2015 Professional Wrestling Matches of the Year

And we're underway.

So, this year we'll go with three lists.  At the top will be the ongoing ranking of every 4 1/2+ and up matches I see this year.

Next, the WWE 4 star and up matches; previously, I've also included 4 star matches from TNA; if any occur, I'll include them as well.

Finally, a grab bag of 4 and 4 1/4 matches.  They won't be ranked, nor should they be seen as comprehensive, just a list as I see them.

I'm done.  This is the final list.  The 34 best wrestling matches of 2015.

Matches of the Year
1. Nakamura v. Ibushi (NJPW, Jan) 5
2. Kushida v. O'Reilly (NJPW, June) 5
3. Harashima v. Ibushi (DDT, Feb) 5
4. Ishii v. Honma (NJPW, Feb) 5
5. Ishii v. Honma (NJPW, Nov) 4 3/4
6. Harada v. Kotoge (NOAH, Jan) 4 3/4
7. Yoshino/Boy v. Susumu/Kagetora (DG, Apr) 4 3/4
8. Strong v. Bailey (PWG, June) 4 3/4
9. Nakamura v. Tanahashi (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
10. Mochizuki v. Shingo (DG, Nov) 4 1/2

11. Suigura v. Suzuki (NOAH, Sep) 4 1/2
12. Ishii v. Elgin (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
13. Ishii v. Honma (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
14. Harada v. Kotoge (NOAH, Dec 2014) 4 1/2
15. Aero Star/Fenix v. Drago/Pentagon (PWG, Aug) 4 1/2
16. Okada v. Nagata (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
17. Tanahashi v. Styles (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
18. Tanahashi v. Okada (NJPW, Jan) 4 1/2
19. Okada v. Styles (NJPW, July) 4 1/2
20. Strong v. Lee (PWG, Feb) 4 1/2

21. Hero v. Sabre v. Bailey (PWG, Aug) 4 1/2
22. Hulk/Shingo/Tozawa v. T-Hawk/Eita/Shimizu (July DG) 4 1/2
23. Lesnar v. Rollins v. Cena (Royal Rumble, Jan) 4 1/2
24. Go v. Miyahara (AJPW, Mar) 4 1/2
25. Hero v. Gulak (PWG, July) 4 1/2
26. AJ Styles/Matt Jackson/Nick Jackson def. Cedric Alexander/ACH/Matt Sydal (ROH. Feb) 4 1/2
27. Kaz/Kondo v. Minoru Tanaka/Yoshioka (Wrestle 1, Feb) 4 1/2
28. Ibushi v. Shibata (NJPW, July) 4 1/2
29. Ibushi v. Harashima (DDT, Apr) 4 1/2
30. Nakamura v. Okada (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2

31. Goto v. Ishii (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
32. Archer/DBS Jr. v. Nicholls/Haste (NOAH, Feb) 4 1/2
33. Ricochet v. O'Reilly (PWG, Dec 2014) 4 1/2
34. Tanahashi v. Shibata (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2


Best WWE/TNA Matches
1. Lesnar v. Rollins v. Cena (Royal Rumble, Jan) 4 1/2
2. Zayn v. Neville (NXT, Dec 2014) 4 1/4
3. Cesaro v. Cena (RAW, July) 4 1/4
4. Zayn v. Owens (NXT, Feb) 4 1/4
5. Rollins v. Lesnar v. Reigns (Wrestlemania) 4
6. Lesnar v. Undertaker (HITC, Oct) 4
7. Owens v. Cena (Money in the Bank, June) 4
8. Bayley v. Sasha (NXT, Aug) 4
9. Owens v. Balor (NXT, July) 4
10. Zayn v. Neville (NXT, Jan) 4

