2017 MOTY Yes/No Thread

[joeg]

NOMINATING

Daisuke Sekimoto vs Hideki Suzuki BJW 3/5

Match starts of slow. The crowd starts off dead the way BJW crowds have been for the last few years. They build slowly and by half way through they turned a dead crowd rocking. They finish off throwing bombs with a lot of big nearfalls and a finish that left it open to a rematch.

[superkix]

YES to Sekimoto vs. Suzuki. I wrote about it here.

[Jmare007]

Hell YES to Sekimoto vs Suzuki.

 

I disagree about the crowd being dead. They were chanting for Suzuki from the get go and popped for real simple stuff like a reversal from a hammerlock. I was kind of surprised they didn't go apeshit, like Korakuen usually does, for the nearfalls at the end, it was like they knew it was gonna be a draw.

 

Anyways, I thought that match was a great way of having a long back and forth battle. The struggle for control in this was fucking awesome and I loved it, each guy had to either battle like crazy or outsmart the other to hit a big move or pull off a submission, even the reversals felt like a legit struggle to gain the upper hand instead of choreographed bullshit. Loved the little things they did, specially in the beginning, like Suzuki getting out of the test of strength, Sekimoto waiting for the right time to lock in the Boston Crab and how they avoided getting hit by the opponents big moves.

 

It's a long match and it's far from perfect so I'm sure a lot of people are not gonna like it. But that's not me, I completely bought into what they were doing and can't wait for the rematch and the end of this month.

[Jetlag]

Nominating:

 

Timothy Thatcher vs. Matt Riddle, wXw 3/11

 

Full review: http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/37567-timothy-thatcher-vs-matt-riddle-wxw-ambition-311/

 

I am no expert on current wrestling, but I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being my 2017 MOTY. This is for all you shootstyle loving weirdos. The matwork looked great and they built a really effective narrative. Riddle the modern MMA douche vs. Thatcher the carny Robinson-trained catch wrestler. Riddle's desperation knees on the ground are the greatest thing.

[GOTNW]

Nominating:

Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuyori Shibata (NJPW Sakura Genesis 4/9/)

[superkix]

Easy YES to Shibata/Okada. Wrote about it here.

[KawadaSmile]

YES to Shibata/Okada.

 

Shibata gives his all against the champion, makes him look like a bitch, but Okada's perseverance was even bigger than the challenger's anger and stiff shots.

[Coffey]

I'm saying YES to both Shibata/Okada & Suzuki/Okada.

 

That being said, I definitely have some gripes:

 

Firstly, it's hard for me to get into Okada. Mostly because he keeps working matches & going over wrestlers that I think are a lot better than him. Tanahashi, Suzuki, Naito, Shibata I would all easily have above him still, even if he's only 29-years-old. A lot of his offense, especially his strikes, are really weak looking. And he completely blows off a lot of required selling to get his shit in. Case in point, his match with Minoru.

 

Minoru kills Okada's leg... forever. Like, for so long it was overkill. And it didn't lead to a submission or even play into the finish. Okada still just hits his dropkicks and top rope bullshit and the Rainmaker. It kills the psychology of the match for me. It's one of the same criticisms that I always had about Shawn Michaels. Call it "fighting spirit" or adrenaline or whatever but it still makes a lot of the work of the match feel like it's pointless.

 

I feel like both matches (Shibata & Suzuki) were trying to get over the toughness of Okada but I don't necessarily know if either did that because it felt unbelievable when watching it. How long was Okada in the kneebar trying to get to the ropes in the Suzuki match? Or when he tried to go toe-to-toe with Shibata in striking exchanges, throwing out some bad forearms like a Rob Van Dam or Trish Stratus. He won both matches but I think Okada himself was the worst part in those matches. Like it made me want to see Shibata/Suzuki more than Okada have another match with someone else.

 

They're still both good matches and worthy of a yes but I'm giving the credit to Shibata and Minoru Suzuki, not to Okada. Regardless of how much Dave Meltzer tries to pimp Okada as the next coming of Ric Flair, I'm not seeing it. I see a lanky, awkward dude whose style is somewhat confusing. I guess his deal is the dude that won't quit because the title means everything to him. Minoru is 48, we know he can't be a top guy or around too much longer. Shibata is 37 & probably going to have a ton of brain trauma if he keeps doing those headbutts and shit. But I'm questioning why Okada was the new horse to back for them. But he keeps having good matches (where he's the weak link in the matches) so whatever. I think many of his matches would benefit from being 5-10 minutes shorter, for sure. At the end of the year, despite giving both a Yes, I know they won't be at the top for me already. I like Tanahashi/Naito better than both, in example.

 

Shibata & Suzuki themselves are both amazing in those matches by the way. The way Shibata took & didn't drop from the first Rainmaker was fucking gross!

[joeg]

YES to Okada vs Shibata.

 

Probably my MOTY (either this or Rush vs Park). I loved the story they told, I loved the level of violence. Shibata came out looking like a monster.

[SmartMark15]

So great to be back on a forum like this as these topics are so much fun!

