2020's Best and Worst Pro-Wrestling Matches of the Year (plus Recommended)

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > The Hammer House: Stinger Splash Zone > 2020's Best and Worst Pro-Wrestling Matches of the Year (plus Recommended)

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Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Burn Down Canberra posted:

All from wk 4/1

HM Archer v Mox
Motyc: Hiromu v Ospreay
Motyc: white v Naito
Motyc: Okada v Ibushi

Honestly three 5 star matches in a row and the main event is right up there as Okadas best match.

Nthed. I went back and forth on White vs. Naito, but I think any night when you're not comparing it with those other two matches, it's legitimately great.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2020 13:20

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 03:04

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Jerusalem posted:

MOTYC: Kazuchika Okada (C) vs. Tetsuya Naito (C) for the IWGP Heavyweight AND Intercontinental Championships - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night 2

A match/main event/story years in the making, executed to perfection. New Japan is the best wrestling promotion on the planet.

quote:

MOTYC: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Chris Jericho - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14 at The Tokyo Dome Jan 5, 2020

Nth for both of these and I will come back to the HMs later. God drat.

# ¿ Jan 5, 2020 11:28

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

forkboy84 posted:

OK friends, Wrestle Kingdom is done. There is no wrestling until Friday so take this chance to watch one of the matches of the year so far, Kento Miyahara vs Jake Lee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XUM1bqZjfo

MotYC, nth. That was quite good.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2020 04:20

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

NienNunb posted:

Nth

Nth

# ¿ Feb 2, 2020 00:21

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Jerusalem posted:

HM: Moxley, Taguchi and RPG3k vs. Suzuki, Douki, Kanemaru and El Desperado - NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo 2/2

Incredibly fun and full of action with a great pre-match and post-match sequence involving Moxley and Suzuki.

MOTYC: ZSJ (C) vs. Will Ospreay for the RevPro British Undisputed Heavyweight Championship - NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo 2/2

Slow start, really surprising heavy grappling focus to begin from Ospreay and then things really picked up and the transitions and the counters and the incredibly smart and well-timed things both wrestlers did to make BOTH of them look fantastic was just an absolute joy to watch. Incredible match.

Nth. I would not have believed that Ospreay could take his athletic big move approach to the mat without generating an unpleasant style clash, but wow those guys made it work.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2020 09:51

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Jerusalem posted:

HM: Kazuchika Okada vs. Taichi - NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo 2/2

Okada you know exactly what you're going to get (perfection), but Taichi clearly grasped this was potentially the biggest and most important match of his career to date and he loving stepped it up exactly as he needed to.

Taichi sold the anger and bitterness so well. Nth.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2020 10:29

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Jerusalem posted:

MOTYC: Hiromu Takahashi (C) vs. Ryu Lee for the IWGP Jr Heavyweight Championship - The New Beginning in Osaka - 2/9

This THWAK match THWAK absolutely THWAK ruled THWAK and THWAK these THWAK two THWAK are THWAK just THWAK perfect THWAK against THWAK each THWAK other.

NTH.

# ¿ Feb 9, 2020 10:42

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

jesus WEP posted:

MOTYC jon moxley vs Minoru Suzuki, NJPW New Beginning Feb 9th

Didn't expect this one to be this good but it WAS. Nth.

# ¿ Feb 9, 2020 11:15

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Rarity posted:

MOTYC: Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr, RevPro High Stakes, 14/02

Don't let this one get lost in the shuffle, it's up on NJPW World and totally worth your time. It's like if wrestling was chess.

Nth, that was transcendent. Best boys.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2020 04:32

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Jerusalem posted:

HM: Roppongi 3K (C) vs. The Mega-Coaches for the IWGP Jr Tag Team Titles - New Japan Road 2/20

MOTYC: Shingo Takagi (C) vs. Tomohiro Ishii for the Never Openweight Championship - New Japan Road 2/20

Nth both of these. The backdrop sequence as a reset in the second match was so good.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2020 18:46

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Jerusalem posted:

HM: The Nakanishi Retirement Match: Manabu Nakanishi, TenCozy, and Yugi Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada, Golden Aces and Hirooki Goto - New Japan Road 2/22

Nobody does retirement matches better than New Japan. Nobody.

Nth for sentiment. Also while I'm catching up:

MOTYC: Lucha Bros vs. Kenny Omega/Hangman Page, AEW Dynamite, 19/02 was really good.
HM: Tag Team Battle Royal, AEW Dynamite, 19/02 was just fun.

# ¿ Feb 24, 2020 01:26

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Chris James 2 posted:

MOTY: Mayu Iwatani vs Saki Kashima in a lumberjack match - STARDOM No People Gate, 3/7

Pretty good show! Even had a very fun lumberjack match, how often does that happen?!

Nth, this was really fun! Will be watching the rest of the show later.

# ¿ Mar 8, 2020 22:01

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

HM: Will Ospreay vs. Bea Priestley, WrestleTalk No Fans Monday 3/16

Lack of audience hurts but this was an admirable effort.

