Top 30 BEST Matches of 2006

[Balzter]

I know most of you dont care but fuck it, i had a good time doing this list as i rewatched some of my favorite matches, so ill post my TOP 30 matches in the hopes some of you will check some of them out.

Obviously its the best of what i saw last year, i saw quite a bit actually so most of the US stuff by the BIG 3 and a few matches here and there from other indy feds. Also a bit of japanese stuff from NOAH, Dragon Gate and NJPW.

Post your top 30 as well.




#30
Homicide vs. Chris Hero
ROH - In Your Face - June 17th, 2006

My guilty pleasure match of the year, you won't hear much talk about this match because it gets lost in the shuffle of great matches ROH had this year and it was especially overshadowed by the huge 3-way main event that night. The mocking of John Cena won this match over for me when Homicide locks in a STF and screams "Fuck John Cena", which tempts the crowd to start the champ and also tempts Hero to do the "U Dont See Me" gesture when he reverses it. Also one of the reasons I'm happy to put this match in the top 30 is because of Chris Hero who has really came into his own this past year not only in ROH but indy wrestling all around. Not only is this match great in my opinion but Hero plays the chickenshit heel like a pro while Homicide plays the super over babyface in peril like a champ. It gave me a old school attitude era feel when I was watching it like it was Stone Cold in there versus a heel Rock while the fans completely despised Hero with a passion. Was a good match for Homicide to declare his dominance on ROH and pull out his 2006 world title ultimatum as he runs over poor Chris Hero.


#29
Low Ki vs. Davey Richards
IWA-MS - Ted Petty Invitational Night 2 - September 30th, 2006

This was a hard match to put in here and could of been replaced by a lot of matches but after watching watching this match again and the whole night 2 of the TPI 2006, I thought the event was so damn good that it deserved a mention. Second round match that continued to set the pace for the rest of show. This was one of the standout matches of the night along with being obviously an indy dream match between two guys with a very similar style. So you can imagine that the match is hard hitting with quite a few kicks being thrown here from 2 of the best kickers around. Interesting facts coming in the match is the fact Low Ki is undefeated in IWA and Davey unbeaten in tournaments this year by winning the Super 8 and BOLA 2006. Aside from that, the match is a nice build up to a very exciting end of match that sees Low Ki decimate Davey Richards to the pleasure of the elite few in attendance that night.

#28
AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels vs. The Latin American Exchange - The Ultimate X
TNA - No Surrender - September 24, 2006

One of the most unique gimmick matches of the past 3 years, TNA's own creation of the Ultimate X match usually delivers and this years first ever tag team edition also does the same. While ladder matches have been completely exhausted by the WWE, the UX is a breath of fresh air. AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels are pretty much the best choices to put in this type of match, AJ takes in my opinion the best bump of TNA this year when Homicide hits the ace crusher from the top of the X. The big Hernandez handles himself pretty well through the whole thing and also pulls off a few nice spots but nothing gets better than the ultimate ending of this bout. Christopher Daniels scales one of the 4 scaffolds until the top where he then launches himself in the middle of the of the X to retrieve the belts and regain the tag gold.


#27
AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels vs. AMW
TNA - Slammiversary - June 18, 2006

When it comes to tag team wrestling in mainstream wrestling, its basically non-existent but TNA a fairly good job and try to keep the division interesting. So the pairing of the 2 former X-Division stars was a good start and their quest to beat the darstedly Americas Most Wanted made things interesting for a few months and produced a few good matches that includes this one. This one was undoubtedly TNA's best tag team match of the year, it was quick and fast paced, it was non stop action (no pun intended), it had many nearfalls and had the Impact crowd by the throat until the very end. As great as AJ and Daniels were as a team, it has to be mentioned that AMW has been one of the most constant and best teams in pro wrestling ever since they debuted in TNA. Heel or face they are as a unit one of the best teams since 2002-03 and deserve this spot.




#26
Low Ki vs. Necro Butcher
IWA-MS - April 1st, 2006

I picked this match because of its correlation with match #25, this match happened during Wrestlemania weekend and was in the middle of Wrestlemania 22 and the ROH Tripleshot. IWA-MS still found a way to gather enough interest and put on their own big match for the weekend by securing Low Ki for his return to the indies. The backstory is that Low Ki debuted in IWA and made an example of Tyler Black by destroying him and it didnt sit well with owner Ian Rotten, who got the services of Necro Butcher to take out Ki. A clash of styles here but a good clash as it was under falls count anywhere no DQ rules and both men took the liberty to lay a stiff beating on each other. Necro learns that he has his hands full with Low Ki in this match because Ki proves that he still means business. The ending of this match features a great spot where Low Ki hits Necro with the tree of woe double stomp...through a table that has the crowd in attendance buzzing. Buzzing much like the crowd for the next match on the top 30, the difference was that one match was for a few hundred people in a building and the other one was at the biggest spectacle of them all.

