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WOTYs by year


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A topic that I thought would complement the MOTYs by year thread well.

 

1983 - Terry Funk

1984 - El Satanico

1985 - Chigusa Nagayo

1986 - Tatsumi Fujinami

1987 - Tatsumi Fujinami

1988 - Genichiro Tenryu

1989 - Ric Flair (insanely competitive year: Fujiwara, Satanico, Tenryu, Jumbo all up there)

1990 - El Dandy (Fujiwara would have won it in almost any other year)

1991 - Jumbo Tsuruta

1992 - Jushin Liger

1993 - Akira Hokuto

1994 - Aja Kong

1995 - Mitsuharu Misawa

1996 - Volk Han (Ohtani is close)

1997 - Kiyoshi Tamura

1998 - Koji Kanemoto

1999 - Mariko Yoshida

2000 - Shinya Hashimoto

2001 - Steve Austin

2002 - Genichiro Tenryu

2003 - Kenta Kobashi

2004 - Eddie Guerrero

2005 - Samoa Joe

2006 - Bryan Danielson

2007 - Bryan Danielson

2008 - Yuki Ishikawa

2009 - Rey Mysterio Jr.

2010 - Daisuke Ikeda

2011 - Dick Togo

2012 - Negro Casas

2013 - William Regal

2014 - AJ Styles

2015 - Sasha Banks

2016 - Black Terry

2017 - Kazuchika Okada

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1974 - Jack Brisco

1975 - Dory Funk Jr

1976 - Billy Robinson

1977 - Billy Robinson

1978 - Terry Funk

1979 - Pat Patterson

1980 - Ric Flair

1981 - Bob Backlund

1982 - Harley Race

1983 - Nick Bockwinkel

1984 - Tatsumi Fujinami

1985 - Ric Flair

1986 - Ric Flair

1987 - Ric Flair

1988 - Ric Flair

1989 - Ric Flair

1990 - Jumbo Tsuruta

1991 - Jumbo Tsuruta

1992 - Jumbo Tsuruta

1993 - Stan Hansen

1994 - Misawa

1995 - Misawa

1996 - Misawa

1997 - Misawa

1998 - Kobashi

1999 - Kobashi

2000 - Kobashi

2001 - Kobashi

2002 - Kobashi

2003 - Kobashi

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2000 - ?

 

I'm sure some folks from the PWO2K project have some thoughts on this and I'd be interested to see what they come up with. Some decent "usual suspects" candidates like Misawa, Akiyama or Kawada. But I'm sure there are going to be some candidates from CMLL (Satanico, Atlantis, Villano?), BattlARTS (Usual Suspects) and maybe elsewhere? Tajiri? Who else? I know there are some Steve Corino matches I really like from 2000.

 

No one say HHH :)

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Through September my short list includes Villano III, Akiyama, Kobashi, Benoit and...... HHH. Tajiri has been excellent and will be an easy top 10-20 worker for the year but I don't think he has been as varied in his performances as HHH. HHH went from cowardly heel to tough guy in the Foley series, worked a more Ric Flair heel persona vs Rock, has had a great intervweaving feud vs Jericho throughout the year that helped make Jericho credible and then has the Angle stuff that is one of the best angles WWF has done up to Unforgiven. It may not be a popular choice around here but HHH's 2000 absolutely has held up for me as a wonderful year for a performer I at points loathe after this year.

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Kawada is probably the boring pick, but I would've said it was him even before PWO2K and his case has only been bolstered since. Who's second that year is the interesting question to me at this point. Tajiri was unbelievable as this wild little crackpot kicking guys to death and skimming chairs across tables with no regard for spectators' safety, so if nothing else he's my US WOTY. I'm working my way through 2000 so slowly I'm almost going backwards, but from Mexico I think Satanico had been amazing and I haven't even seen the Tarzan Boy cage match yet. Haven't really dived too deeply into the Battlarts yet either, but Ishikawa looks as good as he ever has and Ono feels like a left field pick on the surface, but then you watch him absolutely slaughter folks in ten minute massacres and it's like, why was this guy not the biggest star in Japan?

 

I'll come up with a proper list later. Takeshi Ono - biggest star in Japan - will be there for at least one of the years.

