Match of the Year Tournament - E Block - October 2026

Welcome back wrestling fans! Today, we close out the E Block of the Match of the Year Tournament! 

The year is drawing to a close with the window for MotY contenders getting tighter and tighter. Let's see how this block shakes out, yeah? 

The October Pre-Quarterfinalists

The back half of my year has only gotten busier and busier, with November shaping up to be my most hectic month yet. October was no slouch either, with my viewing aperture narrowing as the days and weeks progressed. I still try to stay worldly and relevant in my viewing, but it has gotten trickier as time goes on. That said, I do feel I picked some pretty solid contenders for the best matches of this month. Let's see who the contenders are, yeah?

 

Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada - 10/06/2026

It's honestly insane that this match happened on free TV, this could have easily been a main event either here or in New Japan, but I guess the special feeling of this being a Paris show warranted this kind of treatment. That being said, we got a more than game Okada here, putting in a solid effort against the newly crowned Ospreay. I know it's said often, by me in particular, that Okada seems to phone it in often, but when you can out-wrestle half the roster with your eyes closed, wouldn't you too? This was a brilliant main event with all of the high-spots, excitement, and dramatic near-falls you've come to expect from AEW's biggest matches. For being a TV main event, they went hell for leather here. Brilliant work from both men. 

Exerpted from Matches of the Month - October 2026 

 

Jon Moxley vs. Mark Davis - 10/17/2026

This match can be summed up with one simple phrase, "the only way forward is through." Mark Davis became the physical embodiment of Moxley's grief after the passing of PAC in this match, with the fierce leader of the Death Riders showing that behind the cold stares and sharp words is a man in a great deal of pain, the kind of pain that massages and stretching can't heal. Davis, one of the heaviest hitters in the company right now, wore Moxley down to a bloody mess in this match, with Marina and Garcia showing up in the crowd to get Moxley's head in the game. From a "wrestling" perspective, this match was fantastic, with neither man giving an inch and Moxley looking to get colour hardway from Davis. From a storytelling perspective, Davis was the physical manifestation of grief, with Moxley continuing to show that the only way forward is through, pushing beyond his own limits to put Davis away. A fantastic match, I loved this. 

Exerpted from Weekly Watchlist 123 - The Mad Dragon Makes A Firey Debut

 

Mike Bailey vs. Ilja Dragunov - 10/21/2026

The featured match of Weekly Watchlist 123 - The Mad Dragon Makes A Firey Debut, Dragunov made a fast, immediate, and decisive impact in his AEW debut. Detractors of this match made the claim that Dragunov and Bailey having an evenly contested match made Dragunov look like "just another wrestler," but they are missing the bigger picture here. This could be an easy argument to make if Dragunov was debuting against someone of a lesser calibre or standing in the company, but when the skill ceiling in AEW is so damn high, Dragunov standing toe to toe, and more often getting the better of Bailey's best, elevated him quickly in his debut to someone that should be feared and never taken lightly. These men held nothing back and pushed each other further and further with each passing minute. This could have easily taken place on a PPV event and not felt out of place. Fantastic work from both men. 

 

Well, who made it?

 

The E Block Quarterfinalists

The "grief personified" match did it! A truly brilliant performance from the ever-consistent Moxley and the breakout star of 2026 in Davis. I had decent expectations going into this one and they were absolutely blown out of the water. I could watch Davis beat the tar out of people for hours and never tire. 

So, which of these matches advanced to the E Block semifinals? Let's see! 

 

The E Block Semifnialist

Look, as great as Davis and Mox was, it wasn't quite on the level of Ciampa and Okada from All Out. Ciampa managed to make Okada dig into a second gear here and make him have a great match, that says something. A truly exceptional performance from both men. 

 

Next month we start the F Block which means we are in the final weeks of 2026! I'll be going over the matches from the previous year, probably re-watching the contenders and making my final decision on a Match of the Year. My final verdict will be published in early January of 2027.

 

Until next month, take it easy friends!

 

 

 

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