Wrestler of the Year?

[Dylan Waco]

We are more than 2/3 through the year. If you are using WON standards we are 3/4's through the relevant "voting" period. I honestly have no clue who my pick is for either of the "wrestler of the year" awards.

 

LOU THESZ/RIC FLAIR AWARD contenders????

 

Um..Punk? Bryan? Cena? I guarantee you someone will try and make a case for Aries and while I think the guy has had a remarkable run given where he works, he has no record as a draw. No one in Japan stands out. Mexico? I don't know of anyone being red hot. I really see no strong pick for this award.

 

MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER contenders....

 

Negro Casas, Finlay and Derrick King would be my top picks off hand, but Finlay is basically done, Casas hasn't popped up that much the last couple of months and no one aside from me, Dean and Phil Schneider even watches Derrick King matches. I'm sure Bryan will win this and I don't think he's an awful pick, but I don't think he's a great one either. Has Sami Calihan done anything the second half of the year?

[cm funk]

Thesz/Flair should and will go to Punk

 

I don't watch enough indies/lucha/puro to feel confident picking someone for most outstanding. From what I've seen Bryan and Aries have both had good years, but neither feels like a great pick. I'd probably lean Bryan due to having good matches with such a wide variety of opponents (Show, Henry, Kane, Sheamus, Punk, Cena etc.)

[rovert]

MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER contenders....

I'm sure Bryan will win this and I don't think he's an awful pick, but I don't think he's a great one either.

Your finger isn't on the pulse AT ALL. Okada will win that, Most Improved and Best Wrestling Maneuver standing on his head - likely Match of the Year too. I am voting for him too.

 

Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award is has no clear winner in my IMO. Cena is probably the best draw but Daniel Bryan has been all singing and all dancing sports entertainment wise even if it has been one of the weaker in ring years for him bar some highlights like his match with Sheamus at Extreme Rules.

[Dylan Waco]

What has Okada done outside of that one decent enough match with the dub step dance routine finishing stretch? I actually think he's perfectly fine for a modern day Japanese worker, but I have no clue what other matches of his are being talked up. What do I need to see?

[rovert]

What has Okada done outside of that one decent enough match with the dub step dance routine finishing stretch?

I am obviously on a hiding to nothing debating this here.

[Loss]

Dylan wasn't debating you. He was just asking a question of what he needed to see.

[Dylan Waco]

What has Okada done outside of that one decent enough match with the dub step dance routine finishing stretch?

I am obviously on a hiding to nothing debating this here.

 

I actually don't understand what you are saying here. As in literally I don't know what you are saying

 

I'm also not looking for a debate. I'm quite serious in asking what I need to see. I will grant that I'm not likely to think it's as good as you do because I think most modern Japan is boring/comically bad, but if this guy is being talked up as some sort of shoe-in among WON faithful I should probably at least give the matches a chance

[FLIK]

Okada vs Tanahashi 6/16 is mine & a lot of other ppls (including Meltzer's) current MOTY, Okada vs Naito from 3/12 is still in my top 5. Okada vs Tanahashi 2/12 isn't on that lvl but was damn good. Haven't seen any of it but heard he had a good run in the G1 this year which he ended up winning.

 

I actually don't understand what you are saying here. As in literally I don't know what you are saying

Ditto

[rovert]

What has Okada done outside of that one decent enough match with the dub step dance routine finishing stretch?

I am obviously on a hiding to nothing debating this here.

 

I actually don't understand what you are saying here. As in literally I don't know what you are saying

 

I'm also not looking for a debate. I'm quite serious in asking what I need to see. I will grant that I'm not likely to think it's as good as you do because I think most modern Japan is boring/comically bad, but if this guy is being talked up as some sort of shoe-in among WON faithful I should probably at least give the matches a chance

 

Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW) (16/06)

 

Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito (NJPW) (04/03)

 

The Naito match is my personal preference but has gotten the most play despite being from June it only surface online the past 10 days or so. It got your standard buzz from Japanese Wrestling watchers but then it turned into a bit of a sensation the chatter bleed over to Twitter and more general WWE/TNA dominated Wrestling forums. Just got passed around and around due to the universal praise. Only then Meltzer did a cover story about New Japan (due to a slow news week/UFC 151 being cancelled) this week which ramped up the word of mouth even more. From my POV the most watched Japanese match online by a great distance. Video of some guy with excellent punches wrestling on a fairground isn't ever going to mobilise people to that degree.

 

Ditto

As he thinks modern Japanese is boring/comically bad.

 

Okada has been hitting home runs on a big match level since he won the title.

