hunter posted:

This loving rules.

SG Bamboo posted:

Kakuto Tanteidan following in the footsteps of FMW and GAEA getting onto the MOTYC list more than a decade after the original company folded, you love to see it

apophenium posted:

Lmao wtf is wrong with these dudes, this ruled. I kinda love these shoot-style bouts when the crowd is really into it and they go crazy when someone locks in an armbar cause that's like an insta-tap outside of pro wrestling.

Very cool show, everything was fun and the crowd was into it all. Main event ruled

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: Not Rated Cagematch Ratings: 9.25 based on 203 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 8 with 388 points from 47 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�Wrestling is a fine balance of violence and technique. If you�re all about the violence, it can look sloppy and unrefined. If you put all your eggs in the technique basket, it can look unconvincing. When the balance is right� it�s beautiful. Or, as the kids say, THIS.� -Ian Hamilton

�Statement of intents aren�t uncommon in wrestling, but this is the first one in a while that felt promising.� -Chris O�Brien

�The match started with some mat wrestling, grappling stuff by Fuminori Abe and Nomura in various positions and holds. The action really kicked off in the first minutes when these two slapped, kicked and striked each other without any mercy or remorse. Nomura�s strikes were so brutal looking, he even stomped on Abe�s head. They were closed fists to the unprotected head and even the typical headbutts by Abe-san. This fight ticked all the boxes for me, I really loved the no remorse attitude by these two gentleman when they stomped on each other�s body, hit their opponent with brutal penalty kicks to the face or smashed forearms into each other. After a brutal closed fist by Nomura, Abe bled from his scary forehead which added even more to the match. Near the end Abe hit Nomura with a knee strike which looked so brutal I had to scream though. The finish was amazing when Nomura had Abe on the edge of tapping but Abe turned Nomura into an achilles hold. Nomura screamed, tried desperately to escape, to fight Abe off but it wasn�t meant to be. Nomura had to tap out to his friend. What. A. Match� -Christian Gascoigne

�The two big companies in America did their best to make me not love wrestling this year. This match reminded me why I love it.� -Sean Flynn

�For nearly 20 minutes, these two gave no quarter and asked none, relentlessly attacking each other in front of a roaring crowd with a degree of ferocity I haven�t seen in any other match this year. Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura stepped into that ring to show everyone their vision of what pro wrestling should be, and that vision is beautiful.� -Paul Wedding

�A pure expression of love to Shoot Style, and a match filled with more desire, appreciation, and love than few others out there. It is the most outstanding example of how important Shoot Style Wrestling is to the greater landscape and shows why Abe and Nomura are so highly celebrated. No other match this year has brought so much joy to my heart.� -Daniel Hill

�Match of the decade so far.� -Jack Groom

�The Astronauts have been my favorite tag team in wrestling for a couple of years now. When you see either Abe or Nomura, they always deliver. Whether it�s singles or tag, or even with different partners, these two guys are just special at what they do. Watching Nomura with Miyahara on their short AJPW Tag Title run, or Abe doing stuff on every indy promotion in Japan, these guys are great. When I heard they were running their own show, and a 1v1 was the headliner, I knew magic was going to happen. This felt like a fight. This was two great friends, going out there and doing what great friends do in a wrestling match. Everything was laid in snug, submissions were just brutal looking, the bumps were stiff, just all sorts of action. Nomura was just kicking Abe like he was trying to get information out of him in a interrogation situation. Abe would come back and bring the fight, and lock in a knee bar that looked like he snapped his leg in half. When Nomura tapped, I was shocked, then ecstatic because that was exactly why this was so special. You didn�t see it coming that way. One guy couldn�t fight and that was it. There was can he or cant he, or crazy trying to put over one specific finish. This was just two guys, who are amazing at what they do, and knew exactly how to put on a match that will be remember, by myself especially, as the best match I saw in 2023.� -Ryan S. Cooke

�One of the most earnest feeling matches I have seen in a while mixed with amazing fluid/clever action. The Astronauts passion for each other and bati-bati fighting radiated off the screen.� -Henry Rivers/HeadCheese

�They always say in wrestling when you fight your friends it�s the hardest hitting match. Astronauts the best tag team of 2023 pit together in a singles match. They beat the ever living poo poo out of each other. The pacing and the way the match was conducted was very realistic where when there was any downtime between spots and stuff they both did little things to keep you engaged that added on so much to the match. Just phenomenal wrestling here from these two.� -FAR5222

