Top Ten Matches of the Year for 2010
I’m about ready to drop my top 25 wrestlers of the year 2010, so in prep for that here is my top 10 matches of that year.
2010 is a bit of an odd year for me in terms of viewing wrestling. I was still low post Benoit and it was before I started my spreadsheet which tracks matches. As I started with 2010, the amount of matches on that spreadsheet was very low. Therefore most of the matches on this list are very fresh. One more note is I didn’t watch every single match that took place in 2010, just focused on the wrestlers I thought could be great and the hyped matches that had any shot with me.
Honourable Mentions
Here are five more matches that could easily had made it to the bottom of my list, but just were kept off:
- Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker – “Streak vs Career”, WWE WrestleMania XXVI, March 28
- Colt Cabana & El Generico vs Kevin Steen & Steve Corino – “Chicago Street Fight”, ROH Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 2, April 24
- Kaori Yoneyama vs Tanny Mouse – NEO Summer Stampede, August 1
- Ayumi Kurihara vs Madison Eagles – SHIMMER Volume 34, September 11
- Claudio Castagnloi & Sara Del Rey vs Manami Toyota & Mike Quackenbush – Chikara Through Savage Progress Cuts The Jungle Law, September 19
Final Note
This list is based off of matches I have watched in the last few months and based off of my own personal biases. Take everything with all of the salt.
#10
Chris Hero vs Ikuto Hidaka
EVOLVE 2
March 13
This match is one I have always heard about, but never saw until recently. It was everything it was hyped to be, a great technical battle. I loved how Hero used his size to gain advantages, while Hidaka had to use his speed and smarts to get control. A very smart match.
#9
Emi Sakura & Kaori Yoneyama vs Kana & Syuri
SMASH.10
November 22
Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama at this time were one of the best tag teams ever, they just worked so well together. Their opponents were a team of bad asses. Kana, who is now Asuka in the WWE, and Syuri, who is now the top dog in Stardom. They brought their MMA killer instincts and kicks against the nonstop barrage of speed and bombs by Sakura and Yoneyama. A great exciting tag match.
#8
L.A. Park vs La Parka
“Name Rights Match”
AAA TripleMania XVIII
June 6
This is AAA’s version of Dude Love vs Steve Austin from Over The Edge ’98. Each La Parka has an authority in the corner to fulfill the story I don’t quite get. What I do understand is a bloody L.A. Park war and this was amazing here. The interference and story aspects seem to help the match out, including when Park destroys them.
#7
Command Bolshoi vs Nanae Takahashi
“JWP Openweight Title Match”
JWP Never Give Up!
June 13
This match is awesome and a well built main event match. That kept getting better and better as it went along with some outstanding nearfalls. I bit on many of them. I love seeing Bolshoi work the main event style for a change. The desperation on her trying to get the title was so great! Bolshoi really tried to strike her way to victory.
#6
Kana vs Meiko Satomura
Kana Pro, April 29
This is similar to the Hero and Hidaka match, but instead of based on submissions it’s based on strikes. A traditionally built match, but the expert level they do it turns this into a classic. It does leave you wanting more, which is great because they have a whole series of matches after this one.
#5
L.A. Park vs El Mesias
AAA Guerra de Titanes
December 5
This is one of the most brutal stadium brawls I have ever seen. This is doesn’t have the story parts from the other Park match on the list, so it’s a lot more serious and deadly. At one point Mesias attempts one of the most brutal topes ever. It’s bloody and brilliant.
#4
Chris Hero vs Big Van Walter
“Tournament Finals”
wXw 16 Carat Gold
March 7
Two heavyweights going toe to toe to win the tournament with a ruckus German crowd, what is not to love? After so many brutal strikes this match built to a great finish.
#3
Emi Sakura vs Meiko Satomura
Ice Ribbon Knights of Ice Ribbon
September 23
There is almost nothing written about this match online, but luckily I came across it in a YouTube search. It does start off slow with some early comedy, but soon Satomura scientifically picks Sakura apart with only a few hope spots built in. Until, Sakura makes an amazing comeback and throws everything she has at Meiko, until an amazing finish. A real sleeper of a great match.