 

Let's start with some YES votes:

 

Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuyori Shibata - NJPW 4/9

My current MOTY of 2017. I'm not a big Okada fan so my vote here is purely for the Shibata performance. But let's give Okada some credit, takes a lot of guts to take a beating like he did from Shibata. So many moments in this match that just stand out in the memory--the brutal headbutt, the high angle German, the glorious Rainmaker no-sell. This was a spectacle of brutality that'll be tough to top. *****

 

John Cena vs. AJ Styles - WWE 1/29

Yes, it's the death of the finisher as we know it. Yes, it's exaggerated and a little goofy. Yes, the nearfalls in the middle seem a bit superfluous. But I grew up watching WWE (as most of us did, I assume) so I'm a sucker for the current WWE main event style. John Cena really is the master of working this particular kind of main event in the company and his inevitable big time match vs. Roman Reigns will be a sight to behold. His facial expression before those brutal lariats really sold the seriousness of the match to me. AJ Styles continues to be fantastic at pretty much everything and he even looked great while taking a loss here. An iconic finish as well, one of the more clever variations on the AA I've ever seen. ****3/4

 

Pete Dunne vs. Mark Andrews - WWE 1/15

Probably the best match of the tournament just in terms of sheer pace and excitement. They kept moving and Dunne was able to keep up while still maintaining his stance as the bruiserweight in the tournament. Just a great exciting showcase for both guys. ***3/4

 

Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate - WWE 1/15

The culminating match of the tournament and it came together beautifully. Took two guys who I wasn't familiar with at all before and put together a classic simple ruthless heel vs. underdog babyface story. ***3/4

 

Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega - NJPW 1/4

I resent the six-star label but there's no denying this was a pretty damn enjoyable match. Moves at a brisk pace, has some spectacular spots (that Super Dragon Suplex and the table bump are ridiculous), and I liked how it protected Omega's finish. Also, I'm a sucker for the wrist-clutch spots. Probably my favorite thing that Okada does and I'm not even that big a fan of his. ****1/2

 

 

NO votes:

 

Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - WWE 1/28

Just generally boring. Roode as a worker does absolutely nothing for me. The finishing stretch was without a doubt great. It was nice to see Shinsuke compensating for months of no-selling his knee. But everything under that finish was unmemorable, awkward, and just boring. ***

 

 

NOMINATING:

 

#DIY vs. The Revival vs. Authors of Pain - WWE 4/1

Absolutely fantastic match that completely surpassed all my expectations for it. I had assumed that having the Authors of Pain (who I generally like more than most people) would significantly slow down the kind of action that #DIY and The Revival were used to delivering but this just came through absolutely fantastically. The necessity of the team up, the shared tag team finishes, even that timber table spot, it all made for what's currently neck-and-neck with Okada-Shibata as my 2017 MOTY.

Yes, I liked it that much. *****

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar - WWE 4/2

A showcase of what good booking can get you. Played off their past encounters perfectly and made for probably the most tense 4 minutes in recent WrestleMania history. A grand showcase of how less can truly be more. ****1/2

[KawadaSmile]

Oh, a big YES to DIY/Revival/AOP.

 

Authors of Pain being booked like legit monsters and DIY/Revival joining forces in order to take down the behemoths - and failing - was just great storytelling. Few teams are as smart as building fresh spots than those two, and AOP is shockingly great for the ammount of time they have.

[SmartMark15]

NOMINATING:

 

Trevor Lee vs. Chip Day - CWF Mid-Atlantic 3/25

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtAoeHVyutE&t=1299s

 

 

Talk about being just absolutely perfectly paced.

This is how you structure a wrestling match. You had that fun pretty good looking mat work to start off to show just how equal these two guys are against each other. Then you go into the wonderful shine with Chip Day just lighting up the champ and really putting him on the ropes. Lee's selling in this match was just so on point. He made everything Chip hit him with look absolutely amazing and the intensity with which he fought from underneath only served to make Day look even better as a credible champion. Then, just an absolute belter of a finishing stretch. A ridiculously compelling comeback followed by a brutal string of offense to put away the challenger. Perfect way to stoke the crowd into an absolute frenzy and end the match at exactly the right time.

5 stars? Maybe down the road. I'm still a little hesitant given the high watermarks of the weird (Revival-#DIY-AoP/Okada-Shibata) but, man, was this great.

****3/4 (pending review)

 

[joeg]

YES-

 

Lesnar vs Goldberg 4/2 Wrestlemaina.

 

After watching 6 hours of wrestling and not really caring for a single match, this hit the spot. It was short, violent, dramatic. The crowd was hot and it made up for a show that otherwise felt like the Bataan Death March.

 

NO-

 

DIY vs AOP vs Revival 4/1

 

I liked the story this match told of AOP being so dominant that the other two smaller teams had to team up. I like some of the over the top crazy as fuck spot. With that said I don't like tag matches where I can't keep up with who's the legal man (had to rewind everytime big spots broke out to figure that out). I also can't stand a match where somebody who's not the legal guy gets pinned (unless its part of an angle).

