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Post by timm on Dec 23, 2023 13:47:12 GMT -5
Flair vs. Brett Sawyer in Portland on 10/2 is another feather in 1982's cap. I'd rate that easily above most of 2023's so-called MOTYCs. 1982 is actually a dark horse candidate for Flair's best year. The Flair formula wasn't quite set in stone at that point and he was more willing to work as a vicious and dominant champion. 2009 would be my pick for weakest year in terms of high-end matches. HBK/Undertaker probably holds up the best out of all the modern WWE epics, but it's not a match I have any real desire to revisit. The matches from that year that stick with me the most are Minoru Suzuki/Taiyo Kea vs. Suwama/Shuji Kondo (trust me, it's good) and Christian vs. Jack Swagger (the TV match, not the PPV ones). The only time any incarnation of ECW was watchable was when Christian was involved. Funny, in my two worst years, 2009 and 2023, Christian may well have been the best worker of both! |
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Post by elliott on Dec 23, 2023 14:08:47 GMT -5
2010 has a pair of super Moxley vs Jimmy Jacobs matches too.
2009 stands out as particularly tough. Based on the nominations here from 2009 as of now I have Cena vs Orton from Breaking Point as my MOTY and that's probably not a top 2500 match ever.
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Post by kas on Dec 23, 2023 17:31:24 GMT -5
My top 5 for 2009 is:
Bryan Vs Hero
MCMG Vs Apollo
Hbk Vs Taker
Kenta Vs Nakajima in Diamond Ring
Kana & Nanae Vs Ray & Taiyo
I'd take that top 5 over quite a few years tbh
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Post by headcheese on Dec 24, 2023 3:11:43 GMT -5
2009 also had in what I think is maybe the best four way of all time and maybe matches of its style in El Generico vs. Jigsaw vs. Kota Ibushi vs. Nick Jackson.
2003 might be up there (for context, I have only mainly watched only WWE and NWA-TNA from that time).
I think the thing ahout 2023 wrestling is things feel kind of samey abit. It's like a transition year in all around the wrestling world especially in main event scenes
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Post by [Darren] on Dec 24, 2023 6:23:01 GMT -5
I like that with every match suggested I’m more convinced 2009 is the worst.
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Post by KB8 on Dec 24, 2023 7:33:58 GMT -5
I was going to say 2010, probably because WWE that year just sort of depresses me and I guess that bled into my perception of wrestling as a whole, but I forgot about FUTEN that year so I can't possibly call 2010 the worst anything.
I'm leaning 2009 now. Michaels/Undertaker was just about the most fun live wrestling experience I ever had and it held up okay on re-watch, but there's really nothing else from that year that's been suggested to make me reconsider. That Danielson/Hero match from Germany made me hate wrestling for like a week.
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Post by fxnj on Dec 24, 2023 9:18:05 GMT -5
NOAH quietly had a killer year for high-end matches in 2009. Multiple matches better than anything I’ve seen from some years in the 2010’s or 2020’s. Also I need to nominate some of these.
KENTA vs Nakajima 3/1
KENTA vs Akiyama
Misawa/Shiozaki vs Sasaki/Morishima
Shiozaki/KENTA vs Sasaki/Nakajima
Kawada/Taue vs KENTA/Akiyama
Also had some of the best deathmatches ever in Miyamoto/Takeda and Thumbtack Jack/Masada.
Haven’t seen 2012 mentioned, but I remember that year being pretty rough. There was that Akiyama/Kitamiya tag, Tanahashi/Suzuki, and the Kana/Ikeda tag but not a whole lot else I find myself wanting to revisit. NOAH and mainstream US promotions were the shits, and the high-end shoot style and IWRG had dried up a lot compared to prior years.
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Post by timm on Dec 24, 2023 9:24:38 GMT -5
2009 also had in what I think is maybe the best four way of all time and maybe matches of its style in El Generico vs. Jigsaw vs. Kota Ibushi vs. Nick Jackson. 2003 might be up there (for context, I have only mainly watched only WWE and NWA-TNA from that time). I think the thing ahout 2023 wrestling is things feel kind of samey abit. It's like a transition year in all around the wrestling world especially in main event scenes 2003 ruled. Kobashi/Honma and the Kobashi/Honma vs. Akiyama/Saito tag. Brock vs. Rey from Smackdown in WWE. Homicide vs. Corino in ROH. In general ROH had a super fun year. The Misawa/Kobashi NOAH match. One of the Liger/Kikuchi tags. I've actually turned into a big appreciator of the Benoit/Angle Royal Rumble match which I know some don't like much. There's also a Liger and partner vs. KENTA/Marufuji tag that I think is easily the best KENTA/Marufuji tag, or at least thought so last time I watched it. 2003 blows 2023 out of the water imo. |
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Post by mrjmml on Dec 24, 2023 9:31:35 GMT -5
2003 also had great shootstyle. Tamura in U-Style was awesome.
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Post by elliott on Dec 24, 2023 11:38:00 GMT -5
I like that with every match suggested I’m more convinced 2009 is the worst. Agreed with this. |
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Post by microstatistics on Dec 24, 2023 14:38:57 GMT -5
I'm gonna swing the pendulum back and go with 1982 as well. Along the lines of what lemming said, it's the only year since 1974 that doesn't feature a match I would consider "great", though I really like the Butch Reed vs. Crusher Blackwell match from St. Louis.
2002 is a good pick too. Only Dragon/Ki Round Robin and Lesnar/Taker HIAC just about manage to stand-out. It's an odd one considering how strong 2001 and 2003 are.
2011 is another contender.
I'm gonna throw out a pick people are unlikely to agree with: 1987. I know the Puerto Rico, Inoki/NJPW, US territory stuff is looked at fondly but even the best matches are merely good for me. Again, strange, considering the quality of 1986 and 1988-1989.
2009 and 2010 are not the strongest, but they aren't the weakest either and I would place them above the four years mentioned above.
To build on the 2009 selections thrown out (the top two are a cut above):
4/26 Futen tag
Jericho/Rey from the Bash
9/13 Chikara tag with Danielson
Styles/Daniels from Final Resolution
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Post by nintendologic on Dec 24, 2023 15:49:56 GMT -5
Haven’t seen 2012 mentioned, but I remember that year being pretty rough. There was that Akiyama/Kitamiya tag, Tanahashi/Suzuki, and the Kana/Ikeda tag but not a whole lot else I find myself wanting to revisit. NOAH and mainstream US promotions were the shits, and the high-end shoot style and IWRG had dried up a lot compared to prior years. WWE had Cena/Lesnar and Bryan/Sheamus and New Japan also had Okada/Naito. HHH/Lesnar wasn't very good, but it did provide us with the hilarious scene of HHH doing the slow walk to the back so the crowd could give him a standing ovation only for them to chant "you tapped out" at him instead. |
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Post by [Darren] on Dec 24, 2023 16:02:33 GMT -5
2012 is a high end year for me.
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Post by [Darren] on Dec 24, 2023 16:04:13 GMT -5
87 has Hansen/Colon, Andre/Hogan/Wargames, Inoki/Saito, the NJPW multi man, Flair/Windham, steamboat/Savage , Lawler/Idol
I consider 82 and 88 the weakest years of the 80s
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Post by elliott on Dec 24, 2023 16:37:15 GMT -5
1987 and 2002 are stacked years.
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