 

On a sidenote that dub step dance routine finishing stretch which I have never seen in dub step is becoming pervasive as fuck. Paige did the Rainmaker setup on NXT and Wade Barrett returned on Smackdown doing the Rainmaker but an elbow smash rather than a clothesline. It is the new Lungblower/Backcracker/Codebreaker so get used to it!

[Dylan Waco]

I saw the Naito match and while it was better than I expected I didn't think it was even close to being great match. I am not keen on the idea of watching a Tanahashi match but I feel obligated given the circumstances so I will.

 

So we have three matches listed. Does three matches really make someone the worker of the year? Or are there others I should see?

 

Edit: Someone link me to that Tanahashi match

[soup23]

I liked the Okada/Naito match and both Tanahashi/Okada matches a good deal. None I have put in my top 10 of the year but I feel like I am in the middle of the Rovert/Dave/Flik camp and Dylan/Wrestling KO camp in regards to those matches. Some people liked the match he had vs. goto on 5/3 but I thought that match was pretty bad.

 

Dylan - Callihan had an ironman ultraviolent match with Drake Younger that was interesting. Not enough high end selling or a cohesive story throughout the match for me to call it good but they did work at a real fast pace for an iron man. The brawling through the crowd spots was some of the better US indy brawling I have seen in a while and Callihan did mix in some neat spots to not make it a detriment in his case as WOTY in my opinion.

[FLIK]

So we have three matches listed. Does three matches really make someone the worker of the year? Or are there others I should see?

Really liked the Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Masato Tanaka & Yujiro Takahashi vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, Tetsuya Naito & Tomoaki Honma 8 man tags. There was one on 2/5/2012 then a re-match on 3/10, the Feb match is especially good.

 

DEAN's had high praise for a # of other Okada matches in his 2012 MOTY thread if you search over on the DVD board.

 

Edit: Someone link me to that Tanahashi match

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xt4qzu_hi...da-c-njpw_sport

[Dylan Waco]

I will message Dean as that thread damn near crashes my comp at this point.

[soup23]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xt4qzu_hi...t?search_algo=2

[Coffey]

What do I need to see?

Literally his entire run. It's all a lot of fun & doesn't last that long, really. Several good-to-great matches, including my personal Match of the Year.

[rovert]

Callihan had a weird year this year due being courted by WWE and taking a lower profile. The WWE thing seemed to die on the vine as a result of all the personnel changes in Talent Relations. He is kinda BACK as of tonight working that EVOLVE/CZW double shot but unfortunately for Sami that goof Masada seems to have smashed up a number of Sami's teeth, broken a few ribs and gave him a concussion. The match itself was utter shit too.

[Tim Evans]

My wrestler of the year would probably be Tyson Kidd. The Hunico matches and the Mcgillicutty matches alone put him up the list for me. Realistically, It will probably be Okada or Tanahashi. Maybe Punk has a chance.

 

More people need to watch Ray Gonazlez down in Puerto Rico. His matches with Thunder and Lightning have been real good brawls like the ones Puerto Rico used to have.

[Johnny Sorrow]

I am obviously on a hiding to nothing debating this here.

Purple Hippo mushroom Ronco Oscar the Grouch this with Worf on a bagel.

[Matt D]

Oh god, I forgot Davey Richards won most outstanding last year.

[goc]

Dylan throw out some good Derrick King matches for us to watch.

[rzombie1988]

Most Outstanding Wrestler again is probably Okada. He really brought the goods this year.

 

Rookie of the year should go to Yuhi, but nobody watches joshi, so she's going to get cheated out of it.

[soup23]

has anymore matches besides the two zero ones of Yuhi showed up?

[rzombie1988]

has anymore matches besides the two zero ones of Yuhi showed up?

Not sure, but I also saw the Nanae Takahashi vs Yuhi match that may not have shown up yet and it was good too. She was better against Nanae than Meiko was.

[Dylan Waco]

I can't even think of any contenders for ROTY this year.

