Boss Rock

My issue with the 3 person nomination is that I'm not sure there's enough participation to make it a more objective process. It seems like there are only 6-7 of us in the active discussions and when it comes down to 6-7 people, then it's more of a matter of personal tastes rather than whether or not something is objectively good. If there was more participation, then I agree getting three nominations wouldn't be such an issue.

And I'll say this on the women's wrestling/NJPW debate. I would certainly love to see women's wrestling in NJPW even if I don't have a problem with it being a men's only promotion. Obviously joshi isn't as big as it was back in the 80's-90's as Stardom might only draw about 2,000 fans at their biggest shows rather than 10,000 like NJPW does. And even if Stardom isn't much smaller than the various other non-NJPW Japanese promotions, NJPW would obviously give them a much bigger platform and perhaps some more bargaining power if WWE ever comes knocking. The funny thing to me is that while folks like Grimmas are serious advocates for women having a bigger platform in wrestling, there are so many folks using the NJPW criticism simply to defend WWE's decision to do the GRR and don't actually give a shit about women's wrestling in Japan.

Hmm, there doesn't seem to be a link.

I've been able to do more of a deep dive myself. I'll probably come across tons of stuff I've never seen before along the way or re-watch stuff I may not have considered before, but I think I'm at the point where I have about 50-60 matches I feel pretty comfortable with keeping on my final list.

I assume this will be the thread to talk season 4 even if the title is for season 3, heh. Anywho, without spoiling too much I'll say it was a solid premiere though a tad disappointing. Vignette spoilers: Pentagon Dark defended the title in an impromptu Aztec Warfare match. We got some interesting guest appearances by the likes of Tommy Dreamer and Mr. Pectacular. The first half dragged and the action just seemed off, like everyone was a bit rusty. It also didn't help that the editing and camera work felt super choppy. Eventually, Pentagon came in and started cleaning house. I feel like this episode was basically an apology for Pentagon's on-off booking for the past three seasons, just letting him kill people left and right like a badass. The second half of this match was a huge step up as some of the more familiar faces came in and got their time to shine. I had a few issues with certain eliminations but overall not a bad match and the finishing stretch was a lot of fun. Definitely the worst of the four Aztec Warfares though. I'm hoping this episode was just a bit of growing pains as I had similar apprehensions about season 3 and things turned out very well for the most part. Either way, glad to have more wrestling to watch during the week after having checked out on Raw and SDL.

I still think Wrestle Kingdom was a better show top-to-bottom as I felt the undercard dragged a bit at times, but the second half of the show really delivered. And it certainly helped that the undercard still had fun stuff like Ishii and Suzuki brawling. The tag title match was very good and another feather in the cap of an already great year for the Young Bucks. The six-man tag was a lot of fun even if Rey being on the losing team was odd. The Junior title match was great even if Hiromu and Ospreay have never been each other's best opponents. The finishing stretch was fire and Hiromu's booking has been almost as good as it was a year ago. Didn't like the fact that Naito lost but he and Jericho had a banger. Hardcore brawler Jericho is a lot of fun. And I talked about it more in depth in the match review post, but the main event was phenomenal and might be one of the best I've ever seen.

Great match and more than fitting conclusion for the BOSJ. There are few things I love more than a "big fight feel" and this match definitely had this in spades during the entrances. Both men had more or less dominated their blocks (Taiji REALLY should have gone undefeated but Gedo and what have you) and established themselves as the two best Juniors in the world outside of Ospreay. Unlike other NJPW main events where the first 5-10 minutes feel rather inconsequential, they got to work almost immediately. It went from a crowd brawl (Childs' point about the spot seeming contrived isn't without merit even if I didn't have a problem with it) to an absolutely insane bombfest. There was an unbelievable amount of desperation with the submissions, both guys looking close to tapping out at different parts of the match. It also helped that both guys understood their characters which made this for a great clash of styles: Hiromu the unpredictable loose cannon and Taiji the focused weapon of destruction. Some of the fighting spirit spots like the no-sell reverse rana from Hiromu certainly seemed a bit much, but they managed to make it more believable than anyone else would have. Great urgency, fantastic offense, and some absolutely sick-looking spots make this a surefire MOTYC. ****3/4.

I originally wrote this for the Greatest Match Ever project: After an already thrilling trilogy of matches last year, Kenny and Okada still managed to top it at Dominion. This was a masterclass in storytelling, selling, and action. Going 69 minutes seems like it would be tough to pull off, but Kenny and Okada delivered and them some. There was some excellent learned psychology as both men seemingly had a counter or reversal for every signature move during the first fall. This was key as Okada was able to counter and get a quick pin. Fatigue began to set in for both during the second fall as Kenny and Okada masterfully sold rib injuries and near-exhaustion after every big move. The third fall was perhaps some of the most riveting and dramatic wrestling I've ever seen. Both men on the verge of passing out struggled for every inch, whether it be attempts at tombstones or forearms that had absolutely nothing behind them. It was the ultimate battle of survival and attrition between two of the best athletes in wrestling who were literally running on fumes. It also helped that Okada could not manage to pull off a Rainmaker until the third fall, making you think he was going to end it right then and there. Kenny was the star here, but Okada turned in yet another career performance as well. When it comes to selling peril and making you think either he or his opponent can end it at any minute, he is the best in the world. I know it was over an hour, I know they never used the table outside of Kenny's double foot stomp, and I know this match just happened a few days ago, but this still might be one of the greatest wrestling matches I've ever seen. *****

Dominion main event is easily the best match I've seen all year and might be one of the best I've seen ever. And hardcore brawler Jericho is something I can get behind.

