The Best Matches I’ve Watched This Month (January 2024)
We are into 2024, and boy, does current news make me not want to watch current wrestling. There is very little of that here as I focussed on 1996 and the GWE project instead.
#25
Hayabusa vs TAKA Michinoku
FMW Scramble Survivor
November 16, 1996
About two thirds through this was a fine junior match, with Michinoku looking amazing, but the last third was spectacular, with Hayabusa coming to the moment. I also enjoyed TAKA being in FMW, so he added using a chair to his legwork section. It reminded me of Rey Jr. working ECW. The dives were spectacular throughout this.
Rating: 7.5/10
#24
TAKA Michinoku (c) vs Minoru Tanaka
“Independent World Junior Heavyweight Championship”
Battlarts Let’s enjoy BATTLARTS
October 30, 1996
I am not a big fan of shoot style, but they did a good job of mixing that up with junior style to keep me interested during the first half, which was a bit dull. The finishing and last stretch were really great and exciting, though! I bet most people would be higher on this than me.
Rating: 7.5/10
#23
Savio Vega vs Steve Austin
“Caribbean Strap Match”
WWF In Your House: Beware of Dog 2
May 28, 1996
It’s limited due to the touch the four corners rules of WWF strap matches, but this was vicious and violent with good psychology. It thankfully put the end to Austin with DiBiase as well.
Rating: 7.5/10
#22
Manami Toyota (c) vs Kyoko Inoue
“WWWA World Championship”
AJW Kokugikan Chojoden The Real Earnest
December 8, 1996
The first and final thirds of this match were really great, but the middle third was boring. However, this was the big Inoue title win, so it’s memorable.
Rating: 7.75/10
#21
Billie Starkz vs Maki Itoh
GCW Now and Forever
July 14, 2023
The cute-off that clearly cemented Starkz as a heel and Itoh as the babyface was a great use of fun and comedy; it added to the story. From there, both were great and had the crowd in the palm of their hands.
Rating: 7.75/10
#20
Genichiro Tenryu vs Yoji Anjo
WAR Revolution Anniversary
July 21, 1996
Anjo brings the shoot fight UWF style to Tenryu, who seems unimpressed, and weathers all the kicks, submissions, and comebacks with stiff lariats, straight punches, and power bombs. This low key rules.
Rating: 7.75/10
#19
Chris Jericho (c) vs Pitbull II vs Shane Douglas vs Too Cold Scorpio
“ECW World Television Championship”
ECW Heat Wave
July 13, 1996
Mostly built around the Douglas-Pitbull feud, and that part was wonderful, especially Douglas. However, a significant part of this was Scorpio out wrestling everyone and putting on a great performance.
Rating: 7.75/10
#18
Hayabusa & Masato Tanaka vs Mr. Pogo & Terry Funk
“No Ropes Barbed Wire Current Mine Explosion Double Hell Time Bomb Tornado Death Match”
FMW Fighting Creation: 7th Anniversary
May 5, 1996
Completely chaotic with barbed wire, explosion, fire, and Mr. Pogo. I’m not sure if I like watching Pogo or hate it, but his sickle weapon, which he uses to dig into people’s backs, is something else. I loved all the evasions of the weapons. That is how you work a deathmatch!
Rating: 8/10
#17
Megumi Kudo vs Shinobu Kandori
“Street Fight”
LLPW on January 5, 1997
A really good ECW-like street fight. Kandori wore a suit, so that’s a huge win. She was a badass in this, and Kudo did everything she could to survive as they fought all over the arena. The finish was brutal in the best way possible. I can’t wait for the finale of this trilogy now!
Rating: 8/10
#16
Kazushi Sakuraba vs Shinjiro Ohtani
“UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship”
NJPW Skydiving J
June 17, 1996
This is a hoot. Sakuraba tries to MMA Ohtani, who fights back with some vicious suplexes and kicks. It’s intense and nonstop action for eight minutes.
Rating: 8/10
#15
Super Delfin (c) vs TAKA Michinoku
“CMLL World Welterweight Championship”
NJPW Skydiving J
June 17, 1996
Young Taka is so fun to watch. He had this unbelievable balance and flying ability, but was so cocky and arrogant, every moment of watching him is a blast. The first third of this match is really good with TAKA hitting some incredible dives, the middle third is solid stuff, and the final third had a great finishing sequence. Although the final move was a little anticlimactic.
Rating: 8/10
#14
Aja Kong vs Kaoru Ito
Zenjo Perfection: Ota Ward Champion Legend
January 20, 1997
At one point, Kong beat up Ito and threw her into the concourse, then grabbed the barricade and stood waiting for her with it over her head to beat her down more with it. One of the best shot things in the history of wrestling. Ito did revenge and beat her up all over the arena, too. For a 30 minute draw, this felt like a wild and quick brawl, so I give this the highest recomendations.
Rating: 8.25/10
#13
The Gladiator & Terry Funk vs Hayabusa & Masato Tanaka
“Street Fight”
FMW Flashover
September 24, 1996
This is exactly what you want from this match. Hayabusa did flying. Tanaka and Awesome did their stuff, but not just against each other. Funk was wild. They brawled all over and used chairs and tables and it was a real blast.
Rating: 8.25/10
#12
Mizuki (c) vs Miya Yamashita
“Princess of Princess Championship”
TJPW Wrestle Princess 4
October 9, 2023
Yamashita is such a badass boss in these big title matches, and Mizuki plays her role of fighting champion really well. It was a great, intense title fight, though, that really shows Yamashita is the best ace wrestler around today.