 

Derrick King matches:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCagk72y6m4

 

Nominating Derrick King/Frankie Tucker/Jerry Lawler v. Pokerface/LA Hustlers - MCW 3/2/12

 

Really awesome match enhanced a lot by the setting. This is the same place that ran Lawler v. Doug Gilbert last year, which looked to be really good though it was heavily clipped. This match had a cool vibe to it as it looked to be a totally packed crowd, presumably because they were working around a Pokerface retirement stip. Before the match even starts you know it's going to be a hell of a lot of fun as the LA Hustlers literally take some fan jawing with them ringside and physically place them in his seat. The match itself is very much a less is more match but it absolutely works. Everyone in this match throws some shotgun like punches. Lawler has an awesome entry as Pokerface attempts to sucker him with a kick to the gut and Jerry turns it around into a string of Kawada style kicks to his mid section. Lawler is really great hamming it up for the crowd throughout and really getting a kick out of his role as the hired hand brought in to put Pokerface in his place. King ends up as the FIP and takes some really good bumps, gets in some nice hope spots, et. His dropkick to set up the hot tag also looked great. Finishing sequence ends up in a bit of a brawl with Pokerface saving one of the Hustlers from a piledriver, only to take one himself losing the fall and his career in the process. Post-match the fans surround the ring, while Pokerface shakes hands with the babyfaces. Lawler tells him he understands if he wants to go back on his word and he doesn't have to leave the business, but he grabs the mic and says that as a man his word means everything, that was his last match, and if someone had to put him out the King was the one to do it. Really cool match that got you invested in the storyline they were working on top of being well executed.

 

Nominating Derrick King v. Maxx Corbin 4/27

 

 

King worked heel in this and naturally this was his best match of the year (at the time that I wrote this). Really fun stuff as it is home town hero v. dastardly heel in a Southern setting. King's over the top bumping on the front end is really great and you have ringside kids swarming him and mocking him throughout. Later when he's on offense he mocks them and nearly gets in a fight with one old lady after he tries to use anothers walker as a weapon. Hope spot on the floor with the post was good, you got lots of good punches and I liked the way they set up the finish.

 

Derrick King v. Frankie Tucker 5/?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvQAcmI8lVc...;feature=relmfu

 

I don't mind low key matches, but I really would have liked a little bit more meat to this. Having said that I enjoyed the shit talking, the dropkick spots were cool and man alive the punches. I am YES'ing this almost entirely because of those. These guys were decking each other with some Futen level shots at points. I fucking hated this ref and was openly hoping he got his ass kicked even more than he did so that was icing.

 

 

Derrick King v. Frankie Tucker 5/25

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEuXb_fDnWA&feature=plcp

 

I have a full review of this one:

 

Today my local record store got in both of the Youth Of Today LP's, so I listened to Break Down The Walls for the first time in about eight or nine years while watching this and I've gotta say watching two guys mill around in a seedy garage type setting, punching each other as hard as they can in the face was pretty much the perfect visual track to coincide with Ray Cappo shrieking in between a burst of blast beats and random break downs. Seriously this was a GREAT match. I knew it was going to be good the minute King took his nutty between the ropes bump off of the opening exchange and then Tucker walks right over to the camera and pops King right in the nose for all to see. This had the cool element of doubling as a tour of the awesomely Southern indy fed building they are running as we got to see the fridge, the bench seating, the concession area, and my favorite the podium underneath the American Flag where the ring announcer/timekeeper is stationed. Totally classic Southern wrestling dive. King making an early comeback by using a random fans boot and then later successfully using an old ladies walker as a weapon was great. I also thought the shitty condition of the door they used as a weapon was fucking awesome and fit the setting, with both guys taking convincing bumps into it. Teased podium piledriver was cool, though I do wish they had delivered something with it. I literally think the only non-punch/face smash in the match the was King's superkick which looked great and led to the surprisingly well done screwjob finish. Still with guys who punch this well, in this environment you don't want them doing anything other than decking the fuck out of each other. Nearly perfect match and a top ten contender for the year so far.

 

Jerry Lawler/Brian Christopher v. Precious/Derrick King WFW 6/2

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxp2imB-lXs

 

Phil likes this more than me, but that's not to say I don't like it. In fact I like it an awful lot. Really fun Southern tag match and we get King as a heel which is really the best King (though he's also very strong as a face).

 

Frankie Tucker/Golden Nugget v. Derrick King/Chief Hill 6/9

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6mhE6qZOl0&feature=plcp

 

I'm not in love with this match even though I do love your Southern staple of non-wrestler teaming with wrestler v non-wrestler teaming with wrestler so that the community kitchen can raise some extra coin. Still King was good here yet again and I think it is worth noting the difference between how he worked heel in the previous match and how he worked face here.

 

Stan Lee v. Derrick King 7/28

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFPnhm85bNs&feature=g-u-u

 

I really loved this match. It's not a tremendously great match by any means, but it is very good, stripped down match with a great performance from King against a limited opponent

 

There is more King out there, though several of the matches from earlier in the year had the "stalling" clipped out and had awful Nu Metal overlays. The matches all ranged from "fun" to "really fucking good" but both things were annoying.

[Chess Knight]

Goddamnit that first tag was taken down.