#25
Edge vs. Mick Foley - Hardcore Match
WWE - Wrestlemania 22 - April 2nd, 2006

The only WWE match on the list don't act like your surprised, the E put on in 2006 a lot of bad matches that seems will be the trend for the new year. But the match that did deliever was of course a gimmick match between Edge and Mick Foley at Wrestlemania, they easily stole the show at the biggest event of the year. It was to be expected with Mick Foley who made a career by carrying his opponents to great matches and launched a great year for Edge who went on to win the WWE championship 2 times. The hardcore match was exactly that hardcore and had fans claiming it to be the best hardcore match of all time. Barbwire bats, barbwire socko, tumtacks, flaming tables and blood, the match delivered and left the fans with a memorable ending that they will never forget.


#24
KENTA vs. Matt Sydal
ROH - The Bitter End - November 4th, 2006

KENTA's second match of his "farewell weekend" from ROH in 2006 and he faces a hot and hungry Matt Sydal. Straight up competitive match here that see KENTA threat Matt Sydal like his kicking bag as KENTA lays in soo many stiff kicks that you can feel it through the DVD. The idea coming in the match is that Sydal doesnt have much of a chance against KENTA but Sydal does a awesome job at winning the crowd who get in back of him even though KENTA is super over. If the match was given another 5 minutes it would of been much better then it was but aside that it was still wisely booked with Sydal countering the Go 2 Sleep with a snap hurricurana but it isnt enough as he eventually gets beat by the Go 2 Sleep. KENTA ends his 2006 ROH year with a win and Sydal gets over as a future main eventer in ROH, mission accomplished.

#23
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Mike Quackenbush
IWA-MS - Ted Petty Invitational Night 2 - September 30th, 2006

Some of you must be thinking what the hell is this but this is a second round match in TPI tournament that blew my mind the first time I watched it. The shortest match in the top 30 with it going a little over 10 minutes but the best 10 minutes of action packed in such a constrained amount of time. Mike Quackenbush a wrestler/trainer for Chikara Pro and the most underated wrestler in the US today and Claudio Castagnoli, put on a masterpiece of a luchalibre match that featured a few unique never before seen moves that were hardly easy to pull off. No worries though because everything is crisp and cleanly executed making this match a must see, which had not only the fans standing up in appreciation but even the announcers marking out while doing commentary. The ending is great and plays off a snap hurricarana that was executed by Quack earlier in the match, as he goes to try it a second time Claudio (somehow) reverses the snap hurricarana into a sitdown powerbomb, which earns him the victory. Claudio Castagnoli shows that even though he is tall and strong, he is versatile in an kind of style of wrestling while Quackenbush gets a standing ovation and lures Ian Rotten out to give a non-scripted promo about Quack and what the tournament really signifies.


#22
Bryan Danielson vs. Jimmy Rave
ROH - Fourth Anniversary Show - February 25th, 2006

A favorite between ROH fans this year, a match that showed that Jimmy Rave could hang with the big boys and that maybe (sooner than later) he may be ready to carry the promotion on his back as champion. Interesting dynamic here with Rave the heel facing the on and off again heel champion of Bryan Danielson. Rave easily comes off as the one hated by the fans as hard as Bryan Danielson tried to piss off the crowd, they rather chant "Die Jimmy Die" instead. This match makes #22 for the actual wrestling, which easily had this match being one of the best from the beginning of the year, Danielson does his usual wreslting and Rave plays off it greatly by reversing many of the champs key moves. The clincher here is the fact that even though everyone knows that Rave isnt walking out as champion, that he still gives the impressin at multiple occasions that he has the champion beat and has you believing that he might actually pull it off. But to no avail, Dragon pounds his head in with the elbows and elevates yet another wrestler despite the loss.

