Voices of Wrestling 2022 Match of the Year: #1 (FTR vs. The Briscoes – December)

The Dog Collar match between the FTR vs. The Briscoes perfectly represented the beautiful brutality that makes us all love pro wrestling.

Voices of Wrestling 2022 Match of the Year Archives

• Introduction & Honorable Mentions
• Matches #100-76
• Matches #75-51
• Matches #50-26
• Matches #25-11
• Early-Access Top 10 Reveal
• #10: FTR vs. The Briscoes – July
• #9: CM Punk vs. MJF
• #8: Jun Kasai vs. El Desperado
• #7: Syuri vs. Giulia
• #6: Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay – January
• #5: Anarchy in the Arena
• #4: Hangman Page vs. Bryan Danielson
• #3: Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay – August
• #2: FTR vs. The Briscoes – April
• #1: FTR vs. The Briscoes – December

#1
FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. The Briscoes (Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe)
12/10
ROH

Overall Points: 1344
Total Votes: 143
% of Ballots: 68.42%
49 First Place Votes

“I have a good feeling one of the three matches between these two teams that took place this year will top the VoW’s list once the points are compiled. There has not been a trio of matches to reach this level since 1989 when Steamboat and Flair made magic together. The pinnacle of this trio of matches happened on 12/10. Very few people on the planet can do the things these four did in this match and live to tell about it, let alone walk away from it. Dog collar matches can be overbooked and many times incredibly predictable. It so happens that two of the best dog-collar matches ever happened in 2022 under the tutelage of Tony Khan. This one is superior to all of them. How Jay Brisco managed to continue the match after landing on the chairs stacked outside the ring is borderline miraculous. Dax takes a lot of criticism from fans, but the pride he takes in his work is commendable. Cash Wheeler may be the most underrated of the four because Dax tends to take up a lot of oxygen between the two. There aren’t a lot of accolades left to laud upon this match other than to say, in thirty years it is likely we will still be talking about the historic significance of it.” -Chris Colvin

“The tag team of the year and their most fitting rivals somehow managed to top their previous all-world efforts. Theirs was a gritty, visceral piece of art crafted in a wrestling ring. Blood and steel and danger fused together to make a most moving, unforgettable match.” -Ryan Dilbert

“FTR sign off their greatest year with their greatest match. A grotty, violent, ugly brawl with the best tag team of the 21st century, closing the finest 3-match arc since Okada/Omega.” -Mark Robinson

“Somehow, they were able to top their previous encounters in their final one. The dog collar match was fitting for the violence the Briscoes are known for, as well as the nods to history that FTR likes to include in their work.” -Greg Parks

“I count the entire trilogy as one, as I find them empirically inseparable. This was the best one though.” -Evan Schaaf

“Ring Of Honor only had three shows this year, but they were all highlighted by the amazing matches between The Briscoes vs. FTR. Supercard Of Honor saw the straight two vs. two tag team bout, while the rematch at Death Before Dishonor was a 2/3 Falls Match. We didn’t know if we would get a third match, but when it was revealed that the trilogy would indeed be complete, and that it would also be a Dog Collar Match, the anticipation went through the roof. When the dust settled, what we got was arguably the best Dog Collar Match in the history of pro-wrestling, and the conclusion of one of the greatest trilogies in the history of pro-wrestling. It was a total bloodbath, with both teams leaving it all in the ring, both figuratively and literally. Jay Briscoe completely smashing the Muta Scale and Mark Briscoe taking that insane bump onto the pile of chairs on the floor are moments I will never forget. The match was capped off with The Briscoes, the greatest tag team in Ring Of Honor history, winning the ROH World Tag Team Titles for an unprecedented thirteenth time. A violent spectacle that we’ll be talking about for a very long time.” -Sean Sedor

“A modern take on an 80’s bloodbath matches and also the occasional awesome Lucha brawl that still takes place today. These two teams deserve a ton of credit for what they did throughout the year and having a true in-ring rivalry through 3 matches despite all the red tape they had to cut through to be allowed to wrestle each other on tape. Thankfully it culminated in an unforgettable fight. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if this is the top pick for 2022 among the majority, as it was on Cagematch.” -Dylan Fox

