2026 Nomination Thread

[SegundaCuerda]

Daizee Haze

I'm a little bit surprised to see Lacey nominated and not Daizee, as I find them similar in talent and cataloge of matches. Very smart worker, great grappling and the perfect oponent for the top women of SHIMMER. Also really liked her work in ROH in the Embassy and her matches there in a more exhibition/TV format.

Matches:
vs Lacey SHIMMER Vol. 1
w/Amazing Kong vs Lacey & Sara Del Rey, ROH Man Up 2007
vs Sara Del Rey 2 out of 3 falls 8/5/07 CHIKARA 
vs Ayumi Kurihara SHIMMER Vol. 32
 

[SegundaCuerda]

Antonio Honda

My favourite comedy wrestler ever but also a really amazing worker when had to work serious matches. It's fascinating to me that his comedy is very laughable even if I don't understand one single word in Japanese, and that humorus style makes his serious matches to feel epic and special.

Matches:
vs Dick Togo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRml6LaLut0
vs Danshoku Dino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLo-SzR5_y0
vs Shuji Ishikawa https://youtu.be/EUUAmTCQHrE?t=3833

[SegundaCuerda]

Alexander Navieb

I've seen a lot of deathmatch, really crazy spots and gnarly moments but there's no wrestler that frightens me more than the things this guy does in the ring, of in his backyard, whatever, these russian deathmatch stuff are freaking nuts and I think deserves a nomination

vs “Die Young” Sanchez, Slavic Hospital Death Brawl
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27Vy_hQe6Mc

vs The Moth, Soviet Tubes Deathmatch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpgeuopWcBE

w/Alexey Khytrikh vs The Moth & Lankharn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLGZ4tgD_gs

[alt]

Suicide (Frankie Kazarian) 

Albert Camus wrote, "There is but one true philosophical problem, and that is (TNA wrestler) Suicide." 

This is a selection I want to put in as representative of the late 2000's TNA X-Division. Kazarian has a long career where he is second fiddle to Christopher Daniels and not many stand out performances until he becomes the Suicide gimmick. I'm sure plenty of people who grew up around this time are fond of this character as well. The Bound For Glory 2009 Ultimate X was one of the first matches I ever viewed on YouTube. Kazarian has spoken publicly about despising everything about this run. Everything about his presentation is absolutely silly and ridiculous.  Many of his matches involve wandering aimlessly, doing the gun-pointed-to-head taunt, and then a funny reckless spot. He is 2009 personified, you watch Suicide and an Affliction shirt and Monster Energy appear on your person. His X-Division power level is so high at one point the entire division is against this masked man who has seemingly solved the style. I have watched others attempt the Suicide gimmick but Kazarian is easily the best one and is a decent candidate for a lower-half of the list childhood nostalgia pick. Also, FWIW maybe my favorite wrestler to watch in a group. 

vs. D'Angelo Dinero, Falls Count Anywhere (TNA No Surrender 09.20.2009) 

vs. Daniels, (TNA Sacrifice 05.24.2009) (43:00 into video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxftOsEzv6M

vs. The Amazing Red, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Daniels, Homicide, Ultimate X Match, (TNA Bound for Glory 10.18.2009) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOqpEbdDjd8 

 

 

 

 

[rhutton]

Hana Kimura

Hana is often remembered (and sometimes exploited) for her tragic death, but I think it's worth celebrating what a natural and charismatic wrestler she was. Her Oedo Tai tag team with Kagetsu was one of the highlights of 2010s STARDOM. Her hard-hitting feud with Giulia pre-COVID also helped establish the style that would lead STARDOM to big success in the following decade, and I have no doubt she would have been a huge star in modern wrestling.

Matches:

vs. Giulia - STARDOM, 12/24/2019 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS4iJiDkTjs

w/Kagetsu vs. HZK & Momo Watanabe, 01/05/2018

 

vs. ASUKA - 09/02/2018

vs. Kagetsu - 09/10/2017

[Grimmas]

Get your nominees in before the weekend!

[Jetlag]

Ran Yu Yu / Tomoko Miyaguchi

Previously I would've thought Ran Yu Yu never quite fulfilled her potential. But now? Fuck that, Ran Yu Yu fucking rules. Considering what she had to work with, she has so many hits under her belt it's honestly kind of staggering. Watching her is pretty much a guarantee to come across some hidden gems, whether in GAEA, JWP or anywhere else. While her career seemingly dipped a bit after her prime from around 1999-2005, she's still good-really good-great up to her final matches around 2012. Awesome wrestler with really stylish, graceful offense, has a knack for making basic things like an elbow feel epic, in a lot of great matches that she played no small role in. Absolutely one of my favourite women wrestlers ever and someone who deserves a deep dive. And now with GAEAism making so much of her stuff available and other previously more obscure things like JWP footage seeping out it's a good time as any.

Recommended matches:

vs Command Bolshoi, JWP 3/3/2006

vs Meiko Satomura, GAEA 9/15/2003

vs. Misae Genki, JWP 12/9/2001

Oga Nozaki / Michinori Nozaki

Cool worker whose elusive career I am just starting to discover. He has a unique vibe, like he is more inspired by 90s NJPW than the typical Kings Road stuff, building his matches around a handful of signatures and making basic things like a stomp look meaningful, and oozing aura. I care more about his jumping enzuigiris than I can say for another post-2000s worker. He also has an array of cool unique submissions. He was on top of JWA Tokai for a really long time and from what I can tell he's done an honorable job carrying the main events against a variety of opponents ranging from the respectable to the completely sleazy. It's regrettable he rarely dipped outside that scene though when he did it was usually good. The 60 minute match he had with Hakaru is really special. As far as I can tell he also had unique talent in his early days before he developed the Oga Nozaki persona, focussing on a more basic but highly efficient and memorable approach to pro wrestling, getting more mileage out of something like a side headlock than most wrestlers.

Recommended Matches:

vs Hakaru, Jishindan 3/8/2015

w Hiroshi Toyoda vs Cosmo Soldier & Hakaru, KAGEKI 7/20/2014

w Hiroshi Toyoda vs Cosmo Soldier & Chojin Yusha G Valion, JWA Tokai 6/18/2017

[Matt D]

Pierre Bernaert

One of the best, most workmanlike bad guys in the French Catch footage. We have around 25 matches with him spanning the 50s to the 70s, both singles and his odd couple pairing with Cheri Bibi. He's not an over the top character like Duranton or Bollet/Delaporte and he's not as stylized as guys like Peruano, but he's just incredibly solid in his role. He could stooge, lean on someone, feed, be serious or comedic, give and take. Just a great jerk.

Matches: 
Cheri Bibi/Pierre Bernaert vs. Ami Sola/Jo Labat 9/6/59 (SC review: https://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2020/09/tuesday-is-french-catch-day-bibi.html)
Pierre Bernaert vs. Laurent Dauthuille 6/26/57 (SC review: https://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2020/04/tuesday-is-french-catch-day-andre-rapp.html)
Billy Catanzaro/Pierre Bernaert vs. Mr. Montreal/Vasilios Mantopolous 6/5/72 https://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2022/05/tuesday-is-french-catch-day-catanzaro.html