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MOTYC's

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Not sure if it's too early to mailbag this one, but do you have any favorites for MOTY so far? Sure we have 4 months to go, but 2012 has provided some of the best matches of this recent era. Richards/Elgin was untoppable, but Omega/Ibushi from last week came close and was pretty goddamn awesome. Combinations of Tanahashi/Naito/Okada have been pretty memorable as well. Mania had it's moments. And Cena/Lesnar was, if nothing else, a lot of fun to watch back. Any favorites so far?

Well, I've already given out two ***** ratings this year, although I don't see anything topping Richards-Elgin.  Roode-Aries gave it a good try.  Undertaker-HHH was a special case and I don't feel personally comfortable saying it's the best match of the year because it basically existed in a vacuum.  With a better finish, Brock-Cena would run away with the award, and it might even win as it is.  And I'd probably have no problem with that, really.  

Comments

  1. cultstatusAugust 30, 2012 at 12:26 AM

    More than 12 people have to see the match for it eligible, so Richards/Elgin is out.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Joshua GrutmanAugust 30, 2012 at 12:36 AM

    Happy birthday Scott.

    ReplyDelete
  3. David Bonzai Saldana-MontgomerAugust 30, 2012 at 12:38 AM

    Scott, have you been able to check out Bryan vs. Punk at Over the Limit? I thought that was one hell of a match; while it probably falls shy of the full monty, it still deserves at least a place among the nominees and was a hell of a match in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  4. MadDogJoeDeCursoAugust 30, 2012 at 12:40 AM

    virgins say girls have cooties.. until they actually get some tush.. and then
    they realize what they have been missing.. Richards/Elgin = *****

    ReplyDelete
  5. kylelitkeAugust 30, 2012 at 12:51 AM

    Haven't seen Richards/Elgin. Brock/Cena, as Scott said, might have been mine with a better finish. Probably HHH/Undertaker right now. Great match, great story.

    ReplyDelete
  6. jobber123August 30, 2012 at 12:53 AM

    Punk vs bryan part 1 at the may ppv is moty imo

    ReplyDelete
  7. Scott KeithAugust 30, 2012 at 12:54 AM

    Thanks!  

    ReplyDelete
  8. TraitorAlexAugust 30, 2012 at 1:08 AM

    Brock/Cena exists in a vacuum to me also.  I don't even think what that was was a wrestling match.  It was pretty interesting since it was so wildly different but I don't know if you can judge it against other wrestling matches.  I sure enjoyed it though and definitely respected Cena for taking the abuse he did.

    ReplyDelete
  9. David Bonzai Saldana-MontgomerAugust 30, 2012 at 1:24 AM

    Happy happy birthday from everyone at Bennigan's
    Happy happy birthday from everyone at Bennigan's

    ReplyDelete
  10. cultstatusAugust 30, 2012 at 1:44 AM

    I'm not sure what makes less sense, the virgin/cootie line or saying Richards/Elgin was *****.

    ReplyDelete
  11. MadDogJoeDeCursoAugust 30, 2012 at 2:07 AM

    You gotta love that the people disparaging this match are the ones who HAVE NOT SEEN IT.

    ReplyDelete
  12. NintendoLogicAugust 30, 2012 at 2:08 AM

    I have yet to see Davey Richards in a good match, let alone a ***** one. I hope this trend of love for midgets in kickpads who expose the business by kicking out of everything they don't no-sell is a fleeting one.

    Anyway, my MOTYs are Cena/Lesnar, Sheamus/Bryan (the 2/3 falls one), and Okada/Naito in roughly that order.

    ReplyDelete
  13. cultstatusAugust 30, 2012 at 2:52 AM

    I have seen it. 

    ReplyDelete
  14. MadDogJoeDeCursoAugust 30, 2012 at 2:57 AM

     even though your point was to the contrary? right...

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  15. cultstatusAugust 30, 2012 at 3:04 AM

    I guess I should have made it more clear...It was a no sell/head kick fest that only a handful of people saw. It is not the MOTY.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Kenny_ChillAugust 30, 2012 at 3:10 AM

    I had no idea about this Omega v Ibushi match and now I HAVE to see it. Both guys are incredible workers!

    ReplyDelete
  17. MadDogJoeDeCursoAugust 30, 2012 at 3:18 AM

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe3-eug1mdo

    ReplyDelete
  18. MrMayeAugust 30, 2012 at 5:57 AM

    My pick for MOTY is Undertaker vs. HHH from Wrestlemania.

    ReplyDelete
  19. pbreathingAugust 30, 2012 at 6:04 AM

    It's a good match, but not *****. Cultstatus has a point about the no-selling, even if the overhead, top-rope, release dragon suplex was pretty damn sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Nicholas PavlouAugust 30, 2012 at 6:22 AM

    As someone in your same agre bracket, Happy Birthday, you old fart.

