Greatest Match Since 2019 Tournament

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

I'll have to rewatch Ospreay vs Hiromu to be sure but right now my heart is saying Abe vs Nomura, it was a delicious mix of two friends both loving around and beating each other into paste for the culture

Ospreay vs Hiromu

Abe vs Nomura

# ? Feb 15, 2024 07:28

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 18:34

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

Yo what the gently caress did Takahashi finish Ospreay with in that goddamn match

(fuzzy shots off a facebook vid which had the match ad-free lol)

# ? Feb 15, 2024 07:29

duckdealer: Feb 28, 2011

Tough one this time!

# ? Feb 15, 2024 12:11

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.

kalensc posted:

Yo what the gently caress did Takahashi finish Ospreay with in that goddamn match

(fuzzy shots off a facebook vid which had the match ad-free lol)

Time Bomb 2, a leg hook Emerald Flowsion

# ? Feb 15, 2024 20:48

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𝅘𝅥𝅮

Dang it, we've got a tie. You know what this means - four matches enter, two matches leave.

Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 1 against Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 2 against Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15, Night 1 against Fuminori Abe vs. Takuya Nomura from Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura Produce Kakuto Tanteidan ~ Bokura Wa Kakuto Tanteidan

# ? Feb 17, 2024 06:37

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

Wait, I have to choose only ONE of these? :stonklol:

# ? Feb 17, 2024 06:43

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

In reality it's probably Naito vs Okada but i'll still be voting for Abe vs Nomura because it's the ideal for what I love out of wrestling

# ? Feb 17, 2024 10:03

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 10a: Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 2 against Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15, Night 1

Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 2

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year Status

Jerusalem posted:

A match/main event/story years in the making, executed to perfection. New Japan is the best wrestling promotion on the planet.

Truther Vandross posted:

loving incredible

njsykora posted:

Just put this on the list now, and next year's list, and the year after, and then on the MOTDecade list too.

SatoshiMiwa posted:

That may have been better than Okada/Ibushi.

Okada is the best wrestler on the planet

jesus WEP posted:

i dunno if this topped the ibushi match but my god it came close

GEORGE W BUSHI posted:

Best match I've seen live.

Burn Down Canberra posted:

Unbelievable match

TriffTshngo posted:

gently caress, man. 7 years. What a story. Even as someone who's only been watching since a year and a half ago, I felt it as though I'd been there the whole time. I remember some slight disappointment with the Wrestle Kingdom 12 match, like maybe Naito & Okada didn't gel as well against each other as they each do against Omega or Tanahashi, but this time it loving delivered.

Dimebags Brain posted:

It might be me just being super hungover watching the show and Naito being the only guy in New Japan other than Shingo I really care about but only the main event from last night grabbed me.

Queer Salutations posted:

Oh god my loving knee hurts just watching. The correct person won.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 9.60 based on 449 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 2 with 936 points from 106 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�This is what wrestling is all about. A multiyear story that pays off in an amazing way in an amazing, perfect match. Every Naito fan was on the edge of their seats and will never forget this moment. Non Naito fans would still be amazed at the feat they did here, especially if they followed their previous matches. When it was finished, it was an example of why I love pro wrestling.� -Abraham Delgado

�After a near 7 year odyssey to win a main event in the Tokyo Dome, Tetsuya Naito finally achieves the feat in an all-time classic with one of the best wrestlers ever in Kazuchika Okada. A match that was heavily laced with call backs and storylines, this match lived up to every expectation and finally gave Naito fans the payoff they desperately craved.� -Tyler Forness

�The Naito story is one of missed opportunities. His preternatural gifts for in-ring competition led to monstrous pushes early on in his career, where crowds summarily booed him for being boring and milquetoast. After reinventing himself as El Ingobernable, he was rewarded with his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship victory, only to lose it back to Kazuchika Okada with just one successful defense in between. He won the 2017 G1 Climax in spectacular fashion with unbelievable performances throughout, but stunningly lost to Okada yet again at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in a match where Naito�s victory was thought to be a foregone conclusion. But in early 2019, when he won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, we began to think that perhaps Naito had bigger things in store, discussing the desire to become a double champion. Eventually, the Double Gold Dash came to fruition, and he foiled Jay White on Night 1 of Wrestle Kingdom 14 to win back the Intercontinental Championship. Faced with Okada on Night 2, Naito (and Okada, but this isn�t his story) gave wrestling fans everything they wanted and more. The drama was unbelievable. You�ve never heard a crowd so hot. Naito became the first person to kick out of the spinning Tombstone into the Rainmaker combination. When Okada focused his attack on Naito�s knee at the match�s end, the crowd loudly booed, a reversal of six years prior. The collective gasp when Naito not only attempted his hated Stardust Press, which had whiffed two years prior, but nailed it, is a perfect example of why wrestling�s success is so much of a function of the live crowd. There is no promotion that comes close to NJPW when it comes to long-term storytelling, and when you combine that with the impeccable in-ring work and one-of-a-kind atmosphere, you get the 2020 match of the year.� -Parker Klyn

�Wrestle Kingdom 6 was my first New Japan show. I was in college just looking for something to watch and was peaked with curiosity with guys like MVP, Shelton Benjamin, Masato Tanaka and No Remorse Corps on the show. That show led to New Japan becoming my favorite promotion and the thing I�ve treasured most in this decade. Through the good times and the bad times, it was there. I�ve gotten my brother and my friends into New Japan. I�ve had the pleasure of attending shows in Toronto and California but this was my first time attending them in Japan. For someone following the product since 1.4.2012 this match felt like a complete love letter for the last 8 years of being a fan. This felt like Rock vs. Austin for me. The two biggest stars of the current generation in a monumental moment in front of one of the biggest audiences the promotion has had in decades. From a storytelling standpoint it was the perfect axis point. You had Okada, now regarded as the ace of New Japan with the most successful title reign of all time, against Naito, the man who has gone from being rejected by the crowd to becoming the one of the biggest stars. The journey both men took to get to this point was illustrated throughout the match masterfully in call outs from moments in the last 8 years. Most notibally Naito finally hitting the stardust press. It felt like the perfect third act to their trilogy of dome matches. The match felt cathartic and thrilling and to top it all off, had one of the most incredible pops at the end with the entire dome cheering in ecstasy.. When I first watched New Japan I never could have imagined I would be in the Tokyo Dome. This was more then just a match for me but an all time moment.� -Christopher Duarte

�I would have been happy if Naito�s big moment had finally come in a bad match. Really, I would have. I had been waiting so goddamn long as a Tetsuya Naito fan for him to finally beat Okada in the Tokyo Dome main event and claim the IWGP Heavyweight Title that if the two of them had gone out there and had a disappointing as hell three star affair, I would have still been happy. Instead they went out there and had one of the greatest matches I�ve ever seen in my entire life. Frankly, in hindsight I should have known that 2020 would be all downhill from there.

This match was everything it should have been and more, as both men basically ascended to their peak forms- Naito, the absolute perfect underdog who sold his leg like few people in wrestling today can still sell a limb, and Okada, the unstoppable champion who doesn�t just believe he�s going to win, he knows it. It�s a story as old as this fake sport itself, and yet it may never have been told in such a perfect way as it was here. Years of build-up and emotion combined with one of the best worked matches I�ve ever seen to create memorable moments that I�ll never forget. Wrestlemania only wishes it could still �make moments� like these, etched into my mind over a year later as if it happened yesterday: Okada slamming Naito�s knee down onto the table as he screams in pain! Naito taking that dropkick and just hopping back up to his feet, screaming and hitting a running Destino! Naito hitting another Destino but selling that leg for just a couple seconds (note to many other wrestlers: you don�t have to act like you�ve been crippled or scream like a banshee to sell a limb effectively), preventing him from making the cover fast enough and letting Okada kick out. Naito pounding his chest and going for that Stardust Press that he missed in 2018, hitting it this time, but then finding out it was never enough to beat the Rainmaker anyway. And finally, Naito putting Okada away and becoming the first man to hold the IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental titles at the same time- an accomplishment his rival can never match.

I�ve watched this match like a dozen times already and it never fails to be anything but incredible. It is, without even the tiniest bit of doubt in my mind, the Match of the Year for 2020.� -John Carroll

�This is not only one of the greatest matches I�ve ever seen in my life, but also a tremendous conclusion to the years-long storyline of Tetsuya Naito�s Tokyo Dome redemption. I was jumping up and down like a madman watching it thanks to the heart-stopping nearfalls, the Stardust Press callback to the Wrestle Kingdom 12 main event, and the molten hot crowd exploding as Naito pinned Okada to win the double titles. The KENTA attack after the match was brilliant too. When wrestling is this good, nothing on Earth is better.� -Andrew Rich

�The perfect storm of storytelling, booking and wrestling prowess. A masterpiece for the ages.� -Ricardo Gallegos

�There are great matches and then there are matches which make you lose sense of time and space, they take you through a roller coaster of emotions, they make you forget all your problems in life, your short tempered boss who shouted at you that day, the girl who broke up with you last week, the rude man who bumped into you on your way back home from work. Yet for 35 minutes, none of that matters, because you are so deeply invested in the story and the emotion of the match that you live and breathe with every move and every near fall. For 35 minutes, the only thing which matters in your world is if Tetsuya Naito can finally overcome the Rainmaker in the main event of the Tokyo Dome.

When Okada hits the Rainmaker, your heart sinks, you think to yourself � NO! Surely not again, but you jump in joy when Naito kicks out at 2. When Naito goes up to the top rope for the Stardust Press, you(along with Kevin Kelly) watch with your fingers crossed and your heart in your mouth after he missed it last year and in the G1 Final vs. Kenny. But, now he hits it for the first time since becoming Ingobernable. He hits the Destino too but when he picks him up for another Destino, your heart skips a beat as you wonder whether Okada again counters it like he did one year back, but not this time. This is Naito�s night. When Naito wins you are overcome with childlike joy and elation and then when KENTA (in all his magnificent bastard glory) interrupts his post match roll call, kicks him in the head, sits on top of his chest with both titles and denies him his big moment, you again feel anger and want to see him get his.

At its core, pro-wrestling isn�t very complicated. Yet, through years of bastardizing these big moments and major title wins, few wrestling companies can make moments like these still feel special in 2020. This type of stuff is why we watch this poo poo, why we sit through Night 12 of the G1 in Hamamatsu with Dick Togo doing his 32nd Garrote wire spot of the night. It�s because when modern NJPW lands, there is nothing better.� -PW_IND

�Big advantage being pre-Covid, but also finally felt like the culmination of Naito�s story going back to WK8 and was an incredible match even outside of that� -Ben Fox

�Epic storytelling all around that ended in the best way possible.� -Jason Oun

�An Epic in every sense of the world. Two superstars looking like superstars, with the crowd in the palm of their hands and going crazy. Everything came off, including the fairytale ending as the beaten looking, defiant Naito washes away the failings of two years previously to hit the stardust press and get the big win. Just a shame what was to come in the next 12 months!� -Gareth Hodgson

�If I was to distil what I would want to see in my ideal wrestling match, it would look something like Tetsuya Naito v Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 14. This match has everything I love in wrestling, long term character arcs and stories coming to a head, hard-hitting, explosive, suspenseful action and to top it off an incredible main event presentation in front of a molten hot crowd.

The chemistry for these two wrestlers is so good and while this match was a showcase for Naito and his incredible six-year journey from main event reject to double champion, Okada was the perfect final hurdle for Naito to overcome. Despite this match seemingly being a foregone conclusion, Okada�s supreme confidence and work on Naito�s already injured knee injected enough doubt into the match, that when Naito mounted the turnbuckle for his previously failed Stardust Press, the crowd had its collective heart in its mouth.

Very few wrestling matches get me up out of my seat and cheering at the TV but this one had me fist-pumping the air as Naito was able to finally win on the biggest of stage in New Japan. Pro Wrestling at its absolute finest.� -Sam Brown

�The best wrestling has nothing to do with logic. Like with most matches if you tried you could pick holes in this you could find some cracks. But, when Naito went up to the top rope for the Stardust Press, my heart was in my mouth because I was worried he would throw it all away like he had the previous year. This match knew that you wanted Naito to win more than you wanted your next breath, and paced itself perfectly to plant doubt in your mind over the obvious outcome. This is the true season finale of New Japan.� -Chris O�Brien

�The fitting conclusion to an all time great wrestling story. If you enjoy the modern NJ style I can�t see how this match isn�t your #1� -Lee Malone

�This match was the perfect conclusion to their previous Wrestle Kingdom match. It was a match that someone with no experience of New Japan could watch and love, but it also rewarded the long time viewer with nuance and emotion. The image of Naito, chest heaving after taking multiple Rainmakers, finding the energy to spit in Okada�s face felt like a wonderful act of defiance before he was put in his place again. What followed, however, was one of the greatest wrestling comebacks of all time. The smirk on his face in 2018, as he took the final Rainmaker was a heartbreaking acceptance that reaching the Dome would have to be enough. Two years later, it was replaced by championship gold in a masterful stroke of long-term booking.� -Neil David

�Throughout what many thought was a fairly pedestrian 2018 for Naito, and a convoluted build to the Double Domes at the end of 2019, I was fascinated by the duality of Naito�s character, his relationship to the IC title, and how he would reconcile his relationship to the Stardust Genius character.

Many people point to Naito�s time throwing around the IC title in 2017 as devaluing the belt and making the Double Champion storyline for Wrestle Kingdom 14 worse than it could have been. That was never the case for me, and I believe that is disregarding the developments throughout 2018 and 2019 that took place. During those two years Naito completely revolved around the Intercontinental title, and slowly gained a begrudging respect and maybe even admiration for the belt. He may not have treated it as nicely as Ibushi, but he no longer tried to chip and break it like he once did. And when all hope seemed loss on the way to January 2020, it was the Intercontinental Title, the belt that he once hated, which held the key for Naito to achieve his ultimate glory.

The other thing that Naito had to learn to embrace from his past was the Stardust Genius � his previous character that had failed him at Wrestle Kingdom 8 and that the fans turned against. While Naito changed many things in his change to LIJ Naito, he kept one important aspect from his previous character � his entrance music, titled �Stardust.� That remnant of the Stardust Genius remained, and continues to be a huge part of Naito�s connection with the crowd as they clap and chant along with the music.

Of course the most notable call back to the Genius was the use of the Stardust Press � his old finishing move. He had tried to use it before and failed. In my mind Naito had a decision to make. He could completely separate himself from the Stardust Genius and the past � ditch the music, ditch the move. But he didn�t. Those were still important parts of himself and in the most dramatic moment of the match he confidently climbed to the top rope and hit the Stardust Press. It wasn�t enough to put away Okada � but it shouldn�t have been. That would have meant that the Stardust Genius was all that he needed to beat The Rainmaker. But that wasn�t the case. He needed both. He needed a Stardust Press and a Destino. He needed the Stardust Genius and El Ingobernable. He needed the past and the present to achieve the future.� -S. Dakota Jones

�This match was a culmination of exemplary in-ring work, as well as long-form storytelling that was the culmination of a feud that had its root several years prior. History was made as Naito became the first Double Gold Champion. Even moves themselves in this match, like the Stardust Press, had history and meaning when they landed. And whether it�s fair or not, the fact there was a full house of fans to react to every moment makes this match head and shoulders above the rest.� -Reuel Castillo

�How do I even start this review? Naito up to this point had accomplished almost everything. He�s a multiple time G1 Climax winner, New Japan Cup winner, he�s had multiple titles in NJPW including the IWGP Heavyweight Title and he has even main evented the Tokyo Dome. His ultimate goal however, to become the undisputed top star of the promotion, has always slipped his fingers. Some of it has been his fault and some of it was the promotion holding him down. Regardless, he decided to take what he feels is rightfully his by his own means. His journey culminated here: in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom versus Kazuchika Okada for both the IWGP Heavyweight title and the IWGP Intercontinental title. It is here that he finally accomplishes what he set out, learned from his mistakes and accepted what his career was before his big change of outlook.

