RIPPA Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 KOTA IBUSHI vs. Cedric Alexander (CWC) vs. Brian Kendrick (CWC) See Also: the archive for DDT matches, umm... Tiger Mask W, the rest of his WWE stuff. Ibushi didn't have a lot of matches HIROSHI TANAHASHI vs. Naito (New Japan Wrestle Kingdom 11) vs. Naomichi Marufuji (G1 Climax) w/ Elgin vs. Okada/Moose (Global Wars 2016) See Also: All his other shit that you hate because you can't how dreamy he is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Sandwich Carl Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I don't know if anything brought me more joy in wrestling than watching Kota ride a bike off a ramp into a dude as an offensive move. So, Kota. (Also, the CWC and I kinda just don't like NJPW for mostly contrarian reasons and get super nitpicky). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyanide Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Kota Ibushi, NJPW heavyweight underdog, from the last few years was one of my favorite runs of work by any wrestler ever, and he turned in some incredible performances in the CWC this past year. But he was hamstrung by injury recovery and general wrestling statelessness during this whole period which invariably hurts him if we're really making this about the matches, and Tanahashi (even fighting his own injuries) is gonna grind out 4*+ fodder as long as he can walk and that's something we all just have to deal with. (Also, I would put the WK11 bout vs Naito and the G1 matchup with Okada over any of Ibushi's matches from the CWC.) Tanahashi. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Sweetser Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Tanahashi is one of those generational talents we've been hearing so much about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyLaw Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 The weird thing about Ibushi for me is that I didn't feel like I liked him in the CWC matches, yet his opponents looked great and all the matches were good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Z Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 16 hours ago, RIPPA said: See Also: the archive for DDT matches, umm... Tiger Mask W, the rest of his WWE stuff. Ibushi didn't have a lot of matches I think the only "normal" matches he did outside of WWE were the EVOLVE 6-man tag and the match against Jiro Kuroshino in Wrestle-1. That one should be at the regular place. All the DDT matches are crazy brawls and the Tiger Mask W matches are what they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristobal Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 1 hour ago, JonnyLaw said: The weird thing about Ibushi for me is that I didn't feel like I liked him in the CWC matches, yet his opponents looked great and all the matches were good. I have him just behind Kendrick for tournament MVP. Not sure that gets him my vote here though. This one I'll need to come back to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Sugar Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I never liked Tanahashi but I enjoyed his match with Naito and his team with Elgin was fun. Maybe I prefer and relate more to his "grand old man" gimmick he's embarking on? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVA Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 5 hours ago, JonnyLaw said: The weird thing about Ibushi for me is that I didn't feel like I liked him in the CWC matches, yet his opponents looked great and all the matches were good. I liked Ibushi in the CWC quite a lot, but I do agree with the premise that his opponents all ended up looking better than him. Which is a point in his favor, if you ask me. I mean, has Sean Maluta ever looked even a quarter that good ever again? Cedric looked so good in that match, they sent HHH out to give him the rub (or vice versa?). Even TJ came out of that Ibushi match looking like someone who wouldn't be a total disaster as cruiserweight champ (oops!). Ibushi was phenomenal in that tournament, aside from fucking up that 10-count I guess, and helped a lot of guys along with himself. Too bad he has very little else to speak of in his favor. As for Tanahashi, I don't think he has a lot of great stuff in this period (I did really like the Naito WK match), but taking a bit of a step back from being The Ace has done his work some favors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamp, broken circa 1988 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 if these two were wrestling in my bathroom i would close the door. i vote tanahashi for time served. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niners Fan in CT Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 I don't think Tiger Mask/Tiger Mask W vs. Okada/Gedo makes the cut but it was very fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Going for Hiroshi Tanahashi mainly for the Tetsuya Naito Wrestle Kingdom 11 match posters have rightly pointed out. It trumps Kota Ibushi's best effort against Cedric Alexander in the CWC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Tanahashi's best is better than Ibushi's limited sample size. Not having seen him WWE sort of frames that as an obvious Tanahashi vote as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehabilitated Rick Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 The Ibushi/Alexander match hit on all cylinders, almost a perfect showcase of cruiserweight wrestling solidified by the closing moments of the show with Trips acknowledging the crowd's demands and signing Cedric on the spot, fuck. The CWC was great huh? On the strength of that match, the Kendrick match and his overall showing in the tournament, it's hard to vote against Ibushi. Cedric being turned into a simp for Alicia Fox makes me so sad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E. Dynamite Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 On 3/3/2017 at 6:58 PM, BL88 said: if these two were wrestling in my bathroom i would close the door. i vote tanahashi for time served. If those two were wrestling in my bathroom I'd have my girlfriend come watch and tell her it's her birthday present. Obnoxious hairdo-ace snowflake-machine that I deep-down love vs. obnoxious hairdo-ace snowflake-machine that I kayfabe hate. Tanahashi, please. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 I vote for me not watching either of their matches and just abstaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts