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Who was YOUR Champion for all of 2023? This poll is closed. |
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 Yuma Aoyagi (Triple Crown Champion) |
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4 | 4.94% |
 Athena (ROH Women's Champion) |
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17 | 20.99% |
 Chris Brookes (KO-D Openweight Champion) |
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1 | 1.23% |
 Claudio Castagnoli (ROH World Champion) |
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1 | 1.23% |
 Jamie Hayter (AEW Women's Champion) |
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1 | 1.23% |
 Samoa Joe (AEW Champion) |
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3 | 3.70% |
 Madoka Kikuta (Open the Dream Gate Champion) |
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0 | 0% |
 Eddie Kingston (ROH World Champion) |
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32 | 39.51% |
 Kaito Kiyomiya (GHC Champion) |
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0 | 0% |
 Mizuki (Princess of Princess Champion) |
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2 | 2.47% |
 MJF (AEW Champion) |
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10 | 12.35% |
 Mercedes Mone (IWGP Women's Champion) |
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0 | 0% |
 Yuji Nagata (Triple Crown Champion) |
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1 | 1.23% |
 Katsuhiko Nakajima (Triple Crown Champion) |
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0 | 0% |
 Tam Nakano (World of Stardom Champion) |
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0 | 0% |
 Kazuchika Okada (IWGP World Heavyweight Champion) |
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1 | 1.23% |
 Roman Reigns (WWE Champion) |
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3 | 3.70% |
 Yuka Sakazaki (Princess of Princess Champion) |
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1 | 1.23% |
 SANADA (IWGP World Heavyweight Champion) |
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0 | 0% |
 Alex Shelley (Impact World Champion) |
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1 | 1.23% |
 Hikaru Shida (AEW Women's Champion) |
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0 | 0% |
 Masha Slamovich (GCW Champion) |
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0 | 0% |
 Toni Storm (AEW Women's Champion) |
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1 | 1.23% |
 Yuki Ueno (KO-D Openweight Champion) |
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0 | 0% |
 Miyu Yamashita (Princess of Princess Champion) |
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2 | 2.47% |
| Total: | 81 votes | ||
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It's January of 2024, and once again time to decide who Punch Sport Pagoda's Pro-Wrestling Champion for all of the year 2023 was. Each month we've voted for our champion of the month, and in total 841 votes were cast for 59 different champions and 20 championships (plus the "Other/None of the Above" category) across 14 different promotions, roughly the same as for each category in 2022 and 2021. Below are the results of each month's voting from January through December - click each month to see the final vote count.              To be eligible for voting in this final poll of the year, a wrestler need simply have been the top champion for their promotion at some time during the year of 2023 (January 1st to December 31st). With only 25 spaces to fit into the poll, I have picked out those champions who gained the most votes throughout the course of the year. There were a lot of Champions who didn't quite make the cut this year, they were in descending order of votes: Rhea Ripley (WWE), Trinity (Impact), Asuka (WWE), Guilia (Stardom), Kazuhada Higuchi (DDT), Yuji Hino (DDT), Mayu Iwatani (New Japan), Shun Skywalker (Dragon Gate), Josh Alexander (Impact), Blake Christian (GCW), Mickie James (Impact), Steve Maclin (Impact), Kento Miyahara (AJPW), Kenoh (NOAH), Jake Lee (NOAH), Hagane Shinnou (Gatoh Move), IYO SKY (WWE), Baliyan Akki (Gatoh Move), Charlotte Flair (WWE), Deonna Purrazzo (Impact), Maika (Stardom), Emi Sakura (Gatoh Move), Switchblade Jay White (New Japan), Saraya (AEW), Bianca Belair (WWE), Nick Gage (GCW), Jordynne Grace (Impact), T-Hawk (GLEAT), Kaito Ishida (GLEAT), KAIRI (New Japan), El Lindaman (GLEAT), Luis Mante (Dragon Gate), Hayato Tamura (GLEAT) & Yuki Yoshioka (Dragon Gate). The poll will run for 5 days exactly, at the end of which there will be (hopefully!) a clear winner for Punch Sport Pagoda's Pro-Wrestling Champion of Champions for the year 2023. In 2006 the winner was Bryan Danielson; in 2007 Edge and Morishima shared the win; in 2008 Jericho was the clear choice for winner and 2009 was one long Summer of Punk. 2010 was the Year of The Miz (seriously!) and 2011 AND 2012 saw CM Punk return to the top spot, becoming a 3 time Champ of the Year as well as winning two consecutive years. Okada dominated 2013 and the monthly polls in a way like nobody has ever done before, and in 2014 AJ Styles' career resurgence since leaving TNA was rewarded with the Champ of the Year decision. 