Naito�s acceptance of the IWGP Intercontinental title represents his acceptance of his past failures. He realizes that, as much as he tried to prove otherwise, the title would always follow him around. He feels held back by the title. He thinks it defines his career. His evolution into the Ingobernable was a statement that he no longer wants to be defined by some outside force. What he failed to realize for the longest time is that that includes the Intercontinental title. By challenging for the heavyweight title as the Intercontinental champion he shows that he is not going to be defined by one belt. The IC title will always follow him around, so why not just go for both? Naito�s story is that he writes his own destiny so he came out with the Naito Two Belts campaign. In the Wrestle Kingdom 12 main event against Okada, he hesitated to use the Stardust Press. This time there was no hesitation. With a chest pound he climbed the ropes and hit it without much thought. This further proves he accepts everything that has happened to him and uses it to accomplish his ultimate goal.

Naito makes his entrance but he does not look like the Naito we see all the time. He�s more serious. It�s the most important match of his career. Okada�s demeanor heavily contrasts Naito�s. He�s not cocky but confident. He lives where Naito wishes to be. He knows what it takes to be there. Naito�s seriousness is reinforced when he drops all of his snide offense. The two wrestlers stare each other down. You can feel the tension through their gazes. They know each other. There�s no need for the feeling out process. They know what they need to do to win.

The entire match is one constant back and forth battle. There are almost no extended control periods in the match. The attention to detail for every little transition is phenomenal. It was a continuous flow of mat wrestling, strike exchanges and big spots. The fact that they were able to keep this going for the entire match is incredible. In most matches there are usually turning points that shift the momentum of the match. But they went with a different approach and executed it flawlessly. The match was almost never slow and the pace of these struggles kept increasing. They targeted body parts that were previously injured. Naito targeted Okada�s neck and Okada Naito�s knee. This demonstrates their familiarity with each other. The drama was off the charts here. The crowd was living and dying with every strike, submission, dropkick, suplex, piledriver, nearfall, ringout count and even Naito�s spit. Everything was over in this match. The closing stretch was one of the greatest closing stretches I�ve ever seen. Both wrestlers performed smooth counters and transitions and despite being half an hour in their stamina and accuracy was on point. The Stardust Press was such an amazing moment. Watching it live it honestly felt as if time slowed as we waited to see if Naito would actually hit the move. And when he did, time slowed again while we waited to see if it was the finish.� -Rene Martinez

�If you share a time zone with me here on the U.S. east coast, then maybe you look back at this match through the same lens of exhausted delirium that I do. Two nights of Wrestle Kingdom add up to a whole lot of sleep and sun deprivation. It didn�t feel all that different from waiting out the main events of major 90�s Pay-Per-Views. And it�s not just because I was watching through bleary eyes in a dark living room after everyone else in the house had gone to bed. It was also because Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito made me feel like a stoked little kid again.

You only get one chance to nail the culmination of years of careful storytelling, and these two couldn�t have done it any better. Sure, it�s littered with callbacks and references for attentive fans, but even in a vacuum it�s a pro wrestling clinic. While Naito and Okada are both still within reasonable distance of their primes, Father Time�s a stiff worker. That didn�t matter in the dome. These two prowled the ring like it was 2012. From the opening bell it felt major, and it never ceased until Okada raised his fist in the aisleway on his way to the locker room � a gesture that read to me like two men certain they just absolutely nailed it. It was all I could do at 5 AM but to raise my coffee mug with them.� -Jonathan Hernandez

�What can I say about this match that hasn�t already been said? Naito�s journey to defeat Okada in the Dome is simply the stuff of legends. It took us years to get here, with twists, turns and an unprecedented defeat at WK12, but the wait paid off in spades as Naito stood tall over Okada. The match with Ibushi might have been better worked bell-to-bell, but nothing can compare to emotion that permeated every second of this bout. From the opening blows, to the Stardust Press, to the final Destino, you�re hooked and on the edge of your seat. Plus, Kenta scored the greatest heel heat ever.� -Mike Gilbert

�A great payoff to one of the best long-term storylines in the history of Pro Wrestling. We all thought Naito�s time was finally coming at Wrestle Kingdom 12. But, no, he lost. Then after that it looked like he was cursed to be perpetually stuck in the Intercontinental title scene. But it turns out he needed the belt he hated to get the one he had been chasing after. Finally, Wrestle Kingdom 14, the first ever Double Gold Dash was his time. The crowd was explosive, the match was awesome. The call back spots; Naito hitting the Stardust Press after an attempt at it cost him the match at Wrestle Kingdom 12. The story telling, the work in the ring, the commentary, the crowd; everything was on point. Not to mention the salute from Okada on his way out. Definitely my match of the year.� -Noveliss

�1/5/20 is the best match I�ve ever seen. A tremendous conclusion of a 7-year story with some of the best storytelling you�ll ever find.� -Brady Childs

�The climatic act of Wrestle Kingdom 14�s Double Gold Dash was a hair�s breadth away from reaching my top spot, with the nail-biting story of Naito being on the brink of his �destino� bringing this match to an undeniable fever pitch. As a big Naito fan, I was heavily invested in his redemption arc. So its conclusion had to not only be a top-level match, but also tie a satisfying bow around the entire story � this match did just that. I can�t fail to mention the Stardust Press towards the end of the match, as it was an emotion fueled call back to Naito�s failure against Okada two Wrestle Kingdoms previous. Naito took elements from all over his wrestling past, willing to resort to his �rudo� roots, cunning mind games and his extensive back catalogue in order to finally reach his �destino�.� -Jamie Johnson

�The culmination of the Bushi Road era. Two of the greatest. the winner takes all. Years of lore leading to this.� -Franky DeJesus

�Another match that I don�t think I can do justice with my words � incredible from start to finish, with a level of importance not seen in many matches this year. Seeing Naito finally win the big one at Wrestle Kingdom was an early highlight to the year, even if the eventual title run got hamstringed by the events of the pandemic. Still, an all time great match.� -Slyguy46

�This was the biggest match of the year due to the stage on which it took place, the stature of the two competitors and the long journey that led us to this point. The greatest champion of modern NJPW history against the company�s most popular and charismatic star. Their past matches against each other, Okada�s long list of accomplishments and Naito�s compelling journey to the top were all drawn on here. As a long term Naito fan, this was the match that I was most invested in the outcome of. The climactic finish brought me to my feet a number of times and the nods to previous defeats, as well as Naito�s former Stardust persona, left me hanging on every moment. It felt like it should be his time, but Okada can never be discounted and he played the dominant figure here in a way that was called for, but that we see surprisingly rarely from him. This was a classic main event for the ages with all of the drama, tension, and ultimate reward that you would hope to get from such an occasion. If this is truly the match that marks the end of NJPW�s decade long golden era, it could not have had a more worthy climax to go out on.� -Jack Groom

�Naito finally was able to avenge his Wrestle Kingdom loss against Okada and become double champ in NJPW in this great match. It is expected from these two workers to put on a such great match in a front of pre-COVID crowd.� -Filip Pejic

�The long awaited conclusion of one of New Japan�s most compelling story of the last decade has been worth the wait. When the New Japan main event formula clicks, it REALLY does and this match conveyed everything you could ask from it. The emotion, the big fight feel, and of course the quality offerred by one of New Japan�s best pairings, if not the best.� -Valentin Humez

�Being in attendance for this is easily the loudest wrestling show I have ever experienced. While there were 10,000 less people than night one in the Tokyo Dome, it was easily louder for this match.� -BlastoSTG

�At Wrestle Kingdom 14, New Japan decided to divide up the event into two nights and the double gold dash concept was born as New Japan Pro Wrestling would look to unify both the IWGP Intercontinental Championship and the Heavyweight Championship to crown their first double champion in company history. Tetsuya Naito did not win the G1 Climax in the previous year (that honor went to Kota Ibushi) but once the company got the idea for this concept, it brought both Jay White and Tetsuya Naito back into the mix. Thus Naito and White (Along with Okada and Ibushi) found themselves with a chance to be the first ever double champion in IWGP history. On January 4th Tetsuya Naito would defeat Jay White to become the IWGP Intercontinental Champion and on that same Night Kazuchika Okada defeated Kota Ibushi to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship which set this match up as the main event for night two and it was the match that everyone had been waiting for. This match was absolutely incredible, Okada set the pace early and made Naito work from the bottom but the two would have some absolutely incredible exchanges that resulted in a great match that told a magnificent story. Okada would punish Naito throughout the match working relentlessly on his knee but the efforts from the Ace would prove to not be enough as Naito would work his way back to regain the upper hand and eventually win the match to me this match was perfect both Okada and Naito wrestled a flawless match and they each put forth their best efforts to deliver what was an outstanding match. It all culminated with Tetsuya Naito taking his rightful place as the first ever IWGP Double Champion in company history. It was the perfect way to end Tetsuya Naito�s chase toward once again becoming the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. It was the perfect ending to Tetsuya Naito�s journey and it would set the course for what we would see in the beginning of the new year.� -Nathan Neumann

�I�m not the biggest Naito fan but the whole story around him and his lust to headline Wrestle Kingdom and to win the IWGP Heavyweight championship in front of a Tokyo Dome crowd got me. Okada cleary showed no respect at the beginning of the match and reminded the �Ungovernable� who made him cry two times in the Tokyo Dome. The match had great pace, enough drama to earn a spot on a Mexican telenovela and the story of the cool football quarterback-ish type of guy against the rebellious emo-kid from around the corner. You could feel the big time feeling in every minute of the match. When Naito climbed the turnbuckle to do his Stardust Press, the Destino connected the relief in the Tokyo Dome was definitely noticeable.� -Christian Gascoigne

�I can describe this match in one word; redemption. Naito reached the pinnacle, winning a Tokyo Dome main event. Tears were shed, respect was shown and another all timer Wrestle Kingdom main event was delivered.� -Sarah Flannery

�While it was very good in the ring and the atmosphere of a Tokyo Dome show is hard to beat, I think this match ranks so highly for me purely because of the story. Naito finally vanquishing his greatest foe and holding those two belts was as perfect a wrestling moment as I can remember in 2020.� -Liam Renner

�A slow-building main event with all the grandness and stakes you could ask for. Naito and Okada were both on their respective games as they delivered a buttery smooth and engrossing display of championship wrestling. Champion and challenger were master puppeteers controlling the crowd with deft tugs of their strings. Naito, his leg crumpling under him, barely rolling into the ring to beat the 20-count is wrestling drama at its finest. The match is elevated by Naito finally getting his coronation, the tranquilo warrior reaching the summit that had long eluded him.� -Ryan Dilbert

�It�s Okada and Naito at their best, finally having a match that comes close to living up to the promise of that magical first encounter nearly eight years prior. The match reverses the biggest strength of that initial encounter as a final way to symbolize Tetsuya Naito having to find a way to stop getting in his own way. The final loose end of New Japan�s 2010s peak get tied up, and the peak is over. It ends, finally, with the fulfillment of the promise made in the match that kick started this in the first place.� -Simon F.

�What else needs to be said about this match that hasn�t been said by many others already? This was an awesome contest that continued the legacy of legendary Wrestle Kingdom main events. It was culmination of Tetsuya�s Natio story arc,, as he finally managed to defeat Okada in the Tokyo Dome for the IWGP Heavyweight Title, while also making history by becoming the first person to hold the IWGP Heavyweight Title and the IWGP Intercontinental Title at the same time. Of course, Okada was superb as always (you can always count on him in a big spot), and as a whole, you can�t tell the story of pro-wrestling in 2020 without talking about this match.� -Sean Sedor

�Ibushi vs. Okada was a better main event. But the importance and story in that match made it so special. Naito wrestled with a more serious way. It showed that , it really meant something to him. When it comes to big matches , especially title matches it needs to feel important. In my country, Japanese wrestling shows start in early hours. I woke up at 9 AM to watch that match. It really worth it though. Because what I saw was a masterpiece. When I saw Okada kicking out from Stardust Press , I lose my mind. Okada wrestled with a more calm and relaxed way. He didn�t took Naito seriously and paid for it. The match ended a chapter in New Japan and started a new one.� -Kaan �nverdi

�For years Keepin� It Strong Style listeners have been asking �why does Gedo hate Naito?�. LIJ fans were clamoring to see their guy finally win the big one in the main event of the Tokyo Dome. After years of waiting they were finally able to rejoice as Naito defeated Okada to become the first double IWGP Champion. This was a great back and forth contest that was filled with callbacks from their previous matches. The crowd was firmly behind Naito this night. They lived and breathed on every Naito near fall. The crowd was so invested in Naito if he lost there might have been a riot. This was a great piece of storytelling that righted the wrongs of Wrestle Kingdom 12.� -Jeremy Donovan

�I don�t have a lot of specific memories of the match anymore other than just thinking �wow� down the stretch and what a great moment the finish was.� -Mongo Underscore Ebooks

�Match that was almost as great as the previous night�s main event- but not quite. Nonetheless, absolutely captivating throughout its 36 minute duration and great to finally see Naito upend Okada in the Dome.� -Mo Chatra

�I normally am luck warm to Naito but this might have been my favourite match that he was involved in� -Andrew Lacelle

�The WrestleKingdom Night 2 main event feature a rivalry years in the making that climates in a career moment for Naito. This 35-minute match features a back and forth battle in front of a traditional Tokyo Dome crowd that almost seems surreal today.� -J.D. Oliva

�Naito finally gets his crowning moment. Defeating Okada at the Dome. Did it come to late? Should it of happened sooner? I don�t care, it happened and it was awesome. All the struggles, set backs, false starts temporarily forgotten as Naito got to hold and lift the double titles, and he defeated perhaps one of the best, if not the best, wrestlers in NJPW in Okada to do it. Beautiful. If you didn�t enjoy this, I don�t know what more you want out of your wrestling.� -JoJo Remy

�The culmination of Naito�s redemption story. COVID would ruin his big reign, but I don�t think we are quite done with these two in big matches. Okada giving Naito the Ingobernables salute as he�s taken to the back after Naito asks if he�d want to do it again seals this.� -Steven Case

�Naito won the big one over Okada at the Dome! Thousands of screaming fans lived for this moment. On this night, NJPW hit the highest of highs and after two nights at the Dome, Naito won two straight nights and the IWPG and IC title. The years long story and the culmination of an excellent main event match is what NJPW and wrestling is all about.� -Jacob Woolley

�Before this match, Naito was �teetering on irrelevance�, as commentary put it, and seemed to be on the verge of taking a break. Naito was not favored to win, but having won the night before against Jay White, fans were offered a glimpse of hope going into the match; hope that paid off when old school Naito delivered his brand of brutality.� -Kristen Ashly

�After years of struggle, Naito finally got his moment against Okada. Fantastic story build with great pacing. This felt as an epic match, with moments that were awesome like Naito finally landing the Stardust Press against Okada. The perfect ending for a chapter in the history of NJPW.� -Gin Malkavar

�The Stakes Where Higher Than Ever Before As Opportunity Presented Itself To Hold Both Intercontinental And Heavyweight Championships. Both Okada And Naito Walked In Night 2 Of Wrestle Kingdom As Champions , After Both Men went To Absolute War The Previous Night. The History Between The 2 Men Was enough to sell you this match as okada was always the obstacle between naito�s road to the top, As It Was Seen In This Match. Okada Was A Great �Dance Partner� In This Match helping Naito In certain Spots And Telling a Fantastic Story. Seeing The Perseverance And The Support Naito Was Getting, Okada Constantly Went After The Knees Of Naito, Which The Naito Fans Didn�t Appreciate. The Near falls In This Match Brought Everyone On The edge Of There Seats At The Tokyo Dome, And After Softening Up Okada�s Neck, Naito Hit one final Destino, Winning Double Gold As He Now Reached The Pinnacle Of New Japan.� -suprit ramnathkar

�7 years in the making made this a long term narrative paying off. Naito and Okada work seamlessly together and made for a superb big time Tokyo Dome main event.� -Sid Pullar III

�Great payoff to a year�s long story.� -Kevin Chiat

�Two of NJPW�s all time greats telling an amazing story.� -Ed Kody

�What an incredible match to end Naito�s chase of Wrestle Kingdom main event victory. Another perfect and awesome Main Event in the Tokyo Dome.� -Salih Arandi

�This match had years of build up and Naito finally was able to finally defeat Okada and become The first double IWGP champion in NJPW history. This match was so emotional and hard hitting. It rewarded long time fans for paying attention to this amazing feud.� -Juan Carlos Reneo

�This match might have gotten lost in the shuffle, since it took place so long ago and so much has happened this year with both Okada and Naito, that it might not end up as a classic, but it was an incredible match. At the time, this match was seen as a great conclusion to a long-running storyline, where Naito spent years trying to beat Okada in the main event of a Tokyo Dome show, and after a half-decade of waiting, he finally accomplished that in a thrilling main event that credibly closed out a monster two days of wrestling at the Tokyo Dome.� -Jesse Collings

�Two years after he arguably should of just won the title, New Japan finally give Naito his night in the Tokyo Dome, defeating Okada to unify both the IWGP Heavyweight and IC titles. If they wanted this to feel like a bigger deal they should of just had a normal one show WrestleKingdom and have more than a 1 day announcement that this match was going to take place, but hey it still felt big as these two stars stared each other down before locking up. A quintessential New Japan epic, with a stronger theme running through it than normal with the Naito knee injuries following his match with Jay White on Jan 4th to make his efforts chasing down his �Destino� even more sympathetic. Naito should of won with the Stardust Press though, that would of tied things better to the match at Wrestlekingdom 12.� -Ed Mills

�The perfect culmination to a tremendous years long build to Naito finally winning at the Dome.� -James Snelgrove

�An incredible achievement on New Japan�s part, and another feather in Gedo�s cap, to peak the Naito story in such a spectacular fashion. Naito fans finally got to rejoice, even with KENTA getting involved afterwards. Meanwhile, Okada adds another Tokyo Dome epic to his already towering resume.� -Suit Williams

�The feel good moment of the year and I was there live. Even though I�m not a huge Naito or LiJ fan it was amazing seeing so many fans who do love both become so emotional when Naito finally beat Okada, for the Title, in the main of a Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome.� -WH Park

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

tykechandler - 5.0
"What the what. Did we watch the same match? I love NJPW, Okada, and Naito. This was not great. If you started watching at, say, the 15-minute mark, nothing that happened before would have mattered. Same at any other moment in the match. It seemed like there were no stakes. It seemed like there was no psychology at all. This felt like a high-profile WWE match with a too-long run time and an ending that everyone saw coming. I just didn't really like anything about it, which is incredibly disappointing. **1/2."

