Greatest Match Since 2019 Tournament

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super macho dude: Aug 9, 2014

Super tough call on this one, having watched both, but I'm going with how they made me feel by the end, and the ending & DB promo afterwards in the Ironman match had me feeling EVERYTHING.

# ? Feb 23, 2024 21:26

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 18:13

duckdealer: Feb 28, 2011

Really tough call but voted for Danielson vs MJF.

Shame about how most of MJF�s 2023 went following this match.

# ? Feb 23, 2024 22:57

edogawa rando: Mar 20, 2007

Voted for the Stardom match.

Not going to vote for a key match in a title reign that killed my interest in AEW for much of 2023, twice over.

# ? Feb 23, 2024 23:27

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

With 72.22% of the vote, Danielson/MJF advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre, Jr. from NJPW New Japan Cup 2021, Night 8 against Templario vs. M�scara Dorada 2.0 from CMLL Super Viernes

# ? Feb 25, 2024 06:46

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 14: Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre, Jr. - March 14, 2021 (NJPW New Japan Cup, Night 8) against Templario vs. M�scara Dorada 2.0 - January 5, 2024 (CMLL Super Viernes)

Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre, Jr. - March 14, 2021 (NJPW New Japan Cup, Night 8)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year

Cerebral Bore posted:

This was one of the slickest matches I've ever seen. These guys have perfect chemistry and just racked up the most incredible reversals on reversals and the sickest moves I ever saw.

Cerebral Bore posted:

This was one of the slickest matches I've ever seen. These guys have perfect chemistry and just racked up the most incredible reversals on reversals and the sickest moves I ever saw.

Jerusalem posted:

Goddammit why does Ospreay have to be such a good wrestler

SG Bamboo posted:

It's almost as if these two are great wrestlers or something. I think I enjoyed Shunma/Chris more today, but that's not to say that this wasn't a phenominal wrestling match to rewatch in the future.

Price Check posted:

Great match with the bonus of Ospreay busting up his nose bad and creating some great visuals during ZSJ's submissions.

forkboy84 posted:

Not sure I'd put it over the Rev Pro match from Last Feb but still excellent wrestling. Also gotta say that Ospreay loving up his nose added to the drama

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 9.21 based on 248 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 27 with 74 points from 16 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�The night this match happened, I was dual-screening the New Japan Cup show with a NOAH show airing simultaneously. But when the time came, I closed out the NOAH show and focused all of my attention on Ospreay vs. Sabre. These guys have wrestled each other many times on different continents and always deliver, and on this night they delivered big. What I loved most about this match wasn�t the pacing, which was spirited, or the execution, which was flawless, but the intensity. This was obnoxious heel Ospreay vs. a more tweener yet still mouthy Sabre, so they wrestled like two massive dickheads wanting to shut the other one up and win. One guy would talk some poo poo and the other would hit him back hard, and vice versa. Add in a little bit of accidental blood from Ospreay�s nose and you had this frenetic war that had the clap crowd breaking some rules on the back end. When the match concluded, an exhausted Kevin Kelly simply exclaimed �Oh my God.� I�m right there with you, Kevin. This was outstanding.� -Andrew Rich

�The New Japan Cup is my favorite tournament of the year in wrestling and in NJPW (yes I even prefer it over the g1 Climax believe it or not). When I saw this year�s brackets I noticed that they were set up so that Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre Jr. would potentially meet in the second round of the tournament but in order to do that they both would have to win their respective first round matches. Spoiler alert they both did and this match happened in the second round of the tournament and what a match it was! So once again Will Ospreay appears on my list this time against Zack Sabre Jr. This match was back and forth and it featured Ospreay�s explosive and sometimes high flying offense vs. Zack Sabre Jr. who can bend and contort his body to get out of any situation possible. It made for one hell of a match to watch between two of the best wrestlers in the world. The pacing of the match was slower than you would think in the later stages but everything they hit on each other was stiff and there was a psychology to the match that made everything they did mean something as they both worked to wear each other down in order to gain a victory in this all important second round match up In the tournament. Towards the end of the match both Ospreay and Sabre Jr. exchanged offense up until Will Ospreay would hit a last minute Storm Breaker out of desperation to secure the win for himself to advance to the next round of the tournament. If you watched any of the matches from this year�s NJPW Cup make it this one because this match to me was the highlight of the entire tournament.� -Nathan Neumann

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

CoolKyle - 7.0
"Incredibly thrilling match. Loved how the left-arm of Ospreay was manipulated by ZSJ. This was a fantastic match that had so much drama and tension"

Kas -7.0
"Good arm work by ZSJ and good selling by Ospreay, but the first half was far too slow and I didn't like Ospreay's heel-work at all. (***1/2)"

jboyaquar - 7.0
"At this point, in NJPW, Ospreay's too callow to be an attention-worthy heel. It reads terribly insulting, but it's a bit of a question of class, and the Rainham lad lacks it. He certainly doesn't lack for talent-skill though. 3 3/5 7.2"

Electric Wind God Fist - 7.0
"As usual they had a match perfect for making gifs and trend on Twitter, but other than that there isn't much to say, I enjoyed it but this type of wrestling doesn't connect with me in a higher level."

Templario vs. M�scara Dorada 2.0 - January 5, 2024 (CMLL Super Viernes)

What We Said

Has not qualified for MOTY satus yet

forkboy84 posted:

Watch this here

Fantastic wrestling. First fall a bit sloppy but once they get going it gets going. Probably going to get a lot more attention than CMLL usually get because it got the ***** in the Observer (I think the first ever ***** for CMLL from Meltzer?), & while I'm not quite that high on it I do think it's a terrific showcase for Dorada & as good an excuse as any to catch some CMLL. Final fall is pretty terrific all told. You can see why the company are getting behind this dude like this. And you can see why people are high on CMLL as one of the best promotions in the world right now (if not the very best of 2023 according to many). And Templario deserves a nod too, terrific base here.

AlmightyPants posted:

Dorada's going to be a big star and Templario is goddamn fantastic.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 8.57 based on 95 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: N/A

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

N/A

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Chris777 - 7.0
"It is a good match but drat do I never thought i would describe a match as extremely overrated, but here we are. coming out at the Wrestlekingdom weekend and this match was getting perfect 10s here. with no resources available for a while, it was truly mysterious and that high expectation is not met fully. NOT Mascara Dorada II's best work because he might be one of the best unsung highflyers right now. A missable match by his standard and a decent one by Templario's standard."

Makai Club - 7.0
"Shockingly terrible first fall by these guys. Ive seen one Dorada II match but Templario usually delivers so this having a rough start was unusual. It was sloppy, there was too much hesitation to do stuff, Dorada kept slipping and the counters were poorly executed so you cant even say how amazing the moves were. Templario wins to thankfully end it. The second fall was much stronger as a match. There were some cool dives on the floor, a few more well executed sequences, etc. Not great but a better short fall to set up the real meat of the match. Dorada evens it up with an awesome spinning slam. The third fall is pretty drat awesome though. It builds really well into a great series of kick outs and false finishes. The crowd really gets hooked in this part of the bout. But they failed to really take off until they were a 3rd of the way there. Shame. Good bout in the end. ***1/2"

denierstragedies - 7.0
"This is a good match but not an amazing one. The first two falls feel like a necessity wrestled by both men so they can get to the higher flying, higher paced final fall, which is not a good thing. Despite a good amount of the action on those falls being solid, it never felt like a contest, just a lights show so they could get to the next bit. Even down to the end of the first fall being a badly applied cloverleaf that Dorada gives up to instantly, just a really deflating way to end a fall. Anyway the two of them go crazy with the higher spots and stuff later on, and in that regard there was a lot of fun to be had. The atmosphere with the very hot crowd was great too, it all fit together well, but there's a big disconnect in those early stages (and myself being down on super highspotty matches in general) that keep it firmly in the good category. I'm a fan of Templario and he does well here, and Dorada is a clear future ace with tremendous upside currently as a high flying crowd popping face, though I find him more palatable in trios action where he gets to shine and less of the downsides of a spotty wrestler come across as he can tag out. Still, good match. 7/10. Meltzer should rewatch Atlantis vs. Blue Panther."

I think this is the first Meltzer 5 star match not to qualify for Match of The Year in PSP so far, also the first match up where neither match has a lower than a rating of 7.0 on Cagematch comments. Even more unusual is that one is an Ospreay match.

# ? Feb 25, 2024 09:44

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

Links:

Ospreay vs ZSJ

Templario vs Dorada

Most likely voting for Zack and Bill but watching the CMLL match now to see how I like it

# ? Feb 25, 2024 10:15

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 75% of the vote, Ospreay/Sabre advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

HARASHIMA vs. Yuji Okabayashi from DDT D-Oh Grand Prix 2021 II, Night 7 against Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17, Night 1

# ? Feb 27, 2024 06:25

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

Links:

HARASHIMA vs Okabayashi

Omega vs Ospreay

It's a shame Kenny vs Will is going to walk this because Harashima vs Okabayashi ruled

# ? Feb 27, 2024 06:44

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 15: HARASHIMA vs. Yuji Okabayashi - November 11, 2021 (DDT D-Oh Grand Prix 2021 II, Night 7) against Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay - January 4, 2023 (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17, Night 1)

HARASHIMA vs. Yuji Okabayashi - November 11, 2021 (DDT D-Oh Grand Prix 2021 II, Night 7)

What We Said

Did not qualify for Match of The Year satus

SG Bamboo posted:

HARASHIMA vs Yuji Okabayashi
There was nothing exactly wrong with this, it just felt kind of off for the first 10 minutes before really picking up. The back half was goddamn amazing, especially after Yuji's busted eye got opened up again

Jerusalem posted:

My favorite match of the night

Lily Catts posted:

My personal MOTY so far. HARASHIMA has been winless throughout the D-Oh, and Okabayashi needs the win to stay in the tournament. They're tag team partners. Friends. I did not see the time-limit draw coming. This is the best time-limit draw match I've seen, as nowhere did I think they were actually going to draw. Also holy poo poo that eye blood

The best part is you can watch it for free on DDT's Youtube channel!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFTeG18u-kI

forkboy84 posted:

DDT Match of the year, maybe top 10 for me on the year. Starts fine, builds to bonkers.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: Not Rated Cagematch Ratings: 9.12 based on 76 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 50 with 30 points from 4 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�I wrote about this in my column on PW musings so I�ll just repeat it here. The best thing that I did as a wrestling fan in 2021 was discover Yuji Okabayashi. A truly sensational all round performer who deserves all the appreciation that he gets. HARASHIMA needs no introduction. One of the greatest Wrestlers of all time and still going strong to this day. This was a showdown between the smile Pissari teammates on the final night of block matches from DDT D-oh Grand Prix and man what a ride it was. Played out three acts with fantastic mat work in the opening stretch and HARASHIMA going for the leg while Okabayashi clobbered him with the chops until it just comes into one when they�ve used up all their ideas and now it�s just a game of one upsmanship with both friends clobbering each other with one of the best strike exchanges you will see anywhere. And in between all that, the constant theme was them not being willing to give even an inch to the one another. An intense and absolutely wonderful bout. The match of the year.� -Ashutosh Dubey

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

benny5bellys - 5.0
"I saw all the praise for this and decided to check it out and came away deeply disappointed. I was shocked because I usually fall in line with the consensus on here. The first half of the match was slightly dull limb work that they completely forgot about in second half. There were some pretty standard chop exchanges that went on for ages in the second half and ended in a torture rack that no one believed the tap was coming. The cut eye was a great visual but that was it. For most matches that have high praise I can usually see why it is loved even if I don't but did not see anything here. Took me 3 attempts to finish it."

Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay - January 4, 2023 (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17, Night 1)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year satus

Jerusalem posted:

Human beings should not be capable of what these two do in the ring.

Rarity posted:

Close the thread we're done here

SalTheBard posted:

Holy loving poo poo

Fentry posted:

Good loving luck to everyone else this year

closet statist posted:

Nothing will beat this

forkboy84 posted:

My first ***** match of 2023

Wazzu posted:

Will and Kenny are amazing.

Also, I know the Cleaner look ages him, but man Kenny has never looked older than he did in this match.

Vandar posted:

I'm not even going to bother watching Okada/White now because why loving bother after this match.

Stall_19 posted:

I somehow thought the Giulia/Syuri bump off the stage would be the craziest one this week but they've barely 3rd right now. Holy gently caress

gripebomb posted:

I mean, yall already know... Wow.

Kaveman posted:

Really hope this is the start of a series. Best match I've seen since Okada V Omega.

HulkaMatt posted:

You can pencil me in for Ospreay/Kenny on the MOTYC list - not that you need it.

My in-the-moment thoughts on it since I just watched it: I thought they peaked in the first half!!! Kenny was in complete control. His offense was BRUTAL, and Ospreays selling was out of this world. It was so good that when Will actually made his comeback it actually kind of LOST me a bit. I couldn't believe Will was taking that much control after Kenny had looked so strong. I think if you cut Ospreays comeback to be 1/3 of the length it was - the match is utter perfection. But as they went - I don't feel like it was a full 5-stars-easy-MOTY-nobody-will-follow-that.

Great match though. And I recognize I might be on an island with this thinking.

AlmightyPants posted:

not at all what I was expecting and was excellent.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ******1/4 2023 Match of The Year Cagematch Ratings: 9.76 based on 1147 votes. Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 1 with 1724 points from 159 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

An outstanding work of art from two of the very best to ever do it� -Stephen Coriander

�After watching this, I knew that nothing was going to beat it. I was right about it. Non of the matches in 2023, was good enough to beat that spectacular masterpiece. Sure there were some that were close, but it was not enough. The reason why it was so special is, this was Omega�s return to NJPW after losing to Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13. This match gave us the real Omega we all missed. The real Best Bout Machine. Ospreay on the other hand, gave us his best performance ever. I can easily say that, this was the best match of his career. Ospreay was heel, Omega was face. But during the match, things turned upside-down. Ospreay was a babyface, and Omega was a monster heel who wanted to punish Ospreay. But Ospreay was fighting back, no matter how hard the beat down was. It was something that was on another level. I am never going to forget what I saw saw. Every second, I felt like my heart was going to stop. � -Kaan

�Like it was going to be anything else. A reminder that whenever you can get Kenny to wrestle in Japan he becomes a force unlike anybody else.� -Jamie O�Doherty

�Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay�s WrestleKingdom encounter impacted me in a way I haven�t experienced since before the pandemic. The story, the crowd, the wrestling were all as close to perfect as you can get. I will remember this match for the rest of my life.� -Ry Harrison

�Past, present and future combined in a match that exceeded any expectations. Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay showed why they are among the best to ever do it. Synergy, spatial vision, footwork, control, selling. They danced a superb waltz in and out the ring.� -Alejandro Gomez

�I�m not sure there was a runaway Match of the Year this year, but there were a ton of great matches. Every year it gets more and more difficult to select the number one overall. You can�t go wrong, though, in selecting Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. They have a generational level of chemistry in the ring together, and it has shown multiple times in 2023, going all the way back to the Tokyo Dome on January 4th.� -Greg Parks

�This match was dirty, bloody, nasty, brutal�hell any adjective you can think of this probably had. The image of a bloody, battered, demoralized and destroyed Will Ospreay at the feet of Kenny Omega is this lasting image of 2023 for me. Kayfabe wise it was a teaching moment from the former �Best Bout Machine� to the new one. My match of the year and one of my favorites of the decade.� -Markeem Graham

�The term �Dream Match� gets thrown around far too frequently in wrestling. Kenny Omega returning to a New Japan ring for the first time in years to challenge Will Ospreay, who had replaced him not only as New Japan�s top foreign wrestler but also as the best wrestler in the world, more than lived up to the �Dream Match� billing. Omega and Ospreay combined their spectacular athleticism with an in-ring story that rewarded long-term fans by referencing events dating back to Omega�s time in New Japan 4 years earlier. The closing stretch of the match turned into a battle of wills where neither man would let go of the other�s wrist. This lead to a number of innovative counters which culminated in a beaten but defiant Ospreay swearing and spitting at Omega, before falling to a Kamigoye and One Winged Angel that put him down for the count. The Kamigoye was of particular significance, not just because it was the finishing move of Kenny�s former tag team partner and best friend Kota Ibushi, but because of Will Ospreay�s history with Kota Ibushi. Prior to this encounter, Omega�s last match in New Japan was Wrestle Kingdom 2019 where he lost the IWGP Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi. During interviews Omega had mentioned he was distracted during that match because Kota Ibushi was unable to accompany him to the ring for his title defense. Why was Kota unable to second his friend? Because Will Ospreay had injured him earlier on the show. That was Omega�s last night in New Japan, and because of Will Ospreay he didn�t have his best friend to support him through the experience. While Kota Ibushi was able to recover and go on to become IWGP Champion himself, it was Will Ospreay that ended Ibushi�s reign. Hitting the Kamigoye on Ospreay was Omega getting revenge for Ibushi. Beating Will Ospreay in the Match of the Year was Omega reminding the world that no one is better than �The Best Bout Machine.�� -Adam Berger

�A mega dream match that beat the insurmountable hype. This was one of the most thorough executions of a pro wrestling rear end whooping I�ve ever seen. Omega was absolutely brutal in his offense as he unleashed a performance that stands up with any in the history of that building. This felt like the biggest match ever from just the entrances alone. In his first time back in New Japan since his departure to AEW, Omega walked in the Dome like he was god himself coming back to reclaim his position that was filled by Will Ospreay. Ospreay was always the successor to Omega. Throughout every great match, Ospreay got closer to getting people to live and die with him. I believe this match put Ospreay in another class to where people could connect with him beyond his physical gifts. I feel Ospreay later took this blueprint with him to his match with Shota Umino. My mouth set agape for the last 20 minutes of this match. We never got to see Kobe vs Lebron in the NBA finals, but we did see Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay in 2023. This felt like the sliding doors of generational greatness separated by a decade. We caught this as Will was walking into his zenith, while Omega was still at his. Some dream matches never quite get there, and really should stay dreams. I�m glad we got to wake up and see this one for real.� -Rich Latta

�Well poo poo. They did it. Honestly, I thought it would be good-great but, like a lot of highly touted matches, wrestled like a match trying to be the greatest match unlike what this was, which was them going out there, following the story they were actually telling and wrestling the match and not the moment. There was no gratuitous let�s soak in the crowd moment, or something similarly manufactured. They simply tried to win. Both wrestled with intent, aggression and with follow through. Omega was aggressive from the off, hurting Ospreay quickly with his approach and spent the whole match following up on that with some of the most dangerous stunts he could think of. In classic Kenny fashion, there were some call backs to his previous matches, like the table spot with Okada, but in this case, they linked into the story of the match in a natural way. Omega put the table on the injured back of Ospreay, after he just crashed into the edge of the ring. Exactly the right thing for the right moment. Moreover, Ospreay proved that his best self is him selling for his opponent and working from beneath. His selling was great at times, playing into the blood extremely well and the effect it should have on you, while still providing some excellent offence when he could. This match was Omega heavy however, but luckily, this was the best Kenny Omega performance since 2018. I�ve never been in love with Omega�s work during his AEW. He was usually good but rarely great and NEVER this good. And he showed up big time in this match. This was nothing short of amazing. A quality dome match. MOTY ****1/2″ -Bailey Mowatt

�Not counting their comedy-laden indie schtick from PWG in 2015, which seems like lifetimes ago respectively, this was the first entry in what could be a feud of a generation. They have both excelled with the god-level talent that is Okada for matches that redefined greatness, but finally the former Western Ace of NJPW met the best wrestler in the world 1 on 1� and it was astounding. These 2 have always been crazy with the spots they will pull off, but their talent, class, and storytelling acumen was on full display to give us a match that will live on forever. There isn�t much more you can ask for within the sport of pro wrestling.� -Jake Nelson

�Few times in my wrestling fandom have I seen a match that made me redefine what I like about this hobby that I have been following most of my life. Okada vs Omega IV was the latest one until I watched Omega vs Ospreay in Wrestle Kingdom. It felt like an epic encounter from the entrances until the bell rang. They redefined what is amazing pro wrestling by having one of the best matches I have seen in my life. There was the story before and throughout the match, the oh glorious violence, and Omega felt at home. There is something about Omega in Japan that still has not been replicated in the United States in my eyes. I don�t know what it is, but his matches feel extra special in Japan. Ospreay proved why he is one of the best wrestlers in the world. I don�t care if this sound gatekeepish, but if you don�t like this match, I don�t think pro wrestling is for you. This is one of those matches that you can say that maybe it�s not your style, maybe you can say that it went a little overboard with the violence or the selling, all fair points, but if you say that this is a bad match or not entertaining, I won�t take you seriously. This is my match of the year, and only their second match came close.� -Abraham Delgado

�Not only is this my match of the year, it is currently my favourite match ever. The four years away from New Japan helped give Omega a different aura from the last time he was in the promotion. The last time he was in New Japan he was one of the top guys in the promotions, on this day he felt like one an actual legend. This match had a violent spirit to it that even the most weapon heavy deathmatch couldn�t equal, and afterwards Ospreay was clearly shaken by what he had been through. He certainly wasn�t humbled by the experience though, as he spent the rest of 2023 pushing himself to be as big of a legend as Omega had been that night. Will Ospreay on January 5th was a different man than he was on January 3rd.� -Chris Gannon

�Sometimes you were the top gaijin (I guess we�re not supposed to use that term anymore and instead use the less negatively charged gaikokujin, but the only people who care are dorks like me that have a couple of semesters of Japanese under their belts; I�m guessing native Japanese speakers couldn�t care less) and you come back to your break out promotion, looking for the crown you set down. Sometimes you come back and you show the world exactly who you are and this terrifying spectacle was all about that. Omega came in after a long lay off and was somehow the equal of his former self. It�s stuff like this that we stay up until 4 o�clock in the morning watching Wrestle Kingdom for.� -Justin Harman aka DJ Convoy

�A Tokyo Dome level match between Ospreay and Omega that told a very simple but great story with Omega being the outsider that comes into New Japan to defeat Ospreay. The Cleaner dominated the first half of the match and destroyed the Champion with vicious moves to build up a grand opening for Ospreay. The comeback was well done and added the extra level of drama needed to make this match an all-timer.� -Yannik Peps

�Looking back, it�s amazing to see this match went wire-to-wire for my match of the year. Re-watching, though, it�s easy to see why.

