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The 2012 MOTYC thread

340K views 3K replies 192 participants last post by  Alan4L 
#1 ·
#888 · (Edited)
TNA Lockdown:

-Kurt Angle vs Jeff Hardy ***3/4
-TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Bobby Roode vs James Storm ***3/4

TNA Sacrifice:
-Austin Aries vs Bully Ray ***1/2
-AJ Styles vs Kurt Angle ***1/2
-World Heavywweight Championship - Ladder Match: Bobby Roode vs Rob Van Dam ***1/4

Wrestlemania:
-The Undertaker vs Triple H ****1/4
-WWE Championship: CM Punk vs Chris Jericho ****
-John Cena vs The Rock ***3/4

Extreme Rules:
-World Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan ***3/4
-WWE Championship: CM Punk vs Chris Jericho ****1/4
-John Cena vs Brock Lesnar ***3/4

Others Matchs:

ROH Championship: Davey Richards vs Michael Elgin ****1/4
El Generico vs Kevin Steen - Last Man Standing ****
IWGP Championship: Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya Naito ****1/4
Triple Crown: Jun Akiyama vs Keiji Mutoh ***3/4
 
#890 ·
Can't disagree with the above at all, Evolve 13 was a fantastic ppv.

Davis/Ki, Callihan/Generico, Fox/Gargano and Fox/Callihan all MOTYC as far as I'm concerned.
 
#891 ·
I really enjoyed Evolve 13, but am surprised people would say so many of the matches are MOTYC. Particularly, I don't see what's special about Fox/Gargano. Folks who are rating it high - can you say what you loved about it?

Davis/Ki I dug greatly. It was Ki's first real challenge in the promotion, as he was unable to bully the heavyweight with technique or striking. The Spinebuster counter to the cartwheel was the coolest thing in any Evolve match that weekend. Ki trying to dominate through his traditional standing game and failing was great, especially for how he sold the frustration, and Davis trying to make the most of the opportunity against him. It's rare that a bigger guy can be such a compelling underdog in wrestling these days.
 
#892 ·
I really enjoyed Evolve 13, but am surprised people would say so many of the matches are MOTYC. Particularly, I don't see what's special about Fox/Gargano. Folks who are rating it high - can you say what you loved about it?

Davis/Ki I dug greatly. It was Ki's first real challenge in the promotion, as he was unable to bully the heavyweight with technique or striking. The Spinebuster counter to the cartwheel was the coolest thing in any Evolve match that weekend. Ki trying to dominate through his traditional standing game and failing was great, especially for how he sold the frustration, and Davis trying to make the most of the opportunity against him. It's rare that a bigger guy can be such a compelling underdog in wrestling these days.
Did you not see Chuck Taylor debut his new move?!
Also Fox hitting his diving senton over the ladder was my fav.
 
#894 ·
Austin Aries vs. Bully Ray - TNA Sacrifice ***3/4

What a brutal beating Aries took. The action wasn't nearly as entertaining as Brock-Cena but the sick bump to the floor and those nasty chops made this something to watch. I really liked to build-up and story behind this, but Bubba really doesn't have the chops to go out there and put on a classic at this point. A few nice spots thrown in like the one man 3D and Bully actually kicking out of the brainbuster. I checked out Sacrifice just for this match and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. This was a hell of a beating and makes me want to see more of Aries in TNA.
 
#896 ·
I think it's way better than Aries''s match with Shelley which I just can't seem to get into to save me life.
 
#897 ·
Dean Allmark & James Mason vs Mark Haskins & Doug Williams - ASW:UK 26.02.2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2VeVtpBKLI&list=UUK7K1c0TLzKY0gVJqT1xeLA&index=7&feature=plcp

Really good tag match. Allmark and Mason are super as per. Naturally gifted babyface workers and terrific crowd workers too. Haskins is a great douchey heel and Williams is ok too. Finish rocks post Mason getting caught up in the ropes and selling it like the pro he is.