Rating: 8.5/10
#11
Mistico vs Soberano Jr.
“2/3 Falls”
CMLL Super Viernes
September 1, 2023
A great main event all-tecnico match that saw Soberano Jr. play subtle heel, teasing the greatness that was later to come in the year. Mistico’s comebacks and babyface fire are unmatched in 2023, and the amazing spots the both of them pull off are unmatched as well. I’ve seen few matches with this many amazing spots that didn’t feel like a spotfest.
Rating: 8.75/10
#10
Atlantis y El Dandy y Lizmark y El Hijo del Santo vs Blue Panther y Dr. Wagner Jr. y El Felino y Negro Casas
“Torneo de Alto Rendimiento Torneo Cibernetico Match”
CMLL Homenaje A Salvador Lutteroth
March 22, 1996
All these absolute legends go in there and have a fast paced Survivor Series like match. Great matwork, great flying, great storytellingb and action. It’s like comfort food.
Rating: 8.75/10
#9
Shinjiro Ohtani (c) vs Ultimo Dragon (c)
“UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight & NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship vs IWGP Junior Heavyweight & WWF Light Heavyweight Championship, J-Crown Tournament Semi-Final Match”
NJPW G1 Climax
August 4, 1996
Ohtani is such a beast here, but luckily, Dragon is along for the ride as this hit some high levels. The start was really exciting, the middle was some fun matwork, but the real joy was the finishing stretches. All the hot moves were expertly timed, and the crowd was great. I could watch 1996 Ohtani all day long.
Rating: 9/10
#8
The Great Muta vs Jushin Liger
NJPW Super Grade Tag League VI
October 20, 1996
Another crazy brawl for Muta in 1996 and this one includes Liger missing Muta and stabbing a table with a lead pipe or something! Wild stuff. Bloody and chaotic with a fun Liger facepaint gimmick reveal. It was definitely memorable.
Rating: 9/10
#7
Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa, Masato Yakushiji, Super Delfin, & The Great Sasuke vs Dick Togo, MEN’S Teioh, Shiryu, Shoichi Funaki, & TAKA Michinoku
Michinoku Pro From Lucha no Kuni: Heartbreak
December 16, 1996
These Days is so ingrained in my head as the greatest Lucharesu match of all time that I was surprised when I saw this match listed as better on Cagematch. Upon watching it, I don’t know if it’s better, but if it’s not, it’s damn close. I’m not sure what words to say about a match like this. 23 minutes of both teams throwing everything at each other to try to win, with no spots that bugged me. The high spots were tremendous, and the Kainetain DX team ups were all great. I’d say maybe it’s below the These Days match just because Kainetain DX didn’t do as much posing and team-up jerk moves. Regardless, a ridiculously great match.
Rating: 9.25/10
#6
Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada vs Jun Akiyama & Mitsuharu Misawa
“Real World Tag League Final”
AJPW Real World Tag League
December 6, 1996
I have been down on prime AJPW for a few years now, so I was curious to rewatch this match since I rated it so highly the first time I saw it. Watching it, I think my AJPW issue is that the style that is so popular today that I don’t like is a continuation of this wrestling. That said, the last ten minutes were unreal, and there is nothing in wrestling like Taue unleashed, dropping people with choke slams everywhere! Akiyama did good in the Kobashi role of trying to save Misawa’s ass too. A great match, but still, it felt like a lot of too much for me.
Rating: 9.25/10
#5
El Samurai (c) vs Shinjiro Ohtani
“UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship”
NJPW New Year Special
January 21, 1996
The majority of this match is matwork and limp attacks, which normally would be a match that would kind of bore me, but this match blew me away. Ohtani’s attack on Samurai’s leg was amazing, including the vicious springboard dropkick into it. Near the end, when they hit their bigger moves and the near falls were tremendous, and the armwork by Samurai to get to the finish was perhaps the best moment of the match. A real classic.
Rating: 9.25/10
#4
Mayu Iwatani (c) vs Syuri
“IWGP Women’s Championship”
Stardome Gate
January 4, 2024
This was one of the most violent non-weapons matches I have ever seen and an instant classic. Fast-paced and incredibly hard-hitting from the beginning, and it only built better throughout toward an incredible finish of Iwatani coming off the top like she was doing a standing moonsault, only to hit a reverse hurracanrana for the win. It was filled with insane moves and some of the most vicious headbutts you’ll ever see, but it never felt like too much, and kick outs for kick outs state. In fact, the big near fall came when Syuri’s leg was on the rope. A must watch match!
Rating: 9.25/10
#3
Dick Togo (c) vs Jushin Liger
“MPW British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Championship”
NJPW Skydiving J
June 17, 1996
This was a match I hadn’t seen in well over a decade, and boy, did it live up to my memories. Togo came in as a total asshole trying to destroy Liger. However, Liger wasn’t up for that shit and was a giant asshole back. It’s vicious, and everything hits so violently. You have the famous catching Togo off a dive and power bombing on the floor spot which was followed by another power bomb! Immediately, Liger enters the ring to strut! More great violent action continues on until we get some great stuff down the finishing stretch, including a flying dropkick into the arm, which Togo was using to pull himself up, and a top rope brainbuster. Great match!
Rating: 9.25/10
#2
El Dandy vs Negro Casas vs El Hijo del Santo
“Triangle Cabellera contra Mascara”
CMLL Super Viernes
December 6, 1996
I had no recollection of this match, but it’s listed as a classic and, for some reason, an 8/10 on my spreadsheet. I am glad to admit I was really wrong, as this is the classic people say it is.