# ? Feb 18, 2024 07:14

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15, Night 1

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year status

Jerusalem posted:

Their in-ring chemistry is out-of-this-world, both can keep up with the other at a level that is frankly quite scary to consider. If the crowd had been allowed to be vocal they would have been losing their poo poo, as it was even just the clapping and stomping of the feet was super-loud as they watched two of the best wrestlers in the world (even if Ospreay is a poo poo) going at it at the highest level. Some of the poo poo these guys did to each other was insane, like that loving ringside table spot holy gently caress or Ospreay straddling Okada and just slapping the poo poo out of him then doing the Bryan Danielson stomps or or Okada countering the Top Rope Oz Cutter with the world's most beautiful dropkick or or or the fake out on the Ospreay Rainmaker pinfall attempt, and the time just flew by. And that finish, oh my God. So loving good.

Cerebral Bore posted:

Big Match Kazu is back and its glorious.

Rarity posted:

loving slapped

Artelier posted:

Excellent match, loved it, and it finished

Best match so far

Quantum of Phallus posted:

loved the stomps

Burn Down Canberra posted:

it was really good

forkboy84 posted:

I clearly need to rewatch Okada Ospreay because I have it at ***1/2

AlmightyPants posted:

watching that Okada/Ospreay match and realizing that this is the first in a series wherein Ospreay finally wins the championship from Okaka, after escalating over encounters, probably in a similar way to the Omega/Okada series, I am so loving excited right now. I was screaming and clapping and having such a good time with that Okada/Ospreay match, and that was knowing the result in advance as well. Absolutely incredible and probably the match to beat for the rest of the year.

SatoshiMiwa posted:

Rumors of Okada being washed have been proven false

RealFoxy posted:

Okada seems to only take every other year seriously now which is fine with me, because it lets other people be at the top of the card

Thanlis posted:

And still not rating Ospreay matches, although from a pure in-ring standpoint you�re certainly all correct.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: *****1/4 Cagematch Ratings: 9.15 based on 385 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 8 with 303 points from 49 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�A masterclass which showed that Ospreay can deliver on the biggest of stages against a man in Okada who never phones it in.� -Joey O�Doherty

�Okada and Ospreay have fantastic chemistry with one another, and their Tokyo Dome match was an absolute barnburner unfortunately overshadowed by a year�s worth of matches that pulled the rug out from underneath this match.� -James �NuclearConvoy�

�NJPW did what NJPW does best and peaked early with their best match being at their first show of the year. Okada put to rest the �Is Okada washed?� argument and went out there to prove to all those dummies that he�s still the best wrestler in the world.� -Ed Kody

�Some of the best wrestling sequences of 2021� -Sidney L. Pullar

�After spending the entire year stubbornly trying to win with the Money Clip, Okada put on another classic with burgeoning rival Will Ospreay in a Five-Star classic. The moment Ospreay beats Okada at the dome, we will look back to this match as the beginning of his journey.� -Tyler Forness

�The first great match of 2021. A match so good and so hard-hitting that it is one of the few instances that you forget the NJPW clap crowd and, hell, you even hear them gasp and awe. Ospreay was in full dick mode, and Okada had not done the Rainmaker in months successfully, so when he hits Ospreay, there is a sense of happiness.� -Abraham Delgado

�2020 I had the pleasure of attending the Tokyo Dome. 2021 I decided, what better way to watch then to wake up at 3am and watch the whole show live. Main reason for that insane body clock ruining plan was for this very match. I�m a huge fan of both guys and wanted to leave no risk of being spoiled of what was going to occur. In any other year this would probably be my match of the year. The quality of work was so high. I had absolute chills as the echos of these two men slapping the poo poo out of each other reverberated around the Tokyo Dome. In a time period where my interest in japanese wrestling was starting to wane due to lack of atmosphere, this match left me completely enthralled and wanting more. There was a bitterness to the match that felt real. It wasn�t just about the moves but largely the WHY? Ospreay being the cocky prick, feeling largely overlooked by his former stablemate. Okada getting a bit of redemption for all of Ospreay�s antics. I think the only thing that hurts this match, is it being toped 366 Days later. Absolutely phenomenal work, by two of the best wrestlers in the world.� -Chris Duarte

�This was my favorite match of the two nights of Wrestle Kingdom 15. It was another fantastic match in the Okada-Ospreay series, but it was more than just a friendly competition. This was a match simmering with hatred. The dynamic between Okada and Ospreay had always been big brother and little brother in CHAOS, but now you had a newly heel Ospreay, the leader of his own stable, who betrayed Okada and wanted to transcend him by beating him in the Tokyo Dome. So as the match went on, we saw this level of disdain between the two that we hadn�t seen before. Okada didn�t just want to beat Ospreay, he wanted to humble him. Ospreay didn�t just want to beat Okada, he wanted to stomp his face in; he wanted to humiliate Okada by beating him with his own Tombstone Piledriver and Rainmaker combo. But that was enough to push Okada out of his Money Clip obsession and finally break out the Rainmaker to put this little prick Ospreay back in his place. Wrestle Kingdom 15 was the first Wrestle Kingdom with a clap crowd, and while the atmosphere didn�t feel like it, this match was still a Wrestle Kingdom-level match. It�s no surprise that they would go on to have another one literally a year later.� -Andrew Rich

�While these 2 could likely have a classic match with each other in their sleep, they came together not just to put on a great match, but also to elevate the formerly junior heavyweight Ospreay into a credible heavyweight main event wrestler. Over the course of the 30 or so minutes these two went to work, we saw them achieve that elevation of Ospreay as a character while still doing all of the intricate and crowd-pleasing stuff you�d expect from these 2 masters of their craft.� -Liam Renner

�While Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay had faced off plenty of times before, this meeting in the Tokyo Dome on January 4th was under entirely different circumstances, as Ospreay turned on Okada a few months prior, and formed The United Empire. I was pretty excited to see this match at the time, and when the dust settled, it absolutely lived up to the hype. It sucks that this took place in front of a clap crowd, but even with that handicap, these two still managed to deliver an amazing back-and-forth encounter that featured some incredible moments throughout (including a particularly scary table spot on the floor). As you would expect, the closing stretch was nothing short of phenomenal, and in the end, Okada put away Ospreay with The Rainmaker in a very satisfying finish that saw Okada finally abandon The Money Clip in favor of ol� reliable. An incredible bout that, in my view, was easily the best New Japan match of 2021.� -Sean Sedor

�Ospreay and Okada overshadowing the main event by putting on a better stuff. Ospreay still had some fancy moves but he mixed those with stiffness perfectly. I think thats what he should always do. Okada on the other hand felt alive after a disappointing 2020. It was the right time to bring back The Rainmaker. And he did it after Money Clip not working on Ospreay. That was one of the matches that really steals the show. The chemistry they have is amazing. Kazu and Will know each other very well. They never disappoint.� -Kaan �nverdi

�Of course. These two had to knock it out of the park. That�s what was expected of them and they absolutely delivered to that standard. Not only did they have a great classic match but they were able to mix and incorporate some of the elements of their grudge feud in with it which isn�t easy to do. Okada started off like a rocket, hitting a relentless assault on Ospreay with his brutal running back elbow and then hitting a gorgeous tope con hilo. Okada�s main issues are his execution of certain things but none of that showed. He laid in his strikes, tightened up his ring position and brought his A-game. That and his amazing chemistry with Ospreay gave us an outstanding Okada performance. Ospreay brought it as well. He knew how to adapt to a heel style, slowing down the tempo after initially being overwhelmed but also adding enough flair and speed to his offence to keep it from being mundane. But what really impressed me was his selling for the closing stretch. It�s hard to sell as a heel because you could get sympathy but he didn�t come off like that. Ospreay came off like someone who wasn�t going to let a chance to overtake Okada, who plays into it by booting the poo poo out of the back of Ospreay�s head, slip. This match packed a lot in with a near 40 minutes run time, including a nailed-on suplex on the table, Bea Priestley being knocked off the apron by Okada via Ospreay, a plethora of suplexes and counter wrestling sequences that came off really well and fluid, etc. It also went a risky route of changing (slowing down) the match flow instead of ramping it up to tell the story and it executed it perfectly. It was a tremendously worked match that brought the restricted Dome crowd alive. A Dome classic.� -MC

�The RETURN of the Rainmaker!� -ItChEE

�Okada is the best in the world. No doubt.� -BJ Bethel

�This match was a true coming of age for Will Ospreay as a main-event player, and of course, Kazuchika Okada is in another stratosphere of talent � and the semi-main event of Wrestle Kingdom�s first night provided the pair a canvas to tell a story of friendship betrayed and sacrificed upon the altar of ambition. Will Ospreay had gotten the better of Okada when he formed his United Empire � but Okada had regrouped and was ready for revenge at the Tokyo Dome.

A match that was fueled by a deliciously rich story, and coupled with some of the best wrestling on planet Earth is more than most can hope for. But this match had a few minor issues preventing perfection. The crowd�s inability to engage, the �money-clip as a finisher� story being a bit too prevalent, as well as just a smidge too-much �sameness� that one can get from an Okada match were very minor critiques. However Okada�s victory didn�t satisfy, and felt like the wrong ending for a brilliant tale. This would only seem to be more the case as it would be Ospreay, not Okada, to receive the next opportunity at the IWGP World Heavyweight title, after this match.� -Reuel Castillo

�A fantastic match that helped jump Ospreay into a new echelon.� -J.D. Oliva

�Maybe the 2 best in the world do what they do: orchestrate a masterpiece.� -Jacob Nelson

�Will Ospreay�s rise through the heavyweight ranks of New Japan started by capturing the NEVER Title at WK 13 from Kota Ibushi and led him just two years later to the 1/4 Tokyo Dome semi-main event. Ospreay came into the match with a point to prove � that his victory against Ospreay in the G1 wasn�t only due to Bea Priestley and Great O-Khan. This was essentially a battle to determine who would theoretically be the top challenger to start 2021 off and they delivered an epic worthy of the Tokyo Dome.

With Bea Priestley by his side and both adorned in gold, Ospreay came off as a megastar and Okada managed to match his splendor with an entrance worthy of the main event. They did battle for over 30 minutes and flew through the air, went through a table and Okada even busted out an apron tombstone to try and beat Ospreay. Red Ink couldn�t do him in, and Ospreay landed a tombstone and Rainmaker combo of his own before falling to the Landslide and Rainmaker. The historical significance of this match being so great it was followed up on one year later only made this encounter better with hindsight.� -Jeremy Peeples

�Not only was this the best and most exciting chapter of the duo�s pulse-pounding rivalry, it surpassed any match held in the Tokyo Dome throughout 2021.� -Chuck Hodgin

�Similar to the Page vs. Omega feud, Okada vs. Ospreay was built on a fractured friendship. A lot of New Japan matches have a way of making time fly and it was hard to believe this one went 35 minutes. Even at that, I wouldn�t have complained had they tacked on ten more.� -Greg Parks

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

thebigmilkman - 1.0
"This match did nothing for me. Maybe it's because I have biases against Will for the Polyanna situation but I don't think that situation really would have changed how I viewed this match. It was way to long in my honest opinion, Will has always been sub par in my opinion and Okada just doesn't do anything for me anymore. Maybe this is a bit bias but I just really hated this match"

SlothFacts - 1.0
"I went in knowing I wasn't invested in this match, or really in either wrestler all that much for that matter. But I figured, whatever, there'll be cool spots, lots of neat counters. It's an Okada Wrestle Kingdom match, so there'll be some subtle but clever storytelling. Even by those metrics, this managed to disappoint! I really do think this was one of the least interesting closing stretches I've ever seen to an Okada match. But what actually has me so down on this match is the completely ridiculous story with the Money Clip. I guess Okada was intent on winning with this dumb submission hold no one is buying into, until he suddenly wasn't and just did a Rainmaker instead. But when I say no one was buying into the hold, I mean not even English commentary. Rocky Romero was practically burying the move. I was watching Night 2 with two other people, and asked if either of them had, at any point, believed the Money Clip was dangerous and might end the match. They both laughed and said no."

# ? Feb 18, 2024 07:14

Cavauro: Jan 9, 2008

my goodness

# ? Feb 18, 2024 07:59

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

I'm not seeing an option to put in my username?

# ? Feb 18, 2024 08:44

Cavauro: Jan 9, 2008

an off-site consortium has been manufactured to avoid further incorrect results. just kidding. vpn voting has begun to avoid further incorrect results. just kidding. it was an accident due to the new 4-way voting format. or it was changed to make it easier to vote. just kidding. i don't know

# ? Feb 18, 2024 16:26

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𝅘𝅥𝅮

I'll apologize for the lack of name-inputting on this match-up; I nearly forgot I was doing this tournament, which explains why fez_machine's write-ups only came out just now (I never had a chance to send the new matches, as I pulled them on the fly).

# ? Feb 18, 2024 19:49

Cavauro: Jan 9, 2008

this is a close'n'
so let's get some votes in

five hours remain!

# ? Feb 18, 2024 23:46

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 29.63% each, Naito/Okada and Abe/Nomura advance.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Chris Brookes vs. Lulu Pencil from Gatoh Move ChocoPro against Rey Fenix vs. El Hijo del Vikingo from AAA Tripleman�a XXX

# ? Feb 19, 2024 05:01

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 11: Chris Brookes vs. Lulu Pencil - July 22, 2021 (Gatoh Move ChocoPro) against Rey Fenix vs. El Hijo del Vikingo - October 15, 2022 (AAA Tripleman�a XXX)

Chris Brookes vs. Lulu Pencil - July 22, 2021 (Gatoh Move ChocoPro)

Watch for free here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qm5zEWZqRY

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year status

Senerio posted:

PENCIL
ARMY
PENCIL
ARMY

projecthalaxy posted:

Pencil, and also Army.

Insertnamehere31 posted:

Pi Pi PiPiPi

Pinwiz11 posted:

PENCIL?

Army.

delfin posted:

I don't think I've ever posted in one of these, but loving nth'ed.

TV Zombie posted:

If you knew the story behind this match, I don�t know how anyone could vote against it

TV Zombie posted:

Caught the last bit. The rapid pinning combinations along with Lulu pulling it out in the end. This is why I love pro wrestling.

