but taker vs michaels is no chance the way things are going

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Unfortunately

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Mini Bennett I would say that Orton/Cena from Breaking Point is better than their previous two Summerslam encounters. But that's just me. You may not think so. Just give it a watch.

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I'd say the thing that's so awesome in general about the Cena-Orton match ups are that they're all completely different matches. Even in the great, great rivalries like Dundee-Lawler, Flair-Steamboat, etc... you don't see a ton of DIVERSITY in the tones and styles of the matches. The Orton-Cena series is different because, well, the matches are so different.. The I Quit match was absolute brutality. The No Way Out match was like a total 80's throwback. The Summerslam match was way more 'epic' in nature. The Summerslam 09 match was some late-90s shmoz fest... It makes it a really accessible feud just because no matter what your 'tastes' are, there's a match in the series you'll like.

As for the MOTY. In the WWE, Orton-Cena (Breaking Point), Jericho-Rey (The Bash, SD 7/16, JD), and Taker-Michaels are pretty much the cream of the crop. Christian-Swagger isn't far behind. You could make an argument for any of those four and I probably wouldn't fight ya at all. Even the first Cena-HBK match from Raw earlier this year might make a run.

As for outside the WWE, The Nakamura-Tanahashi match in February was phenominal stuff and IMO, their best match together. The NOAH-New Japan tag from the Tokyo Dome was pretty excellent as well. Also, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see BattlARTS crash the party. All Japan has been VERY hit and miss, but they're always a hit if you're into tag wrestling. Gurentai (Minoru Suzuki & Taiyo Kea) are the best team on the planet right now, IMO.

The thing about this thing though that you have to remember... is that while opinion on these forums usually dictate the ballot, it doesn't have much impact on the final result. For example, most matches usually end up being WWE matches, largely because they have the most exposure. The more 'popular' matches usually do better. That being said, the last two years, there's been a huge surprise. Nagata-Tanahashi did WAY better than I expected to.. Myself and others had it really high in this forum, but I totally didn't expect it to have enough exposure to get into the top 10, but it did. Even the fvcking BattlARTS tag made the top 20 last year, which was shocking to me... And believe it or not, we have a huge latino following on this site, so when Lucha matches get nominated, they do well. Outside of a few on this board though, its not as popular so the nominations are usually lower.

Shawn Michaels-Ric Flair won last year, and I think ONE of the people who got chosen to write the final piece had it in their top five. I don't even know if I had it in my top 10. But it won by a landslide. So did Cena-Umaga and Orton-Cena in '07 and they were really popular on the boards... So yeah, the outside dynamic is really a lot more powerful.

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Christian vs. William Regal, Breaking Point.

No love for this? I thought as a whole match this was better than Cena-Orton. Regal was on fire here, as his mat sections looked fantastic, his selling was superb, and his offense looked stiffer than BattlArts. The match built around the idea of Regal having various ways to block the Killswitch. When he finally hits it it feels like the rightful end. Great match that's getting slept on. Regal is one of the best in the company right now. I'm loving his push.

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It looks like you are seconding my nomination.

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Fireworks + Phoenix Splashes = Pure Awesomeness

I seconded it too

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Fujita Jr. Hayato vs. Great Sasuke - 06.19.2009

I have it on good authority that this is the best Junior match of 2009. And I strongly agree, which is both a testament to this performance's quality and the general suckitude of its competition.

The obligatory opening mat-/chain-wrestling sequence isn't akin to a fast-forwarded breakdance, a recurring theme in these kinds of contests. Instead each performer takes time to emphasise each hold, twisting and pulling to make them worth our attention. This is the first sign that these two intend to show that selling is NOT necessarily incompatible with the style.

Hayato's control segments are fun to watch, simply for his overall competence at being an absolute a$$hole. He provokingly slaps and strikes a grounded Sasuke, hooking his eye during a resthold amongst other nice touches. Rather than transition swiftly through a stacked moveset displaying the countless ways to harm a leg, Hayato sticks to the basics and stomps (with some noted sting) on the limb. Obviously this adds to his general pr!ckness, but it also achieves the same effect as dehabilitating leg-lock #635 without over-complicating the match. A Junior not concerned with running through his vast expanses of move knowledge?! Seems so, and props to him.

This working of the leg doesn't remain Hayato's primary focus, which brings into question Sasuke's persistent selling of the damage. Immediately coming out of the torture, Sasuke maintains a sense of injury in relation to the limb. It appears unable to support his weight, or at the very least prevents him galloping about. However as time draws on, and as Hayato's attention slips away from that particular focal point, Sasuke's selling goes from hindering pain to niggling irritation to almost completely ebbed away. I don't view this as typical Junior no-selling, but an appropriate development considering the direction the match takes (i.e. away from the leg work). Thankfully, Sasuke never gives reason to believe he has totally forgotten about the hurt leg.

Sasuke's segments are the weaker aspects of the performance, as he does get a little too spotty with offense. Utilising one or two aerial stunts to regain control is understandable, but relying on it beyond when control is firmly in his grasp draws suspicions of his being a 'spot monkey'. Fortunately the match is depicted along a strongly deliberate pacing, rather than the dash-about shenanigans generally associated with the style. This allows the aerial moves Sasuke persists with to take on a meaning; perhaps as a measured 'killer blow' than merely 'gotta whip the crowd into a frenzy' or 'this match needs to be EPIC~!'.

On that note, this encounter never really degenerates into an superficial attempt to construct 'epic-ness' by trading near-falls or gasp-inducing spots. It's focus is on 'who will succumb first?' in the final stretch as initially Sasuke tries to finish his opponent off with a few 'bombs', then Hayato gains an opening and eventually succeeds. And, with relief, there's no crappy 'fighting spirit' moments resulting in the brushing off of damage. There's a healthy impression of sustained damage and fatigue throughout, and for that alone it should be praised.

This has a real chance at creeping into my final list, should enough people get behind it. I'll post a link in the 'Match-O Request-O' thread in the Puro/Lucha board. Unfortunately I have no clue what promotion this emanated from, but it has something to do with Mexico. Ask Graham Crackers, he recommended it to me in the first place.

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Michinoku Pro, Scott.... If this was 10 years ago, this'd have been a big match.... I'll definately check it out.

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Don't kill me if you hate it. I know how much you detest Junior matches these days.