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1980 - Probably Buddy Rose based on what I have seen


1981 - Bob Backlund


1982 - unsure


1983 - Terry Funk


1984 - El Satanico


1985 - RIc Flair


1986 - Ric Flair


1987 - Ric Flair


1988 - Jumbo Tsuruta


1989 - Ric Flair


1990 - El Dandy


1991 - Jumbo Tsuruta


1992 - Jushin Liger


1993 - Kenta Kobashi


1994 - Aja Kong


1995 - Mitsuharu Misawa


1996 - Mitsuharu Misawa


1997 - Kiyoshi Tamura


1998 - Kenta Kobashi


1999 - Kiyoshi Tamura


2000 - Villano III if year ended today


2001 - Low Ki would be my choice for right now


2002 - Bryan Danielson


2003 - Kenta Kobashi


2004 - Jun Akiyama


2005 - Samoa Joe


2006 - Bryan Danielson


2007 - Bryan Danielson


2008 - fuzzy here


2009 - fuzzy here


2010 - fuzzy here


2011 - Dick Togo


2012 - Negro Casas


2013 - Daniel Bryan


2014 - Cesaro


2015 - AJ Styles


2016 - Chris Hero


2017 (so far) - Kazuchika Okada


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What are these other jobbers putting up against this?

 

Kenta Kobashi vs. Vader (2/27/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (4/11/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Takao Omori (4/15/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (5/26/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (6/8/00)

Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Jun Akiyama & Yoshihiro Takayama (9/16/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (12/23/00)

 

If someone like Bret Hart had had a single year with even half of those matches wed never hear the end of it.

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Kawada has that dream match against Sasaki in the dome and an MOTDC against Tenryu. Also an excellent underrated match against good old Fuchi and that yuuge interpromotional tag against Nagata and Iizuka in December. Not the best year for the black and yellow destroyer but I'll take it over Kobashi and Akiyama trying to figure out how to work in a green ring.

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I actually thought the Sasaki and Tenryu matches were pretty awful the last time I watched them. "I'll stand here and let you hit me and then you stand there and let me hit you" wrestling will never appeal to me on any level. I do really like the tag match at the first post-split Budokan show, though.

 

Overall, I'd give the nod to Akiyama in 2000 on the strength of the Misawa and Vader matches. Kobashi is up there as well, but his best match that year was against Akiyama.

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What are these other jobbers putting up against this?

 

Kenta Kobashi vs. Vader (2/27/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (4/11/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Takao Omori (4/15/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (5/26/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (6/8/00)

Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Jun Akiyama & Yoshihiro Takayama (9/16/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (12/23/00)

 

If someone like Bret Hart had had a single year with even half of those matches wed never hear the end of it.

Akiyama has the Misawa & Kobashi matches headlining his resume, but I'm not sure I can make a case for him bumping Kobashi here, especially given that he's got my runaway MOTY for 2000.

 

2016 is a slam dunk for AJ. Best calendar year in the US since Flair in 89. AJ should probably win 2014 & 15 and 2009.

 

Very much agree on AJ's 2016. Just out of this world and a legit all time year. Would have to look things over, but you don't think Danielson's run in '06 rises to that level? Its the only other year that came to mind on the domestic side, but haven't looked back at the lists for a close comparison.

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What are these other jobbers putting up against this?

 

Kenta Kobashi vs. Vader (2/27/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (4/11/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Takao Omori (4/15/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (5/26/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (6/8/00)

Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Jun Akiyama & Yoshihiro Takayama (9/16/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (12/23/00)

 

If someone like Bret Hart had had a single year with even half of those matches wed never hear the end of it.

Akiyama has the Misawa & Kobashi matches headlining his resume, but I'm not sure I can make a case for him bumping Kobashi here, especially given that he's got my runaway MOTY for 2000.

2016 is a slam dunk for AJ. Best calendar year in the US since Flair in 89. AJ should probably win 2014 & 15 and 2009.

Very much agree on AJ's 2016. Just out of this world and a legit all time year. Would have to look things over, but you don't think Danielson's run in '06 rises to that level? Its the only other year that came to mind on the domestic side, but haven't looked back at the lists for a close comparison.

My ROH watching is very sketchy admittedly. Within American wrestling that's my biggest blindspot.

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What are these other jobbers putting up against this?