****

Dean Allmark & James Mason vs Rampage Brown & Robbie Dynamite - ASW:UK 17.03.2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx_czbGWXuc&list=UUK7K1c0TLzKY0gVJqT1xeLA&index=6&feature=plcp

Even better than the above tag. Allmark is a really terrific babyface, one of the best around right now. Incredibly sound technically, crisp as fuck with his moves, top notch selling and a terrific crowd worker too. Mason is every bit as good too. Strong face/heel dynamic again in this tag, probably even better. Rampage is surprisingly good for a guy with his build. Finish rocked as per with ASW:UK finishes.


****1/4

Dean Allmark vs Nathan Cruz - ASW:UK 24.03.2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Umgh40IIo&list=UUK7K1c0TLzKY0gVJqT1xeLA&index=5&feature=plcp

The best of the Allmark matches from 2012 so far imo. Cruz is a great stoogey heel but he's also really sound technically so he has no problem hanging with Allmark in that sense. Allmark is terrific, duh. Super chemistry between the two. Allmark's shine at the start was really well worked and wasn't his standard stuff either. Cruz sells and stooges around off really well too which only makes it better. Picks up to another level come the end as well. All the matches from this year on Deano's youtube page are really good. You can get their from any of the links assuming you're not an idiot.


****1/4

Vordell Walker vs Jon Davis - PWX 28.04.2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8tw7U5t3lI

I always liked Jon Davis even when he wasn't having good matches. Well THIS, this is great. Davis is really good on the mat and chain wrestling with Walker. Was really nice to see more of that side from him rather than just being a powerhouse. Walker's really good in that sense too and they just focus on having a great little wrestling match and totally succeed at it. Anyone who like the Walker/Scorpio match should really like this and anyone who didn't like it should still really like it. Basically everyone should like it so everyone should watch it.


****
 
#898 ·
I've so much to catch up on since my exams are finished. Mostly WWE to catch up on , I'll more than likely watch the Evolve shows first as Callihan/Generico and Finlay/Davis sound awesome. Anything else worth watching from last month? I'll probably give Aries/Ray a watch too.
 
#899 ·
HHH/Taker, Lesnar/Cena, and Richards vs. Elgin are more than worthy of a watch.
 
#901 ·
Sami Callihan vs El Generico - EVOLVE 13
Fuck this is the Sami Callihan that I want. Not the one who overdoes everything but this one who gets his character over enough and still shows he can work. Sami's really great in this so I'm interested in seeing what the Sami marks think of it. Honestly thought he was every bit as good as Generico in this and Generico had a great showing. Psych off at the start was great. Set it apart from every other match right from the get go. You don't get grump veteran Generico much but it always delivers when it does come out. They do a great job of making the match feel significant without ever going out of their way to overpush it's significance and I really liked that. Both men were coming off big back-to-back losses and neither could afford a third in a row so they had a lot to play for. Ki's commentary annoyed me again with his "this is a sport and a job not entertainment" bullshit but it wasn't as bad as the previous show as he didn't bury Generico as much. Callihan going for count out wins was a nice touch which added to the win at any costs arch. Leg injury kinda came out of nowhere but they worked the hell out of it and it played superbly into the teased finishes and the eventual finish itself. Would have had Sami work the leg over more leading to Generico selling it rather than Generico selling it off one kick but it worked so it doesn't matter. Transitions perfectly into the Stretch Muffler spot and then a super final run with Sami focusing on the leg to gain his advantage and Generico going through all of his stuff one leg. I'd probably put Richards/Elgin just ahead of it because the crowd fucking sucked in this and it didn't feel important outside of it's core context but both will be strong contenders for Indy MOTY come the end of the year.