    ReplyDelete
  21. The FujAugust 30, 2012 at 6:47 AM

    THANK YOU!

    But Im sure that would upset the mouth-breathers on the BoD.

    Green Ant vs. BxB Hulk ****** OMFG SO AWESUM!

    4 people saw it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. The FujAugust 30, 2012 at 6:49 AM

    Holy shit. Gettin up there champ.

    Happy birthday Scooter.

    ReplyDelete
  23. The FujAugust 30, 2012 at 6:50 AM

    Brock/Cena and its a runaway.

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  24. bill fozzyAugust 30, 2012 at 7:15 AM

    I say Cena vs Brock.

    Whether you like the WWE's no blood policy or not (I don't), you gotta agree that it's means alot more when it happens now days. 

    HHH vs UT was great as well. They told a fantastic story.

    I don't think Aeris/Roode was as good as either of those two. I haven't seen the others mentioned.

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  25. zanadudeAugust 30, 2012 at 7:24 AM

    I hated HHH/Taker, and the only other match that stood out this year was Cena/Brock, so that wins my vote by default.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Chris FraracciAugust 30, 2012 at 7:25 AM

     Happy Birthday Scott! Thanks for all the great entertainment on the BOD! Pretty much one of the only sites I visit daily.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Chris FraracciAugust 30, 2012 at 7:28 AM

    Personally I'd have to pick Aries versus Roode. A fantastic match with a great ending...and it started the era of Awesomeness! 

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  28. Eric GriffithAugust 30, 2012 at 7:43 AM

    No love for the first Punk/Bryan match? It was freaking spectacular, in my opinion.

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  29. slapdabassAugust 30, 2012 at 8:16 AM

    My favorite match so far is Bryan/Sheamus at Extreme Rules. Or Ambrose/Regal II. 

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  30. Michael SouthernAugust 30, 2012 at 8:28 AM

    Triple H vs The Undertaker was the best match I have ever seen. So...yeah.

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  31. Worst_in_the_WorldAugust 30, 2012 at 8:32 AM

    I'm totally on board the Bryan/Sheamus Extreme Rules MOTY bandwagon. Great match, and I totally bought into Bryan having a chance to win that 3rd fall. (In retrospect a crazy thought, because Bryan would have then dominated all 3 falls. But I bought it in the moment.) Cena/Brock is a veryclose second, basically for that opening 5-10 minutes which was one of the most fascinating things I remember seeing in a ring.
    Man, throw in that really good Punk/Jericho street fight, and ER '12 makes a case for being one of the best PPVs ever. (I can't recall any matches other than those 3 though.)

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  32. flair4dagoldAugust 30, 2012 at 8:43 AM

    I don't think Scott ever reviewed it and yeah, it was pretty awesome.

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  33. Kenny_ChillAugust 30, 2012 at 8:45 AM

    Thank you! I'm really looking forward to this! I don't keep up with the Japan stuff, but I have seen a few of their tag matches and I've seen both do singles matches here in the US. 

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  34. Kenny_ChillAugust 30, 2012 at 8:53 AM

    I dunno, I don't think that's a fair reason to disqualify a match from MOTY. I think there has to be some criteria for what makes the cut and what doesn't. I think as long as the match is available for people to watch, it should count. If the match isn't taped and there's just heresay to go on, then yes, I'd agree with you. Otherwise, the only promotions that qualify are WWE and TNA.

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  35. Joseph LorraineAugust 30, 2012 at 9:27 AM

     Orton vs. Kane was a solid opener.  Nothing else on the show mattered.  Still, one good match and three great matches is still a damn good PPV.

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  36. robinwarderAugust 30, 2012 at 9:29 AM

    I had originally pegged Richards-Steen at Border Wars as a MOTYC because it was such an amazing experience to see live and in person and the heat was off-the-charts. Watching it again on DVD, it's nowhere near MOTY, but it's still pretty damn good. Unfortunately, it's going to be forever tainted by how badly ROH fucked up the iPPV broadcast.

