Match of the Year Tournament - D Block - August 2026

Welcome, one and all, to the August edition of the Match of the Year Tournament!  

We've reached the end of the D Block this month, with a semifinalist being decided to start off the back half of 2026. It's kinda crazy to think that we may have our match of the year winner decided already, but should anyone be surprised, honestly?

And if you are, well then, keep reading to find out what I'm talking about!  

The August Pre-Quarterfinalists

I've not made it a secret to anyone that I felt like I was in a real slump since April. Partly due to my depression kicking into a higher gear, and partly due to me over exposing myself WrestleMania weekend and not really having the time necessary to recover from watching nearly 300 matches in a week. So, when I say August feels like the start of me getting back in the saddle again, I mean it. And I could not be more excited. 

I remembered to spread my wings this month and look at other promotions and seek out matches people were talking about this month, doing my homework, and reminding myself why I love this sport so much. With these 3 matches playing a major part in restoring the feeling.  

Yuya Uemura vs. Ryohei Oiwa - 08/16/2026

The focus of Weekly Watchlist 114 - Can the Headlock Save Wrestling?, Uemura and Oiwa decided to buck every modern trend and try to put on a legitimate match of the year contender by stripping wrestling down to it's most basic and fundamental pieces. For some people, a match like this would seem impossible to consider great or even overly impactful in a landscape of constant one-upsmanship wrestling that seems to dominate the current product. But Uemura and Oiwa proved that by simply making the moves matter and making people care, you can make a match with no more than 15 unique moves shared between the men mean something magnificent and bring an arena to a fever pitch. An exceptional piece of business from both men. 

Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Mika Iwata - 08/28/2026

The focus of Weekly Watchlist 116 - The Acid Black Cherry Goes For the Gold, Chihiro Hashimoto continued to prove that she may very well be one of the best wrestlers on the planet this year, regardless of gender. Her partner in this dance, Mika Iwata, was no slouch either, more than keeping pace with the defending champion, but Hashimoto has had a number of legitimate match of the year contenders so far in 2026, with this match being no exception. I think we should just come to expect that if Hashimoto is in a match, especially a singles main event match, it's worth watching. Save yourself the hassle of digging around for a review, just find a way to watch. 

Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay - 08/30/2026

I'll put it as simply as I can; this may very well be the greatest match AEW has ever done. I say this as a Hangman die-hard who rode the wave of his rise in 2025 and considered All In 2025's main event the best thing AEW had done, but this trumps it. This surpassed it. This match was a religious experience and every fan needs to watch and see why this match is so damn special. I'm just wasting your time with writing more words here, go watch it already! 

So, who made it through?

 

The D Block Quarterfinalists

 Well, that was a shocker, wasn't it! I'll be honest, for about 24 hours, Hashimoto dominated the quarterfinals, as I watched her match the day prior to All In. But once Ospreay and Omega finished, I had to bump them down a peg, I'm sorry to say. 

So, which of these two advanced?! 

 

The D Block Semifinalist

Again, do I need to reiterate how incredible this match was?! Just stop reading my bullshit and go watch it already! The rest of 2026 has got some serious, and I mean serious competition on their hands here. 

 

Until next month, where we start the E Block, take it easy friends!

 

 

 

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