OH HELL YEAH! Love seeing all the LOVE for Flair vs Morton! Thanks for the shoutout to Kadaveri! Sadly, I now only think it is second best match ever. Not quite as eye-catching as when I voted it #1 last year, but yeah that match still rules!
Please count my ballot as I sent. I didnt read the rules very well when I submitted and then just re-read and realized I goofed. I wanted to make Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shinsuke Nakamura - Invasion Attack my #42, but I didnt nominate it. Then I found out FXNJ did, so I could have included it. BUT dont worry about it! I will just include it next year. I just wanted to give it a shoutout. I will post my review of it after this.
So for my 2020 iteration of my Greatest Match Ever Ballot, I turned over 19 matches. It was excoriating and tortuous to cut 19 matches, but it had to be done because the 19 new matches are BANGERS! What caused this 19 match turnover?
Well for one thing last year, I goofed and left Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat - Wrestlewar 1989 off my list. It was supposed to be my #5 but I mistakenly put Flair vs Luger from Starrcade there. This year it made it to #6. So that was added.
I was able to finally complete my (re-)watching of the following eras and the following was added to the list:
1. WWE 2005-2009
a. Edge vs Matt Hardy - Unforgiven 2005 Steel Cage Match
b. John Cena vs Umaga - Royal Rumble 2007 Last Man Standing
2. WWE 2010-2014
a. Brock Lesnar vs CM Punk - Summerslam 2013
b. John Cena vs CM Punk - RAW Feb 2013
3. Puroresu 2010-2014
a. AJ Styles vs Minoru Suzuki - G-1 Climax 8/1/14
b. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Tomohiro Ishii - G-1 Climax 8/2/13
c. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Minoru Suzuki - NJPW 10/812
4. All Japan 1993-1996
a. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi - 4/16/93
b. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi - 7/29/93
c. Misawa/Kobashi vs Kawada/Taue - 12/3/93
d. Misawa/Kobashi vs Kawada/Taue - 5/21/94
e. Misawa/Kobashi vs Kawada/Taue - 6/9/95
f. Misawa vs Kawada - 6/3/94
g. Misawa vs Kawada - 7/24/95
h. Misawa/Akiyama vs Kawada/Taue - 5/23/96
i. Misawa/Akiyama vs Kawada/Taue - 12/6/96
j. Misawa vs Dr. Death - 7/28/94
k. Misawa vs Taue - 4/15/95
Unsurprisingly, the biggest impact comes from 90s All Japan. Every match save for Hansen/Kobashi (4/16/93) and the first Misawa/Akiyama vs Kawada/Taue (5/23/96) was a re-watch. These were all matches that I knew would make my list in 2019 but I had not yet re-watched them in like 7-9 years. I really, really enjoyed going back and watching '93-'96 All Japan and I added a lot more deep cuts thanks to the Yearbooks and Ditch's site. I loved having a more fleshed out experience. I watched 81 matches from this time period and it was just a blast!
Without any further adieu, here is my list for 2020:
1. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (AJPW 06/09/95)
2. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Ricky Morton - GAB Steel Cage
3. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Akira Taue (AJPW Championship Carnival 04/15/95)
4. Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Super Tiger -UWF 12/5/84
5. AJPW Triple Crown Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa AJPW 1/20/97
6. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat – NWA Wrestlerwar 1989
7. AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel vs Curt Hennig - AWA, Showboat 11/21/86
8. Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF 10/25/90)
9. Bret Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin - WrestleMania XIII Submission Match
10. Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy vs Dory & Terry Funk - AJPW 8/31/83 Terry Funk Retirement Match
11. Volk Han vs. Kiyoshi Tamura - RINGS 1/22/97
12. GHC Heavyweight Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi - Budokan 3/01/03
13. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Lex Luger - Starrcade 1988
14. Daniel Bryan vs HHH - Wrestlemania XXX
15. Jun Akiyama vs Mitsuharu Misawa - Budokan 2/27/00
16. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat - NWA Chi-Town Rumble '89
17. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama - Budokan 04/25/04
18. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada - Invasion Attack 2013
19. Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior (WWF Wrestlemania VII 03/24/91)
20. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (AJPW 12/03/93)
21. John Cena vs Brock Lesnar - Extreme Rules 2012
22. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Terry Funk - Clash of the Champions IX I Quit
23. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Terry Funk - Great American Bash 1989
24. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW 07/24/95)
25. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW 07/29/93)
26. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW 04/16/93
27. All Japan Triple Crown Champion Genichiro Tenryu vs Keiji Mutoh - Budokan 6/8/01
28. Sgt Slaughter vs Iron Sheik - WWF, MSG 6/16/84
29. Terry & Dory Funk vs Brusier Brody & Jimmy Snuka - AJPW 12/13/81
30. Ted DiBiase vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan – Mid-South, Houston 3/22/85 - Loser Leaves Town, Tuxedo Cage with Coal Miner's Glove On A Pole Match
31. WCW World Heavyweight Champion Sting vs Vader - WCW Great American Bash '92
32. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Terry Taylor - Mid-South 6/1/85
33. AJPW Triple Crown Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa AJPW 10/31/98
34. WWE Champion John Cena vs Umaga - Royal Rumble 2007 Last Man Standing
35. Volk Han vs Kioyshi Tamura - RINGS 9/25/96
36. Steve Williams vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW 07/28/94)
37. Brock Lesnar vs CM Punk - Summerslam 2013 No DQ
38. Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (AJPW 12/06/96)
39. Bret Hart vs Owen Hart - WrestleMania X
40. Toshiaki Kawada & Masa Fuchi vs Yuji Nagata & Takashi Iizuka - New Japan PPV 12/14/00
41. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshinari Ogawa – Budokan 11/01/03
42. WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Greg Valentine - WWF MSG 2/19/79
43. NWA US Champion Tully Blanchard vs Magnum TA - NWA Starrcade 1985
44. AWA World Tag Team Champions Buddy Rose & Doug Somers vs Midnight Rockers - AWA TV 8/30/86
45. WWF World Heavyweight Champion Triple H vs Cactus Jack - Royal Rumble 2000 Street Fight
46. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs Genichiro Tenryu - NJPW 2/17/94
47. WCW Crusierweight Champion Eddy Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio - WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 Title Vs Mask
48. All Japan Triple Crown Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama - 05/26/00
49. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Minoru Suzuki - NJPW 10/8/12
50. The Shield vs Ryback & Team Hell No - TLC 2012
51. NWA US Tag Team Champions Midnight Express vs Fantastics - Clash of the Champions I
52. Jushin Liger vs Great Sasuke (NJPW 07/08/94)
53. WCW US Heavyweight Champion Rick Rude vs Ricky Steamboat - Beach Blast 1992 Ironman MatcH
54. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair - Clash of Champions VI 2 out of 3 Falls
55. Lockdown 2005: AJ Styles vs Abyss - Number One Contender's Match
56. John Cena vs CM Punk - RAW 2/25/13
57. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW 06/03/94)
58. WWF World Heavyweight Champion The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin - Wrestlemania XVII
59. Edge vs Matt Hardy - Unforgiven 2005 Steel Cage
60. Stan Hansen vs Terry Funk - AJPW 4/14/83
61. NWA US Champion Greg "The Hammer" Valentine vs "Rowdy" Roddy Piper - NWA Starrcade 1983 Dog Collar Match
62. Shawn Michaels vs Mankind (WWF Mind Games 09/22/96)
63. Volk Han vs Kiyoshi Tamura (RINGS 09/26/97)
64. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero - No Way Out 2004
65. Super Tiger vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara - UWF 9/7/84
66. Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker (WWF Bad Blood 10/05/97)
67. Hacksaw Duggan vs Buzz Sawyer - Mid-South 11/11/85
68. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich - Mid-South 4/28/85
69. Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (AJPW 05/23/96)
70. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Barry Windham - Worldwide 1/20/87
71. AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel vs Nick Bockwinkel - AWA Winnipeg 9/20/84
72. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Yuji Nagata - NJPW 4/13/07
73. Jerry Lawler vs Bam Bam Bigelow - Memphis 9/7/86 Texas Death Match
74. “Macho Man” Randy Savage vs “Nature Boy” Ric Flair - Great American Bash 1995
75. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (AJPW 05/21/94)
76. Great Sasuke, Super Delphin, Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa, Masato Yakushiji vs Kaientai DX - Michinoku Pro 12/16/96
77. WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero vs John Bradshaw Layfield - Judgment Day 2004
78. Genichiro Tenryu vs Great Muta - WAR 10/11/96
79. Southern Heavyweight Champion Jerry “The King” Lawler vs “Dirty” Dutch Mantell - Memphis 3/22/82
