Best Match of 2012 So Far. (Official MOTY Candidates Thread)
 

<iframe frameborder="0" width="480" height="360" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xq4z3x"></iframe><br /><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq4z3x_davey-richards-vs-michael-elgin-5-star-match_sport" target="_blank">Davey Richards vs Michael Elgin 5 star match</a> <i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/RaphaelBrazil" target="_blank">RaphaelBrazil</a></i>

ROH Championship
"American Wolf" Davey Richards (C) vs. "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin

Why is "ROH World Champ" in quotes. It's not a nickname.

I'm pretty sure quotation marks aren't known as "Nickname Marks", but I could be wrong.

From Wikipedia
 

In English writing, quotation marks or inverted commas (informally referred to as quotes or speech marks)[1] are punctuation marks surrounding a quotation, direct speech, or a literal title or name. Quotation marks can also be used to indicate a different meaning of a word or phrase than the one typically associated with it and are often used to express irony. Quotation marks are sometimes used to provide emphasis.

In this situation yes they are. ROH World Champ should not be in quotations. "American Wolf" should be in quotes and ROH World Champ should be above or below it.

There is nothing grammatically wrong with ROH World Champ being in quotation marks.

The best Match of the year so far is HHH VS TAKER at WM

I am torn between it and Y2J/Punk from Mania; both solid choices for different reasons.

It's May.

Isn't Juan already doing this?

No, Juan's doesn't take into consideration Indy/Puro as well as WWE/TNA.

Haitch Haitch Haitch versus The Undertaker

Anytime any website/magazine/reviewer etc claims that a non-WWE match is the Match of the Year, I always feel it's just some anti-WWE, Indy wrestling elitist-type guy, who's trying to be 'cool' by not being mainstream and saying that a wrestling match at an Indy show in front of 500 people is the best match of the year.

For the record, that match St. Jimmy posted was alright. I like ROH, don't get me wrong, but it played out the same as most ROH matches. Feel that anytime someone claims 500 men cheering for two guys beating the shit out of each other, is 'better' than 70,000 eating up Every. Single. Moment., they're just trying to prove a point.

I'm pretty sure Indie matches don't count. Two 5"8 midgets wrestling in a Elementary School gym is just jerk off material for fat slobs.

The difference for me is that watching Richards vs. Elgin I was like "HOLY SHIT" after every major exchange, where for Triple H vs. Taker III I cringed at the sheer violence the two were putting their bodies through.

The announcing during Richards vs. Elgin had more emotion, as did the actual flow of the match. Triple H vs. Taker III had emotion, but it was all facial. There was story, but no substance. Just two dudes stiffing each other with chairs.

Was it still a fantastic sports entertainment spectacle? Fuck yes.

Was it a better wrestling match than Richards vs. Elgin? No.

The Richards vs Elgin match was maybe 2 stars out of 5 tops. tons of no selling by two guys who have the combined personality of a Tyler Reks promo

Why are ROH matches always like an hour long.

To score maximum workrate points.

And it's not like their fans really have anything better to do.

Mention Indy feds or liking Daniel Bryan and its like sending up a flare for Gertner to swoop in with hatred and bile.


I love it.

Both are irrelevant.

<iframe frameborder="0" width="480" height="270" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xoof6s"></iframe><br /><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xoof6s_kazuchika-okada-vs-hiroshi-tanahashi-njpw_sport" target="_blank">Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW)</a> <i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/Jahmale_Hepburn" target="_blank">Jahmale_Hepburn</a></i>

Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Another fantastic match.

Love the finish of the Okada/Tanahashi match way too much. Just a really nice exchange.

Jap wrestling is garbage. Bunch of squinty eyed rice fuckers.

Imagine the workrate needed to fuck rice...

The Richards/Elgin match was quite entertaining, if only for the sheer spectacle of it and amount of false finishes. I wouldn't call it match of the year, though--it didn't really have any sense of pacing or psychology, and neither guy really sold that much when trading back and forth moves that would be match-enders in pretty much any other fed, which really snapped the suspension of disbelief. Flaws aside, it was fun; I don't normally watch Ring of Honor, but that did get me interested in it again.

That being said, Match of the Year? Punk/Jericho at Mania.

Overall, probably Triple H vs Undertaker from Mania right now.

In terms of just wrestling, either the 2nd or 3rd Punk vs Bryan match they had during the set of 3 champion vs champion matches.

96% of Japanese wrestlers look the same to me.

ROH "World" Champion would be more accurate/correct.

Hahahaha I just watched the tail of the tape from that ROH match. Normally I'm and indy/ROH smark, but come on, the graphic says for the ROH World Television title. That's not even the right belt. Come on ROH!

Bush league graphics for a bush league fed. They should just fold.

<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/omFcDO9OrdE?version=3&feature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/omFcDO9OrdE?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>

I used to love the ROH product as a style that was different than WWE but it has really gone downhill in the last couple years. Richards has turned out to be a truly horrible champion. The Okada/Tanahashi match was light-years ahead of Elgin-Richards.

Still my choices for match of the year would either be Taker/HHH at Mania or Sheamus/Daniel Bryan from Extreme Rules.

Although Sweet Willie Watts vs Mark Gjoka is right up there. Gjokamania is going to be running wild at a community center near you soon, brother!

There's quite a few matches so far this half of the year I'd recommend.

1. Triple H vs. Undertaker III - Hell In A Cell, WrestleMania
2. Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk - WrestleMania
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
4. TenKoji vs. Bad Intentions - Wrestle Kingdom VI
5. Bobby Roode vs. James Storm - Lockdown

What about Bobby Eaton's most recent match? I thought that was off the charts!

Daniel Bryan v. Sheamus @ Extreme Rules deserves a nod.

Good match, wrong ending.

The ending was fine.