Wrestling Forum banner

The 2012 MOTYC thread

340K views 3K replies 192 participants last post by  Alan4L 
#1 ·
#356 ·
*gets ready the flame-suit*

Sami Callihan Vs DJ Hyde (CZW 13th Anniversary 11/02/12)

This may not sit well with a majority of the IWC - noting the two men involved, the promotion as well as the Ultraviolent stipulation, but if this match proves anything it's that the majority can be so wholly wrong.

This perhaps won't hold a candle in a Global MotY listing but as far as American Indy matches go this was certainly something to watch. Simple in structure and execution yet solid in result. I'm glad they focused more on a mat-based styled brawling after their quite brutal arena rampage at the start of the match as it showed just how under-rated these two talents are. Is Hyde 100% capable 100% of the time? I haven't watched enough matches of his to comment, but for the most part in this match he was strong in his offence and believable in his dominaiton of Calli so I'd chalk up "in the right conditions" next to his name.

Great spots, some decent selling and sense in the brutality is what made this match good. It didn't stick to its stipulation for namesake but rather drove home the violence in a more philosophical, "I hate you" way as opposed to the CZW staple usage of light-tubes etc. The crowd chanted for blood about 5 minutes in but never got any, and despite this, grew even louder in their recognition of Sami and the match itself. The end finish is a bit over-used in wrestling, today, but it at least had place in the match's dynamic and gave some reasoning for Cole's run-in earlier in the match.

Not a complete blow-away, as I said, but a big enough eye-opener for me as I didnt expect for this to be as good as it was. Honourable MotYC.

Rating: 3.75+
 
#357 ·
This review contains SPOILERS for the end of the match :)

Suwama vs Seiya Sanada - 2/3 Falls Match (AJPW 04/03/12)
Ok, off the bat I'm going to say that I didn't know this was a 2/3 falls match when I put it on. Anyway, I really liked this match, it had a simple yet effective story that worked brilliantly. The match starts with Sanada the young underdog gaining the advantage with his quickness with armdrags and that sort of thing, but once it turns into a test of strength, it's all downhill for Sanada. Suwama gets the advantage and just dominates completely. He hits a brutal short arm lariat that Sanada sells like the damn plague as it hits his jaw and Suwama then just goes after the face.

There was a spot I loved that showed just how dominant and more powerful Suwama is, when Sanada goes for a comeback and hits the springboard dropkick, only for Suwama to just stumble and hit a regular dropkick that sends him flying. The match was full of great spots like that, with Suwama showing his dominance and veteran skills, such as Sanada making comebacks with lots of forearms and Suwama just swotting him away with one huge chop. The first fall ends with a backdrop suplex after Suwama had just completely dominated thw whole thing, and I thought that was the end of the match so it seemed very anti climatic, but then I looked at the time and it wasn't even half way through so I figured it out. Then I realised this could get really good.

The second fall is more of the same, with Sanada trying to get back into the match only to get shot right back down instantly. He eventually gets his comeback going when his forearms finally work and he pretty much knocks Suwama out with them. He tries all of his big moves, but Suwama won't be beaten. Suwama then gains the advantage again, he hits a couple backdrop drivers, but Sanada is the one this time showing his heart and he will not die. He takes ALL of Suwamas big moves, he just keeps on coming and he even no sells like 3 backdrop suplexes and it works with the story of the match. Suwama hits two more backdrop drivers and this time Sanada is not moving, but he still kicks out! He kicks out of the Last Ride! Suwama can't believe it, so he picks him up and looks as if he is going for something huge to end it, by this point I had no idea what the hell else he could hit for the win, but he simply takes a page out of Sanadas book and uses a cradle pin for the win! He realised Sanada would not be beaten by MOVEZ, so he surprised him with a CRADLE PIN.

That was awesome. I loved the simple story in this match, the veteran vs the newcomer, Sanada will not die! Great story and very well executed by both men with a particularly great performance from Sanada.
****1/4

Seabs has been raving about Sanada for a while now if I'm not mistaken, and this was the first match that made me see what he has to offer properly.
 