80. Mid-South North American Champion Dick Murdoch vs Butch Reed - Mid-South 9/22/85
81. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Kerry Von Erich vs Jumbo Tsuruta - AJPW 5/22/84
82. WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Ken Patera - WWF, MSG 5/19/80
83. WWF World Heavyweight Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Chris Benoit - Smackdown! 5/31/01
84. Midnight Express vs Rock N Roll Express - Wrestlewar 1990
85. UWA Junior Light Heavyweight Champion El Samurai vs Shinjiro Ohtani - NJPW 1/21/96
86. Turning Point 2005 - X-Division Champion AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe
87. GHC Tag Team Champions Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa vs KENTAFuji - Budokan 04/25/04
88. AJ Styles vs Minoru Suzuki - NJPW 8/1/14
89. WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - Wrestlemania III
90. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka - RINGS 6/27/98
91. Vader vs Nobuhiko Takada (UWFI 08/18/94)
92. Yuki Ishikawa & Muneori Sawa vs Super Tiger II & Manabu Hara - BattlArts 11/16/08
93. Six-Man Tag Team Champions Fabulous Freebirds vs Von Erichs - WCCW 7/4/83 2 Out of 3 Falls
94. AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Bill Dundee vs Jerry Lawler - Memphis 6/6/83 Loser Leaves Town
95. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata vs Kazunari Murakami - NJPW 12/12/02
96. Hiroshii Tanahashi vs Tomohiro Ishii - G1 Climax 8/2/13
97. The Sheiks (Sheik Adnan & Crusher Blackwell) vs Da Crusher & Greg Gagne - AWA 3/25/84 Steel Cage Match
98. Fujita Jr. Hayato vs Koji Kanemoto - NJPW Super J Cup 12/02/09
99. Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks - NXT 2015
100. TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode vs AJ Styles - TNA Final Resolution 2011 30 Minute Iron Man
So what got cut? The big loser was definitely 80s US Wrestling, 7 matches got cut. Elliot is going to cry big, manly tears reading this but brutha as much I love this era it just doesnt have that extra gear that 90s All Japan has. It was tough, man. Following close behind was Puroresu from 2000-2009, 4 matches cut. Ditch's Best of Puroresu 2000s was my first project and fell in love with project-style viewing. I enjoy this forgotten more than most probably cause I took the time more recently to watch it and it was heart breaking to lose those matches too.
A. US Wrestling 70s/80s
1. Harley Race vs Terry Funk - Houston 7/1/77
2. Terry Funk vs Bob Orton - Southwest 5/26/83 - So sad!
3. Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich - WCCW 8/12/82 - I went with the
Mid-South match as my Flair/Kerry representative. Seemed
leaner, but regret not including this.
4. Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - Toronto 2/15/87
5. Randy Savage vs Ronnie Garvin - ICW Steel Cage
6. Jerry Lawler vs Austin Idol - Memphis 4/27/87 Steel Cage, What
a great finish, 3 Lawler matches still made it!
7. Kerry Von Erich vs Michael Hayes - WCCW Cage Loser Leaves Town
Down to just two Kerry matches on my ballot was heart-breaking
B. Puroresu 2000-2009
1. Kensuke Sasaki vs Toshiaki Kawada - DOME 10/2000 NO KENSUKE ON
MY LIST! I feel like shit. I dont deserve to take that dream!
2. Misawa vs Takayama - NOAH 4/15/01
3. Kobashi/Taue vs Tenryu/Akiyama - NOAH 9/18/05
4. Ishikawa/Otsuka/Sawa vs Ikeda/Tiger II/Usuda - Battlarts
7/26/08. Dont worry one 2008 BatBat match did make it!
C. Miscellaneous Cuts
1. Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - AJPW 7/24/98 I dont remember a
single fucking thing from this match. I know it was great, but
it got cut b/c of that.
2. KENTA vs Low-Ki - ROH December 2005 this got cut because I have
not finished my ROH watching and I think I only included last
year because I love Low-Ki so much and really wanted to include
one of his matches.
3. DDP vs Sting - Nitro 4/26/99 Fun match but I always knew it was
going to get cut.
4. Ric Flair vs Lex Luger - Wrestlewar 1990 pales in comparison to
their '88 match. Bad finish too.
5. Jushin Liger vs Naoki Sano - NJPW 8/10/89 I never finished my
80s NJPW watching and I just wanted to include more Liger last
year. I need to re-watch this and rank it with its peers first.
6. Shinya Hashimoto vs Genichiro Tenryu 8/8/93 just not as good as
their '94 match
7. Sting vs Vader - Starrcade 1992 just not as good as GAB 92
8. Chris Benoit vs Shawn Michaels - RAW May 2004 Bad Finish.
What do I plan on adding in 2021?
1. ROH 2002-2008
2. US Indies (ROH/TNA/Evolve etc...) 2009-2014
3. All Japan Pro Wrestling 1985-1992
4. New Japan Pro Wrestling 1980-1989
I have a shit ton of wrestling to watch! HELL YEAH BRUTHA!