Cerebral Bore posted:

A complete spotfest full of plunder and bullshit, but in an extremely good way.

I Before E posted:

WHAT A SPECTACLE

Testekill posted:

Yeah, an extremely fun plunder brawl and spotfest.

Aye Doc posted:

would have gone to 6 stars if whichever Jackson bro had finished the job and pulled out Jungle Boy's cheeks

karmicknight posted:

The curse of the conchairto has returned to this world.

jesus WEP posted:

maybe would have given it an MOTY if it hadn’t followed 3 superior matches

SatoshiMiwa posted:

Yeah agreed. A little too plodding in places to be MOTYC

Jerusalem posted:

Agreed, a very, very enjoyable clusterfuck.

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“AEW’s tag matches are one of my favorite parts of their shows, and because the wrestlers had the freedom to do whatever they want anywhere in the arena this match had the potential to be their best this year and I believe that it didn’t disappoint. The amazing nonstop action makes this the ultimate spotfest of the year. What makes this match even more special is the fact that usually these matches don’t have interesting storytelling or character work, which they make up for with Jungle Boy’s character progression right at the end of the match after he previously refused to hit the conchairto.” -Saud Al-Rasheedi

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

marexcel - 1.0
"Ich möchte hier keinen Rant loslassen, aber mit all der Kooperationen, der offensichtlichen Choreographie und der willkürlichen Anreihun von Spots ist das nichts, was ich in der Form so sehen möchte. Gerade in einer Fehde, die als so giftig dargestellt wurde, muss das irgendwie authentischer funktionieren. Aber man wartet, rollt raus, steht pünktlich wieder auf, no-selled nach Belieben und im Sinne der Spots. Fühlt sich einfach nicht echt an. So funktioniert mein Wertungssheet nicht, aber immerhin noch ein Punkt dafür, dass die SuperKliq nicht das große W verbuchen kann."

Truther Vandross posted:

This ruled

closet statist posted:

I think this is the best thing Ive watched all year.

Kvantum posted:

Perfect example of the hometown heel being a babyface.

Glass Punkbull 141 posted:

Congrats on Adam Page for his heel turn.

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“Since overshadowed by the rematch, but I also loved this initial bout at WrestleDream. Great performances by both men, elevated by a Seattle crowd fully behind Swerve. Hangman deserves a lot of credit too of course, but this was a launchpad for Strickland. I’m very excited to see how far he can go.” -Jack G. King

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Wieczus - 4.0
"What a terrible pacing this match had. We're halfway through the bout and they decide to drop Swerve's head on the stairs but a minute later he's completely okay. A lot of moves that wouldn't make sense in a real fight and the finish was rear end. Why didn't they end the match after Swerve hit Page with Nana's crown, especially as Hangman didn't hit any move after the kickout? Great athletes, a lot of impressive spots but not thought through at all when it comes to implementing them in a wrestling match."

Roderick II - 4.0
"Had they end this on the apron stomp I'd say it at least escalated well. Attacking the arm leading to Hangman getting in position to get hit with a sick stomp is good progressing. Following that with a (non ironic) 450 splash to the arm is just so bad and confusing. They did some stuff after this, Swerve needing help to win was a choice, I don't think it added anything to the match or the story. Hangman hostensively heeling up was out of character and babying the crowd and the audience. They had some very bad rythmic spot to spot sequences but also some very good and some in the middle fine but way overacting things. But it just didn't all gel in an enjoyable way by the end."

Jerusalem posted:

Took waaaaay too long to really get going after all the pre-match nonsense (fun nonsense) but by the last few minutes it had gotten great and had an excellent ending.

I Before E posted:

My heart is about to explode from joy

jesus WEP posted:

agreed. It’s the kind of match that would be a MOTYC probably any other G1 but this year’s been stupid good

lost my old email posted:

i actually really liked the early bullshit and the last 6(?) minutes but the middle was just "good match"

Burn Down Canberra posted:

it made me extremely happy

TriffTshngo posted:

I love me a good Jay White Control Match and even if this one did feel weirdly paced I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Didn't top the last 2 years' finals but it didn't need to because that's not what they were aiming to do with this one. Kota Ibushi is a perfect beautiful man and I wish only the best for him and his neck.

Rarity posted:

Definitely Switchblade's best match of the G1, maybe his best match ever? The last ten minutes were such an insane ride

Kevino07 posted:

Loved that main event. It's probably not to everyone's taste, but that match felt like some good old fashioned pro wrestling to me. A deliberate, story heavy start setting the ground work to an electrifying last 10 minutes where everyone in the stadium was praying (and screaming) for the right man to triumph. There were better matches in this tournament, but it was still a worthy match to finish it.

Punch McLightning posted:

EAT poo poo SWITCHBLADE

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“This felt like the night the rest of wrestling twitter, incredulously, came around to respecting what the Switchblade character is trying to do and be. Classic Heel v Babyface stuff that had a building, and a worldwide fan base, hoping to see a true babyface in Ibushi overcome and conquer a true heel in Jay.” Josh Creighton

“Not only was this match phenomenal from start to finish, but it was also, the climax of the month long G1 Climax. Ibushi and White both started the tournament slow. While Ibushi’s slow build and final win over Okada set him up to be the tournament’s hero, White made good on his proclamation to win out and looked poised to ruin everyone’s night by winning the tournament with Bullet Club by his side. The crowd’s desperation to see their hero victorious could be felt through the broadcast. After some early shenanigans to make the hero’s hopes look bleak, these two played to and used the emotions of the crowd to create a match the left them in tears as Ibushi lifted the G1 trophy. Jay White is an amazing heel, and Ibushi played the part of hero perfectly!” Melanndy

“I am an unapologetic fanboy of Switchblade Jay White. The ironic thing about that is I couldn’t stand the guy until 2018. Something happened in 2018, he found his swagger. I believe that man is the greatest employee on this planet. The New Japan office(Gedo specifically) tell him to go out there and garner heat, and nobody does it better than Jay White. Never was this more on display than the G1 Final against Kota Ibushi. New Japan took a chance and went full sports entertainment with that final match and it paid off immensely. A nuclear crowd took this to unbelievable heights with the classic heel vs face dynamic. Ibushi played his role beautifully while Jay put on a masterclass of heel work. This is the company in Japan full of the “unsafe head drops” showing everyone how sports entertainment should be. This was far and away my match of the year and one of my favorite matches of the last decade.” Markeem Graham