#21
Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA
Pro Wrestling NOAH - December 2nd, 2006

Match # 2 between these two and compared to the other one, this match is ranked pretty low. The reason for this was the crowd wasnt really into the match even though Dragon was hyped for 2 weeks as a a legitimate contender for KENTA and fed junior heavyweights. The NOAH fans seem to be more responsive to the heavyweights instead of the junior heavyweights and it was very apparent this night because the crowd only got into the match at the very end, therefore there was a lack of emotion in the air. The match itself was of course brilliant and was much like their first encounter in ROH in September but this match a few tricks up its sleeve that made it unique in itself. Theres a GREAT counter by Danielson on KENTA's top rope falcon arrow, which actually got a response by the crowd. Obviously there was no title on the line and even though the outcome was obvious Danielson played this role as the "American Champion" to a tee while KENTA played the babyface comeback perfectly as well. KENTA gets back his win on the job he did in NYC and its well deserved and worth it.

[Balzter]

#20
CIMA vs. El Generico
PWG - Battle of Los Angeles 2006 Night 3 - September 3rd, 2006

A very unorthodox match that you won't see everyday with CIMA and a few other wrestlers making their way from Dragon Gate to participate in Pro Wrestling Guerillas annual 24 man tournament called the "Battle of Los Angeles". El Generico who was part of a few great matches in the TPI 2006 also delivered in this torunament so it was fitting that he get this spot. Semi-finals match and winner goes to the finals, so it starts out slow as both men are cautious before hitting any big signature moves and goes until mid-match point with a lot of weardown holds and sizing up the other opponent. The big guns are unleashed when CIMA is sent to the floor and Generico hits a beautiful twisting springboard top rope asai moonsault to the outside, shortly after both wrestlers start hitting a shitload of big moves to a lot of nearfalls and cheers from the crowd who is at this point is standing up in approval. The closing stages sees CIMA hitting Generico with the Schwein (Over the shoulder back to belly piledriver) but Generico pins out! CIMA is in disbelief while the crowd chants "this is awesome". CIMA gathers his barrings and tries for a second while Generico tries to fight it off but CIMA hits another Schwein for the win and the undisputed match of the tournament. No surprise that CIMA and Generico meshed well together, especially since it seems lately that El Generico CANNOT have a bad match.


#19
KENTA vs. Roderick Strong
ROH - Throwdown - June 23rd, 2006

The stiffest kicker versus the hardest chopper, it was truly a throwdown as one half of the ROH tag team champions Roderick Strong is next in line for KENTA's ROH total domination tour. Really a different matches from the other KENTA matches in ROH because this one was more of a all out battle since both men wanted the big win. Even before they get it really underway Roderick Strong gets in KENTA's face after their first tie up and then draws a big x on his chest, some mind games telling KENTA that hes going to chop the skin off of him (literally). The match was a back and forth contest with both men really hitting each other with everything they had and basically trying to rip each other heads off with kicks and forearms. Strong brings his A game here almost breaking KENTA's back with numerous backbreakers including a belly to back suplex on the ring apron but its not enough as he becomes yet another victim of the Go 2 Sleep as KENTA continues his quest for Danielson and ROH Gold.


#18
KENTA vs. Austin Aries
ROH - Chi Town Struggle - June 24th, 2006

KENTA tries to go 2-0 versus the tag champs and solidify is dominance over the Ring of Honor roster. I ranked this one right after the previous KENTA vs. Strong match because both were very similar and really each match was a product of the other yet this one was a tad better. Thought Aries gave KENTA a better challenge and looked like the old ROH World Champ Aries in there bringing it against NOAH's top ace. The lack of Aries single matches here maybe made this one extra special but Aries gave KENTA trouble at the end and contrary to the Strong match, Aries had a better chance of winning it by hitting almost everything except the 450 splash. On the other hand, what didnt miss after two insurance Busaiku Knee Kick's is the Go 2 Sleep that puts down for the count the third consecutive ROH champion.


#17
Nigel McGuinness vs. Danielson
ROH - Weekend of Champions Night 2 - April 29th, 2006

