Best of 2013 Pro Wrestling Tracker

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Keeping a loose list of MOTYs for some of the groups...with WWE, it's funny: Most of the best matches so far involve the Shield, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk.

Sure, there's Orton, Jericho, Cena, Ziggler and others who appear to, but those three in particular stand out a number of times.

This year, in the WWE...if you were in a "Best Match" it likely also had Daniel Bryan, Antonio Cesaro, CM Punk, Chris Jericho or a member of The Shield involved.

Funny doh, the interwebz goes crazy for Dolph Ziggler...and don't get me wrong, he's really good, and maybe its because he has gotten shit to work with...but there is a big drop off from the aforementioned group of talents and then Dolph Ziggler, IMO.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Keeping a loose list of MOTYs for some of the groups...with WWE, it's funny: Most of the best matches so far involve the Shield, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk.

Sure, there's Orton, Jericho, Cena, Ziggler and others who appear to, but those three in particular stand out a number of times.

But at least with Danielson and Punk, each of them has a candidate with Jericho.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I have Punk/Taker & Punk/Cena from RAW as legit MOTY contenders.

Well, neither will be my pick, but both have a real shot at my top ten by the end of the year.

The Shield has a bunch of really good matches, so does Cesaro, Bryan too, but nothing I think is going to crack my list (unless i'm forgetting something obvious, i'm not looking at my notes).

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

I have Punk/Taker & Punk/Cena from RAW as legit MOTY contenders.

Well, neither will be my pick, but both have a real shot at my top ten by the end of the year.

The Shield has a bunch of really good matches, so does Cesaro, Bryan too, but nothing I think is going to crack my list (unless i'm forgetting something obvious, i'm not looking at my notes).

The first Shield match, with Ryback/Bryan/Kane was really good, at the start of the Observer Year. Probably won't make my Top 10, but it was just as good as Punk/Taker and Punk/Cena.

Cesaro has been as good as anyone...I'm really hype to see the best 2 out of 3 falls match with Sami Zayn that will air at the end of August...that might catapult him into the upper echelon with Punk and The Shield. Bryan, too, has a chance at doing something special with Cena in a month.

 

[EmpireWF]

Just watched the (April) Invasion Tanahashi/Okada match for the first time. Makes me want to go back and rewatch the first two matches.

Was about 40 minutes but they kept a great pace. Working Okada's arm for a section of the match, Tanahashi just surviving the 20 count and Okada's submission....lots of fun.

I love watching Tanahashi's finishing sequence, piece by piece.....here, he got a cocky going for the tombstone. Okada comes right back and nails the rainmaker (he hit a modified version earlier in the match out of nowhere....awesome) for the win.

Damn that was good.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Open the Twin Gate: BB Hulk & Akira Tozawa (c) vs Naruki Doi & Ricochet - Dragon Gate "Kobe World"

Must see match. Instant classic, MOTY contender, one of the best tag matches you'll ever see. Simply amazing.

Also, lock up Ricochet for Best Flying Wrestler. It's over.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Also, lock up Ricochet for Best Flying Wrestler. It's over.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

A usual Ricochet spot where he runs from corner to corner and easily clears the turnbuckle, the ring post, the guard rail, and ends up in the 5th or 6th row all while flipping like Kano is good enough to put him into contention every.single.year. As is, its been he and Ibushi in contention for what...3 years in a row now?

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

His flying is on another level right now. He's not just doing flipz, he's incorporating this shit seamlessly into his matches logically, and with unreal timing.

Not many can touch him. AR Fox, Ibushi, Uhaa when you consider his size, ACH's stuff is great, Samuray Del Sol will only end up with half of a year, Devitt doesn't fly as a heel, WWE has nobody at this level aside from Neville, TNA nobody, La Sombra is always great & silky smooth, but to me nobody stacks up to Ricochet right now.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

His flying is on another level right now. He's not just doing flipz, he's incorporating this shit seamlessly into his matches logically, and with unreal timing.

Not many can touch him. AR Fox, Ibushi, Uhaa when you consider his size, ACH's stuff is great, Samuray Del Sol will only end up with half of a year, Devitt doesn't fly as a heel, WWE has nobody at this level aside from Neville, TNA nobody, La Sombra is always great & silky smooth, but to me nobody stacks up to Ricochet right now.

Nigga, you right.

Ricochet is a vital cog in 3 MotYC so far.

