Post subject: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 2:48 am
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 12:16 am Posts: 8005 Location: Springfield, MA
Yes, its that time of, uh, year... for a 2009 project. Already!? Really!?
You DOUche~bags know what to do.
THE BIG MOTHERFVCKING LIST OF SH!T YOU *HAVE* TO SEE IN 2009!!@~
WWE Jack Swagger v. Finlay, ECW 1/6 Triple H v. Big Show, Smackdown 1/9 Shawn Michaels v. John Cena, Raw 1/12
TNA Kurt Angle v. Jeff Jarrett, Genesis, 1/11
Japan/Lucha/Indy Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto v. Mitsuharu Misawa & Takashi Seguira, New Japan 1/4 Hiroshi Tanahashi v. Keiji Mutoh, IWGP Hvt Title, New Japan 1/4 Yuji Nagata v. Masato Tanaka, ZERO-ONE World Championship, New Japan 1/4
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 6:35 pm
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towney007 wrote:
Yes, its that time of, uh, year... for a 2009 project. Already!? Really!?
You DOUche~bags know what to do.
A much better start than last year's!
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towney007
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:01 pm
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 12:16 am Posts: 8005 Location: Springfield, MA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAnd, for the first nomination for the new year:
From the Dome Show:
Shinsuke Nakamura/Hirooki Goto vs. Mitsuharu Misawa/Takashi Sugiura (New Japan, 1/4)
I really wish New Japan and NOAH would work more... Misawa's performance was epic at times, take note of his selling when he eats a Goto spin kick and falls off the apron. Nakamura's always been good at selling but weak on offense, Misawa works around that weakness by just killing him with elbows. Sugiura also looked world class, working in intricate sequences, taking a shoot punch to the jaw, snapping necks with sick germans etc. Goto's the only guy who didn't really look good. Not bad, but just sort of there. Great finish.
This was definitely a cool match. I'll second the nomination.
BTW, that mini-review looks a little familiar . . .
towney007
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:34 pm
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 12:16 am Posts: 8005 Location: Springfield, MA
in my other life.....
but anyways, love the match. Misawa hasn't 'made' a match for me in a long time and man, he's a lot of fun here. Totally dug the strike exchange he and Nakamura have, where he makes Nakamura look like a million bucks for winning the first exchange but then starts murdering him with elbows and easily wins the second as sort of a 'don't forget, my name is Misawa, b!tches'... then, if that wasn't enough, he does the same for Goto, letting him have sort of this high-energy barrage before cleaning him with two elbows.
And I'm really glad they gave Seguira a lot of time to do his thing here, too. Heading into this, you KNOW he's the fall guy, but man, he's a pretty strong fall guy. Kid's got freakish strength with the sick gut wrench suplex. There's the point where he catches Nakamura's big boot and picks him up and just chucks him into the corner... and man, he's pretty athletic, too. Those intricate exchanges he whips out, especially Goto, are stuff you don't see him really get into very much. For me, he was the guy who got more rub in this than anyone, because he sort of gives Nakamura and Goto, two upper echilon guys, a real run for their money despite taking the fall. I loved, loved the finish with the hulk up from Nakamura and he cinches in that arm bar about as crisply as i've ever seen him do it... plus the reaction to the win totally rules.
So all around, this was just and exceptionally awesome tag.
So while i'm at it...
Yuji Nagata v. Masato Tanaka, ZERO ONE World Heavyweight Championship, (New Japan, 1/4)
My big issue with their last match is that it was just overkill on all the stuff that I usually hate about these two, but this is just flat out awesome stuff. It's a much leaner match, where the hate is substantially more palatable. We get a pretty wild brawl to start things off where the action spills to the outside. Tanaka works the old 'blow off his head' shtick, breaking (yes, breaking) a chair over Nagata's head, ramming him into the ring post, dropping him on his dome with brainbuster galore. All this of course busts Nagata open. Then Nagata comes roaring back with a barrage of hate filled punches that put the challenger on his heels, busting him open. He wrecks him with a high knee, launches him across the ring with an awesome back supler plex, just great hate-filled stuff.
