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Post by problematic on Sept 26, 2017 15:37:31 GMT -5
If you pointed an assault rifle at my head and said "who's the best wrestler in the world in 2017?" Fred Yehi would be my pick at this moment. I sometimes think he gets lost in Evolve because of card placement and other factors, but he's had a hell of a run this year, with legit great matches v. Brian Cage, Anthony Henry, Jonathon Gresham, Zack Sabre Jr., Matt Riddle, WALTER, Kyle O'Reilly, Keith Lee, and others. He probably has more good matches against a wider variety of opponents than anyone on Earth this year, and I haven't even seen this weekends Evolve shows or the Stallion match from Glory Pro, plus he has a rematch with Gresham coming up in NOVA among other things. On top of the consistency and volume, I do think the highest end of those matches are at least in MOTYC discussion, and he remains the both the most logical and creative wrestler on the planet which seems like two impossible qualities for the same guy to hold but he's proof it's possible. In that sense I kind of see Yehi as the heir to Finlay and Regal - hard nosed, grapply/fighter type who finds creative attacks that are merely logical and simple methods of expanding an offensive attack. Really a genius wrestler
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Post by armsofsleep on Sept 26, 2017 16:39:01 GMT -5
Love the Regal/Finlay comparisons. He probably has more **** matches than anyone else I've seen this year. He's really just piled up good matches in a way that makes me think that if he gets more opportunities next year (PWG, PROGRESS, and the like), he will put together something even better.
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Post by xoanafacetico on Sept 26, 2017 21:46:06 GMT -5
As disappointing/stupid as FIP/Style Battle have been, he's been the absolute redeeming factor as the WWN Florida ace and the MVP of EVOLVE. Probably the best in the world at adapting to opponents since Togo in 2010/2011. Prospective #1 with only Takeshita in the same orbit for me.
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Post by thefourmanband on Oct 5, 2017 21:45:45 GMT -5
Just saw his match with WALTER at Evolve 90. He's got a real shot at my number 1 spot. Such an incredibly smart wrestler, especially against bigger opponents like Keith Lee, Brian Cage, and WALTER
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Fred Yehi
Oct 5, 2017 22:21:16 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by duyarvish on Oct 5, 2017 22:21:16 GMT -5
He had a legitimately good match with something called Teddy Stigma
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Michael
Full Member
Posts: 249
Pronoun: He/Him
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Post by Michael on Oct 10, 2017 16:07:09 GMT -5
He had a legitimately good match with something called Teddy Stigma Yes! I gave that match **** when it happened. I sort of always thought of Teddy Stigma as a guilty pleasure favorite of mine due to the gimmick but he held up his end of the bargain in the Yehi match. As far as Fred is concerned, I have him hovering around the 50s. I also know he is wayyyyyyyyyy better than that, but I haven't watched a lot of him this year for various reasons and that's all on me. The January match from Style Battle with Anthony Henry was legitimately great and I really loved that tag match in San Antonio against Thatcher & Cobb. Hey, pulling more than **1/4 out of Jeff Cobb has to count for something, baby.
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Post by notoriousgib on Oct 11, 2017 2:18:00 GMT -5
Aside from maybe ZSJ, Yehi's the wrestler I've enjoyed watching the most this year. He can have a great match with anybody. It seems like his floor for any given match is ***1/2.
Also I know nobody else watched Style Battle after like the second episode but his rematch with Henry in episode 5 is a MOTY contender.
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gagnewest
New Member
Posts: 41
Pronoun: He/Him
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Post by gagnewest on Oct 17, 2017 14:32:49 GMT -5
IMO he's the best guy in his match about 80-90% of the time, and of guys with volume I don't think anyone can match that (probably not Sabre, definitely not Riddle.) I'd nitpick that his dream matches tend to be not quite as good as they look on paper, especially in Evolve: Yehi-Riddle Orlando for example was perfectly solid but not the MOTYC I'd hoped for, and his Catch Point tags never amounted to much. The Thatcher match is my exception and you might have others. In general though I prefer him in FIP and Style Battles, maybe because he has more latitude to call his kind of match, or maybe it's just that Florida agrees with him. Borderline top ten for me, but more likely in than out.
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Post by quentinmoody on Nov 3, 2017 11:34:31 GMT -5
Lock for my top 5 even if I️ don’t watch any WWN content for the rest of the year. Carrying that whole entity on his back is not an easy task and I️ don’t think anyone would have been able to fill those shoes the way he did. Tons of great matches but even if his matches aren’t always “great”, he is always great in them and I️ can’t say that for many people.
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Post by bossrock on Nov 27, 2017 15:50:38 GMT -5
Really might be the most intelligent wrestler in the world when it comes to stringing offense together. Everything he does has meaning and is strategic, it isn't done just for the sake of doing it. That's a trait that's really lacking among most indy workers today. Top 35 at worst.
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jacey
New Member
Posts: 19
Pronoun: He/Him
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Post by jacey on Nov 28, 2017 9:43:55 GMT -5
Yehi is so interesting because he doesnt jump out as being one of the best workers in the world to me. But if you compare names on any card he's been on he'll constantly be one of, if not the top, in ring wrestler on the card.
Not a PWG like spot machine (thats a compliment but also means he's not going to work some places)
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Fred Yehi
Dec 9, 2017 6:37:52 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by papahales on Dec 9, 2017 6:37:52 GMT -5
Fred is at the top of my list and I have seen a ton of live matches this year. He has wrestled an array of great matches against many of the top stars in the Indies. He always delivers and often surprises with his mat skills and unique approach to offense. I am especially impressed with his movement around the ring and the way he attacks from different angles. Not a huge personality but still a very effective character. Small and compact with great striking (and stomping) ability. Love that he is not a flyer. Fred should be booked everywhere.
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Post by brockobama on Jan 2, 2018 3:17:03 GMT -5
Was real worried that I wasn't even going to have Yehi on my list after watching barely any EVOLVE throughout the year so I scrambled to find some matches I liked in the latter half of December. After that I *still* didn't have a lot to go on though getting my hands on both of his Gresham matches certainly helped a bunch. It's been said before but his real fault is the lack of that one killer match that stands head and shoulders above his other work, something he sort of had last year in a late match with Zack Sabre Jr. Hell, I think the Gresham matches are even better than that ZSJ match but 2017 NOVA Pro doesn't compare to 2016 EVOLVE in terms of eyes on the product. I enjoyed what I saw of his FIP work but more often than not they were matches that I thought were mechanically well done but lacking a certain something that made them sing. Fred's gonna make my list no problem but I'm having trouble justifying him much higher than middle of the pack despite him being one of the most interesting and enjoyable wrestlers alive.
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Post by bossrock on Jan 3, 2018 11:23:01 GMT -5
That's pretty much how I feel about Yehi. Really good wrestler and might be one of the most intelligent workers around. But he just lacks that one, really terrific match to put him over the top.
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