watched KENTA vs. Danielson from Driven in Chicago. I forgot just how incredible this match was. not quite on par with their 2006 match, but absolutely insane. I haven't this match since it happened. Let me preface this by saying that Driven was my first live ROH show. My ex and I drove 16 hours from South Carolina to see it, and I remembered it being an awesome match, but the re-watch made me think even more highly of it.

Prazak and Leonard do an incredible job in this match of making suer everyone knows how badly Danielson's shoulder is still hurt after the surgery, they also almost immediately link these two to other great combos like Flair/Steamboat and Jack Brisco/Dory Funk Jr. Their commentary helps to make a great match incredible, and the two guys in the ring make that a relatively easy task.

Without going hold for hold, suffice it to say that you get everything you would expect from this pair. Incredible, crisp striking exchanges, technical proficiency few can match, incredibly dangerous high flying, and AJPW circa 1996 apron moves that make you jump out of your seat and go "HOLY SHIT, HE'S FUCKING DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" After this. I can;t say I like it as much as I do their 2006 match but it's still incredible, and possibly the best match I've ever seen live (i'll let you know for sure after i get around to re-watching the DG 6-man from Supercard of Honor III) ****3/4

KENTA & Go Shiozaki vs. Kensuke Sasaki & Katuhiko Nakajima 6/22/09

This is my 2009 pro wrestling match of the year

I adored every part of this match, it seemed as if everything "clicked". I know there was a lot of hate on Nakajima/KENTA, but their interactions here were great. KENTA oftentimes seems out of place against juniors, but the stuff with Nakajima is always golden. KENTA's complete readyness to mix it up with Sasaki was also great. KENTA always has good matches against big men, and this absolutely brought it. I adore KENTA in the "little guy who will fight anyone" role.
Shiozaki however, made this for me. Starting off the match against Sasaki was the perfect booking move. He Immediately came out of the gate firing as if to say "I don't care who you are, what has happened, who is dead, I am Go Shiozaki, I WILL BE the ace of this company, it is my dream, and any motherfucker who stands in my way will be destroyed". The fire I saw here made me so excited, it was as if Go had finally realized his potential and was going to make sure that everyone in the ring, in the building, and in all of the world knew it. This was his showcase, and in the minutes and hours following my viewing of this match I came to the realization that NOAH may die, but Go will make sure it goes out in a blaze of glory.
I feel at this point I must address the death of Misawa and the impact it had on this match, for those uninformed Mitsuharu Misawa was the owner and top star of this promotion, who had died from a horrific in ring accident approximately 9 days earlier. He was also my personal all-time favourite wrestler. A more lenghty discussion of him is available in my blog archives (and is in fact, what made want to start a blog in the first place). It's Ludicrous to say that Misawa's death would not have affected me, the god's honest truth is that I was incredibly depressed in the days following the tragedy, but emotion is far from the only factor here. Upon multiple re-watchings this match holds up as one of most wonderful examples of pro wrestling in the last 12 months, and the death of a legend does not affect that. While I fully admit that those outside factors may have had a role in making this my favourite, I do not feel as if that is an excuse, outside factors are what make a match go from great, to spectacular.
I'm sure there was some Battlarts match somewhere that may have had more exchanging of holds and counter-holds, but that is not what makes a match great. This match was full of emotion, both because of Misawa's death, and because of the uncertainty as to the future of the company. However, i feel this is no different than peoples emotions over the Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels match that was so loved last year as well. We knew who The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels characters were, we understood the lure of "the streak" vs "Mr. Wrestlemania", we also got the match on the biggest stage of them all, these factors made it great, just as much as the emotions surrounding Misawa's death made the tag match great. It's why a very good Chris Benoit vs. Bret Hart match became great. It's why Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 21 was ***** but their match at backlash was ****3/4. I still feel that overall there was no match in 2009 that touched KENTA & Go Shiozaki vs. Kensuke Sasaki & Katuhiko Nakajima quality wise, and I am proud to call it the Match Of The Year

