InYourCase

I would be shocked if El Lindaman of DG isn't on my ballot in 10 years. Just about two years in the business and he gets it. Size is the only thing possibly holding him back from being a huge star, because he's pretty small for DG standards. Charisma, promo skills, and in-ring ability through the roof.

For the love of God, yes.

Glad you liked the Unit Disbands match. At this point, that's either my #2 or #3 match of the year. I liked it more than you, which I expected, but the comparison to a great MPro match is completely fair. I think there are even better examples of DG matches feeling like 80's New Japan multi-man matches. The Mad Blankey vs. Jimmyz Unit Disbands match from August of last year and the 6/8/11 Blood Warriors vs. J3 tag match are two of the more heated matches in DG history. They feel very similar to the New Japan glory days.

I also believe Johnston being Cornette's sidekick is overblown by Cornette. The product, when it was at its worst, was laced with Cornette tropes. The booking, while it isn't very good, feels very different from Cornette's style. That being said, if there's one thing that Cornette was great at that Delirious lacks severely, it's the ability to make main event matches feel like a truly big deal. Lethal vs. Briscoe from this past summer was the closest Delirious has come to having something truly feel important. Even with the Davey vs. Eddie series and the subsequent Davey vs. Steen feud, while some of those matches may not have been great, they all felt like a big deal.

No, not at all. They were drawing in the low hundreds for most shows outside of NYC.

Additional Kzy recs, since they were requested The follow-up from his heroic performance in Korakuen the month prior http://rutube.ru/video/8c90e1df35a8c8cb9e9c6f38bd317cf9/?ref=search Hot little tag match from a few weeks ago. He and Eita are great here http://rutube.ru/video/4bd187ce23b288da54fe506a98a46647/?ref=search

She has been outstanding. My frontrunner for Most Improved in the WON Awards. Great match with Mochizuki in December, that outstanding match with Kotoka when she won the belt, and then that great performance against Ryu. Really enjoying her work. She has a formula that works for her and her underdog role and I love it.

I would argue that an Owens match is the most interesting match Reigns can have because, 1) Owens is the best worker in the company on a weekly basis and will surely drag something great out of Reigns, who granted, I don't loathe, but even the idea of this thread being made confuses me a little. He's average, good on his best days, and dreadful at his worst. 2) Owens is credible and the crowd can buy into him beating anyone, which I believe is still an effect of him pinning Cena last year.

http://rutube.ru/video/4bd7a33e0c9ba66037c04aa744a39cf6/?pl_type=user&pl_id=1067514

I was told to make this thread. PWO isn't the sort of crowd that would get into Dragon Gate, but some people have expressed interest in the product since a handful of their guys received really high individual votes in the GWE poll (Mochizuki had two Top 10 votes, CIMA, Yoshino, Tozawa, etc.) Dead or Alive, one of their five big shows, just wrapped up. My review on VOW should be up shortly and Open the Voice Gate will have a review in audio form very soon. If you're looking to get into DG, I suggest these, http://rutube.ru/video/7e4656d19e8dec2413c23eaf705565f2/?pl_type=user&pl_id=1067514 http://rutube.ru/video/34010a2262fba497e67618fbf26e5dba/?pl_type=user&pl_id=1067514 http://rutube.ru/video/29653fb4b58cab7dfb172cec0f4a8f89/?pl_type=user&pl_id=1067514 The main event is the craziest match in wrestling. Six-way cage match, loser has to stay bald for a year, delegates are on the outside, JUGS Guns are used - it's wild. I'll link it, but if you're getting your feet wet in the Dragon System, then this might not be the match to check out. If anything, you'll see how amazing YAMATO is, as he puts on one of his best performances ever, but there is a good chance that other than that, you won't understand what is going on. http://rutube.ru/video/0c4d6e2e662d91b48f36d84a947a2ac0/?pl_type=user&pl_id=1067514 Please feel free to ask me any questions in the thread. I'll try to check this as much as possible. IHeartDG.com is the place for all DG translations. Jae lives in Japan and has followed the company since the early days of Toryumon. He knows all.

I wish I was ever as optimistic and forgiving as you are. Wrestling is objectively great in 2016.

