Best of 2013 Pro Wrestling Tracker

[Warner2BruceTD]

Was thinking about this earlier today.

There is a decent chance my entire top ten matches of the year could come from New Japan. We forget how great WrestleKingdom was. Off the top of my head, the Twin Gate from Kobe World might be the only non NJPW match in my worldwide top ten. Shingo/Gargano, Taker/Punk, Cena/Punk in the mix, but fuck, when I look at these New Japan matches, they may not make it.

I loved loved loved Taker/Punk. But it would be like the 8th or 9th best match at G1. Even with the Mania atmosphere advantage.

And it's only August and G1 Finals haven't even happened as I type this.

I'm telling you, New Japan 2013 is GOAT single year for a promotion. Blows away their own 2012 which was legendary.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Something I said on the podcast, and i've been thinking about it more, and it's true.

2013 is the best year for match quality i've ever seen. New Japan is having the greatest year a wrestling promotion ever had, WWE is having it's best year in many years, Dragon Gate had back to back blow away iPPV's, Shingo/Gargano at DGUSA, etc etc.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

CM Punk v. Brock Lesnar
SummerSlam 2013

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

CM Punk v. Brock Lesnar
SummerSlam 2013

Cena/Bryan?

Also, this:

IWGP Title - Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Kota Ibushi - DDT "Peter Pan 2013" 8/18

Here is my rating - FUN. Well over 4-stars, another great match in what has been an amazing year, maybe the best ever, in terms of great matches in pro wresting.

This was like an old school territory match where the world champ comes in to face the local star. The hometown crowd wants their boy to win SO BAD.

Okada gets better every day and might be my Wrestler of the Year & Most Outstanding right now. He is really finding his groove as a champion and exuding the right kind of confidence in the role. He is just damn good.

Ibushi is not the one dimensional flippy twink he used to be. At least not after the Nakamura match at G1, the tag scrum with Ishii at the G1 finals, and this match. Ibushi will now SMACK YOU IN THE MOUTH and BLEED. He has gone from a dynamic one trick pony to a well rounded fiery babyface star, a leap that is not easy to make. His best is still ahead of him, and 2013 is easily his best year to date.

Watch this match. Like all DDT main events, it's FUN.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Warner...I posted Punk/Lesnar right after.

I was a little irked after the post-match shenanigans by Orton. But, I think Cena/Bryan was an easy WWE MOTYC.

John Cena (c) v. Daniel Bryan
SummerSlam 2013

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Warner...I know you discarded Punk as a Wrestler of the Year candidate because he's not been as active...but I think he's right back in the mix.

Punk/Cena
Punk/Taker
Punk/Lesnar

Those are probably the Top 3 matches in the WWE in 2013. All Punk.

The Rock matches were stinkers, IMO and might hold him back, but ever since he stopped working with Rock...he's on fire.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

And, I said it before the match, but I said if Lesnar/Punk went over **** (and they went way over ****) that Punk/Lesnar was feud of the year.

As of right now, its Feud of the Year, and nothing is close.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I don't recall discarding Punk, i'm not denying it I just don't remember, but you are right he is certainly in the mix with those three matches assuming the Lesnar match is what it's hyped to be (which i'm sure it is, as it appears to be universal).

I haven't thought much about Feud of the Year. Off the top of my head, again, I have to agree. Promos set it apart. I can't even think of another viable contender. Maybe Goto/Shibata in the mix. Actually, that would definitely be in the mix. Bullet Club vs Tanahashi/New Japan? Thin category this year. What am I forgetting? There has to be something obvious.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

How about Worst Feud? Seems easier.

SCUM vs. ROH
Aces & 8's vs. TNA

My darkhorse pick...Kenny King vs RVD. God awful matches. Two guys with zero chemistry.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

How about Worst Feud? Seems easier.

SCUM vs. ROH
Aces & 8's vs. TNA

My darkhorse pick...Kenny King vs RVD. God awful matches. Two guys with zero chemistry.

I think part of that could be that RVD knew he was on his way out and no fucks were given. Even if that was the case, they should have had a much better series than they did.

EDIT: My darkhorse for worst would be Jericho and Ryback. If a series with Jericho can't get someone over, nothing will. Ryback still stuck with no momentum.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Yeah, Jericho/Ryback was a pretty awful feud.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

How about Worst Feud? Seems easier.