The first segment, where Casas and Dandy team up to pin Santo, so he has to put up his mask, was really great storytelling. Casas and Dandy then had a mighty fun singles match, leading to Casas winning and taunting everyone. That brings us to the bulk of the match, the Santo vs Dandy match, with everything on the line. It becomes a bloody, violent death match with great dives and huge drama from there, and it becomes the perfect hair vs mask match. The last few moments are as good as wrestling gets. Even if you don’t like the lucha style, this is one you will certainly love.
Rating: 9.5/10
#1
Genichiro Tenryu vs The Great Muta
WAR Osaka Crush Night!
October 11, 1996
I had never seen this before, and I feel really stupid because this match is unbelievable. From the beginning, Muta shoots two different mist colours! He gains his advantage by breaking a glass bottle and digging that into Tenryu’s head for a while! Outside the ring, he piledrivers him on a table and then hits him with some kind of tripod or something. That wasn’t even enough, inside the ring he pulls out something and digs that more into the cut! Tenryu’s hope spots after that were great, and the cut-offs by Muta were on that level, too. Also, I’m not much of a chop person, but they looked great here, probably due to the other violence making it fit in. To get back to the outside, Tenryu switches to straight punches that look sick as fuck! Tenryu throws some chairs and a table into the ring to up the madness! However, more mist from Muta stops the attack before Tenryu can get too far ahead and uses chairs and the table to continue the assault, including moonsaulting Tenryu through it! Instead of going for the win, Muta attacks Tenryu’s second to steal his white shirt to use Tenryu’s blood to write on it and then choke him out. Muta thinks he’s all that, so he goes for the moonsault, which Tenryu counters with a massive top rope powerbomb and an enzuigiri, and one more powerbomb, which is countered with Muta misting him! Muta weirdly goes under the ring and emerges to use the mist again, but Tenryu covers his mouth with an unreal counter! That leads to the ultimate finish, and this is up there with Dr. Wagner Jr vs LA Par-K as one of the most amazing, crazy brawls ever! I am blown away!
Rating: 9.75/10
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The Greatest Wrestlers of 2023
To put together my top 100 list of the greatest wrestlers ever, I am going through each year and putting together a list for that particular year. Previously, on the podcast “Maybe Not Taue,” I compiled a list for 1985, 1990, 1997, & 2021. You can listen to those here. 1983, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015, 2019, & 2022 are on the blog.
2023
A weird year, but lots of great wrestlers, just maybe not many elite ones. I put together a list that I am satisfied with, though!
The List
All of the below stats are from Cagematch. Yes, they are not perfect.
The recommended matches are not a definitive list. It’s a list of matches I have watched for this process, plus matches on my spreadsheet from before. Each wrestler probably had more matches I could recommend, but I limited it to keep this cleaner.
The matches listed are all 7/10 or higher; if they are bolded, they are 8/10 or higher.
Honourable Mentions
I had to have 10 honourable mentions this year because there were so many at the cusp that needed shootouts. Sadly, a lot of these hurt were hurt by injuries or just a lack of televised matches.
- CM Punk
- KAIRI
- Mariah May
- Mercedes Mone’
- Momo Watanabe
- Nanae Takahashi
- Roman Reigns
- Starlight Kid
- Suzu Suzuki
- VENY
#25
Unagi Sayaka
(Dark Unagi & Ichigo Sayaka)
Previous Ranking: unranked
Years Unranked: 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 101
Places Worked: Marvelous, GLEAT, ZERO1, Diana, SSPW, AJPW, GCW, JTO, West Coast Pro, Ganbare Pro, Sendai Girls, PWR, Sukeban, RCW, LLPW-X, COLOR’S, Kitsune, Prestige, & OSW
Title Won: Kitsune World Championship
Tournaments: Queen of Indies, SSPW Strong Style Women’s Tag Team Title Tournament w/ Dark Tiger, & ZERO1 Fire Festival
Sayaka has spent her time after leaving Stardom very well, traveling all over Japan and parts of America, and has become an even bigger star. She is always a highlight, and her star appeal makes every match feel important, even on the undercard of Marvelous.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Takumi Orha, Marvelous, May 3
- w/ Sareee vs KAIRI & Saori Anou, AJPW, September 8
- vs Masha Slamovich, GCW, October 10
#24
Miyu Yamashita
Previous Ranking: 2021 (14th) & 2022 (8th)
Years Unranked: 2015 & 2019
Matches: 91
Places Worked: TJPW, EVE, Prestige, SPARK Joshi, DREAMWAVE, LLL, DPW, CCW, ROH, Impact, MLW, DDT, OTT, Gatoh Move, Enjoy, SLA, Inspire, BLP, Ladies Night Out, Glory Pro, AIW, HOG, MAW, New Texas Pro, ROL, BCP, DEFY, West Coast Pro, REVOLVER, NJPW, NEW, & NOAH
Titles Won: TJPW Princess Tag Team Championship w/ Maki Itoh, CCW Network Championship, CCW Championship, SPARK Joshi World Championship, EVE Championship, & TJPW Princess of Princess Championship
Tournaments: TJPW Futari Wa Princess Max Heart Tournament w/ Maki Itoh (winner), TJPW Princess of The Decade, & TJPW Tokyo Princess Cup (winner)
One of the best aces in wrestling who always delivered when called upon. Her kicks and attitude help her stand out among many of the great Joshi wrestlers.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Maki Itoh vs Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki, TJPW, March 31
- vs Mizuki, TJPW, October 9
- w/ Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi, Shoko Nakajima, & Yuka Sakazaki vs Arisa Endo, Miu Watanabe, Moka Miyamoto, Suzume, & Yuki Arai, TJPW, December 1