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  37. ezuvguAugust 30, 2012 at 9:30 AM

     Naito VS Okada is my overwhelming choice for MOTY and I can't imagine
    anything coming close.  When I saw that match, I didn't just think it
    was a 5-star match, I thought it was the best match I'd ever seen and I
    had just re-watched the Flair/Steamboat matches the day before.  Last I checked, that match was easy to find on Youtube.  Okada needs to be a lock for the Most Improved award this year.  He was Samoa Joe's cameraman Okato that wore a ridiculous outfit when he was in Russo-era TNA last year (except when he was a jobber on Xplosion or sitting around doing nothing), then the Rainmaker returned to NJPW at the 1/4 Tokyo Dome show and had an awful match.  He challenged Tanahashi for the IWGP Title after that night's main event and won everybody over in less than 2 months by having great matches with Tanahashi and Naito.  Okada literally came from out of nowhere to become one of the best workers in the world and right up there with Tanahashi as the faces of NJPW.  The scariest part is that he only turns 25 in November, so he's going to be one of the best in the world for many years to come.

    I've seen all the other matches people are talking about as MOTYs.  I thought Richards/Elgin was around ****1/4.  I had Triple H VS Undertaker II at ****, as I liked last year's match better.  I took 1/2 off of Lesnar VS Cena for the horrible ending and would consider lowering the rating even more if I heard the right argument.  Omega VS Ibushi was a great spotfest and I am a fan of both of them, but it was no MOTYC unless you're a big fan of ROH main event style.  Punk vs Bryan from Over the Limit was not a MOTYC, but I was hopeful they would reach that at a future PPV.  That won't happen because WWE derailed the feud with triple threat matches nobody wanted to see and AJ Lee as ref (continuing their mis-use of one of their best female wrestlers as well).

    My top 5 matches also include both Roode VS Aries matches, Roode VS Storm from Lockdown and Tanahashi VS Goto (New Japan Cup Final).  I think its obvious why I included the Roode VS Aries matches, although I preferred Hardcore Justice to Destination X by a slight margin.  I included Roode VS Storm because it is a great match that is overlooked by the horrible Lockdown crowd, the disappointing Lockdown undercard and the finish, which looks alot better in hindsight than it did at the time.  There is no moment in wrestling this year that is more memorable to me than Bobby Roode being superkicked out of a steel cage and I don't think many people online would prefer James Storm to be TNA World Champion right now instead of Austin Aries.  The reaction to that match's finish looks just as puzzling in hindsight as the reaction to the finish of the Bound for Glory main event last year.  I might be over-rating the Tanahashi VS Goto match, but I'm a huge mark for Goto and that was the match where he finally beat his rival for the first time ever.  Tanahashi being knocked unconscious by a Shouten Kai and being carried backstage where he comes to was very memorable as well.

    My whole list could change in the next few months, especially with Bound for Glory coming up with a possible double main event of Styles VS Aries and Roode VS Storm.  There's also a decent chance of Joe VS Aries II as well.  Given that NJPW's July events and most of the G-1 Climax still haven't been been released yet, alot can also change on that end.

    By the way, I'm a new commenter, but I've been reading the BoD for a long time.

    ReplyDelete
  38. MarkEdward58August 30, 2012 at 9:32 AM

    1. Brock v. Cena, WWE Extreme Rules- Regardless of the outcome of the match, this was unlike anything I've seen in pro wrestling this year. Cena gets busted open a minute into the match, Brock takes a crazy bump over the top rope, hurts his leg, and fucking laughs it off, the crowd was amazingly hot. Everything was great about this event.
    2. Mochizuki v. Tozawa, DGUSA Open the Ultimate Gate- The best pure wrestling match I've seen this year.
    3.  Punk v. Bryan, WWE Over the Limit- The best of the two's series of summer matches.
    4.  Sheamus v. Bryan, WWE Extreme Rules
    Those are the 4 that really jump out at me. Honorable mentions go to:
    - Y2J/Punk, Wrestlemania
    - Roode/Aries, Destination X
    - Cole/Edwards v. Team Ambition, ROH 10th Anniversary Show

    Daniel Bryan's been my favorite wrestler of the year so far.

    ReplyDelete
  39. MulkeymaniaAugust 30, 2012 at 9:34 AM

    I've never been both perplexed and mesmerized at once by a match before until this one. The psychology was eclectic to say the least, and the pace so methodical at the start. That moonsault off the balcony was kinda meh because Omega had to stand there looking at him for thirty seconds it felt like... and yet I can easily call that one ***** and one of the better matches I've seen since Joe/Kobashi.

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  40. jobber123August 30, 2012 at 9:45 AM

    I just watched Naito VS Okada and its amazing but I prefer db vs punk 1 which is also five stars. The ending sequence in the otl match is better so imo thats the match of the year.

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  41. jobber123August 30, 2012 at 9:46 AM

    amazing show

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  42. jobber123August 30, 2012 at 9:47 AM

    amazing five star match, and the hands down moty imo and i've seen ever one people are talking about. The ending of that match with punk reversing the no lock before he tapped out was awesome and the rest of the match was incredible, a definite 5 star match

    ReplyDelete
  43. Eric GriffithAugust 30, 2012 at 9:50 AM

    Agreed. It actually reminded me of Austin/Bret at Survivor Series '96. A technical showpiece between two super hot wrestlers with a bunch of spots that were unseen in North American wrestling at the time. Add in obvious Punk/Austin idolism and I think it's even more fitting. Either way, *****, no doubt.