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Well for all the crappy junior matches we've had in recent years, there's been some good ones. Hayato is a weird dude. I hate 90% of his stuff and then.. well.. he has one fantastic match a year to keep me off his case. He had a really good juniors match against Yoshitune last year where he won the title. Sasuke is Sasuke. Even when he's bad he's a lot of fun.

Michinoku Pro was a big deal about 10 years ago. They couldn't seem to keep up the momentum but unlike a lot of other promotions in Japan, they survived and are still going. Jinsei Shinzaki (aka Hakushi) is running the show there I believe...

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Honestly, if GC hadn't praised it I wouldn't even have given Sasuke / Hayato the time of day. Maybe that's a fault on my part, judging the performance before watching it, but right about now you can kind of expect what'll happen. Stunts, no-selling, plethora of near-falls, excessive amounts of moves packed into short sequences ... Just a whole load of stuff that doesn't particularly appeal to me. Nothing against people who do, but the style more often than not turns up an underwhelming result in my experience.

Sasuke / Hayato does away with a lot of that, though Sasuke's control segments do get a little stunty for stunts' sake. But maybe that's his schtick a la Mysterio mid-'90s. Haven't seen much of the guy, in fact his only other match I've seen is against TAKA Michinoku at WWF IYH Candian Stampede. The deliberate pacing does away with the whole 'gotta run about and make the crowd chant 'awesome' or we fail!' mindsight, I feel. The best part though is the absence of 'fighting spirit' and its replacement by mostly competent selling. For that alone, I hold Sasuke / Hayato in higher regard than most of its fellow Junior style matches.

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Nominating:

Takayama vs. Suwama (AJPW 8/30)

I was kind of on the fence about this, if for nothing more than a kind of lumbering, slow start. Once this picks up though, its borderline disturbing. These two really beat the f-ck out of each other. The finish is probably hairiest finish I've seen to any match in Japan this year, perhaps anywhere.

YES

Fujita Jr. Hayato vs. Great Sasuke - Michinoku Pro, 06.19.2009

Scottie pretty much said everything here, but this is a first rate juniors match. Great mat work in the beginning. Some folks tried to make the argument this was slow.. I'm sorry, but it really kept my attention. The back and forth nature was good without killing you with OMG COUNTERZ~ and seemed more like a struggle for momentum. When neither guy can get any traction, they just say 'fvck it' and start killing each other. Hayato brings the kicks and the leg work. Sasuke brings the nuttiness. Selling was pretty well sustained and looked good. Great match. Michinoku Pro has fallen quite a great deal from where it was once upon a time, but it still finds SOME WAY to deliver something every year. This was a ton of fun.

On a SIDE note, Scott, there's been more 'good' junior matches this year than there has been in a long time. At least things are looking up again.. if only a little bit.

Christian vs. William Regal, Breaking Point.

I went back and watched this as soon as the Pats sh!t the bed this afternoon and man, it was awesome. Regal brings the brutality here in a pretty great way. They play off the TV match well (which, btw why the fvck did THAT not get nominated?) with Regal not wanting to eat anymore killswitching, him blocking, countering and countering BIG. Christian's pretty great here too and even EATS a Regalplex. Fantastic match. Better than Cena-Orton? Eh, probably not. But still really, really good. I've got a feeling this shouldn't be slept on.

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You're probably right. I've seen a few good ones this year, even more so if you include ROH to discussions on the Junior style. I still rate McGuinness / KENTA quite highly, again because of its persistent attempts to incorporate good selling, and I remember Danielson / McGuinness delivering. Marvin / Ishimori from SEM was all kinds of decent too. So there has been a notable upturn in quality. But I'll leave rifling through the crap and 'discovering' the good ones to you, GC and Ben. There's still a lot of 40+ minute suck-fests out there.

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IMO, this is kind of the problem.

Its really a weakness of that style. IMO, any juniors match that goes over 20 minutes usually tend to not be good. Hayato-Sasuke is an exception, but as a general rule of thumb, if its two junior and going long, it'll probably suck. I usually find the more compact matches are better in that style. Its supposed to be fast. Its supposed to be a sprint. There's supposed to be a lot of back and forth and there's SUPPOSED to be a lot of bomb throwing. It should be short and sweet. In juniors matches, the emphasis should, IMO, be on the offense, not the selling. In long matches though, selling is really the name of the game. Take people that don't have to sell much and put them in a sell-heavy environment and well.. you get a lot of what we get today.

Even if you go back to the glory days of the New Japan juniors in the 90s, you wouldn't find much that went past that 20 minute mark that was really, really good. I think the workers then kind of understood their style better and what it was meant to get over. Nowadays, everyone is caught up in this whole spot-fest stuff, which isn't just set stunts and mOVEZ.. its taking entire sections of a match... like the 'feeling out process' and turning into one big, obligatory spot. Its 'just something DUH that has to be in every great match' instead of mat work that contributes to the overall ebb and flow of the story.

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This is what I hate about Junior matches, but like you said, some of them can be great past 20 minutes. However, New JApan for the most part have kept their Jr title matches under 20 minutes this year, and that is probably because of Tiger Mask. NOAH and All Japan are the two companies that overdo this, but NOAH has two or three JR matches that I would put in my top 20 this year (KENTA/Nakajima 3, Marvin/Ishimori form the SEM show and Aoki/Liger from the final Southern Navigation show)

Anyway, back to saying yea/nay to matches and I say Yes to Sasuke/Hayato. This will probably be Hayato's best match this year and Sasuke isn't that crazy as he is in some matches.

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Fireworks + Phoenix Splashes = Pure Awesomeness

YES-Fujita Jr. Hayato vs Great Sasuke M-Pro 06/19/2009
I love the Great Sasuke. He spent the first few years of his career getting his @$$ kicked by Super Delphin, Jedo, and Gado in Gran Hamada's UWF undercards. They would really lay it in on young Sasuke. Then he became Ninja Sasuke on a tour of UWA in Mexico. At first he was your tyoical Fantastico rip-off but he wasn't without promise. Eventually he opened up Michinoku Pro wrestling because he needed an outlet for his own insanity.

I once saw Sasuke get powerbombed off a ring apron by Dos Caras and fracture his skull. When Dos Caras placed him back in the ring he powerbombed him again and Sasuke kicked out. Sasuke was probably disappointed that he didn't die.

