POLL 1/14-1/20/2023- WHAT WAS THE BEST FREE TV MATCH OF THE WEEK? Hmmm...

[DEAN]

Actually, a couple of matches are contending- with AmDrag vs Bandido being our odds on favorite.  BUT!  Speedball Mike Bailey had a fucking AWESOME BattlARTS style match with Kenny King.  THEN!  WWE rolled out the totally hellish ass beating of Sheamus/Drew McIntyre vs the Viking Raiders.  There was a lot of quality Lucha Libre from ESPECIALLY CMLL (TWO STREAMS!)  and IWRG- as AAA had a year in review show.  There was ALSO the Stardom New Blood stream that had a good Chanyota match and a fun Starlight Kid/Karma vs the non-Japanese members of Club Venus.  The main event was STIFF!   ALSO GLEAT had a good wad of wrestling with the G-REX champion officially joining BLACK GENERATION INTERNATIONAL!  Which is AWESOME.  Your fringe match of the week was the really good Jacob Fatu vs Ben K match from MLW.  NWA is on hiatus and CWFH did a review show.  But there was a fun Uncle Mikey match from Memphis.  ALSO! CNL from Chile starting streaming this week and Chilean pro wrestling is STIFF! OH YEAH!  Jay White Kazuchika Okada for the IWRG title!  It's a gametime decision! 

CUT LIST: Hip Hop Man/ Karaoui/  Shocko vs El Hijo de Canis Lupus/ Puma de Oro/ Tonalli- IWRG; Powerhouse Hobbs vs Jaiden- AEW Dark;  Alba Fyre vs Sol Ruca- NXT; Micro Gemelo Diablo I/ Micro Gemelo Diablo II/ Micro Sagrado vs Átomo/ Chamuel/ Mije- CMLL; Angelito/ Kaligua/ Pequeño Magía vs Full Metal/ Minos/ Pequeño Olímpico- CMLL; Ashley D'Ambroise vs Deonna Purrazzo- IMPACT; Jordynn Grace/ Mickie James/ Frankie Kazarian vs Bully Ray/ Savannah Evans/ Tasha Steelz- IMPACT!; Michiko Miyagi vs Kyoko Inoue- GLEAT; Minoru Tanaka/ Tetsuya Izuchi vs Masato Kamino/ Yusuke Kodama- GLEAT; Trish Adora vs Gia Scott- MLW; Michin Mia Yim vs IYO SKY- RAW;  Esfinge/ Fugaz/ Star Black vs El Coyote/ El Hijo del Villano III/ Polvora- CMLL;  Nanae Takahashi vs Waka Tsukiyama- STARDOM NEW BLOOD; BK Rhythm/ Robbie Rocket vs Coach Campanelli/ Randi Rah Rah- WOW;  Athena vs Zeda Zhang- AEW Elevation;  Akira Tozawa vs Bronson Reed- RAW;  Hijo De Pirata Morgan vs Hell Boy- IWRG

[Eivion]

Raw and NXT had some good stuff but nothing blowaway great. 

Dug OC/Lethal and Bryan/Bandido, but Darby/Kushida was the true standout of Dynamite for me with Kushida being a different kind of opponent from what Darby is used to. I kind of love that Darby escaped Kushida more than he truly won. 

The latest New Blood was probably the best they have done so far as an all around show. Nanae/Waka delivered the passionate match they advertised and the tournament had some nice matches all around. Thought the standout was Oedo Tai's Kid/Karma vs. Club Venus's Mariah/Xia. Kid and Mariah meshed way better than expected, and that was easily the best I can recall Xia looking in Stardom.

Imperium/Brutes always deliver the goods. That said, the standout here was Drew & Sheamus vs. Viking Raiders. Kind of surprised that wasn't the main event with how hard they went at each other. Right now its what has my vote though Is till have to catch a few things like White/Okada & CMLL. Not sure what else I might give watch.

[Sammo~!]

I went with Darby/Kushida. As good as Bryan and Bandido was, I really enjoyed the story telling of the Darby/Kushida match. Kushida focusing on the shoulder to set up the Hoverboard Lock. Darby's selling was fantastic. The flash pin with the last supper. It was everything I wanted out of a TV main event.