“This match made a cold PPV into one to really look forward to, and boy, they delivered, this is one of the best matches in North America´s wrestling history and the best usage of the dog collar stipulation I’ve ever seen. A bloody masterpiece with painful looking landings into chairs. The Briscoes vs FTR is an early contender for the best feud of this new decade sharing spots with other tremendous pairings like Hangman vs Bryan, MJF vs Punk and Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay.” -Diego Garcia

“A perfect end to the trilogy, all three could have easily been MOTY.” -Jon Atkins

“A bloody, disgusting display of violence, anger and hatred through pro wrestling.” -Jesse Collings

“When the bell rang and the Briscoes were victorious, I knew not only that I watched the best dog collar match I had seen, but also one of my favorite tag team matches. It was raw, violent, brutal, and just incredibly great action all around. This match had the work to follow up one of the best matches of the year, and in my opinion was better than their first match due to the urgency and the amped up violence. The Briscoes lost on their first match due to them wrestling more than once that day, lost the second one since it was FTR’s specialty, but they won on where they excel at. Just pure amazing violence with spots you will never forget.” -Abraham Delgado

“Of all their incredible matches in 2022, this one felt a little outside of FTR’s wheelhouse. Harwood and Wheeler excel within the strict parameters of a tag team match; we love watching them put plans into action, strategising and bending the rules. This bout had no tags to make and no rules to be broken, but they and the Briscoes still put on a grisly masterpiece. Everything about it is foul – the violence, the language, the blood. Even the official ended up covered in the red stuff, surely the most memorable ref bump of the year. All in all, it’s not the prettiest or most thoughtful match of either team’s back catalogue, but it’s certainly one of the most distinctive.” -Jack G. King

“This match was a once in a life time experience for me as someone that doesn’t go to many live wrestling shows. The crowd was heavily for FTR so I decided to chant for The Briscoes but at the end of the day it didn’t matter, both teams went out there and put their lives on the line to have one of the greatest trilogies of all time.” -Manuel Rosales

“The finale in the excellent FTR vs. Briscoes trilogy. I had to place all 3 here as they were, by far, the best tag team matches I saw all year.” -Josiah MacDonald

“BLOOD + GUTS” -Liam Jones

“Is it recency bias? Nah, one of the wildest spectacles ever in the business. These dudes beat the tar out of each other from start to finish but it wasn’t just that. Creativity? Check. Nastiness? Check. Drama? Check. Anything you can think of this bad boy had it. I can watch these dudes wrestle forever.” -Markeem Graham

“There is no tag team that does everything perfect but FTR is damn close. They maximized a team like the Briscoes who has not really evolved or changed in recent years and this was a war!” -Jeff Schwartz

“FTR and The Briscoes engaged in three fantastic matches – with two feeling like absolute all-time classics. The third match in the trilogy was something that took each team to new heights and allowed FTR to truly thrive in a match that would have been right at home during the peak of Jim Crockett Promotions.

For almost 40 years, companies have chased moments that felt as visceral as Magnum TA gouging a broken piece of a table into Tully Blanchard’s face and on this night, they managed to go beyond just paying homage to their former manager – but surpassing him in a bloodbath that shocked all who saw it unfold. The Briscoes are no strangers to blood, but FTR isn’t really thought of as a free-bleeding team and here, they brought out their inner raging bull and unleashed hell on The Briscoes in a dramatic battle that saw The Briscoes get a much-needed win after losing two straight to FTR, but also saw the beginning of the downfall of FTR’s belt collector era that continued into 2023.” -Jeremy Peeples

“Look no further for a cathartic and violent pro wrestling match. The third in their series was always going to be a noteworthy affair, but the Dog Collar stipulation added even more fuel to the fire. It has to be one of the most brutal matches of the year. Impressively, not the best match between FTR and The Briscoes in 2022, but without a doubt one of the most vicious.” -Jamie Johnson