#358 ·
God, I love SUWAMA. He was like really good in 2008-2010, but he fucking exploded in 2011, and he's probably in Top 3 Puro Heavyweights. Amazing wrestler, he's great in storytelling, setting up strategies and pacing.
 
#359 ·
Seabs also had this to say about the match when I posted it in the Puro thread:
Starts off great with the potential to be a MOTYC but it just falls totally flat. Booking was bad to have it just go 2 falls. Sanada selling the fuck out of that head shot was awesome and set the match up nicely but the 2nd fall dragged and Sanada never got to make a super comeback and they lost the crowd.
:p

I agree a lot with Seabs (except for the 2 falls bit). I was actually surprised when I saw this on Puroresu Spirit's recommended list, tbh. Like I said in the other thread, I was torn watching in how to call it.

I'm not sure if I'd ever go that high for it, but I suppose it might get better with a second viewing. Sanada's pretty solid, though, and Suwama is Suwama. It shouldn't be mediocre, and it wasn't. Just I'm not sure how much of a MotYC it could be.

Glad you liked the hell out of it, though.
 
#360 ·
To be honest it wouldn't surprise me if not many people liked it as much as me but I really did like it. I actually liked it going 2 falls because IMO it got the story over better with Suwama just being that dominant (he is the former champ after all) and Sanada being the 'new guy'. I thought the second fall is where it really got good though.

And I agree with JoeRulz, Suwama has been very impressive with what I've seen from 2011 and the start of this year.
 
#364 ·
1. Kazuchika Okada versus Tetsuya Naitō- New Japan's 40th anniversary event.
2. Steen versus Jimmy Jacobs - ROH 10th Anniversary Show.
3. CM Punk versus Daniel Bryan - Raw 1/30/12.
4. Kazuchika Okada versus Hiroshi Tanahashi- The New Beginning.
5. Smackdown Elimination Chamber.

My top five matches of the year so far.
 
#365 · (Edited)
Morishima vs Marufuji NOAH 18/3
Not really a MOTYC but I thought it was really good despite it being quite sloppy in a few parts. I can't stand Marufuji matches for the most part but his offense worked here as it was the only way he could take the bigger man down. He still managed to annoy me with his over use of superkicks but his selling of Morishimas moves was good, especially the lariats. ***1/2

Also wish there was subtitles so I could know what Morishima said after the match.
 
#366 · (Edited)
I was somewhat interested in watching that, but what is the time length of the match? I saw Cagematch put it down as 12m but the video seems to be 30m long. Did you also manage to see the Akiyama match before it, by any chance? Just like to know if it's worth my time.

As for the superkick spamming, I've noticed quite a bit of NOAH (or perhaps, rather, their juniours) going towards more of an American Indy/Thigh-SLAPZ~! style of wrestling, tbh. Not that I'm particularly perturbed by it, though.

I've been giving this some thought, what would your reactions be to me starting a "2012 Honourable MotYC" thread? I'm guilty of this, too, but as a MotY thread I'd imagine it to rather be concise and limited to, say, a match that takes a slot in our Top 10 (or you'd think would remain in that position by year end). I'd just think it would keep this thread concise and easier for people to gauge what are each others' top matches - where we're currently at page 37 only a quarter way through the year. I realise we have separate Lucha/Puro/Indy threads for match recommendations but for the convenience of it I'd suggest a new thread, anyway.

That said, what is everyone's top 5/10, so far?
 
#368 · (Edited)
Yeah the match was kept really short, around the 10 minute mark and it was a lot better for it. Having it go their usual main event length would have been bloody awful.

Marufuji was one of the first people I ever saw doing the superkick spamming thing, and as I was pretty young then I thought it was awesome lol. I remember him doing it back in like 2006 or something.

I'll get around to watching the tag later on, I'm hoping Akiyama and Go can carry it through.