#23
Bianca Belair
Previous Ranking: 2021 (9th) & 2022 (3rd)
Years Unranked: 2019
Matches: 64
Place Worked: WWE
Title Won: WWE Women’s Championship
We may have to start calling her Mr. WrestleMania, because she delivers every year. She was tremendous all year, but it felt like she didn’t have a long run of chances to prove she belonged in the upper half of the list.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Asuka, WWE, April 2
- vs IYO SKY, WWE, May 6
- vs Bayley, WWE, October 27
#22
Titan
Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 2010, 2015, 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 144
Places Worked: CMLL, NJPW, RevPro, & CWE
Tournaments: CMLL Torneo Incredible De Parejas w/ Dragon Rojo Jr., Campeon Universal Del CMLL, NJPW Best of the Super Junior 30 (finals), CMLL Torneo La Leyenda De Plata, NJPW Super Junior Tag League w/ BUSHI
He was always a really good luchador for me, putting together great matches when given the chance. He probably would have been ranked before if I had watched more Lucha.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Mistico, CMLL, June 16
- w/ Soberano Jr. vs Lince Dorada & Samuray del So, CMLL, September 16
- vs Mascara Dorada 2.0, CMLL, September 29 (#8 MOTY)
#21
Maki Itoh
Previous Ranking: 2021 (8th) & 2022 (17th)
Years Unranked: 2019
Matches: 83
Places Worked: TJPW, GCW, ROW, AEW, MLW, LLL, Hoodslam, DREAMWAVE, SPARK Joshi, DDT, NOAH, BLP, Mystery Wrestling, PWG, DEFY, Prestige, Smash, IWS, Pandemonium, & NEW
Title Won: TJPW Princess Tag Team Championships w/ Miyua Yamashita
Tournaments: TJPW Futari Wa Princess Max Heart Tournament w/ Miyu Yamashita (winners), TJPW Princess of The Decade, & TJPW Shinagawa Three Woman Festival w/ Haru Kazashiro and Runa Okubo
It was fun watching her take her unique style to America and become the star of GCW. Of course that didn’t stop her from being great in Japan as well. Her character is one of the best in the world today.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Miyu Yamashita vs Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki, TJPW, March 31
- vs Mizuki, TJPW, July 8
- vs Billie Starkz, GCW, July 14
#20
Jey Uso
Previous Ranking: 2022 (21st)
Years Unranked: 2010, 2015, 2019, & 2021
Matches: 73
Place Worked: WWE
Title Won: WWE Unified Tag Team Championships w/ Cody Rhodes
After a fantastic run with his brother and having to two ten matches of the year with him, he ventured into a very over singles act and even had a really good match with Seth Rollins.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Jimmy Uso vs Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn, WWE, April 1 (#9 MOTY)
- w/ Jimmy Uso vs Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa, WWE, July 1 (#5 MOTY)
- vs Seth Rollins, WWE, December 4
#19
IYO SKY
Previous Ranking: 2015 (7th) & 2019 (16th)
Years Unranked: 2010, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 85
Place Worked: WWE
Title Won: WWE Women’s Championship
Tournaments: WWE Royal Rumble
Io Shirai being given the title and having big matches finally enabled her to live up to her actual skill level.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Becky Lynch, WWE, March 27
- vs Bianca Belair, WWE, May 6
- vs Asuka, WWE, September 22
#18
Sareee
Previous Ranking: 2019 (11th)
Years Unranked: 2015, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 25
Places Worked: SEAdLINNNG, Sendai Girls, Sukeban, Land’s End, AJPW, Diana, SSPW, & Evolution
Title Won: SEAdLINNNG Beyond The Sea Championship
Sareee’s return to Joshi after doing nothing in NXT for years was one of the year’s highlights. She worked around the indies, ran her own shows, and was always the highlight! With a more full year next year, she should be higher.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Aja Kong vs Mika Iwata & Mio Momono, Hanak Kimura Memorial Produce, May 23
- vs Arisa Nakajima, SEAdLINNNG, August 25 (#6 MOTY)
- w/ Unagi Sayaka vs KAIRI & Saori Anou, AJPW, September 8
#17
AZM
Previous Ranking: 2021 (24th) & 2022 (11th)
Years Unranked: 2015 & 2019
Matches: 120
Places Worked: Stardom, GP MAX, & NJPW
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby I w/ Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita, Stardom Cinderella Tournament, & Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
AZM seemed to venture higher than the High Speed level this year and had some big matches. She just keeps getting better and better each year, and who knows how high she’ll be when she hits her peak.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Hazuki vs Mercedes Mone’, NJPW, April 8
- w/ Queen’s Quest vs Oedi Tai, Stardom, June 25 (#4 MOTY)
- vs Utami Hayashishita, Stardom, August 15
#16
Mayu Iwatani
Previous Ranking: 2015 (12th), 2019 (5th), 2021 (10th), & 2022 (5th)
Years Unranked: none
Matches: 109
Places Worked: Stardom & NJPW
Title Won: IWGP Women’s Championship
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby I w/ Hanan and Momo Kohgo, Stardom Cinderella Tournament, & Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
The legendary Iwatani is not slowing down anytime soon. Every big match feels like a huge spectacle, which she hopefully gets more of a chance to show off in 2024.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Mercedes Mone’, Stardom, April 23
- vs Utami Hayashishita, Stardom, August 13
- vs AZM, Stardom, October 1
#15
Orange Cassidy
Previous Ranking: 2019 (12th)
Years Unranked: 2004, 2010, 2015, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 63
Places Worked: AEW, NJPW, & Mystery Wrestling