All the ingredients were here for Ospreay and Omega, two of the most dynamic wrestlers of any generation, to put on a showcase of pure spectacle. Instead, it was a wrathful Omega using his highly anticipated return to the Tokyo Dome to destroy Ospreay, rip the IWGP U.S. title out of Ospreay�s hands and deliver an emphatic statement. In what was supposed to be a meeting of the best of both worlds, there was only this message, written in the language of unrelenting brutality: there�s only one world, and it was still ruled by Kenny Omega.� -TDE

�Sometimes the reality does live up to the hype. A genuine contender for the greatest match ever. From the hard as hell Cheeky Nandos kicks, that insane DDT on the exposed turnbuckle and the V Triggers which Will finally figured out a counter for, everything was perfect. It was a babyface performance from Ospreay that would set the pace for his 2023 which could go down as one of the GOAT years and Kenny as the heel who took Will�s proclamation as the Best Bout Machine very personally showed that he still is one of the best when given a chance. Just perfect.� -Peter Edge

�From the moment this match ended it was always going to be tough to beat for MOTY. This match combined the intense all action sequences that characterize the best of Japanese style main event wrestling with great storytelling and sheer violence. Ospreay�s selling is one of his most underrated abilities and it was on show here as it looked like he was being dominated and would soon be defeated numerous times only for him to come back a number of times until it was clear that all the fight he could muster was finally gone and at that moment Omega delivered a devastating knee as set set up for the awesome one winged angel finish.� -Jason Turner

�For many people Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay was a matchup of two of their absolute all time favorites that they couldn�t wait to see get in the ring together. For me, it was not- it was simply two high level wrestlers who I�ve also never considered myself to be much of a fanboy of. And yet, when it came time to select the 2023 Match of the Year, this was still really no contest for me- there was simply no match that stood out above this one. The usual amazing spots you�d expect from these two were there of course, but it was the sheer brutality that ultimately put it above all others.� -John Carroll

�It�s one thing to deliver on a cross-promotional dream match which had been teased by both participants for months. Even without the extra element of Kenny Omega�s first match in NJPW since he and the Bucks gambled on themselves and headed back to North America, Omega and Will Ospreay�s duel at the Tokyo Dome was likely viewed as a fait accompli MOTY contender by most of the people voting in this poll before the bell had even rung. Anything less would have been a massive disappointment, especially with a somewhat lukewarm Kazuchika Okada/Jay White contest in the actual main event.

So no, the actual quality of this match could in no way be considered a surprise. What was a surprise was the particular path this match took to greatness. While delivering exactly the sort of high-workrate cardio test we all knew this would be, Omega and Ospreay�s first singles encounter since 2015, years before either was in the Best In The World conversation, was a decidedly one-sided affair. Sure, Ospreay was given moments to show off his heart and offense, which from a purely technical and athletic perspective had likely passed Omega�s by this point in both men�s careers, and this wasn�t a Brock/Cena style squash, but overall Omega simply pilloried and brutalized his younger opponent with a frenzied mania which was far more sinister than anything we�d seen from Omega since he left New Japan.

Omega�s in-ring character work, criticized by some (though not me) as melodramatic or cartoonish, was uniquely suited to this sort of match and story. That the sickening DDT to the exposed turnbuckle could be of a piece with Kenny�s Jack Nicholson pantomime which happens just moments afterwards seems somewhat paradoxical, but that defiance of convention is replicated in the story of the elder gaikokujin usurping the throne he effectively abdicated to Ospreay. Much like the abomination of Goya�s Saturn or the father in Kafka�s �The Judgment�, the sadistic glee with which Omega rends apart his would-be successor seems a crime against nature itself. It�s the way of things for the young to replace the old, and to watch Omega gibber and cackle as he spits in the face of that primal law is deeply unsettling in a way pro wrestling rarely is.

To put it less pretentiously, this is the sort of one-sided upset, or defeat of an heir apparent by their equivalent from the previous generation which Gedo, for all of his current flaws, knows exactly when to utilize, putting money down for a long-term payoff (see Okada/Tanahashi at WK 9). Say what you will about the glacial pace of some NJPW booking, but with this chilling, bloody, and entirely thrilling display, Omega and Ospreay gave depth and subtlety to the beginning of a feud which could be providing dividends for all involved, including those of us who simply watched it, for years to come.� � Bruce Lord

�This. Match. This one will always be one of my favorite matches of all time because it carried a lot of weight for me and signified NJPW returning to it�s glory days, even if only for one night. The return to packed houses of cheering fans. The pandemic clap crowd era of NJPW was rough but now we are finally free and Wrestle Kingdom is Wrestle Kingdom once again. Only Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay could put on a match of this caliber in this situation on this big a stage. This match is everything we love about pro wrestling. Pageantry via extravagant entrances; Omega�s Sephiroth entrance marking the return of the �Best Bout Machine� and Will Ospreay�s entrance marking the return of the Aerial Assassin. Immediately our perceived face and heel situation was switched up. Brilliant. Athleticism by way of insane spots like Omega attempting the dreaded �top rope dragon suplex� only for Ospreay to land on his feet. Or Omega actually hitting �Croyt�s Wrath� off the top rope, ridiculous. Brutality by way of violence and Omega�s desire to destroy Ospreay by smashing his head into a table. Or Ospreay repaying violence with violence through a series of �cheeky nandos� kicks that defined the word �stiff� and caused Omega�s eye to swell shut. Ospreay�s comeback was electric; the story of the young hotshot who had sworn he�d surpassed and replaced the absent legend only for him to return and remind the world that he is still the best. This match was violent, it was athletic, it was dramatic, it was incredible. Omega and Ospreay never �kind of� hit their moves, everything is so precise which is wild, considering the athleticism that is on display here. One of my favorite matches of all time and my definite MOTY for 2023.� -Noveliss

�The dream match of NJPW�s two biggest Western successes of this generation finally met and MY GOD was it a greater classic than we could have possibly imagined. THE example of building intensity to a fever pitch. This is how you do it.

I�ll always remember my reaction to watching Ospreay�s head crash down onto the exposed turnbuckle, the way he amped himself up after as the blood trickled down his head. Then the violence of the Hidden Blade he delivered straight to Omega�s face later on was brutally fitting, beat-for-beat a perfect amplification of what came before.

I�m not speaking hyperbole when I call this the bar of excellence for this style of intensity. A god-tier performance that we�ll be referencing for years to come.� -Matt Maher (aka Imp)

�This match lived up to the sky-high expectations all of us put on it. Omega�s aggression was my favorite part and Ospreay was his usual brilliant self.� -George Atsaves

�This epic showdown brought together two of the world�s greatest wrestlers on one of the grandest stages of professional wrestling. It marked Kenny Omega�s triumphant return to NJPW after a hiatus since January 4th, 2019. As Omega departed, he entrusted the task of elevating NJPW to Jay White and his Wrestle Kingdom 17 opponent, Will Ospreay. Ospreay seized the opportunity and established himself as one of the top international stars in the promotion. However, this clash wasn�t just about determining the best wrestler; it was deeply personal. Omega held Ospreay accountable for the decline in attendance and subdued crowds, disregarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, Omega sought to settle a score with Ospreay, who had knocked out his best friend and tag team partner, Kota Ibushi, during Wrestle Kingdom 13, which turned out to be Omega�s farewell night in NJPW.

Both competitors engaged in intense shoot style interviews, openly criticizing each other. The tension peaked during the Wrestle Kingdom 17 Press Conference on January 3rd, where fiery words were exchanged. The following night, it was time to let their actions speak louder than words. Omega and Ospreay delivered a breathtaking display of athleticism and brutality that will be etched in my memory forever. Omega strategically targeted Ospreay�s head and neck, subjecting him to a vicious DDT on the exposed turnbuckle, leaving his face drenched in a crimson mask. However, Ospreay proved his resilience, fighting back with moves like the Hidden Blade, Oscutter, and the Styles Clash. Yet, even with Ospreay�s best efforts, he couldn�t overcome the sheer brilliance of the Best Bout Machine.

In a climactic finale, Omega sealed Ospreay�s fate with a devastating Kamigoye followed by the One Winged Angel. This match, which took place just four days into 2023, set the bar impossibly high for the rest of the year.� -Jeremy Donovan

�An impossible standard set at the beginning of the year and nothing, not even the rematch, got close to dethroning them.� -Jameshova

�After 7 years of loving NJPW, this was the first time I woke up early (3:45am CST) to watch some of Wrestle Kingdom live, and this match was the reason. I didn�t regret a single second of it. To experience that match at the same time everyone else in the world did was truly special, and I�ll never forget how hard I was buzzing for the rest of the day.� -Elliot Imes

�In modern professional wrestling, where every great match makes tape, it is very difficult for a match to be so great it stays in your mind all year. This match was than and then some. An all-timer match, which successfully melts the brain and gets the blood pumping.� -Josh R. Hoxha

�Two of the best wrestlers in the world giving a fight that became violent and personal as the minutes passed. Omega bringing out his most brutal side to destroy Ospreay and show that even if he is not in the company, he is still important there.� -Fede Fromwell

�This one set the bar for 2023 four days in, and to me, nothing else surpassed it though several matches came close.� -Eric Krol

�A match-up that was eagerly awaited by many fans, that was teased for many months and that absolutely didn�t disappoint.

The chemistry between the two was exceptional, with Will Ospreay at the top of his game and Kenny Omega showing us that he�s not the same at Tokyo Dome (K.Omega 17′ vibes).

Memorable entrances, an intense and violent match that held fans spellbound from start to finish.� -Traff

�Wrestling may never get any better than this. In a year filled with outrageously great wrestling there was never any doubt what my #1 was going to be� -Lee Malone

�When it comes to main event wrestling on the biggest stage, this is as good as it gets. A match so grueling that you question if they are giving too much of themselves to their craft. I honestly didn�t know Omega still had a match at this level left in him, but I was happy to be wrong. And then they did it again in June.� -Kevin Ely

�For me there will never be a match like this ever again. In 2017 I�ve watched Ospreay vs. KUSHIDA and that match made me buy a plane ticket for the upcoming WK. Elevated was the first entrance theme for the opening match for that WK. I do not have words to describe the how hard my heart was pounding when I recognized that it will be Elevated playing for the Ospreay�s entrance. The only cheering show of my trip as well. And I cheered my soul out. Me and the older Japanese guy sitting on my left, we both cheered for Ospreay, while the four younger Japanese guys on my right cheered for Omega. I do not really remember what happened in this match, I only remember the emotional high I was on for the duration of the match, one of most engrossing matches I have ever seen. We lived and died for the two maniacs in the ring and they gave us back everything we gave them. If it was possible, this match would have ended the pandemic. Thank you Omega, thank you Ospreay for this piece of art, I spend too much on my trip to Japan, but it was more than worth it just for this match alone.� -Velkej Bracha

�The best match seen in my life time.� -Jacob Woolley

�It wasn�t just the wrestling, which was excellent. It was the timing and the crispness of everything they did that made this match so memorable. The measuring stick for 2023 was set on January 4, and while there were plenty of close calls, nothing made an impact quite like this match.� -Bryan Rose

�Mitsuhara Misawa
Kenta Kobashi
Bryan Danielson
Kazuchika Okada
Kenny Omega

Barring accident, injury, or act of god, by the time Will Ospreay retires he�s going to surpass each and every one of them. At 30 he�s already been the best active wrestler for most of the past 5 years, he�s created a hall of fame worthy resume, and if this match is any indication, he still hasn�t reached his peak. Despite all the glory and success, when put in the ring with someone like Omega, Ospreay can still be the underdog, still hold the crowd on every near-fall, and still make you believe in the magic of pro wrestling.

For nearly 35 minutes, Will Ospreay, the defending champion, gets the poo poo beat out of him. This isn�t a suplex city squash, Ospreay often finds a way to sneak in a counter and hit a few flashy or violent maneuvers, but he can never really take control of the match. He�s always stuck responding. For every Oscutter or Robinson Special, Omega has a DDT on the exposed turnbuckle, friendly table to drive Ospreay�s face through, or an avalanche Croyt�s wrath. Kenny is the final boss and Ospreay is fighting for his life. It�s a beautiful journey, filled with emotion that only pro wrestling can produce.

