Laz

I really haven't been paying attention to matches this year beyond odds and ends, but Jack Gallagher vs. Tyler Bates from Progress: Boston made my jaw drop. It honestly reminded me of how great Bryan Danielson's 2005-2006 run was because it built and built without needing a thousand spots. ****, easily.

Living Dangerously 1999. The spot was paid off quickly when Balls stood up and Corino just kept apologizing.

Co-signed. He also fits into the "from another era" category. Damn shame his prime was during the transition from hardcore to WORKRATE N' MOVEZ because the heat he could generate outmatched a lot of talent that were impressing via matches only.

I'd say that's accurate. I'm on the "Bucks + PWG = all the yes" bandwagon myself, but I also don't care much for DDT or similar companies (except Hoodslam because Hoodslam). Their shtick rarely causes trouble with the products I like because they're either not booked or modify it to fit the company style. Slight diversion here, but anybody else think it's downright hypocritical for a guy like Corny to cry about how much he hates talent that doesn't listen to the booker...but then wishes death on Kenny Omega for working a little girl (thus doing as he's booked)?

Tommy Dreamer is underrated here. I see people drag his name out when they want to talk about lousy babyfaces, and to me that's ignoring that he was the undeniable heart of an entire promotion. I won't say he's a great promo (average) or even worker (again, average), but the meta-story he took part in is what made me LOVE pro wrestling so I'll admit I'm impartial. He took beatings with such sympathy and, looking back, that's something missing from so many talents today. Most guys want to look like world beaters and ultimate badasses, leading to stuff like little Lio Rush going shot for shot with guys twice his size, but Tommy always felt like he was fighting on pure heart. A bloodied Rudy, if you will.

The biggest problem I have with the dropkick spot is that it's lazy. I expect tighter and crazier things from the Bucks than a spot which has been pretty standard for junior/cruiser talent over the last 20 years, especially of it's causing a ruckus.

Yes! Someone else voting ICW, usually I'm alone. 100% agree, they have a serious, hard-edged, non-ironic or meta approach to indy wrestling that is so refreshing.I wouldn't say it's not ironic or meta, this is the company that made Grado famous after all, but there's always a feeling that something relevant is occurring thanks to Mark Dallas booking with the future in mind. That's what makes it easy to sit through any of the various lousy matches on an ICW card because even a disappointing match will lead into the next chapter of the story.

I don't think its so much that he doesn't know what he's doing as much he's stuck in exhibition mode most of the time. He treats chain wrestling like spotmonkeys treat flips, and that kind of "look what I can do" attitude is rampant in this generation of "big" Indy guys. He's the guitarist doing a dozen sweep arpeggios when a hammer-on would've been perfect. Not that it isn't impressive and a nice change from a card likely filled with moonsaults and weak suplexes.

While I wouldn't put him as the BEST of 2017, necessarily, my favorite this year has been Mikey Whiplash. Great gimmick, great look, very very solid hand, and managed to get me to cheer on Chris "I make Sandman look like a technical maestro" Renfrew.

FREEDOMS is a deathmatch company most well known for being Jun Kasai's home base for a few years. Stuff that makes BJW look tamer by comparison. My vote is ICW (Scotland) because they're the only company I regularly follow whose shows feel like actual pro wrestling programming and not tongue in cheek comic books.

I'll defend MMA Taker on the basis of match quality (possibly my favorite era of his ring work), but his strikes have always been passable but nothing fantastic.

Odd how the more scripted wrestling becomes the less continuity it seems to have, eh?

Depends what part of 2012. I remember that year's BFG Series being very solid, at least, and the Beer Money split/feud was a company highlight (or was that 2011?).

Oh man, Raw summer '08 is a great call! My favorite Jericho run and also my favorite HBK run (starting after WM).

Yeah, I wonder what happened... My favorite era of wrestling period is WWF 2000. I'll admit the weekly TV wasn't as interesting as it was 3 years prior and that the match quality wasn't SD Six tier, but Loss nailed it: there was a sense of upward mobility that we've rarely had since. Rikishi and Val Venus feuded over the IC title and it seems ridiculous now but, at the time, their blowoff in a cage was heated and one of the night's better matches. I also have an affinity for Hardcore TV in '96 and ICW Worldwide from around Grado's rise (IIRC, 2012?). I actually prefer the Worldwide format (cribbed from Hardcore TV, serving as more a highlight reel than a full card) over the current Fight Club shows, as giving off little tastes of the product only made me want more v

Raven/Dreamer It encapsulates everything that I see as pro wrestling storytelling, lasting years and intersecting with a plethora of other feuds throughout. I got into ECW about a year after it ended and you best damn believe I sought after as much of it as I could after the fact. Hell, I even bought the Star Wars-style 20th anniversary shirt for it.

