concrete1992

It is official that Vader is the Greatest Wrestler Ever Who No One Thinks Is The Single Greatest Wrestler Ever

Modern voting bias leads Mox to being this high...but also I ranked him roughly this high so I'm for it. Other contenders that had 5-6 year run of being best in the world caliber would be a shoe in for most people. Thing I'm leaning more into as of late is "not all years are created equal" so can see also being great during COVID feels like it doesn't exist. In his DGUSA as sort of the counterculture indie wrestler to someone like Johnny Gargano as the US folks getting the bigger pushes, he sort of killed it? Not completely out on the counter-counter indie style but with more rough edges and more likely to come in the 10-15 minute range than most folks which already puts him on the right side of history. Has done great tag/trios stuff with the Shield, singles run is meh, but I think even the top wrestlers are allowed weak runs especially if you come back to a peak level.

I think the one that is currently rankling me is Kevin Steen making it this high. I don't think he's a top 100 US indie wrestler since 2000. Especially compared to someone like Claudio or even Roddy. People who were more consistent, had arguably higher peaks, and even one of them had a celebrated WWE run. I guess it sort of goes to the aura convo maybe? The aura being swears a lot and is nice to people in Twitter DMs.

One of the most "sneakily improved his cases" of all the folks from 2016>2026. Averages a couple dozen matches a year from 2022-2025 and is one of the highlights of AEW each year. His 2023 in particular feels like he gets to stretch a lot of his muscles as a champion, a role he fits better than almost all his contemporaries. At the peak of his powers, that is the position that he most looks at home. Was great to see that he was still more than capable of that.

Initial instinct was to say everyone is too harsh on this match. But then, everything everyone is saying about it being full of bullshit, lighthearted, not the technical classic these two could have, and house show-y, all absolutely true. But isn't that there a charm to all that? When both wrestlers have faces and mannerisms playing to the rafters, I never bored for a second. Ricky looks like he's having the time of his life, every euro from Regal is thrown with bad intentions. I would take this type of match every day of the week. On its face, probably like it more than the Regal and Windham match that gets talked up.

Lots of stuff going up on Violent People this week but one of my faves that has recently posted from pto is the best matches from GCW in 2024. He melted is brain for us and I appreciate that https://violentpeople.co/the-best-game-changer-wrestling-matches-of-2024/

Big day over at Violent People! New Episode of VPR: https://share.transistor.fm/s/a1ff2bdc The VP2010s is rolling out. A list of the top wrestlers of the 2010s: https://violentpeople.co/vp2010s-meet-your-voters/ VP100 voting is LIVE! Would love for you to consider voting for the top 100 wrestlers of 2024: https://violentpeople.co/vote-now-in-the-2024-vp100/

As we get closer and closer to VP2010s voting over on Violent People, he starts to stand out as a real candidate for this thing. The main thing that holds him back is that he doesn't have these clear as day classics it feels as much as a swath of good to great matches across a 10 year span. It is harder to go "Watch these 5 matches". Incredibly strong when it comes to Random Match Theory because any given match can and likely will be a treat. Ranks highly as an all-time deathmatch wrestler. I know not all styles are created equal so if you think DMs suck, go with God but at this point it has such an impact at multiple scales of pro wrestling over the past 14 years, hard not to give it a look. Unfortunate that there isn't a full-time shootstyle promotion for him to be an all-time great in two different styles. And the one promotion that employs that type of wrestler regularly seems to be the promotion he is the pillar of the other division.

Dr. Cerebro is going to be one of my bigger projects going forward I think. The match at DEAN against Gringo Loco is a rekindling of an old flame in some ways but also probably more proves that he can turn it on at any given moment. Not sure if it is an issue of motivation or what, but there isn't a ton of wrestlers I want to watch more than a working boots on Dr. Cerebro. Oh, and the Loco match from DEAN rocks and on most other shows that weekend it would have been an unquestioned match of the show. Just happened to be on the most loaded indie show of the decade so far.

WE LOGGED ANOTHER WAY! Having a blast with these, and stay tuned for some cool stuff coming up https://x.com/violent_people/status/1793136777525375034

In a just world Mad Dog would have a modest case and the Demus match would be start of the meteoric rise to putting on a couple truly GREAT years to wrap the voting period up. But we don't live in a just world. He had to work lesser talent in lesser promotions. Hopefully we are on the way to talking about him as a real DUDE for 2036 which is insane to start thinking about but that is where we are at.

The site has an Official Podcast with Violent People Radio where the four founders chat about all the hot topics in wrestling https://x.com/violent_people/status/1790592938994503996?s=46&t=xW3eGyAqddDrKttms2qcZg

Had not seen the official card posted so putting here. I think Sumo Hall was a WILD choice. That said, card is sick. A few guaranteed "good" matches with Mox vs Barnett, Thatcher vs Suzuki, and Yu vs Abe. I think Sato vs Suzuki I would marginally put in there, I think even low effort that could be decent. But the brain tingles at a few of these others. Nomura vs. Duffee is a match that spiritually speaks to me. Duffee early on got pegged as the next great American heavyweight. At least that was the promotion, it seems he never felt that was his destiny but after recording a :07 KO in your UFC debut, things tend to pick up for you. An okay MMA career, 9-4, beat a couple of names but lost to folks that aren't that great. But he's big as shit and Nomura is stocky but not built like that. My curiosity kjnows no bounds on this one. Rampage vs. Shrek is the clear other match of interest. Interest in a bit of a different way because Quentin always came off as a pro wrestling personality in the MMA world but I don't know how 2024 Rampage carries over. Is he on the juice? Shrek has experience but he himself is usually the MMA counter to a wrestler to garner interest in a bout, so to see him have to be the experienced side of this match...could be really bad! Could also be deeply exciting! Only time will tell.

Great as always Corwo!

Will not try and bump this like crazy but one last time, FKAABTs5 PART II