2015 Ongoing Match of the Year List

39. Slim J v. Fred Yehi NWA Anarchy 3/28

PAS: This is a 2/3 falls match and the 6th match of a best of five series (don't ask). I remember Slim J as a spotfest guy doing a Eminem gimmick in the early 2000 indies (He was a short lived member of Special K), and this was the first time I have seen Yehi. For a US Indy juniors match this was pretty simple wrestling, one dive in the third fall, no real complicated do-si-do stuff, just two guys hitting the mat and each other really hard. I loved how both guys kept contact, they would throw a suplex or an armdrag, and just go immediately into a hold. Yehi especially looked like he was squeezing a orange everytime he put on a bodyscissors or a headlock. Liked the finish to all three falls, and this makes me want to go watch all five of their previous matches

ER: It's amusing to watch this match now, as even though it was only a year ago you can tell Yehi has just grown immensely as a worker. The strides he's made in the past year are insane. You watch this match and see a guy who is clearly talented, clearly has a fleshed out idea of what kind of wrestler he wants to be. but I would have never guessed just how incredible he would be in less than a year. This match had all sorts of sneak previews of his future best features, and was a really cool snapshot. And I fully agree with Phil about how both guys kept contact. Seems like the only times they were apart was during the brief breaks between falls. But it wasn't any sort of gimmicky "12 minute headlock" Danielson match (which I was amusingly there live for), not that kind of closeness. It was just working a US juniors match without any of the pauses and bullshit you've come to expect from that. No breathless pauses for applause after a mirror sequence, no appeals to crowd after a forearm exchange, just some tight mat wrestling, snug grappling without flash, finishes that built compactly and ended logically, some hard forearms, some nice throws, just simple logical and satisfying. What's weird is I see myself appreciating current Yehi a lot, having just watched this match, but in a different way than if I had watched this match a year ago as I should have. If I had seen it then I would be blown away by his advancement as the year went on. Watching it now I impressed seeing him lay the groundwork for his already great 2016. Slim J was no slouch either and I feel bad for not writing more about him here, but this is Yehi's world baby, we're just writing about wrestling in it.


2015 MOTY MASTER LIST