Forget 2023, this is easily one of the greatest matches of all time. It�s clearly the best match of Ospreay�s career, and shockingly, I think he�s still holding back. Undoubtedly these two are going to meet again, but for now they�ve restored a lot of lost glory to Wrestle Kingdom, the Tokyo Dome, and New Japan Pro Wrestling.� -Jason Westhaver

�While Tears of the Kingdom is probably a technically better game than its predecessor, I still prefer Breath of the Wild purely because of my reaction to it at the time. Similarly, while their rematch at Forbidden Door was probably (just about) a better match, I have enormous affection for their Wrestle Kingdom show down. Coming out of the traps in 2023, 4 days into the new year and putting on the match of the year was a flex only Omega and Ospreay could pull off. Incredible in ring storytelling and hard hitting action just seething with bitter animosity, this was incredible� -Martin Hearty

�Match of the year? Yes. Match of the decade? TBD. Arguably the greatest match of all time.� -Corey Grech

�The ground for waxing lyrical about this match has been so well-trodden that it�s almost a cliche to heap praise on everything it does right. Omega returning to the Dome as the imposing, endgame final boss battle. Ospreay�s chance to ascension into the highest kayfabe echelon as the emergent babyface, eager to quell any question that this is now his turf. The slow escalation from tit-for-tat showcase to sheer brutality. Callbacks. Shock spots. Nearfalls that you believe in your heart of hearts while still leaving each guy�s finisher well protected. To call this a masterclass would be underplaying it and to call it a return to truly great dome matches of the mid-2010s would be too simplistic. This match is many things to many people, but the one knowable constant is that this is 2023�s Match of the Year.� -SOM

�Emblematic of the product that makes New Japan Pro Wrestling such a beloved promotion, this match delivered and even exceeded expectations. The action was apocalyptic and when one man seemed defeated, hidden strength would always resurface. This is the wrestling that elevates the medium.� -Corey Michaels

�It is an amazing experience to sit down after finishing a match and having literally nothing to say because you�re speechless. When this match was finished, it was one of those rare times where I could only think that I had just seen the greatest match ever. Today, I still believe this is the single greatest wrestling match that has ever happened. Both Will and Kenny completely unloaded everything they had physically and mentally for this match. Even to this day I have a hard time expressing what I had seen this night. The greatest wrestling match of all time.� -Skeach101

�For fans that fell in love with wrestling through Bushiroad�s New Japan, Sinclair�s Ring of Honor and AEW, this was their Shinbou Kandori vs Akira Hokuto. For older fans like myself, it was still a fantastic match that spawned a rematch in the summer. Kudos for Omega and Ospreay for making it as brutal as they could be on a big stage like Wrestle Kingdom while still incorporating the high flying they are known for.� -JML

�Not only is this easily the best match I saw all year, it might also be the best I have ever seen. Two of the greatest wrestlers of all time somehow, someway not just living up to the hype leading in to this match, but superseding it.

An absolutely captivating, enthralling match that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. A truly shocking, brutal display, executed to an impeccable standard.

This match has so many spots that just stick with me. Will anyone ever be able to forget Omega repeatedly bashing Ospreys already bloody head in to the notoriously stiff Japanese table until finally the barrier was breached.

Or the absolutely disgusting avalanche DDT on the exposed turnbuckle that busted Ospreys open in the first place, or the top rope reversal by Omega that drove Ospreay�s head in the exposed buckle once again.

Will�s selling was the star of the show for me here. The way his lifeless body was ragdolling around really brought home the relentless, stomach churning offence of Kenny; the way he was crumbling at times more reminiscent of a grainy video you�d see online of a street fight, than a professional wrestling match.

One of the last acts of Ospreay in this match was to defiantly spit in the face of Omega, knowing he is a defeated man before succumbing to the one winged angel. What a match!� -Steven Lehmann

�I�ll never forget Will Ospreay�s face as he was draped over the turnbuckle. Kenny was in the background, revving up a V-Trigger. In slow motion, Kenny started running before building momentum. I willed Ospreay to move. I begged him, sending my shouts to the other side of the world. Ospreay didn�t move, and I saw the light extinguish from his eyes. Will Ospreay sells perfectly, and I believed he was dead.

The pinnacle of the craft, from two of the greatest wrestlers of all time.� -Neil David

�The Best Bout Machine faces his shadow. Everything Ospreay wants to be, Omega did first, and this was the time to define Ospreay�s place in the hierarchy of professional wrestling. Filled with more violence than one would expect from two finesse workers, this match shocked even the most fervent of fans in the Tokyo Dome that evening.� -Marty Day

�The world turned up to see one thing from Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay only to get something completely different. This was a systemic dissection of the British man from a driven and vindictive Omega, building on their incoming story and one of the most shocking matches in quite some time. Every time Ospreay began to gain momentum it was swiftly cut off by the more experienced Omega, and somehow, in a more brutal way then the last. Double foot stomp through a table, a DDT into an exposed turnbuckle, spot after spot to make you cringe and worry about Will�s condition.

The finish, a kamigoye followed by a One winged Angel (after one final act of Ospreay defiance) was emphatic. It brought to a close both the most memorable match of the year and the one which left you feeling the most breathless. As beautiful as it was brutal, this was the perfect presentation of pro wrestling in the modern age and one that will be truly memorable for a long time to come.� -Trish Speirs

�The two best wrestlers in the world set a bar at the beginning of the year that the entire industry would be hard pressed to try to match, even by these same two performers later on in the year. It�s amazing how well they both blended the utmost levels of athleticism in the match, but also violent intensity in a year that would be known for its spectacular matches amid a backdrop of brutality. Will and Kenny provided one of those performances, in the ambience of the Tokyo Dome, that is a formula for true wrestling perfection.� -Reuel Castillo

�One of the absolute pro wrestling matches I�ve ever seen from two of the greatest to do it. And now with hindsight, it truly was the kickoff of a legendary year for Ospreay, as he both prepared his next move in pro wrestling while affirming with aplomb that he is one of the greatest to ever do it.� -Warren Hayes

�Only match in my opinion that has gotten even close to those classic Omega-Okada matches. I think this should be winning every MOTY award.� -Jon Rogers

�This match alone encapsulated a time when I loved pro wrestling like no other. It felt like I was back in 2017 and watching the rise of Kenny Omega again. Just seeing Omega in the dome again after so many years away from a NJPW ring. Decked out in style coming out to Final Fantasy�s Sephiroth�s theme. This match was pure magical, it had everything � violence, technical and spectacle. This match had lots of emotional attachment for me and I will forever love it.� -FAR5222

�Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega was the match to beat for the majority of 2023. I firmly believe their first match outclasses the second. Make the Tokyo Dome joke all you want. There was a different feel with Omega returning to NJPW and taking on Ospreay. A different level of physicality, spectacle, and match itself. It was the return of Omega to being the best and the continuation of Ospreay�s unbelievable run the last few years. It�s the best match of Ospreay�s career for my money.� -Scott Edwards

�The biggest stage in wrestling. The best wrestlers in the world. Over-the-top entrances befitting the Tokyo Dome. There was no way this was going to be anything short of spectacular. It was indeed spectacular, and also quite brutal. I did not expect the most impactful visual to be Omega repeatedly smashing Ospreay�s head through a table like Jason Voorhees. It really played up how this wasn�t just a dream match, there was a lot of emotion and backstory going into it: Ospreay and Omega�s shared time in NJPW, Ospreay KO-ing Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 13, Ospreay�s burning need to break out of Omega�s shadow once and for all. And as great as it was, they still left room on the table for a rematch, which we got later that year.� -Andrew Rich

�When this match was over, I was sure it would be the match of the year. And it would�ve been if not for the rematch.� -Paul Fontaine

�An absolute all-timer. Two of the best big-match performers ever drive each other to create something magical, something that reimagines what a wrestling match can be.� -Ryan Dilbert

�This was a reminder that Kenny Omega in a New Japan main event is something special.� -Jays Retro

�Not even Kazuchika Okada & Jay White could follow this.� -Ethan Renner

�A match that makes you feel like you�re watching the very cutting edge of what pro wrestling in this style can be. Add in the easily understandable story of the old foreign ace of New Japan coming back and brutalizing his successor? Pure, unfiltered art.� -Liam Renner

�Kenny Omega�s return to NJPW, facing the very man who took his place as the top gaijin in Japan. Ospreay proudly defended the title he carried for the past few months, and through his style in this match�a hybrid between what he did in the junior heavyweight division and the style he adopted upon transitioning to heavyweight�he appears to be very close, if not already at the peak of his career. However, Kenny Omega is a different kind of beast, showcasing it both in kayfabe and in the ring. An exceptional match that I didn�t think could be surpassed so quickly.� -Dan Duca

�Before their second match, this was the best match I�d ever seen. Kenny Omega is at his best in New Japan when he can be a little bit cartoonish and it fits like a glove. They delivered a match that everyone thought they could and then some.� -Tyler Forness

�I�m sure many people can put to words the excellence of this match better than I ever could. So I will state my thoughts simply. Only two other Dome matches have made me feel the same way watching live: Okada vs Omega from 2017 and Okada vs Naito in 2020. Pure magic of motion.� -Semi Salmikannas

�At the time I thought this was going to be impossible to beat for MOTY. It was pipped out�though only by their own rematch�� -Jarrett Seidler

�Kenny�s first match back under NJPW combined with the beginning of Ospreays insane 2023 stretch made this special. It�s a lot more physical than I thought it would get. Will taking the rope rope DDT onto the exposed turnbuckle was awesome.� -Brett Miles

�A stunning match to watch live that started off 2023 with a bang and was for the majority of the year my number 1 match of the year. Two of the all time greats having a long expected grudge match with the added drama of �Does Kenny still have it?� Yes. Yes he does. Kenny and Will go at each other at a ridiculous and Brutal pace and deliver a match that 90% of other years is my MOTY.� -Arturo Galletti

�The Greatest Match of All-Time. For five and a half months.� -Jeremy Sexton

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

lukasmgc - 4.0
"I deleted my previous review and looked at this, my god this isn't even good still. It's boring. Third rewatch at its pathetic. 40 minutes of my life have been wasted with this match. The finish is pretty notable though. Second one is much better and you should go watch it."

# ? Feb 27, 2024 23:15

thatguyclint: Apr 11, 2005; See, I didn't know that...ducks eat for free at Subway.

Not that it needs more accolades, but that 9.76 rating from Cagematch also makes Omega vs Ospreay the highest rated match in this tournament and the 6th highest rated match of all time (with at least 25 votes, and it's also the match on the site with the most votes).

# ? Feb 28, 2024 01:59

Cavauro: Jan 9, 2008

earnestly voting against my nomination on this one but just a little bit (remember to count it as 0.4 of a vote)

# ? Feb 28, 2024 02:02

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.

# ? Feb 28, 2024 02:10

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 56.25% of the vote, Omega/Ospreay advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Takumi Iroha vs. Mayu Iwatani from Stardom The Way to Major League against Ilja Dragonov vs. Walter from WWE NXT TakeOver 36

# ? Feb 29, 2024 06:02

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 16: Takumi Iroha vs. Mayu Iwatani - February 8, 2020 (Stardom The Way to Major League) against Ilja Dragonov vs. Walter - August 22, 2021 (WWE NXT TakeOver 36)

Takumi Iroha vs. Mayu Iwatani - February 8, 2020 (Stardom The Way to Major League)

Match Available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNtsQnO5zYQ

What We Said

Did not qualify for Match of The Year status

GEORGE W BUSHI posted:

Mayu's scheduled opponent got pulled due to sickness the night before so Stardom brought in the newly minted President and Ace of Marvelous, Takumi Iroha to wrestle in a non-title singles main event and with almost no time to prepare these two knocked it out of the loving park.

