december 31st again
Dec. 31st, 2025 17:28I'm spending the holidays alone again, but I have my projector and a nice pair of headphones to keep me company, so I'm wrapping up the year with a mix of "best of" and "idk if I'll like it but it seems apropos" (re)watches and listens: three wrestling matches and an EP.
- Adam Page vs Jon Moxley, AEW All In (12 July 2025). The feel-good moment of the year etc. etc. etc. This was the first AEW PPV I bought, and it was worth every cent. I'm curious how it holds up on a rewatch; I watched it live at like 3 AM in my timezone and I haven't revisited it yet.
- Saya Kamitani vs Tam Nakano, Stardom All Star Grand Queendom (27 April 2025). This is widely reputed to be the best match of the year, and based on how impressed I was with their Dream Queendom 2024 match, I wouldn't be surprised if I end up agreeing with that assessment (imo the unseriousness of Darby descending from the rafters during Hangman/Moxley makes it more beatable as a MOTY candidate than you'd expect from the other 99% of the match). I actually meant to watch this a few days ago but I decided to save it as a special treat for the last day of the year.
- Kyle O'Reilly vs Katsuyori Shibata, ROH Field of Honor (27 August 2016). Kind of a random pull compared to the previous two, but I watched this a couple of months ago and immediately knew it had a place in my all-time favorite matches. KOR is a long-time favorite of mine and 2025 is the year I went from barely having heard of Shibata to considering him possibly my favorite in-ring wrestler ever. This is mostly only an average-quality match for these two guys (which still means it's fucking fantastic) but the finish and the unique venue vibes make it very special to me.
- Hurrah! Another Year, Surely This One Will Be Better Than The Last; The Inexorable March Of Progress Will Lead Us All To Happiness by Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies. I have absolutely no idea what this is, but I've been hearing about it for years (Zack Sabre Jr has a submission move named after it) and I figure the turn of the year is the perfect time to check it out.