“The G1 Climax Final is always special. This felt like the perfect set up of good vs evil; and the pay off to all of Jay White and Bullet Club’s shenanigans throughout the year. Kota’s victory felt important, like the crowning of his spot as a Top 4 level talent in NJPW.” Kevin Chiat

“Jay White gets a lot of poo poo and I didn’t hold back with criticism about his character, but the main of this is that I’m frustrated with some of the stereotypical and bad heel work he or rather Gedo does. I think Gedo is a huge detriment to Jay White, but sometimes it all works out perfectly when the shenanigans play into the match in a good way much like they did here with Gedo and Rocky Romero. White was a fantastic heel in dominating Kota Ibushi in this match and whenever White goes to work on a babyface, holds them to the ground, puts them in grueling submissions or – even better – when he cuts of their offense with joy he’s just great. On this day White had a perfect foil in Ibushi who the crowd was behind like in few japanese main event matches. Usually you have fans chanting for either guy or even changing their support fittingly to the match situation. This was much different. Jay White with his black gear and Kota Ibushi with his usual white gave the Budokan crowd a simple division in colors that reflected the story of the match. It was all about the odds Ibushi had to overcome to win his first G1 Climax and he overcame those odds in an almost perfect way with a fiery babyface comeback. This was, without a doubt, my favorite match from Japan.” STRIGGA

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

-dustykeyboard -5.0
"A sublime first 15 minutes derailed by interference followed be one of the clunkiest finishing stretches in any G1 Final. All wrapped in a package that should have logically ended 10 minutes before it did but what's NJPW without forcing "epic" bullshit? Kota's moment was feel good for happening but the match was a wet fart."

Jerusalem posted:

Dango Bango posted:

EXACTLY WHAT THE gently caress WAS THIS

Daniel Bryan posted:

that loving owned oh my god

Fentry posted:

Think this is my new favorite for the year

LionYeti posted:

The best match ever for me a violence pervert

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“Violence, glorious violence. I’ve never cringed so much during a match at the very real punishment these two were going through. It was brutal, bloody, and it felt like these two wanted to legitimately kill each other. A stunning display of violence between two rivals who only had a week to built a match.” -Andrew Kelly

“A match that reminds me of why I love this stuff in the first place. Ricky Starks’s ability to filter his very real frustrations into the work, makes for a genuine performance to perfectly accompany the sheer brutality of the stipulation. Few are better than Bryan Danielson at firing up (on one arm no less), and I wish I could’ve bottled the energy in the United Center during that final stretch.

The perfect storm, and a career performance from Ricky Starks.” -Stevan Savich

“I thought this was pro-wrestling perfection and the greatest strap match of all time. It’s a match that was fantastic in the moment, but enhanced by Bryan’s comments in the post show media scrum where he praised Ricky for carrying him through the match as he was still limited with his arm injury. Watching it a 2nd time, you notice how little Bryan actually does with his right arm, he doesn’t lift anything heavier than the strap the entire match. It’s double-edged sword kind of protection as the necessary smoke and mirrors to protect him came at the cost of 100 whips of the leather strap. Probably the first thing that comes back to my mind that defines the match is the back and forth whips to the loving face. I’ve seen so many back and forth elbow exchanges or Kobashi-Sasaki chop battle tributes in my time that those type of spots fall a little flat, but I’ve never seen something like this where the guys are taking it in turns to whack each other in the side of the head with the strap. The noises are disgusting and the fans are wincing in the crowd at the brutality on display. This slap battle seemed to awaken ‘The Dragon’ in Danielson as he hulked up, switched up the gears and unleashed patented Danielson kicks in-between whips. They nailed the finish too. When Bryan locks in the LeBell lock, it’s nice, but you’re hoping he’ll utilise the strap to put that cherry on the icing. Seconds later that’s exactly what he does when Starks tries to fight out of the submission and Bryan switches to choking him out with the strap. Starks is so wonderful in his death here – he turns purple, his eyes bug out of his head, he screams, he looks like Douglas Quaid suffocating on Mars in Total Recall and then everything goes limp. Magic.” -Ed Mills

“On 8/11/2023 I survived a mass shooting in the backyard of a house during a punk rock show. My friend August died and seven others were injured during this horrific attack. I needed some time away from the city after some intense grieving and made the last minute decision to travel to Chicago to see AEW All Out. I had moved from Florida to Minnesota in 2022 so I have been to more AEW shows than the average fan, but this one was different. I had my recent peprsonal trauma coupled with CM Punk’s firing the day before I went into this show hoping that the magic of pro wrestling could help me escape for a couple of hours. And it sure did. Bryan Danielson is my favorite wrestler of all time, the only man who was capable of getting me to pay to see Wrestlemania. He wasn’t even on the card until Collision the day before. When the first notes of The Final Countdown played through the United Center I got goosebumps, and started to tear up. Bryan was here to show the beauty of the sport of professional wrestling. The struggle of will power between two people hell bent on proving they are the best. The cracks of the leather strap as Ricky Starks and Bryan Danielson hit each other reverberated throughout the arena. I vicersally felt them. They were reminders that life is tough but worth it. That pain can produce beauty. That advertsity can be overcome to create greatness. Ricky Starks worked great, he was vicious while show boating. He never gave up to the point that Bryan had to choke him until he passed out. Bryan was cocky, knowing he was better the whole time but worked hard to bring out a new level of violence from Ricky. They both came out of this match looking better than they did going into it, and I felt better about my life and recent experiences. That I can overcome anything life throws at me and come out the other side tougher, changed, and more beautiful for it.” -Nikki Derella

“This match is very emotional for me and just proves how important and how amazing a pro wrestling Bryan Danielson is. The man came back when the company needed him after just breaking his arm three months before. The work he did to help solidify Rick Starks, with the brutality and violence they both unleashed on each other moved me so much. This will sound very corny, but I don’t care because I love this poo poo, but in the last 90 seconds of the match and after the finish I began to cry and breakdown from pure joy and excitement. This match just is so good and why I love pro wrestling. Bryan Danielson is a master at his craft, and it will be a sad dark day when he steps away again but under his own volition.” -FAR5222

“Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks and AEW All Out 2023 are one in the same. Heading into both the match and event, my expectations for each were pretty low. Sure, Danielson is one of the greatest to ever do it. And yes, more often than not, AEW PPVs deliver. But this match with Starks came on the heels of the firing of CM Punk, feeling like a rushed strap match while All Out had such little build, it was hard to get excited for the show. However, by the end of the night, it was apparent that All Out was an incredible show and a major reason why was how great Danielson vs. Starks was. These two destroyed each other in the best strap match I’ve ever seen. They didn’t hold back and the strap wasn’t a burden, but lifted the match to new heights. Starks was made in one night while Danielson, returning from injury, once again put on a match to remember.” -Scott Edwards

“An alternate-universe match that was probably better than it would have been. Danielson brings such a unique intensity that shoots this match to the top. I can still hear that strap shot to Ricky’s back.” -Ryan Neitzey

“After the darkest of weeks for AEW, it felt like this match nearly on its own saved the promotion, or at least reaffirmed that all will be ok. I’m also convinced there isn’t a wrestling related situation Bryan Danielson can’t save – even with 1 arm. Ricky Starks was also incredible to his credit” -Mark O’Brien

“Bryan Danielson and Ricky Starks were in a difficult position heading into this match. Starks had been in a program with CM Punk which appeared to be headed for a showdown in Punk’s hometown of Chicago. Instead of seeing the culmination of a multi-month feud in a bloody strap match involving their hometown hero, Chicago learned that CM Punk had been fired from AEW just the day before. Starks still got the strap match at All Out, but it had a one day build and was against the returning Bryan Danielson. While the risk of disappointing the fans in Chicago was high, Bryan Danielson proved why he was the original “Best in the World” before CM Punk adopted the moniker, and “Absolute” Ricky Starks stepped up to have the absolute best match of his career.” -Adam Berger

“This was a match which came together on 24 hrs notice due to the firing of CM Punk. It became Ricky Starks’ finest hour in AEW, and what would define Bryan Danielson’s 2023, as he exhibited genius through limitation. I was always looking for the great Ricky Starks match to make me see what so many others saw in him, and this fit the bill, as even Danielson said Ricky carried him through this bout. This was visceral violence over 16 minutes. Ricky would rather let his body fail him than quit, and through his desperation, he walked out of that match a different man than how he entered it.” -Rich Latta

“I can’t believe a decade of our lives was wasted watching Daniel Bryan wrestle. His AEW run has been such a gift, not because of any “epics” he’s produced, but because of the violent matches like this that he’s uncorked. I hate that we missed out on this for so long. Every bit as violent as his feud vs. Takeshi Morishima or his feud vs. Homicide, this was Peak Danielson.” -Case Lowe

“Loved the simple story of this brutal match: Danielson beating the poo poo out of Starks so much that it forced Starks to raise his game to a more violent level. AEW is so lucky they had Danielson to step in to essentially replace Punk’s spot in this match, and in the company, overall. This match was the start of a run of matches that cemented Danielson as the wrestler of the year in AEW.” -Jays Retro

“I was at this match live and I’ll never forget it. The sound of those straps throughout the United Center had my friends and me just wincing and pacing back and forth. Not only that, it was an amazing violent match that made me worry how Ricky was coming out of it. Plus, Danielson entered with “The Final Countdown”, possibly the only time in my life I will hear that song and Danielson in the same building at the same time. Epic entrance, amazing match, and both men gave it all in a performance that was needed in AEW that weekend. In what was an amazing show, Danielson and Starks just loving killed it in the best match of the night and one of the best of the year.” -Abraham Delgado


“Is it too over-dramatic to say that this match saved the company? Or rather, it saved the company’s perception in the eyes of the fans, at least? Bryan Danielson and Ricky Starks reminded everyone watching that the best way to turn around weeks/months of bad press and negative fan sentiment is just to let to fantastic pro wrestlers get in the ring and make magic together..” -Liam Renner

“Possibly the single greatest strap match of all time, and I’ve seen pretty nearly all the strap matches that are on tape. Ricky Starks perplexes me; he’s very much a wrestler who does not always deliver 100%, but he more than carried his end here, and Bryan Danielson is still, improbably, the GODDAMN AMERICAN DRAGON. Just pure brutality in the best way possible.” -Justin Harman aka DJ Convoy

“CM Punk “brought” Ricky Starks into the main event scene, and Bryan Danielson made him look like he deserves to stay there. Another brutal match, a consistent theme throughout the year. Bryan didn’t seem 100% physically, but his experience and in-ring IQ allowed him to conceal it very well and even turn it into an advantage.” -Dan Duca

“Danielson’s insistence on having 5 star matches in stipulations that always seemed impossible to have 5 star matches had it’s latest chapter on a night where it needed it. On the weekend where CM Punk got fired, AEW needed a slam dunk and in Danielson handing out lashes of the strap like fines to disobedient wrestlers, they got one.” -Peter Edge

“Just thinking about this match reminds me of what a whirlwind this weekend was. Saturday alone was wild enough, with the news coming out that AEW had fired CM Punk, and then witnessing Tony Khan come out before the Collision taping later that day to explain to the crowd why they had to fire Punk. There wound up being a silver lining in that dark cloud, however, as we soon got the revelation that Bryan Danielson would be making a sooner-than-expected return from his broken arm to face Ricky Starks in a Strap Match the next night at All Out. Even though I was excited to see Danielson back in action, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, especially with the questions surrounding Danielson’s arm and how healed it truly was. When the dust settled, not only did it surpass my expectations, but it wound up being an incredible contest that stole the show that night in Chicago. These two worked their asses off here, and their efforts resulted in (maybe) one of the best strap matches I’ve ever seen. As someone who was there live, I still remember the moment when Danielson absolutely went to town on Starks with the strap. I could not believe how loud those shots were. Of course, to nobody’s surprise, Danielson was excellent, but Starks more than held up his end of things here as well. It’s fair to say that this was easily the best match of Ricky’s entire career. The fact that Danielson came out to The Final Countdown (the second time I had seen Danielson come out to that song in person this year) was the cherry on top of what was an amazing Strap Match from start-to-finish.” -Sean Sedor