Not sure on the thread tbh, could be useful but I would predict most people would just post in this one anyway with their lower end matches or whatever we want to call them.

Heres my list so far, I'll just give my top 10...

Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya Naito (NJPW 04/03) ****1/2
Daisuke Sekimoto vs Suwama (AJPW 02/01) ****1/4
Suwama vs Seiya Sanada 2/3 Falls (AJPW 04/03) ****1/4
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Minoru Suzuki (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom VI) ****1/4
Katsuhiko Nakajima vs SHINGO (D-Ring 11/2) ****1/4
Go Shiozaki vs Takeshi Morishima (NOAH 22/01) ****1/4
Finlay vs Tajiri (SMASH 19/02) ****
Daisuke Sekimoto & Yoshihito Sasaki vs Akebono & Ryuto Hama (BJW 02/01) ****
Bad Intentions vs Tenzan & Kojima (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom VI) ****
NRC vs Apollo 55 (NJPW The New Beginning) ****

So yeah, nothing from America that high up, but I do have the two Punk/Bryan matches and Hero/Elgin from Homecoming somewhere further down the list at **** too.
 
#367 ·
Traumas I & II vs Cerebro Maligno & Rey Krimen-3/19/12 AULL. The Traumas put on a mat clinic and both their opponents especially Krimen went toe to toe with them. I hear too many people raving about the Briscoe's & Wrestling's Greatest Tag Teams being the best tag teams in the world which is Ludicrous! Right now the Traumas are the best tag team in the world and if you dont believe me watch the match!
 
#370 · (Edited)
My MOTYCs (I make lists for each company, it's more fair and it's easier):

TNA: Austin Aries vs. Alex Shelley (Against All Odds) ***1/2
ROH: Team Ambition vs. Adam Cole & Eddie Edwards (10th Anniversary Event) ***3/4
WWE: not sure about this, Punk/Bryan I, I guess? ***3/4
EVOLVE: Chuck Taylor & Rich Swann vs. Super Smash Brothers (EVOLVE 10: A Tribute To The Arena) ****
DGUSA: PAC vs. Akira Tozawa (Open The Golden Gate) ****1/2
AJPW: Yuji Nagata vs. Masayuki Kono (3/20) ****1/4
NJPW: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito (The New Beginning) ****3/4 (MOTY)
NOAH: Go Shiozaki vs. Takeshi Morishima (1/22) ****1/4
D-Ring: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. SHINGO (2/11) ****1/4
SMASH: Fit Finlay vs. TAJIRI (SMASH 25) ****1/4
PWG: Kevin Steen, Super Dragon & Akira Tozawa vs. El Generico, PAC & Masato Yoshino (KRR III) ***3/4
CHIKARA: Mike Quackenbush vs. Green Ant (The Thirteenth Hat) ***1/4
Zero-One: Kohei Saito vs. Daisuke Sekimoto (1/1) ***3/4

Sadly, I don't follow BJW and CZW. Or European feds. Or smaller Indys.
 
#374 ·
SUWAMA vs. Seiya Sanada (AJPW, 3/4/2012)

Great 2/3 falls match. The storytelling was very nice with SUWAMA being a tough badass against young Sanada. This was basically 25 minutes of SUWAMA making the man out of him, and it worked perfectly. Very effective storytelling, with great wrestling from both, especially from SUWAMA. Sanada's underdog sequences were good too. God I love SUWAMA, he's so fucking awesome, he just keeps getting better and better. Very smart wrestler, easily one of the BITW currently. Plus, he reminds me on Takayama - another huge plus in my book. Great match, but not "epic" enough to reach the ****+ territory.
Rating: ***3/4
 
#378 ·
I thought this was awful tbh. I just wanted it to end. I wasn't a fan of their match last year either though wich a lot of people liked a lot.

I'll put in my Top 10 later tonight. I have the AJPW 20/03/2012 show to go through and I have a feeling one or two matches may just squeeze their way in there.
Yeah I'm definitely hoping the cage deathmatch delivers if thats the show it's on.
 