SCUM vs. ROH
Aces & 8's vs. TNA

My darkhorse pick...Kenny King vs RVD. God awful matches. Two guys with zero chemistry.

In any other year...Aces + 8's wins this running away...there was one redeeming quality...those Bully Ray vignettes.

But SCUM v. ROH was so fucking awful...I mean, terrible...its gotta be the winner.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

I don't recall discarding Punk, i'm not denying it I just don't remember, but you are right he is certainly in the mix with those three matches assuming the Lesnar match is what it's hyped to be (which i'm sure it is, as it appears to be universal).

I haven't thought much about Feud of the Year. Off the top of my head, again, I have to agree. Promos set it apart. I can't even think of another viable contender. Maybe Goto/Shibata in the mix. Actually, that would definitely be in the mix. Bullet Club vs Tanahashi/New Japan? Thin category this year. What am I forgetting? There has to be something obvious.

It was during a podcast, I think. You were talking about Ambrose v. Bryan and you said Punk just wasn't active enough and the Rock matches hurt him.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

In any other year...Aces + 8's wins this running away...there was one redeeming quality...those Bully Ray vignettes.

But SCUM v. ROH was so fucking awful...I mean, terrible...its gotta be the winner.

They were great.......but Bubba vs the Hogans was awful too. Considering it won't even come to it's end because of budget cuts makes it even worse.

 

[Primetime]

I rarely watch wrestling anymore, mostly just Wrestlemania and a random PPV or two that I happen to catch but Punk/Lesnar and Cena/Bryan both made me want more of those matches. Both had a ton of charisma and actually brought the fans into it more than I've seen since the RAW show after this past Wrestlemania. Great atmosphere and Bryan is an absolute star.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

In any other year...Aces + 8's wins this running away...there was one redeeming quality...those Bully Ray vignettes.

But SCUM v. ROH was so fucking awful...I mean, terrible...its gotta be the winner.

...and just when they dropped it, they are recreating it.

I dont know if you saw, but Prince Nana had two mystery men at the NYC show on Saturday. They unmasked as Homicide & Eddie Kingston, squashed QT Marshall & RD Evans (Most Underrated/Underpushed front runner, btw), and said they were there to take down Sinclair.

That sounds...awful.

 

[FedEx227]

Oh my god. Can we really move past the wrestlers under contract trying to take down the parent company angles? I mean, c'mon, it is 2013.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Antonio Cesaro v. Sami Zayn
NXT 8/21/13

 

[FedEx227]

2013 is an insane year. MOTY discussion is going to be awesome.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Running list of rookies from puropotsy of Wrestling Culture podcast, following Observer eligibility (debut after 9/1/12).

I've seen a few of the puro guys and a few of the NXT people. Nobody jumps out at me. Pretty dire list.

This is an area I always like to track and put together a list.

People will often post that the rules are confusing for this (cannot have worked for a major promotion or full-time before 9/1/2012) and that the category should be for break-out performer of the year.

I am posting this list for the purpose of tracking what rookies are out there and what people think of them.

To clear up any ambiguity I have only listed wrestlers who had their first match after 9/1/2012 (from what I can tell) and while others can always go outside that group there are at least a lot of people within that guideline. Some are VERY obscure but there are a lot of NXT wrestlers and a few mainstream guys in Japan, and as usual quite a few girls from Joshi.

Wrestlers who had their first match after September 1, 2012:

New Japan:

Sho Tanaka (d.o.b. 8/27/1989) debuted 11/15/2012 and is a graduate of the NJPW Dojo, he is a junior heavyweight at 205 pounds

Yohei Komatsu (d.o.b. 6/25/1988) debuted 11/19/2012 and is a graduate of the NJPW Dojo, he is a junior heavyweight

NOAH:

Hitoshi Kumano (d.o.b. 11/22/1991) debuted 2/9/2013 vs Atsushi Kotoge (although he was in a number of battle royals through January 2013)

DDT:

Konosuke Takeshita (d.o.b. 6/29/1995) debuted 8/4/2012 in DDT

Dragon Gate:

Ryotsu Shimizu (d.o.b, ?/?/1993), debuted 5/5/2013 in Dragon Gate and has also wrestled as Yuki Shimizu

K-Dojo:

Katsumi Oribe (d.o.b. ?/?/1988) debuted 2/24/2013 in Osaka Pro and has worked in K-Dojo