# ¿ Mar 16, 2020 22:28

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

The whole show is available here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=USkhT3vWvgQ

# ¿ Mar 16, 2020 23:12

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

GEORGE W BUSHI posted:

MOTYC - Go Shiozaki (c) vs Kazuyuki Fujita for the GHC Heavyweight Championship - NOAH 20th Anniversary - NOAH The Chronicle (3/29)

Absolutely insane and surreal match that you owe it to yourself to watch unspoiled. From the THIRTY MINUTE staredown that opened to the match to the five minute headlock, to Fujita chugging loving hand sanitizer to the tour of Korakuen Hall to Fujita repeatedly kicking Go right in the head to Go repeatedly clotheslining him into defeat with two minutes left on the clock

It was a very special match and I'm not sure we'll see anything like it again.

... nth.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2020 21:42

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Cerebral Bore posted:

MOTYC: Matt Jackson vs Nick Jackson BTE episode 200

Nth. Something really cool about the purity of the first stretch, just pared everything down to essentials. The suplex sequence was lovely.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2020 23:17

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Dimebags Brain posted:

Dragon Gate's King of Gate Night 2, 5/16

HM: BxB Hulk vs Keisuke Okuda

Hulk and Okuda have pretty good chemistry in the ring and they worked a match that seemed to accommodate the lack of crowd in a way that nailed it for me. Plus always good to see my boy Hulk looking motivated.

The Horiguchi/Kai match was also good but not quite nom worthy. Cool finishing sequence trading and countering flash pins and backslides.

Nth to BxB Hulk vs Keisuke Okada.

And I�ll HM Genki Horiguchi vs. KAI, it made it over the threshold for me.

# ¿ May 17, 2020 03:27

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

AEW Double or Nothing:

MOTYC: Casino Ladder Match
MOTYC: MJF vs. Jungle Boy
MOTYC: Shida vs. Nyla Rose
MOTYC: Moxley vs. Brodie Lee
HM: Stadium Stampede Match

Fake edit: the stadium match was amazing and I enjoyed every second of it but I can't rate it against other wrestling matches.

# ¿ May 24, 2020 04:54

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Jerusalem posted:

Are you seconding these noms? At least one match will quality as a MOTYC if you are.

Doooo it

# ¿ May 24, 2020 05:14

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Cerebral Bore posted:

HM: Yota Tsuji vs. Gabriel Kidd
HM: Tomohiro Ishii & Yuya Uemura vs. El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
HM: Tanahashi, Ibushi, Nagata & Makabe vs. Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi & DOUKI - NJPW Together Project 6/15
HM: Kazuchika Okada/Roppongi 3K vs. Tetsuya Naito/Shingo Takagi/Hiromu Takahashi

All from NJPW Together Project, 15/06. It's goddamn back baby.

Nth! I really want to bump the main event up to MOTYC but in the end not quite there � great wrestlers but they were running through the pairings more than telling a story.

# ¿ Jun 15, 2020 18:58

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

GEORGE W BUSHI posted:

HM - Ishii/Desperado
WMOTYC - Yano/Jado

Nth.

# ¿ Jun 16, 2020 16:41

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Jerusalem posted:

MOTYC: Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki - NJPW New Japan Cup Night 2 6/17

Two old men beat the utter poo poo out of each other and it absolutely loving ruled from start to finish. God I wish this had been in front of a crowd but even in an empty arena it was just so loving great.

Doesn�t need it but nth for indomitable spirit.

# ¿ Jun 17, 2020 22:45

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

forkboy84 posted:

MOTYC 22nd June, Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr

Nth -- this makes MOTYC for me because of the sequence where Zack kicks Ibushi lovingly just to piss him off, until Ibushi gets pissed off, kicks back, and Zack grabs his leg. Awesome bait tactics. Eventually Ibushi figures out that he's got to kick Zack by surprise.

Rarity posted:

MOTYC: SHO vs. Shingo Takagi, NJPW New Japan Cup, 22/06

What a loving finish

Cerebral Bore posted:

HM: Taichi vs Hiroshi Tanahashi New Japan Cup 22.06

Also nth for both of these.

# ¿ Jun 23, 2020 02:43

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Jerusalem posted:

HM: Toru Yano vs. Hiromu Takahashi - NJPW New Japan Cup Night 5 6/24

Fun match but the ending took it over the top, just amazingly entertaining.

Rarity posted:

HM: Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Taiji Ishimori, NJPW New Japan Cup, 24/06

We need more babyface Bone Soldier

Rarity posted:

HM: Kazuchika Okada vs. Yuji Nagata, NJPW New Japan Cup, 24/06

Nth for these three!

# ¿ Jun 25, 2020 02:54

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

MOTYC: SANADA/Sho 7/1
HM: Taichi/Ibushi 7/1
HM: Goto/EVIL 7/1

Shenanigans kept Taichi/Ibushi an HM for me, just a bit too much. SANADA/Sho was really strong throughout, so many lovely counters, and while I dislike Skull End I don�t think I�ve ever seen anyone sell it as well as Sho did.