“Completely unexpected masterpiece. The greatest strap match of all time that was thrown together at the last possible moment before the ppv card was finalized. Bryan Danielson returns to the ring after suffering a broken arm that’s not even all the way healed to literally “whip” Ricky Starks into shape as he is the pissed off young star who keeps having his moment taken away from him by circumstances out of his control. This felt like Danielson initiating Starks into pro wrestling stardom. They beat the “absolute” (Ricky Starks haha) crap out of each other. This was a star making performance for Starks and another banger by Bryan Danielson. Danielson’s bloody face was one of the best images to cone out of wrestling in 2023. The brutality, the violence, the drama, the story as clear as day. Yo, they were hitting each other in the face with the strap. Ridiculous. I would say this was the biggest pleasant surprise of 2023 for me. Bryan Danielson is the greatest of all time.” -Noveliss

“Talk about a top tier last minute replacement. Ricky Starks’ momentum was built on his character getting that big match with CM Punk, then one week out from the big match that stage was seemingly taken away from him…

Out comes Bryan “by God almighty” Danielson to sub in and deliver the greatest strap match I’ve ever seen on a whim. Violent in every way you wanted, bloody in a perfectly measured way to sell the war playing out in front of us and escalating white hot to let Ricky Starks rise to the challenge like this spotlight was always meant to do.

The whipping these two men gave each other that night in Chicago was truly something else.” -Matt Maher (aka Imp)

“Bryan Danielson, the namesake of the Wrestling Observer’s technical wrestler of the year award, spent 2023 demanding respect as one of the best blood and guts brawlers in the sport. Despite that, it’s Ricky Starks who is absolutely the star in this match. In addition to the gleeful sadism one expects from wrestlers in a bloodbath, Starks showed depth as a performer and character, with his emotions written on his face throughout the battle. Late in the match, with Danielson refusing to show weakness under a torrent of blistering strap attacks, Starks makes one of the most human selling choices I’ve ever seen. His arms become heavy, the strap swings lose their snap, and he despairs. He’s supposed to be the star, this was his match to prove what he knows to be true to everyone else. But as the match approaches its conclusion, the despair turns into a stubborn refusal to submit to reality. With panic-tinged defiance in his eyes, he forces the final moments to be about him – his guts, his toughness. The star gets his spotlight, right before the lights go out. ” -Jeff Martin

“The visual of Starks passing out in the strap-assisted LaBell Lock is one I won’t soon forget.” -George Atsaves

“I have 3 Bryan Danielson matches in my top ten and they couldn’t be more different from one another. He is the greatest to ever do it, and he might be better than ever.” -Casey Fiore

“One of the best visuals of 2023 was Ricky Starks getting choked out by Bryan Danielson. Ricky conveyed a huge swath of emotions in just 30 seconds, with no words. No in-ring monologues needed, thank you very much.” -Elliot Imes

“Some matches have charm, others have violence. This match has the most leather straps to the face you’ll see outside of fetish porn, and I think that’s all you really need to know to judge its value. A career elevating performance from Starks.” -Jason Westhaver

“2023 was a preposterous year for wrestling. One of the best singles matches of all time. One of the best tag matches of all time. The best Iron Man match of all time. And this nasty little beauty, the best strap match of all time. What makes this match even more impressive is that it was done almost on the fly, with Danielson stepping in to replace disgraced former pro-wrestler Phil Brooks. But, unusually for this type of list, it wasn’t Danielson who was the star of the show here. Starks brought this match out of the TV and into your sitting room with his incredible performance. You felt every crack of the whip, relished every sadistic turn of the table and gasped with him as he passed out, struggling for breath in the dying seconds. Starks has the most emotive face in wrestling and that’s why the revolution MUST be televised.” -Martin Hearty

“Hey, when you lose your pay per view main event because CM Punk tried to beat everybody up backstage? Sometimes you just take what you’ve got and say gently caress it, Bryan Danielson. Bryan Danielson came back for this match on basically one day’s notice, still healing from a broken arm, so the match had to be simple and it was about as simple as it gets: Bryan Danielson and Ricky Starks are tied together by a strap and they hit each other with it a lot. The highlight (besides all the parts where a guy gets hit by a leather strap) is Ricky Starks’ excellent facial selling, from the frustration when Bryan powers up through the repeated hits of the strap, to his eyes bugging out as Bryan chokes him out and his defiance gives way to resignation as he passes out. Sometimes you wonder if AEW fully understands what they have in Ricky Starks. After matches like this, I really really hope they fully figure it out.” -Jeff Ahmed

“They whip each other in the face a million times and it rules. What else do you want me to say?” -S. Dakota Jones

“This was the horniest AEW match of 2023″ -Skeach101

“AEW needed a win. Cast against the backdrop of a top star’s removal, Ricky Starks needed to maintain his relevance, and the All Out card needed to keep the record of top tier AEW PPVs going. Bryan Danielson rushes back, proves his commitment to AEW, both saving a show and affirming a star on the rise. Absolutely incredible match, making every Strap match before or since look like child’s play.” -Marty Day

“Sometimes missed opportunities can lead to incredible results and this was exactly the catch in this matchup. Ricky Starks found himself opposite an American Dragon with cruel intentions who performed this match with one arm. It was a match of high emotion and intensity that simply should not have been possible to achieve.” -Trish Speirs

“Every year, I go to Chicago for AEW’s Labor Day weekend PPV. And every year, they produce a match that I believe is the best I’ve ever seen live. This was a late replacement after the latest eruption of Mount Brooks, but you would never know it. These two beat on each other like they had been feuding for years. You could hear the strap shots up in the cheap seats. An incredible feat in Danielson’s incredible 2023, made even more unbelievable when you remember Danielson had just barely been cleared from a broken arm.” -Suit Williams

“A match that not only stole the show, but managed to stand out as unique when 2023 was a year that had so many high level matches that were of the death match variety. However, Ricky Starks is a young talent that is at his absolute best when he’s enduring unimaginable suffering. And Bryan Danielson is simply one of the best to ever step into the ring. Given as well the level of intensity that is inherent to a Strap Match… you wouldn’t think so on paper… but these two were born for this kind of exhibition. Ironically, one wonders if these two will ever have another such match again…” -Reuel Castillo

