Since we had two votes let’s just jump on the good foot and do the bad thing this week! Last week’s vote winner was; AEW Full Gear: TNT Title Match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs Darby Allin, the best match on Full Gear to me won over enough people to make it into the November Pool!

With that said, let’s take a look at who won October and how that shapes up the MoTY pool so far!

MOTY 2020 Pool:

• January – Wrestle Kingdom 14: Double Gold Match: Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya Naito
• February – AEW Revolution: AEW World Tag Team Championship: Hangman Page & Kenny Omega (c) vs The Young Bucks
• March – AEW Dynamite: AAA Mega Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs Sammy Guevara
• April – WrestleMania 36: NXT Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs Charlotte Flair
• May – NXT: Pit Fight: Matt Riddle vs Tim Thatcher
• June – NXT In Your House: NXT Women’s Champion Triple Threat: Io Shirai vs Charlotte Flair (c) vs Rhea Ripley
• July – NJPW Dominion: NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs SHO
• August – NOAH the Chronicle Vol 3: GHC National Openweight & GHC Heavyweight Championship Double Title Match: Kenoh (c) vs Go Shiozaki (c)
• September – AEW Dynamite: Parking Lot Fight: Santana & Ortiz vs Best Friends
• October – NXT UK: United Kingdom Championship: Walter (c) vs Ilja Dragunov

Looks like Walter and Ilja captured votes from more people than just Jim Cornette! We’ve got a decent array of brands from WWE main, NXT, NXT UK, NJPW, AEW, and NOAH; so quarantine might have helped a little on opening up some variety to people’s viewing.

Now on to this week!

Quick Top 5:

1. AEW Dynamite: Penta El Zero M vs Rey Fenix
   Rating: ****
2. NJPW BOSJ Day 1: Hiromu Takahashi vs Taiji Ishimori
   Rating: ****
3. Turning Point: Impact Wrestling World Championship: Rich Swann (c) vs Sami Callihan
   Rating: ****
4. Turning Point: Impact Wrestling Tag Team Championship: The North (c) vs The Good Brothers
   Rating: *** 3/4
5. NJPW Strong Ep. 15: Fred Rosser vs Tom Lawlor w/JR Kratos & Rust Taylor
   Rating: *** 3/4
6. NJPW WTL Day 1: Fin Juice vs G.o.D.
   Rating: *** 3/4

Honorable Mentions:

1. Turning Point: Beer Machine (James Storm & Chris Sabin) vs XXXL (Acey Romero & Larry D)
   Rating: *** 1/2
2. IMPACT!: X Division Championship: TJP vs Rohit Raju (c)
   Rating: *** 1/4
3. NJPW: BOSJ Day 1: Ryusuke Taguchi vs El Desperado
   Rating: *** 1/4
4. NJPW Strong Ep.15: ACH & Blake Christian vs Alex Zayne & Adrian Quest
   Rating: *** 1/4
5. Turning Point: Eddie Edwards vs Daivari
   Rating: *** 1/4
6. NJPW: BOSJ Day 1: DOUKI vs Robbie Eagles
   Rating: *** 1/4
7. IMPACT!: Josh Alexander w/Ethan Page vs Karl Anderson w/Doc Gallows
   Rating: *** 1/4
8. Turning Point: TNA Heavyweight Championship: Moose (c) vs Willie Mack
   Rating: *** 1/4
9. NJPW Strong Ep. 15: Tanga Loa, Jay White & Chase Owens vs Juice Robinson, Karl Fredericks & Brody King
   Rating: ***
10. Turning Point: Tenille Dashwood & Jordynne Grace vs Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary
    Rating: ***
11. AEW Dynamite: Brian Cage vs Matt Sydal
    Rating: ***
12. NJPW: WTL Day 1: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs Dangerous Tekkers (ZSJ & Taichi)
    Rating: ***
13. NJPW: BOSJ Day 1: Master Wato w/Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Yuya Uemura
    Rating: ***
14. NJPW Strong Ep. 15: Tama Tonga vs PJ Black
    Rating: ***
15. Turning Point: Defeat Rohit Challenge: X Division Title: Rohit Raju (c) vs Cousin Jake W/Cody Deaner
    Rating: ***
16. NXT: Candice LeRae vs Toni Storm
    Rating: ***
17. NJPW: WTL Day 1: Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL w/Dick Togo vs SANADA & Shingo Takagi
    Rating: ***
18. Talk’N Shop-A-Mania 2: Ball for a Ball Match: Chadd 2 Badd vs Sex Ferguson
    Rating: Watch THIS!

