MM17 [1st RD] BOBBY LASHLEY vs. NEGRO CASAS

[RIPPA 31,467]

BOBBY LASHLEY

vs. EC3 (TNA... it's a One Night Only so it could have been taped 4 years ago)

vs. Rush (Not an April Fool's Joke)

vs. Eddie Edwards (TNA - Aired 11/2/16)

Also see - the Drew Galloway match posted in his thread, the Ultimo Guerrero match posted in his thread. Also Edwards/Lashley from the Tag Team Apocalypto show was like the best match held in the weirdest setting ever.

 

NEGRO CASAS

vs. Volador Jr. (3/18/16 - Hair Match)

vs. Angel del Oro (CMLL 12/2/16)

vs. Mascara Dorada (CMLL World Welterweight Championship - 3/1/16)

[Chicken Sandwich Carl 78]

I think Casas is going to win and rightly so, but I voted Lashley because dude has been outright great this year and I hope people take the time to watch it and aren't just avoiding it based off of TNA stink.

[NikoBaltimore 3,916]

Negro Casas should not be as good as he still is at his age.  The guy's a marvel to watch.

Lashley has proven many times that WWE missed the boat on him, his heel run the past year has been ten kinds of tremendous.

I'm voting Lashley, but it was a tough pick for sure.  So tough I kept having to change the deciding name in this post because I couldn't decide.

[Michael Sweetser 2,927]

I wouldn't say WWE missed the boat - it took a LONG time outside their system for him to get to this point and I'd argue he wouldn't have been able to do it in WWE.

Voting Lashley for Apocalypto.

[NikoBaltimore 3,916]

15 minutes ago, Michael Sweetser said:

I wouldn't say WWE missed the boat - it took a LONG time outside their system for him to get to this point and I'd argue he wouldn't have been able to do it in WWE.

Voting Lashley for Apocalypto.

True, but it's been documented that they brought him up too soon before he was ready.  I don't think they realized how good he could be as a heel, but if he had that chance it might have helped his time there.

But his loss is TNA's gain, and aside from the Hardys he's been one of the highlights of TNA.

[Matt D 11,964]

I can't vote against Casas. I can't ever vote against Casas, but I don't think he's had the sort of year he's had in the last few. Some of that is age and injuries. Some of it is a lack of opportunity. Some of the lack of opportunity is due to age and injuries. All that said, he's still one of the most wonderful wrestlers in the world, able to do more with a smile than most wrestlers can do with their entire bodies, and there is no greater wrestling joy in 2017 than to know that you are watching him in a match live from Mexico and no sadness quite like knowing that there are only so many matches like this with him left.

[Charlie M. 1,849]

Lashley got me to watch TNA. He should probably win this whole thing if we're judging on degree of difficulty.

[Marty Sugar 2,093]

Kudos to Lashley for getting so much better. If he could only lose the deer-in-the-headlights look whenever he cuts promos...

[Cristobal 8,237]

Haven't watched a Bobby Lashley match in forever. Not sure if this should disqualify me from voting for Casas or not.

[RIPPA 31,467]

3 minutes ago, Cristobal said:

Haven't watched a Bobby Lashley match in forever. Not sure if this should disqualify me from voting for Casas or not.

You do whatever you want - but if there was a time to get back on the Lashley bandwagon it was this year

[caley 3,286]

I think a lot of new eyes turned to TNA last year because of the Hardy  Madness and, rightfully so, but if there's any justice people came for the Hardys and stayed for the Lashley.  He had a tremendous year, in-ring and character-wise.  Even with TNA doing some baffling things to cut off his own momentum (Having him throw down titles after spending weeks trying to amass them all; the Lashley can't defeat Eddie Edwards storyline; the big build-up to EC3 beating him for the title, only for him to defend and lose it on a nothing TV show the next week), Lashley still excelled.

I saw quite a bit of Casas this year, but having no real attachment to him before this, he generally didn't do a whole lot for me and was mostly in 6-mans that saw him stand on the apron most of the time.