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  44. J. FrattAugust 30, 2012 at 9:55 AM

     Unfortuntately, the fact you can't recall any other matches would DQ it from G.O.A.T. territory.

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  45. jobber123August 30, 2012 at 9:55 AM

    Damn almost no love for on here for punk v bryan. Thats crazy to me. Ut vs HHH part 2 was awesome but I think its too storyline driven (too sports entertainey) to be a contender for MOTY. The first roode vs aires match was phenomenal and I though elgin vs richards was great, I don't think it matters that the ippv fucked up, the match can be easily seen online for free and I recommend anyone who hasn't seen it watch it. Also has scott seriously not watched the punk v bryan match, WTF.
    fwiw my top 5 so far
    1. punk v bryan part 1
    2.cena v brock
    3.elgin v richards
    4. naito v okada
    5.Bryan v. Sheamus 2/3

    ReplyDelete
  46. jobber123August 30, 2012 at 9:59 AM

    I've seen it, and it was good, but imo its only #3 this year

    ReplyDelete
  47. Adam CurryAugust 30, 2012 at 10:05 AM

    I hated it too, and think that people who call it ***** are completely insane, but to each their own. I gotta go with Aries/Roode just because I haven't seen any other of the matches being discussed. Also,while not quite a MOTY candidate, there was a really got tag match that opened this past week's episode of ROH TV that's worth checking out.

    ReplyDelete
  48. WCWWorldWideAugust 30, 2012 at 10:09 AM

    I'd probably put Brock-Cena first, and while I agree that it could have provided a better finish, it had me glued the TV.

    Literally couldn't turn away from it.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Night81August 30, 2012 at 10:22 AM

    THANK YOU! I hated HHH vs. Taker with a passion. Just two old guys SLOWLY hitting each other with chairs while throwing around a hammy Shawn Michaels for like 30 minutes. What a classic.

    And the three-way hug at the end declaring the end of an era? Give me a break...

    ReplyDelete
  50. Joel CraryAugust 30, 2012 at 10:41 AM

    I'd go with Bryan/Sheamus too.

    ReplyDelete
  51. JohnPetukaAugust 30, 2012 at 10:43 AM

     The Over the Limit match was a 5 star affair, in my opinion, and match of the year so far.  But Scott was in a pissy mood for the entire months of May and June when it came to WWE because of the Brock business.

    ReplyDelete
  52. JohnPetukaAugust 30, 2012 at 10:44 AM

     Interesting and good choices, Slappin da bass, mon.

    ReplyDelete
  53. The_BoAugust 30, 2012 at 10:55 AM

    it's not the match of the year but Angle/AJ vs Daniels/Kazarian from Slamaversary was pretty great. As was Austin Aries vs Samoa Joe from the same show (which I like better than Aries vs Roode)

    ReplyDelete
  54. Greg PhillipsAugust 30, 2012 at 10:57 AM

    I'm incredibly biased since I was there, but I liked Rock/Cena just a little bit more than Taker/HHH. The crowd heat was insane.

    ReplyDelete
  55. JohnPetukaAugust 30, 2012 at 10:58 AM

     I concur with many of the other sentiments, but for the record...

    1. Punk-Bryan, Over the Limit
    2. Punk-Jericho, Extreme Rules
    3. Bryan-Sheamus, Extreme Rules
    4. Punk-Bryan, MitB
    5. HHH-Taker, WM28
    6. Cena-Lesnar, Extreme Rules
    7. Fox-Melina, anytime anywhere, hiccup

    *I haven't watched many Japanese matches in full from this year as I've just started getting into it on youtube.  I never watch TNA just because.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Greg PhillipsAugust 30, 2012 at 10:59 AM

    Rock/Cena is always going to be my favorite match from this year, because I've never been in the crowd for anything like it. Removing that from the equation...
    1) Richards/Elgin
    2) HHH/Taker
    3) Punk/Bryan OTL
    4) Bryan/Sheamus ER
    5) Styles/Daniels Destination X (a better match than Roode-Aries)

    ReplyDelete
  57. Greg PhillipsAugust 30, 2012 at 10:59 AM

    Brock-Cena was a good match, but I'd stop short of calling it an all-time classic.