****1/4

Steve Corino vs Sam Shaw - PWX 28.01.2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0hBRdq1U5c

Fans. Meet Steve Corino, most entertaining pro wrestler around. Sam Shaw is a less than average Indy wrestler but Corino ends up having one of my favorite Indy matches of 2012 with him by being the greatest person alive. If ever a match is a one man show this was it. Corino's in full on douchebag mode and his jarring with the fans is priceless. Nothing beast his jibes at the Carlton kid. Watch it and you'll know what I mean. Way too much great shtick to start naming stuff from Corino but it's not all shtick (just mostly) because he grabs a good match out Shaw which he than makes great with his shtick. Plus he gets the ultimate revenge on the annoying kids at the end. Watch until the very end. There's a good little Corino/Rich brawl from PWX on YT too. It's especially worth watching for Corino cutting the promo of the year before the match. Match is good but not essential like this is.


ACH vs SBC - Metro Pro Wrestling April 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psQDrnM4ODQ

ACH has surely gotta blow up big time by the end of the year. He's way too good not to. Super fun babyface worker and in this one SBC is a really good heel worker to pair him up with. Commentary banter is really good too and adds a lot to the match. ACH had 2 matches with Jeremy Wyatt in Metro Pro this year prior to this which were both really dragged but dragged a little which stopped them being great. This is shorter, more to the point and thus doesn't drag at all.
 
#902 ·
ROH Border Wars

Davey Richards vs Kevin Steen
This felt pretty big right from the entrances, and Steens entrance was awesome. The stare down at the start was really good and built up the tension. This was pretty full on right from the start, but never in the same way something like Davey/Eddie was with a bunch of random spots and moves. Davey started it off quick with the dive to the outside and was great at instantly playing up to the crowd and acting like a dick, that is the Davey Richards I want to see in ROH again. Davey hit an exploder on the apron quite early on after Steen had been dominating him on the outside for a bit, but it felt like an important spot because it gave Davey the advantage and control over Steen that he would get after a move that big, but instead of going straight for the cover, he was more interested in acting like a douche with the crowd and toying with Steen. It came off as him being really annoyed with the crowd for not cheering him which was good. Davey worked over Steens leg a bit, and Steen sold it really well in the long run and it did come back in to play later when Davey hit the dragon screw and started going for the ankle locks. There was still a bit of silly Davey psychology such as the two double foot stomps straight into an ankle lock, although one of them was done with Steens leg trapped in the ropes so it added pressure to the leg so it was slightly more acceptable. Despite that, Davey was fucking great here. The way he gradually got more and more desperate as the match went on and vissibly pissed off at the crowd and the fact he couldn't put Steen away was great, and he even busted out the DR Driver II that he hasn't used in years which is basically like the Jay Driller, but because of the size difference here, it looked fucking brutal. The finishing stretch was awesome with some great nearfalls, especially the second Sharpshooter attempt by Steen which the crowd was going bat shit for. Talking of the crowd, they were incredible, even beating out the Elgin match from SITS, and it really added a lot to the match. the actual finish was great too imo and Steen selling the leg almost all the way through while climbing the buckles or inbetween moves really helped the match imo. the repeated stuggles for the package piledriver were great too. I've read people saying it wasn't long enough, but it must have been about 20 minutes which is a great length, especially the type of match they wrestled, and any longer would have been overkill. I dunno, maybe people wanted another Davey/Eddie style match with tons of moves but this was so much fucking better. Really really great title match, that despite the full on nature, never came off as a spot fest or illogical in any way apart from the one spot I talked about earlier with the foot stomps. The way each guy became so desperate, and especially Davey with his facial expressions and actions was awesome to watch unfold I thought. I'm sure there will be some people who might find more flaws in the match than me but I'm not bothered really. I loved this, my US MOTY so far. ****1/4 +

Elgin/Cole was really good too, and Eddie/Rhino was very enjoyable. The show as a whole was really great.
 
#903 ·
I may have to watch the match again....I thought the DR Driver was a nice touch because Richards had got the ban lifted for it since it is technically a piledriver. And that was your US MOTY over Richards/Elgin? I'm really surprised although I agree the return of heel Richards was a great thing.
 
#904 ·
Ah, i'd have to think about that to be honest, I need to rewatch both for sure. Both are easily the best ROH matches in some time imo. I wouldn't be surprised if most people liked it less than me, but there was just something about it that gave me that feeling I used to get watching older ROH matches. The awesome crowd, the fact that Steen isn't wanted in the company and the way Davey was cracking under the pressure of beating him gave me a similar feeling to Punk/Cena at MITB last year.
 
