2009 Wrestling Matches of the Year

Edit - I've watched the full year; December will go on the 2010 list.  These are the best 42 professional wrestling matches from 2009

So, where are we in consideration of professional wrestling's best match for 2009?

I've seen everything from WWE and TNA through October, the first DGUSA PPV, and the occasional wayward match or even card from the second half of the year for other organizations.  Beyond that - I'm through June; I've got all the first half of 2009 watched that I'm likely to watch.  It is possible a significant workrate match from the first half of the year (non Mexico, I watch almost no Mexico) has slipped by me, but I've endeavored to see everything.  This being the end of the cultural decade; a wrestling MOTD list will also pop up at some point. 

There are two five star matches that I've seen so far this year:

Kenta v. Nakajima (Feb Noah) 5 stars
Kenta v. Akiyama (May Noah) 5 stars

I'm leaning Kenta/Akiyama as my current MOTY choice, but I wouldn't tell you it was wrong to prefer the other. 

The remaining matches are all of the matches that I've rated at 4 3/4, 4 1/2 thusfar.  Half of the matches on this page are Kenta matches.  Which, perhaps, is one of the reasons he's just blown out his knee.  Regardless, he's the wrestler of the year by a zillion miles. 

Kenta v. Nakajima (Mar Noah)
Kenta v. Kotaro (Jan Noah)
Doi v. Kanemoto (Mar Dragon's Gate)
Akiyama v. Go (April Noah)
Ishii v. Inoue (Apr NJ)
Tanahashi v. Goto (May NJ)
Tanaka/Sekimoto v. Miyamoto/TSasaki (Apr Zero One)
Nigel v. Marufuji (ROH - Dec 08)
Nigel v. Kenta (Mar -ROH)
Kenta v. Davey (Apr -ROH)
Danielson v. Black (May - ROH)
Sekimoto v. Sai (May - Zero1)
Kenta v. Marvin (June - NOAH)
Kenta/Go v. Nakajima/Kensuke (June - NOAH)
Marvin v. Ishimori (May - probably Kensuke Office)
Tanaka v. Hidaka (May - Zero 1)
Kodaka/Takeda v. Miyamoto/TSasaki (May - Big Japan)
Kanemoto v. Devitt (June - New Japan)
Kenta/Go v. Nakajima/Kensuke (June - NOAH)
Kenta v. Go (May - NOAH)
Ultimate X (Oct - TNA Bound for Glory)
Yoshino/Hulk/Pac v. Dragon Kid/Iwasa/Tozawa (July - DGate)
Danielson/Strong v. Kenta/Ishimori (July NOAH)
Danielson v. Doi (Nov DGUSA)
Richards v. Shingo (aired Nov DGUSA)
Joe v. AJ v. Daniels (Nov TNA Turning Point)
Hero v. Ryan (July - PWG Threemendous)
Miyamoto v. Takeda (July - BJapan)
Kenta/Ishimori v. Danielson/Strong (July - Noah)
Ibushi v. Harashima (Aug - DDT)
Kaz v. Kondo (Aug - All Japan)
Danielson v. Hero (Sep - ROH)
Danielson v. Hero (Sep - PWG)
Kotaro v. Nakajima (Oct - NOAH)
Miyamoto v. TSasaki (April BJapan)
Richards v. Aries (Nov ROH)
Doi v. Hulk (Nov DGate)
Ibushi v. Ishikawa (Nov DDT)
Davey v. Danielson (Sept ROH)
Danielson v. Nigel (Sept ROH)

Your Athlete of the Month - October, 2009

Cliff Lee.

Runners Up - Jared Allen, Andre Eithier, Alex Rodriguez.

Lee joins previous months' winners Fitzgerald, Holmes, Moore, James, Messi, Federer, Buehrle, Bolt, Brees in the race for Athlete of the Year for 2009.  That winner will join the decade's previous athlete of the year winners: Woods, Bonds, Armstrong, P. Manning, Bush, Federer, Brady, and Bolt - one of which will be named Athlete of the Decade.