�A counter to the wrestling cliche that �good friends make better enemies,� the October 12th bout between Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura proved that you never need to stop being best friends to beat the living hell out of each other. While the Astronauts� chemistry as a tag team was on display all year, this rare glimpse at what they could do opposite each other made their bond even more undeniable. A technically sound, hard-hitting singles match that never really let up, Abe vs. Nomura stands as one of the best matches the Japanese indies had to offer in 2023, and it must be seen to be believed.� -Dylan Murray

�This is what friend fights are supposed to look like. You love and respect your buddy more than anyone and thus you give it your absolute best when taking them on on a professional level. It is what these two did while paying homage to one of the greatest promotions in wrestling history. Brutal, heated and incredible.� -Ashutosh Dubey

�It was so refreshing to see the pull-no-punches style of wrestling get the spotlight again.� -Jamie O�Doherty

�I think one of the reasons why this match is being rated so high is that this is a much-needed break from the style of wrestling that dominates so much of the scene today, from NJPW to AEW. This is professional wrestling at its very core, a brutal sporting contest between two men who practice the art form. There are no high spots, pointless acrobatics, or constant nearfalls designed to get maximum pops from the crowd. Instead, you get Batti-Batti at its best. In 1998, this would have been an average BattlArts match, but in 2023, this is nearly revolutionary and recalls matches like Fujiwara vs Sayama from 1984 that sent reverberations throughout the wrestling landscape. Hopefully, this match does the same.� -Eric Thornley

�Tag team partners clash in a fight that is as rich with intimacy as it is unnervingly violent. Abe and Nomura hold nothing back in their strikes, their intensity blazing. You get a dash of odd comedy, taut and crisp technical wrestling, along with all the gross, bloody stuff at the end.� -Ryan Dilbert

�This was amazing. Nothing more than two friends riffing with each other, playing jokes while simultaneously belting each other with the stiffest strikes, just because they can. Nothing was held back. The striking was great, the grappling was fantastic. It was a simple match in an intimate setting and is easily one of the better matches of 2023 hands down. ****1/4″ -Bailey Mowatt

�Two friends beat the living hell out of each other for 20 minutes with some of the stiffest elbows, headbutts, punches, and kicks I�ve ever seen in a Pro Wrestling ring. It even led to Abe being busted open the hard way after Nomura shoot punched him multiple times. They used every opportunity they had to continue beating each other up so that you wouldn�t believe they are friends if you didn�t know it. Two of the greatest on this planet delivered a masterpiece that everyone needs to watch� -Yannik Peps

�If this is what being partners looks like, I hope everyone stays single forever. I didn�t mind the comedy at the start (biting the nipple, poking the butthole, the grimacing at how hard each other�s head was) because you need the lightness at the start to contrast with how serious they get when the match goes into the next gear. The strike exchanges at around 14 minutes are filthy. I really appreciated the clean, simple hard cam only camera work here.� -Kim Wong

�In a year where a far higher profile pair of brochachos had a match, these two showed exactly how two partners should face off. They brilliantly built from their slightly comedic start, slowly got more competitive and then ended in a dance with the line of who might do something completely unforgivable to their partner. I had never watched these two before but this was recommended to me and was completely compelling from the opening bell to the final pinfall and handshake.� -Sam Brown

�The two best friends producing this BattlARTS tribute show wanted to go out there an capture the spirt of shoot style, and they did it masterfully. The match constantly ramps up its violence, as Abe and Nomura take turns on hitting each other as hard as possible with actual punches. Abe getting busted open from the punches of Nomura giving us a great visual of the real fight this was. In 2023 this was the match that stood out to me the most as to how I want wrestling between friends to be worked, a real fight of one ups man ship.� -Sondre Fossheim Bj�rn

�A pure expression of love to Shoot Style, and a match filled with more desire, appreciation, and love than few others out there. It is the most outstanding example of how important Shoot Style Wrestling is to the greater landscape and shows why Abe and Nomura are so highly celebrated. No other match this year has brought so much joy to my heart.� -Daniel Hill

�Words do not do this match justice, so I won�t write that many. A more than a fitting tribute to the BattleArts style of wrestling. Abe and Nomura hit each other so ludicrously hard that even the audience can�t help but laugh in disbelief, terror or sheer joyful amusement at the beautiful display of pro wrestling madness presented in front of their eyes.