    ReplyDelete
  58. CulturebUllyAugust 30, 2012 at 11:03 AM

    Brock/Cena, HHH/Taker and I really enjoyed Sheamus/Bryan 2/3 falls

    ReplyDelete
  59. rvd356August 30, 2012 at 11:03 AM

    Yeah I tried watching the Elgin/Richards match but it didn't jumo out at me like when I saw the 1st ROH show and saw Daniels/Danielson/Low Ki match and then was a huge ROH fan untill 2006. I really wanted to love it and get back into ROH but it didn't do the trick for me. Also haven't seen any Japan this year except Mutoh/Akiyama which was a great old guy fight but not a MOTYC but still fun to see them wrestle even if its a decade too late. Gonna check out Okada matches now...

    Brock vs Cena is MOTY. Just the spectacle that is a Chicago PPV and Brock returning as good as ever. ****3/4 was correct. I still need to see Bryan vs Sheamus 2/3 falls and Bryan vs Punk I.

    Taker vs H was boring I agree but I still enjoyed seeing Taker(grow that hair out please) I'd only give it ***1/2 though. I think H's HIAC with Foley and Takers with Brock were miles better...and I grew up watching these 3 guys but I just wasn't feeling it. If Shawn didn't go out so great I would have rather had HBK vs Taker HIAC II

    ReplyDelete
  60. MadDogJoeDeCursoAugust 30, 2012 at 11:14 AM

     Was that the Mochizuiki match from the $1 ppv? Cuz I had forgot about how much I grew to love Mochizuki that night.. That match was awesome...

    ReplyDelete
  61. MadDogJoeDeCursoAugust 30, 2012 at 11:16 AM

     i thought Styles/Daniels was a better match that night as well.. Maybe my favorite match between the two, and that covers a ton of territory..

    ReplyDelete
  62. Mr_E_MahnAugust 30, 2012 at 11:17 AM

    I thought that this year's was better than last year's, other than the ridiculous section in the middle with the "stay down" and the "acting" from Michaels.

    All in all, not a huge fan of either match though.

    ReplyDelete
  63. jobber123August 30, 2012 at 11:20 AM

    Wow I forgot about that styles v Daniels match. That was excellent

    ReplyDelete
  64. Greg PhillipsAugust 30, 2012 at 11:48 AM

    Y'know, in all honesty, I'm moving that ahead of Bryan/Sheamus. One of the most unique matches of the year, and Styles/Daniels deserve credit for that.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Sean FAugust 30, 2012 at 11:48 AM

    So really the only true options are matches on Raw or Smackdown.  PPV's that aren't Mania only have a couple hundred thousand viewers at most, which is still a rather small number and not even 1/10 of the Raw audience.  TNA PPV's don't get much more than 10,000 viewers.

    So the question is which Raw/Smackdown/Wrestlemania match was the best match this year then?

    I'm saying Sid vs. Slater.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Mar SoloAugust 30, 2012 at 11:51 AM

    I'm sorry, but I can't in good faith say that Undertaker-HHH was a good match. I was honestly bored the entire match, the Cell barely came into play, and Shawn Michaels as referee was the biggest distraction ever.

    And of course, WWE the next night having all the wrestlers talk about how great it was turned me off on it even more.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Paul MeekinAugust 30, 2012 at 11:54 AM

    Let us not forget the DRAMATIC DIALOG they included in the match. 

    ReplyDelete
  68. Worst_in_the_WorldAugust 30, 2012 at 12:11 PM

    Oh yeah! Orton vs Kane NO DQ was pretty fun too. And otherwise wasn't it just short filler like Ryback and Sin Cara squashes? Pretty much just a few quick breathers in between a whole lot of greatness. This show rocked. (Too bad it didn't end with Cena being carted out and put on the shelf for 6 months. Oh well...)

    ReplyDelete
  69. Ioan MorrisAugust 30, 2012 at 12:11 PM

    Happy birthday, Scott. Treat yourself by watching Bryan/Punk from OTL!

    ReplyDelete
  70. Kenny_ChillAugust 30, 2012 at 12:13 PM

    I feel like this is what I need sometimes...someone to point out the good Japanese stuff. I don't watch it because I have no idea where to start and they don't really court the gaijin audience. Also, I don't enjoy the strong style type of wrestling enough to wade through the mediocre stuff to find the really excellent stuff. 

    ReplyDelete
  71. Ioan MorrisAugust 30, 2012 at 12:15 PM

    Thanks for the Puro tips. Thought match quality was down the pan in general; haven't checked anything out since around 2006. I disagree that Bryan/Punk wasn't MOTYC, however, I loved it, but I too wished they'd done a straight series - 2/3 falls, Iron Man, Cage etc.

    ReplyDelete
  72. ChinAugust 30, 2012 at 12:20 PM

    Styles/Daniels

    Nothing this year is coming ANYWHERE close to that Styles Clash that finished what was already an excellent match anyway. 