#2
Akira Tozawa vs Chris Hero
“Tournament Quarter-Finals”
PWG The Battle of Los Angeles
September 5
I’m generally not a huge fan of the Dragon Gate style, nor the finishing spamming many kick outs type matches, but… this is one of the best versions of that match I have ever seen! Tozawa brought so much speed and amazing spots, while Hero kept up with him and grounded the whole affair. Almost the best match of the year.
#1
Emi Sakura vs Kaori Yoneyama
“JWP Openweight Title – Hair vs Hair Match”
JWP Revolution
September 19
The only match from 2010 that is making my top 100 greatest matches ever list.
This is everything I want from a big hair match in Mexcio, but done in Japan instead. After years of this great tag team, we get them at each other’s throats trying to destroy each other to win the title and keep their hair. The intensity early one was unreal. The finishing stretch was everything Hero vs Tozawa was, but only more so with better counters and higher emotions and stakes. An all time classic!
There you have it, my top 10 matches of 2010 at this very minute. Always subject to change as I find more.
What did you think of this list? Hit me up on twitter and let me know.
#GWE26
Tweet
Tune in next time for my top 25 wrestlers of 2010.
For the Greatest Wrestler Ever project we are building a loving and accepting discord community with many chats and discussions at all times. Plus weekly watch parties, including weekly going through all of joshi chronologically every Sunday.
Join now
How can you help?
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) young people. Donate, volunteer, or use their services.
Joshi Match Recommendations
I have a friend who likes to ask me wrestling questions from time to time. Today in my twitter DMs I received this:
What are your top 3-5 Joshi matches you’ve seen, and would you recommend to others?
I followed up by asking if they meant for hardcore or casual fans and they asked for both. With me being the great friend I am, instead of answering them in the DMs, I decided to write a little blog post. Something I haven’t done in, checks… four years!
Recommending Matches
This is always so complicated, because you can think about it in so many different ways. Do you want to talk about the best? Do you want to talk about your favourites? Can you project yourself into this person and think of something they will like? What route do you take?
That gets back to my question, who am I recommending the matches to? A casual fan and a hardcore fan are not looking for the same things. That is why I am splitting this into two lists, including one match that will be on both. We’ll save that match to the end.
4 Joshi Matches to Watch for Casual Fans
This list is not going to be the best matches ever! A casual fan is generally drawn to different things than the best match quality. The first music someone usually gets into is generally not Mozart or Pet Sounds. Below I will give four matches that are the Justin Beiber of Joshi, in my opinion.
Akira Hokuto vs Yasha Kurenai
(1993-06-11, AJW)
One of the most watched, if not the most watched, joshi matches on all of the YouTube (Over 4.9 million views). This is the PERFECT match to show a casual fan. Why? One, because it’s fucking awesome. Two, because it grabs your attention. Three, because it’s short enough.
You might need to explain the reputations of both of these wrestlers. Hokuto being The Dangerous Queen and Yasha Kurenai being a not well renown wrestler from a smaller promotion.
Yasha is super arrogant and attacks early, that is until Hokuto has had enough and just ENDS HER. It’s perfect and will draw in any casual fan.
AZM vs Starlight Kid
(High Speed Title, 2022-02-23, Stardom Cinderella Journey In Nagaoka)
In the 1990s the luchadores in World Championship Wrestling’s Cruiserweight division was a thrill for casual and hardcore fans alike. In modern wrestling the biggest equivalent is Stardom’s High Speed division. These two teenagers wrestle at speeds unthinkable to most fans, but not in a way that it’s speed for speed’s sake. It’s s smart match that will peak the interest of a casual fan and get them into today’s joshi.
Kana vs Syuri
(SMASH Diva Title, 2011-08-11, SMASH)
One way for a casual fan to get into another style is to show them a wrestler they already know. Kana, known as Asuka, has been a big star in the World Wrestling Entertainment for years. There are a lot of amazing Kana matches, but I feel picking the match where she faces the current top joshi wrestler, Syuri, is a smart choice. This match also feels more like an MMA fight than a wrestling match, which might help as a gateway match.
