Match of the Year so far

[Captain Bean]

I know its early, but what are everyone's thoughts on the MOTY so far? I am expect that most people will agree with me in thinkin that the HBK v Taker match at WM25 was one of the best matches of all time, let alone the year, and so i expect this one to take top seat. For this reason, name your second and third favourite matches of the year in order to give other matches a chance.

Some suggestions

HBK v Taker - WM25

MITB Match - WM25

Royal Rumble Match - WM25

Edge v Cena Last Man Standing - Backlash

Cena v Swagger - Draft Night

Cena v Jericho - Following week's Raw (i think)

Orton v Shane Mcmahon - No Way Out


So....name your top three matches of the year so far and explain why

 

[andymcg]

Hmmm definetly match of the year for me has to be Undertaker Vs HBK at WM25, Personally this is the greatest match ive witnessed and can remeber as during the Attitude Era i was young.

Second and Third place i thinks a bit more tricky, i enjoyd the MITB match at WM and also Hardys match at Backlash was good to. Hard to pick second and third places but Taker Vs HBK at WM will get match of this year easily.

 

[Uncle Sam]

For me, it would have to be the Hardy vs. Hardy Stretcher match on SmackDown. You know me, always going against the crowd. Except with capitalism. I'd defend capitalism to the death.

But anyway, yeah... um, hmm... Oh yeah, found my train of thought again. "But Sam!" you exclaim, staring at your computer screen with a chimp-like confusion, "Hardy vs. Hardy was the best match at WrestleMania as well." Yes. Yes, it was. Well done for saying that, and not going for Undertaker/Michaels. For me, the Stretcher match was just plain better. Not by much. I liked the Hardys' feud very much, and you're all bad people for not feeling the same.

What should it be? Cena/Jericho probably. I haven't seen it. Sounds like something I'd like though. I'm trying to be objective here, picking a match that I haven't actually seen.

What will it be (y'know, on all the polls and that)? Undertaker/Michaels. Despite being a 7/10 match, it's being hailed as an all-time classic. It puzzles me. Appreciation of it will only decrease with time, I'm sure. Just look at Hogan/Warrior.

Ah, fuck.

 

[theneil450]

I agree with taker/michaels and jericho/cena from raw but just to be different I'm gonna say morrison/bourne from ecw right after the draft. I wasn't sure who was going to win and they both sold the shit out of each other's moves. Great match with Morrison getting the win.

 

[Franchize1990]

HBK/'Taker so far is easily the match of the year in my eyes.

2nd Place: I'd have to go with Cena/HBK a couple of Raw's before the Royal Rumble. The crowd was into it, the match went back and forth, and lasted for a decent amount of time. Maybe a little tainted from JBL's slight interference but I'm willing to look past it.

3rd Place: Evan Borne/John Morison(sp?) on the ECW after the draft would be my dark horse. Had some pretty good technical action mixed in with the high-flying moves and add the fact that the crowd was on their feet for most of the match (at least from what I saw) and you got something that should be mentioned on the MOTY list.

Honorable Mention:
Hardy v. Hardy-stretcher match
Cena v. Jericho-Jericho's last match on RAW

 

[shafe_41]

What about JBL/Mysterio?

KIDDING

Anyway... I don't think anything tops HBK/Taker. I think that's kinda clear. I haven't seen any match on Raw or Smackdown even halfway worthy. I can't lie... after HBK/Takerr, the next best match I can recall is Bourne/Morrison on ECW. That's not saying much. Not saying that wasn't a great match, but when the next best match to someone's memory compared to all the PPV matches and WM matches and whatnot... was on ECW... it really isn't.

 

[supersayian]

match of the year is far and away Taker and Shawn. this was the best Mania match on the card and in the last year included.

Stretcher match hardy vs hardy i liked this match as well Smackdown went above and beyond in this one. the one thing that makes me mad is Jeff cost himself those matches not Matt.

3 Cena vs Y2J this match was the best Raw match in like 3 years for sure. a nice 30 35 minute match.

4 Cena vs Edge Backlash this match was the best of these two this far to me. they controlled the crowd throughout like Taker and Shawn did. this match even surpassed there
Summerslam and TLC at Unforgiven in 2006.

 

[Debisibmania]

bourne vs morrison, in my opinion, was as good as wwe gets these days... yea shawn taker was very good but these 12 yr olds are acting like its the best match of all time... BOTH of these guys have had better matches, theyve even had a better match against EACH OTHER (first ever hell in a cell).

point is, i see matches like that match at WM all the time... maybe not as precise, maybe not at such a big event with so many ppl cheering... but there wasnt anything that special about it... MORRISON BOURNE however, was creative, went 16 minutes without losing a step. And it says a lot wen u can get the crowd so into a match on ECW which isnt even the main event.

Shawn Taker is one of the best also, christian swagger at backlash was rly good too.

 

[Louie Lips]

1st: HBK/Undertaker at WM25... This is one of if not the greatest match I've ever seen. It had everything! Back-and-fourth actions, submissions, finishers, and surprises. Two of the greatest in one of the greatest matches ever.

