highflyflow

His title match vs. Higuchi might be my MOTY, I think it’s that good. Hell, as far as this topic goes, Higuchi should be getting good buzz given how great he’s been especially in the 2020s, but I’m not optimistic about that. There’s always 2036, I guess

I’ll have Panther in my top 50. He’s been one of the best wrestlers in the world, in the best promotion in the world, for at least two years now, in his 60s. In a similar vein, does Akiyama climb into the teens this time around? He’s demonstrably added to his case in the last ten years

In 2016, wrestlers like Shinsuke Nakamura, Hiroshi Tanahashi, CM Punk, and Bryan Danielson all made it on the top 100 list based predominantly on their work in the ten years since the Smarkschoice poll. Who do you think will be the biggest benefactor of footage from the last 10 years in the 2026 list? Mostly asking for wrestlers that weren't on the list last time, but you think have a good chance at being on next year.

I think the Tamura point is interesting, because while there isn't really a traditional heel/face divide in shoot-style, I do think there are angles by which you can see him as the protagonist and antagonist of matches (for instance, for the case of the latter, I think of his 97-99 matches with Kohsaka and Yamamoto). Anyway, as far as wrestlers that I love both as a face and heel (or tecnico and rudo, for the luchadors): Danielson, Funk, Flair, Kawada, Austin, Panther, Styles, Tanahashi, Satanico, Piper, Bret, Otani, Punk, Windham, Savage, Zbyszko, Akiyama, Moxley, Christian, Hokuto. I'm sure there are plenty I'm forgetting, and I know someone like Buddy Rose is missing simply because I haven't seen his babyface work yet.

GOAT Contenders (all wrestlers I think I could realistically see voting at #1; doesn't necessarily mean they will be my 1-10): Aja Kong Bryan Danielon El Hijo del Santo Genichiro Tenryu Kenta Kobashi Mitsuharu Misawa Ric Flair Shinya Hashimoto Terry Funk Yoshiaki Fujiwara Wrestlers who could potentially crack my top 10: AJ Styles Akira Hokuto Buddy Rose Chigusa Nagayo Devil Masami El Satanico Hiroshi Tanahashi Jaguar Yokota Jumbo Tsuruta Jun Akiyama Jushin Liger Kiyoshi Tamura Negro Casas Nick Bockwinkel Rey Mysterio Jr. Stan Hansen Tatsumi Fujinami Toshiaki Kawada Vader Yuki Ishikawa

Is that really such a wild take? It got a #1 vote in the GME poll this year, and landed in the top 200 overall.

Honestly did not expect this thread to be so negative post-2016. It's interesting, because on other corners of the internet, I've seen Punk talked up as a legitimate #1 contender or at bare minimum top 10, and that just hasn't seemed to translate to this thread. I wonder if those people will end up submitting a ballot next year, and how that'll affect his ranking on the overall list. Anyway, Punk will make my list, somewhere between 40-75, for all the reasons (both positive and negative) listed here. Where do people stand on CM Punk, post-AEW and in the midst of his second WWE stint? Has his comeback work helped or hurt his case to you? I love a lot of his AEW run, especially the Last Dance 2023 stuff up to and including the final Joe match, but I'm mostly ambivalent to the current WWE work.

Save Fujiwara, Tamura will be my highest ranked shoot-stylist. Unbelievable combination of athleticism and skill, and brings a certain character that's so easy for me to connect with in these shoot style matches, whether it be the cocky underdog in Takada's UWFi, the prodigy in the first year in RINGS, or the established ace against underdogs like Yamamoto in those peak 97-99 years. Unreal how good he looks early in his career, too; I think the 1992 Yoji Anjo match is a legitimate classic, and I wouldn't be mad if someone said that wasn't even his best work in UWFi. Top 20 contender

In an ideal world, Aja is at least top 15 on the overall list next year. I don't expect to see it, but I do expect her to be even higher than she was in 2016, and I suppose that's a victory in its own right.

Funnily, I think 2003 might be my answer. Same opponents as 2002 and about the same level of quality of matches but stretched out over a full year, plus the Brock match in December.

What's the best individual year of Rey's career?

Surprisingly lack of discussion for YAMATO considering he's hyped as a low-key WOTY candidate for the Dragon Gate fanbase. Where does everyone stand on YAMATO today? Where does he rank as far as best Toryumon/DG guys ever? How does he compare to contemporaries from other companies like Shiozaki, Tanahashi, Sekimoto, HARASHIMA, Okada, Naito, Ibushi, etc?

Love the 02 Hero match, have seen practically nothing else. Any recommendations? I know the Kingston cage match gets a lot of hype, and I'm planning on getting to it.

Don't know if I'd vote for Kanemaru but I really really enjoy his early 2000s NOAH stuff, I'm up to 2002 and imo he's easily the best junior in the promotion by that point sans Ogawa. Would like to hear a case for him as someone that's mostly unfamiliar with his post-NOAH work.

Got all the way up to #229 in 2016. Where do people stand on Gino Hernandez currently?