****3/4

Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jun Akiyama 2/27/00

MISAWA VS. AKIYAMA 2/27/00 IS THE GREATEST MATCH I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe it's knowing that Misawa is doing what Tsuruta did for him 10 years prior. Maybe it's knowing what Misawa and Akiyama will become when NOAH forms soon. Maybe it's me overreacting the death of Misawa and subconsciously overrating him. Whatever the case may be, as I type this I am literally still trembling and choking back tears after the thing of beauty I just witnessed. This was the perfect meeting of "aging legend"vs. "rising star". It's Jordan vs. Kobe, Gretzky vs. Howe, Gracie vs. Sakuraba, Elway vs. Manning, and any other pairing you may want to come up with. The story is told perfectly, and the execution is crisp. They battle back and forth with Akiyama doing all he can to finally overcome Misawa and be "the" top guy, while Misawa is having absolutely none of it. The ending minutes bring this from a great match to pure poetry. Akiyama is doing all he can to destroy Misawa, but he simply can't do it, Misawa keeps coming back, this doesn't deter our young hero however, it just makes him BRING IT LIKE HE'S NEVER BROUGHT IT BEFORE IN HIS LIFE!!!!!!. I don't know i this is really my favourite match of all time, I'll admit i'm still quite euphoric over what i just witnessed, but it's certainly top 2 or 3 of the decade for me right now, and probably all time top 10

*****

Bull Nakano vs. Aja Kong 11/14/1990 in a cage match:

This may very well be one of the top 5 best cage matches i've ever seen, and almost certainly the best Japanese one. This was the perfect time for these two to have this match as they are both at or near their peaks as performers and they show here why they were worlds ahead of what was being done here in the states at the time. Brutally Violent, to the point that this match wouldn't have been out of place on an FMW show, these two, in addition to being big badass women who beat the hell out of each other, they tell a great story where Nakano keeps attacking the arm, trying to incapacitate Kong's ability to use the spinning backfist. The seconds are also great as they both battle to help their respective charges, and in doing so make me want to see a tag almost as much as I want to see this match. These two pull out all the stops in order to defeat their rivals and when it's finally over you can't help but feel kind of relieved that they are done putting each other through that much hell...for the time being.

****3/4

Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

A clear golden-orange pour with a tiny white head that laces my glass nicely. Smells of hops quite strongly at first. Citrusy smells pervade my nostrils, oranges and grapefruits enter, but wait. what's that bringing up the rear. It's a beautiful bouquet of caramel, here to balance out the instant hop-death I'm preparing myself for. I taste it, and while those same hops are certainly present, the caramel does a wonderful job of balancing out that hop attack for a very smooth and balanced taste that I wasn't expecting out of a DIPA. Carbonation is a bit high, and the alcohol is definitely quite noticeable, but what do you expect with a 9% abv beer? This a delicious little brew that gets my wholehearted seal of approval

4.45/5

top 20 Matches of 2009

#20. Go Shiozaki vs. Takashi Suguiura (NOAH) (12/6) ****1/2
#19. Young Bucks vs. 2 Skinny Black Guys (PWG) (7/31) ****1/2
#18. CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy (cage) (WWE) (8/2 ****1/2
#17. KENTA vs.Nakajima (NOAH) (3/1) ****1/2
#16. Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuiness (ROH) (1/16) ****1/2
#15. Bryan Danielson vs. Naruki Doi (DGUSA) (9/6)
#14. Koji Kanemoto vs. Hayato Jr. Fujita (NJPW) (12/22)
#13. El Generico vs. Shingo (PWG) (9/4) ****1/2
#12. Bryan Danielson vs. Davey Richards (ROH) (9/25)
#11. Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Hero (PWG) (9/4) ****1/2
#10. Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Takashi Sugiura (NJPW) (1/4) ****1/2
#09. Takashi Sugiura & Go Shiozaki vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Milano Collection A.T. (NOAH) (3/1) ****1/2
#08. Taiji Ishimori vs Kota Ibushi (DDT) (5/4) ****3/4
#07. Kensuke Sakaki & Taksehi Morishima vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Go Shiozaki (NOAH) (5/6) ****3/4
#06. Kota Ibushi vs. Nick Jackson vs. El Generico vs. Jigsaw (Chikara) (3/2 ****3/4
#05. KENTA vs. Kotaro Suzuki (NOAH) (1/25) ****3/4
#04. KENTA vs. Davey Richards (ROH) (4/3) ****3/4
#03. Davey Richards vs. Shingo Takagi (DGUSA) (9/6) ****3/4
#02. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE) (4/5) ****3/4
#01. Go Shiozaki & KENTA vs. Kensuke Sasaki i& KatsuhikoNakajima (NOAH) ****3/4

Promotion Breakdown:
NOAH - 6
ROH - 3
PWG - 3
NJPW - 2
WWE -2
DGUSA - 2
DDT - 1
Chikara - 1

Top 10 Wrestlers List:
(comprised by giving each wrestler a point value based upon their ranking (#1 gets 20 pts., #2 gets 19pts., etc.)