“Yo, if you’re down to take a leather strap to the face for my entertainment, I will ride with you for life.” -Jeremy Sexton

“This was beautiful pro wrestling violence! Starks jumps Danielson before the bell and gives him some hard shot to the head with his weight belt to bust Danielson open. The match officially starts and Danielson is already on defense as he tries to cover up while Starks whips the hell out of him with the strap. Danielson starts to fight back and nails Starks with his own shots before using the strap to pull Starks into the ring post and busting him open. We now got an insane double juice strap match going on as Danielson unloads brutal strap shots on Starks! My God! Awesome moment as Starks starts whipping Danielson, only for Danielson to no sell it and whip him back, asking him if he is going to take it. loving awesome! Big Bill tries to get involved but Ricky Steamboat at ringside stops him. Danielson is cut in half by a Spear from Starks but only a 2 count. Roshambo attempt by Starks but Danielson slips out and hits a Busaiku Knee! Only 2 again! Danielson kicks Starks’ loving head in and applies the LeBell Lock but Starks is fighting out of it! Danielson uses the strap to apply more pressure and Starks passes out! What a loving match! Danielson fought from underneath like the fantastic babyface he is while Starks looked like a star in defeat after the grueling match both went through. The Greatest Strap Match of All Time! *****” -Alex Kalil

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

DangoDaisuki - 4.0
"Ich bin wohl derjenige dem das Match so ziemlich am wenigsten gefallen hat. Matches wo Wrestler aneinander gebunden sind, sind meistens jetzt nicht so gut, warum das hier jetzt so viel besser sein soll und sogar 5 Sterne bekommt versteh ich nicht. Die meiste Zeit haben sie sich mit dem Strap gehauen oder gewürgt. So viele andere Dinge gab es nicht."

lost my old email posted:

probably a MOTYC but i already picked kenta/zack. i am being wildly inconsistent about this. the world is not a right place

Price Check posted:

In mourning that Kazu lost but great match.

SatoshiMiwa posted:

Please run this at the Dome for the title

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“Both wrestlers belong here and in this kind of match. Big stage bigger personalities. Better than the G-1 Finals. Superstars being Superstars!” DJ Rothenbecker

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Mizzle Assault Ant - 4.0
"So this is a five star match, huh? I mean it's not bad, exactly, and Ibushi and Okada are obviously talented, but I feel like I've seen this exact match literally hundreds of times. What really gets me is the feeling that nothing these guys do to each other actually matters, like it very much seemed like Okada hit two Rainmakers mid match and Ibushi just popped up again like nothing happened. Might as well have been doing yet another long forearm exchange, now there's a trope that's gotten painfully old. I dunno, this kind of match really just isn't for me, I can't see the fuss about it. Their 2014 match was a lot better to me, god knows it felt a lot fresher."

Turnabout Wrestling - 7.0
"This match just didn't do it for me. It's just a typical Okada match with slow paced mat wrestling for the first 10 minutes and then some decent but not amazing action towards the end with most of the actions just them hitting some big moves."

YourHumbleMessiah posted:

I don't know if we will ever see anything like this again? I know I want to.

Rarity posted:

What the gently caress

Maxwell Lord posted:

art achieved

LionYeti posted:

I could see approximately 20% of that match in person but it was 100% amazing nth

Dango Bango posted:

Someone snuck a story into my bloody trash brawl

Truther Vandross posted:

Yes. This loving slapped from start to finish

flatluigi posted:

can't wait for the blood and guts rematch

Testekill posted:

KungFu Grip posted:

i will only truly remember the Anarchy in the Arena match in a year

Fish Of Doom posted:

This was a mess and was mostly stupid.

The Hausu Usher posted:

Couldn't see poo poo, just a dogs dinner of a match. Awful death match shenanigans. Jericho standing tall. Complete waste of Eddie and his potential to finally rise up the card, stick a fork in him he's done. Hopefully the end of Bryan being wasted and he can move on to bigger and better things.

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“Best match I’ve ever seen live.” -Paul Fontaine

“They somehow topped the Stadium Stampedes. From the moment Wild Thing repeated I knew this was going to be great and it was. Brutal with tons of cool moves and iconic moments like Eddie walking out with the gas and Danielson going down in defeat.” -Mongo Underscore Ebooks

“This match stands out above everything AEW has this year. AEW has had a great year. Alot of incredible tv matches. Alot of plunder matches as well. But this one just felt DIFFERENT. Often when i’m putting my top 10 lists there are matches I know i loved in the moment but struggle to remember something significant about it. This match had two significant moments that lasted in my brain all year. Wild Thing playing at the beginning when everything was pure chaos reminding me of an old New Jack ECW match. And Eddie Kingston looking like a complete psychopath with a canister of gasoline ready to light Jericho on fire. This match rules.” -Christopher Duarte

“Every so often, this sport gives us something we have never seen before. On May 29th, AEW gave us a spectacle that could only be delivered by these participants in this promotion and on this night. The feud may have grown a little long in the tooth by the end of 2022, but on Memorial Day weekend, it was just getting started. This match was one of the most fun matches I have ever seen. We were given everything from Moxley’s entrance music virtually serenading the opening minutes of the battle to an apparent attempted immolation by Eddie Kingston on his rival Chris Jericho. Everything here felt appropriate, and nothing overstayed its welcome. Knowing now that Danielson’s concussion at the end of this match would prevent him from taking part in Forbidden Door does not sully this match in any way in my book. My wife is typically in the same room as me during AEW ppv’s but couldn’t care less about what is happening on screen, this match gave her reason to stop what she was doing and watch. That is special. This is the type of spectacle match AEW has become synonymous with and probably the best one yet.” -Chris Colvin

“This was a wholly unique feeling that I never experienced watching wrestling before. Were there better matches in 2022? Probably. But no match made me feel anything close to what this made me feel. Even now I find it hard to put into words. Sixty seconds in I knew I was watching something special. This is the best no DQ match of all time. Better than any Hell in a Cell, TLC, deathmatch, anything, take your pick. This is the best no DQ match of all time.” -Lance Larson

“Jake Hager being in the match of the year? Sure, why not. A glorious spectacle of mayhem where not only the wrestlers deserve credit for pulling it off, but the production team should get all the praise for ensuring it didn’t look like a total clusterfuck. A bloody Kingston walking down the ramp with a petrol can will be burned into my brain for years to come.” -Mark Robinson