[Cap]

DIY vs AOP vs Revival - YES

Really strong work and well put together. They made the absolute most of what they had I think and the match really delivered on intensity, action, and storytelling.

 

Lesnar vs Goldberg - YES

I guess. It is a really great short match and it did what it was supposed to do.

 

Lee vs Day - YES

Emphatic yes! This is pretty easily my favorite match of the year so far. The last 15 minutes of that match are just fantastic.

[joeg]

YES-

 

Lee vs Day. Great finishing stretch. These guys beat the shit out of each other. Didn't love some of the early mat work, as it felt nonchalant, almost signally that they were going long. The closing stretch and comeback were great, lots of brutal looking strikes and exchanges

[SmartMark15]

NOMINATING:

 

Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns - WWE 4/30

 

Braun makes his offense look great and his intensity and facial expressions are always wonderful but this is the Roman Reigns show. The guy OWNS this match. Sold his ass off and put in a performance for a B pay-per-view that could be all time greats from other workers. The match is just smart. Roman fights from underneath, Braun SMASH. ***3/4

[KawadaSmile]

YES for Braun/Strowman. If only for that ridiculously good Roman performance, but Braun also deserves credit for looking like a proper beast. Just a great match between two guys that are the saving grace on a very weak main event scene.

[Jordan]

I'm gonna go YES as well for Strowman/Reigns. I think this blew away their first match which I liked too but Roman's selling performance was phenomenal. I also loved him straight punching Strowman in the face at the start to let you know how he felt about the beatdown a few weeks ago. I wish they had a better way to get Strowman of offense other than him just running into stuff but at his size it is a pretty amazing visual and he literally broke the LED light on one of the ringposts so I'll take it. Other people mentioned it but Roman's phantom kickout late was great as well and let you know it was basically over at that point. Great match.

[SmartMark15]

NOMINATING:

 

Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss - WWE 4/30

 

 

This was really great! If it weren't for Roman's beastly great performance in the main event, this would have been my favorite match of the night. Hot damn, Alexa Bliss has got to be one of the most improved workers of the past year. Not to mention that her character as a heel is absolutely on point. Great progression of the match. The sunset flip bomb was a great spot, the elbow looked fantastic, and the ringpost spot was creative and unexpected! Wonderful stuff here, glad to see Bliss go over like this.

***3/4

[Cap]

Braun vs Reigns - YES

 

That match over-delivered as far as I am concerned and it really was one of Reigns' best performances. Both guys stepped up and delivered in the main event.

[SmartMark15]

NOMINATING:

 

Kenny Omega vs. Tomihiro Ishii - NJPW 5/3

 

 

Really enjoyed this match! Ishii necking himself for the sake of the story of the match looked great (that DDT bump, ugh). Then you have Omega staying pretty cohesive with his attack on the neck which was nice to see. Worked at a nice pace that keeps things exciting and Ishii really did sell fantastically all throughout. While it seems over the top at times, I really do appreciate how Omega just throws himself into those knee strikes which is strange because the excellence of those strikes undermine some of his more up close strikes like his elbows. Still, great fun!

****1/4

[Jmare007]

NOMINATING:

 

Hideki Suzuki vs Yuji Okabayashi - BJW Endless Survivor 5/5/17

 

I really like this current Suzuki run against the Strong Heavyweight division. He brings a different dynamic to the matches and he's confident enough to look like a legit invader/ace. In this one he just obliterates Yuji's arm to limit his offense and it works. Okabayashi does a really good at selling - only 1 spot was iffy and it can be attributed to "fighting spirit" - it was like watching a wild beast trying to defeat a more intelligent opponent. Yokohama is tame as usual but I wasn't expecting anything different, the fact that they showed life for the last minutes shows the good job Hideki and Yuji did. The left plenty of room for a rematch so I hope we get to see it down the line. Now it's time for the young guns to step up to the plate, or at least that's what I hope, and that should be fun to watch.

[joeg]

NO- Omega vs Ishii 5/3

No. I never was really able to get into this. I'm just not an Omega person as so much of what he does seems over the top and cartoony. I may give it another try and change my mind.

 

YES - Suzuki vs Okayabashi 5/5

I love the old carny shooter vs strong man match up. Suzuki does some slick stuff and works over the arm which looks great. One thing I didn't like, there were times where Suzuki would have Okayabashi on the ropes, both literally and figuratively, and instead of doing something that looks like it hurt and could end a match he would do something soft and that looked pretty or he would just let Okayabashi out all together. It makes me think of Jim Cornette talking about Billy Robinson and Dynamite Kid. When he said that all the young kids today want to do the athletic pretty spots Robinson and Kid did but they don't put in the effort to make the spots look like they hurt so it looks overly coregraphed. Parts of Suzuki's work made me think of that.

[superkix]

YES to Okabayashi/Suzuki. Thoughts here.

 

 

[SmartMark15]

YES to:

 

Hideki Suzuki vs Yuji Okabayashi - BJW 5/5

 

Suzuki looked like a stoic ace destroying the fiery babyface coming at him. Okabayashi sold the arm beautiful and it played into every major transition in the whole match. Wonderful finishing stretch. ****