“Tag team wrestling in many promotions can be very hit and miss but when it hits it really hits and that was the case at this year’s Final Battle as the Briscoe Brothers took on FTR in a double dog collar match. This was the blow off match in the feud between these two teams and boy did it deliver in a big way. They started off with a feeling out process but that process didn’t last too long because this match was a total war. They went all out to give us the best match possible and the match definitely delivered on the hype it got. This match is not for the squeamish as there was a lot of blood in fact Mark Briscoe got busted open after getting hit in the face with the dog collar in the first minute of the match. This match had the live crowd in the palm of their hands from the opening bell and those of us who were watching at home were in awe of the match with each and every minute and each and every move. FTR and The Briscoes are both great tag teams in their own right and when you put the two together they make for amazing pro wrestling matches and that to me is what pro wrestling has always been about. Amazing chemistry, amazing matches, and emotion all of the emotion humanly possible for the fans, in five to ten years people will go back and look at the series of matches that FTR and The Briscoes had with each other and if they didn’t realize how great they were then they will with time. It’s one of those feuds and subsequent matches that make me proud to be a wrestling fan because matches like these are what pro wrestling is all about. I’m happy to say that I was able to see this match live as it happened because it was something special. Do yourself a favor and go watch this match RIGHT NOW!” -Nathan Neumann

“I had a tough time picking between this and the Supercard of Honor match as best match of the year. It’s very close, as this ended up being a bloody, brutal fight with a ton of great moments. Will probably have to put Supercard of Honor ahead, but not by much.” -Bryan Rose

“This is the kind of match that happens at the end of the year and makes you rip up your MOTY list and start again. This is also the kind of match that has you wincing in terror, while also hooting and hollering for more. It was an incredibly violent war to conclude one of the greatest wrestling trilogies ever, bring an end to FTR’s heralded 2022, and remind everyone that the Briscoes are still a top-tier tag team. It didn’t matter that the match was announced only a few days out. It didn’t matter that one of the teams isn’t even allowed on Turner television. As soon as we heard FTR vs. The Briscoes III in a double dog collar match, we knew these four guys would deliver a fitting finale, and they did. For all the bumps, bruises, and blood loss these guys put themselves through in this match, they deserve all the votes they get.” -Andrew Rich

“FTR had a lot of great matches this year, and I’ve got three of them in my top 10, but this one surpassed them all. The four-way blood had a lot to do with that. You just don’t see a lot of tag team dog collar matches. Usually reserved to settle singles feuds.” -Eric Krol

“After two previous five-star matches in 2022, these two teams set the gold standard when it came to dog collar matches. This was every bit as violent as you would have liked it to be along with mixing tremendous, violent spots while building off of the first two matches. This is arguably the best tag team trilogy of all-time .” -Tyler Forness

“Where the wheels start to come off for FTR as they attained greatness, but couldn’t sustain it forever and the final chapter in the story of the Briscoes being made homeless, and going on a voyage of wrestling discovery before finally being back where they belong and welcomed home with bloody violent arms. Truly a remarkable match for the effort and the story told as they tried to figure out how to top themselves for a third time.” -MR JAMES TRUEPENNY

“How do you take things to the next level after two highly praised tag matches? A double dog collar blowoff bloodbath of course. 2022 was the year of the blade in America, and we got perhaps the greatest sendoff to that theme in the final major show of the year as The Briscoes, FTR and even the referee were all donning the Crimson mask. Outside of Dax taking an eternity to wrap the chain around his forehead for a headbutt, this was a fantastic closing chapter to the feud of the year.” -Ed Mills

“The culmination of one of the greatest tag series of our generation, while being probably the best dog collar match in decades. Supreme perfection.” -Jacob Nelson