2015 saw the first ever Woman Champion of the Year in Bayley, even more impressive since NXT wasn't included as an option on any monthly polls (then was, now isn't again). Then in 2016 AJ Styles become only the second wrestler to win the yearly poll for a second time. Okada wasn't far behind, winning the yearly poll in 2017 to also become a two time champ, and then he did one better in 2018 by becoming a three time champ, a feat so far only matched by CM Punk. Chris Jericho's remarkable 2019 brought him him back to Champ of the Year Status for the first time in over a decade, then Jon Moxley's carrying of AEW on his shoulders during the worst of the pandemic won him the top spot in 2020, before Kenny Omega's remarkable run as AEW (and Impact!) Champion saw him reign supreme in 2021. In 2022, Jon Moxley's workhorse status for AEW and his run as GCW Champion saw him become a two-time Champ of the Year, which also gave GCW it's first ever (shared) top spot for a Champ of the Year Poll. Who will win 2023? Despite a lot of talk about how badly MJF's final stretch as AEW Champion went, he's gotten more votes than any other champion this year. But Athena was a constant presence on the poll at the top level, and Eddie Kingston's late championship success in the year has seen him take a huge chunk of the votes this year as well. SANADA's IWGP reign slowed right down but started with a bang, Mercedes Mone got a lot of love in her brief time as IWGP Women's Champion, Claudio Castagnoli impressed over a long period, Toni Storm's new character breathed a lot of life into her as a champion, Mizuki and Miyu Yamashita's runs as Princess of Princess Champions had a lot of support, Chris Brookes and Yuki Ueno both got a chance to shine at the top of DDT, and there were many other champions who have been constant presences who might get rewarded based on the quality of their work over the entire year rather than month to month. Below are the eligible Champions. To avoid any potential bias, I've listed the wrestlers in alphabetical order and simply included a list of their title defenses. Feel free to argue or promote the case of your favorite wrestler as you see fit. This time around there is no None of the Above option, there are the champs we have to choose from, and one of these wrestlers will be the Champion of the year! Yuma Aoyagi (Triple Crown Champion) - Won the title from Yuji Nagata on Night 5 of the AJPW Dynamite series in July. Defeated Hokuto Omori, Suwama, Satoshi Kojima, Ryuki Honda and Kento Miyahara to retain. Lost the title to Katsuhiko Nakajima on Night 6 of the AJPW Giant Series in November. Athena (ROH Women's Champion) - Entered 2023 as Champion. Successfully retained against Marina Shafir, Miyu Yamashita, Willow Nightingale, Emi Sakura, Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita (by referee's decision), Skye Blue, Kiera Hogan, Kiera Hogan (in a Chicago Street Fight), Willow Nightingale (by referee's decision), Diamante, Allysin Jay, Angelina Love, Leyla Hirsch, Mercedes Martinez and Billie Starkz. Ended 2023 as Champion. Chris Brookes (KO-D Openweight Champion) - Defeated Yuji Hino at DDT Wrestle Peter Pan in July. Successfully retained title against Shigehiro Irie and Saki akai. Lost the title to Yuki Ueno at DDT Ultimate Party in November. Claudio Castagnoli (ROH World Champion) - Entered 2023 as Champion. Successfully retained against Josh Woods, Christopher Daniels, Blake Christian, AR Fox, Eddie Kingston, Metalik, Robbie Eagles, Komander (by referee's decision), PAC, & Rocky Romero. Lost title to Eddie Kingston at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam Night 1. Jamie Hayter (AEW Women's Champion) - Entered 2023 as Champion. Successfully retained in a Three Way (against Ruby Soho & Saraya), and against Riho. Lost title to Toni Storm at AEW Double or nothing in May. Samoa Joe (AEW Champion) - Defeated MJF by referee's decision at AEW World's End. Ended 2023 as Champion. Madoka Kikuta (Open the Dream Gate Champion) - Defeated Shun Skywalker at Dragon Gate Dead or Alive in May to win the title. Successfully retained against Yuki Yoshioka, Kota Minoura and BIG BOSS Shimizu. Lost the title in a Three Way against Luis Mante and Shun Skywalker at Dragon Gate Final Gate in December. Eddie Kingston (ROH World Champion) - Defeated Claudio Castagnoli to win the title at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam Night 1 in a title vs. title match (for the New Japan Strong title). Successfully retained against Katsuyori Shibata, Komander, Minoru Suzuki, Angelico, Dalton Castle, Jay Lethal and Jon Moxley. Ended 2023 as Champion. Kaito Kiyomiya (GHC Champion) - Entered 2023 as Champion. Successfully retained against Kenoh & Jack Morris. Lost title to Jake Lee at NOAH Great Voyage in March. Mizuki (Princess of Princess Champion) - Defeated Yuka Sakazaki at TJPW Grand Princess to win the title. Successfully retained against Nao Kakuta, Sawyer Wreck and Maki Itoh. Lost title to Miyu Yamashita at TJPW Wrestle Princess 4. MJF (AEW Champion) - Entered 2023 as Champion. Successfully retained against Bryan Danielson (in an Iron Man match), a Fatal Four Way (against Darby Allin, Jack Perry & Sammy Guevara), Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ethan Page, Adam Cole, Samoa Joe (by referee's decision), Kenny Omega, Daniel Garcia and Switchblade Jay White. Lost title to Samoa Joe at AEW World's End by referee's decision in December. Mercedes Mone (IWGP Women's Champion) - Defeated KAIRI to win the title at NJPW Battle in the Valley in February. Successfully retained in a 3-way against AZM & Hazuki. Lost title to Mayu Iwatani at Stardom All-Star Grand Queendom in April. Yuji Nagata (Triple Crown Champion) - Defeated Kento Miyahara at AJPW Excite Series Night 2 to win the title. Successfully retained against Shuji Ishikawa, T-Hawk & Yuma Anzai. Lost title to Yuma Aoyagi at AJPW Dynamite Series Night 5. Katsuhiko Nakajima (Triple Crown Champion) - Defeated Yuma Aoyagi to win the title at AJPW Giant Series Night 6 in November. Successfully defended the title at AJPW MANIAx against Kento Miyahara. Ended 2023 as Champion. Tam Nakano (World of Stardom Champion) - Defeated Giulia to win the title at Stardom All-Star Grand Queendom in April. Successfully retained against Mina Shirakawa (in a title vs. title match), Megan Bayne and Natsuko Tora. Was forced to vacate the title due to injury. Kazuchika Okada (IWGP World Heavyweight Champion) - Defeated Switchblade Jay White to win the title at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom in January. Successfully retained at Shingo Takagi and Hiroshi Tanahashi. Lost title to SANADA at NJPW Sakura Genesis in April. Roman Reigns (WWE Champion) - Entered 2023 as Champion. Successfully retained against Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso and LA Knight. Ended 2023 as Champion. Yuka Sakazaki (Princess of Princess Champion) - Entered 2023 as Champion. Successfully retained against Miyu Yamashita. Lost title to Mizuki at TJPW Grand Princess in March. SANADA (IWGP World Heavyweight Champion) - Defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the title at NJPW Sakura Genesis in April. Successfully retained against Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, Jack Perry and EVIL. Ended 2023 as Champion. Alex Shelley (Impact World Champion) - Defeated Steve Maclin to win the title at Impact Against All Odds in June. Successfully retained against Brian Myers, Steve Maclin, Nick Aldis, Brian Myers, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jessie V (a draw in a title vs. title match), Josh Alexander and Jonathan Gresham. Ended 2023 as Champion. Hikaru Shida (AEW Women's Champion) - Defeated Toni Storm on the 200th episode of AEW Dynamite to win the title in August. Succesfully retained against Anna Jay. Lost the title to Saraya in a Fatal Four Way at AEW All In in London in August. Regained the title from Saraya on AEW Dynamite in October. Successfully retained against Ruby Soho, Abadon and Willow Nightingale. Lost the title to Toni Storm at AEW Full Gear in November. Masha Slamovich (GCW Champion) - Defeated Nick Gage at GCW Eye for an Eye in March to win the title. Successfully retained against Speedball Mike Bailey, Steph De Lander, Cole Radrick, Sawyer Wreck (by referee's decision), Alec Price, a Five Way Scramble (against Allysin Kay, LuFisto, Maki Itoh & Shazza McKenzie), and Mance Warner. Lost the title in a Cage of Survival match to Blake Christian in a 3 Way with Rina Yamashita. Toni Storm (AEW Women's Champion) - Defeated Jamie Hayter at AEW Double or Nothing in May. Successfully retained against Skye Blue, Willow Nightingale and Taya Valkyrie. Lost title to Hikaru Shida on the 200th episode of AEW Dynamite in August. Regained the ttile at AEW Full Gear in November from Hikaru Shida. Successfully retained title against Skye Blue and Riho. Ended 2023 as Champion. Yuki Ueno (KO-D Openweight Champion) - Defeated Chris Brookes to win the title at DDT Ultimate Party in November. Ended 2023 as Champion. Miyu Yamashita (Princess of Princess Champion) - Defeated Mizuki at TJPW Wrestle Princess 4 to win the title in October. Successfully retained against Regina and Delmi Exo. Ended 2023 as Champion.
Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 06:18 on Jan 5, 2024 |
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Jan 4, 2024 06:47
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Making me choose between Yuma and Chris both finally getting to the top after years of effort 
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Jan 4, 2024 06:51
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5 days to vote to give you time to percolate (and hopefully get a good number of votes!), after which the Top Ten Wrestlers of 2023 thread will go up too!
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Jan 4, 2024 06:52
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athena, not even a discussion
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Jan 4, 2024 06:54
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STONE COLD 64 posted:athena, not even a discussion But if you discuss it, you might convince some people to vote for her! Until Eddie's late surge in votes, Athena had the second most votes all year across all polls. As it is she still ended up in 3rd place, just behind Eddie. MJF, despite a lot of (perfectly valid in many cases!) criticism he'd gotten for his title reign, had more votes than any other Champion in Punch Sport Pagoda for 2023.
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Jan 4, 2024 07:02
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i'll vote
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Jan 4, 2024 07:03
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I know the last few months have soured people on MJF but that first half of the year was impeccable.
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Jan 4, 2024 08:20
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It blew my mind when I realized that the Iron Man match with Bryan Danielson was from 2023 as well, I had somehow got it into my head it was from the year before.
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Jan 4, 2024 08:29
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Yuma Aoyagi was great.
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Jan 4, 2024 08:31
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Yuma
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Jan 4, 2024 11:47
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no orange cassidy means eddie's my guy
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Jan 4, 2024 13:06
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it's Max, I guess Eddie's cool too
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Jan 4, 2024 13:27
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This is an extremely strong list of champs but Eddie's my guy here. I don't think anybody else had the emotional highs and lows like he did, I was so invested in EVERYTHING.
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Jan 4, 2024 13:30
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Easy vote for Athena
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Jan 4, 2024 14:08
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Suplex Liberace posted:Easy vote for Athena imo She had the most consistent and entertaining title defenses of last year that I watched. MJF defended on bigger shows and they were great all year but Athena, man... she's the true workhorse champ of the year.
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Jan 4, 2024 14:28
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STONE COLD 64 posted:athena, not even a discussion
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Jan 4, 2024 15:14
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don't blame me, i voted for mizuki
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Jan 4, 2024 15:22
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One day in, and it's real close between 1st and 2nd and there's still plenty of time (4 days) to get in your vote for the Champion of all of 2023!