The best part about all this is that none of it seems at all like it was overkill, even Nagata countering the last sliding D into the Demon Arm Bar.. I love those delayed finishes like we got with Cena and HBK in their matches against Batista, where you know they've been blown to bits and it's just one more batista bomb to spell the end... Nagata does the same thing here and just totally rocks Tanaka with a kick and while the first back drop driver doesn't quite do it, the second one does easily. Tanaka's team on the outside and their dissapointment makes everything that much better.
But yeah, i've watched all the matches up to the main event so far and this one and the tag really, really stick out.
Just watched the main event, Towney . . . and it is pretty awesome too. Definitely worth a nomination. I might like it a lot because I haven't watched a full Mutoh match in a while . . . but still. They follow through on some selling issues that are often ignored in many NJPW heavyweight matches, and they really pick their spots with some great strike exchanges. Mutoh messes up some sort of top rope move late in the match, but they move right along without feeling the need to repeat the spot.
Warning: There are a lot of Dragon Screw Leg Whips in this match.
I'll take a look at the Tanaka/Nagata match tomorrow.
towney007
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 12:57 am
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 12:16 am Posts: 8005 Location: Springfield, MA
Yeah its like Mutoh's G1 semi final in was it 91 or 92? Seemed like a mini shout out to that, but whatever, supposedly it's pretty good so i'll check it out obviously...
Fun card though. I always love the Dome for whatever reason..
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:13 am
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 12:16 am Posts: 8005 Location: Springfield, MA
Hiroshi Tanahashi v. Keiji Mutoh, IWGP Heavyweight Championship (New Japan 1/4)
Here's the backstory for those who don't know:
Tanahashi was sort of a lost lion back in the early part of the decade. Mutoh recognized his talents and took him under his wing. Since that relationship, Tanahashi sort of exploded and continued to improve even after Mutoh left to do the All Japan thing full time. He won the IWGP title twice, once in 2006 before regaining it in late 2007. Also in '07, he won the G1 Climax tournament and was really cemented as the 'ace' of the company.
In the storylines, Tanahashi had a terrible 2008. He lost the title at last year's Dome show to rival Shinsuke Nakamura. Then he lost to Suwama in the finals of the Champion's Carnival. Then he lost a title rematch to Nakamura. He focused on repeating as winner of the G1 Climax Tournament, and not only failed to do so, but SHOCKINGLY finished LAST. So Tanahashi came to US and A to get his groove back. We know it was a quickie tour with TNA, but over there, they said he got better and got his head straight. The New Japan President met with him, convinced him to come back and granted him a title match at the Dome.
So this is all about redemption for Tanahashi and re-establishing himself as 'the man'.
Mutoh on the other hand, after having a bunch of bad years, largely due to being broken down and two knees that are about to explode, had a rebound year this year. He shocked Nakamura in April and won the title. He'd go on to defeat Manabu Nakanishi and Togi Makabe later in the year before setting up for a huge rematch with Nakamura in October. Shockingly, Mutoh defeated Nakamura a second time. IN addition, his alter ego, "The Great Muta", won the Triple Crown from Suwama in All Japan. So its been a big year for Mutoh.
In a year where the business in general really took a smashing, New Japan finally recovered and seems on its way to a bright future, and may be the only show in town if things keep heading the way they are. A big part of that was the draw on the Dome show last year and then the reign of Mutoh. Mutoh's reign literally spiked the ratings to the highest they'd been in ten years or so and the 'comeback reign' was really gaining a lot of attention again.
So its a Hot Mutoh v. a Determined Tanahashi. Both guys with something to prove. Teacher and pupil... etc. etc. Just a really great Dome show main event.