“Two matches with the same opponents cracking a top ten list is special by itself, but consider where Ring of Honor existed as an entity just a year ago, and it’s even more extraordinary. And ‘extraordinary’ is precisely the adjective I’d use to describe the tag team rivalry between FTR and the Briscoes in 2022, a rivalry that more than justified ROH’s return to live wrestling. Three must-see matches between these two teams played a significant role in Tony Khan-era ROH finding strong business from ticket sales and pay-per-view buys. ROH has a strong footing to stand on in 2023 thanks to a foundation that was poured by (and soaked in the blood of) Jay and Mark Briscoe, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. The best entry in that trilogy was this dog collar match at Final Battle. Fabulously brutal and violent, and loaded with plenty of appeal for fans of both the new and old school philosophies. Well before even the opening bell, the contrasting visuals of the Briscoes entering in their black dusters while Harwood and Wheeler were dressed in their white gear told you everything you needed to know: there’s a reckoning coming. These men are out for blood, and it’s not going to end until bodies and wills have been broken. What followed was exactly that, with the Briscoes and FTR emptying out everything in their respective playbooks, while improvising even more barbarism around the stipulation of the match. One of the most stunning examples of that barbarism is Cash Wheeler hanging Mark Briscoe with the chain, while Jay Briscoe sends Dax Harwood into that taut chain — friendly fire affecting both teams, but a sacrifice deemed necessary by both teams. That is truly victory at all costs. The extreme physical sacrifice by all four men was heightened by an electrified crowd and an excellent call by Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman, a commentary team that has become one of the most valuable assets for ROH. Put it all together, and it’s clear that Ring of Honor can not only survive but thrive in this new era.” -TDE

“The violence in this match is just mesmeric to watch. The intensity from the start tells you not to look away. There is no pause in it’s relentlessness with Dax and Mark the MVPs with an honourable mention for whoever decided that the chains should be longer because it helps discard the limitations that chain/strap match have to suffer. Maybe the best ref bump ever (Fire Pro homage?), strategy call backs to previous matches and a finish that felt rewarding for the viewer. Re-watching this, I again found myself repeatedly saying wow to myself. My MOTY” -Peter Edge

“When you say violence you have to think about the Dog Collar match between The Briscoes and FTR. These tewo teams fought all over the place, across the whole building and blood was spit in every corner of the squared circle. We had great kickouts, nearfalls, big moments and even referees bled like the four combatants. It was the perfect showing of a fight to death, a fight until the last man was standing and a perfect way to end one of the best feuds of the year.” -Christian Gascoigne

“A perfect end to a trilogy of tag team matches that will sit with me for a long time. The dog collar match was back in a big way this year and though I prefer the Punk/MJF match as a whole package, this may be the better homage to the violent legacy of the stip. As well as an awesome spectacle and a great match, it served as a symbolic crescendo to a rivalry of two teams metaphorically and now literally tied to one another.” -Dave Ryan

“An incredibly physical match that was a logical progression of the first two matches and was also unique. Ultimately put a capper on an all time 3 match series.” -Arturo Galletti

“The conclusion to the FTR/Briscoes trilogy is the bloodiest of the three, a true fight, a slobberknocker, a barnburner, a pier-sixer and every other tired cliché in the book. Mark Briscoe takes an all timer gnarly bump, Jay Briscoe bleeds like five buckets, Dax Harwood tries to wrap a chain around his bald head for what feels like two minutes and Cash Wheeler works like a madman to keep the whole thing together. In short, it’s awesome and a fitting end to the trilogy.” -Semi Salmikannas

“While this match did not reach the euphonic highs for me that the first encounter between FTR and the Briscoes did, this match left me with an altogether different feeling. Where the first match was a struggle for preeminence between these two teams, the third match was a brutal endurance contest. And after having watched, I felt a sort of exhaustion seeing the Briscoes earn their current reign as ROH Tag Team Champions. Over the course of three matches in 2022, FTR and the Briscoes felt like a blood-feud rivalry that had already spanned the ages. The Double Dog Collar Match was the logical conclusion to such antagonism, the sort that felt that it’s lasted years longer than it did in truth. The third match between FTR exchanged the tag-team prowess each team possessed from the first match, and instead pit them in a smash-mouth gladiator match. And when it was all said and done, we were witness to one of the most beautiful exhibitions of wrestling violence to be found in the modern era.” -Reuel Castillo

“I mean another crazy, brutal and good match between two of the top tag teams in the world.” -Filip Pejic

“FTR vs Briscoes is without a doubt the best trilogy of 2022. This match is personally my favorite because the stipulation was perfect for both teams as they are the most intense teams ever. It had a feeling of urgency, blood, sweat, crazy spots, violence everywhere. What is incredibly satisfying in wrestling to me is a perfect-timed dramatic and epic finish, which was the case here. I will never forget Cash trying to break the submission.” -Enzo FADELLI