Ibexaz posted:

I'll vote for any match that brings me to tears

AlmightyPants posted:

goddamn what a great match.

a cyborg mug posted:

Greatest feud of this generation

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: Not Rated Cagematch Ratings: 9.07 based on 45 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 39 with 46 points from 5 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�No match this year was better at telling a story than Chris Brookes vs. Lulu Pencil. This was a true war of attrition that ultimately has a wonderful message to never give up and to believe in yourself, despite what others might say.� -Kelly Harrass

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Mizzle Assault Ant - 6.0
"I definitely got the story they were going for, and it's not like they did a bad job. Brookes was the overwhelming bully, Lulu the game but overmatched underdog. They decided to drag that across 30 minutes, which wasn't my favorite but ok, I get it. I guess I just didn't find the execution so amazing I guess. I don't like the little room they wrestle in, though they did at least make creative use. The end result for me is decent."

boymeetsworld - 6.0
"After watching this match, I want to see Chris Brookes carry Yoshihiko to a ****+ match because he carried Lulu Pencil, easily one of the worst wrestlers I've seen in a while, to 30-minute match that kept my attention from start to finish, even though it wasn't anything special. Story here was about Pencil's perseverance and determination to find a way to somehow pin Brookes, in the end she did that, but it really didn't matter because she was just a dead weight for 29 minutes of this match. I really enjoyed Brookes' performance here, he literally carried this match on his back."

Rey Fenix vs. El Hijo del Vikingo - October 15, 2022 (AAA Tripleman�a XXX)

Watch for free here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjFplXxbFA0

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year status

Punch McLightning posted:

I will have to go back to the rest of the show but you fuckers need to watch this, this was amazing.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 8.66 based on 145 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 52 with 38 points from 8 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�This has the live bump for me since I was there. Seeing these two men live is just incredible, especially seeing all of the crazy spots in front of your eyes. This had the crowd eating from the palms of their hands from the start and it did not let up. Even the thousand kickouts did not diminish this and I sincerely thought that Fenix had it more than once. It has great spots, great storytelling of the passing of the torch, drama, and seeing it was special. Too bad that the recording is probably bad because it�s AAA, but hey, the match is great.� -Abraham Delgad

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

denierstragedies - 5.0
"Hate the presentation of this match. Maybe because I was watching English commentary but that was awful, they were watching on some kind of delay and the commentator was almost not even there for the match due to connection issues. The camera work was awful, the adverts on the titantron screen thing were stupid, the fact that the commentary was the only audible thing was ridiculous. The match itself just wasn't for me, it's the over-the-top spectacle kind of match where selling doesn't really matter, just doing flips. I swear I like flippy stuff too I just wish there was logic to it. This didn't have that logic I felt. Vikingo is certainly athletically impressive but that wasn't enough for me to get into the bout. 5.5/10, sorry lads."

# ? Feb 19, 2024 05:36

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

Pencil Army :neckbeard:

# ? Feb 19, 2024 06:13

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

I'll post my insane Lulu Pencil opinions later but lmao at that match having Assault Ant's highest rating so far

# ? Feb 19, 2024 06:21

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

God I wish AAA's production style didn't leave me feeling so detached from what is actually happening in the ring, I'm pretty sure there was a fantastic match in front of a hot crowd in there somewhere.

But in any case, even though Gatoh Move's Production quality is far from good too, I had to give Lulu/Brookes the vote if for no other reason than:

"I am a professional wrestler."
"....yes. Yes you are."

# ? Feb 19, 2024 07:22

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

Jerusalem posted:

God I wish AAA's production style didn't leave me feeling so detached from what is actually happening in the ring, I'm pretty sure there was a fantastic match in front of a hot crowd in there somewhere.

But in any case, even though Gatoh Move's Production quality is far from good too, I had to give Lulu/Brookes the vote if for no other reason than:

"I am a professional wrestler."
"....yes. Yes you are."

Jeez, I jumped to a random midpoint and felt like I was seeing Dunn-level cuts but with worse camera placement and continuity.

That's a bummer.

In theory, all those cameras are recording everything, right? Even if only one angle is broadcast at any given moment? Has any fed taken the alternate feeds to try and re-edit a superior Director's Cut of a famous event or match?

# ? Feb 20, 2024 22:50

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

kalensc posted:

Jeez, I jumped to a random midpoint and felt like I was seeing Dunn-level cuts but with worse camera placement and continuity.

That's a bummer.

In theory, all those cameras are recording everything, right? Even if only one angle is broadcast at any given moment? Has any fed taken the alternate feeds to try and re-edit a superior Director's Cut of a famous event or match?

WWE released a few re-edited Wrestlemania matches including Daniel Bryan winning the championship on the network

They were great

# ? Feb 20, 2024 23:11

karmicknight: Aug 21, 2011

kalensc posted:

In theory, all those cameras are recording everything, right?

That is not how broadcasts work. There are sources for those feeds going somewhere, but it is up to whatever system they have in place to see the feeds recorded.

# ? Feb 20, 2024 23:13

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

I think I recall WWE at least had the sense to save and use the recap footage of AJ Styles' debut so he was actually on screen when the pop happened instead of just a pointless close-up on a confused looking Roman Reigns?

# ? Feb 21, 2024 04:13

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 85.71% of the vote, Brookes/Pencil advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Gunther vs. Sheamus from WWE Clash at the Castle against the Briscoe Brothers vs. FTR from ROH Final Battle

# ? Feb 21, 2024 05:13

Kvantum: Feb 5, 2006; Skee-entist

Edward Mass posted:

With 85.71% of the vote, Brookes/Pencil advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Gunther vs. Sheamus from WWE Clash at the Castle against the Briscoe Brothers vs. FTR from ROH Final Battle

Oof. Two GREAT matches... but FTR vs. Briscoes is the better of the two.

# ? Feb 21, 2024 05:29

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 12: Gunther vs. Sheamus - September 3, 2022 (WWE Clash at the Castle) against The Briscoe Brothers vs. FTR - December 10, 2022 (ROH Final Battle)

Gunther vs. Sheamus - September 3, 2022 (WWE Clash at the Castle)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year status

forkboy84 posted:

So, the first match of the HHH era I've seen. Obviously, it's great. They just beat the begorrah out of each other, terrific stuff. Always a good sign when someone bleeds from the chest from strikes. Lean Walter is unsettling. Sheamus did an absurd athletic spot where he flipped up on to the corner only to shopped off to the floor, that whooped. Byron Saxton's voice reminded me of Matt Striker, so that's always a good sign. Corey Graves hasn't gotten better without Vince, Cole has, which doesn't surprise me. I was worried going in that I'd get motion sickness but fortunately the usual person responsible for that garbage part of production was left in the States. On the other hand, the dragon graphics were corny as hell.

But focusing on all that stuff when these guys battered each other like this is unfair, coz it was great. Not ***** to me but best WWE match I've seen since Walter vs Dragunov, August 2021, on a par with that.

Professor Funk posted:

That was like�the platonic ideal of what that match could be. Incredibly fun on every level.

DarkstarIV posted:

You probably won't be able to find another match this year that has as many chops as that.

LionYeti posted:

delightful violence here that even WWE production couldn't ruin

Fish Of Doom posted:

Thank god. That was the only match on that show I cared about and I came into this thread just to make sure they didn't gently caress it up somehow.

KungFu Grip posted:

THEY BEAT THE gently caress OUT EACH OTHER GOD drat

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 9.21 based on 758 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 11 with 234 points from 46 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�This was expected to be a hard-hitting battle, and the two held nothing back, bruising each other up but good. This is not the type of match you see often in WWE and only a few wrestlers can really pull it off. Gunther and Sheamus are two of them. Despite the loss, Sheamus had a lot of momentum coming out of this; I�m not sure WWE properly capitalized on it.� -Greg Parks

�There were only two WWE matches from 2022 that I remotely considered putting in my top 10. One was the Cody Rhodes/Seth Rollins Hell in a Cell match, a dramatic spectacle built around Cody coming into the match with a completely purple pec. But this match, Gunther vs. Sheamus, gets a nod into my top-10 by virtue of being almost totally unlike any WWE main roster match you�ll ever see. It�s a tribute to Gunther, wrestling�s final boss, and Sheamus, who�s late-career renaissance has been one of the few regular bright spots on WWE TV for me in the past several years. An immediate entry into the Big E �Big Meaty Men Slapping Meat� Hall of Fame.� -Adam Shinder

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

DoctorTwin - 5.0
"A boring and drawn-out match. The impression was ruined by some moments (a botched bomb, for example), especially at the end. It can be said that this match is not for everyone"

Tiger Kid - 5.0
"Standard format WWE title match, but with hard strikes as the main offense. Sheamus can't take power moves and doesn't know how to sell. If it wasn't for WALTER chopping the hell out of Sheamus in front of an insane crowd, everyone would see this for what it was - a decent 5/10 match. It was still a good match and the best match on the show. Maybe one of the best WWE matches in 2022."

DangoDaisuki - 5.0
"Ich bin verwirrt, so verwirrt dass ich nochmal checken musste ob ich wirklich das richtige Match gesehen habe. Ich wei� wirklich nicht was daran ein 5 Sterne Match sein soll. Es war bei weitem nicht vergleichbar mit z.B. Shibata vs Ishii oder diversen anderen Schlachten die ich schon gesehen habe. Der Spirit beider Wrestler hat komplett gefehlt, sodass vieles verloren geht. Schade, da ich mich auf 5 Sterne Matches immer freue. So war es nur mittelm��ig."

TSwifty - 5.0
"The first 7 or so minutes of this was painfully mediocre and boring. They traded strikes and brawled around for a bit outside the ring. Gunther's work on top consisted almost entirely of chops. At least 90% of his offense were chops with the rest of them being a couple kicks and power moves. I've always thought Gunther was overrated as "the best striker in wrestling" but since coming to WWE (specifically the main roster) his offense has rarely looked this poor. That's not to say all of his strikes lack impact, but many of them are light and underwhelming. That was one of my biggest issues with this match. Gunther's offense wasn't impressive, and now his lack of creativity is more noticeable. Sheamus' eventual comeback in the middle of the match wasn't anything great either. The finishing stretch consisted of more strikes, a few unconvincing power moves from Gunther (his shotgun dropkick and powerbomb looked outright bad). A very poor attempt at a strong style match. **1/2"

The Briscoe Brothers vs. FTR - December 10, 2022 (ROH Final Battle)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year

Jerusalem posted:

This was loving insane. THE loving REFEREE WAS BLEEDING!

Truther Vandross posted:

Holy loving poo poo this was incredible

SatoshiMiwa posted:

So many questionable bumps

Punch McLightning posted:

I AM NO LONGER AFRAID OF THE POLICE

Ziggy Tzardust posted:

I was going to be stubborn and keep insisting that Ospreay/Oku in February was my MOTY. I can�t say that in good faith anymore. That was incredible

Jerusalem posted:

Jay: I can assure you, getting into trouble is NOT a fake idea.

Kosmo Gallion posted:

This match was the perfect length and the perfect amount of violence. I was expecting a thirty minute tag epic and instead I got a violent and bloody brawl. I haven't enjoyed a blade job this much since the Dustin/Cody match. I held my breath during the avalanche pile-driver tease. Excellent work from everyone involved.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars:*****1/2 Cagematch Ratings: 9.64 based on 516 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 1 with 1344 points from 143 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

I have a good feeling one of the three matches between these two teams that took place this year will top the VoW�s list once the points are compiled. There has not been a trio of matches to reach this level since 1989 when Steamboat and Flair made magic together. The pinnacle of this trio of matches happened on 12/10. Very few people on the planet can do the things these four did in this match and live to tell about it, let alone walk away from it. Dog collar matches can be overbooked and many times incredibly predictable. It so happens that two of the best dog-collar matches ever happened in 2022 under the tutelage of Tony Khan. This one is superior to all of them. How Jay Brisco managed to continue the match after landing on the chairs stacked outside the ring is borderline miraculous. Dax takes a lot of criticism from fans, but the pride he takes in his work is commendable. Cash Wheeler may be the most underrated of the four because Dax tends to take up a lot of oxygen between the two. There aren�t a lot of accolades left to laud upon this match other than to say, in thirty years it is likely we will still be talking about the historic significance of it.� -Chris Colvin

�The tag team of the year and their most fitting rivals somehow managed to top their previous all-world efforts. Theirs was a gritty, visceral piece of art crafted in a wrestling ring. Blood and steel and danger fused together to make a most moving, unforgettable match.� -Ryan Dilbert

�FTR sign off their greatest year with their greatest match. A grotty, violent, ugly brawl with the best tag team of the 21st century, closing the finest 3-match arc since Okada/Omega.� -Mark Robinson

�Somehow, they were able to top their previous encounters in their final one. The dog collar match was fitting for the violence the Briscoes are known for, as well as the nods to history that FTR likes to include in their work.� -Greg Parks

�I count the entire trilogy as one, as I find them empirically inseparable. This was the best one though.� -Evan Schaaf

�Ring Of Honor only had three shows this year, but they were all highlighted by the amazing matches between The Briscoes vs. FTR. Supercard Of Honor saw the straight two vs. two tag team bout, while the rematch at Death Before Dishonor was a 2/3 Falls Match. We didn�t know if we would get a third match, but when it was revealed that the trilogy would indeed be complete, and that it would also be a Dog Collar Match, the anticipation went through the roof. When the dust settled, what we got was arguably the best Dog Collar Match in the history of pro-wrestling, and the conclusion of one of the greatest trilogies in the history of pro-wrestling. It was a total bloodbath, with both teams leaving it all in the ring, both figuratively and literally. Jay Briscoe completely smashing the Muta Scale and Mark Briscoe taking that insane bump onto the pile of chairs on the floor are moments I will never forget. The match was capped off with The Briscoes, the greatest tag team in Ring Of Honor history, winning the ROH World Tag Team Titles for an unprecedented thirteenth time. A violent spectacle that we�ll be talking about for a very long time.� -Sean Sedor

�A modern take on an 80�s bloodbath matches and also the occasional awesome Lucha brawl that still takes place today. These two teams deserve a ton of credit for what they did throughout the year and having a true in-ring rivalry through 3 matches despite all the red tape they had to cut through to be allowed to wrestle each other on tape. Thankfully it culminated in an unforgettable fight. I wouldn�t at all be surprised if this is the top pick for 2022 among the majority, as it was on Cagematch.� -Dylan Fox

�This match made a cold PPV into one to really look forward to, and boy, they delivered, this is one of the best matches in North America�s wrestling history and the best usage of the dog collar stipulation I�ve ever seen. A bloody masterpiece with painful looking landings into chairs. The Briscoes vs FTR is an early contender for the best feud of this new decade sharing spots with other tremendous pairings like Hangman vs Bryan, MJF vs Punk and Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay.� -Diego Garcia

�A perfect end to the trilogy, all three could have easily been MOTY.� -Jon Atkins

�A bloody, disgusting display of violence, anger and hatred through pro wrestling.� -Jesse Collings

�When the bell rang and the Briscoes were victorious, I knew not only that I watched the best dog collar match I had seen, but also one of my favorite tag team matches. It was raw, violent, brutal, and just incredibly great action all around. This match had the work to follow up one of the best matches of the year, and in my opinion was better than their first match due to the urgency and the amped up violence. The Briscoes lost on their first match due to them wrestling more than once that day, lost the second one since it was FTR�s specialty, but they won on where they excel at. Just pure amazing violence with spots you will never forget.� -Abraham Delgado

�Of all their incredible matches in 2022, this one felt a little outside of FTR�s wheelhouse. Harwood and Wheeler excel within the strict parameters of a tag team match; we love watching them put plans into action, strategising and bending the rules. This bout had no tags to make and no rules to be broken, but they and the Briscoes still put on a grisly masterpiece. Everything about it is foul � the violence, the language, the blood. Even the official ended up covered in the red stuff, surely the most memorable ref bump of the year. All in all, it�s not the prettiest or most thoughtful match of either team�s back catalogue, but it�s certainly one of the most distinctive.� -Jack G. King

�This match was a once in a life time experience for me as someone that doesn�t go to many live wrestling shows. The crowd was heavily for FTR so I decided to chant for The Briscoes but at the end of the day it didn�t matter, both teams went out there and put their lives on the line to have one of the greatest trilogies of all time.� -Manuel Rosales

�The finale in the excellent FTR vs. Briscoes trilogy. I had to place all 3 here as they were, by far, the best tag team matches I saw all year.� -Josiah MacDonald

�BLOOD + GUTS� -Liam Jones

�Is it recency bias? Nah, one of the wildest spectacles ever in the business. These dudes beat the tar out of each other from start to finish but it wasn�t just that. Creativity? Check. Nastiness? Check. Drama? Check. Anything you can think of this bad boy had it. I can watch these dudes wrestle forever.� -Markeem Graham

�There is no tag team that does everything perfect but FTR is drat close. They maximized a team like the Briscoes who has not really evolved or changed in recent years and this was a war!� -Jeff Schwartz

�FTR and The Briscoes engaged in three fantastic matches � with two feeling like absolute all-time classics. The third match in the trilogy was something that took each team to new heights and allowed FTR to truly thrive in a match that would have been right at home during the peak of Jim Crockett Promotions.