A match that got lots of praise when it happened and then a match that got lots of mixed reactions, this one gets the number 17 spot not on the wrestling aspect (even though it was solid) but rather because of the story it told. It went like this, American Dragon was well over 6 months as champion and Nigel was also way past 6 months as Pure champion so the question that was arising was who was the better singles champion in ROH. A question put into motion by Nigel McGuinness who for months claimed he was the better champion because he had beat the best and was defending the belt overseas in NOAH. So at the second night of the Weekend of Champions there was going to be a champion versus champion match to determine who the best really was. Both belts were on the line and the match was going to be disputed under pure title rules which meant the title could change hands on a countount or disqualification and had the 3 rope break rule, right up Nigel McGuinness's alley. The match started slowly with both men being cautious but quickly got out of hand when both men had no more rope breaks putting the ropes in play for anyone. Nigel took another approach, while on the outiside of the ring he wor down Danielson and at the 10 count tried to keep Danielson planted on the floor by pinning him with the use of a table. At 17, Nigel dives in the ring and is certain that he has pulled it off but Danielson is able to recover and enter the ring right before the 20 count by the referee. With no rope breaks, Danielson takes his own approach and is able to get Cattle Mutilation on Nigel who after a few moments reaches the ropes but they cant save him, luckily he is able after a long time in the hold to slip all the way under the ropes to the outside. On the outside, Danielson dumps Nigel in the crowd and heads to the top for is obviously his plancha in the crowd but he's met by a chair right in the face by Nigel who even though is tired starts making his return in the ring. Nigel makes it back at the 16 count around while Dragon is still in the crowd and starts to get his barrings, the crowd starts to cheer him on but he is UNABLE to get over the railling because of the effects of the chair shot, referee is forced to count to 20 as Danielson looks on as he loses the match and Nigel wins! They announcement of the winner is made...and NEW world champion but wait...the referees and officials discuss and come to the conclusion that only the Pure title can change hands on a countout and not the world title, so both champs retain. Loved the story told in this match, even though it wasnt even close to being their best match it was definitely the set up for later on because now Nigel had the right to brag about being the best singles champion in ROH because he had a victory over the champ. It was also very unexpected to where this match was going to end but at the end everything made sense and this match delivered the drama and excitement.

#16
BJ Whitmer vs. Necro Butcher in a No Rope Barbed Wire Match
ROH - War of the Wire 2 - July 28th, 2006

The nail in the coffin match for the CZW feud here, one of the side feuds was BJ Whitmer being the "sacrifial lamb" of ROH and Necro being the last thing he had to defeat to avenge all the pain and suffering delt to him. By the way, looky here, another match with Necro Butcher (and more to come) in it that rules...coincidence? Maybe. ROH's second no rope barbwire match, not bad for a pure techinical wrestling promotion, 3 years after the first one it returns to settle this feud in barbaric fashion and its damn entertaining. Only negative of the match was the slow beginning but after when it picks up the action makes up for it. Not a big fan of "death matches", this one doesnt go over the top but is jsut perfect to satisfy my animalistic nature for BLOOD! Great spots all around, Tiger Driver off the apron on the barbwire table, exploder on tacks, bare feet atomic drop on tacks, firemans carry on barbwire board, sandwich between 2 barbwire boards, frogsplash on sandwich...off a ladder and all the usual barbwire action. Lots of bleeding, lots of open wounds, lots of barbwire, lots of screaming fans, lots of Whitmer chants and Necro chants!...All that equals, great match.


#15
Austin Aries & Roderick Strong vs. KENTA & Davey Richards
ROH - Honor Reclaims Boston - November 3rd, 2006

First ROH tag match on the top 30 and probably the second best tag team match of year but for sure the hardest hitting ROH tag match of 2006 as both teams probably had a rough next morning. By the looks of this match, you would think all 4 men owe each other money with the way they were connecting with some of the moves, goddamn stiff almost doesnt describe some of shots taken here. ROH returns to Boston to reclaim the land and they do exactly that with this awesome main event tag match as the former tag champs take on KENTA and his american protege Davey Richards. Why is this on the list? Well the match flowed so well and was really just fun to sit back and watch them destroy each other for no real reason except get the win. Also great end, with Aries and Strong using a different finishing combo on Davey Richards to complete destroy him. A definite must watch match as ROH reclaims Boston.

#14
Bryan Danielson vs. Roderick Strong
ROH - Supercard of Honor - March 31st, 2006

The match that completes the trilogy between Dragon and Strong during ROH's biggest weekend of all time and first ever tripleshot. Roderick Strong's third shot for the ROH World Title against Bryan Danielson and every time he gets closer and closer to getting the win. First match went almost 40 minutes, the second match went almost 50 minutes and this one is no different. Danielson takes control of this match and slowly wears down Strong who basically gets schooled the whole match but still finds a way somehow to throw in the beating on the champ. The perfect example of the cat playing around with the mouse, Danielson being the cat and having control of the match and toying with Strong but being unable to completely put him away. This leads to the match getting until 56 mins with Danielson trying to maybe escape with a countout but Roderick Strong has none of it and unleashes hell on Danielson who does what he does best to retain and reverses the Strong Hold into a victory roll for the 3 count. Not a match for typical WWE fan because of the lenght but worth a watch if you want to see a great match.