Matches like these make me glad to be a fan of professional wrestling.� -Semi Salmikannas

�The amount of people dropping what they were doing to see this match, through word of mouth, is the best example of how the wrestling community should function.

An exceptional wrestling match rooted in two people sharing something they love.� -Stevan Savich

�Two teammates beating each other up for the love of wrestling. That�s all you need to know to enjoy this tremendous fight with two guys giving it their all to show which is the best on the team.� -Fede Fromhell

�They say you hit your friends the hardest. When you and your friend also happen to be one of the best tag teams in the world, you hit even harder. When Astronaut met Astronaut at their produce show in October the world was set ablaze. This is an old school, KT Dan Battlarts revival at it�s finest. Outstanding grappling, hard way blood, and strikes that echo through the building. 20 minutes of pure wrestling bliss that sadly, a lot of the world is going to miss.� -Jason Westhaver

�Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura booked a show to beat each other really bad and along the way they produce a pro wrestling masterpiece. Both guys� background in pro wrestling puts the fighting nature of this wonderful sport first and yet they are both incredibly funny dudes who can work practically any style and will do so if asked. Here though, it was all about the fight. Every strike sounded like a gun shot, every hold was a struggle for supremacy and while the fight had priority, Abe and Nomura never failed to prove they are two of the slicked and most gracefully moving wrestlers in the world.� -STRIGGA

�This was a fantastic contest between two idiots and better friends, and I loved every second of it. They left everything they�ve got in the ring and showcased the beauty and passion of professional wrestling.� -Gin Malkavar

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Kyle from TheMatchGuide - 6.0
"I like the small venue feel of this one, and both wrestlers looked prestable, as I was unfamiliar with both. The match however, lacks substance. There's a lot of striking, with the kicks being the highlight, and the goofy punches being the lowlight. The selling is consistent, but odd-looking at times, and the submissions are too frequent in my opinion. Some of the headbutts were totally unnecessary as well. What they did do well was work the crowd, and have a nice finish, but other than that this we kinda meh. Maybe this style of shoot wrestling just isn't for me. 3.25 Stars.

TheRefBump - 6.0
"Good average match but I don't want to rewatch it. The comedy at the start and all throughout really, take away huge chunks of realism to the fight. No one getting mad, just comic disdain and hard hits. If you want to see a battle of strikes and submission with zero feeling behind it, this is the match for you"

ISimon1912 - 6.0
"Shooting style at its maximum see the match rating, great demonstration of the Japanese strong style, two guys slapping each other as hard as they can to the point that one gets his head covered in blood (which makes for a great look by the way) , but unfortunately this type of match is not for everyone, including me, even though the match is relatively short (16 minutes) the pace doesn't hold me back (***)"

AfRotaker - 6.0
"Das war ein cooles Match, das relativ verbissen und intensiv gef�hrt wurde. Was mir gefehlt hat, war ein Spannungsbogen, hier wurde nicht wirklich eine zusammen h�ngende Geschichte erz�hlt, sondern es war eher ein rein sportlicher Wettbewerb mit wenig Dramatik. Was ich auch �berhaupt nicht brauche, sind die ganzen Shoot Headbutts und zuschlagen und -treten, dass es einfach m�glichst laut klatscht und m�glichst blaue Flecken hinterl�sst. Das hat f�r mich mit Wrestlingkunst wenig zu tun"

# ? Feb 15, 2024 06:20

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

Abe vs. Nomura was really good, but seriously go watch Hiromu vs. Ospreay and that crazy loving bit where they're slipping in and out of the ring, it's nuts, and it's got my vote.

# ? Feb 15, 2024 06:59

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 18:18

kalensc: Sep 10, 2003; Only Trust Your Respirator, kupo!
Art/Quote by: Rubby

Jerusalem posted:

Abe vs. Nomura was really good, but seriously go watch Hiromu vs. Ospreay and that crazy loving bit where they're slipping in and out of the ring, it's nuts, and it's got my vote.

Is that where Ospreay does a Sasuke Special out of the ring, backflips through a german suplex, charges and gets belly to belly'd through the ropes, and immediately does a 2nd sasuke tto finally connect?

Cause, uh, yeah, that was a heck of a series of moves

# ? Feb 15, 2024 07:20

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > The Hammer House: Stinger Splash Zone > Greatest Match Since 2019 Tournament

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