“A 30 min spectacle of fun and just the stuff that only Chris Jericho could think of.” -Jack Murphy

“The 2022 edition of Double Or Nothing was a very lengthy show with A TON of matches (a twelve match main card), but the match that totally stole the show was the Anarchy In The Arena match. There was a lot of uncertainty regarding what this match was going to be (Stadium Stampede had been a feature of the last two Double Or Nothing PPVs), but when the dust settled, it absolutely delivered. It was essentially a more serious, more realistic, and more violent version of Stadium Stampede. The brawl went all over the building (with Wild Thing blaring throughout the arena for the first portion of the match), with the most of the competitors busted open. Eddie Kingston walking down the ramp all covered in blood while carrying a gas can, getting ready to murder Chris Jericho, will be an image that’s forever burned in my brain. An incredible effort from everyone involved. Easily one of the most memorable matches of 2022.” -Sean Sedor

“This was cinema. A bloody brawl that had storytelling mixed with brutality so well, Kingston full of blood going with a gas can to the ring and about to incinerate Jericho and Bryan was just tremendous. Spectacular.” -Diego Garcia

“Very rarely can a match live up to its name the way Anarchy in the Arena did. From “Wild Thing” blaring over the arena loudspeakers through the first portion of the match to Eddie Kingston’s iconic walk down the ramp, gasoline canister in tow, total wildness and I loved every second of it. Unlike anything else in pro wrestling in 2022.” -Adam Shinder

“Just the perfect example of wrestling as a spectacle. From the moment The Jericho Appreciation Society come out head to toe in white gear you can see where the match is going, then we see the faces stand heroic in the crowd with rock music blaring and I can’t describe how happy I was. From there it’s just a collection of wild brawling and insane spots, Eddie Kingston covered in blood and mustard carrying a petrol canister obviously chief among them. This is just a perfect match and something that could only be done in AEW. Five Stars.” -Chester SA

“Pure violence and chaos, one of the most entertaining matches I’ve ever watched with the added bonus of a bloody Eddie Kingston walking down the ramp to set Jericho on fire.” -Adam Darwin

“This is the definition of pure unadulterated pro wrestling fun. You had “Wild Thing” playing on a loop, Jericho breaking it off and creating a smattering of hate and boos, the death of Bryan Danielson, and THAT image of Eddie Kingston is one you will never forget. Kingston encapsulated the look of a pro wrestling maniac. Everybody was on point in this match, and even though the feud was never ending, at least it had this great match that revived a Pay Per View that was on a downturn. It is that good: it revived the crowd. A match that I will probably watch again in a while.” -Abraham Delgado

“The best thing about AEW is the respect they have for wrestling history and all the styles that entail. One byproduct of this is that they’ve managed to bring proper brawling back to mainstream US wrestling after WWE mostly went for plunder brawls after they went PG. Many great brawls have taken place under the AEW banner so far, but this is the pinnacle. Mixing brawling styles from Memphis, ECW, and WWF’s Attitude Era this chaotic spectacle introduces a plethora of its own ideas and incredible visuals to elevate this beyond just an homage, and instead into what I believe will be the match that defines AEW for years to come.” -Kas

“A great replacement for the Stadium Stampede gimmick. I had pretty low expectations for this and they completely overwhelmed them. It’s a chaotic, fun atmosphere that had so many moments — ah, there’s that word again — that just captivated me completely. This is definitely the match I most remember from this night, and the image of Eddie coming down with the gasoline is probably the most incredible of them all.” -Sandra Berry

“This match was ridiculously fun. I had to vote it second here as I had so much fun watching it. From Jericho stopping Mox’s music for heat, to the finish, all of this was great.” -Josiah MacDonald

“Madness…the image of Eddie Kingston covered in blood looking like a villain from an A24 horror film just deciding to set Chris Jericho on fire is something I’ll never forget.” -Markeem Graham

“There was blood, hi-jinks, blood, Wild Thing, blood, and brutality. ‘Nuff said.” -AKittyCat

“So many moving parts to this match! Watching it live was amazing, just a ton of stuff going on, genuinely exciting. I will always remember being at ringside and seeing part of Moxley’s head torn open after falling into barbed wire. Ouch!” -Bryan Rose

“This wasn’t a match, this was an 8-ball of speed injected straight into your brain stem. Plunder brawls have been done to death at this point, but when they are this much fun, and have this much energy and blood and violence and crowd engagement, they can still feel really special. The rapturous cheering when “Wild Thing” restarted after playing all the way through the opening minutes brought a massive smile to my face, but in terms of visuals, I am going to remember the shot of a bloody, murderous Eddie Kingston walking to the ring with a gas can for the rest of my life.” -Andrew Rich

“This match had everything. Intense hatred, brutal violence, and chaos that was beautifully choreographed. The production from the TV crew helped amplify how great this was, as the match could have easily been a disaster without their brilliance.” -Tyler Forness

“This is about as perfect as a match like this can go in the modern era, and the easy comparison to make is to look at this match and the Blood and Guts match a few weeks later which I felt did have some noticeable flaws. This match was chaotic, insane, violent and captivating from the first minute. The idea to wrestle with Jon Moxley’s ‘Wildthing’ blasting out in it’s entirety, and then on repeat for another easy crowd pop, and then an easy heat moment for Chris Jericho when he destroyed the soundboard to put an end to Moxley’s music, was a move of pure genius, echoing memories of New Jack ECW brawls in the 90s. Who will ever forget Eddie Kingston walking down the ramp with a petrol can looking like Trevor from GTAV with revenge in his eyes on Chris Jericho. This match stands alone as one of the most unique and brilliant slices of pro-wrestling in 2022. Sadly Blackpool Combat Club Vs Jericho Appreciation Society carried on for 7 more months and never reached these heights again.” -Ed Mills

“Anarchy in the Arena was an insane piece of pro wrestling theatre. A sugar rush of camera cuts to half a dozen things all seemingly happening at once, with a flow and escalation in brutality that delights even on rewatch. In a company that provides incredible pro wrestling tableaus frequently, the image of a blood-soaked Eddie Kingston limping down the ramp with a can of gasoline like a man truly pushed over the edge is hard to beat this year.” -Dave Ryan