#13
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
ROH - Fight of the Century - August 5th, 2006

Of course I have to put the Fight of the Century in this list, obviously when you put two of the best in the world together you get magic. The hype for this match reminded me a lot of Wrestlemania 12 Iron Man match, which basically mean that the booking and psychology coming in was off the chart. The Samoa Joe quest for the ROH Title started in March so a few months of hyping and teasing made for a very drama filled match. Danielson was booked here as the heel as he almost cost ROH the CZW feud when he entered the Cage of Death JUST so he can turn on Joe and chop block his injured knee, freaking BRILLIANT. Now to the match, from the get go you can tell this one is going to be very long as both wrestlers arent going to risk the match by making mistakes. From the fans that were present at the show, they described the end as the most intense drama filled few last minutes theyve ever witnessed, want to know how it ends? Buy the DVD.

#12
Homicide vs. Necro Butcher
ROH - Ring of Homicide - May 12th, 2006

Oh my god, the Necro Butcher once again...what the fuck? Well he sells and bumps in this match like a crazy man. I just couldnt leave this one out of the list, the awesomeness of the mayhem in this match was very unexpected and once again booked perfectly. So the main event of the show was actually Samoa Joe vs. Necro Butcher but plans changed when Claudio and Hero interfere in the brawl, which leads to Pearce and Whitmer to come out after Joe is injured (hey, he had a TNA PPV the night after). So now you have a 3 against 2 massacre with CZWers about to powerbomb Whitmer outside the ring on Pearce lying on a table BUT FINALLY the lights go off, the Kill Bill intro plays, the place goes berzerk and Homicide comes out. The CZWers try to convince Homicide to join in the beating and Homicide thinks about it for a second but starts to clear the ring of the CZW wrestlers, which then leaves Homicide face to face with Necro as a referee runs in the ring and signals for the bell! What follows is obviously a huge chair riot with TONS of chairs, so many that there is a small mountain in the ring with Necro Butcher under it completely covered, then Homicide reminds everyone why ROH stands for Ring of Homicide!


#11
Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle
TNA - Turning Point - December 10, 2006

Their first match was a disapointment but their Turning Point match was pretty good and did capture my attention for a while as Samoa Joe tried to tie it 1-1 versus the Olympic Hero. This is unfortunetely the best Kurt Angle can deliver in this day and age in my opinion but a lackluster Angle is still better then most of the WWE/TNA roster. I enjoyed how the roles switched from being Samoe Joe as the semi-heel to Kurt Angle being the heel as he gets more and more desperate against Joe who is unstoppable in this match. TNA for the first time in a while had some drama in a match with this one and all the submission reversals, countless rope breaks and 2 counts from each wrestlers finishing moves. The match lost points at the end with Kurt Angle going and getting the chair to attempt to beat Joe, which then sees the lame missed chair shot bouncing off the top back in your face spot. The low blow was perfectly enough to convey that Angle was desperate for the win, all in all the match delivered and added interest to the feud.

[Balzter]

#10
Chris Hero, Necro Butcher, & Super Dragon defeated Samoa Joe, BJ Whitmer, & Adam Pearce
ROH - 100th Show - April 22nd, 2006

First time I watched this match I wasnt expecting anything but what came out of it is probably the best street fight/brawl I've ever seen mixed in with great storytelling. This was ROH's 100th Show and a milestone, the show actually starts with Claudio Castagnoli wrestling Christopher Daniels who defeats him and after a 100 shows finally chooses Claudio as the first person he will shake hands with (follow the code of honor). That will be integral later on when the 6 man street fight is happens, the brawl starts right away with all the men entering the ring and fighting and never will you see so much stuff happening in one match. This was what launched the CZW vs. ROH feud to the next level, with a whole section dedicated to the CZW fans it gave the atmosphere a unique feeling that no other inter-promotion feud has had in a long time. After almost 30 minutes of chaos, CZW owner John Zandig decides to come out with the barbwire bat, which lures Claudio Castognoli in his ROH jacket out to even the odds but...Claudio uppercuts Samoa Joe as the CZW crew pins BJ Whitmer and beat ROH at their most important event ever. Last scenes of the show are the CZWers with their fans celebrating with Claudio ripping the ROH jacket with Samoa Joe staring them down with a demonic look on his face. Did I mention Necro is in this one too, sorry Steve-O.


