Ramblings About’s Matches of the Year 2024: Best of the Rest

Spoiler. Credit: TJPW

Fuck knows how, but 2024 is drawing to an end, which means it’s time for me to wang on about my favourite things in wrestling from the last twelve months. Up first, the best of the rest. These are the matches that, on a different day, could have easily been my favourite of the year. I’ve seen a few people suggest it’s been a weaker period for wrestling, but I didn’t feel that way as I struggled to whittle this down to ten. A handful of bouts I assumed would be on here were pipped at the post and replaced by something that excited me that little bit more. So, if your favourite is missing, imagine it’s number 11.

As usual, it’s a list that reflects my tastes, which means there are some glaring holes. I intended to make this the year I dived into lucha, but I failed, so it has no representation here, not because it’s shite, but because I don’t watch enough of it. There are only so many hours in the day, and I like to spend a few of them on non-wrestling-related activities.

Anyway, on to the list!

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Gatoh Move – To The Future

It’s a good gang. Credit: Screenshot

Gatoh Move probably shouldn’t have survived the last five years. When COVID shut down wrestling in Japan as we knew it, things looked bleak for even the big promotions, never mind the tiny one that inhabits an old dentist’s in Ichigaya. Emi Sakura has admitted that she thought it was the end, and honestly, with the world seemingly burning down, would anyone have blamed her for giving up? Thankfully, she’s made of tougher stuff. Instead of curling up in a ball, she took a wild swing, calling on an old friend in Minoru Suzuki and putting on a show intended entirely for YouTube. On that day, ChocoPro was born, and while we didn’t know it yet, Gatoh Move was saved.

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Gatoh Move Road to Korakuen – MAKE@IKUSA (19/6/24) Review

Mei meets a fellow menace. Credit: Screenshot

The build to Korakuen Hall continued as Gatoh Move once again stopped by Shinkiba for a show with all the potential in the world. We now know our main event for Gatoh’s biggest event in years, as Mei Suruga will take on Emi Sakura, but with the boss having returned to America, she’s deputised one of her oldest friends to step in and put her trainee through her paces. Kaori Yoneyama vs Mei Suruga? Yes, please.

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Gatoh Move ‘Road to Korakuen – Apple Ambitious’ (30/5/24) Review

It’s a weird, but brilliant, gang. Credit: Screenshot

That Gatoh Move trip to Korakuen Hall is drawing ever closer, meaning this show served a double purpose. The first is the same as every Gatoh Move event this year, as they pave the road to that big day. As for the second? Well, the Apple Goblin has been wrestling for six glorious years, and it’s time to give her some dues. Not that she was blessed with an easy anniversary showdown, as Best Bros took on Hyakkin Thunders in the main event. Still, if you want to reach the top, you’ve got to deal with the best, and Emi and Masa are certainly that. Let’s see what went down.

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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for August 2023

Unleash the violence. Credit: Here

August is a slightly different month for my Ramblings About roundup. Since the 18th, I’ve been in Japan, so the second half of this list is entirely made up of matches I’ve seen in person. Seeing something live alters how you view it, and if you’re looking for in-depth analysis over more feeling-based yelling, you might want to go elsewhere. However, I’ve been having a lovely old time, and I still hope there is some value in what I have to say.

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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for June 2023

Mio met Ozaki. Credit: Here

Another month down, another group of fantastic matches that I want to ramble about. The wider wrestling world has been busy over the last thirty days, but, as usual, not much of that made the cut (although there is a taste of New Japan). I actually watched most of Forbidden Door, but was it as good as a WAVE show in front of 80 people? I think we all know the answer to that.

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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for March 2023

What a gang. Credit: TJPW

Even when you remove the start of WrestleMania Weekend (which came too late to make this list), March was a packed month for wrestling. TJPW ran their biggest venue yet, Gatoh Move celebrated their 300th show, Takumi Iroha returned to Marvelous and Ice Ribbon, well, Ice Ribbon did a lot of stuff. Good and bad, it was a busy old time, and there were plenty of great matches to get our teeth into.

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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for December 2022

Wait, that’s not your gimmick. Credit: TJPW

That’s a wrap! My final round-up of the month for 2022 is a bit shorter than the others, thanks to Christmas, end-of-year stuff and probably a few too many beers. Still, there were a few matches that I wanted to shout out, so there is plenty to get your teeth into anyway. Plus, if you do want more, I’ve written about my wrestlers of the year, the best of the rest matches and my match of the year, so give those a read after you’re done with this.

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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for October 2022

What a group. Credit: TJPW

October is over, and with it, another month of rather good wrestling. Between Wrestle Princess, the end of the 5STAR and who knows how many smaller events going on over the last thirty-one days, I had plenty to get my teeth into, and fingers crossed that there is something here that will entice you into checking it out too. Enjoy!

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