Sasuke fractured his skull again when he attempted a FLYING RIDER KICK to the floor against Ultimo Dragon. Despite that being a danger every time he sues that move he continues to regularly pull it out. Even when it seems out of context Sasuke will pull it out. He even did that move against Bob Backlund when they wrestled in Battlarts. Sasuke is a nut.

Sasuke is actually a well known local politician in Japan. He even wears his mask to government hearings. He also owns a gold statue of himself.He recently assaulted a paparazzi who took photos of him with his mask on while riding the subway. If he didn't already exist we would have to invent him!

So that brings us to 2009. This card was in honor of Sasuke's twentieth anniversary in wrestling. Sasuke decides "Tonight would be the perfect night to kill myself." He has chosen Hayato to be his executioner. Hes' old and broken down but determined to go out in style. Sasuke has all of the nutty dives that people expect from juniors but he's also got great selling, good facial expressions (rare for someone with a mask on), a solid base, and an aura of danger that few wrestlers today can replicate.

Nomination: The Briscoes vs El Generico and Kevin Steen RoH on HDNet 9/14

To put it simply: THIS IS A FUCKING FIGHT! These two teams have battle for months (years even) and this is the first time (I believe) that this feud makes it to HDNet. They do a good job explaining why these two hate each other. Out of all the Tag Team matches that have aired, IMHO, this is one of the best. Yeah it's moveZ~! but I think most people can look past it.

The only problem... it ends in a No Contest


Part 1


Part 2

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Wrestleview's Commissioner of Food and Beverage




MMMmmmmmmm

Undertaker, John Cena&DX vs. CM Punk, Randy Orton&Legacy
Triple H's most improved match on TV since returning to Raw.
Cena did a decent job.
Undertaker toobstonening Orton and pinning Orton after was a good way to end
the 10th anniversary of Smackdown!

Nominating:
Takashi Sugiura vs. Yoshihiro Takayama NOAH 10/3/2009
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs. Jun Akiyama & KENTA NOAH 10/3/2009
I think Takayama vs Sugiura is easily better than Takayama vs Suwama. It's kind of scary violent. In a post-Misawa world it's pretty disturbing to see Takayama come back from a stroke a few years ago to start taking punches right in the face. The beating is much worse for Sugiura who is all fired up. Of course it only lasts 8 minutes but it's a truly cringe worthy 8 minutes.

Then you have the reunion of the Holy Demon Army. It's tough to stop myself from marking out when I see Kawada and Taue in the same ring but I tried. KENTA is a punk and I hate him. He slaps Kawada after a rope break and gestures as if to say "Now you hit me." Is that what you really want KENTA? Are you sure? Kawada obliges.

KENTA is always better going up against heavyweights and you've got some nice ones right here. Kawada looks really good for a guy who has spent the last few years singing and dancing. He looked better than he did in the Koshinaka anniversary tag. Taue's got his working boots on too so how could you not love this? May be my favorite NOAH match of the year.

Nominating

D-Generation X vs Legacy - Hell in a Cell match - WWE Hell in a Cell
Simply put , i'd like to say that this match was perfectly booked.
Not only did they brought something new but it made perfect sense. Legacy's really coming out of that feud with DX as real threats and i can't wait to see what next for them.
Simply put , the best tag team feud that WWE had in years.

I've got 2 other matches (Cena/Orton & Morrisson/Ziggler) that i will have to re-watch as i'm still hesitating of nominating them.

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Is there any way to edit my previous post ?

After re watching the 2 matches i was talking about in the previous post , i'm nominating one.

John Cena vs Randy Orton - Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship - WWE Hell in a Cell
At 1st sight , i was a little bit hesitating because i felt like it didn't deliver everything it could have.
But on my second viewing , i really got into it and like it.
I can't really explain why as my knowledge isn't near as good as other people here but this match got me good.
So yeah , i'm nominating it.

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K some businaz to attend to:


Second:

Sugiura-Takayama - Insanely violent. Its a great little snap shot for non-puro fans to get a good idea of what Japanese wrestling's all about. So much violence. A head dropping or two, some nasty knees to the FACE~ and oh yeah... punches. Full on. To the face. Awesome short match.

Taue/Kawada-KENTA/Akiyama - Yay. Holy Demon Army. I want Kawada back in NOAH badly after this. His exchanges with Kenta are just awesome. Taue brings the working boots the best he can, delivering the slowest nine-billion mega-ton but still awesome kicks ever. This is really the Kawada show and its one heck of a show. I highly reccommend this.

Cena-Orton, HIAC - Fantastic match. Could have used blood though. This really settled into a methodical pace, and there's nothing wrong with that at all, its just that the blood would have really helped this out a lot and helped fill the gaps and kept the crowd focused a bit more on the punishment. The incorporated the cell decently while Orton's insanity is on full display. The finishing stretch was one of the best stretch runs of any WWE match this year. This is an easy nomination. My top 20 list is turning into the Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, John Cena and Randy Orton list of fun.

DX-Legacy - Yes to this as well. Great psychology and use of the cell. Great job iscolating Michaels and working him over as he's clearly been put over as the more vulnerable DX member. THis was probably Dibiase's career match to date. He's a total douche from jaw jacking with Triple H, to screwing with the crowd and even yelling at the barricade and other innanimate objects. Fun brawl that maintains a lot of tension in a match featuring a team where the outcome is hardly ever in doubt.

Rey/Batista-Jerishow - Fvck yes. This was awesome. Great double teams from Batista and Rey, and lemme say, Batista could have been one outstanding tag team wrestler had they chosen to keep him in the mid card. HIs offense is built for this stuff. Jericho and Rey are so good together its almost disheartening. Huge yes to this.


Nominating

Big Show & Chris Jericho vs. D-Generation X, Raw 10/5

Awesome TV main event. Michaels looked like a competent face in peril for the first time in forever here. The crowd goes completely bat-sh!t bonkers for the Triple H hot tag and Jericho and Show work over opponents better than anyone. The Steelers Offensive line thing was so cheesy it was awesome. That's how you use celebs. Another match with a really great stretch run in a week of good stretch runs. This is an easy nomination.

The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston, US title, Raw 10/5

Cena-Orton had a great stretch run. So did the main event of this same show. This might be the best stretch run any match has had all year and from two guys you wouldn't expect to see that from. This is easily a career match for these two. They really walk an amazing fine line between momentum and losing the match. Kofi seems SO CLOSE yet SO FAR as he hits his big offense down the stretch. Miz comes off as convincingly desperate, but still dangerous and capable. I could watch the finish to this over and over again. This is another easy nomination.