#09
Kenta Kobashi vs. Naomichi Marufuji
Pro Wrestling NOAH - April 23rd, 2006

This was a lot like The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan version for Pro Wrestling NOAH, the past versus the future of NOAH, with the power of Kobashi versus the quickness of Marufuji. This is the typical Heavyweight against Junior Heavyweight match and this is no exception with Naomichi Marufuji not really having any chance of winning this one but still goes out there to attempt to miracuously beat the legend. For the first 20 or so minutes the match is the usual Puro stuff to set up the big dramatic end and the last 10 minutes deliver with some big spots. My favorite spot is Marufuji on the apron and springboarding himself into a missile dropkick over the ring to the outside of an adjacent side of the ring. Numerous superkicks and Shiranui's by Marafuji is still not enough to put down Kobashi so he sets him up for a Super Shiranui, which is countered into Super Half-Nelson but Marafuji pins out. The closing minute sees Kobashi hitting Marafuji with his trademark "Lariato" that decapitates the young wrestler BUT Marafuji pins out, which angers Kobashi-San who then finishes him off with a SICK brainbuster. Important match in my mind because it gives Naomichi Marafuji the stamp approval, which will lead to more challenges by Heavyweights that he defeats to his surprise conquest in September for the GHC Title.


#08
Team ROH vs. Team CZW - Cage of Death
ROH - Death Before Dishonor 4 - July 15th, 2006

The blow-off match to the best feud of the year, the ROH vs. CZW feud that spanned through 6 months of brutal battles and this is the final war to the settle it all. If you haven't seen this match then shame on you! Shame...on...you! Contrary to the joke we got in December with the Extreme Elimination Chamber, this is 100% guaranteed satisfaction with this one time only "Cage of Death" match in a Ring Of Honor event. The only way to describe this match is..."FUCKING AMAZING", all out chaos and mayhem with so many spots that your head will be spinning by the end of the match, everything from a Moonsault Van Terminator to a Cop Killa on a barbwire board. You know when Jim Ross says every once in a while, "looks like the scene of a car accident" but 99% of the time it doesnt apply to the actual action, well this match is exactly that, the scene of a car accident. Everything in this match comes together so perfectly because in most part of the FLAWLESS booking in the feud and in this particular match, which sees other angles/feuds integrated in the match to further the inter-promotional feud itself. Watch this.



#07
Do Fixer vs. Blood Generation
ROH - Supercard of Honor - March 31st, 2006

Most talked about match of 2006 that featured the 6 most elite wrestlers/high-flyers of the Dragon Gate promotion from Japan. Also the match that Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer rated 5 stars, the only match from this year that got that honor and deservingly so it not only stole the show but it stole the spotlight of the tripleshot Wrestlemania weekend in Chicago. This is a must see for any wrestling fan, the last 10 minutes of the match features some of the most breathtaking wrestling seen on US soil in a long long time. WATCH THIS OR DIE!


#06
Naomichi Marufuji vs. Nigel McGuinness
ROH - Glory By Honor 5 Night 2 - September 16th, 2006

First time ever that the prestigious GHC Heavyweight is defended in the United States and the first title defense of Naomichi Marufuji who is the first Junior Heavyweight to capture the title, a lot of firsts. Another first is Nigel McGuinness who is a regular in NOAH getting a shot at the title and even though there was no chance in hell of him winning the title that night, the magic of the match is making you doubt yourself on exactly. They are a few moments in the match that both wrestlers had the fans in the palm of their hands by making them believe that Nigel would do the impossible and for that reason this match gets ranked in the top 10 best matches of the year. This match was a favorite for those in attendance that night who thought it was better then the actual main event and to their credit, aside from the drama there was some never before seen spots here. A Shiranui and a Tower of London to the outside to mention a few spots and a pretty intense "fighting spirit" sequence, which brings the NOAH to ROH.


#05
Naomichi Marufuji vs KENTA
Pro Wrestling NOAH - October 29th, 2006

This may be the best match of the year if you look at wrestling alone but it had a few flaws that brought the match down a bit in my mind. First when NOAH made Marufuji champion they were testing the waters of if they fans would accept a Junior Heavyweight as the GHC Heavyweight champion and when the smoked cleared NOAH realized the answer was no. Hence why Marufuji had a short reign and lost the belt to Misawa very quickly, so you can imagine when the main event of the NOAH show is a Junior champion versus another Junior, the fans did not have much to respond. Now to the match, this match is by far one of the best matches of 2006 with so much action that you need to watch it a few times to take it all in, add some insane spots and you have a pretty awesome match. One spot which is one of the sickest fuck ups of the year, when Marufuji does a top rope Asai Moonsault to the outside trying to get over the guardrail but does a Sabu and hits his jaw hard on the guardrail (no idea how he got up but he does) and in the process somehow hits KENTA right in the face busting him open, to my knowledge blood is not seen much in NOAH. Other great spots is a Super Tiger Suplex by Marufuji and also a Falcon Arrow off the apron to the floor (ouch) by KENTA, the match also includes so many superkicks that you need to keep score and a few Shiranui's and Go To Sleep's. If you're going to watch one NOAH match, then watch this one.