Iroha showed up with the whole Marvelous roster to watch her kick the poo poo out of Mayu, too. Call me when your Harolds and your Tonys can do that. Even knowing the result I was surprised by how one sided it was. Iroha ended her. The inevitable rematch is going to be amazing

Sticky Nate posted:

holy poo poo. I was not spoiled on the result so that finishing sequence whipped rear end.

MassRafTer posted:

Holy poo poo that was nuts, third. GO WATCH THIS MATCH.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: Not Rated Cagematch Ratings:9.29 based on 147 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 17 with 114 points from 21 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�Takumi Iroha had not been seen in Stardom for over a year before this match. She made an impactful statement upon her return as she absolutely dominated the world champion. Iwatani is one of the best sellers in wrestling and she did a wonderful job of making Takumi Iroha look like an absolute killer. Iroha held up her end of the bargain as she laid in her kicks and strikes, and generally beat Iwatani from pillar to post. Iwatani had a few hope spots but for the most part this was Iroha�s match that played to the strengths of both women.� -Alex Richards

�Iroha through a number of kicks in this match that had my jaw on the floor. Mayu is a champ for enduring such a beating. Best joshi match of the year without question.� -Mark Robinson

�You can tell the difference between good and great wrestlers based on how they react when unexpected things happen. When Iwatani�s initial opponent, Sareee, had to pull out of the show due to illness, it would have been completely acceptable for Iroha to come in, work a basic match, and send the crowd home happy. But because she and Iwatani are both absolute geniuses when it comes to wrestling (just watch a Marvelous show and see the perfect timing that Iroha�s trainees have), they ended up putting together the best women�s match of 2020. Upon first viewing, I was just having a great time, enjoying the one-sided beatdown that Iroha was laying in on Iwatani, but when the closing sequence happened, and Iroha just crushed Iwatani with her finisher and pinned the most prestigious women�s champion in Japan, it solidified Iroha as the most under-appreciated wrestler in joshi and Iwatani as the best women�s wrestler in the world.� -Parker Klyn

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

PUNQ - 7.0
"Takumi Iroha -vs- Mayu Iwatani [*** 1/2] Iroha was a last-minute replacement for Sareee, so the match lacked any specific hype or heat to build on. That's the main set-back. However, they delivered a stunning trashing. While originally a Stadom girl, Iroha wrestles represents Marvelous now, yet got to dominate the Stardom Red Belt holder in a convincing manner. Iwatani is so likable that it doesn't really hurt her that much, but not sure this was best for business unless it leads to a actual title bout down the line. At least there was some super hot bits in this bout, and they kept it stiff in true ace-style! Honestly, I'm not that familiar with Iroha yet, so that might explain one of the reasons why I'm not as high on the match an many others, but the match definitely has a lot of positivity and one that one can easily sit back and enjoy."

Ilja Dragonov vs. Walter - August 22, 2021 (WWE NXT TakeOver 36)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of the Year status

DarkstarIV posted:

Match SLAPPED...both quality and literally.

YourHumbleMessiah posted:

this is it, the actual match of the year

Dango Bango posted:

What a Goddamn war

Pylons posted:

I think I liked their first match a bit more.

Armitage posted:

Two people hitting each other really hard for 25 minutes can make for a great match

graph posted:

what a loving gem of a match, good lord

Kirios posted:

May be the actual best match of the year too.

Venomous posted:

I loving hate the WWE, and I especially loving hate how they just put on the greatest match of the year.

probably the last truly great Fed match at this rate lmaooooo

Pinwiz11 posted:

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

Quantum of Phallus posted:

WALTER has the best matches in WWE by a wide wide margin

Edward Mass posted:

I both want to see and don�t want to see WALTER called up to the main roster.

Quantum of Phallus posted:

i don't even wanna see him called up to NXT proper

Venomous posted:

I just want to see him kill it against Brock and then immediately get released

forkboy84 posted:

Match was obviously terrific, will say I thought it was a notch behind their last match. Still light years ahead of the sort of thing you expect from WWE

Lamuella posted:

Jesus loving christ. Ilja Dragunov might look like a jacked Stan Laurel but he wrestles like a force of nature.

Penguin Patrol posted:

I hope everyone at least watches Ilja vs Walter. Technically it's from a fake promotion that snuck a match onto Takeover, so you don't have to feel too bad when you watch it.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: *****1/4 Cagematch Ratings: 9.64 based on 759 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 6 with 406 points from 63 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�The valiant Dragunov juxtaposes perfectly with the champion brute in a match as unrelentingly physical as their classic 2020 encounter. Dragunov had to endure hell to bring down his big beast of an adversary. As fun as the thudding strikes are, its his heart and guts that truly power the bout. Champion and challenger wallop each other in a fight for pride, for survival, for each man�s legacy. Again, these two made the NXT UK Championship feel like a prize as valuable as Excalibur�s sword.� -Ryan Dilbert

�Violence incarnate � a snuff film within a wrestling ring.� -Jacob Nelson

�These two have had matches all across Europe, and while it sucked that their built-up rematch ended up happening in the States and not in the UK, at least they were able to show why those of us in Europe were banging the drum for them for all these years.� -Ian Hamilton

�The follow-up to their 2020 classic on NXT: UK, Dragunov and WALTER again stole the show, this time on a bigger stage. The �Takeover� name is synonymous with excellent matches but this one may have beaten them all. WALTER�s indomitable reign as NXT: UK champion was ended in memorable fashion to, really, the only person on that brand who could�ve taken the title from him.� -Greg Parks

�Does anyone remember the match that these two had last year (2020)? Well if you don�t first of all what is wrong with you go watch it NOW! Because that match was awesome, they had a rematch in the later part of 2021 as part of the NXT Takeover 36 event and it had a lot to live up to but this match probably outdid their first meeting and even saying that sounds insane. My point is that any time these two have wrestled each other (only twice in WWE/NXT to my knowledge) it has been absolutely amazing. Going into this match I was hoping it was going to be really good because of how good that their first encounter was, I try not to anticipate a good wrestling match too much because I don�t want to be disappointed by my own high expectations that I have had for a match if it�s not as good as I had hoped that it would be but this match was incredible and it was ten months removed from the first time they wrestled so the anticipation for this one was off the charts. Once again both WALTER and Dragunov beat the living poo poo out of each other. The match was an experience and after watching this one my body was hurting even though I was watching it from the comfort of my own home on my couch. I can�t even imagine the physicality that these two men went through and the toll that this match took on both of their bodies but this match was one that will be talked about for years to come. Dragunov would win this match after making WALTER tap out to a sleeper hold to become the new United Kingdom Champion. WALTER�s historic title reign came to an end on its 870th day. A reign that will go down in history of one of the best title reigns ever but Ilja Dragunov will also be in the record books because he was the one who dethroned WALTER and destroyed his Kingdom.� -Nathan Neumann

�We all know that Walter�s chops are part of the draw of his matches, but the real flourish here is seeing Ilya as a man who can absorb them, again and again, without physically or mentally breaking down. This was a just end to Walter�s lengthy run as NXT UK champion.� -Brian Moore

�The finish was a chefs kiss of a moment and the perfect way for WALTER�s reign as NXT UK Champ to end. It would be the show stealer of NXT 1.0�s final hurrah with it�s callbacks to their history adding flavour to the brutality that they served up. It makes you want the main roster style and NXT 2.0 to not be what it is right now.� -Peter Edge

�This is all heart all fire. This is two eternal rivals that are destined to do this forever. I know some say this isn�t even their best match and they are probably right. That is scary in itself. I don�t hear enough people say it but WALTER vs Dragunov is one of the greatest in ring rivalries in history. It is every bit in the ilk of Omega vs Okada, Kobashi vs Misawa and this match among the best in their saga� -Markeem Graham

�These two can do no wrong. A wonderful, violent spectacle and just as good as their 2020 offering.� -Mark

�This match absolutely ruled. RULED. The match in 2020 was about Walter dominating and Ilja surviving, this time however Ilja had way more of the match and it was Walter�s time to survive as much as he could. From the first beat, Ilja is the one that fires off the first chop and Walter kicks the bottom rope in frustration and it sets the stall out that Ilja is going to be an even tougher challenge than he was before. The match is a hell of a fight and never lets up the pace, even when they do some grappling in the opening minutes and Walter throws in some lunging knee strikes while on the mat. There�s that one clunky moment right towards the end of the match where they do a top rope sleeper thing and it doesn�t come off well, but for me that just adds to the exhaustion of the match that these two guys aren�t executing moves smoothly, and Ilja goes straight back on the attack anyway with rapid elbows rather than let the dodgy moment linger. Ilja was a man possessed and I can�t think of a better performance by a Walter opponent ever to convince me that Walter was beatable than the Russian pulled off here. He was relentless and varied in his offence, flying and striking at Walter anyway he could and when the Torpedo Moscow failed to get the win, he poetically went for a strategy that has won Walter so many matches in his career � the sleeper � the move that finally lost him the previous title match back in 2020. I loving love this finish with Ilja determined to make this sleeper work, and when Walter battles out, he just fires off with more strikes and locks it in tighter. The quick tap out surprised me as I thought they were going for Walter passing out, but I think it helped create a bigger moment� -Ed Mills

�WALTER and Dragunov clashed in an epic rematch from their NXT UK title last year. Last year these two had one of the best empty arena matches. This time they were able to wrestle in front of fans on a Takeover. This match was just as intense as the first. WALTER unleashed his devastating chops and power offense on Dragunov. However, Dragunov refused to be put down again by WALTER. Dragunov absorbed the punishment and kept fighting. In the end, Dragunov was finally able to defeat WALTER and end his 870-day reign.� -Jeremy Donovan

�I have no idea what the hell is going on at this supposedly real show called �NXT: UK� so it seems to me like these two guys just meet up out of the blue once a year to slap each other�s chest until it looks like hamburger meat and it�s great fun every time. This year�s meeting seemed to be more emotionally charged and I was even more taken with Dragunov�s determination to actually win this time, as opposed to last year when it kinda felt like he was just challenging a bear to kill him and trying to survive for fun, which I�m lead to believe by American media isn�t unusual behavior for Russian men. Can�t wait to see next year�s edition.� -Casey Fiore

�Pro Wrestling in its simplest form is the hero conquering the villain. That is this match. Ilja was the underdog. He is smaller than WALTER, the undefeated and dominant champion of 870 days. WALTER had beaten Ilja before in another classic match but tonight, Ilja had a different energy about him. He was unafraid of the beast standing before him and looked confident in his abilities. Ilja uses his speed early on, trying to get the Ring General to the ground where WALTER�s size and power would be neutralized but WALTER is too strong. He brutalizes Ilja with chops, stomps and slaps to the face. But Ilja will not give in. He throws everything he has at WALTER and more. A Torpedo Moscow isn�t even enough to keep the Ring General down. WALTER looks to end it. A brutal powerbomb and a top rope splash! 1. 2. KICKOUT! Ilja lives! Ilja fires up and unloads on WALTER! WALTER is down! Stiff MMA elbows to the big man! Ilja locks in a sleeper! He pulls back! He knows he has nothing left if WALTER escapes. This is his last shot! WALTER taps! The monster has been slayed! The hero has done it! This was pro wrestling at its most pure and simple form. And it was glorious!� -Alex Kalil

