Nominating
Mike Bailey
http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2015/05/2014-ongoing-match-of-year-list_16.html
http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2015/04/2014-ongoing-match-of-year-list.html
http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2015/05/2015-ongoing-match-of-year-list_19.html
Drew Gulak
Drew Gulak vs. Timothy Thatcher- AWO 4/4 This started off as a good, but extremely one sided Thatcher performance, and evolved into a legitimately great match, with a generally strong performance from Gulak and an excellent one from Thatcher. Gulak was working sort of flat and light early, but once Thatcher hit the floatover suplex/Fujiwara armbar to take the first fall I think things turned up and continued to get better and better from that point forward. I really loved several of the throws, counters and exchanges in this, but I also thought they did a good job of building to the big strikes, particularly Thatcher's knees to the gut. Thatcher working simple stuff like double underhooks gets me every time, but I have to give it to Gulak who was really wrenching in the ankle subs and did a good job with simple holds to make them look extremely violent. Thatcher's selling was outstanding throughout and I loved the way he got more and more frustrated, culminating with him freaking out when Gulak was saved by the bell at the end of a late round. Gulak's win really felt like this was building to another match, but who knows if we'll see it. Honestly if the FIP match is better than this, I don't see how it could be anything less than a top three match this year.
Drew Gulak v. Biff Busick - CZW 4/27
This was one mildly annoying "fighting spirit" spot right before the finish away from being my clear cut MOTY. Even with it, it still feels like it should be in the conversation, and this is definitely the match that has made me come completely around on Gulak. I am a little nervous about heaping a ton of praise on this without others watching it first because I don't want to set the bar too high, but Gulak had a Jim Breaks-like vibe to him here, and the close quarters night club setting only added to that. In fact this whole match felt like a modern version of a late 70's WOS match. I absolutely loved all of the grappling in this. Some of it was just really simple stuff that looked violent, while some of it was flashier, but the key is that it all featured the sort of struggle you want out of this kind of matwork. I thought what they were able to do with the various headlock throws, and operating from that base, was really impressive, and the way they would come up for highspots and then go back to the ground felt really organic and added to both the groundwork and the big moments. There were tons of little things I loved in this that I could point to, but what I liked the most is that Gulak was a champ who was in control for the bulk of the match. The tired "your turn, my turn" staples of "big time" indie wrestling were practically non-existent here. Busick got his runs, but everytime he made one, Gulak would find a way to cut him back down to size. You could argue that Gulak changed up the body part attacks too much, and that Busick's leg selling was weak down the stretch, but it's not like Busick was on his feet a ton after the big leg attack, and I actually liked the idea that in a long match Gulak was forced to change tactics to stay alive. I thought Gulak taking over with a blind side lariat after Busick tried to get nasty with a chop was brilliant, loved all of Gulak's offensive attack, thought the Gulak jackhammer variation as a cutoff spot was awesome, marked out for the Busick hilo hope spot, and thought the curbstomp, followed by an elbow drop near fall from Gulak was the sort of low key near fall that indie wrestling matches drastically under utilize. I was also really happy they didn't go with the senseless head drop suplex off the top they teased, and in fact they went back to Busick's injured ribs as a bit of a counter to stop it. Again, the aforementioned Busick fighting spirit spot right before the finish irked me a bit, but even that was not nearly as bad as it could have been, particularly because Gulak put it to a quick rest and then killed him off with the Gotch Piledriver he'd been desperate to hit all match. This was an excellent, excellent match.
Biff Busick v. Drew Gulak - CZW 5/10
This wasn't anywhere near as good as the previous match, but I will say that I was really impressed at how much they changed it up. This was a different building and they could have easily worked the exact same match and/or a heavily condensed version of it, instead they built this match around Gulak as the easily frustrated, sniveling shithead, who tries to take shortcuts to gain an advantage and is forced to man up at the end. I thought Gulak came across as really Jim Breaksish again, though this match was really about putting Busick over. Busick took some nasty bumps on the floor for a guy his size, and Gulak bladed off of a sick post shot which added a lot to the finishing stretch. I was pleased again by the tease of the top rope head drop rather than the execution of it, though Gulak took an insane head bump on the planted one Busick delivered. I also thought it was cool that they teased a fighting spirit hulk up, only for Gulak to get completely decimated by a blindside lariat. This also had an outstanding finishing as Gulak fought to his feet on a rear naked choke, but then got absolutely destroyed with a crazy one arm, backwards, takedown, straight into a brutal choke.