Title Won: AEW International Championship
Tournaments: AEW Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament w/ Darby Allin
Nobody plays their character like Orange Cassidy, and they are one of the true highlights of AEW. Someone I can watch any match of, and it will make me happy.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Wheeler Yuta, AEW, February 22
- vs Jeff Jarrett, AEW, March 15
- vs Swerve Strickland, AEW, June 7
#14
Mina Shirakawa
Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 126
Places Worked: Stardom & GP MAX
Titles Won: Wonder of Stardom Championship & Goddesses of Stardom Championship w/ Mariah May
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby I w/ Mariah May and Xia Brookside, Stardom Cinderella Tournament, & Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
Near the end of 2022, Shirakawa started to really put it together, working the leg great and developing great match story telling skills. In early 2023, she continued that, and her Wonder of Stardom win was one of the best moments of the year. Sadly, she got injured and missed a bunch of time, which kept her outside the top ten.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Saya Kamitani, Stardom, April 23
- vs Natsupoi, Stardom, May 4
- vs Tam Nakano, May 27
#13
MIRAI
Previous Ranking: 2022 (19th)
Years Unranked: 2019 & 2021
Matches: 127
Place Worked: Stardom
Titles Won: Goddesses of Stardom Championship w/ Ami Sourei & Wonder of Stardom Championship
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby I w/ Ami Sourei and Syrui (finals), Stardom Cinderella Tournament (winner), & Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
She is slowly becoming one of my favourites and her Wonder of Stardom Championship run was really good. I love her lariats and the great arsenal she unleashes to try to end a match. She also has an undeniable charisma, which makes each of her matches have something extra.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Tam Nakano, Stardom, July 2
- vs Maika, Stardom, September 30
- vs Momo Watanabe, Stardom, October 9
#12
Bryan Danielson
Previous Ranking: 2004 (18th), 2010 (12th), 2019 (13th), & 2021 (18th)
Years Unranked: 2001, 2015, & 2022
Matches: 29
Places Worked: AEW, ROH, & NJPW
Tournaments: AEW Continental Classic
Some people will think this is crazy low for Danielson, but he is a guy who doesn’t really do it for me, even though I recognize he is really good. This place seems perfect for me.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Rush, AEW, February 8
- vs Ricky Starks, AEW, September 3
- vs Swerve Strickland, AEW, October 10
#11
Mio Momono
Previous Ranking: 2021 (19th)
Years Unranked: 2022
Matches: 66
Places Worked: Marvelous, Sendai Girls, West Coast Pro, SEAdLINNNG, Oz Academy, PWR, RCW, LLPW-X, DPW, Prestige, NOAH, Ganbare Pro, Ice Ribbon, & GPS
Title Won: AAAW Championship
Tournaments: Queen of Indies (finals)
The whole AAAW Championship run in Marvelous was absolutely great. She is one of the best underdog wrestlers in the world today!
Recommended Matches:
- vs Chihiro Hashimoto, Marvelous, March 15
- vs Chikayo Nagashima, Marvelous, May 3
- vs Mayumi Ozaki, Marvelous, August 7
#10
Mascara Dorada 2.0
(Panterita del Ring Jr.)
Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 2021 & 2022
Matches: 141
Places Worked: CMLL, RevPro, Lucha Libre Radioactiva, MLW, NEW, NJPW, ANLL, GALLI, IWC, & The Wolf King
Title Won: World Historic Welterweight Championship
Tournaments: CMLL Rey Del Aire VIP, Campeon Universal Del CMLL, CMLL Copa Jr. VIP, CMLL Copa Dinastia w/ Pantereitta del Ring, & Torneo La Leyenda De Plata (winner)
This is the most excited I’ve been about a young wrestler in maybe a decade. Dorada wrestles way beyound his years. Not only is his flying at another level, but his psychology is great, and everything he does makes sense. He does the little things so well for someone only a few years into their career.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Titan, CMLL, September 29 (#8 MOTY)
- w/ Mistico y Titan vs Angel de Oro y Niebla Roja y Templario, CMLL, October 6
- vs Rocky Romero, CMLL, December 15
#9
Maika
Previous Ranking: 2021 (22nd)
Years Unranked: 2019 & 2022
Matches: 130
Place Worked: Stardom
Title Won: World of Stardom Championship
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby I w/ Himeka and Lady C, Stardom Cinderella Tournament, & Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix (winner)
After a hot start of the year teaming and then helping to end her best friend Himeka’s career, Maika did kind of blend into the crowd until the 5STAR Grand Prix, where she really took off. Her run to the title was very satisfying.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Himeka vs Nanae Takahashi & Yuu, Stardom, February 4
- vs Himeka, Stardom, April 23
- vs Suzu Suzuki, Stardom, September 30
#8
Sami Zayn
Previous Ranking: 2010 (9th), 2022 (15th)
Years Unranked: 2004, 2015, 2019, & 2021
Matches: 94
Place Worked: WWE
Title Won: WWE Unified Tag Team Championships w/ Kevin Owens
If they decided to give Zayn the title, like they should have, this could have been an even better year. However, they moved him into a tag team for most of the year. That said, he fucking delivered there, and it was great to see him back as the great babyface he is.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Roman Reigns, WWE, February 18
- w/ Kevin Owens vs The Usos, WWE, April 1 (#9 MOTY)
- w/ Kevin Owens vs Damian Priest & Finn Balor, WWE, September 2
#7
Tam Nakano
Previous Ranking: 2019 (10th), 2021 (4th), & 2022 (7th)
Years Unranked: none
Matches: 98
Places Worked: Stardom & NJPW