For almost 40 years, companies have chased moments that felt as visceral as Magnum TA gouging a broken piece of a table into Tully Blanchard�s face and on this night, they managed to go beyond just paying homage to their former manager � but surpassing him in a bloodbath that shocked all who saw it unfold. The Briscoes are no strangers to blood, but FTR isn�t really thought of as a free-bleeding team and here, they brought out their inner raging bull and unleashed hell on The Briscoes in a dramatic battle that saw The Briscoes get a much-needed win after losing two straight to FTR, but also saw the beginning of the downfall of FTR�s belt collector era that continued into 2023.� -Jeremy Peeples

�Look no further for a cathartic and violent pro wrestling match. The third in their series was always going to be a noteworthy affair, but the Dog Collar stipulation added even more fuel to the fire. It has to be one of the most brutal matches of the year. Impressively, not the best match between FTR and The Briscoes in 2022, but without a doubt one of the most vicious.� -Jamie Johnson

�Tag team wrestling in many promotions can be very hit and miss but when it hits it really hits and that was the case at this year�s Final Battle as the Briscoe Brothers took on FTR in a double dog collar match. This was the blow off match in the feud between these two teams and boy did it deliver in a big way. They started off with a feeling out process but that process didn�t last too long because this match was a total war. They went all out to give us the best match possible and the match definitely delivered on the hype it got. This match is not for the squeamish as there was a lot of blood in fact Mark Briscoe got busted open after getting hit in the face with the dog collar in the first minute of the match. This match had the live crowd in the palm of their hands from the opening bell and those of us who were watching at home were in awe of the match with each and every minute and each and every move. FTR and The Briscoes are both great tag teams in their own right and when you put the two together they make for amazing pro wrestling matches and that to me is what pro wrestling has always been about. Amazing chemistry, amazing matches, and emotion all of the emotion humanly possible for the fans, in five to ten years people will go back and look at the series of matches that FTR and The Briscoes had with each other and if they didn�t realize how great they were then they will with time. It�s one of those feuds and subsequent matches that make me proud to be a wrestling fan because matches like these are what pro wrestling is all about. I�m happy to say that I was able to see this match live as it happened because it was something special. Do yourself a favor and go watch this match RIGHT NOW!� -Nathan Neumann

�I had a tough time picking between this and the Supercard of Honor match as best match of the year. It�s very close, as this ended up being a bloody, brutal fight with a ton of great moments. Will probably have to put Supercard of Honor ahead, but not by much.� -Bryan Rose

�This is the kind of match that happens at the end of the year and makes you rip up your MOTY list and start again. This is also the kind of match that has you wincing in terror, while also hooting and hollering for more. It was an incredibly violent war to conclude one of the greatest wrestling trilogies ever, bring an end to FTR�s heralded 2022, and remind everyone that the Briscoes are still a top-tier tag team. It didn�t matter that the match was announced only a few days out. It didn�t matter that one of the teams isn�t even allowed on Turner television. As soon as we heard FTR vs. The Briscoes III in a double dog collar match, we knew these four guys would deliver a fitting finale, and they did. For all the bumps, bruises, and blood loss these guys put themselves through in this match, they deserve all the votes they get.� -Andrew Rich

�FTR had a lot of great matches this year, and I�ve got three of them in my top 10, but this one surpassed them all. The four-way blood had a lot to do with that. You just don�t see a lot of tag team dog collar matches. Usually reserved to settle singles feuds.� -Eric Krol

�After two previous five-star matches in 2022, these two teams set the gold standard when it came to dog collar matches. This was every bit as violent as you would have liked it to be along with mixing tremendous, violent spots while building off of the first two matches. This is arguably the best tag team trilogy of all-time .� -Tyler Forness

�Where the wheels start to come off for FTR as they attained greatness, but couldn�t sustain it forever and the final chapter in the story of the Briscoes being made homeless, and going on a voyage of wrestling discovery before finally being back where they belong and welcomed home with bloody violent arms. Truly a remarkable match for the effort and the story told as they tried to figure out how to top themselves for a third time.� -MR JAMES TRUEPENNY

�How do you take things to the next level after two highly praised tag matches? A double dog collar blowoff bloodbath of course. 2022 was the year of the blade in America, and we got perhaps the greatest sendoff to that theme in the final major show of the year as The Briscoes, FTR and even the referee were all donning the Crimson mask. Outside of Dax taking an eternity to wrap the chain around his forehead for a headbutt, this was a fantastic closing chapter to the feud of the year.� -Ed Mills

�The culmination of one of the greatest tag series of our generation, while being probably the best dog collar match in decades. Supreme perfection.� -Jacob Nelson

�Two matches with the same opponents cracking a top ten list is special by itself, but consider where Ring of Honor existed as an entity just a year ago, and it�s even more extraordinary. And �extraordinary� is precisely the adjective I�d use to describe the tag team rivalry between FTR and the Briscoes in 2022, a rivalry that more than justified ROH�s return to live wrestling. Three must-see matches between these two teams played a significant role in Tony Khan-era ROH finding strong business from ticket sales and pay-per-view buys. ROH has a strong footing to stand on in 2023 thanks to a foundation that was poured by (and soaked in the blood of) Jay and Mark Briscoe, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. The best entry in that trilogy was this dog collar match at Final Battle. Fabulously brutal and violent, and loaded with plenty of appeal for fans of both the new and old school philosophies. Well before even the opening bell, the contrasting visuals of the Briscoes entering in their black dusters while Harwood and Wheeler were dressed in their white gear told you everything you needed to know: there�s a reckoning coming. These men are out for blood, and it�s not going to end until bodies and wills have been broken. What followed was exactly that, with the Briscoes and FTR emptying out everything in their respective playbooks, while improvising even more barbarism around the stipulation of the match. One of the most stunning examples of that barbarism is Cash Wheeler hanging Mark Briscoe with the chain, while Jay Briscoe sends Dax Harwood into that taut chain � friendly fire affecting both teams, but a sacrifice deemed necessary by both teams. That is truly victory at all costs. The extreme physical sacrifice by all four men was heightened by an electrified crowd and an excellent call by Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman, a commentary team that has become one of the most valuable assets for ROH. Put it all together, and it�s clear that Ring of Honor can not only survive but thrive in this new era.� -TDE

�The violence in this match is just mesmeric to watch. The intensity from the start tells you not to look away. There is no pause in it�s relentlessness with Dax and Mark the MVPs with an honourable mention for whoever decided that the chains should be longer because it helps discard the limitations that chain/strap match have to suffer. Maybe the best ref bump ever (Fire Pro homage?), strategy call backs to previous matches and a finish that felt rewarding for the viewer. Re-watching this, I again found myself repeatedly saying wow to myself. My MOTY� -Peter Edge

�When you say violence you have to think about the Dog Collar match between The Briscoes and FTR. These tewo teams fought all over the place, across the whole building and blood was spit in every corner of the squared circle. We had great kickouts, nearfalls, big moments and even referees bled like the four combatants. It was the perfect showing of a fight to death, a fight until the last man was standing and a perfect way to end one of the best feuds of the year.� -Christian Gascoigne

�A perfect end to a trilogy of tag team matches that will sit with me for a long time. The dog collar match was back in a big way this year and though I prefer the Punk/MJF match as a whole package, this may be the better homage to the violent legacy of the stip. As well as an awesome spectacle and a great match, it served as a symbolic crescendo to a rivalry of two teams metaphorically and now literally tied to one another.� -Dave Ryan

�An incredibly physical match that was a logical progression of the first two matches and was also unique. Ultimately put a capper on an all time 3 match series.� -Arturo Galletti

�The conclusion to the FTR/Briscoes trilogy is the bloodiest of the three, a true fight, a slobberknocker, a barnburner, a pier-sixer and every other tired clich� in the book. Mark Briscoe takes an all timer gnarly bump, Jay Briscoe bleeds like five buckets, Dax Harwood tries to wrap a chain around his bald head for what feels like two minutes and Cash Wheeler works like a madman to keep the whole thing together. In short, it�s awesome and a fitting end to the trilogy.� -Semi Salmikannas

�While this match did not reach the euphonic highs for me that the first encounter between FTR and the Briscoes did, this match left me with an altogether different feeling. Where the first match was a struggle for preeminence between these two teams, the third match was a brutal endurance contest. And after having watched, I felt a sort of exhaustion seeing the Briscoes earn their current reign as ROH Tag Team Champions. Over the course of three matches in 2022, FTR and the Briscoes felt like a blood-feud rivalry that had already spanned the ages. The Double Dog Collar Match was the logical conclusion to such antagonism, the sort that felt that it�s lasted years longer than it did in truth. The third match between FTR exchanged the tag-team prowess each team possessed from the first match, and instead pit them in a smash-mouth gladiator match. And when it was all said and done, we were witness to one of the most beautiful exhibitions of wrestling violence to be found in the modern era.� -Reuel Castillo

�I mean another crazy, brutal and good match between two of the top tag teams in the world.� -Filip Pejic

�FTR vs Briscoes is without a doubt the best trilogy of 2022. This match is personally my favorite because the stipulation was perfect for both teams as they are the most intense teams ever. It had a feeling of urgency, blood, sweat, crazy spots, violence everywhere. What is incredibly satisfying in wrestling to me is a perfect-timed dramatic and epic finish, which was the case here. I will never forget Cash trying to break the submission.� -Enzo FADELLI

�Old school and brutal, they didn�t let the gimmick lead the match, avoiding contrived spots and hokeyness. Instead it enhanced the match. This was pure NWA �87. Both teams brought it and put their bodes on the line.� -Joe Towner

�It�s hard to believe they could possibly match the greatness of their first encounter, but in the eyes of many they exceeded it. I try to avoid including the same pairing more than once on my match of the year list, but I can�t deny this one.� -Matthew Carlins

�My personal favourite of the three Broscoe FTR matches. It helped being the big blow off match to finish the series and having call backs to all the prior, also incredible I might add, tag matches between these two. There is some fun split screen production that helps us keep an eye on all of the action at once and adds to the chaotic nature of this match. There�s doomsday devices and diving headbutts with chains, even the ref gets a chain shot to the face at one point busting him wide open! I�ve never seen a ref cut busted open before! Mark Briscoe takes a disgusting fall to ring side off the top onto a pile of chairs, and then Dax hits the piledriver on to a chair in the ring and goes for the cover like he did to win the prior match but Jay manages to kick out� this is great stuff! Add to this an almighty superplex to Dax onto a pile of chairs, and the fantastic cross face with the chain while Cash is trying his hardest to break it up to finish to top off a violent masterpiece of a match between these two great teams. Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman also do a tremendous job in this match selling the violence, putting over the action and helping to elevate it to another level.� -Steven

�I love tag team wrestling.� -Blake Murphy

�RIP Jay Briscoe� -Skeach101

�Brutal, but beautiful. Hardcore, but honorable. Devastating, but definitive. Rest in Peace, Jay Briscoe.� -Slyguy46

�It seems crazy to me that a match that was such a perfect ending to the feud between these two teams came together only a week or so before it happened. Such an old-school and potentially brutal stipulation could not have suited these two teams of tough southern �rasslers more and on the night they defied the potential limitations the dual chains imposed, crafting probably the best match of either team�s career. While the critical consensus focused a lot on Dax and Jay immediately afterwards, I adored the work of Cash & Mark. The pair utilised the chain to not only hit each other but drag each other around, yank each other neck first off heights and ultimately in the final moments restrict each other. The match of course now gains extra significance as the last match Jay Briscoe ever wrestled but even before that it was simply one of the best tag team matches of all time and easily one of the best matches this year.� -Sam Brown

�I loved this match because they didn�t try anything fancy � four guys just went out there and mauled each other. All four of them were out for blood and they (and by extension us) got tons of it. This is the defining rivalry of the year and FTR concludes their stellar 2022.� -George Atsaves/Chris Colgan

�2022 wasn�t just the year of The Briscoes/FTR feud, it was the year of the dog collar. In one of the few wrestling match types WWE hasn�t ruined, Tony Khan used it so effectively in 2022 especially in the final match between these two teams. This feud had so many things going against it. So much so, what we did get feels like a miracle. The higher ups at WBD refused to let The Briscoes be featured on tv. The weeks heading into Final Battle were�fine. Tony Khan was putting together a nice little ROH PPV. Then the Gunn Club pulled out dog collars of a Christmas-gift-like-structure and the show became must see. FTR and The Briscoes would put a definitive end to their feud and it no doubt sold extra tickets and PPV buys. The hype was so big and these 4 guys exceeded expectations. At first, I rated it around 4 stars. My co-host talked me into 4.5, but the final stretch from Dax felt so masturbatory (nothing new to FTR matches). After a re-watch, I absolutely loved it. Everyone played their parts perfectly and the final third of the match was excellent (despite Dax�s cringy heroic schtick). This incredible match made FTR tag team of the year, their set of matches the feud of the year, and added another feather in the cap of The Briscoes Hall of Fame case. It also made it close to impossible for anyone else to have a better dog collar match.� -Jake Halterman

�As I wrote in my review of this show for VOW, this match was exactly what they advertised. This wasn�t a game of human chess. There was no sign that any of these four men were thinking about their next move or setting up something for down the line. This was four rabid wolves ripping and tearing at each other. This was unbridled carnage and violence. It was beautiful barbarism. These were two of the best tag teams in the world, leaving every bit of themselves in that ring and leaving nothing to chance. They left every bit of themselves in that ring, which helped to make this one of the most iconic matches in Ring of Honor history, and the capper to one of the best rivalries in recent pro wrestling history.� -Suit Williams

�Two of the best tag teams in history delivering again.� -Kristen Ashly

�A great end to the trilogy that will be studied by young wrestlers for years to come. It was a bloodbath but not just for the sake of it. The double dog collar factor of pairing off Mark with Wheeler and Jay with Harwood for the whole match could have been limiting but it elevated the match instead.� -Dave Musgrave

�A violent and bloody war between two teams. Two teams with great chemistry. The trilogy between the Briscoes and FTR was a perfect example of perfect tag team wrestling. This is my top pick of best wrestling matches of 2022.� -Franky DeJesus

�Let this match live on in our memories forever more. We will never forget the impact that Jay had on wrestling, and how special a team the Briscoes are.� -Sarah Flannery

�One of the wildest brawls I�ve ever seen. RIP Jay Briscoe.� -Dean

�This match has a tragic poetry to it now, as Jay Briscoe�s last performance encapsulates his career. A beautiful display of skill, creativity, and violence all lead to capturing the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Titles, which he and his brother, Mark, have been synonymous with for two decades. Rest in peace, Jay Briscoe.� -Jeff Martin

�This is a match showered in highly justifaible superlatives. It�s been elevated into the pantheon of all-time great matches. A clash of four men driven by the common bond of the love of pro wrestling and taking it to such great heights. It�s the kind of stuff that makes watching this crazy sport worthwhile. Makes you thankful for wrestlers like these.� -Warren Hayes

�It was already the definitive match of the best in-ring feud of the year. Now it will be known as Jay Briscoe�s Final Battle. If there is one match that 2022 will be remembered for, this is it. Rest in peace, Jamin Pugh.� -Kevin Ely

�I�m not a fan of dog collar matches, but this is one of my favourite matches of all time. It had a pace that just never stopped. It was a fantastic intersection of high spots and story that had everyone cheering for whichever team they supported. Personally, I was all in of the Briscoes. The intensity of Mark and Jay was as similar as it was different, and their reality was highlighted perfectly by the nostalgic trappings of FTR. A wonderful, all-time match forever tinged with sadness.� -Neil David

�Thank you Jay� -Kentucky210 (Austin Hall)

�A perfect capper to an all-timer of a trilogy that brought heart, violence, hatred, respect, sacrifice and storytelling to a shattering crescendo.� -Chris