    ReplyDelete
  73. PhredericAugust 30, 2012 at 12:22 PM

    Punk/Bryan was fantastic.  I'll just stick with it for now.

    ReplyDelete
  74. Adam CurryAugust 30, 2012 at 12:25 PM

    I forgot about it too. I'm changing my pick to that match.

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  75. Adam CurryAugust 30, 2012 at 12:29 PM

    Totally agree with you on Richards. Can't stand him, or Roderick Strong.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Adam CurryAugust 30, 2012 at 12:36 PM

    I pretty much said the exact same thing about HHH/Taker the night it happened, and I still stand by it.

    ReplyDelete
  77. Robert WilliamsAugust 30, 2012 at 12:45 PM

    I just watched Lesnar/Cena for the first time, and wow, that is a hell of a match. But I want someone to beat the living hell out of Michael Cole for his ridiculous usage of the word 'skull'. You're not bleeding from the skull, you dumbass. And he kept using it over and over again.

    ReplyDelete
  78. nwa88August 30, 2012 at 12:54 PM

     Same here.  I thought it was an okay match, but way too long and actually pretty boring.  I know Jericho vs Punk probably wasn't the best match they could have, but I enjoyed it a hell of a lot more.

    I guess it does show the tremendous variety in the tastes of wrestling fans though and how hard it is to please them on a universal scale.

    ReplyDelete
  79. jobber123August 30, 2012 at 1:02 PM

    I thought it was legitimately good (probably even 4.25 to 4.5) but its all storyline driven which it totally fine but no way is it the moty. However the match at wm27 was between those two was maybe **. Not a good match

    ReplyDelete
  80. jobber123August 30, 2012 at 1:05 PM

    On second thought id bump db vs shameus for styles v daniels and id make that 6, and aires v roode 7. What a great year for wrestling matches.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Kenny_ChillAugust 30, 2012 at 1:19 PM

    I would have been totally on board for Cena/Lesnar being MOTY but for that ridiculous promo Cena gave after the match. Even with winning, I think the match would have been better served by him at least getting help going to the back immediately after the match. As it was, it would be like watching a movie like Dark Knight and having Christian Bale give a thank you speech at the end. It just kills the suspension of disbelief, for me anyway. 

    I can't argue with anything anyone's said on here, even the contradictory stuff. All the matches were really enjoyable. I still have to watch both the Japanese matches from the comments (Omega v Ibushi and Naito v Okada), but I liked a lot this year. I'm really hoping we get Joe v Aries and it tears the house down. 

    ReplyDelete
  82. nwa88August 30, 2012 at 1:27 PM

     Yes!  Happy birthday Scott.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Curtis WilliamsAugust 30, 2012 at 1:44 PM

    To me at least, the only serious contenders for MOTY is Cena/Lesnar, Punk/Bryan, Styles/Daniels, and Bryan/Sheamus

    Everything else is wishful thinking.

    ReplyDelete
  84. JohnPetukaAugust 30, 2012 at 1:44 PM

     I could see where you're coming from, but it was a 5-star Sports Entertainment match for many fans.  It's like the people that would give Hogan-Rock 4+ stars or Shane-Test 3+ stars.  I'm one of those people.  If I'm digging the story being told, nothing else matters.  I mean, has anyone watched Flair-Vader recently?  Punch, chop, punch, chop, punch...oh, punch.  But it's still a hell of a story.

    Let me reiterate, though--I do understand people who were bored by that match and the others I mentioned.  If you're not digging the storyline, you're probably not buying into the intensity.  And from an outsider's perspective, they could be considered one-dimensional or just too slow.

    ReplyDelete
  85. Mar SoloAugust 30, 2012 at 1:45 PM

    I honestly thought Jericho and Punk was the match of the night at that show. I liked that Jericho jumped right into trying to get Punk disqualified, and then when that didn't work, "fuck it, I'll just beat him."

    ReplyDelete
  86. Mar SoloAugust 30, 2012 at 1:46 PM

    Jericho screaming "YOUR FATHER'S A DRUNK YOU BASTARD" is so much better than Triple H screaming "FINISH IT OR I WILL!!" while Shawn cowers in the corner crying it's not even funny. 

    ReplyDelete
  87. Greg PhillipsAugust 30, 2012 at 1:48 PM

    To each his own. It told a phenomenal story and did a better job of engaging its audience than any other match this year (outside Richards/Elgin, which did a masterful job of getting a disinterested crowd to go crazy by the end). Three exceptional professionals going out and telling a legendary story.

    Great work.