Taiyo Yoneda debuted 4/29/2013 in Osaka Pro

Tank Nagai (d.o.b. 4/28/1984) debuted 10/14/2012 in K-Dojo

WNC:

Hiroki Maruse debuted 2/3/2013 in WNC

Rionne McAvoy (d.o.b. 7/2/1986) also known as Lion McAvoy debuted 2/3/2013 in WNC

Joshi:

Akane Fujita (d.o.b. 1/3/1987) debuted 5/22/1983 in Ice Ribbon

Kumiko Kamata (d.o.b. 8/1/1986) debuted 11/10/2012 in Ice Ribbon

Risa Sera (d.o.b. 11/19/1991) debuted 10/20/2012 in JWP and has wrestled in Ice Ribbon, STARDOM and WAVE

Rutsuko Yamaguchi (d.o.b. 9/15/1990), debuted 12/29/2012 and has wrestled in STARDOM and Ice Ribbon

Shoko Hotta (d.o.b. 8/16/1986) debuted 10/20/2012 and wrestles in Ice Ribbon

Sumie Yoshino (d.o.b. 2/2/1983), debuted 4/7/2013 in STARDOM in Japan

Takumi Iroha (d.o.b. 1/4/1993) debuted 4/29/2013 in STARDOM in Japan

Yuie Yukoo (d.o.b. 11/14/1989) debuted 12/24/2012 and wrestles in STARDOM

235 (d.o.b. 4/14/1987) debuted 12/31/2012 in Ice Ribbon

WWE/NXT:

Anya, real name Anna Bogomazova (d.o.b. 4/7/1990) debuted 10/24/2012 in NXT

Angelo Dawkins (d.o.b. 7/24/???), debuted 12/20/2012 in NXT, former college athelete who is 6’5 and 282 pounds

Baron Corbin (d.o.b. 9/13/1984), debuted in NXT on 10/8/2012, is 6’6 and 273 pounds.

Cal Bishop (d.o.b. ?/?/?/?), name being used by former NCAA All-American wrestler Clayton Jack who was signed by WWE in January 2013, not sure if he has had his first match yet

Charlotte, name being used by Ashley Fliehr-Johnson (d.o.b. 4/5/1986), debuted 10/25/2012

Enzo Amore (d.o.b. 12/8/1986), debuted on 10/25/2012 in NXT

Eva Marie (d.o.b. 9/19/1984) debuted 7/1/2013 in NXT

Memo Montenegro (d.o.b. 4/26/1988), debuted on 9/20/2012, brother of Alberto Del Rio and son of Dos Caras, real name is Guillermo Rodríguez, started in WWE developmental without previous experience in Mexico

Sawyer Fulton (d.o.b. 4/2/????), debuted on 11/30/2012 in NXT

Travis Tyler (d.o.b. 3/20/????) debuted on 11/30/2012 in NXT

US Indies:

Falcon, debuted 2/2/2013 in IZW and has had several matches, is in the tag team Birds of Prey with Phoenix

Jonathan Ramser, debuted 5/11/2013 in OVW

Momma Excellent (d.o.b. 3/17/1965), real name Debbie Bouch, mother of Greg Excellent, teamed with Greg at CZW Cage of Death on 12/8/2012

Matt Majestic (d.o.b. 6/28/????), debuted 1/5/2013 in SRPW and has had several matches

Phoenix, debuted 2/2/2013 in IZW and has had several matches, is in the tag team Birds of Prey with Falcon

Psycho Sawyer (d.o.b. 4/13/????), debuted on 11/10/2012 and is wrestling in SRPW

Stuart Perry, debuted 6/5/2013 in OVW

International Indies:

David Finlay Jr (d.o.b. 5/16/1993), debuted 12/20/2012 in Germany and is the son of Finlay.

John Dozer, debuted 3/23/2013 in Australia

Morgan Leigh (d.o.b. ?/?/1991), debuted 3/1/2013 and is wrestling in France and Germany

Pete Bouncer (d.o.b. 6/3/1987), debuted 9/15/2012 in Germany

Mexico:

Anime (d.o.b. 1/1/1982), debuted 3/16/2013 in Mexican indies (female)

Hell Boy, debuted 9/?/2012 in Mexico

Shekina Elijah (d.o.b. 6/24/1991) debuted 11/?/2012 in Mexican indies (female)