Derrick King
Derrick King v. Johnny Bandana - SAW This is set up by a Cory Melton v. Drew Haskins loser leave town from the previous week which is actually a really fun match, though loaded with bullshit and run-ins (I mean that in a good way, but it keeps it from being a nomination). Haskins ended up losing because of Bandana who was a "Derrick King Enterprises" understudy. So King is seeking redemption for the loss of "teen excitement." And this is totally the Derrick King show. Bandana comes across as a half trained guy who stumbled into the building to have a match with King effectively telling him "I'll handle this kid." King's heeling and facial expressions are just brilliant here, his punches look great, there is an excellent near fall off of a chain shot, et. Bandana makes his comeback and King takes a really great looking backslide near fall that was far slicker looking than it had any right to be. King ends up fucking KILLING him with a nasty superkick but Bandana barely kicks out. Finish is of course a flash pin on an inside cradle for Bandana to further the feud and post-match is attacked by the new King protege. Not a great match, but a really good showcase for King v. a broom. King is King.
Derrick King/TD v. Cody Melton/Johnny Bandana - SAW
Good fucking lord King is great. I will say flat out that everyone in this match was perfectly suitable in their role, with Bandana as the punching bag who sold really well, Melton as the flashy babyface and TD as the cocky athlete and new addition to DKE. Still King was just on another level. His punches look brutal, his timing on cut off spots is great and man the little things. When he spit on Melton I wanted to hit him, and his laying across the ropes in the corner while Bandana laid out half dead in the ring was a great taunt. There was also a great spot with Bandana going for the hot tag, falling a hair short and King running over and punting Melton's outstretched hand. Hot tag comes off of a crazy bump from King on a double head collision and the heels end up cheating to win. To his credit TD hits a fucking FUTEN level kick to the face of Bandana on the floor during the heat section, but this was another case of King being King.
Nominating Derrick King/Frankie Tucker/Jerry Lawler v. Pokerface/LA Hustlers - MCW 3/2/12 Really awesome match enhanced a lot by the setting. This is the same place that ran Lawler v. Doug Gilbert last year, which looked to be really good though it was heavily clipped. This match had a cool vibe to it as it looked to be a totally packed crowd, presumably because they were working around a Pokerface retirement stip. Before the match even starts you know it's going to be a hell of a lot of fun as the LA Hustlers literally take some fan jawing with them ringside and physically place them in his seat. The match itself is very much a less is more match but it absolutely works. Everyone in this match throws some shotgun like punches. Lawler has an awesome entry as Pokerface attempts to sucker him with a kick to the gut and Jerry turns it around into a string of Kawada style kicks to his mid section. Lawler is really great hamming it up for the crowd throughout and really getting a kick out of his role as the hired hand brought in to put Pokerface in his place. King ends up as the FIP and takes some really good bumps, gets in some nice hope spots, et. His dropkick to set up the hot tag also looked great. Finishing sequence ends up in a bit of a brawl with Pokerface saving one of the Hustlers from a piledriver, only to take one himself losing the fall and his career in the process. Post-match the fans surround the ring, while Pokerface shakes hands with the babyfaces. Lawler tells him he understands if he wants to go back on his word and he doesn't have to leave the business, but he grabs the mic and says that as a man his word means everything, that was his last match, and if someone had to put him out the King was the one to do it. Really cool match that got you invested in the storyline they were working on top of being well executed.
May as well nominate Biff Busick too as he shows up in those Gulak reviews twice, and in the SC Mike Bailey review.