    ReplyDelete
  88. The_BoAugust 30, 2012 at 1:48 PM

    The HHH/Undertaker matches from the last 2 manias are in this weird category for me where I find both boring & would never want to watch either ever again, BUT I recognize that they were well worked and I was legit excited while watching both (despite the gaps of nothing that I found boring) and have to submit to giving the one from 27 **** and the HITC ***1/2. Point is both deserve high ratings for the ability of both to build drama, but giving either MOTY is undeserved. Kinda like how I rated Avatar **** on Netflix, but it was all for the spectacle of seeing it in IMAX and I wouldn't want to watch it again.

    ReplyDelete
  89. Greg PhillipsAugust 30, 2012 at 1:49 PM

    "*I haven't watched many Japanese matches in full from this year as I've
    just started getting into it on youtube.  I never watch TNA just
    because."

    Your loss.

    ReplyDelete
  90. JohnPetukaAugust 30, 2012 at 1:53 PM

     There's a lot to be said for the ending sequence.  Japan and high quality indies still have problems with building to an ending.  I mean a guy will kick out of a twisting 450 frog splash because it's a dramatic kick-out.  Then five minutes of crazy moves later, he'll lose from a belly-to-back suplex. Punk-Bryan's ending sequence was much much better, I agree.

    ReplyDelete
  91. Christopher HirschAugust 30, 2012 at 2:01 PM

    I still haven't seen Bryan/Sheamus from Extreme Rules or any of the Punk/Bryan matches. I suck, I need to find time to get lost in YouTube one night and watch those.

    ReplyDelete
  92. Christopher HirschAugust 30, 2012 at 2:04 PM

    Melina vs. Alicia Fox

    ReplyDelete
  93. Greg PhillipsAugust 30, 2012 at 2:48 PM

    All three main events were great, and all three were completely different. I liked Jericho-Punk third best, but that's no slight on it. It was excellent once it got going.

    ReplyDelete
  94. Greg PhillipsAugust 30, 2012 at 2:49 PM

    The Jericho stuff was OK, not nearly as effective as the Shawn/HHH/Taker stuff. I vehemently disagree that the dialogue in Jericho/Punk was as effective.

    ReplyDelete
  95. Greg PhillipsAugust 30, 2012 at 2:51 PM

    You just described All Japan in the '90s.

    It was an exciting, incredibly engaging match. It is worthy of being match of the year.

    ReplyDelete
  96. MrMayeAugust 30, 2012 at 3:10 PM

     I liked their Mania 28 match more than the one from Mania 27. I'd give the one from WM27 about 4 stars, nothing higher, and I do cosign with Scott's 5 star rating for the WM28 match.

    ReplyDelete
  97. BeardMoneyAugust 30, 2012 at 3:20 PM

     Give me your keys.

    ReplyDelete
  98. ComdukakisAugust 30, 2012 at 3:28 PM

    that's a problem they have today.  Rather than letting "epic" happen organically, they force it, usually in matches involving HHH, HBK, or Cena.  But either way, between the wrestlers, announcers, and production, they take "epic" and make it annoying because they are trying too hard. 

    ReplyDelete
  99. jobber123August 30, 2012 at 3:43 PM

    Scott have you seen bryan vs punk 1 from may?

    ReplyDelete
  100. cultstatusAugust 30, 2012 at 4:36 PM

    47 head kicks in row is not exciting. It's boring.

    ReplyDelete
  101. Single_HAugust 30, 2012 at 5:03 PM

     The interesting thing is, the Undertaker's streak has become the only thing in the company that matters... so the crowd gets super into near-falls where the streak might be in jeopardy (the tombstone by HHH last year, and the Superkick-to-Pedigree spot this year).  I think that makes the match feel great in the moment, but not as much upon repeat viewings.

    The Elgin/Richards match is great, but the Indy-riffic look of ROH and Nigel's over-the-top commentary take away from it in my book.

    I would vote for Brock/Cena, because that match was great, brutal, different and did the impossible:  it got the Chicago crowd behind Cena by the end of the match.  That's some fantastic storytelling.

    ReplyDelete
  102. Ryan MurphyAugust 30, 2012 at 6:25 PM

    4 people saw a certain match in Utah that I'm not allowed to talk about.

    Quite a lot of people are fans of CHIKARA and DGUSA and the like, and even more are fans of ROH. They don't do WWE numbers but that doesn't mean they're so insanely super obscure. Even a relative no-name like 2CW can pack a thousand people into a small arena, plus with the bigger indies like the aforementioned you have lots of people viewing online or buying DVDs.