4t. NJPW WTL Day 1: Fin Juice vs G.o.D.

From Mitchell’s Review:

FinJuice coordinate now, Juice brings Tatma up and Finlay runs in, shotgun Russian leg sweep! Cover, TWO!! Tama survives and Juice grows frustrated. Juice drags Tama back up and Finlay builds speed, but Loa gets in to LARIAT Finlay! GOD hit MAGIC KILLER on Juice!! Cover, TWO!?! Juice survives and GOD is shocked! Jado calls for Super Bomb and GOD brings Juice up. Loa RAMS Juice into a corner, Tama hits his corner splash! Loa climbs, but Juice suplexes Tama instead! Finlay hits Loa, climbs up and clubs away. Finlay brings Loa up for a SUPERPLEX! Juice FROG SPLASHES in! FinJuice fires up but Jado gets on the apron! Juice DECKS Jado with the Left Hand o’ God!

Tama runs in but Finlay turns his Gun Stun into a BACKBREAKER! Juice hoists Tama up in an Electric Chair and Finlay is up top, DOOMSDAY DEVICE! Cover, FinJuice wins!!

Winner: Fin Juice via Doomsday Device

4t. NJPW Strong Ep. 15: Fred Rosser vs Tom Lawlor w/JR Kratos & Rust Taylor

From My Results:

Where I usually take off points for Rosser’s slower WWE approach to some spots, Lawlor’s aggression easily masked it or fired up Rosser to not lean into the WWE style as much. Lawlor started focusing on the left arm of Rosser, and Rosser sold that like a champ. One armed push offs, comebacks and any attempts at the Gut Check were done lifting from the good side.

Lawlor hit a nice Exploder Suplex during the match, the Ura GTR and hunted for submissions like he was Minoru Suzuki. He turned Rosser’s Seated Senton attempt into a Sleeper Hold, that he tried to transition to an Arm Breaker, but Rosser used the ropes to great advantage through the match. Rosser kept grabbing ropes with his good arm, or his feet and fighting back from underneath, when he finally hit the Gut Check, there was a small delay before going for the Sliding Kick he started doing.

So when he attempts the kick, Lawlor catches it, ties up his legs then goes to neutralize the arms, turns him over like a Surfboard and the referee calls for the bell. Not sure if Rosser verbally submitted or the referee protected him, but this was the best match I’ve seen of Rosser over the last few months between Strong and UWN.

Winner: Tom Lawlor via Submission

4t. Turning Point: Impact Wrestling Tag Team Championship: The North (c) vs The Good Brothers

From My Results:

The Good Brothers isolated Josh Alexander early on and then when Ethan Page managed to get in, The North started keeping Karl Anderson on their half of the ring. Both teams’ really showcasing great tag team basics and it’s hard to really pinpoint and real highlights when it’s just good old school tags and isolation. Karl finally slams Ethan and both make a tag, which gives Gallows a great chance to make the hot tag.

Page cuts off Karl on the apron, then they pinball LG’s head between the two of them, hit the Inverted Mat Slam, for only a two! Northern Assault attempt gets broken up by Karl Anderson, as the Brothers hit the Backdrop/Neckbreaker combo for only 2! Magic Killer tease, Ethan Page save and a nice fallout from all four guys.

Page takes the tag, goes after the battered Karl Anderson, Karl dodges, Spinebuster for Page, Gun Stun for Alexander. Tags in Big LG, Magic Killer and The Good Brothers are new tag team champions!