[John E. Dynamite]

Trim it dooowwwnnn, baby. I want to vote *weird* this week but I can't work through this list. I literally can't remember if I was there live for Alec Price vs. TJ Crawford.

I will probably do CMLL, maybe IWRG and IMPACT. If I reluctantly hate big STARDOM matches should I watch their smaller shows instead? I thought HIP HOP MAN was the best wrestler in Argentina! When does his stuff make the cut? Aaaahhhh!!!!~....

[The Natural]

Bryan Danielson vs. Bandido. Honourable mention to Darby Allin vs. Kushida for the reasons Sammo gave.

 

[DEAN]

I wish IMPACT! would post Speedball/King.  Folks need to see it.  Stupid IMPACT,

[StuntmanCrowley]

Danielson/Bandido, but Darby/Kushida was an absolute contender.  I admit I didn't watch anything but AEW this week, so my vote comes with an asterisk

[DEAN]

IMPACT! DELIVERS!

 

[DEAN]

WHOA!  Folks like that Danielson/Bandido match.

[Dolphman 3000]

Voted for Speedball/Kenny with the caveat that even attempting an Irish Whip in a ring with no ropes, let alone successfully doing one, was fucking stupid

But I'm all for other promotions ripping off Bloodsport

[StuntmanCrowley]

I watch next to no IMPACT, but put eyes on that King/Bailey match.  Fucking A that was awesome.

[DreamBroken]

PIT FIGHT~!

although Killer Kelly is amazing and her/Taylor was also very good

[DEAN]

We have a struggle for second!  Speedball/King or Darby/KUSHIDA- that is the question!

[The Natural]

3 minutes ago, DEAN said:

We have a struggle for second!  Speedball/King or Darby/KUSHIDA- that is the question!

Rooting for skinny Daniel Craig!

[DEAN]

KUSHIDA/Allin and Speedball/King are now neck in neck for second!

[The Natural]

On 1/21/2023 at 5:21 PM, DEAN said:

WHOA!  Folks like that Danielson/Bandido match.

Is Danielson/Bandido the most a match has ever won, @DEAN? Can't think of any other.

[DEAN]

7 minutes ago, The Natural said:

Is Danielson/Bandido the most a match has ever won, @DEAN? Can't think of any other.

I can't either.

[J.T.]

There was too much to love in that Danielson / Bandido match to vote against it.   KUSHIDA / Allin and the Impact PIT FIGHT~!  are a close second.  There haven't been too many Speedball Mike Bailey matches that I haven't enjoyed.

The Skimahorn Civil War in CWFM is the best indy angle that only I and two other people in America love.  Uncle Mikey vs. Tim Bosby was a perfectly fine NWA Powerr main event or AEW Dark Elevation mid-card match.

Edited January 25, 2023 by J.T.

[DEAN]

16 minutes ago, DEAN said:

I can't either.

I did some research and it looks like Jericho/Amdrag  from last September was the prior highest voter talley with 12.

[DEAN]

Speedball/King STORMS back!

[Eivion]

The CMLL matches were fun with Titan/Volador vs. Niebla/Angel being the standout. 

King/Bailey was something nice and different. Dug the finish.

Okada/White was good-great. I can see why people talked about it suffering from going right after Omega/Ospreay. The funny thing is if the latter didn't go the violent route I don;t think it would have been problem for the former. Still White and Okada built things up well and dragged the crowd into their match a good deal as it went on. Only weak spots for me was it probably could have been a few minutes shorter, and White needs to learn less is more and shut up. He is way more effective as a heel when he is mostly quiet and being dick opposed to the constant chatter. 

Went with Drew/Sheamus vs. Viking Raiders in the end to give it more love.

 

[DEAN]

2 hours ago, Eivion said:

and White needs to learn less is more and shut up. He is way more effective as a heel when he is mostly quiet and being dick opposed to the constant chatter.

He should wrestle like he did in IMPACT! (but not put over ANYBODY).  I dug that Jay White.  "I'm a wrestling machine and I showed up to destroy you."  Just shut the hell up and beat some asses.  BUT I guess being in Japan, only the Japanese can be stoic ass kickers.