KENTA 57 (4 matches)
Go Shiozaki 47 (4 matches)
Davey Richards 44 (3 matches)
Kenuke Sakaki 34 (2 matches)
Bryan Danielson 30 (4 matches)
Kota Ibushi 28 (2 matches)
Shingo 26 (2 matches)
El Generico 25 (2 matches)
Mitsuharu Misawa 25 (2 matches)
Takashi Sugiura 24 (2 matches)

top albums of the 2000's #25-21

#25 “From a Basement on the Hill” by Elliott Smith
One of the biggest pains one can suffer is the loss of somebody way too young, and in 2003 music-lovers around the world felt that with the loss of Elliott Smith. A man whose problems made for some of the greatest music ever created, and who could so perfectly and poignantly paint a scene with his words that filmmakers for generations to come will use his music to illustrate their most emotional moments (Good Will Hunting, or The Royal Tenenbaums anyone?). While the loss of Smith is no doubt one of the great tragedies of the decade the one bright spot is the posthumously-released collection of his

#24: “Transatlanticism” by Death Cab for Cutie
Ben Gibbard should by my generations Morrissey. The man crafts songs with such genius and writes lyrics so poetic that they would fit in being studied with Keats and Donne as well as they fit in on someone's Chemistry notes. In addition to simply helping us feel like we aren't the only ones suffering with the trials of love, he makes us feel alright to be intelligent, witty, people who always want the right things, but aren't quite sure what they are. In Retrospect can anyone think of a better band to represent Seth Cohen? Sure, we all have problems, and sure, we know there are many pressing issues in our world such as Hunger, War, and the denial of human rights, but when you're 18 years old and your girlfriend is going to a different college, The Genocide in Darfur becomes a lot less important, and Gibbard makes you feel okay with that, instead of sounding like your parents, who insist you will get over it. Though one day your 10th grade girlfriend may not be the most important thing in your life, this album will always help you remember. It is an album we can all relate to, Gibbard makes us feel like we matter, and that our feelings matter. And that is all that really matters.

#23: “Get Behind Me Satan” by The White Stripes
The White Stripes were one of the biggest acts to come out of the “garage rock revival” that every one seemed to be into in the early 2000's, and they parlayed that into a pretty impressive career. That career became a whole lot more with this album. While the driving guitar riffs and Detroit-style blues influences were still there, The Whites had added a new twist. Varied Instrumentation, and a nod to many of the groups influences turned this album into a foray into greatness. Jack White's bluegrass, and country music inspired writing gave this album a depth that was missing from previous work, likely due to his close work with country music icon Loretta Lynn. The duo came together here to create something that was familiar enough to White Stripes fans to not alienate them, while also drawing in new fans, and making everyone happy in the process.

#22: “The Dresden Dolls” by The Dresden Dolls
The first thing you notice about the Dresden Dolls is that their look. The whole “dark cabaret” idea seems intriguing, but generally these are simply gimmicks used to hid that the performers are not necessarily very talented. Thankfully, this is far from the case with the Dresden Dolls. This album is incredibly listenable all the way through, from beginning to end, and never once do I think about performance art of face paint, but simply a very talented woman dinging her heart about some incredibly disturbing things (rape, paedophilia, and some serious gender issues are prevalent themes throughout the album). Never once however does this seems like cry for attention or a way to push controversy and sell records. The Dresden Dolls may be the most earnest group i've ever heard and that goes a long way in an industry plagued with people who will sell you any story for a burger and fries. This is an album that will hold up because of the honesty presented in Amanda Palmer's voice, and the superior songwriting, but it will always be great because of the believability of its participants.



#21: “The Beginning Stages Of” by The Polyphonic Spree
At first this seemed like a fun concept; The guy from Tripping Daisy forms a band with an obscene amount of members and combine music with a semi-religious experience, with Tim DeLaughter as the Jim Jones-esque messianic figure at the head of this symphony of pop music. The idea, while definitely interesting didn't seem like something that would translate well to the record. It would seem as if it would lose some of it's charm without DeLaughter there to encourage you at every turn to lose yourself in the music and free yourself of your inhibitions. What we didn't bank on, was DeLaughter being one of the foremost composers of our time. This music not only translates incredibly well it makes you want to stop listening, take up a tambourine and follow this group everywhere they go. This music is the perfect mix of sing-along praise and deep worship. What we're praising and worshipping is unclear, but it's irrelevant to the feeling of ecstasty that this album brings, we're all in this together and we're all happy and in love thanks to the wonder and merriment that this music has brought us

Stone IPA

look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Orange copper colour with a white head that leaves a nice-looking lacing. The smell is truly something to behold. All kinds of fruits and flowers come together to form a bouquet of brilliance that is hard to describe using only the words in our English language. Suffice it to say that the smell is so powerful that I almost feel as if drinking it would be an affront to my nose. The taste, while by no means as affront, simply doesn't live up to to the nose. That, however will be the only negative thing you will hear me say about this. It tastes wonderful, with a hops taste, and a malt finish that creates a wonderful balance, while still maintaining the bite and bitterness that a good IPA should have. Feels wonderful, with a great body, and I could drink this all day. A great product that I'll be glad to have another of.