    It's just faulty logic to say that because they aren't the biggest wrestling company in the world, they can't be that good. It's like, Breaking Bad isn't the highest rated drama on television, that doesn't mean it suffers any for quality. Likewise, saying that the number of people watching has anything to do with relative quality is silly: that'd be like saying any given episode of Big Bang Theory is automatically better than even the best episode of Louie or Community, because it gets better ratings.

    ReplyDelete
  103. Andrew DeanAugust 30, 2012 at 6:57 PM

    Me too exactly. I'm seem little new wrestling this year but that match is the first that I thought of.

    Totally bought into it from the bell on, can't understand that it seems slow to start for so many.

    ReplyDelete
  104. JohnPetukaAugust 30, 2012 at 8:13 PM

     I guess I just find myself shrugging when I see that response. I read recaps from time to time about TNA, and I don't feel like I'm missing out on much.  Even if I am, I just don't care--I get my share of wrestling from Raw, PPVs, and old classics on YouTube..  BUT I'm also a guy that doesn't go out of my way to bury TNA like some people on the board that bury the WWE shows without watching a second of it. Just because I watched an episode of Impact in May doesn't make me a credible critic of this past week's TV show for TNA. Conversely, some people do the same thing for Raw just because they watched a half hour of an episode a couple months ago.  I honestly don't know your viewing habits so that's not directed at you in the least.

    In terms of missing out on some of the Japanese promotions (even though wrestling's been on the decline over there for the last five or six years), I do feel like it's my loss because I get a kick out of what I've found on YouTube.

    ReplyDelete
  105. JohnPetukaAugust 30, 2012 at 8:18 PM

     Over the last couple of years, I have enjoyed what I've caught from Daniels, Angle, Samoa Joe, Bully Ray, and even Sting's silly Joker emulation. It still feels minor league and inconsequential to me, though.

    ReplyDelete
  106. WhoahItsMongoAugust 30, 2012 at 8:21 PM

    You know, had Lesnar kicked out of the AA on the steps during their match and then the camera zoomed in on an unbelieving Cena, Brock woulda been MADE as an unstoppable beast. I realize that's not the direction they were ever gonna go with Brock but man that woulda been cool.

    Oh well. We got what we got.

    ReplyDelete
  107. MadDogJoeDeCursoAugust 30, 2012 at 10:03 PM

     I actually blame the "Omega waiting to be hit from the balcony" bit on the folks running the switchboard in the truck. The director has to know to stay on Ibushi on the balcony until he jumps. Nothing good can come from showing Omega, if he looks punch drunk you still gain nothing. The human mind will assume he's caught off guard, unless of course you show the viewer that he's standing there waiting to be part of a "spot". Omega HAS TO be 100% ready to brace Ibushi's 25 foot fall, so it's really on the guys in the truck to not expose that.

    ReplyDelete
  108. MadDogJoeDeCursoAugust 30, 2012 at 10:13 PM

     It's like saying Drake & Lil Wayne are better lyricists than Chino XL or Kool Keith because they sell more records. But then again Rap Music is so goddamn commercial these days, there's probably some clowns out there who would follow that logic. Crossover used to be a 4 letter word. But I digress....

    ReplyDelete
  109. Buster AbbottAugust 30, 2012 at 10:16 PM

    I think I'd vote for Bryan/Punk from Over The Edge or Bryan/Sheamus from Backlash, but yeah, man, Styles/Daniels is a great pick.  Those two should get bonus points since this is about the 1000th time they've wrestled and yet they still managed to make this bout seem special and it had that all-time crazy finish to boot.

    ReplyDelete
  110. David Bonzai Saldana-MontgomerAugust 31, 2012 at 12:28 AM

    Hey, that's my joke! THAT'S GIMMICK INFRINGEMENT AND YOU KNOW IT! WOOOO!

    ReplyDelete
  111. David Bonzai Saldana-MontgomerAugust 31, 2012 at 12:30 AM

    I agree and I think it was hurt by the fact that having been familiar with Punk's persona for so long, I seriously doubt comments that Jericho made would've fazed him at all, which didn't really make me buy into the whole angle. Plus, I thought doing that stuff at the beginning of the match made no sense; that should've been the Sports Entertainment crap at the end. Still, once they ditched it and started wrestling, then it all clicked.

    ReplyDelete
  112. Sean FAugust 31, 2012 at 3:37 PM

    The problem with making "how many people watched this" a condition of match quality is at some point you need to quantify that number.  And that's where it gets messy.  Is the line that the show needs to be released on dvd?  On IPPV? On PPV? On syndicated tv? On national tv?

    This year it doesn't matter since Sid vs Slater wins no matter who you let in the conversation.

    ReplyDelete
  113. BeardMoneyAugust 31, 2012 at 4:17 PM

    Ha ha, sorry. All the royalties I make off that one are headed your way.

    ReplyDelete

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