And man, I really want to like this match, large in part, because there's a lot that's really great about it. As a friend of mine said on the forums, there's a lot of selling issues in New Japan Heavyweight matches and this right here, is a fine example of them paying attention to a lot of the little sell-ish details that can sometimes make or break a match for some. Mutoh has always been good on the sell, and does well here, with the subtle face winces, never really giving away like he's in too much pain, never freaking out in the bad situations. Basically playing the wise teacher, whose been in this kind of match a million times. Tanahashi is fantastic with his selling, too, rubbing 'feeling' back into the leg, having his leg give out on the bridge out suplex hold, etc. Even in a little celebration afterwards, his leg gives out while doing a little prance.
From what I've gathered from people, the nine gazillion dragon screw segments are what really killed this for people, and its understandable. However though, I thought they actually went somewhere with it that kinda worked. Mutoh, not the kind of guy to get outworked on the mat, by a former pupil no less, seemingly takes great exception to it. Mutoh has a history of knee injuries, so when Tanahashi targets the knee, Mutoh doesn't seem thrilled to see his former pupil going to the obvious weakness. So in return he hits his patented dragon screw. And then does it through the ropes, pulling Tanahashi to the outisde. Then plops him nuts first on the guardrail, and does it again. And again, and again.
Eventually Mutoh sort of calms a bit, and uses the dragon screw merely to keep himself in control. Tanahashi doesn't or hasn't countered it, so why bother. Once Tanahashi gets back into the groove though, he returns the favor a bit. After we've dragon screwed ourselves a whole new litter of dragon screws, Tanahashi finally opens up with some punches to the gut and this thing kicks into more of a high gear.
Tanahashi begins to search for other means to the win the match. He hits some punches, some suplexes and even tries to bust out the Texas Cloverleaf, but nothing's really working out. Mutoh seems content screwing the knee and trying to knock enough shining wizards together to get the job done. When that doesn't work, Mutoh slaps on a figure four and we get the first super-great near fall section of the match. Symbolically this works well that in the face of adversity, Tanahashi finds a way to perservere.
Once he breaks the figure four, Mutoh hits a swinging neck breaker, but gets greedy in immediately going for a brain buster. Tanahashi blocks and gives Mutoh a receipt off the top rope. You really get the sense that Tanahashi's going to do it from here on out. After the suplexes fail, largely because his legs are shot, he goes to the sling blade. That doesn't work. So we go for the high fly flow. Tanahashi connects but he wants to be sure and goes for a second but Mutoh, always known for having something in the tank when you think he's on 'E', rolls out of the way. He hits a shining wizard and goes for the moonsault, but Tanahashi, while his knees are shot, is pretty with it. He rolls into place as Mutoh goes to the top rope and rolls under the flipping champion, sending him crashing to the mat. Tanahashi hits his high fly flow frog splash and just to be sure, hits the second and that's all she wrote. Pupil surpasses teacher.
While this is really a fun story, it's kind of a wacky match. They take a lot of stuff that usually kills a wrestling match, and make it work, but still in the end, it comes off feeling like a bit much. Also, Mutoh's so shot at this point, the guy can't even straighten his knees out. They worked around it, but there's one spot where Mutoh attempts a big springboard and completelly falls off the ropes. Despite it's totally obvious flaws though, it's still a REALLY satisfying main event and on the whole an good main event on a good show. This won't be topping anyone's MOTY lists or anything, but it's a fun, satisfying main event that did what it needed to, and that's get Tanahashi back on track in as strong a way as possible.
And btw, that was the Tag title match from this Sunday's Dome show between Togi Makabe & Toru Yano and Team 3D. It stunk out the joint last year and topped it for poopie pile this year.