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Easy second for Kofi vs. Miz last night. Even though I was expecting the Miz to get the belt after the Trouble in Paradise that knocked Miz outside, I was still on the edge of my seat, and I was still gripped by the entire match.

I'll second JeriShow vs. DX as well, great main even through and through.

Yes to Jerishow/DX...great match. DX has been really stellar thus far.

[quote="RatedRBitch"]Nominating

[b]D-Generation X vs Legacy - Hell in a Cell match - WWE Hell in a Cell[/b]
Simply put , i'd like to say that this match was perfectly booked.
Not only did they brought something new but it made perfect sense. Legacy's really coming out of that feud with DX as real threats and i can't wait to see what next for them.
Simply put , the best tag team feud that WWE had in years.

I've got 2 other matches (Cena/Orton & Morrisson/Ziggler) that i will have to re-watch as i'm still hesitating of nominating them.[/quote]

I second dxvs legacy and jerishow vs batista and rey

Yes for Kofi vs Miz. I haven't been that glued to my tv while Raw was on in years.

Nominating:

Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio - Smackdown 10/9/09.

The fact that this is actually their worst match together this year is scary. As far as I’m concerned, every Jericho-Mysterio match should be on this list.

Batista vs. CM Punk - Smackdown 10/9/09.

Another solid SD encounter. Batista looked really impressive here, as well as Punks heel antics. I actually wasn't annoyed at all by the count out finish.

YES- Legacy/DX Hell in a Cell

NO!!!- Cena/Orton Hell in a Cell

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yes - dx vs legacy hiac
one of the best hiac ive ever seen

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No dx/legacy hell in the Cell
Yes Cena/ Orton Hell in the Cell
Nominating also Cena/ Orton Breaking point
The reason: The comeback of Cena after this big thrashing he received makes me hot! The works of the 2 wrestlers were prodigious!

I lol'd.

I really need to see the last two Cena / Orton pay-per-view matches. They sound immensely fun.

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^^^ THIS is Lesnabis in a nutshell. Quote of the year.

Davey Richards vs Cima from the DGUSA show is a nominee for sure.

Davey Richards vs Cima from the DGUSA show is a nominee for sure.

I second:

Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz, United States Championship - WWE RAW 10.05.2009

Couldn't find DX / Jericho - Show though.

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Nomination: AJ Styles vs Kurt Angle Super Impact! October 15, 2009. Are you fucking kidding me. They had a PPV quality match. These two tore down the house for 20 fucking minutes. Amazing Amazing Amazing match. I dare anyone to find a better tv match this year so far. Plus the time limit draw leaves the door open for a future feud between the two for a PPV, dear God I hope Turning Point. For the ones who did not watch this match, you better find it and watch it.

Meh...

I'm going to second this, even if it was moveZ~!

I just received the "Breaking Point" DVD. The match Cena vs Orton is by far the best of this DVD. Nominating this "Quit match" with both hands. A new style match, a very intelligent use of handcuff.... Prodigious work of this two men!

Test post

_________________

“Official Meat Snack of WWE”

So does this mean I can finally Nominate the Iron Man Match from Bragging Rights?

I'm nominating the Iron Man Match from Bragging Rights!

MOTY Top Contenders-- The cream of the crop. The crème de la crème. Not only no brainers to make the final ballot, but amongst the very elite matches of the year. You'll be going back and watching these for the rest of the year. If its on this select list, it'll likely place high on your ballot and could potentially be the match of the year.

Rey Mysterio v. Chris Jericho, The Bash 6/28 (12 Yes, 0 No) +12
Shawn Michaels v. John Cena, Raw 1/12 (11 Yes, 0 No) +11
Jack Swagger v. Christian, ECW Championship, ECW on Sci Fi, 2/24 (10 Yes, 0 No) +10
The Undertaker v. Shawn Michaels, Wrestlemania 25, 4/5 (10 Yes, 0 No) +10
Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto v. Mitsuharu Misawa & Takashi Seguira, New Japan ¼ (9 Yes, 0 No) +9
Rey Mysterio v. Chris Jericho, Judgement Day 5/17 (8 Yes, 0 No) +8
Rey Mysterio v. Chris Jericho, No Holds Barred, Extreme Rules 6/7 (8 Yes, 0 No) +8
Jack Swagger v. Matt Hardy, ECW Championship, ECW on Sci Fi 1/13 (8 Yes, 1 No) +7
Jack Swagger v. Matt Hardy, ECW Championship, Royal Rumble 1/25 (8 Yes, 1No) +7
Hiroshi Tanahashi v. Shinsuke Nakamura, New Japan 2/15 (7 Yes, 0 No) +7
Raw Elimination Chamber, WWE Championship, No Way Out, 2/15 (7 Yes, 0 No) +7
CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy, World Heavyweight Championship- TLC, Summerslam 8/23(7 Yes, 0 No) +7
John Cena vs. Randy Orton, WWE Championship, I Quit, Breaking Point 9/13 (7 Yes, 0 No) +7
Undertaker v. Shelton Benjamin, Smackdown 1/9 (6 Yes, 0 No) +6


MOTY Strong Candidates-- These are absolute final ballot material and with some support, could find themselves vying for the top spots amongst the strongest matches of the year. These are absolute, must see matches for sure.