�I�m going to be honest for a moment: I hated the first WALTER/Dragunov match in NXT UK. While I can definitely see why a lot of people loved that match, to me, it felt like watching a snuff film. I felt like it went too far in too many places, and while I admired the technical aspects of the match, it didn�t make my Top 10 last year. This match was a lot more palatable in my opinion, and showcased why WALTER is such a special athlete, and why Ilja was his perfect foil.� -Slyguy46

�Their empty arena match might have been better, but this was definitely more exciting with the atmosphere and everything. Also, this match kind of symbolized the end of the NXT we all loved. A bitter-sweet moment.� -Evandor Furtado

�Writing this after the name change certainly has me look back on this match perhaps in an even more positive light. WALTER and Ilja had a Match of the year in 2020 in an empty UK venue for NXT UK. So when they announced The rematch at Takeover 36 part of me was worried, but part of me also knew these two could deliver and they absolutely did. Not as Brutal as their 2020 encounter but with a crowd there it did not need to be. The ending of WALTER tapping and Ilja having the same reaction as myself, disbelief, put the perfect bow on this fantastic match.� -Kentucky210

�This was somehow better than all their wXw and other indie encounters and their classic from 2020, resulting in one of the best matches in WWE history.� -Parker Klyn

�It�s crazy to me that this match was as high for me as it was the year previous, but when you put WALTER and Dragunov in a ring together, there is now no doubt in my mind that they are a phenomenal match. 2020 was mainly about the brutality of WALTER and in 2021, the pair continued their story, showing the heart and fire of Dragunov to overcome the giant. The match itself was nothing short of violent and if there was ever a 3rd, count me in.� -Ryan Neitzey

�A primal, carnal war. Intensity so high it overcame the setting that the match took place in.� -Ibrahima Niang

�I�ll admit that when this match was announced, I was uncertain about it. Not because that I thought it was the right time for a rematch, nor because I doubted WALTER and Dragunov�s capability in producing a fantastic battle, but rather, I asked myself these questions: *how* could they top their previous match? Will WALTER really walk away as the NXT UK champion, extending his 870 day reign? What followed was one of the most hard-hitting matches of the year. Every doubt that I had about this rematch washed away as I laid witness to two men brawling each other for their own desires: WALTER defending his glory in a title, while Dragunov clawed through his opponent�s defense. Overall, was left speechless by this match. I want an encore.� -Caro

�After the first encounter received worldwide praise despite happening in front of zero people, it was only right that the battle which saw Ilja Dragunov takedown WALTER was witnessed by an actual crowd. The final great match of the NXT we once knew and loved is this one as these two brutalized each other until their both bodies were as red as a stop sign. I still wince at the thought of those chops they exchanged and cringe at what they probably had to deal with the days after their war. WWE can take away what makes a lot of wrestlers great to fit their style but Dragunov and WALTER didn�t let that happen. They brought the styles that got them to the dance to begin with and what followed was amazing.� -Scott Edwards Jr.

�If there is one thing that WALTER always brings, it�s violence in everything he does, from his chops to the way he holds Ilja�s body. And this match had that in absolute spades. Ilja Dragunov to his credit, is one of the rare few that can equal WALTER in that way, through his intensity. I loved his desperate attempts to prevent the chops from becoming the trope of the match, as it�s been the deciding factor for WALTER for years now. He rabidly attacked the arm, which helped prevent WALTER from locking in the Gojira Clutch, adding to the strategy in the long term. Dragunov caught a nasty cut on his forehead, just above the eye, and it was one of the better cuts you can get, visually imo as it didn�t draw much blood. It seemed more like a stinging hole in the skull than anything else. Little things like that, when not planned, only add to everything. The closing stretch was just tremendous wrestling as well. Not so much in the moves and sequences, as you can see them in every version of this match, but rather WALTER�s selling and Dragunov�s drive and god honest plausibility in his performances. You could believe that he truly wants to win the match, throwing everything he had into the match. Even landing hard in the corner after hitting a Moscow Torpedo. And his reaction when WALTER tapped was amazing. No one could believe it. WALTER gave up and lost the title. Unbelievable� -MC

�Ilja Dragunov�s redemption story was the best thing that WWE had done in LITERAL YEARS. The culmination was here. The biggest match in NXT UK history INSIDE A WAREHOUSE just to generate some interest on an otherwise really garbage show. I am not gonna lie, when umI heard that it was taking place in the CWC I lowered my expectations. Despite all those handicaps they were met with, WALTER and Dragunov put on a brutal classic with ilja�s undeniable fighting spirit shining through.� -Ashutosh Dubey

�I sometimes don�t enjoy matches where wrestlers truly punish each other in the ring, be it head-drops or chopping each other into hamburger meat. So I was kind of dreading this match going in. Walter is such a unique presence like Brock Lesnar that it is really difficult to believe anyone can defeat him. It�s just part of his character. I have never seen Ilja in a match that wasn�t with Walter, so I can�t really appreciate him on his own, but I finished this match thinking there was no more perfect opponent, or conqueror than Dragunov to finally chop down the champion.� -Kevin Ely

�I love me a match where you wonder if the guys fighting know wrestling is a work.� -Warren Hayes

�WALTER and Dragunov delivered a second year of the row with a match that felt exactly like the big-time battle it was, with the historic title change to boot. Everything clicked in a match that just saw two longtime rivals beat the ever-loving snot out of each other.� -Jeremy Thomas

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

gj07czos -5.0
"Honestly, I thought this was a pretty bland match overall. If you are really into WALTER and his style, I can see the appeal, but I feel like this is the same match that is told every single time he steps into the ring. The heavy chops and leaving people's chests purple is definitely hardcore to see, but it's not really entertaining to me. I'd much prefer something with more athleticism. It was passable, but not nearly as good as people are making it out to be."

MrCagematch - 5.0
"A good but ultimately extremely overrated. It's all the about the violence and brutality, but it lacks substance and storytelling that was present in their match last year. A rathe bland but overall good match nonetheless."

# ? Feb 29, 2024 06:20

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.

Voting Iwatani match because while WALTER/Ilja was brilliant and five stars and the best WWE natch if that year it was not as good as their first match.

# ? Feb 29, 2024 06:24

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𝅘𝅥𝅮

Looking back, it's pretty jaw-dropping on how well Walter/Gunther has been booked on the main WWE roster, and how they were THIS CLOSE to ruining him with the name change.

# ? Feb 29, 2024 06:32

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

Links:

WALTER vs Dragunov

Iwatani vs Iroha (the one in fez_machine's effortpost appears to have been clipped a few minutes for SamuraiTV

Haven't seen either of these matches yet, though I've see Walter and Dragunov fight in wXw before and i'm a big fan of Iroha

# ? Feb 29, 2024 06:32

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

I've watched both now and voted for the Stardom match but one thign that struck me about the NXT match was how decent the commentary was, seems like whener I see recent clips it's egregiously bad

# ? Mar 1, 2024 02:17

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 66.67% of the vote, Iroha/Iwatani advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA from NJPW G1 Climax 29, Night 13 against Tyler Bate vs. Walter from WWE NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff

# ? Mar 2, 2024 06:03

edogawa rando: Mar 20, 2007

Another opportunity to vote against the rape company

# ? Mar 2, 2024 06:52

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.

But an opportunity to vote against SANADA

# ? Mar 2, 2024 07:37

edogawa rando: Mar 20, 2007

Lid posted:

But an opportunity to vote against SANADA

Reported

# ? Mar 2, 2024 08:29

Cavauro: Jan 9, 2008

i vote against both of these. return of HARASHIMA vs. Yuji Okabayashi

# ? Mar 2, 2024 08:36

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 17: Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA - August 3, 2019 (NJPW G1 Climax 29, Night 13) against Tyler Bate vs. Walter - August 31, 2019 (WWE NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff)

Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA - August 3, 2019 (NJPW G1 Climax 29, Night 13)

What We Said

STONE COLD 64 posted:

DISREGARD ALL OTHER NOMINATIONS

jesus WEP posted:

What a loving night of wrestling

a cyborg mug posted:

My idea recently has been to only nominate matches a lot of people might not watch but holy god drat rear end hell yeah this

Rarity posted:

loving amazing card, the last match especially holy poo poo

Price Check posted:

Fantastic crowd helped push a couple of them over the top. Okada/SANADA is one of the great time limit teases of all time.

Jerusalem posted:

This loving G1...... holy gently caress.

SatoshiMiwa posted:

Best of the three matches this year, Sanada was amazing and Okada casually showing again this G1 that while Will is the Wrestler of the year Okada is the Wrestler of this century

MassRafTer posted:

Thought Tanahashi vs Ibushi was the better match but Ibushi vs Tanahashi is the story I care about more.

Accident Underwater posted:

the end of Okada vs. SANADA was INCREDIBLE.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars:***** Cagematch Ratings: 9.21 based on 233 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 26 with 62 points from 14 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�The best performance from SANADA to date, he finally got over the hump with 13 seconds left against Okada. While it wasn�t in an IWGP title match (which continues this story), SANADA proved that he could beat the best in one on one competition.� Tyler Forness

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

-dustykeyboard - 3.0
"An nothing first 20 minutes, about five minutes of SANADA clunking his way through a mid match, then two hot minutes to end it. It's clear from the last two minutes and even their first match (the only passable one) that these two do good when they're doing *anything* but the struggle to fill time was so bad they were laying on the ground playing exhausted for extended stretches just 8 minutes in after doing *nothing* - just basic by the numbers feeling-out and a single dropkick with most of the rest of the match being just as much of a dull time sink. Totally transparent faux-epic garbage."

Mizzle Assault Ant - 3.0
"Fair play to the many who love these two together but I feel like they have anti-chemistry, they just put me to sleep together. Just stretching this out for time and nothing for me to sink my teeth into. The kind of NJPW match I really just don't get into, to me just felt like low energy and a slog to get through."

Tyler Bate vs. Walter - August 31, 2019 (WWE NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff)

What We Said

DarkstarIV posted:

That has a contender to be the best match of the weekend, if not the entire month. Jesus christ.

Jerusalem posted:

Great match, super-exciting. Had the ending gone the other way I'd have put it down as a Match of the Year candidate. Nigel on commentary was superb.

RHX posted:

gently caress me that was incredible.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: *****1/4 Cagematch Ratings: 9.59 based on 515 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 11 with 160 points from 27 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�WALTER is often seen as a throwback to old-school big men but this match showed that he is as modern as anyone and so is Tyler Bate. An epic match that I feel comfortable saying is one of the best I�ve ever seen.� Dave Musgrave

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

CoolNameGuy91 - 3.0
"Cardiff seems like a show full of high expectations (for me included) and undeserved praise. I really like both WALTER and Bate and even their performances were good. The problem was the monotony of repetitive spots, at least half a dozen "oh no Bate is gonna suplex him how could he despite doing it a bunch already" moments punch-punch-punch-CHOPDOWN, and of course the classics: maneuvering around the turnbuckle for 5 minutes despite knowing who's gonna win each exchange and the flurry of pinfall attempts that either fall flat because they're not hitting finishers, or hurt said finishers' credibility. ALSO Bate being destroyed for over half the match but still getting up went past endearing into obnoxious. I get that you want an epic, but just with the last time NXT UK did it, the match was not structured around its length, but stretched to meet it."