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:27 pm
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Jack Swagger v. Finlay (ECW on Sci Fi, 1/6)
This is the first really good TV match i've seen this year. It's kind of a carry job by Finlay, but its still really great. We've got some fun mat exchanges in the early going and things don't go so hot for Finlay. So being the cagey vet he is, he cuffs Swagger right in the face, trying to goad him into a fight. Swagger's more than willing to comply and totally shows the world he means business when he totally chucks Hornswaggle into the guard rail. So both find ways to get under the other guy's skin and things pick up. Swagger uses Finlay's anger against him a bit and goes to work on the arm. After tearing the arm apart, Finlay eventually mounts a really great one-armed come back until he eventually eats some ring post. Swagger signals for the end and hits the kick to the gut, but Finlay fights out of the gut wrench power bomb and rolls swagger up for a super awesome near fall. Finlay's last gasp charge is met with a knee to the face and great gut wrench power bomb to end it.
Great, great put over match. Finlay makes Swagger look like a killer here, without ever looking weak himself. Hornswaggle's used super-effectively here. The segments are tight and worked snug and the bigger spots in the match are really placed well. This is an awesome match.
I'll second this. It made me miss when Finlay was a bad mother fvcker. He definitely looked like a bad mother fvcker in this.
I'll second that. As a fellow Paddy I'm really p*ssed off at how they're using him. What a waste of talent on such a lame-@$$ gimmick. Check out his "Dave Finlay" matches on sporting classics!
towney007
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:06 am
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Once he drops Hornswaggle, Cougar... he should drop the irish from his gimmick and become "David Finlay"
And bring back Kerwin White for a 'ONE NIGHT ONLY~!'
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:45 am
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Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:57 pm Posts: 686
I'll third Finlay/Swagger. I heard they have been working a ton on house shows, which can only mean good things for Swaggers growth as a performer. Stick him with guys like Finlay and Matt Hardy and he'll turn out okay. I'm looking forward to Matt/Swagger next week.
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Graham Crackers
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:08 pm
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HooRAH wrote:
I'll third Finlay/Swagger. I heard they have been working a ton on house shows, which can only mean good things for Swaggers growth as a performer. Stick him with guys like Finlay and Matt Hardy and he'll turn out okay. I'm looking forward to Matt/Swagger next week.
I saw Matt Hardy vs Jack Swagger at the MSG house show in December. They did a great amateur wrestling sequence in the beginning with Swagger getting a lot of takedowns and making sure everyone knew he was ahead on points. They spent a good amount of time on the mat in the opening and still kept MSG interested. The crowd was prettyhyped by the time Hardy started throwing punches (and doesn't Hardy have some of the best looking punches in WWE?). At the same show there was a fun CM Punk vs William Regal in which a lot of the crowd couldn't get into the matwork. I guess you can't win them all.
Cougar
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Once he drops Hornswaggle, Cougar... he should drop the irish from his gimmick and become "David Finlay"
I'd mark out like a High school chick at an N-Sync gig (circa 2000-ish), only to end up at a frat party kegger on a wednesday night,(then) only to realise that the weekend is yet to come for that to happen.
Don't get me wrong, it's great having an "Irish", wrestler, but for god's sake; just do what they're doing with Regal, lets have the guy just wrestle!
HooRAH
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:09 pm
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Nominating- Triple H vs. Big Show, Last Man Standing 1/9 SD
Really good cat & mouse match. HHH wrestled from underneath, with Big Show wrestling from the top down. They paced the counts well, without doing too many of them, or burning through finishers. The spot where HHH fires up and challenges Show after mauling him with headbutts into the corner was awesome. They also did a Rocky/Clubber Lang esque spot where Show is throwing punches but HHH is ducking them, until Show gets tired and loses control. The finish was good too. Protected HHH as tough as nails, but also kept Big Shows KO punch very credible. Sometimes HHH is a good worker and sometimes he isn't, tonight he was. And Big Show is basically the best big man in the business. Glad to see him look strong again after a series of Taker jobs.
