Shoe's ongoing MOTYC for 2016

[Dylan Waco]

Can't wait for your thoughts on Supercard of Honor night 1. I think Rush v Lethal will make your list, maybe others

[Dylan Waco]

4/2/16 Evolve Ricochet vs Will Ospreay 4 3/4*

 

I didn't give this enough credit live. We got some real cool reversals and mirror spots early. So many hot moves. Though what made the match special was Ricochet. He did a great job of going after Ospreay's neck . That is what seperates it from just any other spotfest. Even the finish played into the neck work. At times the match got a little cute, but it worked for the crowd.

 

I have become far more tolerant of this style of match over the last year to 18 months, but man do I think this is a crazy high rating. I enjoy Ricochet and Ospreay for what they are, but this felt really jokey at times, and for matches all about spot running I don't see how it could be considered in the same league as Lee v. Kamataichi. Good for what it was I suppose, but it never really grabbed me and I thought there were a couple match on that show that were pretty easily better, including Hero v. Yehi which I think is being really undersold.

[shoe]

 

 

4/2/16 Evolve Ricochet vs Will Ospreay 4 3/4*

 

I didn't give this enough credit live. We got some real cool reversals and mirror spots early. So many hot moves. Though what made the match special was Ricochet. He did a great job of going after Ospreay's neck . That is what seperates it from just any other spotfest. Even the finish played into the neck work. At times the match got a little cute, but it worked for the crowd.

I have become far more tolerant of this style of match over the last year to 18 months, but man do I think this is a crazy high rating. I enjoy Ricochet and Ospreay for what they are, but this felt really jokey at times, and for matches all about spot running I don't see how it could be considered in the same league as Lee v. Kamataichi. Good for what it was I suppose, but it never really grabbed me and I thought there were a couple match on that show that were pretty easily better, including Hero v. Yehi which I think is being really undersold.

That's cool and live it didn't grab me. On rewatch I was shocked how much I liked It. For me it was Ricochet's work on the neck and how it played into the finish. It's what separated for me in the end.

[shoe]

4/1/16 ROH Matt Sydal vs Kyle O'Reilly 4 1/4*

 

This was a real good match. Sure we got some highspots, what made this work was slowing it down a tad so all the submission and dueling limb work got over. Sydal would focus on the leg, While O'Reilly targeted the arm. I loved how O'Reilly would go for different arm submissions. Each one was specific in building the drama. I loved the final one because it reeked of desperation.

[shoe]

4/10/16 NJPW Kushida vs Will Ospreay 4 1/2*

 

This was the best match at Invasion Attack. I loved the story of Kushida going after Ospreay's arm. Kushida was on point attacking the arm. He bent it in ways that isn't natural. He kept trying ways to get back on the arm till eventually he got the Hover Board Lock. Now this is the Will Ospreay that I've been waiting for. He showed off his charisma, his aerial moves, and finally he sold the arm. He even did spots that I've suggested on my podcast This Week In Wrestling . Their were some small hiccups, but tjis was the best I've seen Ospreay sell a limb. He even started using a more kick based offense.

[Dylan Waco]

I know he didn't include them here, but interested on your thoughts on Moose v. Roddy and Rush v. Lethal from Supercard of Honor Night 1. I thought both were clearly better than Sydal v. O'Reilly, though I think my brother(s?) disagree with me. Maybe?

[Luchaundead]

I know he didn't include them here, but interested on your thoughts on Moose v. Roddy and Rush v. Lethal from Supercard of Honor Night 1. I thought both were clearly better than Sydal v. O'Reilly, though I think my brother(s?) disagree with me. Maybe?

 

Agreed I'm actually very excited I will get to hear the rest of Pete's thoughts on Super Card of Honor before anyone else. As I actually see all 4 of the opening matches (scramble being lowest) at about the same level.

[shoe]

I know he didn't include them here, but interested on your thoughts on Moose v. Roddy and Rush v. Lethal from Supercard of Honor Night 1. I thought both were clearly better than Sydal v. O'Reilly, though I think my brother(s?) disagree with me. Maybe?

 

 

I had every match on the card over 3 1/4*. I had 2 matches at 4*, and 4 1/4* as my favorite.

 

Moose vs Roddy was so smartly worked. Roddy was a really good heel here. He brought the intensity. When he would try something fancy like the sliding dropkick Moose would turn the table and smash him into the guardrail. This was laid out real well. Roddy trolling the fans with fake high fives. We got to see Moose work underneath, and his selling was good. They timed his comebacks real well, plus highlighted his big spots. 4*

 

Now with Lethal vs Rush this was damn good too. They have something with Rush. He has an Amazing Red quality. I liked this a lot. Lethal was a dick at times in the match. I just felt he needed to turn the dial up . Lethal does the Flair touring champ gimmick, but just needed to turn dial up a little more in the dick head scale to put the match over the top. I dug Rush's last minute comeback. Ultimately, it falls a little short because Lethal isn't intense enough throughout, lack of being a Dick, and Lethal's offense being a little too cute. If Rush worked Roddy I bet that match would've hit the motyc range. This one missed the mark. 3 3/4*

[Dylan Waco]

I could buy that rating for Rush v. Lethal. In real time I thought both of those matches were just a hair below MOTYC level which seems to be your view too. That said, the more I thought about Rush v. Lethal the more I liked it at least in the sense of the story told. I do agree that Strong v. Rush would have been epic, but I think Rush v. Lethal would make my MOTYC list if I was the type to do those.