�I watched this masterpiece, very sadly, only after Jay�s passing. I had forgotten how sad his death was a few minutes in, absorbed by the violence and physicality, only for my brain to be shocked back to reality when Cash yelled �loving Murder Him!� and I thought �is this too soon for my emotions?� for a split second, only for my brain to auto coreect itself and say �No, Jay would have loved that moment. This is the kind of poo poo he wants to be remembered for.� This FTR/Briscoes feud only lasted 3 matches across one year, and I can barely think of a modern tag feud capable of knocking it from its perch at the top of the heap. What a way to be remembered, what a gift to leave with those who LOVE tag team wrestling.� -James �NuclearConvoy� Snelgrove

�With the advent of AEW, a lot of people in my life have become new or reborn wrestling fans. Whether through the company or through diving back into the weeds of wrestling internet talk, they�ve slowly started becoming familiar with the cast of strange, obscure characters I�ve been spending my free time with. Naturally, after the series with FTR garnered all that hype, they began asking me about the Briscoes. Then the car accident happened. Sharing a drink with one of those friends, he said he was bummed he never got around to familiarizing himself with the Briscoes. After all, he loves FTR, and if a team was having matches that good with FTR, he wanted to check them out. That night, he said, he was going to watch the Dog Collar Match. My first instinct was to say, �No, don�t start there.� I started thinking about all the years I�d spent watching Briscoes matches. The series where they unseated Aries and Strong, seeing them keep up with a prime Naruki Doi and Shingo in the UK, trading strikes with Takashi Sugiura in Japan, establishing Steenerico in the United States, generational feuds with the likes of the Motor City Machine Guns, Kings of Wrestling, and the Young Bucks. It went on and on. Then I thought about what it is in all those special matches that made you say, �We�re lucky we get to watch these guys.� And I realized it�s all here in the Dog Collar Match. The intensity, the spectacle, the violence, the chemistry that only siblings can share, and a world-class pair of opponents. It�s a joy to watch professional wrestling when it looks like this. It�s one of the best matches I�ve ever seen. �Yeah, you should definitely go watch that fuckin� match,� I said.� -Jon Hernandez

�A brilliant, bloody spectacle that stands as the absolute pinnacle of tag team wrestling.� -Andrew Sinclair

�FTR and The Briscoes on this night produced beautiful violence. From bell to bell, this was all out violence I will never forget watching. From the referee spot to Dax using wrapping the chain around his head, hatred fueled this match and this is what a blow off match should be.� -Daniel Kuchler

�This was my feud of the year and I didn�t think anything could top seeing the second match live. But this one was just better. Where the second one was great enough to make me, a Briscoes fan for the better part of two decades want FTR to win, this was the brutal, cathartic victory of the Briscoes I really wanted.� -Mongo Underscore Ebooks

�Absolute Nutty. This was violent. And Bloody. And incredible. Probabbly would have been higher if he story resonated with me more. But I can�t deny these men had an incredible match.� -Christopher Duarte

�A wild and bloody war! Both teams fight right at the bell and waste no time trying to hurt each other. Fighting on the floor, stage and even crowd and throwing everything that isn�t nailed down at each other. Briscoes are the first to be able to mount any kind of double team offense before Dax is able to run Jay into a chair and Cash is able to pull Mark down by his chain. FTR takes over and beats the hell out of Dem Boys including hitting a Doomsday Device for a nice early near-fall. A blood soaked Jay starts swinging the chain around like a mad man to help the Briscoes take back over. Mark and Cash battle on the floor while Dax and Jay duke it out in the ring. All four men are covered in blood, even the referee gets caught in the crossfire and busted open! Mark is pulled off the top into a pile of chairs when going for a Doomsday Device! Jay Driller only gets 2 and so does a piledriver by Dax. A top rope piledriver is stopped and Jay superplexes both men onto a pile of chairs! Cash tries to get in the ring but Mark is holding the chain and preventing it! Jay starts to choke Dax out with the chain as the two partners reach for each other. Referee has to call it! Briscoes are the Tag Team Champions again after one of the most insane matches I have ever seen!� -Alexander Charles Kalil

�One of the greatest tag team matches of all time. One of the reasons 2022 will go down as one of the best years for in-ring action that I�ve ever witnessed. The fact that FTR and The Briscoes managed to top their first encounter is a credit to how amazing these two teams are. The Double Dog Collar match didn�t need weeks of build � after all it was named days before the show actually happened. All we needed was to know their history and that this was going to be a war. The blood, the moments, and the finish make this a match that people will be talking about for years. The struggle of Dax Harwood reaching for Cash Wheeler as he faded was the close this series needed. Pro wrestling as good as it gets.� -Scott Edwards

�It�s refreshing to see a critically acclaimed match from a US promotion that isn�t trying to win the Palme D�or. Instead, it�s focused on being a gritty, flat-out fight. The chains are attached and they brawl immediately. And along with it, the blood quickly followed as well. Punches with chains wrapped around the fist are plenty, whippings take place and tons of choking to boot. But all behind it was the visceral hatred and violence in not only their actions but body language from all four. The match had some clever spots that you�d expect as well. Cash threw Mark Briscoe to the outside from over the top to hang him and Dax tried to clothesline Jay on the chain that has now been straightened but Jay reverses and Dax takes the rough landing into the chains. Though there is a spot where Jay Briscoe pulls the ref in front of him to protect himself from an incoming chain shot, which spit the ref open. It was slightly gratuitous, I must say but the wrestling resumed quickly so there was no time to dwell on it. And thankfully, the finish didn�t come too soon after that, giving the match a nice compact feel to a hard hitting, tough match. Exactly as it should be. Comparing it to other chain matches, such as my personal favourite, Pitbulls vs Stevie Richards and Raven from ECW Gangster Paradise 1995, this is below it but out of the trilogy that these two have had, it�s the superior one of the lot.� -MC

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

MooGati - 7.0
"Good, certainly, but the weakest of the three matches. I don't know why bleeding buckets is supposed to make better wrestling than awesome moves. Again, this wasn't bad in the slightest, but I'd take the first match of the series over this one."

arrancar - 7.0
"2022's most overrated feud/series of matches now has its 3rd entry -- another of which was once again extremely overrated but ultimately still really good. This was probably their 2nd best match behind their 1st, though it's still pretty even with their 2nd match as well. While I don't find this style of wrestling to be the best possible style out there, I can definitely still enjoy it, since it's definitely fun seeing 4 guys be all aggressive and energetic as they brawl around the ring throwing strikes and utilising their chains in rather vicious and creative ways. Jay deserves big props for how strong his character work was, since he did a great job presenting himself as gritty, defiant, and plain badass even when he was being beaten down. As the match went on they had more and more intense strikes, creative uses of the chains, some nasty bumps, and some convincing near falls. I still didn't really see anything especially great in any of their interactions, but they did have quite a few that were at least just below that level, and the majority of them being really good.***1/2"

AnotherSpreadsheeter - 7.0
"This was good, but just didn't quite hit me the same as the prior two matches in their series (especially the first match, which is the best of the bunch). Maybe I'm just growing numb to current-day chain spots, table spots, bloodshed, etc. But it felt like a pretty standard plunder match. Don't get me wrong, it was still very good and had enjoyable spots and visuals in it. I just don't know what I was hoping from it, but it was more than this. 3.5 stars."

tykechandler - 7.0
"Overall I have to say there is a lot of dead space. The spots are cool, but they are obviously spots and they are few and far between. There are a number of brawls and/or spotfests I would rather watch, but this is not bad by any means."

SZ1989 - 7.0
"I admit I'm not as high on these matches as some of the people here are. I feel like they are very formulaic, and while the Briscoes make for good opponents, I often feel like I am watching the same FTR match these days. The dog collar stipulation added an interesting flavor to the match, but I did not feel like this was a true classic. In a way, it felt a bit forced and unnecessary."

Robinaldo - 7.0
"Sicherlich ein gutes Match und ja ich gebe es zu, ich bin kein Freund von Matchserien. Mir fehlt jedes Verst�ndnis warum die Briscoes nach zwei klaren Niederlagen noch eine Chance bekommen. Das ist der erste Minuspunkt. der zweite ist, die Kurzfristigkeit der Ansetzung (bei Dynamite ein paar Tage vorher). Dann ist es f�r mich das Schw�chste Match der Serie und die typische Tony-Khan-Blutparty nehmen mir wirklich den Spa�. Ist nat�rlich meckern auf hohem Niveau - ist aber meckern!"

# ? Feb 21, 2024 06:03

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

Voted tag team wrestling

# ? Feb 21, 2024 06:07

graph: Nov 22, 2006; aaag peanuts

Punch McLightning posted:

I AM NO LONGER AFRAID OF THE POLICE

is one of the best match reviews ever

# ? Feb 21, 2024 06:13

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

The occasional German review is fun practice at trying to decipher the meaning of a few words around English names.

Tony-Khan-BlutParty is a phenomenal line.

Anyways I'll be voting for Dem Boys.

# ? Feb 21, 2024 06:22

closet statist: Mar 9, 2010

Poor Gunther never stood a chance

# ? Feb 21, 2024 11:07

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

Possibly the easiest choice of the thread so far - FTR/Briscoes all the way, baby.

# ? Feb 21, 2024 13:42

super macho dude: Aug 9, 2014

Jerusalem posted:

Possibly the easiest choice of the thread so far - FTR/Briscoes all the way, baby.

You say that, but I'm over here white-knuckling my keyboard trying to decide.

gently caress it, I'm giving Sheamus his roses

# ? Feb 21, 2024 13:55

edogawa rando: Mar 20, 2007

Never vote for the rape company

# ? Feb 21, 2024 16:33

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.

quote:

TSwifty - 5.0
"The first 7 or so minutes of this was painfully mediocre and boring. They traded strikes and brawled around for a bit outside the ring. Gunther's work on top consisted almost entirely of chops. At least 90% of his offense were chops with the rest of them being a couple kicks and power moves. I've always thought Gunther was overrated as "the best striker in wrestling" but since coming to WWE (specifically the main roster) his offense has rarely looked this poor. That's not to say all of his strikes lack impact, but many of them are light and underwhelming. That was one of my biggest issues with this match. Gunther's offense wasn't impressive, and now his lack of creativity is more noticeable. Sheamus' eventual comeback in the middle of the match wasn't anything great either. The finishing stretch consisted of more strikes, a few unconvincing power moves from Gunther (his shotgun dropkick and powerbomb looked outright bad). A very poor attempt at a strong style match. **1/2"

There's been so many troll 0 votes that this stands out as both not a troll and literally wrong in every single sentence. Not that Gunthers advancing here but holy gently caress who is this person?

# ? Feb 21, 2024 20:51

Erin M. Fiasco: Mar 21, 2013; Nothing's better than postin' in the morning!

GUNTHER and Sheamus would later top this match with the triple threat with Drew. The dog collar match may never be topped by anyone ever. A simple pick for me.

# ? Feb 21, 2024 21:03

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 90.91% of the vote, Briscoe Brothers/FTR advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Utami Hayashishita vs. Syuri from Stardom Tokyo Dream Cinderella against Brian Danielson vs. MJF From AEW Revolution

# ? Feb 23, 2024 05:05

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

Have a link to the Stardom Match, which I will need to see before casting my vote

# ? Feb 23, 2024 05:17

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 13: Utami Hayashishita vs. Syuri - June 12, 2021 (Stardom Tokyo Dream Cinderella) against Bryan Danielson vs. MJF - March 5, 2023 (AEW Revolution)

Utami Hayashishita vs. Syuri - June 12, 2021 (Stardom Tokyo Dream Cinderella)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year

The Taxman posted:

What a war. Absolute brutality, guts, and compressed vertebrae.

Oil! posted:

I just got to seeing it this morning and what a great match.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x81ze5b

TTBF posted:

I thought the ending was a bit flat at first so I didn't nominate it. Then I was reading the Observer and found out the match continued after the draw and went back and watched and yeah, that's a MOTYC

IceAgeComing posted:

fantastic match. The finish is something that sounds silly but with how this match was put together it worked perfectly: both gave everything they had and at one point neither could get up again. Its an example of your big match epic that works perfectly in my eyes.

DarkstarIV posted:

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

What They Said

Meltzer Stars:*****1/2 Cagematch Ratings: 9.43 based on 350 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 5 with 409 points from 58 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�An incredible spectacle in strength, endurance, and beating the absolute piss out of each other.

The first 30 minutes felt like a good ****1/4 title match, albeit a bit deflating due to the draw. But the restart, reminiscent of Frye/Takayama, and the 12 minutes that followed absolutely put this match over the top. When it was all said and done, the draw felt earned, as both wrestlers did an incredible job selling the absolute exhaustion and damage they had taken.

Stardom has been growing significantly since it was purchased by Bushiroad in 2019, but this match will likely be looked back on as the launching pad that shot it into major league status.� -NiagaraDriver

�It starts a little slow but it�s a match that gets better with every minute that goes by. I think this match more than any other is a victim of clap crowds. With a crowd able to scream and shout this could make a shout for a top 3 Joshi match of all time.� -Mark

�A match built on physicality and in-ring drama to excellence. This bout was something straight out Devil Masami vs Chigusa Nagoya double KO in 1985 AJW. The difference was Syuri and Utami first went to a 30 minute draw resulting in neither wrestler being satisfied after a technical and brutal battle. Then the restart happened and thus the WAR!. The adrenaline pumped in my soul and the resulting double knockout had me wanting to hit the Summer pool needing to cool off. Phew, what a match!� -Jacob Woolley

�It takes a lot for me to watch a modern day Puro match, but I was hearing so much about this match I figured I needed to give it a whirl. This match from Stardom went to a 30 minute draw, and then 13 minutes of overtime, and didn�t once feel like the clap crowds were dragging it down� -Ed Mills

�The match that brought Stardom into a more global light, a 43 minute war that brought out both their skills and their determination. The most important match in Stardom�s history� -Trent Breward

�Somehow I�d never seen a Syuri match before this one and I was blown away by the strength of her strikes and by the confidence she projected. This is a fighter. Utami, to me, felt like a survivor. I�m not sure I�ve ever seen a match that communicated the exhaustion of being unable to put your opponent away like this match did. After the time limit draw break, these women got right back into it, beating the hell out of each other, continually coming right up to the line of running out of gas and looking at each other with an almost nervous unwillingness to lose. It reminded me of the look on Bas Rutten�s face toward the end of his famous destruction of Masakatsu Funaki in Pancrase. It�s the �why won�t you just die� face, but with an added twinge of anxiety over the increasingly deep breaths they�re having to take. 40 minutes into this war, Syuri and Utami looked like two people who wouldn�t give up as much because they wanted to win as they didn�t want all this work they�d done to be for nothing. It certainly wasn�t for nothing. Despite the inconclusive finish, this match felt like a very bold statement from both women and from the promotion and they deserve all of the praise they�ve received for it.� -Casey Fiore

�Somehow I�d never seen a Syuri match before this one and I was blown away by the strength of her strikes and by the confidence she projected. This is a fighter. Utami, to me, felt like a survivor. I�m not sure I�ve ever seen a match that communicated the exhaustion of being unable to put your opponent away like this match did. After the time limit draw break, these women got right back into it, beating the hell out of each other, continually coming right up to the line of running out of gas and looking at each other with an almost nervous unwillingness to lose. It reminded me of the look on Bas Rutten�s face toward the end of his famous destruction of Masakatsu Funaki in Pancrase. It�s the �why won�t you just die� face, but with an added twinge of anxiety over the increasingly deep breaths they�re having to take. 40 minutes into this war, Syuri and Utami looked like two people who wouldn�t give up as much because they wanted to win as they didn�t want all this work they�d done to be for nothing. It certainly wasn�t for nothing. Despite the inconclusive finish, this match felt like a very bold statement from both women and from the promotion and they deserve all of the praise they�ve received for it.� -Abraham Delgado

�2021 was the year Syuri ultimately became my favorite women�s wrestler in the world. The quality of her work is such a high standard and ultimately feels a class above everyone else. This match was her coming out party to the rest of the world it seems. This is probably the most talked about joshi match since the days of Io/Kairi. I felt the build in the match was absolutely incredible. These women beat the piss out of each other. I thought the finish was absolutely clever then just having it finish in a time limit draw.� -Chris Duare

�A great back and forth match where Syuri really got to shine. It was an important step in her elevation� -Rene Martinez

�This match is going to receive a lot of votes. And rightfully so, Utami and Syuri captured lightning in a bottle with this masterful draw. Matches of this length and this style often fall flat but Syuri�s excellent performance carried the match as the dominant performer that the World Champion couldn�t quite figure out. For her part, Hayashishita put in a shift as the World Champion desperately trying to cling on to her championship in the face of her biggest challenge yet. After the forced restart at the 30-minute mark, this kicked into the highest gear as both women were going in for the kill as fatigue set in from their lengthy battle. Matches as ambitious as this often fall flat but on this day, with this match, Stardom struck gold.� -Alex Richards

�Since the moment the match happened, I knew it was the match of the year and one of the best I have ever seen. Utami Hayashishita vs. Syuri delivered a 43-minute instant classic that will live on forever. I have written countless words about this match since it happened and June, yet the one word I always come back to is �legendary.� It�s the match that will be the spark for Stardom into what should be their best years to come. The ability to make the Japanese clapping crowds feel as though they are able to react made this one feel even greater. As they smashed and clawed at each other with minutes to go before the 30-minute time limit, that fear that a draw would be the deciding factor didn�t enter but the heightened hopes of Hayashishita or Syuri getting the win became the feeling. Once 30 minutes hit, I sat there thinking that this was at the very least a match of the year candidate� and then they restarted the match. 13 more minutes of slugging, battling, and trying to become the World of Stardom Champion. As the 43rd minute came and neither were able to continue, it was easy to know that this match was as close to perfection as we�d get all year. It�s the Stardom equivalent to Okada vs. Omega I and will go down that way for good as it booms Stardom into a new realm of popularity. Easily my match of the year.� -Scott Edwards Jr.