2nd: Cena/Jericho on Raw... This match had a lot of spots. It showed that both the Code Breaker and the FU aren't always match enders, and this match was great.

3rd: Bourne/Morrison on ECW... When this match came on I had no idea who was going to win. Perhaps the two future stars of the WWE, they made a great match.

 

[Sandman18]

HBK Taker is hands down match of year... I'm 26 and have been watching both of their careers and it was a phenomenal performance. While I don't think its the best match ever, it was a great one.

Second: I loved Morrison/Bourne it was great action.

Third: Stretcher match was a great one, best in all their bouts IMO.

On a side note I liked Swagger/Cena on Raw and also HBK/Cena...

 

[gd]

1. HBK vs. Taker WM 25

This match was just legendary and even know everyone knew who was going to win, it was entertaining throughout, just a hell of a match.

2. Jack Swagger vs. Christian ECW Title match on ECW

This match was better than their match from Backlash. It was one of Christian's first matches back in the WWE and he looked great. Swagger was above average in the ring as always.

3. Primo vs. The Miz ECW

I bet about 3 other people here remember this match but it was great. It provided great buid up for their tag team feud, showed what these 2 can do as singles competitors in the upcoming years, and went a good 15-20 minutes.

 

[hArdyPUNKmArk]

I would have to say at #1 would be Undertaker v Shawn Michaels. They just took the roof off at WM25 and was by far the best match of the night. They were unbelievable in this match. It was awesome to see at their age they can still WOW an audience like they did.

At #2 i would say Even Bourne v John Morrison because it was very back and forth and involved 2 less experienced guys than the same old main eventers. They were really athletic and showed their talent.

At #3 i can't go past Edge v Cena at Backlash. Such a great last man standing match and the end was a fucking sick spot! They did well in this main event but i can't see any match beating Taker v Michaels this year, it's going to be hard to beat.

Other honerable mentions would be Jeff Hardy v Matt Hardy in their stretcher match and Swagger v Cena on RAW.

 

[z99zazn]

I definitely think it was Taker and HBK at WM, but that is what pretty much everyone besides Sam is saying so I gotta think of some other matches.

1-John Cena vs Edge at Backlash
I love both of these guys, they both put their heart into their performances, and while they've had some good matches over the years, I think this is the best. At least, it's the best that they've had in this current fued. A lot of violent spots, and the ending was great. It set up Edge to bring the WHC back to SD and for Cena to start a one on one fued with Big Show.

2-John Cena vs Jack Swagger on Draft Night
I'm a big Swagger mark already. Love the guy for some weird reason. I think along with a lot of people, I thought this was gonna be a 5 minute squash of the young guy for the purpose of Cena looking even stronger, which he really doesn't need. But in a great move, Cena put Swagger over. It personally proved to me that this guy is gonna be good. Hopefully a future champ. But what really made this match for me was just how much it put Swagger over. Yes, the wrestling was good, but just the fact that Cena did this for the guy, and the company, made me respect the guy even more.

3-John Morrison vs Evan Bourne the night after the draft on ECW
This was a great match. Easily the best that I've seen on ECW this year. Really helped show how athletic both guys are, and that these guys could be the future of the company. I kinda figured that Bourne would win with the SSP, but you never know. I kinda figured that they would help put him over even more by giving him a good win. And it was Morrison's send off. I was kinda disappointed. I thought maybed these two guys could have a good fued. But alas, the fued doesn't occur. Oh well, there's a lot more time for some other great matches! But so far I loved all of these.

 

[IBeTheErickSermon]

hmmm i thought id be the only one to say this one when i read the first post, but bourne/morrison i enjoyed very much but also no one mentioned the match from before that week

bourne/colons vs morrison/miz/kidd that was a match i enjoyed but id say thats like 4th maybe 3rd but 1st the match ive enjoyed the most is

jack swagger and john cena suprisingly, and i am one of the many cena haters, and jack swagger i hate until i watch him wrestle than i love him, but than i see his face and hear his voice and i start to hate him again haha

2nd-- probly royal rumble, i loved that rvd was in it, and i really like randy orton right now and was happy when he won

3rd--finlay and hornswoggle vs tyson kidd and natalya, no not really but yeah morrison/bourne

and a close was shelton benjamin/undertaker right before the rumble

 

[The Doctor]

The Royal Rumble was pretty fucking fantastic. It was my first Royal rumble I ever saw, and I was marking the whole time. I nearly came when RVD showed up.

I haven't had a chance to see Taker/HBK yet, and I unfortunately missed Morrison/Bourne as I was waiting around in an airport...

So, I'll go with the Royal Rumble.
The Hardy/Hardy stretcher match is a close second, though.

3. Primo vs. The Miz ECW

I bet about 3 other people here remember this match but it was great. It provided great buid up for their tag team feud, showed what these 2 can do as singles competitors in the upcoming years, and went a good 15-20 minutes.

I had forgotten about that match until you mentioned it. That was a really, really good match. It was very exciting, and hopefully showed glimpses of things to come.