#906 ·
They are that good especially the Elgin match. I normally don't recommend Richards's single matches anymore but his matches with Elgin, Chase Owens, and Steen are pretty great.
 
#907 · (Edited)
Eddie Kingston vs Kevin Steen - CHIKARA Hot of the Griddle
This starts off as your typical indy brawl that you would find in any ROH or PWG grudge match. They fight around the ring spitting at each other and interacting with the crowd. It all leads into to Kingston's comeback nicely. They then trade big moves and get a bunch of 2.9 counts (some felt out of place and it borderline overkill) before the well-placed low-blow to abruptly end the match. The cheap ending leaves room for a future match. Steen was the star here. That man is simply great at being a dickhead. Kingston however, came of as pretty dull in this match. His comebacks felt pretty lame and only worked because of Steen.
Rating: ***1/4

El Generico vs Sara Del Ray - CHIKARA Hot of the Griddle
I'm a big Generico mark and I've heard great things about Del Ray so my expectations were quite high. I really enjoyed the character dynamics. Generico didn't want to hit a woman, and Del Ray was offended by Generico's reluctance to go balls-to-the-walls on her so she had to dish out the punishment until Generico is forced to make an effort. Unfortunately, this didn't last long and they scrapped all the character work about eight minutes in and turn the match into an indy wankfest, but a fun one at that.
Rating: ***1/4
 
#908 · (Edited)
Seems that Uraken wasn't too pleased with my reviews of the matches I posted and sent me this reply through a rep. I was going to reply privately but what's the fun in that? Feel free to chip in your two cents in because I'm wondering if I'm the only person who isn't too high on the two CHIKARA matches.

Looks like you failed to follow the stories told in both all the way or even past a few minutes in, & pegged them as "typical indy" shit. Kingston's selling was top notch & every move SDR hit Generico with softened up his neck for the piledriver.
I never called them straight-up shit as I gave them a decent rating, but I could see plenty of flaws in them. I looked back at my copy of the event and I can see that Kingston gave great facial expressions when selling but he physically sold the moves like drunk man flopping about. I've always heard Eddie Kingston is a break from the dull Davey Richard's and Roderick Strong's of the US Indy scene, but so far he hasn't yet impressed me.

I looked back at the ending of Del Ray/Generico and yes, Del Ray did do some neck-work. But that doesn't cancel out the fact that I thought they were too reliant on near-falls.

I'm not shitting on CHIKARA for the hell of it. Hell, it's my first time watching. I enjoyed the matches but it's not really my preferred style and I will probably avoid it from now.
 
#911 · (Edited)
Eh, I just joined this board, and mainly just to read through stuff in this section, but stuff in those writeups seemed kind of hyperbolic and self contradicting to me. Won't do it again.

If you're talking about Kingston staggering around, the thing is he has a history of knee problems, and he's been playing that into his matches for ages at this point. They even pointed it out on commentary in that match. I guess Kingston working the match around selling his hand after backfisting the ring post and getting it worked over until his comeback isn't the ideal introduction to him. I dunno.

Character dynamics in Generico vs Del Rey were very easy to understand I thought. It wasn't "scrapping character work" as much as Generico was conflicted and had reached that point where he lost his hesitance. Also, it was about as "reliant on near-falls" as every other Generico match, so that seems kind of mind boggling to me if you're a huge Generico fan.
 
#917 ·
Punk/Kane was great, not on the level of the Henry matches but similar and really good.

I love how they are really selling Bryan as the best submission wrestler in companys history. Really gives him that edge and the way he's been performing he's coming off like I always wanted him to in the company, as a little vicious bastard who will just punish his opponents in the ring. The rib work on Punk in the match and the attack afterwards as well as Bryan talking about it being a target automatically sets up a story to be told in their match on Sunday, and if they deliver like we all know they can, we could be looking at a top end MOTYC. Can't wait for the match now.
 
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