 

[EmpireWF]

1. I'm gonna watch that DG tag from the weekend you keep raving about W2B. I love me some tag team wrestling so I'm going in with immense expectations.



2. Post-Raw, the only WWE matches I have above 4* (using the WON Awards calendar) all feature Bryan. (vs. Cesaro from RAW this week -- the TLC 6-man vs. The Shield -- & vs. Orton from RAW last month)

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

just watched again, shoulda went *****

Ricochet is on another planet in that match. Same for Tozawa.

 

[EmpireWF]

Meltzer's ratings for the 2 big matches last weekend...

****3/4 for the DG tag

****1/4 for Okada/Devitt

 

[FedEx227]

Both fair ratings IMO that's about where I put them and about where I'd rank them. Maybe put Okada/Devitt down to **** but no issues or complaints there.

The DG Tag is something to behold, it really is. You can't fathom these guys doing what they do as seemlessly and as rationale as they are doing it. You see those gifs and you assume there had to be a guy struggling to stay on the ropes, missing someone, not landing right... no. Everything is flawless, it's unbelievable. You HAVE to watch it.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Both fair ratings IMO that's about where I put them and about where I'd rank them. Maybe put Okada/Devitt down to **** but no issues or complaints there.

The DG Tag is something to behold, it really is. You can't fathom these guys doing what they do as seemlessly and as rationale as they are doing it. You see those gifs and you assume there had to be a guy struggling to stay on the ropes, missing someone, not landing right... no. Everything is flawless, it's unbelievable. You HAVE to watch it.

This is what i've been trying to tell people about Dragon Gate for years.

The style isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the entire roster from top to bottom is probably the most talented roster on the planet. They work together, train together, and in most cases all came up through the system together, and it shows. The timing required for the shit they do needs to be precise and it always is. Always. You NEVER see blown spots in Dragon Gate, which is amazing when you consider that they work at the fastest pace and do the craziest chains of moves in the world. Every roster has dead weight. DG has none.

Unlike the other Japanese groups who take it easy during the meat of the tour with multi man stuff and then work one or two hard shows per tour, DG works that same hard style every night. They run more shows than anybody in Japan, and never dog it. That's why guys who spend time in DG over the years always improve rapidly, like Ricochet, Swann, Matt Sydal, Jack Evans, the list goes on.

Anyway, the match is some spectacle. Even if you don't like the style it's impossible not to appreciate the amazing talent. I really wanted to go *****, but even though the match is technically flawless within that style, its not a flawless match because of the lack of selling of some big moves. A very minor complaint. This is as good as it gets.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Three days in the books at G1.

With everybody being on an even playing field given anywhere from 10-12 minutes (a little shorter for openers, a little longer for the main event), Tanahashi has clearly had the best matches. He's the best, he really is. Lance Archer as far as match quality is probably #2, believe it or not. Either him or Ishii, with honorable mention to Devitt.

Everybody has been at minimum very good, aside from Tenzan & Benjamin. Benjamin to be fair is always in a prelim, so gets a little less time and is probably asked to tone it down slightly. PLus he is one of three to have been stuck with Tenzan already. Tenzan is finished and watching him is sad. He is trying really hard and wants to do well, so it's not laziness or coasting. He just can't do it at this level anymore, and he is standing out like a sore thumb on these shows with 19 of the best workers on the planet surrounding him.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I have Ibushi/Nakamura from G1 Night Four Osaka at ****3/4

G1 has produced multiple MOTY contenders, including Ishii/Shibata from Osaka, Tanahashi/Ishii (N2, Korakuen), and the above Ibushi/Nakamura match.

N2 & N4 are Show of the Year contenders. Well, Night Two was, until Night Four happened.

This is going to be the best G1 in history. It already is and it's only four nights in.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

New award: WORST WRESTLING CROWD

Ishikawa Industrial Exhibition Hall #3

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I have Ibushi/Nakamura from G1 Night Four Osaka at ****3/4

G1 has produced multiple MOTY contenders, including Ishii/Shibata from Osaka, Tanahashi/Ishii (N2, Korakuen), and the above Ibushi/Nakamura match.

N2 & N4 are Show of the Year contenders. Well, Night Two was, until Night Four happened.

This is going to be the best G1 in history. It already is and it's only four nights in.

They did it again.

Sumo Hall N8 was probably even better than Osaka N4.

Another 5-star Tanahashi/Okada match.

I feel like wrestling has peaked. It can't get better than this New Japan run. It just can't.