11. Neville v. Balor (NXT, Feb) 4
12. Bryan v. Reigns (Fast Lane, Feb) 4
13. Wyatt v. Reigns (HIAC, Oct) 4
14. Angle v. Aries (Impact, June) 4
15. Ziggler v. Harper (TLC, Dec 2014) 4
16. Aries v. Richards (TNA Slammiversary , July) 4
17. Owens v. Cena (Elimination Chamber, May ) 4
18. Rollins v. Cena (Summer Slam, Aug) 4
19. Rollins v. Cena (Night of Champions, Sep) 4


Additional 4 Star Matches
Akiyama/Omori v. Go/Miyahara (AJPW, Dec) 4

Johnny Mundo v. Big Ryck/Prince Puma (Lucha Underground Dec)4 ¼ 
Battle Royal (Lucha Underground Jan) 4
Red Dragon v. Time Splitters (ROH, Dec 2014) 4 1/4
Jay Briscoe v. Adam Cole (ROH, Dec 2014) 4
Shingo v. Hulk (DG, December 2014) 4 1/4
Marufuji v. Kojima (NOAH, Jan) 4
Sugiura/Tanaka v. Nicholls/Haste (NOAH, Jan) 4 1/4
Red Dragon v. Forever Hooligans v. Time Splitters v. Young Bucks (NJPW, Jan) 4
Ishii v. Makabe (NJPW, Jan) 4
AJ v. Naito (NJPW, Jan) 4
Harashima/Takeshita/Endo v. Ibushi/Sekimoto/Okabayashi (DDT, Jan) 4
Hulk v Susumu (DG, Feb) 4 1/4
Tanahashi v. Styles (NJPW, Feb) 4
O'Reilly v. Strong (PWG, Dec) 4
Takeshita/Endo v. Sekimoto/Okabayashi (KOD, Feb) 4 1/4
Aoki v. Kotaro (AJPW, Feb) 4 1/4
Fish/O'Reilly v. Bucks (ROH, Mar) 4 1/4
Thatcher v. Hero (WWN, Mar) 4 1/4
Tanaka/Sugiura v. Sekimoto/Sato (Zero One Mar) 4
Kzy v. Tozawa (DG, Mar) 4 1/4
Yuji v. Nakamura (NJPW, Feb) 4
Ibushi v. Naito (NJPW, Feb) 4 1/4
Fenix v. Muertes (Lucha Underground, Mar) 4 1/4
Mark & Jay Briscoe & Raymond Rowe & Hanson & Roderick Strong beat The Bullet Club of A.J. Styles & Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows & Young Bucks (ROH, May) 4
ACH/Sydal v. Tanahashi/Naito (ROH, June) 4
Tanaka v. Shingo (Zero 1, Mar) 4
Sato/Ishikawa v. Sekimoto/Okabayashi (BJ, May) 4
Kodaka v. Hidaka (Union, May) 4
Styles/Bucks v. Okada/Romero/Barretta 4 (ROH, June) 4 1/4
Harashima v. Kudo (May DDT) 4 1/4 
Hawk v Hulk (DG, June) 4
Ibushi b. Styles (NJPW Apr) 4
End v. Hero (PWG Apr) 4 1/4
Strong v. Sabre (PWG Apr) 4 1/4 
Bullet Club v. Kingdom (ROH June) 4
Lethal v. Briscoe (ROH June) 4
Cima/Ricochet/Sydal v. Yamato/Doi/Yoshino (July, DG) 4 1/4 
Kushida v. Omega (NJPW, July) 4
Goto v. Nakamura (NJPW, July) 4
Sydal v. Ricochet (PWG, Feb) 4
Sekimoto v. Okabayashi (BJ, July) 4 1/4
Hero v. Lee (Evolve, July) 4 1/4
Strong v. Sabre (Evolve, July) 4 1/4
Eita v. Tozawa (DG, July) 4
Yamato/Doi v. Ricochet/Sydal (DG, July) 4
Yoshino v. THawk (DG, July) 4 1/4
Okada v. Ishii (Aug NJPW) 4
Ibushi v. Naito (Aug NJPW) 4
Puma v. Muertes (Aug, Lucha Underground) 4
Bucks v. Romero/Barretta (ROH, Aug) 4
Sugiura v. Marufuji (NOAH, Aug) 4
Harada v. Kotoge (NOAH, Aug) 4
Hero v. Sabre (PWG, June) 4 1/4
Bucks v. Everett/Lee (PWG, June) 4
Lee v. Ciampa (PWG, July) 4
Bailey v. Hero (PWG, July) 4 1/4 
Tanahashi v. Ibushi (NJPW, July) 4 1/4 
Shibata v. Naito (NJPW, July) 4
Honma v. Okada (NJPW, July) 4
Ibushi v. Styles (NJPW, July) 4
Tanahashi v. Naito (NJPW, July) 4 1/4
Goto v. Okada (NJPW, Aug) 4 
Nakamura v. Honma (NJPW, Aug) 4
Lethal v. Strong (ROH, Sep) 4
Thatcher v. Sabre (Evolve, Aug) 4
Marufuji v. Sugiura (NOAH, Aug) 4 1/4 Red Dragon v. Young Bucks (NJPW, Aug) 4
Ricochet v. Kushida (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/4 
Makabe v. Ibushi (NJPW, Sep) 4
Time Splitters v. Redragon (NJPW, Sep) 4 1/4
Nakamura v. Goto (NJPW, Sep) 4
Strong v. Okada (ROH, Aug) 4 1/4
Kotoge v. Marufuji (NOAH, Sep) 4
Ishii v. Makabe (NJPW, Oct) 4 1/4 
Styles v. Okada (NJPW, Oct) 4 1/4 
Sydal/Ricochet v. Shelley/Kushida (NJPW, Oct) 4
Busick v. Everett (PWG, Aug) 4
Andrews v. Ospreay (PWG, Aug) 4
Sydal v. Fenix (PWG, Aug) 4 1/4
Sydal/Ricochet v. Bucks (NJPW, Nov) 4
Thatcher v. Hero (PWG, Aug) 4
Bailey v. Galloway (PWG, Aug) 4 1/4
Sydal v. Ricochet (PWG, Aug) 4
Bucks/Super Dragon v. Busick/Everett/Lee (PWG, Aug) 4 1/4
Sydal v. Ospreay (PWG, Aug) 4 1/4 
Bucks/Strong/SDragon v. Ricochet/Swann/Fenix/Angelico (PWG, Aug) 4
Benjamin v. Marufuji (NOAH, Nov) 4
Sydal/Ricochet v. Roppongi Vice (NJPW, Nov) 4
Nakamura v. Anderson (NJPW, Nov) 4
Yamato/Doi v. Yoshino/T-Hawk (DG, Nov) 4 1/4