Big Show v. John Cena, Smackdown, 2/27 (6 Yes, 1 No) +5
John Cena v. Shawn Michaels, Raw 1/19 (5 Yes, 0 No) +5
Kaval v. Tyson Kidd, FCW, 1/29 (5 Yes, 0 No) +5
Rey Mysterio v. Chris Jericho, Smackdown 7/12 (5 Yes, 0 No) +5
Randy Orton vs. John Cena, Summerslam 8/23 (6 Yes, 1 No) +5
DX vs. The Legacy, Summerslam 8/23 (4 Yes, 0 No) +5
Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk, Loser Leaves Town Cage Match, Smackdown 8/28 (5 Yes, 0 No) +5
Triple H v. Big Show, Smackdown 1/9 (4 Yes, 1 No) +4
Takashi Sugiura & Go Shiozaki vs Shinsuke Nakamura & Milano Collection A.T. NOAH 3/1 (4 Yes, 0 No) +4
KENTA v. Nigel McGuiness, ROH 3/21 (2 Yes, 0 No) +4
Ricky Steamboat, John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy & CM Punk v. Chris Jericho, Big Show, Edge, Kane & Matt Hardy, Raw 4/6 (4 Yes, 0 No) +4
John Morrison v. Evan Bourne, ECW 4/14 (3 Yes, 0 No) +4
The Legacy v. Triple H, Batista & Shane McMahon,WWE Championship, Backlash 4/26 (5 Yes, 1 No) +4
Christian v. Jack Swagger, ECW Championship, Judgement Day 5/17 (4Yes, 0 No) +4
Go Shiozaki v. Chris Hero, NOAH 6/4 (4 Yes, 1 No) +4
Jeff Hardy v. Edge, Ladder Match, Extreme Rules 6/7 (4 Yes, 1 No) +4
Randy Orton vs Triple H, WWE Championship, Last Man Standing, Raw 6/22 (4 Yes, 0 No) +4
John Morrison vs. Rey Mysterio, Smackdown 9/4 (4 yes, 0 No) +4


MOTY Ballot Worthy-- These are definitely 'good' matches, that will most likely make the final ballot. One 'no' vote could send one of these backwards and into bubble territory, but for the most part, these are strong matches that are worth going out of your way to see. They might not end up on everyone's final list, but they're very good matches.

Nigel McGuiness v. Bryan Danielson, ROH World title, Rising Above PPV, ROH 1/9 (3 Yes, 1 No) +3
Jack Swagger v. Finlay, ECW on Sci Fi 1/6 (3 Yes, 0 No) +3
Kurt Angle v. Jeff Jarrett, Genesis, 1/11 (6 Yes, 3 No) +3
Negro Casas & Heavy Metal v. La Sombra & Valador Jr., CMLL 2/13 (3 Yes, 0 No) +3
Big Show v. John Cena, Raw 3/30 (4 Yes, 1 No) +3
Christian v. Jack Swagger, ECW Championship, Backlash 4/26 (3 Yes, 0 No) +3
Big Show v. The Undertaker, Smackdown 4/24 (3 Yes, 0 No) +3
Umaga v. CM Punk, Judgement Day 5/17 (3 Yes, 0 No) +3
Randy Orton v. Big Show v. John Cena v. Triple H, WWE Championship, Raw 6/15 (3 Y, 0 N) +3
CM Punk v. Jeff Hardy, World Hvt. Championship, Night of Champions 7/26 (3 Yes, 0 No) +3
Randy Orton vs. John Cena, Summerslam 8/23 (4 Yes, 1 No) +3
Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler, Summerslam 8/23 (3 Yes,0 No) +3
Christian vs. William Regal, ECW Championship, Breaking Point 9/13 (3 Yes, 0 No) +3
Hiroshi Tanahashi v. Keiji Mutoh, IWGP Hvt Title, New Japan ¼ (4 Yes, 2 No) +2
KENTA v. Kotaro Suzuki, GHC Jr. Heavyweight Championship, NOAH 1/25 (3 Yes, 1 No) +2
Chris Jericho v. Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Snuka & Roddy Piper, Wrestlemania 25, 4/5 (2 Yes, 0 No) +2
John Cena v. Jack Swagger, Raw 4/13 (2 Yes, 0 No) +2
Edge v. Rey Mysterio, Smackdown 6/5 (2 Yes, 0 No) +2
The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston, US Championship, Raw 10/5 (2 Yes, 0 No) +2



MOTY Ballot Bubble-- The Matches that are borderline ballot matches and at this point could go either way. Some of these are matches that are either very divisive in opinion, or usually newly nominated and seconded and have mustered a small amount of support. Make sure you check these out! If the ballot were to be formed today, these would all be left off!

Mammoth Sasaki & Daisuke Sekimoto v. Shinya Ishikawa & Yoshihito Sasaki, Big Japan ½ (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
John Cena & Shawn Michaels v. Chris Jericho & Randy Orton, Raw, 1/5 (2 Yes, 1 No) +1
CM Punk v. William Regal, No DQ, Raw 1/19 (2 Yes, 1 No) +1
Jushin "Thunder" Liger v. Daisuke Sekimoto, Big Japan 1/22 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Alexander Otsuka vs. Yujiro Yamamoto - BATTLARTS 2/15 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Katsumi Usuda vs. Yuta Yoshikawa - BATTLARTS 2/15 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
The Colons v. Miz & Morrison, Smackdown 2/27 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki v. SUWAMA & Shuji Kondo, All Japan 3/15 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Alexander Otsuka v. Daisuke Sekimoto, IGF GENOME 8, 3/15 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Mistico v. Negro Casas, CMLL 3/20 (1 yes, 0 No) +1
Giant Bernard v. Yutaka Yoshie, New Japan 3/22 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Beer Money v. Team 3D, TNA Lockdown 4/19 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Big Show v. Jeff Hardy, Smackdown 4/18 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Evan Bourne & The Colons v. Tyson Kidd, The Miz & John Morrison, ECW 4/7 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Christian v. Mark Henry, Superstars 5/14 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Edge v. John Morrison, Smackdown 6/19 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Go Shiozaki/KENTA v. Katsuhiku Nakajima/Kensuke Sasake, NOAH 6/23 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
CM Punk v. Jeff Hardy, World Hvt. Championship, The Bash 6/28 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Randy Orton v. Ted Dibiase, Raw 7/6 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
CM Punk vs. John Morrison, Smackdown 8/14 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Takashi Sugiura vs. Yoshihiro Takayama, NOAH, 10/3 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs. Jun Akiyama & KENTA, NOAH 10/3 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Rey Mysterio & Batista vs. Big Show & Chris Jericho, Unified Tag Team Championship, HIAC 10/4 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1
Big Show & Chris Jericho vs. D-Generation X, Raw 10/5 (1 Yes, 0 No) +1

MOTY Nominations-- These matches have taken that bold and perhaps first step towards immortality or the outer reaches of our hard drives. They've been pegged as 'you should check it out', but ultimately, their fate lies in your hands! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE THEY STAND~