They had those in MA in the late 90s at least. I think they still do now. Im pretty sure the issue is you and your Mean Street Posse mentality, my friend.I may not be from Brockton or Lawrence but I ain't from Lexington or Concord either. Don't make me out to be some boojie mutha. Matt D, you'll get this being from Mass, it sounds like Hot Topic is like a more widespread Newbury Comics. Genius idea! I make a West Newbury Comics and devote to selling Cena merch! Less comics, movies and music. More T-shirts and goth and or punk paraphernalia. More mall driven. Otherwise were getting a little bit closer.Fellow Masshole chiming in. Newbury Comics has altered its business over the past decade to be more of an "upscale" Hot Topic mixed with PacSun/Zumiez. The only one I've encountered that still has a wide selection of both comics and music is Norwood. If you're looking for the classic fix, head to NH/ME and find a Bull Moose shop. They're what Newbury used to be, essentially.

As fine as they have since nu metal stopped being cool.

I think they'd do well if they look at the current US wrestling scene and try to deviate. Bullet Club merch is carried in a prime retailer for wrestling's favorite demographic ("rebellious" teenagers), making them instantly cool to a sizable audience, and what better way to draw those little Manic Panic shits in than by saying "this ain't TVPG WWE"? That said, teenagers don't travel very far, and today's youth care more about sharing virtual experiences than actively pursuing them in the flesh. Best bet? As others have said, push hard with NJPW talent, try to get Punk to make a return in Chicago, try Bryan, and BUY ALL THE ADS. Seriously. So many shows, even stuff on the level of ROH, try to get by with word-of-mouth and/or tired media. Hanging a few posters beneath the missing (and likely dead) cat won't cut it, taking to Twitter won't cut it, grow up and buy some TV ad time and some radio space.

^Dead on. The story goes that Foley, who always wondered how Terry worked his punches, was surprised when Terry kept potatoing him in the forehead. When they talked after Funk just laughed and said something to the effect of "you thought I was working them?"

I was among the crowd that sold AJ hard from early on. Ignoring his WCW or NWA Wildside runs (as WCW was a few matches and I've never seen him in Wildside), his work from WWA/TNA/early ROH cemented him as a great talent in my eyes. There's never been a year where I've been a fan of his that I don't think he's put forward at least one MOTYC (dating back to 2002), and while HBK might have the edge on mic work and quality of stage? He never had the level of talent to work with and/or stand out from. Who were the truly great talents sharing the stage with HBK? Bret, Taker, Flair, Benoit, Foley, Austin...and some of the overlap is small. What about AJ? AmDrag, Daniels, LowKi, Joe, Aries, Punk, Nakamura, Tanahashi, Suzuki...and that's just people he's worked with. Take the mic away and AJ smokes HBK in every sense. Add his lack of ego and willingness to work his ass off no matter the finish? No contest. AJ Styles, for lack of a better term, was a godsend to the business.

I love Sami Callihan's kicks. He puts the right body language behind them so they look vicious. EYFBO (LAX v3) have some great fire when they throw strikes, particularly Ortiz.

Mick Foley, '95-'98 This gives you his best promo work (including "Cane Dewey," my favorite of all-time, as well as the incredible sit downs with JR), the '95 KOTDM tourney that cemented his violent legacy, and his peak WWF matches with Taker/Shawn/Austin. I'd almost make a stretch to 2000 so we'd get the Rock feud of '99 and the HHH feud that he went out on, but most of '99 was carried by his promo work as he was broken down. Kevin Steen, '07-'11 The Briscoes/Steenerico feud of '07 (what saved my love of wrestling after Benoit), an okay '08-'09, the incredible ROH feud with Generico of '10, and all his ace PWG work scattered throughout. By 2012 it's clear that he's more interested in having fun matches than really working his ass off (though he still brings it in PWG, but his ROH pairings were weak as the roster lacked depth), and he's been a victim of the WWE vanilla soft serve machine ever since despite delivering in character.

Joe Coffey throws some very solid looking punches, but I think he throws a little too many of them.

Good call! His stuff is really dated now, total '90s edgelord schtick, but damn if he wasn't enjoying every minute of it, even on his off-nights. That kind of enthusiasm just doesn't seem as common nowadays. Also, this... Styles: "...it's almost a 'who shot JR?' situation." Gertner: "SOMEBODY SHOT JIM ROSS?!" I give myself a good chuckle just remembering that line and plenty of other moments. He was comic relief but the right kind of comic relief as his jokes were always themed to the show and current company events.