# ? Mar 2, 2024 11:07

Rarity: Oct 21, 2010; ~*4 LIFE*~

Hell yeah, got here just in time for peak SANADA

# ? Mar 2, 2024 15:32

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

Bit late on links so assuming people have already voted, but just in case:

Okada vs Sanada

Walter vs Bate

# ? Mar 3, 2024 01:23

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

With 64.29% of the vote, Okada/SANADA advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Zack Sabre, Jr. vs. Shingo Takagi from NJPW New Japan Cup, Night 14 against Jon Moxley vs. Shingo Takagi from NJPW Battle in the Valley

# ? Mar 4, 2024 20:37

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 18: Zack Sabre, Jr. vs. Shingo Takagi - March 26, 2022 (NJPW New Japan Cup, Night 14) against Jon Moxley vs. Shingo Takagi - January 13, 2024 (NJPW Battle in the Valley)

Zack Sabre, Jr. vs. Shingo Takagi - March 26, 2022 (NJPW New Japan Cup, Night 14)

What We Said

Jerusalem posted:

Caught up on the match now and yeah, that was a MOTYC goddamn. It was for the ending alone, but the match itself was superb already before it got there.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 9.23 based on 254 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 48 with 32 points from 7 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�Shingo is my wrestler of the year and Zack is one of my favorites. Here they both show why.� -Dave Musgrave

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Shoot Headbutt Lover - 5.0
"I didn't really feel this match like a lotta people, I like thst they hit each other hard, but it was difficult for to believe that Zack Sabre can no sell a Diving Elbow, and then put in a headscissors of all moves! ? Stupid. Also this suffers like a lot of Ospreay/Shingo matches where they do that one spot of a bunch of moves being countered and finalizing with something underwhelming. The finish was flat as hell with Sabre putting in a choke and then Shingo went to Bret's Rope to slam Sabre back down and Sabre no selling and pulling him back in a choke. There's a difference between fighting spirit and just outright acting like the move did nothing to you. This match is dumb."

Jon Moxley vs. Shingo Takagi - January 13, 2024 (NJPW Battle in the Valley)

What We Said

Jerusalem posted:

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

Thauros posted:

yeah i haven't posted in these threads in recent years but that's my favorite match of 2024 so far. agreed

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 8.71 based on 342 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: N/A

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

N/A

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

NastyYaffa - 1.0
"I very rarely actively *actually* dislike matches these days, but man I hated this. It was the worst of Moxley & the worst of Shingo both in one. Needlessly super-long, a million kickouts, blowing off selling. It reminded me of the days when Davey Richards was in his prime years, and not in any good ways."

# ? Mar 5, 2024 00:21

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

Shingo vs ZSJ

Shingo vs Moxley

# ? Mar 5, 2024 04:28

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

God that's tough but I gotta give it to ZSJ/Shingo just because that audio quality for Shingo/Mox really did put a damper on what was otherwise a great match.

# ? Mar 5, 2024 04:53

apophenium: Apr 14, 2009

Shingo/Mox was cool for me cause I had just watched the Shingo/Mochizuki match from the week before so I had heard about Shingo's love of Onita and saw him win with the thunder fire power bomb and so getting to see him live out a garbage match as tribute to Onita in a style he doesn't usually get to wrestle, against one of the greats Jon Moxley was really cool. Disagree with the 1.0 Cage match review it was a fun long hosed up kinda match and I love those kinds of matches.

# ? Mar 5, 2024 05:44

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

With 81.82% of the vote, Sabre/Takagi advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Jinetes del Aire vs. the Lucha Brothers from AAA H�roes Inmortales XIV against Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita from AEW All Out

# ? Mar 7, 2024 04:17

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

Lucha Bros vs Jinetes del Aire

Omega vs Takeshita

# ? Mar 7, 2024 05:05

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 19: Jinetes del Aire vs. the Lucha Brothers - October 9, 2021 (AAA H�roes Inmortales XIV) against Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita - September 3, 2023 (AEW All Out)

Jinetes del Aire vs. the Lucha Brothers - October 9, 2021 (AAA H�roes Inmortales XIV)

What We Said

Did not qualify for Match of The Year status

fez_machine posted:

Four of the best doing their thing.

AlmightyPants posted:

was expecting insanity, got insanity, I have no idea how Vikingo is able to defy the laws of physics like that

Lamuella posted:

Watching this now and holy crap This was mayhem.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 8.13 based on 76 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 76 with 16 points from 6 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�This match was my poo poo. An amazing nonstop spotfest from four of the best in the world. You will be in awe, you will cringe when Vikingo almost dies, then wonder what he�s made of when he gets up and jumps again, and you won�t be able to keep your eyes off the screen. This match would be higher on my list if it wasn�t for the referee. You had an older man that takes 10 seconds to make a 1 count. This is a match really dependent on breaking pinfalls and kickouts, and there are awkward moments due to the referee�s slowness. It is still worth watching.� -Abraham Delgado

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

TSwifty - 2.0
"This was an absolute mess and possibly the worst '5 star match' from Dave that I've seen yet. The Lucha Brothers might be the most overexposed team in all of wrestling. Fenix is better than Penta but both of them are getting complacent and refuse to make their moves meaningful. Vikingo and Laredo Kid were more creative yet too complicated and cutesy with their offense. There was a sequence a few minutes into the match where both teams exchanged Spanish Flys and destroyers and it looked like the worst indie sequence ever. Vikingo and Laredo Kid had the worst set-up to a power slam in the history of wrestling that I'll try to explain. Vikingo runs up the ropes to sit in an electric chair on Kid's shoulders, but they sort of botch it and transition to a wheelbarrow and do a tumble roll into Penta where Vikingo does a sunset flip and slingshots Penta into Kid for the power slam. It's an eye-rolling match and there's a lot more to go. Vikingo hit a tumblesault to the outside of the ring that almost killed him. It's a struggle to even call it a botch because I don't know what would be a safe way to land. Just an incredibly stupid move. Vikingo does a 630 and basically plants himself into the mat. This is one of the greatest wrestlers in the world according to Wrestling Observer by the way. In the few matches I've seen of him I can already tell what he's about. Amazing acrobat but with no idea how to structure a match and a lot of botching. That's what I saw here anyway. The finishing stretch had every high spot and superkick you could think of. Vikingo's imploding 450 was incredible and perfectly executed. It's a shame it was meaningless because of everything I've mentioned. Indeed a spectacle but not a great match due to overcomplicated spots, botches, and an overkill formula to the point where it's a struggle to care about the high spots. If I struggle to care about a top rope Spanish Fly and an imploding 450 than you've structured your spotfest wrong. *1/2"

Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita - September 3, 2023 (AEW All Out)

What We Said

Qualified for Match of The Year status

LionYeti posted:

Hot drat that ruled

Kvantum posted:

This show just don't quit.

Jerusalem posted:

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

Lamuella posted:

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

closet statist posted:

I was a bit soft on omega / takeshita somehow (???) so Ill hold off the nom until a rewatch I think.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 9.05 based on 662 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 60 with 30 points from 9 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

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

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

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

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

# ? Mar 7, 2024 23:55

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 60% of the vote, Omega/Takeshita advances.

OUR NEXT CONTEST...

Shingo Takagi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi from NJPW The New Beginning in Nagoya against Matt Cardona vs. Nick Gage from GCW Homecoming Weekend, Night 1

# ? Mar 9, 2024 07:06

closet statist: Mar 9, 2010

Have to give this one to gage / cardona. A match with no right to be as good as it was, happening at exactly the right place at exactly the right time. Lightning in a bottle and an energy that I feel like both contestants (and the promotion) will struggle to ever capture again.

# ? Mar 9, 2024 10:13

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

Phone posting so can't get links up but went with Tana/Shingo, remember it being a high point during the dire early pandemic

# ? Mar 10, 2024 04:25

Rarity: Oct 21, 2010; ~*4 LIFE*~

Shingo/Tana was so good it got ELP on comms to break kayfabe and start marking out for Tana

# ? Mar 10, 2024 08:56

fez_machine: Nov 27, 2004

Match 20: Shingo Takagi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi from NJPW The New Beginning in Nagoya against Matt Cardona vs. Nick Gage from GCW Homecoming Weekend, Night 1

Shingo Takagi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - January 30 2021 ( NJPW The New Beginning in Nagoya)

What We Said
Qualified for Match of The Year Status

Cerebral Bore posted:

Two of the best in the world in one hell of a war. The NEVER title is the best belt in NJPW.

Jerusalem posted:

EXACTLY like that scene in The Jerk where the assassin keeps shooting the cans by mistake, except instead of bullets it is Dragon Screws and instead of cans it is knees, and instead of by mistake it is deliberate, and the assassin is somehow both Tanahashi AND Shingo. Look, it's a great loving match, okay.

Rarity posted:

Old man still got it

Lamuella posted:

Absolutely astounding. This is the bar that other NEVER matches should be judged by.

forkboy84 posted:

I dunno, I still think Ishii vs Honma from New Beginning in Sendai 2015 is the high watermark.

Cerebral Bore posted:

The Shingo/Suzuki matches last year were tremendous too.

Rarity posted:

Halfway through I was like 'this is very good but I wouldn't put it above the Ospreay/Kojima match, Tana's not quite able to match Shingo at his peak these days' then the other half of the match happened

boxcarhobo posted:

yea it was good

Dango Bango posted:

I love Shingo Takagi and I don't care who knows it.

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: ***** Cagematch Ratings: 9.30 based on 283 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 10 with 246 points from 40 votes

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�This happened so early in the year, I can understand one forgetting it happened, but it happened, and we are all better for it happening. Perhaps the best NJPW match of the year. What�s funny is at first I thought Ospreay/Okada from 2021�s Wrestle Kingdom was better, but in the end, in the long run, I think about this match far more often than I do that one. This match truly was awesome, and a perfect ending to Shingo�s reign.

Tanahashi is the ace, the old guard, the man who finds something new in the tank every single time you think he has nothing left. We are truly blessed to get to watch this match perform his craft right before our eyes, and we should never forget that cause one day it�ll, unfortunately, come to an end. For now though let us enjoy these special treats, these amazing matches that happen before us. For they are truly special, and we should cherish them while we can.� -Jeri L. Evagood

�One of the few non-Wrestling Kingdom/G1 matches to sustain me in an otherwise dry year for New Japan Pro Wrestling.� -Chuck Hodgin

�If you asked me to pick one match from the pandemic era that I could see in front of fans, it would have been this one. Imagine the reactions when both kicked out at one in the final stretch. Takagi even in defeat showed he belonged in top ranks of NJPW and Tanahashi showed he still had bangers in him after 25 years of producing some of the GOAT matches. What an unreal match.� -Peter Edge

�I continue to think �alright, this is the year Tanahashi slows down� and he goes and delivers this. I don�t think Shingo gets his heavyweight run without this match.� -Mark

�This match is one of my favorites from the year. Even though this was a NEVER Openweight title match at New Beginning, It felt like an IWGP Heavyweight title match at Wrestle Kingdom. The match started slowly as Tanahashi targeted Shingo�s leg. The Dragon was getting dragon screwed over and over again, and he wasn�t a fan of it. Shingo would try and cut the Ace off, but Tanahashi was just one step ahead of him. Tanahashi hit a dropkick to Shingo�s knee, sending him flying out of the ring. We then got the vintage big match Tanahashi spot as he hits the High Fly Flow to the outside. Back in the ring, Shingo turns the tide and starts attacking Tanahashi�s legs. Shingo wouldn�t be in control for long. Tanahashi is able to hit a High Fly Flow to the back of Shingo. The Ace gets too confident and goes for another High Fly Flow, but Shingo rolls out of the way.

