Boss Rock

I don't think I'm quite as high on this match as most (I thought their WrestleCon match was better), but this was still a really fun match. Lots of high-flying and big move offense, it just didn't really reach that next level for me. It's hard to explain, but it never felt like "Holy shit!" and was more like "Yeah, that was really cool." Really entertaining match worth checking out, but there have been better this tournament. ****

I liked this one a lot but I do think it was too long and the pace never quite kicked into overdrive. However, I'd put it on around equal footing as the WK 12 match. Whereas that one was more of a plunderfest, this was more of a hard-hitting fight. I thought they did a good job building up to the bigger spots and moves, but as I mentioned the pace really could have used a boost in the finishing stretch. And botched counter was indeed bad. Still, I thought the offense was mostly well-worked and the selling (particularly Kenny selling the Judas Effect) was good. Great match but could have been better. ****1/4

Yep, only Brock matches are allowed to have blood and that requires him to throw dangerous, shoot elbows.

Moxley being Juice's opponent was a legitimate surprise, and a pleasant one at that. I just hope he's more motivated than he has been his last few years in WWE. As far as ROH is concerned, NJPW should just try to nab as much talent as they can and cut their losses. After ROH's showing at MSG and hiring Enzo and Cass, they would be wise to distance themselves as much as possible (although they still have the co-promoted Summerslam show coming up).

Battle royals to me are a collection of cool moments surrounded by whatever. So they can range from either being fun to terrible. The Over the Budget battle royal from All In remains my favorite because there was actually more to it than just cool moments and tepid elimination attempts. I do think the Royal Rumble format is much better with the individual entrances but having too many folks in at one time can be a problem.

My 2019 pick as of right now.

I still love to go back and look at these lists. Some really good recommendations.

Count me among those who liked the ME. I thought it was more of a harder-hitting affair than the WK match which, while great, was a bit of a plunderfest. It probably didn't need to go on as long as it needed to but I'm glad Jericho still didn't try to match Kenny move-for-move in a match that had less bells and whistles. Show as a whole was great. Didn't catch all of the pre-show but the main card more than delivered. Best Friends-Angelico/Evans, Cody-Dustin, Lucha Bros.-Bucks, and Kenny-Jericho were my favorite matches but nothing else disappointed. I think Jericho going over was a bit strange but I understand wanting to capitalize on his name and recognition, not to mention Kenny-Moxley is the clear feud for both guys. Really interested to see how well Moxley does and if WWE really was just sapping his motivation.

I think Orange Cassidy was just announced as another entrant.

I have to think that a streaming service or alternative is in the works, but yeah not a good move with ppv.

Honestly I want AEW to do well and there a number of wrestlers associated to it that I like. Considering just how stale and lifeless WWE is now, a viable alternative would hopefully do only good things for the fans and the overall industry itself. I do have my reservations because while I like the idea of a more sports-oriented presentation, I can definitely see the BTE humor seeping in and becoming a bit too "wink wink nudge nudge". Whether or not that's a good thing clearly comes down to personal preference, but I personally hope they would reign it back a bit. Barring any major card changes I expect Double or Nothing to be a good show, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are issues with the production considering this is only their second show and they don't have the ROH resources this time. Also, I really hope they reconsider the ppv price going forward.

Here here.

BOSJ has been a blast to watch this year. Thank God they got rid of the single-cam, no commentary matches. It just makes everything so much easier to watch. Along with SHO-Shingo, SHO-Dragon Lee and Rocky-Phantasmo are MOTYC's.

Might be my pick for MOTY if not Violent Giants-Strong BJ 1.

I disagree and never really got that impression. I loved how he blitzed Joe at the beginning and I think he did a great job bumping and selling for Joe's strikes. I agree A.J.'s a bit of a different wrestler in this match than he was in NJPW and now in WWE, but I still thought he was terrific in this match.

Jake Lee vs. Kento Miyahara (AJPW 4/29/2019) The Champion Carnival finals between the dominant ace and the once-struggling up-and-comer who has seemingly begun to put the pieces together. Jake shows a great deal of confidence and fire that he was missing in early years and takes it to Kento almost immediately, overwhelming him with kicks and knees. Kento begins to mount his comeback but Jake continues to stagger the champ with heavy strikes. A really great story of Lee proving himself to be on Kento's level and both men surviving the other's best shots to win the tournament. Excellent offense, selling, and emotion.

One thing I really liked about this project is that nothing felt truly "sacred" in the sense that you could argue why you didn't like a match that's near universally-beloved and everyone would be willing to hear you out. I sort of worried that I didn't "get" wrestling if I didn't think Austin-Bret was a top 50 match or Flair-Steamboat II was the greatest match ever but that was certainly not the case as everyone had a very wide range of opinions and criticisms on pretty much every classic match.

Okada-SANADA was disappointing especially considering how great their last two matches were. I'm sold on the Dominion ME though and BOSJ looks absolutely stacked. Not sure who this new wrestler is they're bringing in to challenge Juice, but I sort of wish they would give Juice feuds with already-established stars. Why not just have a quick feud with Suzuki or do a program with Sabre? With the narrative of Lee wanting a title match with Hiromu, seems pretty certain he'll be back sooner rather than later.

The top 10 has been posted. Thank you again to everyone who participated and I can't wait for next year's list. Hopefully we can get even more ballots next time around.

I've only seen three wrestlers do the GTS but KENTA is literally the only one who does it well.

Have seen a few tweets that this isn't the first time Punk has done this either.

http://gweproject.freeforums.net/thread/1165/greatest-matches-2019-recieving-votes?page=1&scrollTo=4284 491-201 has been posted. 200-151 will be tomorrow.

Thank YOU for doing such a great job organizing everything and getting the ballot together. Had a lot of fun.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW 3/23/19) What I said in the match thread: Managed to top their classic G1 2016 match. Loved how they got to work right away. No padding, just all action. Just like the Ishii match with YOSHI-HASHI, I love these stablemate matches as they know each other so well and push each other so hard that there appears to be legitimate hatred. Some really creative and unexpected spots such as Ishii's armbar counter and Okada's backslide into the Rainmaker. I can't really say much more that hasn't been said. Just seriously watch this match. ****3/4.

Any specific recommendations?