 

Forever Giants: 1920 New York Giants(Year 38)

1919 is here.

My WAR calculation is a combination of Baseball-reference and Clay Davenport; I believe it to be the "best" WAR number available for historical comparison. 8 WAR is an MVP quality season.  The record is pythagorean adjusted for 162 games.

1920 98-64

C Frank Snyder 1.4

1B High Pockets Kelly 1.95

2B Larry Doyle 1.9 (34.8) Last Season

SS Dave Bancroft 5.85

3B Frankie Frisch 3.4

LF George Burns 4.65

CF Lee King -.95

RF Ross Youngs 5.7

C Earl Smith 1.6

OF Benny Kauff .3

SS Art Fletcher .65(42.3)Last Season

OF Vern Spencer -.7

IF Ed Sicking -.85

SP Jesse Barnes 2.15

SP Art Nehf 2

SP Fred Toney 2.95

SP Rube Benton -.25

RP Phil Douglas 1.4

-Art Fletcher, an all time Giant great, gets moved for Dave Bancroft, who is on his way to the HOF.  Larry Doyle also finishes, as the middle infield leaves together. Mathewson returns as a coach, McGraw picks up both tuberculosis and a fractured skull from a bar fight.  The latter from the fight.  Maybe the TB too.  Look at Frankie Frisch work his way into the lineup at the age of 22.