4.6/5

Founders Centennial IPA

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Dark orange with a thick off white head that sticks, and leaves a very nice lacing. Smells strongly of hops. Grapefruit and flowers invade the nose, and I immediately surrender. The taste is truly something to behold. Hops attack then subside with a beautifully sweet aftertaste. Alcohol is not too present at all, and could sneak up on me if I had too many more. This is a high quality IPA not to be missed. Once again, Founder's has given us a great quality brew that I recommend to all

4.4/5

Southern Tier 422 Pale Wheat Ale

look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Pours a pale golden colour, with a tight head that fades into a alright lacing. The "wheat beer smell" is certainly present, though lemony scents also come through, especially after sitting for a few minutes. Taste is good, with wheat and malt present, as one would expect for this style, but the hops are considerably more pronounced than one would usually expect in a beer such as this, and that's good thing. Medium bodied, and a noticeable lack of carbonation, which suits me just fine. A very good wheat beer that I would definitely reccomend

4.05/5

Gonzo Imperial Porter

look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Pours a nice black that seems to stop light at the gates and say "none shall pass". A tan head that sticks and leaves a lacing all throughout the glass. The coffee and chocolate mix very well with a slight citrus, providing a very interesting smell for a porter, but one that is very good. Tastes like a good porter should. Chocolate malts are very present, but that citrus is still slightly prevalent as well, and despite the high ABV it feels very smooth and full bodied. This is a great porter, but it could easily sneak up on you, what my grandfather would call a "sippin' drink", but one that I could happily sip all day long

4.2/5

Bells' Two Hearted Ale

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 5

A slightly hazy (but very clear for an unfiltered beer) light orange colour with a thick white head that leaves lace for days. Hoppy smell is present, and the citrus is very nice. As the beer warms the citrus becomes more and more prevalent, nudging the score up a slight bit. The taste is something to behold. I gave this the full 5 and i don't question that rating one bit. Grapefruit is noticeable right off the bat, and while many times you hear the term "hop bomb" used to describe the strong taste that we come to associate with a good IPA, this is more of a "hop delivery". Every sip brings more wonderful hops taste without ever being overly strong or too bitter. A perfect taste every time, that feels just right. Great feeling, not too carbonated, and the aftertaste is almost as delicious as the taste. If i could only drink one beer for the rest of my life, this would be a serious contender. If i could only drink one IPA for the rest of my life, this would be the frontrunner by a large margin, like a Barack Obama to Al Sharpton margin

4.75/5

Samuel Adam's Holiday Porter

Look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Very dark mahogany, not quite black with some burgundy showing through at the bottom, and a tan head that dissipates and leaves some decent stickiness. Coffee and chocolate are present in the smell, but it is the caramel presence that takes the real lead here. A sweetness in the nose that i can't wait to taste. Taste does not disappoint me at all. Caramel is still very strong, and the coffee is coming through considerably stronger now. Very full bodied and with a sweet taste that lasts on the palate. Goes down very well, and very drinkable. This is a great beer to allow someone to try if the say "I don't like dark beers" because it doesn't feel it, it simply feels delicious

4.15/5

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

Pours a dark Amber colour with a white head that leaves a nice lacing. Hop smell is imminent immediately, the grapefruit and pine being at the forefront of the nose, with a bit of lemon and orange also finding their way in there. Tastes incredibly bitter at first, but the citrus and the hops subside quickly to create a very interesting flavour. The carbonation is a bit strong, but the taste is still quite pleasant. Sierra Nevada is one of the best breweries out there, while they don't make the best beers, they do make the best that you can easily find in your local market (around here at least). This is the perfect example of that, are there better IPA's? Sure. Are there better "holiday" themed beers? Sure. However, this is a quality brew that is not to be missed by anyone who calls themselves a beer-lover

