Walter vs Zack Sabre Jr (Progress - 10/28/2018)

I will probably wind up editing this post tomorrow as I am hoping to get some time to rewatch this again. I am really sort of taken by this match. In that, I feel like I am kind of alone. There was the initial buzz after every Progress show, but I haven't seen a ton of hype for this (though I have admittedly not been on the wrestling internet much lately) It is - in my opinion - their best.  The degree of difficulty here is sort of off the charts. In the past they have done matches in a variety of places, most notably PWG, EVOLVE, and an earlier Progress match). Each had a different tone to it, but each was really built around offense, being eye catching, brutal, and sort of easy to get lost in. This did not lack brutality at all, but it was built on a chess match between the two, on Sabre's slow and methodical attempt to wrestle control of the match from Walter and on Walter's attempt to control the pace and position.  They worked with distance and pacing so well here. The punctuate sequences and stretches well. With the one very small noticeable place where they weren't on the same page, I have trouble finding fault anywhere here. Even there these two are so talented they worked it well.

For me, the reason this is getting nominated (and might be my favorite match of the year to this point) is that this feels like the highest achievement I have seen for a given style, this hybrid and ever evolving British Independent style.  I think of it this way. ROH was so exciting in the early 2000s because it was a lot real students of the game bringing a lot of different styles to their work. Guys like Low Ki, Joe, Dragon, Daniels, London, Styles felt fresh because there were lots of tropes fans had come to recognize (and some many fans hadn't) on display in a style that was becoming its own.  I see the modern European scene much the same way, of course being sort of centered in England right now. There are elements of indie wrestling of course, but there is also a WOS influence here, an AJPW influence, a shoot style influence, a lucha influence... the list goes on.  This match might not have the sort of high climax that something like Walter/Bate or Walter/Devlin had (two matches I watched around the same time and also thought were GREAT), but this to me is the sort of perfect story of a variety of styles, seamlessly woven together. Also, there are so many little details I love. For example, there is this great spot near the very end where Walter is trying to choke ZSJ out. He has a rear naked choke. With the arm wrapped around Sabre's neck he grabs the back of his own head and then turns his head toward Sabre. This effectively tightens the choke as hand is pulled further back while staying on the back of the head as it turns. This is one of my favorite techniques for chokes in BJJ. This is one place brings that shoot element in for me, adds a little touch you just don't see elsewhere, and at least for me it added a lot of urgency and intensity.

This match has a legit shot at making my list. I am going to watch it again this weekend and see how it holds up, but right now it is up there with best from a GREAT year of wrestling. These two have been fantastic dance partners for a while and this might just be their masterpiece.