Well, this is a bit of a difference from last year, when you had the ROH stuff, Daniels/Styles/Joe and Michaels/Angle.
I haven't seen much of ROH this year and from what I hear, Danielson/McGuinness and Danielson/KENTA was supposed to be great. I saw some of the Dragon's Gate match and that looked to be VERY good. TNA and WWE were pretty underwhelming match wise. To be honest, the best match I saw all year between the 2 feds was probably Styles and Daniels vs. AMW.
So what's the match of the year?
Kevin Kelly: "Mr. Austin, would you like to comment on Wade Keller's Take that endorsing the XFL hurts your anti-authority character?"
Steve Austin: "Oh shit, he actually said that? I thought the boys in the back were ribbing me!"
Kelly: "No, he really said that. Did they tell you the part about you sitting in the stands, looking all skeptical?"
Austin: "AHAHAHAHAHAHA. Yeah... oh man that was too much."
I would say that Do Fixer vs Blood Generation from ROH's Supercard of Honor from 03/31 in Chicago is the best. It's a great example of what a scramble match should be. Namely no staged spots where the wrestlers stand outside the ring waiting to get hit. But I can't rate it my favorite since I wasn't there live...
However, my favorite match of the year is Blood Generation vs Generation Next from Dragon Gate Challenge because I saw it live in Detroit. Honorable mentions go to McGuiness vs Danielson from their first meeting in Cleveland and Briscoes vs Joe/Cide street fight in Detroit. Both of those were great to see live, especially the insane street fight.
The Joe/Styles/Daniels three-way was this year, wasn't it? That's a definite candidate out of the two major leagues. Angle/Undertaker from No Way Out would be the WWE match of the year.
To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires, and lights, in a box.-Edward R. Murrow
Originally posted by oldschoolheroThe Joe/Styles/Daniels three-way was this year, wasn't it? That's a definite candidate out of the two major leagues. Angle/Undertaker from No Way Out would be the WWE match of the year.
Not the first one which headlined the PPV, that was at TNA Unbreakable 2005 in September. They had a couple more this year, including a disappointing Ultimate X Match.
I really liked the Foley vs. Edge match from this years Wrestlemania where Foley finally stole the show at Mania and Edge cemented his spot in the main event picture! Plus it had one of the sickest spots ever (spear into flaming table)!
For the first time in years, I can honestly say I saw so little wrestling I can't really be an accurate voter...
But, nonetheless, I dutifully cast my vote for the 2006 Royal Rumble. It was the first PPV my girlfriend and I saw together, and she was going batshit for Rey from start to finish - and if it was good enough for her (the woman who is forever complaining that the few PPVs we've seen are a waste of money), then it's good enough for MOTY.
Originally posted by cfgbFor the first time in years, I can honestly say I saw so little wrestling I can't really be an accurate voter...
But, nonetheless, I dutifully cast my vote for the 2006 Royal Rumble. It was the first PPV my girlfriend and I saw together, and she was going batshit for Rey from start to finish - and if it was good enough for her (the woman who is forever complaining that the few PPVs we've seen are a waste of money), then it's good enough for MOTY.
I donīt know - That whole "Rey is winning it for Eddie" stuff made me sick...AND Triple H eliminated Flair in approx. 1 1/2 minutes!! That sucked as well!
I'm still gonna say my pick is RVD/Angle from ECW's Tuesday show.
RVD went over cleanly on Angle despite Edge sitting at ringside threatening to attack the then WWE/ECW champ. It had good changes in momentum, and the lack of interference or shenanigans made for a surprising ending. This was a very good match.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Sadly, there are not a lot of great candidates this year. This is the first year in a while that TNA did not have a match with a lot of buzz at the end of the year.
Of the matches I have seen, I would go with Edge-Foley. Or maybe Angle-Taker, which was helped by having little to no expectation going in.
I have not seen a lot of ROH this year, but so few people do see their matches that I doubt they would get enough votes anyway. That's not a knock on their product at all, just my opinion of how voting will go.
Dean! Have you been shooting dope into your scrotum? You can tell me! I'm hip!
Not that they're match of the year candidates, but I really enjoyed RVD vs. Mysterio at the WWE vs. ECW special & the Mysterio vs. Sabu match at ONS II (until the ending) ...
Throw RVD vs. Hardcore Holly (where he sliced his back) in there as an honorable mention for me as well ...
For me, it's between the following: - Edge vs. Cena (TLC Match) - Angle vs. Taker - Danielson vs. KENTA (GBH V Night 2) - Danielson vs. McGuinness ("Unified"; not to be confused with their one-hour draw at "Epic Encounter II") - Blood Generation vs. Do Fixer (6 Man at "Supercard of Honor")
If I had a vote to cast, it'd most likely go to one of the last two. McGuinness came across so damn heroic in the match against Danielson at "Unified" that I completely forgot the match was two months old when I saw it and I knew the result going in. And the Blood Generation/Do Fixer 6-man was insanely entertaining.
I caught the Edge vs. Cena TLC Match on 24/7 this weekend. It was a good, fun match, but it was a bit spotty, and nothing close to anything we have seen in previous TLC matches.