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Jan 5, 2024 04:57
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Athena I can't think of a clearer modern instance of a wrestler being the undisputed ace of their promotion
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Jan 5, 2024 05:14
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how am i supposed to pick between eddie and athena ;_;
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Jan 5, 2024 05:18
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here's my thinking: mjf was fuckin incredible at the start of the year, but his reign was getting tiresome by the end, and yet even the fact that it was getting tiresome paid off when he finally lost it eddie pulls at the heartstrings like nobody else (and also chops like nobody else) and athena...wire-to-wire, the ROH ace, fantastic ring work, fantastic and bizarre promos.... drat
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Jan 5, 2024 05:35
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eddie went from being a bedraggled individual ready to quit the business cutting an expletive-filled promo at an outlaw mud show in late 2019 to competing in the loving g1 this year, winning the roh strap, and winning the drat c2 and having the absolute best drat well-earned year of his life on the other hand, :gazes over athena's entire 2023 roh:
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Jan 5, 2024 05:41
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MJF wasn't even the best AEW champion at the start of the year how soon we forget Jamie Hayter
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Jan 5, 2024 05:52
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I voted for MJF cause I think he had overall the best year. I dunno I bet Athena was good but I don’t really watch roh so 
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Jan 5, 2024 06:12
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Just realized that I didn't include details of Madoka Kikuta's title reign. Also realized that apparently nobody noticed or cared which perhaps doesn't bode well for Kikuta's chances to win Champ of the Year for 2023 
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Jan 5, 2024 06:20
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I noticed and I also cared. Shame on you J-ru
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Jan 5, 2024 06:40
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I went with the loving rabbit.
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Jan 5, 2024 13:25
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it's gotta be the one, the only, the big dog Roman Reigns!
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Jan 5, 2024 15:54
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I'm sorry to Athena who had the two best ROH matches I saw this year, but Eddie Kingston made me very happy when he ran through that rat Claudio two times this year, and then Danielson and Moxley back-to-back and that's why he's my champion of the year
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Jan 5, 2024 16:05
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Two horse race between both top champions. ROH is so back.
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Jan 5, 2024 16:23
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Ziggy Tzardust posted:Two horse race between both top champions. ROH is so back. 
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Jan 5, 2024 21:18
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fez_machine posted:I know the last few months have soured people on MJF but that first half of the year was impeccable. Thinking MJF sucks is regency bias. Insanely good year up through the Arthur Ashe show. Cool if people liked someone else's year better, but he was really great in the spring and summer.
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Jan 5, 2024 23:18
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3 days left to vote!81sidewinder posted:Thinking MJF sucks is regency bias. Yeah, you can like Eddie Kingston AND MJF too if you want! 
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Jan 6, 2024 03:12
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Couple days left to vote, and it's VERY close! You can decide who is the Champion of Champions for 2023!
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Jan 7, 2024 02:09
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super macho dude posted:imo She had the most consistent and entertaining title defenses of last year that I watched. MJF defended on bigger shows and they were great all year but Athena, man... she's the true workhorse champ of the year. Sure, but MJF's title reign plateaued, before declining rapidly during the build to the failed defence against Joe. Also, that promo against Takeshita kind of kicked off the year really on the wrong foot for me, and the "unrepentant racist MJF, he's a face now" change during the year never worked for me. Sure, there was an acknowledgement during the build to the Joe match, when he needed a tag partner and everyone told him to do one, but like, on a fundamental level, it started the year on a distasteful note, and never really recovered for me. edogawa rando fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Jan 7, 2024 |
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Jan 7, 2024 20:55
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You've got one day left to vote, so you should!
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Jan 8, 2024 07:05
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Miyu Yamashita is cool. And she once suplexed a teddy bear. And that is reason enough to vote for her.
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Jan 8, 2024 09:47
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heavily sweating as I desperately try to find a hole in the logic I guess they don't call you BrigadierSensible for nothing!
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Jan 8, 2024 11:06
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Anyways, you got about 3.5 hours to vote!
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Jan 9, 2024 03:11
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| # ? Apr 28, 2024 14:28 |
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45 minutes! Then that's it, the Champ is set in stone for all of time unless it turns out to be cyclical!
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Jan 9, 2024 06:01
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