�If you don�t like womens wrestling or talk bad about it , give this match a chance to see what womens can do , when the opportunity is given. Utami was a perfect match of beign a fighting champion. Syuri on the other hand is the best in-ring worker women we have right now. Joshi�s are the ones who started real womens revolution in this business and this match is a huge proof. I even made my non-wrestling fan friends watch it. And every single one of them liked it. This was totally a womens wrestling at it best.� -Kaan �nverdi

�The famous death battle in Ota-ku Gym. A dense 40 minutes of superhuman stamina and endurance. Syuri seemed to have a thousand holds at her disposal, not to mention many different ways to kick her opponent. They leveled each other with hard-hitting strikes and slams until the time expired, which led to a K-1 style extension round that took the clash to another level of epicness.� -aguakun

�I was really glad that I took the advice from industry talking heads to make time for this match. Clap crowd pro wrestling shouldn�t be this good, and it�s only because Utami and Syuri went above and loving beyond that this match reached the levels of excellence that it did.� -Shane D

�Hard hitting, state of the art women�s match with a unique finish.� -Very Worried About Ibushi�s Shoulder

�I do not follow Stardom, so I was completely unfamiliar with these two women and only watched because I heard so much about it. Truth be told, I was underwhelmed at first. But as it approached the time limit, I really bought into the drama, and when they added the extra time, I was fully invested in these two. 2021 was the year of the draw, and this was really the most dramatic example.� -Kevin Ely

�These ladies were reinventing greatness here. I have never seen a �match must continue� gimmick deliver like this before and likely won�t again.� -Dave Musgrave

�A star-making match that broke down barriers for many fans unfamiliar with joshi. We may end up looking back at this one as a turning point for the rise of the popularity of joshi in North America.� -Warren Hayes

�Two surging stars were at their best under the bright lights. Utami and Syuri looked every bit like aces of growing, buzzing company. The impassioned warriors were dead even throughout all the flailing and frustrations, all the big bombs and desperate counterpunches. Utami vs. Syuri was a true epic, a two-act play about two wrestlers pushing themselves to their limits in order to prove themselves better than their foe.� -Ryan Dilbert

�Honestly, this was a �very good-to-great� match at the end of the first 30 minutes. When they added another 13, it turned into one of the best Stardom matches in history. Syuri is on another level right now and if I had to pick a match that really put her there it would be this one. There was a strong backstory: Syuri had come up short in some big matches, and was trying desperately to win her first World of Stardom Championship in honor of her mother, who died before she could see her daughter succeed. Both wrestlers brought an intensity that made it feel like the title mattered. (I can only imagine what it would have been like with a live crowd.) And after restarting the match, I bought into the idea that we were going to have an actual winner, which meant I was living and dying with every move. The match ultimately ended in a double knockout (this might have been my MOTY with a clear winner.) Obviously Syuri went on to beat Hayashishita later in the year to end their story, but this was the match that mattered: When it was done, it finally felt like Syuri�s stature in the company caught up to her ability. (Side note: In a timeline that includes Kenny Omega, Roman Reigns and Shingo Takagi, Hayashishita was the best champion in the world throughout her reign.� -Paul DeBenedetto

�The first battle of Hayashishita and Syuri is something that paid off years of the company trying to live up to the All Japan Women glory days, but never quite matching its in-ring reputation. On this night, they set out to top every other match in company history and did just that while helping to raise the expectations for just what a great match in the company meant.� -Jeremy Peeples

�Flawless. That is what immediately hit my mind after I finished this at around 4am central time. After popping for the 30 minute draw with how hard they worked, the post match promo lead to a overtime period, which I was shocked by considering the company. From this, I expected as much as Syuri had the dramatic story leading into the match with the loss of her mother, and being the super underdog, I was ready for Utami to put her away and continue her dominance over the company in 2021. The back and forth lead to a dramatic double KO, in which we still had a draw, but just later than the last. I openly begged for the rematch. When they had their second contest of the year in the Grand Prix, another similar finish made me drool for more. The finale to close the year was fantastic, with the payoff most of us wanted, and the moment that was the reason we all love wrestling. The reason though why this match stands here as my match of the year, is it started the most intriguing storyline and payoff for the entire year, half way through it. I was now invested for 6 straight months, awaiting the payoff at the end of the year. I proclaimed this was the best women�s wrestling match I�ve ever seen in my life. From start to finish, I never took my eyes off it, or played with my phone like most of us do when something has length. I then watched it a second time the next day, and a third the week later, and continued to find something new to appreciate every time. This was a classic for me, and I�m so glad I pulled the trigger for this to be the match of 2021 in pro wrestling.� -Ryan Cooke

�This match broke through the joshi bubble and got attention from the more mainstream wrestling press, and for good reason, as it featured what was perhaps the most memorable finish in pro wrestling this year.� -Chuck Hodgin

�This is arguably the most important joshi match since the 90s for fans outside of Japan, as it drastically increased western awareness of the promotion and the high quality of its workers.� -Fred Morlan

�I have followed Stardom since 2015. In that time, the company has evolved in ways I couldn�t honestly expect. While I personally believe there have been better individual performances, I don�t think the company has seen a match as singularly important as this one. The rivalry between Utami Hayashishita and Syuri defined Stardom in the most transformational year in the company�s history. This was a breakthrough match that put Stardom on the radar of the greater wrestling world.� -TDE

�Despite its slightly confusing conclusion, the most highly praised women�s wrestling match in decades is worthy of the many plaudits it has received. It succeeds where so many other recent �epic� Japanese main events have missed the mark in how the escalation of the drama is constructed. There is the emotion of Syuri looking to win in tribute to her late mother, Hayashishita�s determination to prove herself worthy of being a headline champion, the thrill of some jaw dropping spots and the feeling that the two are genuinely trying to hurt each other. It is one of the best matches of its kind that pushed Syuri beyond faction lieutenant to leading contender. It was also key to moving Hayashishita�s reign from its uncertain start to being one of the year�s best.� -Jack Groom

�In a year where the Japanese wrestling scene has been strangled nearly to death by COVID-19, Stardom not only survived, but thrived. That was in large part to the incredible rise of Utami Hayashishita, and this title match with Donna Del Mondo�s Syuri is without a doubt her magnum opus.� -Doug Fowler (Skeach101)

�I�m not going to lie and say that I stay regularly tuned in to STARDOM, but this match tells me that maybe I should. An absolute banger where these two women went to war, twice in one night. Already a MOTY contender after the initial time limit expired, the second round in overtime really sealed the deal and left me feeling like a dingus for how often I sleep on the biggest Joshi promotion.� -James �NuclearConvoy�

�Breathtaking, amazing, highest drama. Nail biting nearfalls. And for me? For me it was the added bonus of Utami Hayashishita being the first main event wrestler that I have had the privilege to follow from the start of their career until this point and Syuri being one of the first wrestlers that I have seen, that have captured me from the start she appeared on my screen. That�s the main reason why it is so high up on my list.� -Velkej Bracha

�Using strikes to tell the story of this match but not overdoing it (Yes you NOAH, I�m talking to you), Utami and Syuri is a wonderful match that would not look out of place in the heyday of Joshi in the 80s and 90s. It would have contended for the Top 3 had the urgency to get the win in the final minute of the original 30 min time limit been higher plus I would have liked them to go the full hour instead of the double down that ended the contest, otherwise the action was up there with the best 2021 had to offer� -Peter Edge

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Oswuold - 0.0
"Awesome episode of botchamania... but holy poo poo! This should be a wrestling match! Wow, It Is not Easy to understand. It could look like strange but they weren' t able to do a Simply sit - out bomb and every other moves the did and probably could have done. Probably this was a bad night for them because also the did the same moves for more that once. THIS HAS NO SENSE! The end of this match Just puleds up other poo poo on this Mountain of poo poo. I 'd wanna Say I m Sorry, but I m Sorry only for the people that give to this match a 10 out of 10. DUD"

Bryan Danielson vs. MJF - March 5, 2023 (AEW Revolution)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year

Professor Funk posted:

Bryan/MJF was one of the best matches I've seen in a long, long time. Nth.

LionYeti posted:

Danielson MJF was at Omega Okada levels of good.

Rarity posted:

Hangman/Mox has topped out Omega/Ospreay as my MOTY and then MJF/Bryan almost topped out that, great show

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: *****3/4 Cagematch Ratings: 9.60 based on 940 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 4 with 697 points from 101 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�Who would�ve believed you if two years ago you told them that MJF would be far more impressive in-ring in 2023 than he was on the mic? This match cemented MJF as a guy who can have top-level main event matches in a promotion that demands them.� -Jays Retro

�MJF claims this is the best iron man match of all-time, and I�m inclined to agree. Unlike many iron man matches that were slow and plodding, in this one the time seemed to fly by. Going into the show I had little doubt that MJF was retaining the championship, but as the hour mark got closer and closer the battle was so compelling I started to believe Bryan Danielson would walk away the champion. Getting the audience lost in the moment is when pro wrestling is at its best, and this match achieved that at a level matched by few others in 2023.� -Adam Berger

�This is how you do an Iron Match. I have always been a proponent that matches that are designed to go a certain time limit have a cap of how good they can be. Just by the nature of the stipulation nothing really matters that much until the last minute�unless you have two geniuses like MJF and Bryan Danielson. MJF knows he can�t hang with this man for an hour so by any means necessary he tried to stack falls not because he wanted to win but to survive just keep the gap narrow. Not going to do a beat for beat review of this epic but I will simply say nothing beats the character work of these men at the end of this. The greatest Iron Man match in history.� -Markeem Graham

�Greatest Iron Match of all time. 65 minutes of non stop high paced action wrestling, that did not let up. A match in which both men went above and beyond the sacrifice their long term health, for the betterment of the match, the promotion, and for their opponent. MJF�s litmus test as a true wrestler, proving he was more than just an entertainer.� -Mark O�Brien

�MJF had a lot on the line here. Expectations were sky-high with an Iron Man Match against a talent the level of Bryan Danielson. This was MJF�s opportunity to quiet the naysayers who still doubted his in-ring capabilities, and to solidify himself as worthy of carrying the World Title of a major company. Consider all boxes checked after this one. Truly one of the great Iron Man matches of all-time.� -Greg Parks

�Whatever you think of MJF, he has proven this year that he can do it all inside the square circle. For me, it was this match that proved it to me. It helps that he is grappling with an all-timer, who though is winding down for his �last year as a full-time wrestler� keeps showing that he is in a class all his own. So well worked and riveting, these 2 brought the house down.� -Jake Nelson

�They did it. MJF and Danielson did it. They had the best Ironman match I have seen and one of the most entertaining one hour matches. This is not an easy task and I applaud that it was structured in such a way that there was no down time, the pinfalls were clever, and the extra five minutes made sense. I even liked the ending, even if the ref could have been standing a bit farther away. Both men were excellent, MJF as the rear end in a top hat going the distance, and Danielson torturing him. Even if you don�t like long matches, I would recommend checking it out. Not even knowing the result will spoil the experience.� -Abraham Delgado

�Trying to make modern wrestling fans invested in a match that they know for a fact will go 60 minutes is not an easy feat. Somehow, MJF & Danielson did it with ease.� -Liam Renner

�The greatest Iron man match in history? It�s definitely up there, and MJF proved not only could he go Broadway (and then some), but he could hang with a legend like Danielson.� -Jack Atkins

�The best stories can be explained in a simple sentence, and this one is no exception: A man who bragged that he was the greatest professional wrestler in the world would be tested by the man who had spent 24 years showing that he was. MJF had been seen as the future of the business for quite some time, and in November he won the title that would prove it, the AEW world championship. Bryan Danielson had been called the best wrestler in the world since early in his career, and had spent the years after he came out of a forced retirement really living up to that moniker. MJF spent the weeks building up to their match throwing obstacle after obstacle in Danielson�s way, telling him over and over again that he was a monster who would do anything to keep the gold. Danielson overcame those obstacles and told him that he was going to do everything to take the title from him, and would spend an hour beating him over and over again. For 66 minutes both men gave it their all with Danielson showing why he was called the best in the world by so many, and MJF was showing that for all his villainy and desperation, being able to win and hold that title was no fluke.� -Chris Gannon

�Danielson bringing back the YES Chants before delivering the Busaiku Knee to the champ for a fabulous nearfall made me feel things that I wasn�t sure I still could feel when watching wrestling.� -Heikki Oinonen

�A common theme for my favorite matches of 2023 is wrestlers being forced to find a way to win after going into an opponent�s world. In this case, I loved MJF�s solutions to navigating his way through the American Dragon�s domain � treading water where he had to in order to stay alive, while finding opportunities to steal pins wherever he could. This match was a wonderful meshing of Danielson�s legendary wrestling excellence and MJF�s creativity. Wrestling for 60 minutes and beyond is a monumental challenge, but both Danielson and Friedman made it look easy.� -TDE

�For a long time, I�ve wanted to see such an Iron Man match. In many ways, this match encapsulates the best of what wrestling has to offer. No downtime, every move had a purpose, and the tension was maintained until the last second of the encounter. I hesitate to use the term �carried� when it really isn�t warranted; Bryan, more elegantly put, assisted MJF, but his performance was by no means subpar.� -Dan Duca

�The match had the crowd standing and screaming for a single-leg Boston Crab at the 59 minute mark.� -Jesse Collings

�Hands down the best Iron Match of all-time. AEW knows how to do gimmick matches� -Tyler Forness

�Remember when MJF was great.

The story of MJF struggling to keep up with Danielson, needing swigs of water in the second half of the hour and depending on oxygen in overtime. Danielson�s cheshire cat smile as realised he had MJF on toast made this match ***** alone.