Alexander Otsuka vs Yuki Ishikawa, BattlARTS 1/10 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Minoru Suzuki & NOSAWA Rongai vs. Keiji Muto & Kaz Hayashi, All Japan 1/3 (1 Yes, 1 No) EVEN
Yuji Nagata v. Masato Tanaka, ZERO-ONE World Championship, New Japan ¼ (2 Yes, 2 No) EVEN
Eddie Kingston v. Delirious, CHIKARA 1/25 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
The Osrian Portal v. The Colony, CHIKARA 1/25 (1 Yes, 1 No) EVEN
Equinox v. Vin Gerard, Ladder Match, CHIKARA 1/25 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Smackdown Elimination Chamber, No Way Out, WWE 2/15 (1 Yes,1 No) EVEN
Rey Mysterio v. Mike Knox, Raw, 2/16 (2 Yes, 2 No) EVEN
Jerry Lawler v. Bill Dundee, NWA Wildside 3/14 (1 Yes, 1 No) EVEN
Hirooki Gotoh v. Yuji Nagata, New Japan 3/22 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Hirooki Gotoh v. Giant Bernard, New Japan 3/22 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and Dave Taylor vs Johnny Saint, Mike Quackenbush, and Skayde, Chikara 3/28 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Valiente, Mascara Dorada, & Metro vs Virus, Euforia, & Nosferatu CMLL 4/10/09 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
CM Punk v. Kane, Backlash 4/26 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Valiente vs Virus CMLL 3/4/09 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Hirooki Goto & Kazuchika Okada vs. Takashi Sugiura & Atsushi Aoki, New Japan 5/5 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas v. CM Punk & John Morrison, Smackdown (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Negro Navarro v. Solar, UWE 5/16 (0Yes, 0 No) EVEN
John Morrison v. Shelton Benjamin, Judgement Day 5/17 (1 Yes, 1 No) EVEN
Jun Akyama v. KENTA, NOAH 5/17 (0 Yes, ) No) EVEN
Ricky Marvin v. Taiji Ishimori, SEM 5/18 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Beer Money v. British Invasion, TNA Sacrifice 5/24 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Christian v. Tyson Kidd, ECW on Sci Fi 6/2 (1 Yes, 1 No) EVEN
Batista v. Randy Orton, Steel Cage, Extreme Rules 6/7 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
DH Smith v. Christian, ECW on Sci Fi 6/16 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Rey Mysterio v. CM Punk, Smackdown 6/16 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Zatura vs Trauma II, IWRG 6/18 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Fujita Jr. Hayato vs. Great Sasuke, Michinoku Pro 6/19 (2 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Nabutaka Araya v. Satoshi Kojima, All Japan 6/21 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Go Shiozaki v. KENTA, NOAH 7/5 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Satoshi Kojima, Kai & Hiroshi Yamato vs. Kenta Kobashi, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi & Akihiko Ito, All Japan 8/30 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
Yoshihiro Takayama vs. Suwama, All Japan 8/30 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
D-Generation X vs. The Legacy, Hell in a Cell, HIAC 10/4 (1Yes, 1 No) EVEN
Randy Orton vs. John Cena, Hell in a Cell, WWE Championship, HIAC 10/4 (1 Yes, 1 No) EVEN
AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle, iMPACT 10/15 (0 Yes, 0 No) EVEN
KENTA v. Davey Richards, ROH 4/3 (0 Yes, 1 No) -1
John Cena v. Edge v. Big Show ,Wrestlemania 25, 4/5 (0 Yes, 1 No) -1
Christian v. Shelton Benjamin, Raw 4/13, (0 Yes, 1 No) -1
John Cena v. Chris Jericho, Raw, 2/2 (1 Yes, 2 No) -1
John Cena v. Edge, Last Man Standing, Backlash 4/26 (0 Yes, 1 No) -1
Edge v. Jeff Hardy, World Heavyweight Championship, Judgment Day 5/17 (1 Yes, 2 No) -1
Jeff Hardy vs. John Morrison, Smackdown 7/21 (1 Yes, 2 No) -1
Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and Dave Taylor vs Johnny Saint, Mike Quackenbush, and Skayde, CHIKARA, 3/28 (0 Yes, 2 No) -2
Matt Hardy v. Jeff Hardy, Wrestlemania 25, 4/5 (0 Yes, 2 No) -2
Rey Mysterio v. Evan Bourne, Raw 4/13 (0Yes, 2 No) -2


MOTY Pretenders-- Most medicines killed a lot of people before they were perfected and made better. Though we are magicians and generally speaking, 'perfect', we have 'imperfect' moments. These are guilty pleasures. Or maybe they're that fat chick you hooked up with and don't want anyone to know about. These, well... are those.

Royal Rumble Match, Royal Rumble 1/25 (0 Yes, 4 No) -4
Randy Orton v. Shane McMahon, Unsactioned Fight, Raw, 2/16 (0 Yes, 4 No) -4
John Morrison & The Miz v. The Colons, Smackdown 1/23 (1 Yes, 5 No) -4
MVP v. The Big Show, Last Man Standing, Smackdown 1/16 (0 Yes, 4 No) -4
Kensuke Sasaki & Kota Ibushi v. Jun Akiyama & Taiji Ishimori, Kensuke Office 2/11 (0 Yes, 4 No) -4
Alex Shelley v. Chris Sabin, X-Division Title, Genesis, 1/11 (1 Yes, 6 No) -5
Edge v. Jeff Hardy, WWE Championship, Royal Rumble, 1/25 (0 Yes, 6 No) -6
Shawn Michaels v. Vladimir Kozlov, Raw 3/2 (0 Yes, 8 No) -8

MOTY: “I Need a Hero”-- These matches have been nominated but no one wants to be their friend! They need your second to get on the list to have that shot. Check em out, or just ignore them. Either way, you KNOW.