 

Kenta Kobashi vs. Vader (2/27/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (4/11/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Takao Omori (4/15/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (5/26/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (6/8/00)

Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Jun Akiyama & Yoshihiro Takayama (9/16/00)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (12/23/00)

 

If someone like Bret Hart had had a single year with even half of those matches wed never hear the end of it.

Akiyama has the Misawa & Kobashi matches headlining his resume, but I'm not sure I can make a case for him bumping Kobashi here, especially given that he's got my runaway MOTY for 2000.

2016 is a slam dunk for AJ. Best calendar year in the US since Flair in 89. AJ should probably win 2014 & 15 and 2009.

Very much agree on AJ's 2016. Just out of this world and a legit all time year. Would have to look things over, but you don't think Danielson's run in '06 rises to that level? Its the only other year that came to mind on the domestic side, but haven't looked back at the lists for a close comparison.

My ROH watching is very sketchy admittedly. Within American wrestling that's my biggest blindspot.

 

 

its more than worth going back with a particular focus, whether Danielson, AJ, Joe, or even more broadly the promotion's best matches over the years.

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Akiyama has better matches with Misawa and Vader than Kobashi in 2000. More variety in shifting to a heel persona in NOAH too. Kobashi may get nod over him just on strength of Takayama match and the Johnny Smith match which I loved but its close between the two.

Any shot for Villano III?

 

 

Akiyama, Kobashi and Kawada have a shot at the #1 slot. All three pay an integral role in the final portion of the year and have marquee matches to help build their case.

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2013 is an interesting pick. From memory Regal only had two matches (both great) but I'd be interested to know why you held him so highly, when I'd give that year to his opponent Cesaro pretty easily.

 

Yeah I just gave it to Regal on the strength of the Ohno and Cesaro matches and his individual performances. A usual suspect pick like Casas or Bryan should probably take it but I have some viewing gaps.

 

 

 

For 2000 I had created an ongoing 2000 WOTY thread. My current contenders for #1 are Hashimoto, Ishikawa, Satanico, Aja, Akiyama and Kobashi.

 

I actually thought the Sasaki and Tenryu matches were pretty awful the last time I watched them. "I'll stand here and let you hit me and then you stand there and let me hit you" wrestling will never appeal to me on any level. I do really like the tag match at the first post-split Budokan show, though.

 

 

I thought the Tenryu match was really good but I'll agree the Sasaki match was quite terrible.

 

 

2016 is a slam dunk for AJ. Best calendar year in the US since Flair in 89. AJ should probably win 2014 & 15 and 2009.

 

Very much agree on AJ's 2016. Just out of this world and a legit all time year. Would have to look things over, but you don't think Danielson's run in '06 rises to that level? Its the only other year that came to mind on the domestic side, but haven't looked back at the lists for a close comparison.

 

 

I'd say, stateside, Austin 2001, Joe 2005 and Danielson 2006 are much better than Styles 2016.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Work in progress here:

 

1986: Stan Hansen

1987:

1988: Stan Hansen

1989: Ric Flair

1990: Jumbo Tsuruta

1991:

1992:

1993:

1994: Mitsuharu Misawa

1995: Mitsuharu Misawa

1996: Mitsuharu Misawa

1997:

1998: Kenta Kobashi

1999:

2000: Kenta Kobashi

2001:

2002:

2003:

2004: Kenta Kobashi

2005: A.J. Styles

2006: Bryan Danielson

2007: John Cena

2008: Bryan Danielson

2009: Rey Mysterio

2010:

2011:

2012:

2013: Daniel Bryan

2014: A.J. Styles

2015: A.J. Styles

2016: A.J. Styles

2017 (so far): Kenny Omega

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  • 3 months later...

My list

 

84 Fujiwara

85 Nagayao

86 Choshu

87 Dump

88 Takada

89 Flair

90 Jumbo

91 Maeda

92 Misawa

93 Han

94 Yamamoto

95 Kawada

96 Toyota

97 Kaoru

98 Tamura

99 Ishikawa /Ito

'00 Atlantis

'01 Tenryu

'02 Virus

'03 Kobashi

'04 Kobashi

'05 KENTA

'06 Dragon

'07 Dragon

'08 Nigel

09' Tamura

'10 Black Terry

11 Fujimoto

12 Kana

13 Ohata

'14 Miyahara

15 Miyahara

'16 Nakajima

17 Fujiwara

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