[Matt D 11,964]

It's just really hard to vote against Negro Casas. It feels like blasphemy.

[Cristobal 8,237]

19 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

You do whatever you want - but if there was a time to get back on the Lashley bandwagon it was this year

K. Not voting then until I check some stuff out.

[caley 3,286]

4 minutes ago, Matt D said:

It's just really hard to vote against Negro Casas. It feels like blasphemy.

Plus, to vote for a TNA guy over...anyone really, is a tough, tough move to promote.

[RIPPA 31,467]

Tangentially - that is why it is so fucking frustrating all the recent changes to the company are.

The quietly had some good stuff going on but no one was watching.

(I mean they also had shit too - like any time Miracle showed up)

[NikoBaltimore 3,916]

1 hour ago, caley said:

Plus, to vote for a TNA guy over...anyone really, is a tough, tough move to promote.

If you were talking two or so years ago you'd be onto something.  But in the eligible year that's not a fair point at all.  Even if you wanted to discredit the Hardys Lashley had IMO his best career year.  At least check his TNA stuff before saying that.  I will admit going by the tapings last night it's going to be hard to defend TNA, but for the past year?  Yeah, they had some worthwhile talents.

[Cyanide 294]

Finally watching this Bobby Lashley stuff makes me think about what Brock Lesnar could be today if he cared about anything but money and fucking off into the woods.

[The Idiot King 43]

These Bobby Lashley matches are way better than I expected. How, uh, how is his promo work these days?

[EVA 4,271]

Yeah, I think I'm gonna surprise myself and vote Lashley over Casas.  Never thought I'd see the day, but Lashley really found himself this year and I think he deserves it.

[odessasteps 12,731]

Casas gets points for all the cute grandpa photos right? 

[Godfrey 2,002]

I can't remember which match it was, but the one where he speared his opponent just so they'd be out of the ring for Lashley's introduction was such a baller move. We'll never know if that was Bobby's idea or an agent or whoever, but it was perfect. And that's been Bobby Lashley this year: maybe not the best in ring worker, but he polished his act to its shiniest. Plus, Lashley is the only dude Rush will ever wrestle that make him look small in comparison.

Not to say Negro Casas isn't great at what he does, but 2016 is the year I became a fan of Bobby Lashley and there's a reason for that.

[Cyanide 294]

2 minutes ago, Godfrey said:

I can't remember which match it was, but the one where he speared his opponent just so they'd be out of the ring for Lashley's introduction was such a baller move. We'll never know if that was Bobby's idea or an agent or whoever, but it was perfect. And that's been Bobby Lashley this year: maybe not the best in ring worker, but he polished his act to its shiniest. Plus, Lashley is the only dude Rush will ever wrestle that make him look small in comparison.

Not to say Negro Casas isn't great at what he does, but 2016 is the year I became a fan of Bobby Lashley and there's a reason for that.

It's before the ECIII match linked in the original post, and it is a money spot.

[RIPPA 31,467]

I really wish Lashley didn't do so much MMA stuff.

I am a sucker for the random lucha matches so him doing random Indie tours and working Chris Hero and Kongo Kong would have been aces

[DreamBroken 2,156]

Lashley would be my pick for Wrestler of the Year. Fuck.

Great matches throughout the year against a wide variety of opponents. Killer mic work, awesome character, greatness all around.

The Lashley/Drew feud was excellent work from both guys, in their segments, mic work, and matches. I love the Lashley/Edwards matches, most especially the first two. The Lashley/Storm match for all the gold was really great too and a highlight. Amazing work throughout the EC3 feud.

Doesn't look like it's online but the Lashley/EC3 press conference before BFG was maybe my favorite promo of the year. Lashley is the Man.

 

[The Man Known as Dan 3,604]

I voted Casas out of principle, then watched some Lashley matches, and feel kinda foolish for the early vote. Shit.