“It was until very late in the game my Match of the year. It would be Match of the Year in a normal year. It’s the height of this type of match and really an incredible use of the high definition camera setups. It’s also an incredibly fun time. Some all time visuals in this match particularly Eddie with the Gasoline.” -Arturo Galletti

“The best match I saw live in 2022. This was a re-imagination of the group brawl that’s been designed and re-imagined countless times over the years. From the entrances, to “WILD THING” playing on a loop until the music machine got busted, this match followed the natural conclusion of several violent men who lose sight of the goal in service of the violence, and how it led to the downfall of The BCC and friends. It is quite possible that the magic of this match will never be recreated.” -Jeremy Finestone

“Spectacle. That’s the only way to describe this match. While so much of what happens in this match is away from the ring, it’s the sort of car crash of a donnybrook that only pro-wrestling can provide. And when it’s done at a high level, is the sort of entertainment one can’t find anywhere else in the world through any medium.

It’s impossible to actually describe the Anarchy in the Arena match. Competitors were taken anywhere and everywhere, getting beaten and bruised along the way. But this was no typical walk-and-brawl, that these sorts of matches can easily devolve into. Instead wherever someone went, they were brutally beaten along the journey. Anything and everything was a weapon to make you bleed – even the components of the very ring itself. And all the while, a story was being told. A surprisingly complex and coherent yarn about Eddie Kingston’s hate for Chris Jericho, about Kingston’s journey for acknowledgment and respect. And about how he’ll make Jericho bleed, even burn alive to get the respect Kingston feel’s he’s due.

But we also see that feeling isn’t shared among all of Kingston’s teammates, especially Danielson. We see Kingston’s friend in Mox trying to stand by his longtime ally… but Moxley’s new friends in the Blackpool Combat Club don’t seem to share the same esteem in Kingston.

It’s a gimmick match, but it gave us perhaps more than we deserve not just in action, but story as well.” -Reuel Castillo

“Who saw this coming? What a wild brawl. The music on repeat was an ingenious idea. Capped off with Eddie Kingston and the gasoline.” -Joe Towner

“Few things I have ever seen in my life can compare to the anarchy in the arena match. The way the faces all made their entrances down the steps in the crowd to start this match made them all feel so big time. It was full of amazing and memorable moments. The way the Moxley’s music continued to play while the teams were brawling all over the arena, the song finishing and then starting over again from the beginning was magical and surreal. Matt Manard being caked in blood, Matt Manard being caked in mustard, Jericho and Moxley fighting on a mobility scooter, fighting in the concourse with the lighting guy following them around, stereo ladder dives in a match where there’s no need for a ladder. And of course the iconic image of Kingston emerging with a petrol can. Just a wonderful one of a kind match.” -Steven

“Other matches this year were more technically sound. Other matches this year were better put together. Hell, other matches this year were more brutal. But I don’t think there’s any question what the most fun match of the year was. Whether it was Moxley’s music repeating itself, Daddy Magic getting covered in mustard, or the pure chaos that enfolded throughout, consider myself thoroughly Sports Entertained.” -Slyguy46

“In my mind the memory of this match is a montage of mayhem: Danielson beating the piss out of Angelo Parker, Matt Maynard hitting a .9 on the Muta scale, Santana and Ortiz diving through tables and then off ladders, Eddie Kingston and Daniel Garcia beating each other silly in the concession stand with anything they could get their hands on, Jon Moxley hurling a full esky of drinks at Chris Jericho’s head, through to the climax of the match with Mox ripping up the ring and Eddie Kingston stumbling down to the ramp, jerry can in hand, intent on burning Chris Jericho alive and of course, all of it scored to Wild Thing. Who needs an actual wrestling hold when you can just let these ten men loose in an arena?” -Sam Brown

“The song restarted and everyone cheered like that Simpsons meme when the class gets Bart to say the thing again. This was an absolute blast.” -Jeremy Sexton

“This is going to sound pretentious and make me sound like a gatekeeper. If you didn’t like this match, you don’t like professional wrestling. You may like aspects of it that you can find in other mediums. But this match is professional wrestling in its purest form. This was violence and passion and mayhem and energy. Just thinking about this match gives me the physical buzz I had when watching it. There were so many moments in this match that put a smile on my face when I think about them. The brawl as Wild Thing played overhead. The pop when Wild Thing restarted, only for Jericho to pull the plug to massive heat. Daniel Garcia dragged Eddie Kingston across the concourse floor by the neck with a belt. Moxley chucking a full cooler at Jericho’s head. And the piece de resistance, Eddie Kingston stumbling out of the entrance tunnel, covered in blood, wielding a gas can like he was Trevor Phillips blowing up a meth lab. That is an image that will live in my memories forever.

Then there’s the story aspect of the match. There’s so much wasted discourse about AEW and their alleged inability to tell stories. Anyone who tells you that is someone you don’t need to give any regard to. In this match alone, you had an outnumbered Kingston getting assistance from his old friend Moxley. Moxley brought along Danielson, a person who we know doesn’t respect Kingston, but is willing to help out. Danielson had the match won with Jericho moments away from submission, but a crazed Kingston stumbled out and doused them both in gasoline. Danielson and Kingston start fighting each other, which allowed Jericho and Hager to isolate Danielson and choke him out to win. These people were acting consistently to what we’ve seen over time as viewers, leading to a climax that works in advancing the story. That is storytelling in pro wrestling.