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Kennedy_FAN
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:52 am
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HooRAH wrote:
Nominating- Triple H vs. Big Show, Last Man Standing 1/9 SD
Really good cat & mouse match. HHH wrestled from underneath, with Big Show wrestling from the top down. They paced the counts well, without doing too many of them, or burning through finishers. The spot where HHH fires up and challenges Show after mauling him with headbutts into the corner was awesome. They also did a Rocky/Clubber Lang esque spot where Show is throwing punches but HHH is ducking them, until Show gets tired and loses control. The finish was good too. Protected HHH as tough as nails, but also kept Big Shows KO punch very credible. Sometimes HHH is a good worker and sometimes he isn't, tonight he was. And Big Show is basically the best big man in the business. Glad to see him look strong again after a series of Taker jobs.
I`ll second this.It was little fun match with great ending,that made Triple H look mortal(after he squashed the competition the rest of the night).
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Quote of the year
benhagen20
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Nagata vs. Tanaka - NJPW (1.4.09) Misawa & Sugiura vs. Nakamura & Goto - NJPW (1.4.09)* (definite contender for MOTY) Mutoh vs. Tanahashi - NJPW (1.4.09) Finlay vs. Swagger - ECW (1.6.09) Triple H vs. Big Show - Smackdown (1.9.09)
So far we're on top of things, I'd say. Both of the WWE matches mentioned thus far are really fun. I hope Ki goes to ECW so we can see Finlay vs. Low Ki soon!
Question: Why did the cameras cut away from Big Show's chokeslam on Triple H? (both in the live action and on the replay) Did it just not look as devastating as Vince wanted it to look?
Kris
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:34 am
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Assuming the last few days of '08 are eligible for voting, I'd like to nominate Roderick Strong/Brent Albright vs. Kensuki Sasaki/Katsuhiko Nakajima from the 12/26 ROH show.
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HooRAH
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:00 pm
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benhagen20 wrote:
Both of the WWE matches mentioned thus far are really fun. I hope Ki goes to ECW so we can see Finlay vs. Low Ki soon!
But...they didn't happen on a PPV... HOW COULD THIS BE?
benhagen20 wrote:
Question: Why did the cameras cut away from Big Show's chokeslam on Triple H? (both in the live action and on the replay) Did it just not look as devastating as Vince wanted it to look?
I noticed this two. I have no earthly idea. They did the same thing when HHH was put through a table after HHH/Morrison.
I hope this isn't a new thing.
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isrs4life
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 2:27 pm
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Triple H vs. The Big Show - Last Man Standing Match First, good Smackdown match of the year!
towney007
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 3:44 pm
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Totally unnecessary third for Triple H-Big Show. Is it me or do these guys just really click well? Like almost every time they wrestle? Or is it that Big Show clicks with everyone these days?
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:27 pm
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By the way, I second the Nakamura/Goto vs. Misawa/Sugiura tag, and will do a quick write up later.
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Aussie_Wolf
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:43 pm
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I am pleased the HHH-Big Show was nominated, seconded and thirded even. I really loved this match, just awesome. I was hoping to come here and nominte it meekly after seeing it sh!t on in the SD thread. I just rapt that I'm not the only one who loved it.
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OneManX
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 11:29 pm
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I'm hesitant to nominate anything from TNA Genesis... but from first impressions, I want to nominate Shelly/Sabin, Angle/Jarrett/ and the Hardcore 6-man... I'm DL'd the torrent now so I can get a second look....
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HooRAH
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:19 pm
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John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels 1/12
Not quite their 2007 England broadway, but a heck of a tv match. Fantastically heated finishing stretch.
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templar
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:28 pm
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I'll second it. Not often I enjoy TV-matches anymore, the commercials makes my attention go away, and I get easily bored by tag team matches, but I really liked this match. Seems like HBK and Cena always put on something exciting.
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benhagen20
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
I'm hesitant to nominate anything from TNA Genesis... but from first impressions, I want to nominate Shelly/Sabin, Angle/Jarrett/ and the Hardcore 6-man... I'm DL'd the torrent now so I can get a second look....