That's awesome.

Considering this year's Best of the Super Juniors was miles better than last year's, it's only fitting that the finals would not only be a true MOTYC, but a bombfest of epic proportions. The tentative first minute or so really added to the big fight atmosphere: you truly believed these two were the absolute best in the division (aside from Will). Things broke down almost immediately with Taiji and Hiromu brawling into the crowd and we got an awesome shotgun dropkick to Taiji and a scary-looking hurricanrana that sent Hiromu down the stairs. Back in the ring, both guys took turns controlling the pace of the match before everything broke down into absolute chaos. The number of big moves thrown here was truly remarkable but nothing felt cheap or overdone. Even the no-sell reverse rana spot from Hiromu somehow felt more earned than it normally would. With this being a tournament final with a shot at the title on the line, both men's comebacks and ability to dig just a little bit deeper were 100% believable. Another thing I loved about this match was that despite going nearly 35 minutes, no time felt wasted or done just for the sake of doing. The biggest criticism regarding NJPW main events is that the first 10 minutes are usually inconsequential and have no bearing on the finish but that was not the case here. Hiromu and Taiji made the most of everything they were given and knocked it out of the park. Bravo. ****3/4.

Made some updates.

I think most (myself included) thought it was the best match of the card. Never able to watch NJPW shows live but I'm expecting Dominion to be a really good show.

Yep, reports showed that attendance was up from last year's CC.

I like that idea. I'm also still hoping we'll see someone who held the briefcase for a year get cash-in only to immediately get cashed-in on that year's winner. Really the only scenario they haven't run yet.

Excellent title match and adds to an already impressive resume for Mr. Murphy. I know most folks (myself included) would rather Ali be in this spot than Cedric, but Cedric absolutely proved once again he can deliver in a big match setting like this. Great back-and-forth action, awesome escalation, and some absolutely vicious-looking strikes. One of the best if not the best TV match of the year. ****1/4.

Zeus in All Japan uses the Jackhammer as his finisher.

I'd like to see a powerhouse wrestler do a spinning backfist like Aja Kong.

Shuji-Shingo is definitely match of the tournament.

I'm actually not sure if I "get" Roman Reigns' character in the ring. There have been times when he was a cocky jock like against A.J. or a resilient babyface against Braun, but a lot of times his matches have just seemed to be back-and-forth workrate matches. I think a large part of that is WWE's inability to decide what Reigns' character actually is, but I know that's probably a whole other can of worms As for me, as long as the match has consistent selling, interesting action, and proper escalation I'm usually going to enjoy it no matter what. When you have so many one-off indie matches, that's really all you need sometimes. That being said, character work and a strong narrative are often what really puts a match over the top to me and establishes itself as top-tier. NJPW is my current favorite promotion and there are lots of back-and-forth matches that I love. But something like Juice Robinson trying to stand by his morals and refusing to attack Kenny Omega's knee, only to realize he has no chance in winning unless he compromises said morals, really stands out.

I think Alexa is the only person who does a standard DDT anymore. I'd also like to see more people other than Natalya do the sharpshooter. Hers isn't very good.

I think the criticisms regarding Kento's comebacks are pretty fair. I love his explosiveness and willingness to go all-out in every exchange, but some long-term selling would definitely help.

I know Kane, Undertaker, and Lance Archer still do it, but I wouldn't mind seeing more chokeslams.

I wish we got the more serious, focused Taguchi for more than one or two matches a year, but that's a discussion for a different day. There was some decent comedy at the beginning but Taguchi eventually got down to business trying to match Hiromu's frantic pace. Loved moments such as Taguchi trying to pick the ankle early as well as stopping short when Hiromu went for the overhead toss into the corner, causing him to hit his head on the mat. The finishing stretch had an absolutely insane amount of reversals but rather than feeling over-rehearsed, it came off much more as a desperate attempt at survival. Both men knew they would be in a really bad spot if they lost again, so they managed to avoid certain defeat for a little while longer than normal. Hiromu winning again by triangle choke makes me think it will play a part in him making and/or winning the finals. ****

Really liked that this match used a different formula than so much of what we've seen. Technical wrestling isn't my favorite style, but they did a great job working the mat for arguably the entire first half of the match with SHO proving he could hang with KUSHIDA. As much as I've loved the more action-packed matches such as Hiromu-Desperado and Hiromu-Lee, I loved the escalation this match gave us. The matwork did a great job building tension and gradually reaching a crescendo with back-and-forth bomb-throwing. ****