# ¿ Jul 1, 2020 18:31

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

jesus WEP posted:

MOT loving YC: Hiromu Takahashi vs Tomohiro Ishii NJC 2020, July 2nd
Holy poo poo what a war

Nth yep.

# ¿ Jul 2, 2020 22:52

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Cerebral Bore posted:

HM: LIJ vs CHAOS New Japan Cup 03.07

A super fun tag match with the perfect ending.

Cerebral Bore posted:

HM: EVIL vs SANADA New Japan Cup 03.07

A litte too sloppy for MOTYC, but still a very good match with a very good angle.

Jerusalem posted:

MOTYC: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada - NJPW New Japan Cup Night 8

God fought a cat and it was everything I dreamed it would be. I wish this could have been wrestled in front of a crowd, they would have lost their loving minds.

Nth!

# ¿ Jul 3, 2020 17:55

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Crapple! posted:

From Dynamite 7/8 (Fyter Fest night 2)

MOTYC: Bucks/FTR vs Butcher and Blade/Lucha Bros
MOTYC: Jericho vs Orange Cassidy
HM: Joey vs Archer

Nth these. 8-man was match of the night, so good.

# ¿ Jul 9, 2020 05:59

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

jesus WEP posted:

I would also like to nominate
HM: Shingo, Naito, and Hiromu vs SHO, Ishii, and Yano
From the same card, which I thought was another excellent outing for Ishii vs Hiromu and Shingo vs SHO

Nth to this during breakfast. (Final still to come.) The Suzuki-gun tag was close but needed more Suzuki.

# ¿ Jul 11, 2020 16:49

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Jerusalem posted:

HM: EVIL vs. Kazuchika Okada - NJPW New Japan Cup Final 7/11

Some weirdness towards the end took away from it somewhat, but this was yet another Okada match where 10 minutes into the match you realize it has been going for 25 minutes, and that is great.

Nth.

# ¿ Jul 11, 2020 19:19

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Rarity posted:

MOTYC: SHO vs. Shingo Takagi, NJPW Dominion, 12/07

These guys couldn't have a bad match if they tried

loving nth, what a battle!

# ¿ Jul 12, 2020 08:46

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Rarity posted:

MOTYC: Golden Aces vs. Dangerous Tekkers, NJPW Dominion, 12/07

Best tag title match in New Japan I can remember

Again I say gently caress yes.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2020 09:26

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

TriffTshngo posted:

HM - IWGP & IWGP IC Championships: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs EVIL [Dominion, 7/12]

After sleeping on it, nth this.

# ¿ Jul 13, 2020 15:04

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

forkboy84 posted:

MOTYC
5th July
2AW Launching Business 1st Anniversary GRAND SLAM
TKP Garden City, Chiba
2AW Openweight Title
Yuji Okabayashi vs Ayato Yoshida

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nRikmONpuE

Nth, that was fun. Good contrast in styles. Thanks!

# ¿ Jul 14, 2020 04:47

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

MassRafTer posted:

MOTYC: The Elite vs The Jurassic Express
HM: FTR vs The Lucha Bros

AEW FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN

Belated nth on these two.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2020 14:11

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

HM: Sanada/Shingo Takagi vs. Douki/El Desperado, 7/20

Watched it again, liked it just as much the second time. Minimal Sanada weirdness, lots of other good wrestling, even Douki held up the side. Shingo continues to be able to make me believe a junior heavyweight is a realistic challenger, not that either Sho or Despy are slouches.

# ¿ Jul 21, 2020 22:36

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Deathlove posted:

MOTYC: Eddie Kingston v Cody, AEW Dynamite 7/22.

Eddie Kingston gave this match a perfect setup in the perfect four minute primo and then they have the best singles match of Cody's life.

Nth, this was great.

# ¿ Jul 24, 2020 16:33

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

MOTYC: Shingo Takagi vs El Desperado, NJPW Sengoku Lord 7/25

The selling elevated this for me.

HM: EVIL vs Hiromu Takahashi, NJPW Sengoku Lord 7/25

Probably hit the mark for me in terms of wrestling but I�ll always be reluctant to give a match MOTYC when there�s that much interference.

# ¿ Jul 25, 2020 20:02

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Cerebral Bore posted:

HM: Minoru Suzuki & DOUKI vs Yuji Nagata & Yuya Uemura NJPW Summer Struggle 26.07

Nth.

HM: Naito/Hiromu/BUSHI vs. Togo/Ishimori/EVIL, also NJPW Summer Struggle 7/26.

Kept it tight and fast, Togo brings a little new flavor to these matches, and it's always fun seeing Naito pissed off.

# ¿ Jul 26, 2020 19:08

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 03:04

Thanlis: Mar 17, 2011

Cerebral Bore posted:

HM: Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado vs Yuji Nagata & Yuya Uemura NJPW Summer Struggle 27.07

The eternal Grandpa War never fails to deliver.

Yes nth.

# ¿ Jul 27, 2020 22:16

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > The Hammer House: Stinger Splash Zone > 2020's Best and Worst Pro-Wrestling Matches of the Year (plus Recommended)

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