Welcome, welcome! To the September block of the Match of the Year Tournament!
We're onto the E block this month, getting ready to close out the year with the F block being all that remains! There's a chill in the air and pumpkins waiting to be carved, so it must be fall! My favourite time of year!
Let's see what the early autumn has to offer for us, shall we?
The Pre-Quarterfinalists
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| The E Block Pre-Quarterfinalists |
September was far and away my busiest month to date. A wedding, getting sick, and just generally having a bad month as far as my mental health is concerned, it made watching any wrestling a bit of a challenge. But, the wrestling I did watch had some excellent matches sprinkled in among the shitty CZW I watched for Three Ring Circus and the frequently just good AEW TV matches. So which of those great matches stood out from the rest? Well, three come to mind...
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Darby Allin - Falls Count Anywhere Match - 08/27/2025
Given the feature in Weekly Watchlist 064, Darbs and Double C went hell for leather in a fantastic Falls Count Anywhere match inside-and outside- the old ECW arena. The human embodiment of a crash test dummy was, to to surprise of none, exceptionally good at taking a beating from the rippling, strong-as-piss right hand of the Death Riders. Claudio has been on a pretty decent run recently, getting to stretch his wings at times and show what kind of wrestler he can be when the restrictions are lifted. I was really pleased with how violent, sans any blood, this match got. Claudio beat Darby as if he owed him several months worth of rent and Darbs just kept on coming back for more and more, never giving in for a moment. Really fun stuff from both men.
Bandido vs. Hechicero - 08/29/2025
Bandido has been doing a lot of work recently to prove to me, specifically, that he's one of the best wrestlers going right now. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't see the same quality of wrestler in him when he was being featured on AEW TV more and more earlier this year and at the tail end of last year (if I have my mental calendar correct) but maybe it's just because he was wrestling Chris Jericho and that's a career killing move in my eyes, I don't know, but this match, this match, my lord man. 'Dido and Hechicero put on an incredible performance that you just need to see to believe. Truly exceptional work. Great in the first and second act, but their third act had me practically jumping out of my chair from the shit they were doing. 'Cero is far and away my favourite luchador right now, and 'Dido is moving further and further up the ladder and into wrestler of the year contention for me. Exceptional work all around.
Adam Page vs. Kyle Fletcher - 09/20/2025
Given the spotlight in Weekly Watchlist 067, the young Fletch continues to prove that 2025 is not only the year of the Hangman, it's also the year of the Protostar. A rousing match that built and built and built and built to a wild fever pitch near the end, the Cowboy not only pushed Fletcher to his limit, but was taken to his as well. I've said it on here more times than I can remember at this point, but anyone who tries to tell me that Fletcher is not worthy of that main event spotlight is either delusional, a has-been, a never-was, or a never-will-be. Both men were in tip top form and put on a main event match that would not have felt out of place at any AEW show during the year.
What a bracket of pre-quarterfinalists! It's almost too tough to decide! But one must advance! Who will it be?!
The Quarterfinalist
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| The E Block Quarterfinalist! |
Next month we'll go over the usual suspects, the pre-quarterfinalists and the quarterfinalists, pitting Bandido and Hechicero against whatever October has for a match of the month. After that, we'll work it down to a semifinalist that will move on to face the F block in the winter months. Yes folks, I regret to inform you all that winter is, in fact, coming.
Until next month, take it easy friends!
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