Titles Won: World of Stardom Championship & Wonder of Stardom Championship
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby w/ Natsupoi and SAKI & Stardom Cinderella Tournament
It was shaping up to be a year where she could have been in the top spot, but she got injured and had to vacate the World of Stardom Championship and miss a lot of time. Still, the title win at the biggest show ever may be my favourite Stardom moment ever.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Waka Tsukiyama vs KAIRI & Nana Takahashi, Stardom, March 25
- vs Giulia, Stardom, April 23 (#1 MOTY)
- vs Natsupoi, Stardom, September 30
#6
Becky Lynch
Previous Ranking: 2015 (16th) & 2019 (3rd)
Years Unranked: 2021 & 2022
Matches: 69
Place Worked: WWE
Titles Won: WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship w/ Lita & NXT Women’s Championship
Tournament: WWE Royal Rumble
Lynch was called upon to have a different year this year, but she really excelled in it. From working with the part-timer legend Trish to working with NXT, she ruled and put on great performances weekly.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Trish Stratus, WWE, September 2 (#7 MOTY)
- vs Tiffany Stratton, NXT, September 30
- vs Lyra Valkyria, NXT, October 24
#5
Athena
Previous Ranking: 2015 (23rd)
Years Unranked: 2010, 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 55
Places Worked: ROH, AEW, MPX, REVOLVER, NJPW, & Prestige
Tournaments: AEW Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament
The ace of ROH had a great year dominating that company on their TV and occasional big events.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Willow Nightingale, ROH, February 25
- vs Kiera Hogan, ROH, June 17
- vs Mercedes Martinez, ROH, October 28
- vs Billie Starkz, ROH, December 15
#4
Giulia
Previous Ranking: 2021 (16th) & 2022 (1st)
Years Unranked: 2019
Matches: 127
Places Worked: Stardom & NJPW
Titles Won: Artist of Stardom Championship w/ Mai Sakurai and Thekla, & NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship
Tournament: Stardom Cinderella Tournament
In what looks like their final full year in Japan, Giulia started as World Champion but moved on to the NJPW title by the end of the year. They had some really high highs but always delivered even when they were pushed down the card.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Suzu Suzuki, Stardom, February 4
- vs Tam Nakano, Stardom, April 23 (#1 MOTY)
- vs Willow Nightingale, NJPW, July 5
- vs Megan Bayne, Stardom, December 29
#3
Swerve Strickland
Previous Ranking: unranked
Years Unranked: 2015, 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 40
Places Worked: AEW, DEFY, Jericho Cruise, HOG, NJPW, & AAA
Tournaments: AEW Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament w/ Keith Lee & AEW Continental Classic
The best heel in wrestling had some of the greatest matches of the year. Playing into that role allowed Swerve to have the breakout year they have deserved for a long time now. It’s great to see when such a talent finally gets the spotlight. Here’s hoping they win the title in 2024.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Nick Wayne, DEFY, April 8 (#10 MOTY)
- vs Orange Cassidy, AEW, June 7
- vs Bryan Danielson, AEW, October 10
- vs Adam Page, AEW, November 18 (#2 MOTY)
- vs Jay White, AEW, November 29
#2
Mistico
Previous Ranking: unranked
Years Unranked: 2004, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 165
Places Worked: CMLL & Producciones TC
Tournaments: CMLL Rey Del Aire VIP, CMLL Torneo Incredible De Parejas w/ Averno (winners), Campeon Universal Del CMLL, CMLL Copa Jr. VIP, CMLL Copa Dinastia w/ Dr. Karonte (winners), & CMLL
Torneo La Leyenda De Plata
Mistico in CMLL in the mid to late 2000s was one of the best wrestlers in the world. Then he went to WWE and was missed, and his return to Mexico, mostly in AAA, made him feel like a huge deal but never an elite worker. However, here in 2023, Mistico looks not only like the biggest star in the world but one of the best workers. His connection to the crowd is a huge aspect of it, but he is smart in timing his spots, hope spots, and comebacks. He gathers so much sympathy and support in the ring. Watching him weekly just feels special.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Titan, CMLL, June 16
- vs Soberano Jr., CMLL, September 1
- vs Virus, CMLL, September 29
- vs Templario, CMLL, October 13
- w/ Atlantis Jr. & Star Jr. vs Andrade el Idolo & Angelo de Oro & Soberano Jr., CMLL, December 15
#1
Gunther
Previous Ranking: 2019 (17th) & 2022 (2nd)
Years Unranked: 2010, 2015, & 2021
Matches: 96
Place Worked: WWE
Tournament: WWE Royal Rumble
The best Intercontinental Champion in WWE, which is saying a lot for this worker’s title. He delivered in big matches, he delivered in TV matches, in tags, and in every situation he was in. Having the elite matches he had with The Miz and Chad Gable in 2023 would almost be enough to give him the nod, but his consistent ability to get great performances each and every match was unmatched.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Drew McIntyre & Sheamus, WWE, April 2
- vs Chad Gable, WWE, August 21
- vs Chad Gable, WWE, September 4 (#3 MOTY)
- vs Bronson Reed, WWE, October 16
- vs The Miz, WWE, December 18
Coming Soon
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The Best Matches I’ve Watched This Month (December 2023)
2023 comes to a close and I could have a top 50 list for this month, because I watched so match backlog for the year. Enough so that my MOTY list is up, the post before this one in fact. My WOTY still needs some watching, so that will stretch into 2024!