4.15/5

Stone Double Bastard

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | drink: 5

Beer pours a clear amber colour with very little head. Smells somewhat sweet with fruity undertones, and alcohol lurking just below. Tastes like hops that were soaked in alcohol and bottled...and I love it!!! The hoppy taste comes right up and punches you in the mouth, then the alcohol makes you do a double take. If i were this good I'd be arrogant as well. As i drink more, I want to drink more, and while i know that spending my life savings buying as many of these as possible is a bad idea, i'm afraid that if i don't the scary man on the bottle will come to my house and make me pay dearly for not embracing him and his evil ways. Truly this is an arrogant bastard in all it's glory, and I am it's humble servant

4.6/5

Victory Hop Wallop

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

A beautiful golden colour comes into my glass, with a thick white head that hangs around for a good while. The strong fruity smell is amazing. To the point that i son't want to drink it because the smell is so good that i don't want to ruin this experience. The taste doesn't quite match up the smell, but just barely. This is palate-pleaser for sure, the hoppiness is most certainly a wallop, but the bitterness doesn't overwhelm me, in fact it makes me excited for the next sip, just to get that pleasing taste back. It feel well bodied and the bitterness never gets in the way of drinking it, which is exactly what i like

4.25/5

Founder's Breakfast Stout

look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

Pours an incredibly deep, black colour with a tan head that holds quite well. Smells very strongly of coffee, it finally dawns on me that breakfast stout makes total sense. The Coffee is strong, but i do also set hints of chocolate, as if i'm about to drink a mocha beer-ccino. The taste is overpoweringly coffee, the chocolate that i smelled is now also fairly prevelant. The beer is also very heavy, to the point that after I had drank half of it, i no longer wanted to eat. This is the definition of "meal in a glass". It took me a while to finish it, and i couldn't have another, not because of my dislike of the beer, but simply because i was full. Certainly worth this price of admission

4.35/5

Son of a Peach

look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Pours a hazy, bright orange with a nice looking white head. Smells strongly of peaches, which is a good thing, and also a faint aroma of wheat, just enough to let you know that this is indeed a wheat beer. The taste is something to get very excited about. This may be the best tasting beer I've ever had, no exaggeration. The peach flavour comes through very strongly, without at all being off-putting. After a few minutes pure amazement at the peach, my head returns from the clouds and the rest of the taste comes through, with a lot of other fruity and flowery notes. The aftertaste is a very sweet peach. The body is not too full but not too light either, very good for this type of beer. The all-around greatness of this will keep me reaching for more and more, especially during the sweltering summer heat.

4.65/5

Obovoid Oak-Aged Oatmeal Stout

look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Pours a very dark colour, that, while not completely black, is most certainly on it's way there. One good whiff produces many aromas, most notably caramel and chocolate, but there is most definitely some coffee in there as well. Tastes like a good stout should. the caramelly sweetness is there, but not overpowering, and lets the grain and hops shine as well. A little light for an RIS, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, and with the 8% alcohol content, it gets points for being so smooth, easily drinkable, and not too heavy which is an issue i often encounter with RIS.

4/5

Hazed and Infused

look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

A hazy orange colour with a head that already has my mouth watering. Smells like a sttong combination of oranges and hops, and...maybe this is just the "hippie" motif,,,but i could swear i smell patchouli. The taste is simply sublime. The hop taste is wonderful, and the citrusy taste continues, making hte taste just as good as the smell. Feels very good in my mouth, like a small commune is forming in my mouth, and they all want to form a drum circle on my taste buds. I could continue drinking this all day.

4.5/5

Victory Golden Monkey

Look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | drink: 5

Beer pours a nice amber colour, lots of yeast, and i nice looking head that quickly fades. Smells fruity, but with an underlying content of alcohol, it's pleasant, but lets you know that there is a true beer lying underneath. Taste is beautiful, a full bodies feel and the spices really come through, tastes great without letting the abnormally high alcohol content hit you, hoppiness is also a very big plus, like drinking a fruity tree. As previously stated, the feel is tremendous, and the drinkability is also exceptionally high, especially for a Tripel, which usually leaves me feeling like a it's a little strong to keep drinking, while i could drink this all day, and love it. This is easily one of the best beers I've ever had, and I cannot recommend it highly enough

4.4/5

Racer 5 India Pale Ale

look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | drink: 5

Clear amber pour contrasts with a nice tan head that almost looks like it could be used in an advertisement for beer. Citrus hops make me very excited to drink. Tastes as great as it smells. Hops are present, and not overpowering, but most certainly present enough to let you know that you are drinking an IPA, and a damn good one at that. I want to keep drinking this all day, and very well could. It's a perfect combo of taste and smooth feeling. This is one of the best beers I've ever had the pleasure of tasting and i cannot wait to do it again

4.7/5