Winner: Good Brothers via Magic Killer

1t. Turning Point: Impact Wrestling World Championship: Rich Swann (c) vs Sami Callihan

From My Results:

Sami’s torture fuels Rich to working through the pain. Multiple kicks variations from both, and just great fire and fighting spirit moments from both. We go from a slow strike, a small rest and then explosive strikes, especially when Sami comes out of dead stop to Buckle Bomb Rich and then Brainbuster for a near fall. Both men are selling their asses off and just keeping the pressure up.

Rich hits the Cartwheel Moonsault, but only a 2 count. He takes a few beats to climb the ropes for the Phoenix Splash, but Callihan cuts him off.  Rich goes for Shiranui, but Sami catches him and hits the Bastard Driver!  Piledriver on the apron makes you think it’s done. Sami goes to throw Rich back in, and Rich pulls off the Handspring on the apron for the Lethal Injection!  Both barely slide in at 9.75.

Sami tries for the Piledriver again, but Rich gets away from it, Spinning Back Heel kick, and he goes for the Phoenix Splash, but Ken Shamrock starts heading to the ring! Eddie Edwards cuts off Ken and they spill over the guardrail. Sami looks to take advantage of the distraction, but Rich flips out of the hold, Three Spinning Back Heel Kicks, a Roundhouse Kick and then a deliberate Thrust Kick to the kneeling Sami, and Rich retains his title!

Winner: Swann via Thrust Kick

1t. NJPW BOSJ Day 1: Hiromu Takahashi vs Taiji Ishimori

From My Results:

Both men seem to be trying to break each other’s necks, which is punctuated from Taiji hitting an Apron Piledriver and looking sadistically pleased with himself. Not content with a count out, Taiji goes for the Triangle Moonsault, hits some of it, but Hiromu returns the effort with a Michinoku Driver and both are now subject to the 20 count.  It’s close, but they both beat the count.

Two Shotgun Dropkicks and a Dynamite Plunger later, Hiromu picks up…only a 2 count! Okay, the punishment continues! A lot of quick attacks and crazy moves continue. Ishimori looks for his arm trap Crossface, Red Shoes almost goes to the bell when Hiromu sort taps, but slams his hand more to help repositioning, so that was close. Hiromu twists away from the Bloody Cross, counters a Frankensteiner into a Sitout Powerbomb. Hiromu goes for Time Bomb #2, but Taiji counters, then Bloody Cross attempt again, Hiromu twists into a Mexican arm drag, holds on, Death Valley Driver into the corner, and then Time Bomb give Hiromu the win!

Winner: Hiromu via Time Bomb

1t.AEW Dynamite: Penta El Zero M vs Rey Fenix

From Mitchell’s Review:

Fans rally for the Lucha Brothers again as the standing count climbs. Fenix and Penta slowly stir at around 3, then sit up. Penta fires up, makes sure his mask is somewhat on, and then brings Fenix up. “CERO! MIEDO!” But Fenix headscissors out of the suplex! Fenix runs to FLY, TORNILLO takes Penta down! Fans are thunderous as Fenix looms over Penta. Fenix drags Penta up into the ring, then he climbs up to the top rope. SWANTON BOMB! Cover, TWO!! Penta survives and Fenix can’t believe it! Fenix drags Penta up to a fireman’s carry, but Penta slips out to the apron. Penta suplexes Fenix up and out to join him, kicks low and reel shim in! But Fenix pushes him away, so Penta SUPERKICKS him! Penta tucks Fenix in, APRON PACKAGE PILEDRIVER!!

The referee goes out to check Fenix and even Kingston says that was too much. Penta leaves Fenix behind but Fenix somehow rises! So Penta leaps to SUPER DESTROYER to the floor!! Penta puts Fenix in, drags him back up and tells him, “CERO! MIEDO!” Another tuck, another PACKAGE DRIVER!! Cover, Penta wins!

Winner: Penta via Fear Factor

Thoughts:

This was a pretty solid week for wrestling, especially given the different types of shows that went on. With all that said, I think my vote will go to The North vs The Good Brothers, purely because of all four personalities and the way some stuff went down in Talk’N Shop-A-Mania 2.

I’m going to be curious what the last few weeks will bring, since come December we tie things up and don’t do official Top 5s to get to the end of year match award.

MORE TORTURE!