Akira Hokuto vs Meiko Satomura
(2001-04-29, GAEA Limit Break)
In my head I didn’t want to repeat wrestlers on these lists, but Akira Hokuto is the greatest wrestler ever, so she’s an easy exception to make. This also happens to be an all-time classic. Here, Meiko, the spunky up and comer takes on the legendary Dangerous Queen. Does Meiko have enough to put Hokuto away? It’s an easy story to get behind and the Rocky II finish rules every single time it is used.
4 Joshi Matches to Watch for Hardcore Fans
For hardcore wrestling fans that may not have seen any or much joshi, the recommendations are easier in one way and maybe harder in another. Joshi has a bit of a reputation, so maybe you want to give recommendations that are counter to that? The other option is my first choice that is the best of what they would expect.
Emi Sakura vs Kaori Yoneyama
(JWP Openweight Title Hair vs Hair, 2010-09-19, JWP Revolution)
Oh boy, let’s get right into it! Tag partners turned into enemies fighting for a title and to keep their hair. The intensity is off the page. It gets into counter intensive and bomb fest, but done really well. It’s from the “dead” era of joshi, so it’s not well known. That should be changed. Yes, Kaori Yoneyama is currently Fukigen Death in Stardom. The post match hair cutting is an emotional airfare, that joshi catches really well.
Kairi Hojo vs Meiko Satomura
(World of Stardom Title, 2015-06-14, Stardom Galaxy Stars)
A classic from earlier Stardom. I’ve recommended this match to so many, as it showcases how Hojo is one of the best babyfaces of all time. She fights to survive unlike almost any wrestler in history. She may be the champion going into this, but she is the huge underdog against the legend that is Meiko. When she does get her shots in, they really count. Let’s be honest though, this is Meiko’s match to win.
Crush Gals (Chigusa Nagayo & Lioness Asuka)
vs
Jumping Bomb Angels (Itsuko Yamazaki & Noriyo Tateno)
(WWWA Tag Team Titles 2/3 Falls, AJW, 1986-03-20)
I hope all hardcore fans have seen The Crush Gals, but more specifically Chigusa Nagayo. There is so many Chigusa matches you can pick. She is a greatest wrestler ever #1 candidate. I like this match, because it shows off how insanely over The Crush Gals were, even against another amazing babyface team in The Jumping Bomb Angels. It shows off the WWWA Tag Team Titles 2/3 format well with a strong first fall built around chain wrestling and submissions until an exciting finish. The second fall is awesome and what you would expect, and it ends with an all out excitement third fall!
Bull Nakano vs Devil Masami
(JWP, 1993-04-18)
People often talk about 6-4-94 as the classic among classics, but here we have a match that cut from the same ilk that you could argue is even better. This match really stands out in 1990s joshi, as it has a real build to escalation like the before mentioned 6-4-94 match, without the relentless pace of joshi. These two legends add so many small great little touches that help make this match get better and better after multiple viewings.
1 Joshi Match to Watch for Everyone
You could throw this match on either list, it’s that awesome.
Dump Matsumoto vs Yukari Omori
(1986-03-20, AJW)
If you haven’t seen this match stop! Pause this blog and watch it now.
Done? Okay, let’s continue.
This is the most visceral match in wrestling history. A truly unstoppable mythical monster versus a never give up fighter. It’s violent. It’s scary. At one point Dump slams a pair of scissors into Omori’s arm and just walks away.
Don’t watch this late at night, but watch it and show everyone you know! Then watch it again.
What did you think of this list? Hit me up on twitter and let me know.
#GWE26
Tweet
Of course, the greatest wrestling match of all time is Akira Hokuto vs Shinobu Kandori on 1993-04-02 on AJW All-Star Dream Slam, so maybe just watch that instead?
For the Greatest Wrestler Ever project we are building a loving and accepting discord community with many chats and discussions at all times. Plus weekly watch parties, including weekly going through all of joshi chronologically every Sunday.
Join now
How can you help?
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) young people. Donate, volunteer, or use their services.
Pro-Wrestling Super Blog 
Recent Comments