Angle/Jarrett definitely should be nominated, so I'll do so now (or we can count this as a second!). Really intense stuff for the first half . . . Angle's craziness works once in a while, and Jarrett's on a whole different level than most guys on the roster. Jarrett's uppercuts remind me of the great punches I'm enjoying on the Memphis set I'm slowly working through. The Angle Slam off the stage was a much bigger bump than either guy should really be taking too . . . but the in-ring action after this bump wasn't as good as the stuff that came before it (some of it downright goofy), but it's easily the best match of the PPV. (Some of the announcing was horribly annoying, however, especially during the near falls.) Don't think it'll make it on my Top 20 or anything . . . but it was going in that direction for a while before it fell apart . . .
Shelley/Sabin, however, I'm hesitant to nominate. I could probably name twenty matches just like it . . . plus I'm not a big fan of the "fluid" style that mirrors KENTA vs. Marufuji matches. No wrestler should be able to reverse stuff as easily as these two do . . . there are several times in the match where one guy gets into position and just pauses there for a couple seconds before the other guy "remembers" to do his stuff. I love Alex Shelley, but he can do better than this. It certainly wouldn't offend me if this makes it on the nomination list, but others can take care of that if they so desire.
I'll have to give a big no to the 6-man too. That was ugly stuff.
The Fonz
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:08 am
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Michaels/Cena a thousand times over. That was some fantastic stuff. Both guys missing their key stuff for a majority of the match and searching for different answers was really fun. Michael's face after JBL helped him was godly.
They built the entire finish off such a small subtly, even though it was so physically minor the entire arena was onto it in a second. That amazed me. So well done.
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El Rockero
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:45 am
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^^^I really couldn't get into that match...does anyone else think it was kinda sloppy?
Yeah, the match with Cena on Raw was probably better than any of Michaels matches last year, save his match with Batista at One Night Stand (and maybe his match with Flair). For sure, it was better than all of his matches with Jericho.
Sloppiness in John Cena matches is just something people have to get over. His execution is unorthodox and a bit goofy at times, but he makes up for it in his great ability to sell the offense and his increasing ability to work complex spots when need be. Some of the iffier moments in the match last night really don't overshadow the fact that the match was well put together and a much better example of a back-and-forth match that doesn't neglect selling or deliberate pacing when performing a dance of reversals and fluctuation. In other words, a much better example of this sort of match than Shelley and Sabin put on at the TNA PPV (which was a fun match, but no where NEAR the level of this performance . . . which isn't even as good, I think, as the epic match in '07).
Anyway, it's pointless to second the match since it already has, but I dug it a great deal and might make it into my Top 20 if '09 going by the quality of the matches on my '08 list. A bit earlier to tell though.
towney007
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:15 pm
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Ben stole the words almost directly out of my mouth it feels like, but yeah, what he said.
Shawn Michaels v. John Cena, Raw 1/12
There are so many of these types of matches that are worked so horribly nowadays, its mostly refreshing to see it worked well. I have always preferred HBK as a heel as opposed to his face work. Here, he's not working full blown heel or anything, but he's definately not working face. He breaks out the good ole knee to the face, his normally sh!tty strikes didn't look great here, either, but this time had mustard. Because he wasn't working babyface he wasn't having to sell, which frankly, he's just not that great at anymore. But what we get here is a much more snug, sharp Michaels, which seems to be the norm whenever he's got a frown on his face.
Some great spots in here with Cena kicking Michaels off the top rope and catching him on his shoulders, shoving him hard to the mat in the opening exchange, etc. The thing that suck out to me, is that one of the thing Cena more or less is sh!tty at, is working those complex counter spots, and as Ben said, he looked like a million bucks on all of them here.
The big promise heading into this is that it was 'HBK's Wrestlemania' and that Cena was 'down' with that. And we got, in my opinion, a superior match to the one we got at Wrestlemania 23 last year. JBL was totally a presence and his subtle additions to the match were awesome from the outside. The interference walked a thin line that's so tough to do in terms of making it so that HBK's win doesn't really look cheap, but Cena didn't lose cleanly, either.
Either way, this was a fantastic match, and'll have a really, really good shot at getting on my top 20 list.