#04
Austin Aries & Roderick Strong vs. The Briscoes
ROH -Unified - August 12th, 2006

Here is your tag team match of the year, hands down, no competition. The stage was set, its the 3rd confrontation between the ROH tag team champions against The Briscoes, its the debut of ROH in the UK and the crowd is hot. Watched this one again to refresh my memory and this was one hell of a match, all four men were on THEIR GAME this night and the match is tag team wrestling at its best with both teams taking turns in isolating the other team, just brilliant stuff when it comes to the basics. The action is fearce but what MADE this match was the drama, the idea that The Briscoes would finally take this match worked well here with one point in the match where Aries gets DDTed on the ramp unabling him to do the save as the Briscoes hit a huge springboard doomsday device, which Strong miraculeously pins out of. The crowd loved this one as they should has they wtiness one hell of match as they chanted "this is awesome" about 3 times and then give the 4 wrestlers a standing ovation.


#03
Low Ki vs. Arik Cannon vs. Roderick Strong
IWA-MS - Ted Petty Invitational Night 2 - September 30th, 2006

Stiff, stiff and stiff. Did I mention this match is stiff? I watched this and then I hear the ring announcer tell the crowd in attendance that its been 15 minutes and I think, "15 MINUTES ONLY?", after 15 minutes looked like all 3 men were wrestling for days. Another match in the Ted Petty Invitational, which is a torunament that happens every year to pay tribute to the deceased Ted Petty aka Rocco Rock, this match does exactly that and pays tribute to him with a great match. The set up of the match is great yet simple, you have the unstoppable newcomer to IWA with Low Ki against the all around MVP Roderick Strong against the IWA veteran Arik Cannon whos never won the tournament since its eluded him a few times. Not going to say much more about this match take away the small crowd, the hot gymnasium and the crappy ring and you something better than anything you see in the WWE.


#02
Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness
ROH - Unified - August 12th, 2006

Breaks my heart not to give this one match of the year just because its an incredible match that reminded me of Bret Hart versus British Bulldog for the Intercontinental in the UK when Davey Boy beats Bret for the title in his home country. This one had the same feeling, title unification match between both champs in Nigels home country guaranting the first title switch of 2006, without a shadow of a doubt big match atmosphere. The 3rd encounter between these two without anything in the previous encounters settling the question of who is the best singles champion in ROH? This match will be remembered for the nastiest self inflicted bump ive ever witnessed by a pro wrestler, when Nigel is getting rammed into the ring post by Dragon he literally smashes his head about 4 times causing the sickest sound and a bump on his head the size of an egg. A guy right infront can be seen in complete disbelief as he's front row as he cant believe what he sees and hears, this gets the crowd emotionally invested in this match 100% now as they know that Nigel is "in it to win it" for real (hehe). This how it goes, after the ring post bumps Dragon baseball dropkicks Nigel in the front row and then follows it with a RVD plancha in the crowd. This initiates a slow race to beat the count in the ring as both men get to ring side just for Dragon to relaunch Nigel in the front row, now Nigel really has to hurry as the crowd cheers him on as he beats the count by entering at 19! A bloody Nigel then starts to "Hulk Up" as the UK crowd goes absolutely nuts as they can feel it, they can feel new champion in the air. Dragon responds with charging headbutts in reply Nigel does the same and now you have a brutal full fledged headbutt war between the two. And then...watch the rest of the match yourself motherfuckers if you want to see what happens.