“Old school and brutal, they didn’t let the gimmick lead the match, avoiding contrived spots and hokeyness. Instead it enhanced the match. This was pure NWA ’87. Both teams brought it and put their bodes on the line.” -Joe Towner

“It’s hard to believe they could possibly match the greatness of their first encounter, but in the eyes of many they exceeded it. I try to avoid including the same pairing more than once on my match of the year list, but I can’t deny this one.” -Matthew Carlins

“My personal favourite of the three Broscoe FTR matches. It helped being the big blow off match to finish the series and having call backs to all the prior, also incredible I might add, tag matches between these two. There is some fun split screen production that helps us keep an eye on all of the action at once and adds to the chaotic nature of this match. There’s doomsday devices and diving headbutts with chains, even the ref gets a chain shot to the face at one point busting him wide open! I’ve never seen a ref cut busted open before! Mark Briscoe takes a disgusting fall to ring side off the top onto a pile of chairs, and then Dax hits the piledriver on to a chair in the ring and goes for the cover like he did to win the prior match but Jay manages to kick out” this is great stuff! Add to this an almighty superplex to Dax onto a pile of chairs, and the fantastic cross face with the chain while Cash is trying his hardest to break it up to finish to top off a violent masterpiece of a match between these two great teams. Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman also do a tremendous job in this match selling the violence, putting over the action and helping to elevate it to another level.” -Steven

“I love tag team wrestling.” -Blake Murphy

“RIP Jay Briscoe” -Skeach101

“Brutal, but beautiful. Hardcore, but honorable. Devastating, but definitive. Rest in Peace, Jay Briscoe.” -Slyguy46

“It seems crazy to me that a match that was such a perfect ending to the feud between these two teams came together only a week or so before it happened. Such an old-school and potentially brutal stipulation could not have suited these two teams of tough southern ‘rasslers more and on the night they defied the potential limitations the dual chains imposed, crafting probably the best match of either team’s career. While the critical consensus focused a lot on Dax and Jay immediately afterwards, I adored the work of Cash & Mark. The pair utilised the chain to not only hit each other but drag each other around, yank each other neck first off heights and ultimately in the final moments restrict each other. The match of course now gains extra significance as the last match Jay Briscoe ever wrestled but even before that it was simply one of the best tag team matches of all time and easily one of the best matches this year.” -Sam Brown

“I loved this match because they didn’t try anything fancy – four guys just went out there and mauled each other. All four of them were out for blood and they (and by extension us) got tons of it. This is the defining rivalry of the year and FTR concludes their stellar 2022.” -George Atsaves/Chris Colgan

“2022 wasn’t just the year of The Briscoes/FTR feud, it was the year of the dog collar. In one of the few wrestling match types WWE hasn’t ruined, Tony Khan used it so effectively in 2022 especially in the final match between these two teams. This feud had so many things going against it. So much so, what we did get feels like a miracle. The higher ups at WBD refused to let The Briscoes be featured on tv. The weeks heading into Final Battle were…fine. Tony Khan was putting together a nice little ROH PPV. Then the Gunn Club pulled out dog collars of a Christmas-gift-like-structure and the show became must see. FTR and The Briscoes would put a definitive end to their feud and it no doubt sold extra tickets and PPV buys. The hype was so big and these 4 guys exceeded expectations. At first, I rated it around 4 stars. My co-host talked me into 4.5, but the final stretch from Dax felt so masturbatory (nothing new to FTR matches). After a re-watch, I absolutely loved it. Everyone played their parts perfectly and the final third of the match was excellent (despite Dax’s cringy heroic schtick). This incredible match made FTR tag team of the year, their set of matches the feud of the year, and added another feather in the cap of The Briscoes Hall of Fame case. It also made it close to impossible for anyone else to have a better dog collar match.” -Jake Halterman

“As I wrote in my review of this show for VOW, this match was exactly what they advertised. This wasn’t a game of human chess. There was no sign that any of these four men were thinking about their next move or setting up something for down the line. This was four rabid wolves ripping and tearing at each other. This was unbridled carnage and violence. It was beautiful barbarism. These were two of the best tag teams in the world, leaving every bit of themselves in that ring and leaving nothing to chance. They left every bit of themselves in that ring, which helped to make this one of the most iconic matches in Ring of Honor history, and the capper to one of the best rivalries in recent pro wrestling history.” -Suit Williams