Both men exchanged significant strikes and signature moves. Shingo drops Tanahashi right on his head with a Made in Japan! I jumped off my couch screaming, seeing the Ace get dropped on his dome. Even though he almost broke his neck, the Ace continued to fight back. He�s able to hit a dragon suplex and a Slingblade, but Shingo kicks out at one!!! I�m losing my mind at this point. Shingo then fires back with a Pumping Bomber. Tanahashi kicks out at one!!!! This match is nuts! Shingo attempts to put Tana away with the Last of the Dragon. Tanahashi reverses with a Sling Blade and goes to the top to hit the crossbody High Fly Flow. Tana then hits a dragon suplex and a High Fly Flow to become NEVER champion for the first time.

This was 35 minutes of wrestling excellence. I was glued to the screen for every minute. These guys are masters of the craft.� -Jeremy Donovan

�A fantastic match! Shingo is younger and more powerful and able to control the match early by sheer force. Tanahashi is able to dig into his back of tricks and go to work on the knees of Shingo to neutralize his strengths. Shingo refuses to stay down and tries to battle back on pretty much one leg and even starts to go after Tanahashi�s knee himself. Shingo goes to end it with Last of the Dragon but Tanahashi counters out of it with a Sling Blade. Tanahashi has his opening and throws everything he has left at Shingo and is able to emerge victorious. Phenomenal stuff!� -Alex Kalil

�Most of the time matches can drag when they went over the 25 minute mark, this one was absolutely the opposite. This one was an absolute banger of a match between one of my all time faves and the current best wrestler in the world, how could it get wrong? While it was still your typical New Japan main event with a slow start, the second half was tremendous. Tanahashi is the world�s best when he needs to suffer from big moves and he did here. The closing stretch was absolute phenomenal, while the Ace wasn�t on the edge to win but his final moves were the gamechanger. What an instant classic!� -Christian Gascoigne

�2021 saw another first-ever dream match taken off the board with Shingo vs. Tanahashi. The magic of Tanahashi is that even when you think �Man, I wish this match had happened five or six years ago,� he still manages to pull off a classic. The guy has graham cracker knees and absolutely nothing left to prove in his career, but he will always go full throttle in a big time spot because he�s Hiroshi Tanahashi and that�s just what he does. Put him with Shingo Takagi, a guy who can have banger matches in his sleep, and it�s a recipe for greatness. And this was great, just a classic battle between the stronger, faster tank and the smarter, more determined hero. Shingo�s leg selling was excellent, and Tanahashi deserves all the flowers for taking a Made in Japan right on his neck and still going. This match was so good, it had El Phantasmo on commentary cutting out the heel shtick and just going nuts for it. �I�m freaking out, man!� Shingo won the rematch for the World Heavyweight Title later in the year, but this night belonged to the Ace.� -Andrew Rich

�If you were asking me to pick who I think the single most valuable wrestler was to their given promotion in 2021, I wouldn�t say Roman Reigns or Kenny Omega. I would say Shingo Takagi. In a year filled with injuries and foreign stars being unable to get in and out of the country, Shingo proved himself to be a true top star.

His match with Tanahashi for the NEVER belt may not be his most high-profile match of 2021, but the chemistry between these two absolute all-time greats on this night was unrivaled. An increasingly rare main event win for Tanahashi and a tremendous showing for New Japan�s brightest new star, Shingo.� -Liam Renner

�Going into 2021, the one match that I hope I would get to see in New Japan�.more than any other�.was Shingo Takagi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi. When it was announced that these two would be facing off in a NEVER Openweight Title match on the New Beginning in Nagoya card on January 30th, I immediately volunteered to handle the review for Voices Of Wrestling. I was super excited to see this one, and when the dust settled, it certainly didn�t disappoint. This was two all-time great just going out there and putting on an instant classic for over thirty-five minutes. The closing stretch was, of course, all sorts of amazing, and Shingo dropping Tanahashi on his head with a Made In Japan was a super memorable (and VERY brutal) moment. Tanahashi winning the NEVER Openweight Title for the very first time was a great conclusion to a bout that was simply phenomenal from start to finish.� -Sean Sedor

�It�s been a decade since Tanahashi�s landmark IWGP title reign and he�s still one of the very best there is. Even while he�s slowing down, he showed in this match he can still go with the best, and fit into the NEVER Openweight style like a glove, trading stiff blows with Shingo Takagi. No other match from this year had me on the edge of my seat like this one.� -Paul Wedding

�The Ace never dies. A beautiful strong style epoch that didn�t feel too long. Another Tanahashi classic and the best NJPW match of the year. � -Semi Salmikannas

�So I�ll always remember this match for three reasons: (1) I actually stayed up to watch it, which I almost never do; (2) I was chatting with my buddy Ian (who does great work at 411Mania and BackBodyDrop) throughout; and (3) SOPHIE, the seminal gender-bending electronic music and pop artist whom I considered to be one of the greatest musicians of our era, died just hours before. In fact, SOPHIE�s death was the only reason I was even awake, trying to find as much information as possible about it and throwing on the NJPW show to help keep my mind at ease. And so these two � NJPW�s most consistently excellent performers in 2021 � went out there and put on a classic. When people think of fantastic NJPW stuff from like 2016-2019, they think of matches just like this, a pristine formula between the best alive and perhaps the best to ever do it.� -Parker Klyn

�Tanahashi never disappoints. Two of my favorite wrestlers ever having a brilliant match.� -Rene Martinez

�Come on now. It�s Shingo Takagi and Hiroshi Tanahashi in a New Japan main event. Say that out loud, then ask yourself: How was it not going to be one of the best matches of the year?� -Suit Williams

�The amazing thing about Shingo Takagi�s NJPW run is how normal it all seems. Whether you were aware of the world-class work that Takagi did for nearly 15 years in Dragongate is irrelevant. He�s shown up, kicked rear end, and assimilated himself into the New Japan fray in a miraculous manner. While I have, for lack of a better term, hated New Japan over the last two years, Takagi has offered occasional moments of solace. Despite coming into his own in a promotion so routinely ignored by Japanese press, Takagi demonstrated that he is capable of producing a match echoing the greats of yesteryear. This was a New Japan classic in every sense of the word. It felt big, in a classical sense. Violent, in a traditional sense. Great, in every sense of the word. It�s what you should expect from two of the greatest wrestlers to ever live.� -Case Lowe

�2021 started off spectacularly for Shingo Takagi; with his January framed by two stellar IWGP NEVER Openweight title defences. The second of which was against New Japan company Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi. Given its lofty main event billing in Nagoya, the match was expected to send the wrestling world into a frenzy. And it sure did that. I would go as far as to say, this match redefined what the NEVER Championship stands for. Whilst it gleefully fulfilled the heavy-hitting, all-action, strike exchange packed quota of any NEVER title fight, it also delivered the grandeur of an early Match of the Year contender. The emotional journey this match takes you on is utterly spellbinding, making you live or die by every impactful moment it serves up (and there are plenty of those).� -Jamie Johnson

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Roach - 2.0
"Can I give this match a two? Is that okay? ... I guess we'll see. Anyways, this match sucked. This is the epitome of a bad new japan main event. It is 25 minutes of nothingness followed up by 10 minutes of fast-paced action that has absolutely nothing to do with the previous 25 minutes. Whoever thought it was a good idea to build this match around working Shingo's leg should be sent to eternal damnation. When I think of Shingo Takagi I think of a wrestler who excels because of his incredible, fast-paced explosive offense. When you build a match around working Shingo's leg you either... A. Take away that offense and make a point of him not being able to utilize it (the preferable option)... or B. Just completely ignore all the 25 minutes of limb work and have him run the ropes at 30 miles per hour anyways (the non-preferable option). They of course went with option B. The pinnacle of this is a spot in which Tanahashi does like his 10th dragon screw. Shingo sells it for like a millisecond before just absolutely sprinting to the ropes at full speed and sprinting back for a sliding lariat. It is hilariously nonsensical and one of the worst spots I have ever seen in a New Japan match. Now look, if you want to have a playfully stupid story of Shingo overcoming and overpowering Tanahashi's early leg work to get back on the offensive, fine. I have no problem with that, it would probably be really fun. But this match dedicated 25 WHOLE loving MINUTES to it. 25 MINUTES! AND THEN THEY JUST FORGOT ABOUT IT! The painfully long 25 minutes of boring leg work ended up not having even the slightest effect on the match. Not even the slightest. The last 10 minutes of the match were fun, I guess. If you take that stretch away from the 25 minutes before it, you have a nice little sprint. The problem with that is that you cannot physically do that and instead we are left with a completely incoherent and nonsensical mess, albeit slightly fun to watch in its final minutes as long as you dont give a poo poo about the match as a whole. Shoutout to Tanahashi for taking a raw-as-gently caress head bump. Man just landed straight on his noggin."

Mizzle Assault Ant - 2.0
"I kept waiting to see something interesting and I just felt like I never did? Tana works on Shingo's leg a lot, and Shingo responds mostly by doing his regular moves at full speed then sometimes grabbing at his leg between moves. Not that interesting, and there didn't feel like there were any particularly memorable moments, spots, or exchanges really. This was a miss for me, and an extremely long one at that."

Matt Cardona vs. Nick Gage - July 24 2021 (GCW Homecoming Weekend, Night 1)

What We Said

Sticky Nate posted:

nuclear crowd.

abraham linksys posted:

yeah, if you're checking out this show for cardona/gage please go back and watch parker/colon because parker getting that match 36 hours after winning the big japan deathmatch title and a 14 hour flight to america is loving incredible and maybe the most herculean thing any wrestler has done this year

Bard Maddox posted:

the indies are back

coconono posted:

Delivered well past expectations on all fronts.

forkboy84 posted:

Cardona is real loving red even before this started. One of those matches where the fans elevated things a lot.

SalTheBard posted:

Jesus loving Christ what an amazing match

What They Said

Meltzer Stars: N/A Cagematch Ratings: 8.26 based on 113 votes Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year Rank: 56 with 25 points from 8 votes

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

�Matt Cardona�s GCW World Title win at Homecoming Night One was the title change I certainly didn�t see coming. It also set the stage for Cardona�s amazing character in GCW, which is some of his most inspired work in a long time. GCW isn�t even my thing, but I can�t deny this match was one of the highlights of the year.� -Jeremy Thomas

�There weren�t many matches that were as plain fun as this. Cardona does so well as the guy who probably shouldn�t have gotten himself involved in a deathmatch. He is an outsider interloping in a place he does not belong, while Nick Gage is Nick Gage: avatar of the counterculture wrestling audience. The match is equal parts brutal, hilarious, and smart, giving Cardona�s post-WWE career real direction.� -Brian Moore

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Firebird22 - 3.0
"The overall storyline was really well done, but this match itself is pretty terrible. It is not good as either a wrestling match or a death match (particularly coming after the far superior Drew Parker vs. Alex Colon death match). The finish was also horribly overbooked. That said, it was cool to see Matt Cardona buy in so heavily to the death match style."

# ? Mar 10, 2024 21:45

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 18:13

super macho dude: Aug 9, 2014

Went with that MDK all day, murder death kill gang, for all the boys locked in the fuckin' cell Eastern bloc, the fuckin' Hate Club (rest in peace Big Nate Hatred and rest in peace his brother Justice Pain), and you know what it is...

# ? Mar 10, 2024 22:10

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

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