MOTYs by year

[Edwin]

My list is more so my favorite matches from each year than what should be considered MOTY.

Spoiler

1980: Bob Backlund vs. Ken Patera [Texas Death Match] (WWF, 5/19)
1981: Jerry Lawler vs. Terry Funk [Empty Arena Match] (CWA, 4/6)
1982: Stan Hansen vs. Terry Funk (AJPW, 9/11)
1983: Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine [Dog Collar Match] (NWA, 11/24)
1984: Terry Gordy vs. Killer Khan [Texas Death Match] (WCCW, 11/22)
1985: Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum TA [I Quit Steel Cage Match] (NWA, 11/28)
1986: UWF vs. NJPW [Gauntlet Match] (NJPW, 5/1)
1987: Carlos Colón vs. Stan Hansen [Texas Bullrope Match] (WWC, 1/6)
1988: Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy vs. Genichiro Tenryu & Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 12/16)
1989: Masakatsu Funaki vs. Tatsuo Nakano (UWF, 7/24)

1990: Atsushi Onita & Tarzan Goto vs. Masanobu Kurisu & Dragon Master [Texas Street Fight] (FMW, 4/1)
1991: El Hijo del Santo vs. Brazo de Oro [Lucha de Apuestas] (UWA, 1/13)
1992: Sting's Squadron vs. The Dangerous Alliance [WarGames Match] (WCW, 5/17)
1993: Vader vs. Cactus Jack [Texas Death Match] (WCW, 10/24)
1994: El Hijo del Santo & Octagón vs. La Pareja del Terror [Lucha de Apuestas] (AAA/IWC, 11/6)
1995: Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog (WWF, 12/17)
1996: El Hijo del Santo vs. Negro Casas vs. El Dandy [Triangular de la Muerte] (CMLL, 12/6)
1997: Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin [No Holds Barred Submission Match] (WWF, 3/23)
1998: Yuki Ishikawa vs. Alexander Otsuka (Battlarts, 1/20)
1999: Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Yoshihisa Yamamoto (RINGS, 6/24)

2000: Atlantis vs. Villano III [Lucha de Apuestas] (CMLL, 3/17)
2001: LA Park vs. El Hijo del Santo (Monterrey, 12/23)
2002: Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker [Hell in a Cell Match] (WWE, 10/20)
2003: Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (U-STYLE, 4/6)
2004: Eddie Guerrero vs. John Layfield (WWE, 5/16)
2005: Samoa Joe vs. Necro Butcher (IWA-MS, 6/11)
2006: ROH vs. CZW [Cage of Death Match] (ROH, 7/15)
2007: John Cena vs. Umaga [Last Man Standing Match] (WWE, 1/28)
2008: Bryan Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima [Fight Without Honor] (ROH, 12/27)
2009: Team Uppercut vs. The Masters of a 1000 Holds (CHIKARA, 3/28)

2010: Minowaman vs. Necro Butcher (IGF, 2/22)
2011: Yuki Ishikawa vs. Daisuke Ikeda (Battlarts, 11/5)
2012: John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar [Extreme Rules Match] (WWE, 4/29)
2013: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Katsuyori Shibata (NJPW, 8/4)
2014: Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H (WWE, 4/6)
2015: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins [Triple Threat Match] (WWE, 3/29)
2016: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn (WWE, 4/1)
2017: Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles (WWE, 11/19)
2018: Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan (WWE, 11/18)
2019: Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston (WWE, 4/7)

2020: Daisuke Ikeda vs. Yuki Ishikawa (wXw, 3/7)
2021: Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (WWE, 3/1)

 

[NintendoLogic]

Made my first #1 pick for 2021.

[NintendoLogic]

Top three for 2021 so far is up.

I have to say, I've been quite pleased with the match quality so far this year. A little more than a quarter of the way in, there have already been three matches I would rate above my MOTY selections for 2018, 2019, or 2020.