Hirooki Gotoh & Jushin Liger v. Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask, New Japan 1/31 (Nominated: Towney)
Shinsuke Nakamura, Hirooki Goto & Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata & Nobuo Yoshihashi, New Japan 2/13 (Nominated: Towney)
Kurt Angle v. Giant Bernard, New Japan 2/15 (Nominated: Scottie)
Kurt Angle v. Sting, Empty Arena Match, TNA 2/19 (Nominated: Crow 013)
(Nominated: Smack2K)
Kikutaro vs. Nobutaka Araya , All Japan 1/3 (Nominated: Scottie)
Negro Navarro/Claudio Castagnoli/Mr. Ferrari v. Mike Quackenbush/Solar/Kendo LLM 3/8 (Nominated: Graham Crackers)
Suicide vs. Chris Sabin v. Alex Shelley v. Consequences Creed v. Jay Lethal, TNA 3/15 (nominated: tucanforpres001)
The Undertaker v. JBL, Smackdown 3/20 (Nominated: isrs4life)
Suicide vs. Christopher Daniels, TNA 3/24 (Nominated: Tucanforpres001)
KENTA v. Katsuhiko Nakajima, ROH 4/3 (Nominated: stonecoldnimrod)
Roderick Strong v. Katsuhiku Nakajima, ROH 4/4 (Nominated: stonecoldnimrod)
Money in the Bank Ladder Match, Wrestlemania 25, 4/5 (Nominated: Rated R Bitch)
Negro Navarro, Trauma I, and II vs Black Terry, Dr. Cerebro, and Cerebro Negro IWRG 4/16 (Nominated: Graham Crackers)
MVP v. Dolph Ziggler, Smackdown 4/18 (Nominated: Crow013)
Negro Navarro, Trauma I, and II vs Black Terry, Dr. Cerebro, and Cerebro Negro IWRG 4/23 (Nominated: Graham Crackers)
John Cena v. Edge, Last Man Standing, Backlash 4/26 (Nominated: PSULions)
MVP v. Randy Orton, Raw 4/27 (Nominated Crow013)
Máscara Dorada, Metro & Valiente VS Okumura, Skándalo & Virus CMLL 4/17/09 (Nominated: GC)
Tommy Dreamer & Christian v. Jack Swagger & Mark Henry, ECW on Sci Fi 5/5 (Nominated: HooRah)
Manabu Nakanishi v. Hiroshi Tanahashi, New Japan 5/6 (Nominated: Towney007)
Shelton Benjamin v. Rey Mysterio, Smackdown 5/15 (Nominated: Supermophetbros)
John Morrison v. Chris Jericho, Smackdown 5/15 (Nominated: Supermophetbros)
John Cena v. Big Show, Judgment Day 5/17 (Nominated Crow013)
Randy Orton v. Batista, WWE Championship, Judgement Day 5/17 (Nominated: Crow013)
DH Smith v. Finlay, ECW on Sci Fi 5/19 (Nominated: isrs4life)
Yuko Miyamoto & Takashi Sasaki vs. Masashi Takeda & Isami Kodaka II, Big Japan 5/28 (Nominated: loneassasin1)
Blue Panther v. Averno, CMLL 5/29 (Nominated: Graham Crackers)
Tommy Dreamer v. Christian v. Jack Swagger, ECW on Sci Fi 6/2 (Nominated: HCSO2009)
Kenta v. Ricky Marvin, NOAH 6/7 (Nominated: Towney007)
Umaga v. CM Punk, Samoan Strap Match, Extreme Rules 6/7 (Nominated: Scottie)
Tyson Kidd v. Evan Bourne, ECW on Sci Fi 6/9 (Nominated: Mini Bennett)
Chris Jericho v. John Morrison, Superstars 6/11 (Nominated: HooRah)
Jack Swagger v. Tommy Dreamer, ECW on Sci Fi 6/16 (Nominated: Crowe013)
Kurt Angle vs. Mick Foley vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting vs. Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles, King of the Mountain, TNA 6/21 (nominated: Tucanforpres001)
Abyss & Taylor Wilde vs. Dr. Stevie & Daffney, TNA 6/21 (Nominated: Tucanforpres001)
Suicide vs. Chris Sabin vs. Alex Shelley vs. Consequences Creed vs. Jay Lethal, King of the Mountain, TNA 6/21 (Tucanforpres001)
CM Punk v. John Morrison, Smackdown 6/26 (Nominated: HooRah)
Chris Hero v. Jerry Lynn, ROH 6/13 (Nominated: OneManX)
Kota Ibushi & Atushi Aoki vs KENTA & Taiji Ishimori NOAH 7/12 (Nomination: loneassassin1)
R-Truth vs. Charlie Haas, Smackdown 7/4 (Nominated: isrs)
Alyssa Flash vs. Sarita, TNA iMPACT 7/16 (Nominated: Tucanforpres001)
Mark Henry vs. Chris Jericho, Raw 7/20 (Nominated: Towney007)
Christian vs Tommy Dreamer, ECW Championship, Hardcore Rules, ECW on Sci Fi 8/4 (Nominated: The Fonz)
Goldust vs. Sheamus, Superstars 8/13 (Nominated: HooRah)
Christopher Daniels vs. Amazing Red vs. Consequences Creed vs. Jay Lethal vs. Chris Sabin vs. Alex Shelley vs. D'Angelo Dinero, TNA 8/16 (Nominated: Tucanforpres001)
Jeff Hardy & John Morrison vs. CM Punk & The Hart Dynasty, Smackdown 8/21(Nominated: The Haiti Kid)
Takashi Sugiura vs. Hirooki Gotoh, G1 Cilmax Block-B, New Japan 8/15 (Nominated: Towney)
AJ Styles vs. Doug Williams, TNA iMPACT 9/3 (Nominated: Tucanforpres001)
AJ Styles vs. Chris Sabin, TNA iMPACT 9/3 (Tucanforpres001)
Yutaka Yoshikawa vs. Tiger Shark, B-Rules, BattlARTS 7/5 (Nominated: Scotte)
Yujiro Yamamoto vs. Bisen Taiga, B-Rules, BattlARTS 7/5 (Nominated: Scotte)
Keiji Mutoh & Masakatsu Funaki vs. Masahiro Chono & Minoru Suzuki, All Japan 8/30 (Nominated: loneassassin1)
Super Tiger II vs. Keita Yano, BattlARTS 1/10 (Nominated: Scottie)
Yuki Ishikawa vs. Chihiro Oikawa, BattlARTS 1/10 (Nominated: Scottie)
Keita Yano vs. Alexander Otsuka, BattlARTS 1/10 (Nominated: Scottie)
Super Tiger II vs. Minenuri Sawa, BattlARTS 7/5 (Nominated: Scottie)
The Briscoe Brothers vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico, ROH 9/14 (Nominated: One Man X)
Undertaker, John Cena & DX vs. CM Punk, Randy Orton & The Legacy, Smackdown 10/1 (Nominated isrs)
Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio, Smackdown 10/9 (Nominated: Mini Bennet)
CM Punk vs. Batista, Smackdown 10/9 (Nominated: Mini Bennet)

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Finally got some time to watch Bragging Rights.