#01
Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA
ROH - Glory By Honor 5 NIght 2 - September 16th, 2006

The easiest match to rank here, this was always in my mind the undisputed MATCH OF THE YEAR, first time I was done watching this match there was no doubt. A lot of you don't like American Dragon, I think most of you just dont get him but he spent all of 2006 outdoing performance after performance and this match was his masterpiece. This one everything, great crowd, great buildup, great storyline, great rumours, great drama and great wrestling, its almost poetic that Bruno Sammartino is in the building for world title defense. The KENTA dominance in ROH started in December 2005 and he went well in to 2006 defeating everybody. For six months, he had Bryan Danielson and the ROH title on his radar and even had 2 pinfall victories over the champ to confirm is dominance. With KENTAs recent involvement in ROH it became clear that he had quite a good chance in taking that belt off of Danielson who had beaten everyone who had try to do so. Then during a one hour draw against Colt Cabana Danielson severly injures his shoulder, we later find out that he's tore 2 tendons in his shoulder and possibly one in his chest, the rumours now become rampid that Danielson will indeed drop the belt to take some time off. Add the fact that if Danielson is able to retain the belt he will go past one full year as a champion but if KENTA wins he may stick around to defend the belt after all he already has dates booked in November. Hmmmmm. So now you have tons of ROH fans confused, who will win the match? Tell me whens the last time you watched a wrestling match and actually didnt know who would win or even better yet, cared? Probably a while. That in itself was a huge accmplishment. So now all that was left was for the match to deliver and it does, perfect WRESTLING match that isnt too long and isnt to short that grabs you by neck and drags you in for the ride. Bryan Danielson produces the MOTY with one arm, BEST WRESTLER IN THE WORLD!!!


STATS:
Bryan Danielson = 8
KENTA = 7
Roderick Strong = 5
Necro Butcher = 5
Homicide = 4
Nigel Mcguinness = 3
Austin Aries = 3
Low Ki = 3
Noamichi Marafuji = 3
Samoa Joe = 3

[Plan_B]

naw dude your crazy,match of the year is when bobby lashley won the ecw world title

[bigjim69247]

Foley vs. Edge was my fave of '06.

[Kegz]

Your sleeping on the Carlito/Jeff Hardy/Cena vs. Johnny Nitro/Orton/Edge match on RAW. It was surprisingly good.

[Tad]

my favorite match off balzters list (that ive seen) would be.... #07
Do Fixer vs. Blood Generation
ROH - Supercard of Honor - March 31st, 2006

now i'm just gonna throw some of my favorite WWE ones since theres a big lacking here..

Cena vs RVD at ONS (my personal favorite)
Kurt Angle vs Undertaker at No Way Out
Edge vs Mick Foley at WM22
London/Kendirck vs MNM vs Hardys vs Regal/Taylor at Armageddon
Jeff Hardy v Johnny Nitro Ladder Match on RAW

[Balzter]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, Jeff Hardy AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHH make it stop make it stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tad]

lol there was 2 Jeff Hardy matches in my list wasnt there. i dont even like him but i liked those 2 matches. you hate him so much you forgot to complain about cena

[Balzter]

Jeff Hardy is horrible and it blows my mind that i ask for ur best matches and i get him and his gimmick matches, ladder and TLC match, zzzzzzzzz

the matches were decent but great? not really...same old spots like 1999 and ur all still groomed by the WWE for 1999 action.

John Cena almost made my list for the ONS2 match because the buildup was pretty good for that match, THE only match in my opinion the WWE had such big buzz about. but yes, Cena > Hardy

[Kon]

[email protected] only 1 WWE match on Balzter's list..Obviously I didn't expect many but I thought he'd put like 3-4 to try to make it LOOK like it's not anti-WWE at least.

and I find it hard to believe that there was 6 matches just last year better than that dragon gate 6 man tag match.

and balzter, I got my ROH tickets today..Do you have any idea like where the sections are and shit? I got section A.

[Balzter]

[email protected] only 1 WWE match on Balzter's list..Obviously I didn't expect many but I thought he'd put like 3-4 to try to make it LOOK like it's not anti-WWE at least.
and I find it hard to believe that there was 6 matches just last year better than that dragon gate 6 man tag match.
and balzter, I got my ROH tickets today..Do you have any idea like where the sections are and shit? I got section A.

only 1 match cause the rest didnt live up to the standards of the rest of the matches on my list. im anti-crappy wrestling and WWE falls in that category.

if u find it hard to believe that there can be 6 matches that are better, then start downloading them and find out. i rated matches by drama/psychology rather then just how many spots/moves were hit...the problem with the 6 man DG match is that it had NO buildup behind it. which is not the case if they do it again this year.

Section A should be good. ive never been to a show so i dont know.

[Kon]

^^I would download them if there was a way to without having to download an entire show and get like 12 seperate links..fuck that.

match #8 on there sounds quite good to me.

*edit*

i found match 8 in the wrestling uploads post...nice. downloading now.

[Kid Ka$h]

Who's the guy in the black suit? Super Dragon?

[ThankMeLater]

im still fucking waiting to jerk off to homicide vs danielson for the title =[