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

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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30/12/2024 0

Ramblings About’s Match of the Year 2023: Arisa Nakajima vs Sareee

Arisa Nakajima and Sareee represent a style of wrestling that you don’t see much in the current joshi scene. Some things look similar if you squint, like Stardom’s hard-hitting epics, but they never truly tap into the world that Arisa and Sareee do. They’re too big and shiny, while the fights between these two are down in the dirt, fuelled by hostility and a willingness to try and drive one of your body parts through an opponent. There’s nothing beautiful about these matches. They’re violent and spiteful, which makes it even more bizarre that sitting in Korakuen Hall, watching this live, I couldn’t stop myself from bursting into tears.

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30/12/2023 0

Ramblings About’s Match Of The Year: Team Marvelous vs Team Sendai Girls, GAEAISM

A flag worth fighting for. Credit: GAEAISM

When trying to figure out what should top this list, it quickly became clear that the answer was actually kinda easy. While I loved a lot of wrestling over the last twelve months, the match that defined 2021 took place at GAEAISM. Not just because of what happened in the ring, but because of everything that came together to make it. Marvelous and Sendai Girls could have so easily dropped the ball on this one, the multiple delays and an injury to Takumi Iroha disrupting their plans, but they did nothing of the sort. After a build packed with brilliant tag-team matches and a gauntlet that was booked to perfection, it finally went ahead, and everything was in place for a hell of a main event.

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29/12/2021 0

Ramblings About’s Match of the Year: Pencil Army vs Tropical Calimari

Weakness isn’t something you often find in professional wrestling. When you think of its icons, American superstars like Stone Cold or Japanese aces like Mitsuharu Misawa, everything about them screams strength. In a world defined by macho posturing, to be weak, and even worse to show that weakness, is not only not done, but actively discouraged. You need only go onto certain Twitter accounts to see what old-school wrestling types think of anything that might make a performer not look like a hard bastard.

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01/01/2021 1

Ramblings About’s Match Of The Year: Best Of The Rest Part 2

The match of the year lists continue with part two of my best of the rest. Honestly, any one of these (or the ten from part one) could be my top pick, and in a different year, they probably would be. As it is, though, they’ll have to be happy with the somewhat crowded runner-up spot.

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31/12/2020 0

Ramblings About’s Top Twenty Matches Of 2018

Image result for ishii vs ibushi g1 — Spoilers. Credit: NJPW

With music and films out of the way, it’s time to finish the year with a list that actually reflects the name of the site, it’s wrassling time. First, though, I have a few disclaimers. This list will be New Japan heavy because I mainly watch New Japan. I’m also limiting myself to one match per a feud and as I have reviewed a lot of these before I’ll be linking to my previous reviews rather than going in depth. I will, however, talk a bit about those I haven’t had a chance to ramble about. Right, let’s do this.

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31/12/2018 0

Ramblings About’s Top Three Wrestling Matches Of 2017

Twenty albums, ten films and three matches. Why? Nobody knows, and it is certainly not from a lack of options. This has been a hell of a year for wrestling. Sure, the big boy has been a bit shit, but the rest of the world is stepping up, and even WWE had a few crackers. Wrestling is on top form right now, and it’s a joy to watch.

Alongside all my usual disclaimers I would like to point out that I am one person and I can only watch so many promotions. This list is slanted in a certain direction because of that. I hope to get into even more promotions in the future, but there are only so many hours in the day. Anyway, let’s get on with it.

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28/12/2017 0

Wrestling Match of the Year

020_nxt_11192016ej_1264-73cae09ca506fefc4b9b270bdd1b7e63 — No way that doesn’t hurt

Having finally clambered over the tedium that was Roadblock, wrestling is all but over for the year, and it is time to reflect. Therefore, over the next few days, I am going to put up my Match of the Year, Moment of the Year and Wrestler of the Year for your pleasure. Let’s get going.

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23/12/2016 0