“Two of the best tag teams in history delivering again.” -Kristen Ashly

“A great end to the trilogy that will be studied by young wrestlers for years to come. It was a bloodbath but not just for the sake of it. The double dog collar factor of pairing off Mark with Wheeler and Jay with Harwood for the whole match could have been limiting but it elevated the match instead.” -Dave Musgrave

“A violent and bloody war between two teams. Two teams with great chemistry. The trilogy between the Briscoes and FTR was a perfect example of perfect tag team wrestling. This is my top pick of best wrestling matches of 2022.” -Franky DeJesus

“Let this match live on in our memories forever more. We will never forget the impact that Jay had on wrestling, and how special a team the Briscoes are.” -Sarah Flannery

“One of the wildest brawls I’ve ever seen. RIP Jay Briscoe.” -Dean

“This match has a tragic poetry to it now, as Jay Briscoe’s last performance encapsulates his career. A beautiful display of skill, creativity, and violence all lead to capturing the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Titles, which he and his brother, Mark, have been synonymous with for two decades. Rest in peace, Jay Briscoe.” -Jeff Martin

“This is a match showered in highly justifaible superlatives. It’s been elevated into the pantheon of all-time great matches. A clash of four men driven by the common bond of the love of pro wrestling and taking it to such great heights. It’s the kind of stuff that makes watching this crazy sport worthwhile. Makes you thankful for wrestlers like these.” -Warren Hayes

“It was already the definitive match of the best in-ring feud of the year. Now it will be known as Jay Briscoe’s Final Battle. If there is one match that 2022 will be remembered for, this is it. Rest in peace, Jamin Pugh.” -Kevin Ely

“I’m not a fan of dog collar matches, but this is one of my favourite matches of all time. It had a pace that just never stopped. It was a fantastic intersection of high spots and story that had everyone cheering for whichever team they supported. Personally, I was all in of the Briscoes. The intensity of Mark and Jay was as similar as it was different, and their reality was highlighted perfectly by the nostalgic trappings of FTR. A wonderful, all-time match forever tinged with sadness.” -Neil David

“Thank you Jay” -Kentucky210 (Austin Hall)

“A perfect capper to an all-timer of a trilogy that brought heart, violence, hatred, respect, sacrifice and storytelling to a shattering crescendo.” -Chris

“I watched this masterpiece, very sadly, only after Jay’s passing. I had forgotten how sad his death was a few minutes in, absorbed by the violence and physicality, only for my brain to be shocked back to reality when Cash yelled “Fucking Murder Him!” and I thought “is this too soon for my emotions?” for a split second, only for my brain to auto coreect itself and say “No, Jay would have loved that moment. This is the kind of shit he wants to be remembered for.” This FTR/Briscoes feud only lasted 3 matches across one year, and I can barely think of a modern tag feud capable of knocking it from its perch at the top of the heap. What a way to be remembered, what a gift to leave with those who LOVE tag team wrestling.” -James “NuclearConvoy” Snelgrove

“With the advent of AEW, a lot of people in my life have become new or reborn wrestling fans. Whether through the company or through diving back into the weeds of wrestling internet talk, they’ve slowly started becoming familiar with the cast of strange, obscure characters I’ve been spending my free time with. Naturally, after the series with FTR garnered all that hype, they began asking me about the Briscoes. Then the car accident happened. Sharing a drink with one of those friends, he said he was bummed he never got around to familiarizing himself with the Briscoes. After all, he loves FTR, and if a team was having matches that good with FTR, he wanted to check them out. That night, he said, he was going to watch the Dog Collar Match. My first instinct was to say, “No, don’t start there.” I started thinking about all the years I’d spent watching Briscoes matches. The series where they unseated Aries and Strong, seeing them keep up with a prime Naruki Doi and Shingo in the UK, trading strikes with Takashi Sugiura in Japan, establishing Steenerico in the United States, generational feuds with the likes of the Motor City Machine Guns, Kings of Wrestling, and the Young Bucks. It went on and on. Then I thought about what it is in all those special matches that made you say, “We’re lucky we get to watch these guys.” And I realized it’s all here in the Dog Collar Match. The intensity, the spectacle, the violence, the chemistry that only siblings can share, and a world-class pair of opponents. It’s a joy to watch professional wrestling when it looks like this. It’s one of the best matches I’ve ever seen. “Yeah, you should definitely go watch that fuckin’ match,” I said.” -Jon Hernandez