#25
Akira Hokuto vs Meiko Satomura
GAEA Big Target
November 16, 1996
Obviously, this is not their 2001 classic, but it’s quite the gem. Satomura is still a rookie, but she gets in some great hope spots and fights so well from underneath. Hokuto resorted to a lot of cheap tactics but makes Satomura look great throughout.
Rating: 7.75/10
#24
Chie Koishikawa & Kaho Kobayashi vs Mei Suruga & Ryo Mizunami
DPW x Gatoh Move Tokyo Crossover
April 25, 2023
One of the most fun times and the most joy I have had watching wrestling all year, mostly thanks to Chie and Mei, but the others played their parts. Outside of the fun, this was an exciting tag match where everyone played up their characters to perfection.
Rating: 7.75/10
#23
Bryan Danielson vs Swerve Strickland
“AEW TNT Championship #1 Contendership Match”
AEW Dynamite “Title Tuesday”
October 10, 2023
After some fun technical exchanges early on, we moved into the match’s heat segment, where Swerve is the best. Danielson played his role perfectly, too. It was intense, and they both worked really hard, although the finish came off flat. The whole interference stops the heel winning, but then the heel almost wins anyways, only for the face to win thing never sits well with me. Regardless of that, it was a great match.
Rating: 8/10
#22
Aja Kong & Sareee vs Mika Iwata & Mio Momono
Hana Kimura Memorial Produce Pinx!
May 23, 2023
A fitting main event for the tribute to Hana Kimura. Kong was used so well, but the others all came to play. I could watch Sareee vs Momno forever! A great tag match.
Rating: 8/10
#21
Diamante & Mercedes Martinez vs Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale
“Texas Street Fight”
AEW Collision “Winter is Coming”
December 16, 2023
The annual women’s tag brawl always delivers, and I really enjoyed this one. It didn’t go for the giant spots of previous matches but had a more underlining intensity. The violent spots were great, and I enjoyed the ride I was on.
Rating: 8/10
#20
Hikaru Shida (c) vs VENY
“Regina Di WAVE Championship”
WAVE PHASE2 Reboot 4th ~ NAMI 1
October 1, 2023
It was the ideal current big title match. It had an amazing ending that was built up, the action was fast with great athletic moves, the hitting was hard, and the nearfalls were great and logical. I say current style, because it was not built on the babyface overcoming the heel or anything, but more the sporting type contest.
Rating: 8/10
#19
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs Damian Priest & Finn Balor
“WWE Unified Tag Team Championship Steel City Street Fight”
WWE Payback
September 2, 2023
This match makes me want to watch more WWE. On paper, in the past, this would be an unwatchable mess of sanitized pre-setup cartoony weapon spots where people were just going for a pop.
Instead, we got a bloody, wild, chaotic brawl where the weapons made sense, and the heels were real heels. Cheating and interference were so well placed, and the violence actually felt like violence. Add in a Pittsburgh Penguins tribute spot, and it’s a big recommendation from me.
Rating: 8.25/10
#18
Soberano Jr. vs Volador Jr.
“Best 2/3 Falls”
CMLL Super Viernes
November 10, 2023
The first match after Soberano’s rudo turn, and it was awesome. He made this cool entrance with a cool car arriving on the street, and then he excited in a bomber fur coat, woman, on the street and made his way inside. To make it even better, he came in the back and sneak attacked.
He kept all of his awesome flying but added a lot of really badass rudo antics. It was a great brawl all over, mixed in with the flying, and the finish of the low blow by Soberano to cement himself was awesome. Spectacular stuff!
Rating: 8.25/10
#17
Athena (c) vs Mercedes Martinez
“ROH Women’s World Championship”
ROH on HonorClub
October 28, 2023, aired November 2, 2023
It should be a crime that we have only had 21 Mercedes Martinez matches in 2023. One of the greatest ever is not getting to show it. That said, here is a 13-minute main event for a title that absolutely rules. These two blend so well together, as they are kind of similar in their stiffness and smarts.
Rating: 8.25/10
#16
Maika vs Suzu Suzuki
“World of Stardom Championship”
Stardom Dream Queendom
December 29, 2023
To crown the vacant champion, these two did their best to have a great match and delivered, although not to the highs of the last two year-end title matches by Stardom.
Rating: 8.25/10
#15
Chikayo Nagashima (c) vs Mio Momono
“AAAW Championship”
Marvelous 7th Anniversary
May 3, 2023
An absolutely tremendous title match with amazing drama and nearfalls whose main issue is its length. That said, the veteran Nagashima took it to Momono, and her fight back was amazing. The brawling throughout Kourakuen always makes me happy, too. The nearfalls were really some of the best of the year.
Rating: 8.25/10
#14
Athena (c) vs Billie Starkz
“ROH Women’s World Championship”
ROH Final Battle
December 15, 2023
I loved the storyline between these two, and the first 2/3 of the match were perfect and played into it so well. The bloody babyface work by Starkz was great, as well as Athena being such a badass jerk. After the referee bump, title belt moment, and big kickout, it started to go on too long for me, and a lot of that was unnecessary. Based on this, I would assume these two will have a huge grudge match blow-off in 2024, where Starkz wins. I’m all in on that, and hopefully, it can be closer to 20 minutes than the 28 minutes this one went.