#379 ·
Yuji Nagata vs. Masayuki Kono (AJPW, 3/20/2012)

One of the stiffest matches I've ever seen. It was a simple, yet super effective Cage Match. The story was told through sick, stiff and decapitating blows. Kono is usually average, but he brought his A-game for this match. Nagata is great, of course, and his comeback near the end was well done. I liked the drama in the end, but it was not about whos's gonna win, it was about how much punishment can Kono take. This was excellent, and my new All Japan MOTY.
Rating: ****1/4
 
#382 ·
Jun Akiyama vs. Keiji Mutoh (AJPW, 3/20/2012)

Two bald motherfuckers going at it! Great Triple Crown match that felt big and important. I liked how they went full force ballistic from the moment the bell rang. Akiyama almost captured the win right away, so Mutoh needed to cut him off with his Dragon Screws in order to prevent Akiyama from using his knees. Akiyama's selling was mostly good, I like how they told the story that Mutoh worked Akiyama's leg, but not for long/hard enough to shut down his knee arsenal. Great strategies and counters from both, some really smart shit right there. Akiyama is great (old news), and Mutoh worked very well here, he showed he can still deliver, even with doing the most simple things. Another great title defense for Akiyama, his reign is rocking. I liked the post match stuff with SUWAMA and KENSO. I guess SUWAMA is ready for a rematch.
Rating: ***3/4
 
#384 ·
Copy and pasted from the Puro thread. All matches are from the 20/03/2012 AJPW event.

4) Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi Vs Suwama & Takumi Soya
Another smartly wrestled match with Okabayashimoto (I know, that didn't work) going for the youngling and weakening him down as opposed to going toe-to-toe with the better wrestler in Suwama. The hot tag was made, however, and the veteran laid all sorts of offence on the champs.

In singles the champs wouldn't have stood a chance against Suwama but their combined strength ('Yashi is a beast, period) and tag team experience helped them pull out the win against the challengers. A good showing for all men and hopefully the start for Soya to pick up steam. I managed to see a match of his the other day and was going to go for a joke about "soya" being a cheap imitation but he seemingly impressed me. I wouldn't say he's anything but average at this point, but another few years or so of training and working out in the gym and I'm sure he'll look and wrestle legit.

Until then he can play the rookie in peril with Suwama and I'll have fun watching it. One of the better Seki/Okabayashi matches this year, too.
Rating: 4

5) Kenny Omega Vs Shuji Kondo
Great, great, GREAT finishing stretch!

The match started a bit slower than I'd have hoped, and the Kondo moments fell a bit flat but, ffs, Kenny can do little wrong in his work. He's not the smoothest or most technical worker going, but his mannerisms and entertainment factor are second-to-none, imo - a rich man's Dolph Ziggler.

The slowness of the start, I suppose, was mostly due to building the latter bits of the match with Kenny taking a vicious neck bump to the ring apron which he sold solidly for the rest of the match. I loved how he reciprocated the spot to Kondo's own head and neck giving him time to massage down his injury and spray some muscle freeze onto his throbbing neck. Kenny pretending it to be deodrant and spraying his dick was epic, too.

I'd have prefered a better offence from Kondo but the good definitely outshone the bad here - especially a finishing stretch that made me actually think Kondo would win. That, Kenny's antics, a springboard super-powerbomb and witnessing Omega deliver a fantastic Croyt's Wrath to the much larger Kondo make this match a definite watch from this show.

Probably won't be as well liked by others but dammit if I didn't love this.
Rating: 4+

6) Yuji Nagata Vs Masayuki kono
A bit of an underwhelming ending. I loved how they ended the match with a KO but I just felt disappointed for some reason - almost as if I had hyped this match up too much.

The exploder suplex and just about everything else definitely didn't live up to the hype, either. Still, it could have been worse. A lot worse. Kono underperformed, imo, but it still had enough going for it not to fall below what many fans thought this was capable of.
Rating: 4+​
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top