It was the story of MJF struggling to solve the problems that Danielson had set Max and yet somehow doing so and it was in a match stipulation where others have struggled to produce classic matches. This night was a night where we saw best of MJF which made the last 3 months of the year so frustrating. But we�ll always have this night� -Peter Edge

�The biggest complement I can give to a pro-wrestling match after the fact is that it made me believe (even if just for a short period of time, or for a few moments here and there) that one person or one side was going to win when (realistically) I knew in my mind that their chances of winning were not that high to begin with. That was the case with the Sixty Minute Iron Man Match between MJF and Bryan Danielson for the AEW World Title. While the match itself was excellent, with plenty of incredible moments throughout, what really put it over the top were the various points in the closing stretch of the match (and later the overtime period) where Danielson came extremely close to winning the title. I knew going in that Danielson�s chances of winning were pretty low (especially given that MJF�s reign had only just gotten started), but in those brief moments, they made me believe that Danielson was going to win the title, and that really put it over the top for me. Danielson�s performance on the whole was amazing, while MJF showed that he�s more than capable of delivering a high quality main event bout. The growth of MJF as an in-ring performer has been nothing short of incredible, and this Iron Man Match was his Magnum Opus. It�s shame that MJF�s second half of the year was filled with nonsense, because THIS was the version of MJF that can be the best wrestler in the world for years to come. The greatest Iron Man Match I�ve ever seen, without question, and one of the best matches in the history of AEW.� -Sean Sedor

�Arguably the greatest Iron Man match ever. There was not a dull moment thanks to the character work, selling, and psychology between MJF and Danielson. This had technical wrestling, big spots, bloody brawling, and more packed into over an hour. Despite it being predictable, Danielson had fans believing he was about to win. Great stuff.� -Andrew Kelly

�Perhaps the greatest Iron Man Match of all time. Seeing my favorite stipulation get this level of justice was excellent. This was the match that finally �sold� me on MJF. He proved that he can wrestle anyone�s style and hang with the GOAT. There will never be a more perfect pro wrestler than Bryan Danielson but I hesitate to classify this as a �carry job.� MJF was great as well. Danielson showed he was built for this while MJF needed oxygen was hilarious but brilliant. From the very beginning, everything in this match mattered and had a purpose. It felt like both guys were trying to win right from the start and that feeling never went away. An hour long match that felt like 20 minutes and ended too soon. Perfection. I knew there was absolutely no way Danielson was going to dethrone the Champ this early in his reign but they got me. A masterclass of endurance and one of the greatest matches in AEW�s young history where the loser proves that winning isn�t everything.� -Noveliss

�Bryan Danielson truly is something else. A remarkable Ironman match, a showcase of what the American Dragon is capable of and what lengths our dick�ead AEW Champion was willing to go to.
The peak quality of MJF�s reign, as this match did everything it could to establish him as a champion to respect. Including the incredible character moment towards the end of the hour, with Danielson doing star jumps as Maxwell received an oxygen mask. Arguably the ultimate, �But how�s he going to win this one, King?!�

The fact they went at the pace they did for a full hour (and then MORE) is insane. When I call this the greatest 60-minute Ironman match I drat well mean it. The story they told was exceptional and the violence used to sell it next level. Danielson a beast as he made MJF look like a huge star, in easily the quickest 60-minutes of wrestling I�ve watched all year.

Hell, Danielson�s his own contender when it comes to hour-long professional wrestling excellence.� -Matt Maher (aka Imp)

�Ironman matches are basically impossible to work (this is only the third or fourth great one I�ve ever seen in 30+ years watching). Within the confines of what is ostensibly a silly rule set where you can�t get tension on nearfalls and a broadway is guaranteed, this is about as good as one can be.� -Jarrett Seidler

�I never thought that MJF could pull off such an enormous upset against Danielson, but this match proved why �The People�s Scumbag� was awarded the longest and most historic AEW World Championship run in the company. I believe this match elevated both opponents, and I would love to see more 60-minute Iron Man Matches in AEW again.� -Brie Coder

�MJF shows that he is more than a lot of charisma and a good mic, he can also have more than an hour of good wrestling with the best wrestler in the world. Epic, drama, technique, a fight that has it all.� -Fede Fromhell

�They managed to keep my attention for the whole sixty minutes of this which is such an amazing feat. Danielson always builds matches to have so much tension and emotional investment that by the end of this match I cared more about this than anything in my life, despite not having been very invested in the build. Incredible.� -Anne from Tunnel Talk

�MJF proved he could hang (or be carried) to a 60-plus minute match by one of the greatest to ever do it. I hadn�t seen an oxygen tank used to cheat to win before, so that was new. This was when MJF was still a heel and was tolerable.� -Eric Krol

�An exciting match from start to finish. MJF�s best match of the year. Sometimes it�s hard to pull off exciting Iron Man matches, but this one nailed it.

MJF was on a superb run for his AEW championship run, and Bryan Danielson was only on the cusp of his extraordinary 2023 year.� -Traff

�The best Ironman match of all time and the peak of MJFs reign as AEW Champion� -Lee Malone

�Lord, how I wish we could have gotten this MJF all year long. I came off this match thinking he really could be a new Ric Flair. But then he had to go play video games with Adam Cole and ruin it.� -Kevin Ely

�I can�t think of a better 60-minute match., and there�s been plenty of great 60-minute matches. It is a shame Danielson spent a lot of this year injured as when he wasn�t, he was easily one of the best wrestlers in the world.� -Bryan Rose

�This is simply the best Iron Man match ever. Move over Rick Rude and Ricky Steamboat.� -Jason Westhaver

��If you can fill the unforgiving hour with 60 minutes worth of wrestling, yours is the Earth and everything that�s in it� � Kipling, probably, if he saw this match.
I still cant believe this match went over 65 minutes because no matter how many times I watch it the whole thing just flies by. MJF and Danielson had the crowd in the palm of their hands from start to finish. Innovative, clever, witty, dramatic and somehow, always gripping. An iron man match must be an incredibly daunting physical and mental task for any wrestler to contemplate but these two made it look easy. Simply masterful.� -Martin Heartly

�This is one of the best stories AEW has ever told, finished off by one of its best matches ever. The build-up was amazing, with MJF embodying the best version of his insecure psychotic heel character and Bryan�s unrelenting determination to get through a gauntlet of the best AEW�s roster had to offer (which itself had several excellent low-level MotY candidates in matches against Bandido, Takeshita and RUSH, toss in one more with MJF vs. Takeshita) so he could prove, definitively that he was the best wrestler in the world. The Iron Man match was 60 minutes of absolutely mastery of the sport, all killer, no filler and was capped off by an intense, exciting overtime period where MJF pulls out every single trick he has and all of them come up dry, until you�re finally convinced, oh my god, Bryan is actually gonna do this�.until he doesn�t. And Bryan followed up this match with a promo (link: https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1633656090448793600 ) that took the match from disappointing to gut-wrenching. Nothing in wrestling hits you in the gut the way Bryan admitting his shame that he put his own wants over his family does. MJF didn�t defeat Bryan physically � he did something much worse, he broke him mentally. MJF�s world championship reign wasn�t always the best thing on AEW television (starting�.pretty much right after this match, as a matter of fact!) but this story and this match was the peak of All Elite Wrestling in 2023.� -Jeff Ahmed

�MJF had a banner 2023. Bryan Danielson has been great for 20 years. So why do I feel like this match blew past all expectations? It was psychologically perfect. They turned the 60 Minute Iron Man stipulation from a weakness to an asset. I didn�t expect that. More than anything else on this list, I�m in awe of this match.� -Jim Valley

�Bryan Danielson does it again. Right around 15 months after going an hour with a young burgeoning star in AEW (the Hangman Page draw at the Winter is Coming Dynamite in December 2021) he pulls another broadway with someone from the next generation of extremely talented pro wrestlers. He makes every single minute intriguing, entertaining, and breath-taking. There is never a dull moment, never a boring period where they are wasting time.

But don�t forget about MJF. While he was in there with someone adding to his case as the greatest wrestler of all time, Maxwell Jacob Friedman more than held his own. In fact, one of the aspects of the match that kept it exciting at all times, was that I was constantly wondering how MJF would pull it off. We know he is going to pull every trick in the book to try and retain his title. We know he will cross any line he can to get an advantage. While there may have been a couple bumps along the way in the build to this match, and we then went into the Summer and Fall of discontent with MJF descending into sports-entertainment madness with the Four Pillars Feud and the Brochachos � don�t forget the greatness of MJF in this match. And the greatness of the MJF character � something that got lost along the way in being a Hulk Hogan/John Cena overcoming the odds babyface. The low blow followed by the two quick pins was just brilliant pro wrestling. The constant breaks to drink water and douse himself as well were a little strange yes � but every time they had me intrigued. What is he doing? What�s his play here? And the ending is just perfect pro wrestling with the exhausted heel getting every little advantage he can with oxygen and medical attention � while the babyface shows bravery and heart, almost to a fault in wanting to continue the fight rather than taking a break.

And in addition to all that character work, MJF held up his end in the technical wrestling department. The grappling, the execution � you could even say it was excellent. Here�s hoping that Max heels up and he comes back with the incredible talent we saw on display here and a re-focused Tony Khan ready to book him back into greatness.� -S. Dakota Jones

�This felt like watching 2006 ROH Danielson all over again, as he was firing on all cylinders. And while everyone knew at this point that MJF could go, this was probably the match where he solidified himself as a true modern day great. A Herculean effort from both guys.� -Theo Sambus

�Iron Man matches are super hit or miss for me. This one might be the best Iron Man match ever. The 60 minutes flew by. MJF silenced the doubters on his in ring work while Danielson reminded everyone he really is top 3 wrestlers ever.� -Brett Miles

�MJF has had a lot of crap thrown his way over his title reign this past year. In my opinion, a lot of the criticisms are valid. However, the lead-up to this match was MJF at his absolute best: Throwing obstacles in front of his opponent, Being a giant heat magnet�. and the match itself ended up being incredible! This 60+ minute spectacle in some ways demonstrated that MJF can be so much more than a cartoon character on AEW television. And I hope when he returns, we get more oxygen-deprived Max trying to recover from an all-out war, and less Kangaroo Kicks.� -Skeach101

�MJF can�t hang. Iron Man matches are a long, dull road to fill an hour. These are the thoughts that filled me with dread on the way to the Revolution main event. Instead, for 60 action packed minutes, Bryan Danielson proved he is one of the GOAT talents, MJF stepped up, and every Iron Man match forward had a new gold standard to live up to. Absolutely incredible.� -Marty Day

�MJF was an incredibly frustrating person to watch in 2023. This match is a glimpse as to why, as this was a look at MJF at his absolute peak performance. Playing the brash young foil to an established great � see his feud with CM Punk � has been a money formula, and this Iron Man match with Danielson was no exception. Coming at the end of a grueling gauntlet, Danielson showed the babyface fire that got him to the top of WWE a decade prior. Danielson leading the YES chants for the first time since coming to AEW at the end of this match was the moment where I knew this was an all-time great match.� -Suit Williams

�MJF puts to rest the bogus �He Can Only Talk� allegations.� -Jon Rogers

�This is the best Iron Man match of all time, but unfortunately that comes with a ceiling. If you shaved 30 minutes off this match, you wouldn�t lose a thing. Why am I being negative in my MOTY write-up? Because the match was that good. It�s obvious it belongs here.� -Jeremy Sexton

�This Was Pro Wrestling! Right from the bell Danielson is clearly the calmer and better wrestler. MJF looks to stall and duck Danielson�s early onslaught before finally going after Danielson�s hurt shoulder. MJF works over the injury nicely to soften Danielson up for the Salt of the Earth as well as take away Danielson�s advantage on the mat. Danielson is able to fire up and starts mounting a comeback which causes MJF to take more risks for bigger offense and he slightly tweaks his knee. Both men have an injury now and they start trading quick pinfall attempts to get on the board before Danielson is able to nail a Busaiku Knee and gets the first fall. Danielson looks for a second knee but MJF kicks him low for a DQ. MJF quickly capitalizes and scores two quick pinfalls to tie it back up. MJF is now back in control but Danielson starts to go after MJF�s hurt knee with kicks and submissions. MJF starts to feel the desperation and nails a top rope elbow to the outside through a table on Danielson to try and get a count-out. But Danielson still makes it back in the ring! MJF is furious and willingly hurts his own knee more to hit Danielson with a brutal Tombstone Piledriver onto the broken table! Heatseeker on a now bloody Danielson gives MJF another fall and the lead. Now MJF is in his comfort zone and just mocks and belittles Danielson as he slaps him and stomps on him. Danielson fires back and starts going for broke. He throws himself at MJF with headbutts, dives and a scary Spider Superplex. A Diving Headbutt off the top by Danielson and MJF is pouring blood! Danielson locks in the Regal Stretch and MJF has to tap. It�s tied again! Danielson looks for the Regal Stretch again but MJF is able to lock in the Salt of the Earth. The two trade submissions back and forth before MJF gets the Salt of the Earth back in. MJF ties up both of Danielson�s arms and one of his legs while in the hold but Danielson still makes it to the ropes! 5 minutes to go and the two men start slugging it out. A second Heatseeker only gets 2. MJF goes to the top but Danielson catches him and lands some Hammer and Anvil Elbows but MJF slips him into a Tombstone Piledriver off Bret�s rope! MJF tries to cover but his knee is destroyed!. He finally covers but Danielson gets a Half Crab in! Seconds to go! MJF can�t get to the rope! Time expires! It�s a tie! But wait! We get Sudden Death! Roll-up by Danielson. Kick-out! MJF blocks the ref and kicks Danielson low. Roll-up with the tights! Kick-out! MJF wants to use the belt but the ref stops him. MJF has the diamond ring! He misses! Danielson hits the Busaiku Knee! 1,2� Kick-out! Half Crab again! MJF barely makes it to the ropes but taps to make Danielson think he tapped out. MJF rolls outside to recover. He nails Danielson with an oxygen tank! Ref didn�t see it! MJF locks in the LeBell Lock. Danielson is still alive! Danielson tries to fight but he can�t do it! Danielson taps and MJF wins! My God! What a match! Perfect pacing, booking, story-telling and action with an amazing finish. The Greatest Iron Man Match of All Time! *****� -Alex Kalil

�This was an extremely well structured match that showcased a lot of storytelling through character development. It got more and more dramatic towards the end but in a natural way. It didn�t feel �forced epic� at all.� -Sebastian Viefers

�Quite simply, the best iron man match in the history of professional wrestling� -Stephen Coriander

�If somebody asks you how to tell story in a match, please show them this classic. Some people might disagree with me, but to me this was the greatest Iron Man match ever. MJF once again beign a great heel and Danielson putting his great babyface work again. Actually anything Danielson does feels extra special. Because this guy puts extra feeling to it. Since he is going to retire in 2024, this was one of the last big gifts he gave to us. A very special match with a deep story telling. Every second tells you something. Especially if you pay attention to some details.� -Kaan

�60+ minutes of beautiful pro wrestling. This was the peak of MJF in AEW so far, and possibly Bryan�s best match too. The heel/babyface dynamic in this one was off the charts and kept me engaged in every second of the match. It flies by even on a re-watch.� -Adam Darwin

�In my view, this match is far more than match of the year. Friedman vs Danielson set a new bar for what an Iron Man can be�for what any long singles match can be, even�with pacing that is not only revolutionary, but perhaps impossible to match. This showed off that both the grappling skill and the storytelling acumen of both men are incomparable.� -Sergei Alderman

�After having an all-timer 60 minute match against Hangman in 2021, Bryan Danielson did it again with MJF. It�s such a difficult thing to do and Bryan just makes it look easy. From MJF getting intentionally DQ�d to score a quick two falls, to the shot of Danielson laughing and MJF crying as they neared the time limit, to MJF�s mortal enemy Tony Schiavone being the one to announce the sudden death overtime, to Bryce Remsburg taking the diamond ring away from MJF when he needed it most, every step of this match was perfectly laid out. This was the peak of MJF�s title reign and one of several peaks of Danielson�s 2023 run.� -Andrew Rich

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Joshxo1ne - 1.0
"This match is not dramatic enough to be enthralling, not energetic enough to be exiting, and not exciting enough to be entertaining - this match is not enough. A total snooze this contest is. It is not entertaining to see Danielson & MJF lying around supposedly exhausted. This faux exhaustion makes me feel exhausted. There is simply very little entertainment and excitement, and the little amount that is here is not enough. It is almost absolutely boring. I hated the draw finish and the cheating finish by MJF. The draw would have been fine, but the unrealistic drama & nonsense the match becomes with medical personnel entering the ring, is no fun. I detest that finish. And cheating is no fun for professional wrestling in such a artificial & predictable manner. I understand the story, the idea of this match but it does not entertain me."

# ? Feb 23, 2024 07:12

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

That Iron Man match was loving incredible, regardless of how it played into the ending, I absolutely loved that when the time expired MJF immediately demanded oxygen while Bryan was doing jumping jacks and laughing his rear end off.

# ? Feb 23, 2024 08:24

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 18:34

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

I thought that I'd be insta-voting MJF-Bryan, but now I'm 15 minutes into Syuri-Utami and drat...

This vote feels like a match-up that should be a quarter-final or later pairing. Everything Syuri and Utami do is so drat smooth and logical I love how Syuri goes for series of pinning attempts, keeping the pressure on and adjusting her hody position so fluidly.

Gotta finish watching, but at the moment this is the toughest call thus far, for me anyways.

# ? Feb 23, 2024 18:32

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

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