If I had to pick a Cena match, it would probably be the underrated HHH match at Mania. Hell, that one is worth a few votes for the Conan entrance alone!
Dean! Have you been shooting dope into your scrotum? You can tell me! I'm hip!
Used to be I could watch all the big WWE matches in a year and have enough worthy candidates to field a ballot without scrutinously keeping up on the other wrestling in the world. This year, the best WWE match wasn't as good as at least the fifth or sixth big ROH match. Nevertheless, here's my top 10 WWE matches for the year.
1. Undertaker vs. Angle, No Way Out ****1/2 2. Foley vs. Edge, Wrestlemania (hardcore) ****1/4 3. Cena vs. Edge, Unforgiven (TLC) ****1/4 4. Rey vs. Angle, Smackdown in June (Rey gets counted out) ****1/4 5. Cena vs. HHH vs. Edge, Backlash **** 6. Benoit vs. Finlay, Judgment Day **** 7. Cena vs. HHH, Wrestlemania ***3/4 8. Flair vs. Edge, Raw in January (TLC) ***3/4 9. Undertaker vs. Angle, Smackdown in February ***3/4 10. Rey vs. Orton, Smackdown in April (Orton's last match before suspension) ***3/4
Only six four star matches all year, woo hoo. There were probably six four star matches on WWE TV in September 2002. Benoit and Finlay had two other matches on Smackdown, once in May and once just a couple weeks ago, that were supposed to be near the level of their PPV match, but I didn't see them.
7) Akira Taue/Go Shiosaki vs. KENTA/Katsuyori Shibata 9/09/06 (NOAH)
8) Shuji Kondo vs. Kaz Hayashi 8/27/06 (All Japan)
9) Minoru Suzuki vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara 3/22/06 (Big Mouth Loud)
10) Takeshi Morishima vs. Mitsuharu Misawa 3/05/06 (NOAH)
As far as WWE is concerned, I've only seen Wrestlemania this year.
With no CMLL on my tv this year, I have no idea what's happening in Mexico with El Santo, Mistico, Aguayo or my man Dr. Wagner Jr. (Cubs--any recommendations? I can get the good stuff from Alfredo or Lynch if there's something I need to see).
(edited by NickBockwinkelFan on 15.12.06 0224) "Well, you can't involve friendship with business. It has to be one or the other. It's either business or friendship, or hit the bricks!" --Life Lessons from Bobby the Brain Heenan WCW Uncensored 2000 preview
Generalissimo Takada's Energy Beverage Provides Maximum Nourishment!
Marufuji and Kenta was the match I enjoyed watching most this year, for what it's worth. I'm not a huge puro guy but that match was a ton of fun and had me (watching it on a computer) enthralled.
Originally posted by flairforthegold13Marufuji and Kenta was the match I enjoyed watching most this year, for what it's worth. I'm not a huge puro guy but that match was a ton of fun and had me (watching it on a computer) enthralled.
Here it is:
Naomichi Marufuji vs. KENTA 10/29/06 (NOAH) Budokan Hall Tokyo
"Well, you can't involve friendship with business. It has to be one or the other. It's either business or friendship, or hit the bricks!" --Life Lessons from Bobby the Brain Heenan WCW Uncensored 2000 preview
Generalissimo Takada's Energy Beverage Provides Maximum Nourishment!
Originally posted by flairforthegold13Marufuji and Kenta was the match I enjoyed watching most this year, for what it's worth. I'm not a huge puro guy but that match was a ton of fun and had me (watching it on a computer) enthralled.
I just watched it on my computer thanks to the links below.
A Falcon Arrow off the apron. A top-rope apron moonsault over a railing (mostly). Rotating Doctor Drivers. A slingshot Ghetto Stomp to the floor. A runway german suplex to the floor. A top-rope tiger driver. A top-rope C4. Credible momentum changes. Fantastic near-pins. Vicious kicks to the heads. A great crowd.
Yeah, this beats Angle/RVD to pieces.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
(Cubs--any recommendations? I can get the good stuff from Alfredo or Lynch if there's something I need to see).
This is a tough year for lucha MOTY. There's a lot I still need to see - haven't seen this weekends PPV yet, have only see about half of AAA's TV (and not the couple matches that have been talked up), missed most of CMLL's main TV show because it's not in the states and I haven't gotten thru the DVDs I already have - so I may be missing something, but there's nothing obviously the pick.
The most important matches of the year were - Mistico vs Black Warrior [mask] (CMLL 09/29 PPV) - La Parka Jr. vs Muerte Cibernetica [mask] (TripleMania) - Perro Aguayo Jr. vs Universo 2000 [hair] (CMLL spring) - Muerte Cibernetica vs Cibernetico [coffin] (Guerra de Titanes)
People who'd do star ratings would put the Mistico/Warrior match at *** or ***1/2, and that's the best of the bunch. So you're stuck sifting thru lesser important matches, and it becomes much more about personal taste, and I have no idea. I could go thru a big list of possibilities, but I'm working them thru in my mind.
I think if there's tapes in particular to pick up, it'd be those with Averno & Mephisto in big matches (they delivered) and the Billy Boy vs Gran Apache hair match in AAA.
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