Best Wrestler Alive Tourney 1st Round --- Johnny Gargano vs. Kota Ibushi

[2CT]

Cast your vote for the best wrestler alive using the following metrics

Ring work (10)
Mic work/promos (10)
Personality/gimmicks (10)
Overall rating (10)
Number of matches you like from each person

The poll closes after 7 days and if there's a tie the poll extends for an additional 24 hours

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Johnny Gargano

Championships and accomplishments

Absolute Intense Wrestling
AIW Absolute Championship (1 time)
AIW Intense Division Championship (2 times)
Gauntlet for the Gold (2012)
Jack of All Trios (2010) – with Flip Kendrick and Louis Lyndon

CBS Sports
Feud of the Year (2019) vs. Adam Cole
Match of the Year (2019) vs. Adam Cole on April 5 at NXT TakeOver: New York

Championship Wrestling Experience
CWE Undisputed Championship (1 time)

Chikara
CHIKARA Campeonatos de Parejas (2 times) – with Chuck Taylor
The Countdown Showdown (2010)

Cleveland All–Pro Wrestling
CAPW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Dragon Gate USA
Open the Freedom Gate Championship (2 times)
Open the Twin Gate Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Rich Swann

International Wrestling Cartel
IWC Super Indy Championship (1 time)
IWC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Michael Facade

NXT
NXT Championship (1 time)
NXT North American Championship (1 time)
NXT Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Tommaso Ciampa
First Triple Crown Champion

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI ranked him #59 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2012

Pro Wrestling Ohio
Prime Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter
5 Star Match for NXT Championship match vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas on January 27, 2018 at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia
5 Star Match for Unsanctioned match vs. Tommaso Ciampa on April 7, 2018 at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans
5.5 Star Match for 2-out of-3 Falls Match for NXT Championship vs. Adam Cole on April 5, 2019 at NXT TakeOver: New York
5.25 Star Match for NXT Championship match vs. Adam Cole on June 1, 2019 at NXT TakeOver: XXV
Feud of The Year (2018) vs. Tomasso Ciampa

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Kota Ibushi

Championships and accomplishments

Chikara
Rey de Voladores (2009)

Dramatic Dream Team
IMGP World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Independent Junior Heavyweight Champion (1 time)
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (3 times)
DDT KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Gota Ihashi and Kenny Omega (1) and Daisuke Sasaki and Kenny Omega (1)
KO-D Openweight Champion (3 times)
KO-D Tag Team Champion (5 times) - with Daichi Kakimoto (1), Kenny Omega (2), Danshoku Dino (1) & Daisuke Sasaki
Go-1 Climax (2014)
KO-D Openweight Championship Contendership Tournament (2008, 2009)
KO-D Tag League (2005) – with Daichi Kakimoto
DDT48 / Dramatic Sousenkyo (2012, 2014)
Best Match Award (2012) vs. Kenny Omega on August 18

El Dorado Wrestling
UWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with KAGETORA

Japan Indie Awards
Best Bout Award (2008) vs. Kenny Omega on August 6
Best Bout Award (2011) vs. dikk Togo on March 27
Best Bout Award (2012) vs. Kenny Omega on August 18
Best Bout Award (2014) with Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshyta and Tetsuya Endo on October 28
MVP Award (2007, 2009)

Kaientai Dojo
Tag Team Best Bout K-Award (2007) with Madoka vs. dikk Togo and Taka Michinoku on December 1

Kaiju Big Battel
KBB Hashtag Championship (1 time)

New Japan Pro Wrestling
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kenny Omega
Best of the Super Juniors (2011)
New Japan Cup (2015)
CEO Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Kenny Omega
NEVER Openweight Championship (1 time)
IWGP Intercontinental Championship (1 time)

Nikkan Sports
Best Bout Award (2015) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NJPW, January 4)
Best Tag Team Award (2010) with Kenny Omega
Technique Award (2009,2010)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI ranked him #40 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2015

SoCal UNCENSORED
Match of The Year (2018) with Kenny Omega vs. The Young Bucks (NJPW, March 25)

Tokyo Sports
Best Bout Award (2010) with Kenny Omega vs. Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi (NJPW, October 11)
Best Bout Award (2013) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NJPW, August 4)
Technique Award (2009, 2019)

Toryumon Mexico
Young Dragons Cup (2006)

Último Dragón Fiesta
Dragon Mixture Tournament (2006) – with Daichi Kakimoto, Fuka and Seiya Morohashi

Weekly Pro Wrestling
Best Bout Award (2010) with Kenny Omega vs. Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi (NJPW, October 11)
Best Bout Award (2018) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Best Tag Team Award (2010) with Kenny Omega