Excellent storytelling. Exciting wrestling. Memories that will live with me forever. It doesn’t get any better than Anarchy In The Arena.” -Suit Williams

“This was a sublime spectacle of controlled chaos. It’s one thing for two or even four men to have a match where everything means something but for ten men to do it all of the arena is something that will be hard to match.” -Dave Musgrave

“For a faction war this match was more original and better than Blood & Guts. You believed Eddie Kingston was capable of murder. That iconic image of Eddie as he strolled towards the ring was the gasoline container. The lifeless eyes. A demon was at the wheel. Loved it.” -Franky DeJesus

“An absolutely bonkers match that reminded us that chaos in pro wrestling rules. When it’s done well, it’s oustanding and crazy and pop-out-of-your-seat fun.” -Warren Hayes

“The wildest, most chaotic, ridiculous, intense, and entertaining match I’ve ever seen in person. From “Wild Thing” playing on repeat to bloody Eddie Kingston emerging with a gas can, Anarchy in the Arena lived up to its name.” -Kevin Ely

“Whenever someone complains about blood in wrestling, I immediately assume they’re a massive geek. How can someone watch a match like this without a maniacal grin? Matt Menard gigging in seconds was delicious, and it never relented. Like a Mitch Hedberg set, it didn’t matter if a joke didn’t land because there was another one right around the corner. The image of a bloodied Kingston walking towards the ring with a can of petrol, only to be beaten by his own partner was a perfect moment to end an almost perfect vortex of chaos.” -Neil David

“Sometimes wrestling is just about being able to have fun and no match did that better than Anarchy in the Arena. AEW’s ppvs are historically very long and being there live Double or Nothing felt especially so. However when this match began and Wild thing blasted over the speakers for 3 loops it woke not just myself but everyone in the Vegas crowd and with action all over the arena it became drat near perfect match. The visual of Eddie Kingston, bloodied, attempting to light his enemies and teammates on fire is probably one of the lasting images of aew in 2022″ -Kentucky210 (Austin Hall)

“I was in the building for Double or Nothing and I was not in a very good mood at this point in the show. So much of this show felt like it didn’t deserve to be on pay-per-view, that was a feeling I hadn’t had about an AEW pay-per-view since the early pandemic era. This match immediately took me out of that funk because it was possibly the most entertaining thing I have ever seen. This match came across great on television, but in the building it literally felt like anarchy. Four or five different groups of guys strewn about the building killing each other and spraying blood all over thousands of people for twenty minutes… it was magical. Of course the enduring image is Eddie Kingston with the gas can; again, incredible on television, but the arena let out a collective gasp as if Eddie had truly become so pissed off while covered in blood and mustard that he decided he was just going to f***ing kill these guys with fire… and the prospect of Eddie Kingston killing guys with fire filled me with glee.” -Andrew Stewart

““Ladies and gentlemen, poo poo is about to hit the fan.” That and crazy bloody Eddie staggering down the ramp with gasoline. WOW” -Steve Case

“Perhaps the most fun I’ve had watching any match live this year. Wait, scratch the perhaps, it was the most fun. This was a rockin’ affair, a party atmosphere to go with the absurdity and the insanity of it all. Violent, fun, entertaining, brutal, non-stop, sometimes definitely hard to follow but never ever boring. This was the highlight of the JAC/BCC feud for me, and I was glad I was there live to watch it. Incredible.” -Jeri L. Evagood

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

pvredecvy - 1.0
"I do not like this kind of nonsensical match. Bryan Danielson is one of the GOATs, I am a fan of Kingston, Santana, Ortiz. So it is a bit upsetting to see them involved. Chris Jericho is a legend and I feel like he should retire soon because he's just tarnishing his legacy at this point."

Edward Mass posted:

With 55.56% of the vote, Ibushi/Okada advances.

graph posted:

pppffffffff

Rarity posted:

I need my older brother

Edward Mass posted:

It turns out I hosed up this tournament - Omega/Takeshita from AEW All Out last year has already been in two different match-ups. The good news is that, since that match won both times it came up, the next contest in Round One will be a second chance match between the two matches it beat. I apologize for besmirching the integrity of this popularity contest.

Edward Mass posted:

It's currently a tie, and you're not going to like what my decision is if this Second Chance match ends in a tie. Or maybe you will, brother.

Captain Foo posted:

What is that person’s favorite match anyway

quote:

So, this one really has a lot of layers when you break it down. On the surface level, you've got two of the hottest young stars in the promotion, Windham and Luger, fresh off winning the tag titles in triumphant fashion over the Four Horsemen, now defending in a rematch against the illustrious Arn and Tully tandem. But to understand everything that happens in this match, you need to go back a bit farther. Back when Windham and Luger were at the very start of their careers, they both worked in the Florida territory and were close. First Windham then Luger migrated to Jim Crockett Promotions, the heart of the NWA, but while Windham opposed Flair and the Horsemen from the start, Luger stated his intention to join the group if possible. Windham warned him off many times but Luger persisted and was accepted into the group, turning his back on Windham in the process. After a successful year with the Horsemen, alienating the rest of the NWA roster in the process, Luger was ousted from the group for not falling in line under Flair. Initially a man with no allies, Luger reached out and Windham was one of the first to accept Luger back to the side of the babyfaces. However, when Luger was first ejected Flair went on record saying his first choice to replace him would be Barry Windham himself. The comment was disregarded at the time, but a seed was planted. Fast forward to this match, a masterpiece on free television. The action itself is just sublime, Arn and Tully are incredible as ever and Windham and Luger are probably both at or near their best at this time, and it's just a joy to watch. But the story takes a turn when the Horsemen, doubly vicious in this match, ram Luger head first into the ringpost in a great looking spot. Luger comes up gushing blood and can't even get to his feet. Windham is trapped alone with Arn and Tully, and though he fights hard he keeps looking for a tag only to see his corner empty. At this point Windham has taken a harsh beating with no backup, his partner is shot to hell, the match feels basically hopeless, and Windham has suffered through years of getting beaten by Horsemen tactics again and again. Horsemen manager JJ Dillon starts working on Windham verbally, reminding him how Luger let him down in the past and saying he's not there for him, he's not up to the task when needed. Tired and fed up, Windham makes a crucial choice. Just as a bloody Luger finally crawls back to the apron, Windham forces him to tag, then slams him into the ring! Windham's betrayal cements victory for the Horsemen, who once again claim the tag team titles. Tremendous angle, and the post match is fantastic as well. Dusty Rhodes, who was recently suspended and is now in disguise under the mask of "The Midnight Rider", storms into the heel locker room to try to talk sense into his friend Barry Windham. However, the scene turns even more ugly as the whole locker room jumps on Dusty, knowing that if his mask is removed and his identity confirmed, he'll face harsh punishment from the NWA for violating his suspension. Dusty has to be extracted by an army of babyfaces just in time as JJ Dillon barks orders to a chaotic gang of heels pursuing. It's pandemonium and absolutely awesome, start to finish.