 

What was the other 4 star match on the show? Cole v. ACH?

[shoe]

I liked Daniels/Fish.

[shoe]

Cole/ACH by looking at it was a match that comes across so much better live because of all the crowd interaction spots, and how much they played to the crowd.

[Dylan Waco]

Yeah that's fair. I've seen some other reviewers who were down on it, not so much in that they thought it was bad but that they didn't love it.

 

I liked Daniels v. Fish a lot, but don't think I'd go four stars on it.

 

Glad you were high on the show though. Definitely one of the better top to bottom shows this year.

[Luchaundead]

There was a good match hidden inside of ACH v Cole but they padded it with too much stalling and shtick for me to ever really get fully invested, that said it was still the closest thing to a bad match on the card and it was still very good to great.

[soup23]

Did you ever catch Evolve 57 with Riddle vs. Hero and Sabre vs. Gulak?

[shoe]

I have it. I just haven't watched it.

[soup23]

I take any small victory these days when there is a show I have seen that Pete hasn't.

[Childs]

Would you guys be interested in reading a feature story on Rush? Thinking about pitching one, given that he's local.

[Luchaundead]

Would you guys be interested in reading a feature story on Rush? Thinking about pitching one, given that he's local.

Yes I'd love that I though the mini doc they did on him was really good but a little shallow I'd really like something that went a bit deeper.

[Dylan Waco]

Would really enjoy that Childs

[shoe]

Would you guys be interested in reading a feature story on Rush? Thinking about pitching one, given that he's local.

For sure.

[shoe]

4/27/16 LU Rey Misterio/Dragon Azteca jr./Puma vs Fenix/PJ Black/Jack Evans vs SOH/Evealise vs Joey Ryan/Cisco/Cortez 4 1/4*

 

As spot fests go this was pretty high end. So many big time spots. It's clear most of the matches that have resonated with me have been spot fests. I need some more meat and potatoes matches. Still this was balls to the wall. I thought Cisco and Cortez were great at working as a team, and giving the match structure which can be forgotten with all the amazing spots. These guys got 25 minutes and it could have easily gone another 5-8 minutes.

[shoe]

4/23/16 ROH Lethal vs Strong vs ACH vs O'Reilly vs Moose vs Jay Briscoe 4 1/4*

I was at this match live and thought it was a MOTYC , so I rewatched it on tape and it held up. I really thought it was smartly worked where it started out and then built into this super hot match. I thought ACH was the MVP of the match. He had a really strong point of essentially being the FIP. Then on the flip side his offense was spectacular. You had Lethal and Strong as the heels being opportunists and leaching off other people's work. Moose being this dominant force. O'Reilly highlighting his skill set. Of course Jay Briscoe is da man. The match just was a melting pot of awesomeness.

[shoe]

5/1/16 WWE Roman Reigns vs AJ Styles 4 1/2*

 

What can I say. Even with the McMahons and some overbooking. These guys overcame it and had a kick ass match. i knew Reigns was going over, but man was I buying all those near falls. Reigns selling of the leg was spot on. Reigns selling of AJ's big strikes was great. Both guys offense was super credible. We had some really great dives that meant something. Even the base of the match with AJ's leg kicks and the Calf Crusher set up a lot. AJ eating of all of Reign's offense was great. Man they built and built, and milked every ounce of drama down the stretch.

[Eegah]

5/1/16 WWE Roman Reigns vs AJ Styles 4 1/2*

 

What can I say. Even with the McMahons and some overbooking. These guys overcame it and had a kick ass match. i knew Reigns was going over, but man was I buying all those near falls. Reigns selling of the leg was spot on. Reigns selling of AJ's big strikes was great. Both guys offense was super credible. We had some really great dives that meant something. Even the base of the match with AJ's leg kicks and the Calf Crusher set up a lot. AJ eating of all of Reign's offense was great. Man they built and built, and milked every ounce of drama down the stretch.

It was really great, we could be in line for a classic at Extreme Rules. Fingers crossed.

[shoe]

 

5/1/16 WWE Roman Reigns vs AJ Styles 4 1/2*

 

What can I say. Even with the McMahons and some overbooking. These guys overcame it and had a kick ass match. i knew Reigns was going over, but man was I buying all those near falls. Reigns selling of the leg was spot on. Reigns selling of AJ's big strikes was great. Both guys offense was super credible. We had some really great dives that meant something. Even the base of the match with AJ's leg kicks and the Calf Crusher set up a lot. AJ eating of all of Reign's offense was great. Man they built and built, and milked every ounce of drama down the stretch.

It was really great, we could be in line for a classic at Extreme Rules. Fingers crossed.

I totally agree. The chemistry is there.