 

[The Madrid Slam]

I might exclude a certain few matches, because to be honest, I haven't seen them. I never caught the Hardy Stretcher match, I never caught the Miz + Morrison vs. The Colons on ECW...I've only caught whats been on the PPV's and on RAW.

With that being said...My 3 best matches of the year...

Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (WM25) - Ever since WM24 ended all I've been hearing is that everyone wants to see Taker vs. HBK. Retirement vs. streak. I thought going into it, there was no way, but sure enough the WWE last second-planned it it seemed. Even with a few hints here and there, starting as early as when HBK threw (JBL? I forget) to Undertaker late last year. I was excited to see the match though, the beginning of the match was not as good as I had hoped..The match didn't get good until Undertaker hit the cameraman, and the only reason it was as "amazing" as it was, was because of all the near-falls. However...the match was exciting. I enjoyed it, and is the match of the year so far.

Cena vs. Edge (LMS) Backlash - I was tired of their rivalry before, even with knowing they have good chemistry and are great entertainers in their own respective rights. Great match, and Superman goes thru the Bat Signal ftw.

Elimination Chamber match (RAW) - Exciting from the beginning. Edge kicks out Kofi...somehow the refs allow him to participate and 22 minutes in we're guaranteed a new champion. After Cena was eliminated it was obvious Edge would win. Even before that, it was obvious, but it was signed, sealed and delivered when Cena got the 1,2,3. Edge and Mysterio really put on a show at the end, and even with the obvious outcome there was a couple times I was like "Holy shit, Rey just won".

 

[DeadmanInc2009]

HBK vs Taker, easily. I've been watching wrestling for a long damn time and I consider that match one of the greatest of all time. I don't see anything topping that, this year and maybe not even next year. A true classic, from two of the greatest of all time.

 

[Ryanhitman316]

HBK vs Taker, easily. I've been watching wrestling for a long damn time and I consider that match one of the greatest of all time. I don't see anything topping that, this year and maybe not even next year. A true classic, from two of the greatest of all time.

I agree I was really excited during this match. I can't image being there. HBK VS Taker was def. the match of the year. Ever since the 90s I always wanted to see them wrestle. They did but HBK was a heel and he was getting his ass kick all the time by Taker, even though he won the matches. I remember how many people were bashing this match before it saying how it won't live up to its expectations, but it did.

Another match I liked was Alex Shelly VS Chris Sabin for the vacated X title. It was a brilliant match with pure high flying and wrestling. Shelly reminds me of Jericho and he perform both the moonsault and the Boston crab in Jericho's version. I also like how he did the cross-face. Overall, this was my fav. match from TNA.

 

[bnn52]

Ok for starters, this has been a decent year so far for matches in the WWE and it is hard to pick 3 top matches, but here we go.

1. Undertaker vs HBK -- WM25 -- Come on, whoever doesnt think this match was the MOTY so far is crazy. Two of the best that have ever entered the WWE ring on the biggest stage of them all. Was almost as good, if not better than Flair vs Michaels last year (have to give the edge to Flair vs Michaels because i was there live).

2. Royal Rumble Match -- I thought this was one of the better RR matches in a long time. A lot of top talent in it this year, the suprise entries werent the washed up sixty year old legends that have no shot, RVD was a huge suprise and I beleive was one of the last 8 or 9 wrestlers left. Also what I liked about this one, was that they had the whole legacy there in the end vs HHH. I think it helped put Rhodes and Dibiase over a little more and Orton deserved the win.

3. Mysterio vs Evan Bourne -- I do not remember which week this match was on, but it was in the last month or so. Just a match that I personally have been waiting to see. The two high flyers in the WWE currently working at a fast pace. It was almost like a teacher vs protege match.

 

[IBeTheErickSermon]

3. Mysterio vs Evan Bourne -- I do not remember which week this match was on, but it was in the last month or so. Just a match that I personally have been waiting to see. The two high flyers in the WWE currently working at a fast pace. It was almost like a teacher vs protege match.

damn i forgot about that that match, that was dankl as hell

 

[demonspeedng22]

Undertaker/HBK is one of the best matches of all time, let alone this year. For 30 minutes they made me forget it was fake - I haven't felt that way watching a match since the Iron Man Match at WM12.

It was all of the little things; their facial expressions (Undertaker's "I've done everything I can and it hasn't worked" look after the first Tombstone) and the crowd. If you ever have a chance to see the match again, watch the people in the first few rows on camera from the middle point of the match till the end. They were cheering after every kickout, whether it was Taker or HBK. They forgot who their favorite was in the match and just started cheering for the match itself. Nobody wanted it to end.

With all of that said and how good the match was, it also has a negative effect. Alot of the matches since, especially on Raw/SD/ECW, seem like they are trying too hard for the "back and forth" action, and in most cases it just hasn't worked.

I personally think the MITB match at WM25 is one of the worst they've had. Seemed really sloppy to me with alot of missed spots.

 

[The Rob]

I think the answer to this is fairly obvious. Not only is this the match of the year so far, it's one of the greatest matches of the last decade, Shawn Michaels v.s Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. And I believe that when the same question is asked come December, I'll be saying the very same answer. It was just that damn good.