“A brilliant, bloody spectacle that stands as the absolute pinnacle of tag team wrestling.” -Andrew Sinclair

“FTR and The Briscoes on this night produced beautiful violence. From bell to bell, this was all out violence I will never forget watching. From the referee spot to Dax using wrapping the chain around his head, hatred fueled this match and this is what a blow off match should be.” -Daniel Kuchler

“This was my feud of the year and I didn’t think anything could top seeing the second match live. But this one was just better. Where the second one was great enough to make me, a Briscoes fan for the better part of two decades want FTR to win, this was the brutal, cathartic victory of the Briscoes I really wanted.” -Mongo Underscore Ebooks

“Absolute Nutty. This was violent. And Bloody. And incredible. Probabbly would have been higher if he story resonated with me more. But I can’t deny these men had an incredible match.” -Christopher Duarte

“A wild and bloody war! Both teams fight right at the bell and waste no time trying to hurt each other. Fighting on the floor, stage and even crowd and throwing everything that isn’t nailed down at each other. Briscoes are the first to be able to mount any kind of double team offense before Dax is able to run Jay into a chair and Cash is able to pull Mark down by his chain. FTR takes over and beats the hell out of Dem Boys including hitting a Doomsday Device for a nice early near-fall. A blood soaked Jay starts swinging the chain around like a mad man to help the Briscoes take back over. Mark and Cash battle on the floor while Dax and Jay duke it out in the ring. All four men are covered in blood, even the referee gets caught in the crossfire and busted open! Mark is pulled off the top into a pile of chairs when going for a Doomsday Device! Jay Driller only gets 2 and so does a piledriver by Dax. A top rope piledriver is stopped and Jay superplexes both men onto a pile of chairs! Cash tries to get in the ring but Mark is holding the chain and preventing it! Jay starts to choke Dax out with the chain as the two partners reach for each other. Referee has to call it! Briscoes are the Tag Team Champions again after one of the most insane matches I have ever seen!” -Alexander Charles Kalil

“One of the greatest tag team matches of all time. One of the reasons 2022 will go down as one of the best years for in-ring action that I’ve ever witnessed. The fact that FTR and The Briscoes managed to top their first encounter is a credit to how amazing these two teams are. The Double Dog Collar match didn’t need weeks of build — after all it was named days before the show actually happened. All we needed was to know their history and that this was going to be a war. The blood, the moments, and the finish make this a match that people will be talking about for years. The struggle of Dax Harwood reaching for Cash Wheeler as he faded was the close this series needed. Pro wrestling as good as it gets.” -Scott Edwards

“It’s refreshing to see a critically acclaimed match from a US promotion that isn’t trying to win the Palme D’or. Instead, it’s focused on being a gritty, flat-out fight. The chains are attached and they brawl immediately. And along with it, the blood quickly followed as well. Punches with chains wrapped around the fist are plenty, whippings take place and tons of choking to boot. But all behind it was the visceral hatred and violence in not only their actions but body language from all four. The match had some clever spots that you’d expect as well. Cash threw Mark Briscoe to the outside from over the top to hang him and Dax tried to clothesline Jay on the chain that has now been straightened but Jay reverses and Dax takes the rough landing into the chains. Though there is a spot where Jay Briscoe pulls the ref in front of him to protect himself from an incoming chain shot, which spit the ref open. It was slightly gratuitous, I must say but the wrestling resumed quickly so there was no time to dwell on it. And thankfully, the finish didn’t come too soon after that, giving the match a nice compact feel to a hard hitting, tough match. Exactly as it should be. Comparing it to other chain matches, such as my personal favourite, Pitbulls vs Stevie Richards and Raven from ECW Gangster Paradise 1995, this is below it but out of the trilogy that these two have had, it’s the superior one of the lot.” -MC

Voices of Wrestling 2022 Match of the Year
(Full List)