Maximo vs Kamaitachi (CMLL, 1/1) NO - https://matchoftheyear.wordpress.com/2016/01/01/maximo-sexy-vs-kamaitachi-from-cmll-1116/ Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW 1/4) YES - I liked their WK9 match a little more, but the finish here is one of the best finishes ever and I was fully invested throughout the match. I'd put this behind Invasion Attack and WK9 as their best match. Tomohiro Ishii vs. Katsuyori Shibata (NJPW 1/4) YES - I liked this more than their New Beginning match. I thought it was paced perfectly. Another classic Ishii match. I'm all about what Ishii does and this was him at his best. AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NJPW 1/4) YES - close to 5* for me. Just two of the very best at their peak. I can't say enough good things about it. Chris Hero & Tommy End vs Zack Sabre Jr. & Sami Callihan (EVOLVE 53, 1/22) YES - Thrilling tag match with great pacing. Would be shocked if this didn't make my Top 10 at the end of the year. Hero's first great performance of 2016. Sami's best performance on the indies since coming back (granted, haven't seen the Dijak match), and my favorite End match I've seen. This clicked. Everything about it worked. ****3/4 Kevin Owens vs Dean Ambrose (WWE Royal Rumble, 1/24) NO - This was fine, but nothing that I have fond memories of and I only remember the table bump at the end. Dragon Lee vs Kamaitachi (NJPW, 1/24) NO - It was great, but not something other worldly and I've seen better spotfests in other companies this year. I don't understand how this is nearly universally praised, but Dragon Gate matches are crucified. This was more spotty than any DG match in quite some time. So I guess I'm biased, but this match annoyed me more than anything. And I still gave it ****1/4 AJ Styles vs Zack Sabre Jr. (RPW High Stakes, 1/26) NO - Liked it, didn't love it. Certainly wasn't the best match on the show (where is Ospreay/Scurll?). I think if this would've happened in July it would've been much, much better, but AJ was on his way out and he wasn't exactly phoning it in, but I have seen better AJ performances. Isami Kodaka vs Masa Takanashi (DDT, 1/31) YES - Love this match and the story it told. Alan has a great writeup of it in a F4W. My current non-DG, non-NJPW Puro match of the year, and I've been very critical of Kodaka in the past. ****1/2 Mike Bailey vs Sami Clliahn (CZW Seventeen, 2/13) NO - I really wanted to love it, but I just was never hooked by it Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns vs Dean Ambrose (WWE Fastlane, 2/21) YES - I'll consider it. At the very worst, a Top 25 match for this year. Thought all three guys were great in the match and I rarely feel that way about Ambrose or Reigns. Triple H vs Dean Ambrose (WWE Roadblock, 3/12) NO - Absolutely not. Fred Yehi vs Drew Gulak (EVOLVE 56, 3/19) NO - not my kind of match. Chris Hero vs Tracy Williams (EVOLVE 56, 3/19) NO - not even the best match on the show, though I happened to think it was great. Another killer Hero performance, if anything. Zack Sabre Jr. vs Will Ospreay (EVOLVE 58, 4/1) YES - Ahhh this was so great. Both guys were just perfect. A Top 10 contender for sure. Ospreay might have delivered the performance of his life here. He was so ungodly good. ZSJ was a great base and a great zag to Ospreay's zig. This match just worked. ****3/4 Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn (NXT Take Over: Dallas, 4/1) YES - I have it at ****3/4. From a technical standpoint it was certainly a notch below other Nak classics like the Ibushi matches, but I give this a boost for the environment because it truly was special. Bayley vs Asuka (NXT Take Over: Dallas, 4/1) NO - And I loved this match, but ****1/4 isn't going to make my Top 10, or even my Top 25 this year. Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor (NXT Take Over: Dallas, 4/1) YES - This is the Samoa Joe I've been longing for. He was so great here. A classic. I had it just a step below Nak/Zayn, but I have a feeling that this will hold up better if I rewatch both of those matches. Matt Riddle vs Zack Sabre Jr. (EVOLVE 59, 4/2) NO - Disappointed by this. They worked hard, but nothing clicked with me. Zack Sabre Jr. vs Chris Hero (WWN Mercury Rising, 4/2) YES - Simply outstanding. A total clinic between two complete pros. Another gem from Hero. No complaints from me. ****1/2 Matt Riddle vs Tracy Williams (WWN Mercury Rising, 4/2) NO - liked their match from EVOLVE 55 more. That one gave me a real Otsuka/Ikeda vibe. This didn't. Kota Ibushi & TJP & Johnny Gargano vs Marty Scurll & Will Ospreay & Tommy End (WWN Mercury Rising, 4/2) YES - my indie match of the year at this point and I don't see anything topping it. For what it was, it was perfect. Exactly what it needed to be. A mix of fun, wild spots, and mind-blowing, state-of-the-art moves. ****3/4 Sasha Banks vs Charlotte vs Becky Lynch (WWE WrestleMania, 4/3) NO - come on now, guys. No way.

You should start a DG thread and force feed it. I've tried getting into it on various occasions, usually after an Alan4L touts something as the greatest thing he's seen. While nothing's connected anywhere near that level yet, I'm determined to figure out what or why I'm missing before I tap out. When the Dead or Alive PPV hits the Internet, I'll start a thread. Should be rather soon.

Nomination: Masaaki Mochizuki, Dragon Kid, Big R Shimizu, & Kzy vs. Akira Tozawa, Masato Yoshino, T-Hawk, & Shachihoko BOY vs. YAMATO, Shingo Takagi, Naruki Doi, & Kotoka: Dragon Gate 2/4 One of the most dramatic matches I've seen in quite some time. Elimination style, losing unit disbands match. It came down to Kzy doing his best to fight for Dia. Hearts honor, including some absolutely insane sequences with Takagi, but in the end, Kzy was overmatched and fell victim to a Galleria from YAMATO.

Ishii's headlined smaller shows. He's positioned as a threat to anyone he wrestles. I just don't have an issue with the time he got vs. Naito. I thought it made sense.