Wrestling Observer Newsletter
5 Star Match (2015) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura on January 4
5 Star Match (2018) with Kenny Omega vs. The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) on March 25
5 1/2 Star Match (2018) vs. Kenny Omega on August 11
5 3/4 Star Match (2018) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi on August 12
5 Star Match (2018) with Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii on September 30
5 Star Match (2018) with Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay on December 15
5 Star Match (2019) vs. Will Ospreay on July 18
5 Star Match (2019) vs. Kazuchika Okada on August 10
5 1/2 Star Match (2019) vs. Jay White on August 12
5 1/2 Star Match (2020) vs. Kazuchika Okada on January 4
Best Flying Wrestler (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013)
Pro Wrestling Match of the Year (2015) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura on January 4

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​

 

[BrehWyatt]

NXT Takeover Johnny Gargano is a bad mother fukker.

Kota Ibushi IN GENERAL is a bad mother fukker.

 

[Sypress]

Ibushi and it really is not even close

 

[Doctor Doom]

*Faced against Gargano in the 1st Round*

Gargano is good, but he isn't even in the same tier as Ibushi and it isn't close. If there is something Gargano is good at, Ibushi is better at it and can add even more. Ibushi has an argument for being the most complete wrestler today. Meshes well with pretty much anyone's style, and he himself is able to wrestle a multitude of styles. Can wrestle hyper-athletic matches with the likes of Will Ospreay/Cedric Alexander/Rey Mysterio/Bandido/etc. and then go to have hard-hitting, straight up FIGHTS with dudes like Ishii/Goto/Nakamura. Only people who even approach his tier of athleticism is Ospreay, Ricochet, and maybe Montez, and even then, Ibushi's strength is scary considering he only weighs 205-210. One of the few wrestlers who was able to go above their flippy shyt and put on classics. He is 37, but he is getting better by leaps and bounds and that is amazing in of itself. His finishing sequence and comebacks are one of the few in the entire world where he is able to get the crowd going absolutely crazy.



Again, Gargano is good, but this isn't a fukking debate. Ibushi is easily Top 5 in the world right now, arguably Top 3, and can actually make an argument for BITW.

​

 

[Novembruh]

90% of wrestling can't throw worked punches well - just an industry fact.
Ibushi either channeled Lawler against Okada, or dude said fukk it and just teed Gedo's boy up for real in that WK match. And I honestly do not care which it was because them straights while Okada was on the floor were.

Gargano at WK would put on a great 4-star match. Ibushi at a TakeOver would throw some shyt we ain't never seen before just because he can and no one could stop him. And wouldn't need an hour and fittyleven nearfalls to do it. Riding with my nikka Kota

 

[Dolo]

Johnny Wrasslin going out sad

 

[Cartier Murphy]

@Doctor Doom crushed the buildings with his reply, what he said is why I’m voting for the Golden Star

 

[TheGodling]

@2 Cold Taurus is either underestimating how (rightfully) popular Japanese wrestlers really are or he wants a lot of western wrestlers gone by round 1 for fukkery reasons because a lot of these match-ups will not be close at all.

 

[Breh the HitMang]

who else could put on a 5 star classic with a blow up doll

 

[2CT]

@2 Cold Taurus is either underestimating how (rightfully) popular Japanese wrestlers really are or he wants a lot of western wrestlers gone by round 1 for fukkery reasons because a lot of these match-ups will not be close at all.

if I put all the puro dudes against each other in the first round y'all would complain

 

[TheGodling]

if I put all the puro dudes against each other in the first round y'all would complain

I think the biggest complaint since the beginning of the BWIW tournament has been the lack of seeding of any kind.

 

[2CT]

I think the biggest complaint since the beginning of the BWIW tournament has been the lack of seeding of any kind.

if there was seeding there'd still be complaints

fact of the matter is wrestling fans complain no matter what happens that's why Vince couldn't care less what any of y'all think about what he does

 

[VegetasHairline]

I see you giving Johnny Gargano a pity vote @Dog Based Gremlin

I might just do the same seeing as I don't watch NJPW and I don't believe I have ever seen an Ibushi match.

 

[Bryan Danielson]

who else could put on a 5 star classic with a blow up doll

and the only reason it wasn’t ranked higher cuz it wasn’t in the Tokyo dome

 

[2CT]

I see you giving Johnny Gargano a pity vote @Dog Based Gremlin

I might just do the same seeing as I don't watch NJPW and I don't believe I have ever seen an Ibushi match.

gotta stop sleeping on NJPW my guy

you doing yourself an disservice by watching Raw and SmackDown but never seeing any Ibushi or Naito matches