Rating: 8.25/10
#13
Mizuki (c) vs Maki Ito
“Princess of Princess Championship”
TJPW Summer Sun Princess
July 8, 2023
This was a great main event with a tremendous story built in. Ito came in with confidence and the crowd on her side, but her manic attitude caused her to make mistakes. Her head was damaged, but she kept trying to use it as her main offense, which led to her demise. Mizuki, however, worked smart and kept to her calculated offense, and made no mistakes, allowing her to overcome.
Rating: 8.5/10
#12
MIRAI (c) vs Momo Watanabe
“Wonder of Stardom Championship”
Stardom Nagoya Golden Fight “Kinshachi Miracle”
October 9, 2023
They had a match earlier this year, which I wrote about here, but this one was a little better not being confined by the tournament format. Watanabe was as vicious as ever, and MIRAI’s selling makes it look so good. The attacks on the arm were well sold by MIRAI, who is becoming an excellent White Belt champion.
Rating: 8.5/10
#11
Athena (c) vs Willow Nightingale
“ROH Women’s World Championship”
ROH on HonorClub
February 25, 2023, aired March 9, 2023
Athena destroyed Willow’s arm throughout the match, which was sold superbly. Willow is a natural great babyface, and working underneath with the injury made this match. Her comeback was awesome, and her big chance near fall was well done. Athena was a beast taking her out.
Rating: 8.5/10
#10
AZM vs Mayu Iwatani
“AZM 10th Anniversary Match”
Stardom on October 1, 2023
The young AZM is already having her 10th anniversary match and that is wild. There could be no better opponent than Mayu Iwatani.
I love the earlier portions where AZM was so thirsty for a win she destroyed Mayu on the outside, which led to a double countdown. Thankfully, it restarted, and that worked here. It was a nice old-school Kouraken Hall feel as they brawled all over and even did the dive over the steps like vintage Stardom. The match was dramatic and intense and built to a great emotional finish. The post-match speeches put it over the top!
Rating: 8.5/10
#9
Giulia (c) vs Megan Bayne
“NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship”
Stardom Dream Queendom
December 29, 2023
An absolutely perfect David vs Goliath match with Bayne adding to her arsenal in this one with some great power moves. Giulia worked so great from an underdog rolling, giving it her all to overcome Goliath!
Rating: 8.5/10
#8
Mio Momono (c) vs Mayumi Ozaki
“AAAW Championship”
Marvelous on August 7, 2023
An amazing match with the veteran using her destructive, violent skills to bloody and beat the underdog champion. Momono fought so hard to overcome Ozaki, but Oz Acadmey has too much tactics and violence and she could not. Great and dramatic match!
Rating: 8.5/10
#7
Rocky Romero (c) vs Mascara Dorada 2.0
“World Historic Welterweight Championship”
CMLL Super Viernes
December 15, 2023
Romero was such a great rudo in this, ripping at the mask and just being a general dick. On the other hand, Dorada was a great babyface hitting crowd pleasing hope spots and great sympathy getting selling. The finishing stretch was one of the best of the year with unreal nearfalls.
Rating: 8.75/10
#6
Arisa Endo, Miu Watanabe, Moka Miyamoto, Suzume, & Yuki Arai vs Miya Yamashita, Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi, Shoko Nakajima, & Yuka Sakazaki
“Best 2/3 Falls”
TJPW 10th Anniversary Show “We are TJPW”
December 1, 2023
This is similar to the Stardom cage match from earlier this year, where it’s a great match on its own, but if you follow the company it’s even greater. The issue for me is I don’t follow TJPW, so I see that it’s filled with huge moments, but without the proper context, it doesn’t hit as hard. That said, it’s a great match filled with amazing moments, great action, and story and character elements.
Rating: 8.75/10
#5
Gunther (c) vs The Miz
“WWE Intercontinental Championship”
WWE Monday Night Raw
December 18, 2023
I thought their Survivor Series match was good, but this one is great. Early Miz was a good babyface, but the match really picked up when Gunther missed a chop and hit his hand on the ringpost. The rest of the match was Gunther trying to overcome that limitation, while Miz was amazing working underneath. They played off the previous match really well. The finish was one of my favourites of the year. Miz hits his finisher off the second rope, but as he goes for the cover, Gunther rolls to the floor. Miz blindly follows, gets caught, and then Gunther kills him for the win!
Rating: 9/10
#4
Takako Inoue (c) vs Mariko Yoshida
“IWA World Championship”
AJW Zenjo Brightest
October 6, 1996
Talk about a hidden gem?
A 23-minute match with 0 drag that flew by. It had some incredible brawling all over the arena, with Inoue being a beast using weapons and making Yoshida bleed. They even took the brawling into the ring as a guardrail was brought in, and Inoue suplexed Yoshida onto it. There was a tremendous comeback by Yoshida that led to a very dramatic finishing sequence. Some of the near falls, especially from Inoue’s flying knee to the back of Yoshida’s head, were nuts. Watch this!
Rating: 9/10
#3
Swerve Strickland (c) vs Nick Wayne
“DEFY World Championship”
DEFY The Realest
April 8, 2023
Read about it on my 2023 Match of the Year list.
Rating: 9/10
#2
Arisa Nakajima (c) vs Sareee
“SEAdLINNNG Beyond The Sea Championship”
SEAdLINNNG 8th Anniversary
August 25, 2023
Read about it on my 2023 Match of the Year list.
Rating: 9/10
#1
Adam Page vs Swerve Strickland
“Texas Death Match”
AEW Full Gear
November 18, 2023
Read about it on my 2023 Match of the Year list.
Rating: 9.25/10
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