I don't even think the criticism of calling Ishii and undercarder is accurate anymore. He's held a title for a majority of the last three years. He's seen as a legit threat to the roster. A low tier main eventer at times, at the very worst a strong upper midcarder. Gave the main event 4*, Nagata/Shibata ***3/4. Have to go back and watch Liger/KUSHIDA soon.

This is one of the more baffling things I've ever read - Okada has some of the best facials in wrestling today. Not sure what you're watching.

Glad I helped influence at least one person. There is a lot of complaining about DG's in-ring style. I often think those complaints are overblown and essentially turned into memes, but I can understand where some of the criticism comes from, even though I disagree with it 99% of the time. That being said, I think anyone that criticizes their booking is absolutely insane. No company is better when it comes to booking, longterm storytelling, or character development.

Stan Hansen Kenta Kobashi Tatsumi Fujinami Genichiro Tenryu Rey Mysterio Jr Bryan Danielson Toshiaki Kawada Shinya Hashimoto Terry Funk Masaaki Mochizuki Vader Ric Flair KENTA Jun Akiyama Riki Choshu Mitsuharu Misawa Kurt Angle Jushin Liger Hiroshi Tanahashi William Regal Shingo Takagi Eddie Guerrero El Generico Hiroshi Hase Akira Taue Jumbo Tsuruta Chris Benoit Ricky Steamboat Yoshiaki Fujiwara Nick Bockwinkel Susumu Yokosuka Shawn Michaels Chris Hero Daisuke Sekimoto Samoa Joe John Cena CIMA Yoshihiro Takayama Austin Aries Masato Tanaka CM Punk Shinjiro Otani Steve Austin Tomohiro Ishii Masato Yoshino Jay Briscoe Minoru Suzuki Kensuke Sasaki Koji Kanemoto Arn Anderson Dick Togo Carlos Colon AJ Styles Kiyoshi Tamura Jim Breaks Yuji Nagata Randy Savage Mark Briscoe Sean Waltman Claudio Castagnoli Jeff Hardy Yoshihiro Tajiri Negro Casas Yoji Anjoh Fit Finlay Naomichi Marufuji Masa Fuchi Low Ki Akira Tozawa Yoshinari Ogawa Akira Maeda Kota Ibushi Yoshiaki Yatsu Brock Lesnar Satoshi Kojima Matt Hardy Dragon Kid Volk Han TAKA Michinoku YAMATO Sting Kazuchika Okada Mick Foley Ryo Saito Tsyoshi Kikuchi Matt Sydal Too Cold Scorpio Roderick Strong Bret Hart Little Guido Edge Sabu Goldberg Kevin Steen Curt Hennig Milano Collection A.T. Alexander Otsuka Makoto Hashi Spike Dudley Genki Horiguchi

I learned that goc and I don't agree on anything. And that I value being the best you you can be more than almost anything. If you fill your role nicely, that goes a long way with me. Hansen to Rey to Spike Dudley - they are all great versions of themselves. There's probably a better way to phrase that and I just can't think of how to do it.

Can goc shut up now that Lawler is in the top ten and both Tenryu and Fujinami aren't?

He worked New Japan and had a bad match with Tatsumi Fujinami. I like this answer much more than mine.

Shouldn't make the top 10 because he just wasn't that good.

The Fujinami ranking bugs me. He finished #3 for me, and right before the deadline, I seriously considered him as my #1 above Hansen and Kobashi. We don't have enough of his 70s work to make any sort of statement about him in regards to being the best worker of the decade, and I don't think he is, but he's outstanding from what he have. Best worker of the 80s. I firmly believe that. And he did it all. Great match with Dynamite, the feud with Choshu, which I think is one of the best in-ring feuds ever, amazing performances against UWF guys, and of all things, an hour long match with Inoki that I actually like. His match quality might not reach the peaks of Flair or Jumbo from that decade, and even that is debatable, especially Jumbo, but holy shit this guy had it all figured out. Like a babyface Regal. Facials, bumping, offense, psychology - he had it all. I think he's criminally under appreciated as a great worker in the 80s. Like I said, I think he's the best of the decade. Insane performances in multi-man matches and great singles peaks as both a junior and a heavyweight. I think I'm higher on his 90s work than most. I think he's really good throughout the decade, which caps off with he and Hash having a fun little team. Amazing in the WAR feud. He didn't position himself as the ace the way he did with the UWF feud in the 80s. He was older and grumpier and that came across perfectly. He still had amazing facials and bumped like a madman, he was just a step slower due to injury. Miracle performance in 2006 with Nishimura. I'm content with having him at 3, but he's a Top 10 wrestler and him not finishing in the Top 10 is annoying to me.

Hashimoto finishing this low is the most annoying result thus far. Don't love where the Dragon Gate guys finished but I expected it, can't stand where Windham ended up and the Hart placement will annoy me, but Hash is a Top 10-15 guy. He's the second guy from my Top 10 to fall. Insane output for 12 (?) years. Best big match wrestler ever. Masterful seller. He was my #8.