Second to the Iron Man match.
Nominating the Fatal 4 Way for the world HeavyWeight Title.

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NOMINATING:

Ezekiel Jackson vs. Goldust, ECW 10/13

I'm really becoming a big Dustin Runnels fan in a hurry. Maybe its an exposure thing and I've really been watching and enjoying a lot of his stuff lately, but he's pretty good. This was A LOT like the old Dustin vs. *fill in random big man* matches during his early 90s WCW run. Must've been a week of cat n mouse, because this was the second great sick n move match of the week. Dustin sticks and moves, and really has some great counter punching to keep Zeke away. Zeke keeps missing and struggles to catch him but when he finally hits his big lariat, it looks like he blows Goldust clean-apart. I'm pretty convinced Zeke is a good wrestler at this point. Between his stuff in his Kozlov tags and his singles performances of late, he's beginning to impress. Its a shorty, but a goodie.

The Undertaker vs. Batista vs. Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk, World Heavyweight Championship, Bragging Rights 10/25

Yes, I'm nominating a multi-man match. This just 'felt' really good. Punk's all over the place here, sticking and moving, retreating, sneaking pin falls, and really just generally being a one man show. He really got himself over as an important part of the match despite him literally being the fourth wheel to the champion and then the Batista-Rey saga that was unfolding as the match went along. Basically, this COULD have been an easy pseudo night off for Punk, yet he might have come across looking like the best guy in the match. Slowly turning heel Batista is awesome. He's just such a dirt bag towards Rey during the match whining that Rey's not letting him do his thing and staying out of his way, while tossing the smaller guy around at the same time. Talk about mentally and physically abusive. Taker's solid as well, especially in a role he's not always been that good at, and that's having to adapt to multiple guys quickly. I like big Taker matches because no one brings more focus to his matches than Taker, but stick him as the center piece in a multi-man matches and he can look a bit overwhelmed at times. He stuck with it here though, despite having three VERY different opponents to work with. The set stunts were unique, some great sub plots going on during the match (not just surrounding the match as is usually the case) and they did a great job building to the near falls. Great four-way match.

SECONDS To:

CM Punk vs. Batista, Smackdown 10/9

Really fun cat and mouse television match. Batista continues to impress the heck out me since his return. They did a great job putting over the whole theme of distance and having Batista get pulled into position so Punk could zap him with stuff. Punk would hit and run, while any time he tried to do the opposite (run at Batista), he'd get nailed with big dave specials. I liked their match at the Bash in 2008 as well, and methinks they have some pretty good chemistry together. I wouldn't mind seeing this match again sometime in the future.

John Cena vs. Randy Orton, No DQ Iron Man Match, Bragging Rights 10/25

I'm really interested to see the response this match gets. There was a LOT to like about this match, but the flaws were also pretty evident, too, as is usually the case in hour-long matches.

First off, I'm pretty convinced at this point, that Randy Orton has possibly become the best offensive wrestler in the world. He has a way of making everything, from the big stuff to the little stuff, look like it always hurts. From chinlocks to Garvin stomps, to the weapons spots he uses, the pacing, placement, etc. In this match, he was basically asked to do the near-impossible, and work a control segment for 35 minutes mostly uninterrupted. I'd say by in large, he was as successful as you could hope to be.

I really liked how they built some solid tension in the opening minutes, as neither guy seemed overly eager to get into bomb-throwing too early, as they wanted to 'save' themselves for later in the match. Then they just say 'fvck it', almost at the drop of the hat and this goes from 'feeling out' to nasty quick. I hate citing Memphis AGAIN, but this was probably the closest thing I've seen to a Jerry Lawler-Memphis style match to date in the WWE. We had wild brawls out of the ring and to the ring. We had some ridiculously over-the-top high spots which eventually led to an epic slug fest before Cena put Orton away in short order.

Cena was pretty great here as well. To start, he takes some ridiculous bumps. Cena's really underrated for his bumping, not just because of the violence of the spills, but how and when he does them. Cena really saves his big bumps for his big matches, and they just come off so much more meaningful. Contrast that to guys like Rob Van Dam, who was taking flat back bumps to the concrete and getting thrown off stages regularly on television. After a while, there wasn't much to react to. Cena's smart. Only in the big matches.

Also, the dude is so boss at getting his strength over. Everything he does he makes it look like a hideous feat of strength. From lifting the stairs over his head, to yanking and pulling at Orton in an STFU, to shoving Orton off of him on the turn buckles... everything is a struggle. Drama comes from struggle. Cena understands that better than anyone on the Raw roster right now.

That being said, this DID have some problems. The top rope FU and Legacy run ins were awfully rushed and to be honest, both spots came close to kind of derailing this sucker. Everything seemed really off kilter from the top rope FU to the run in, but everything around those spots was great. That 10 minutes though, was pretty dicey stuff. I dunno if I'd have done BOTH the lighting bump and the blow em up thing on the stage. One would work, I dunno about both. Save that, this was really solid.

A lot of people whined about the finish of this match, but really, I don't buy the criticism. This WAS a Jerry Lawler finish. Period. Big slug fest, Lawler wins and then puts heel to bed quickly. I feel like i've seen the finish 500 times not just in Lawler matches, but in a lot of WWE matches and no one had a problem with it until now. So I dunno, I think people were bent out of shape over who won the match, which really has absolutely nothing to do with the match or finish.

I liked this a lot. I don't know if its my MOTY or even in my top 10 yet... I dunno if its even the best Orton-Cena match... but what it IS, is a really satisfying, unique approach to an iron man match that we haven't seen. And one heck of a way to blow off a feud. Literally.

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A big yes to cena vs orton at bragging rights, for a one hour match it didnt get boring. The only problem i had with it was orton tapping with 5 seconds left, especially considering he was in the hold for about another 55 seconds, 5 seconds is nothing, but still a great match.

Id like to nominate christian vs yoshi tatsu for ecw chmpionship on ecw 27/10, i only wish i didnt know who won beforehand otherwise i could swear that tatsu would pull off a win in this one. I really hope tatsu gets the ecw championship eventually because he sure does deserve it.

Before i finish i just wanna give a no to undertaker vs rey vs batista vs punk fatal four way at bragging rights, i thought that all this was, was everyone hitting their finishers, the pin getting broken up then another finisher, and i also though that batistas heel turn made no sense.

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