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:58 pm
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Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:57 pm Posts: 686
From Jake Roberts blog: "This, my friends, was one of the best Raws I've ever seen. Thanks mostly to the hard work and professional job done by Shawn Michaels. I enjoyed it and was proud to watch it. Thanks so much. Does anyone realize what a great job Shawn did selling everything he did? That is one thing Mr. Cena should watch and try oh so hard to accomplish. The proper way to sell makes the match and doesn't waste the effort given. Wonderful."
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Aussie_Wolf
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:15 pm
Registered User
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:11 pm Posts: 1691 Location: Waking the Fallen in the City of Evil
HooRAH wrote:
From Jake Roberts blog: "This, my friends, was one of the best Raws I've ever seen. Thanks mostly to the hard work and professional job done by Shawn Michaels. I enjoyed it and was proud to watch it. Thanks so much. Does anyone realize what a great job Shawn did selling everything he did? That is one thing Mr. Cena should watch and try oh so hard to accomplish. The proper way to sell makes the match and doesn't waste the effort given. Wonderful."
Oh, I don't doubt HBK was awesome, but I think Roberts is selling Cena a little short. Plenty other wrestlers names should be inserted into that statement before Cena's name is uttered, but overall, I get his point
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OneManX
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:10 am
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Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:55 pm Posts: 377 Location: K-Town, GA
I've just watched Genesis and I'm gonna go ahead and nominate Shelley/Sabin.
The match pacing was a big stop and go, but it was def. with exception to Jarrett/Angle one of the better matches on the card. This was just a solid match, no overkill spots (they both kicked out of each other's signatures), and Shelley wins it classic Alex Shelley fashion. Just a good match between a great tag team.
It more than likely wont be my MotY, but it will def. crack my top 10-20
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SuperMophetBros
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
i'll second shelly/sabin -really good match. It was wrestled like an ROH match but played out like a puro heavyweight contest. I thought the spots at the end were a little overkill but I liked the ending because both guys used everything they had and Shelly seems more inclined to cheat.
Next to Cena /HBK this is the best match I've seen so far.
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SuperMophetBros
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
I'll third Angle/Jarrett -Jarretts brawling is great, and delivers some crazy sh!t, the spot off the table and that running planca. Angle delivers a great match, I really bought the hatred between the two. Good wrestling, good psychology, good spots, and a good finish.
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benhagen20
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
I rewatched the Shelley/Sabin match and still don't like it, but the match should still probably be included on the nomination list if only because of the buzz it has been receiving (I swear, though, both Japan and the Indies have put on matches exactly like this . . . plus, Shelley has had much better matches with other opponents). Different strokes, I guess.
I just watched Jack Swagger vs. Hardy from this past ECW, and I gotta say that I was pretty impressed. If Swagger sticks with it, I imagine he'll make it big. He's got great speed, great strength, a good feel for how matches should play out, and he's young! Not as impressive as Lesnar was from the get-go, but still. I hope they haven't pushed him too quickly (probably not the case since ECW is the "development" show). Regardless, this is the fourth great TV main event in a row (Swagger/Finlay, Triple H/Show, HBK/Cena, Swagger/Hardy). What do we think of this match? Should it get nominated or was it just a "okay"? I don't think it'll make it into my Top 20 or anything (as I foresee HBK/Cena will), but maybe it should still make it on our list. If Swagger/Finlay makes it, I sorta think this should as well . . . count this as a nomination I guess.
OneManX
Post subject: Re: Match of the year Project. HOLYCRAP ITS 2009!~
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:40 pm
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Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:55 pm Posts: 377 Location: K-Town, GA
I agree with you, Hagen. I KNOW Shelley has had better matches (I personally think his 'I Quit' match vs Jimmy Jacobs at Joe vs Punk II was his best) And this isn't one Sabin's best but for what it was it was a good match, and the ending does lead itself into maybe a return match, which for some reason seems to be the better match in TNA (Gail/Kong II, Angle/Joe II, Angle/Jarrett II)
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