August started with a blast as I blew through 1995 and caught up with the Stardom GP and then fell off as I had to study for a test, still I had to cut so much to get this list down to 25 matches. So many matches I rated from 7 to 7.75 that I could recommend, but didn’t make this cut!

#25
AZM vs MIRAI
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 5, 2023

AZM taking the high speed go for pinfalls style to the 5STAR is fun and MIRAI hitting back with that, but also using vicious lariats that kept hurting her injured arm even more was a good story.

Rating: 7.75/10

#24
Cactus Jack vs Terry Funk
ECW Hostile City Showdown
April 15, 1995

I loved the majority of this match. It was a weapons filled brawl throughout the arena, but the most natural and organic one ever. Every table, every weapon used had no set up, they were just there. The climax came when Cactus grabbed the arena garbage can and hit Terry with it, which had beer bottles in it. Terry picked up the bottles and broke one over Cactus’ head, and then used the other to carve him up. It fell apart after that as interference against both happened and then a lame botched DDT ends in, but up to that point it was perfect!

Rating: 7.75/10

#23
Giulia vs Saori Anou
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
July 23, 2023

These two tried to kill each other and had a vicious bloody brawl. A good change up for a tournament show and put over how important this tournament is.

Rating: 8/10

#22
Blue Panther, Fuerza Guerrera & Psicosis vs. El Hijo del Santo, Octagon & Rey Misterio Jr.
“2/3 Falls”
AAA Sin Limite
March 17, 1995, aired, April 23, 1995

A tremendous trios match all around in front of a hot crowd with each member pulling their weight. The rudos, especially Psicosis, were so great at being scummy and really elevated the tecnicos. Some of the spots in the final fall were so well executed and so breath taking. Tremendous match.

Rating: 8/10

#21
Giulia vs Mariah May
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
August 8, 2023

Mariah continues to break out in this tournament and here is the best match of her young career so far. The desire to win was huge from the start with lots of violent slaps and both using biting to get out of submission holds. Mariah threw everything at Giulia to win and it turns out Mariah has some of the best offense around. Her apron power bomb was already great, but this short-armed slap was so cool. Of course Giulia overcame to win, but awesome showing here.

Rating: 8/10

#20
Juventud Guerrera (c) vs Rey Misterio, Jr.
“WWA World Lightweight Championship 2/3 Falls”
AAA Sin Limite
April 21, 1995, aired May 21, 1995

This was an interesting lucha title match, as they forego the matwork and went straight to throwing bombs and dives. It had more of a puroresu influence, and these two delivered. Juventud has an impressive arsenol of throws and suplexes and both were tremendous flyers. It’s held back by a lame double count out finish off a dive that was not the most impressive dive in the match, but still a damn good match.

Rating: 8/10

#19
Cactus Jack & The Headhunters vs Leatherface, Shoji Nakamaki, & Terry Funk
“Barbed Wire Board & Barbed Wire Baseball Bat Bunkhouse Death Match”
Bridge Of Dreams ~ Dome Spring Full Bloom
April 2, 1995

One of the craziest matches in the history of the Tokyo Dome. Everyone is brawling around the whole ring area, bleeding, and using barbed wire boards and baseball bats. Funk and Cactus really go all out, and The Headhunters are damn impressive crushing fools. Dives all look sick, and at one point Leatherface hits all his opponents with the chainsaw making the bleed while sparks fly everywhere. They do fail at setting a board on fire, but it kind of adds to the mayhem.

Rating: 8/10

#18
Hazuki vs Mayu Iwatani
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
July 23, 2023

Two teammates went out there to prove who was better in the tournament and threw all caution to the wind to do so. This was a blast and so well paced, while mixing in the story of them as friends as well as the story of Mayu never being able to win on night 1 of the Grand Prix.

Rating: 8/10

#17
Mitsuharu Misawa (c) vs Kenta Kobashi
“Triple Crown Championship”
AJPW October Giant Series
October 25, 1995

The first big stage match for Kobashi and he started off like he was there to prove he belonged. The story was Kobashi was out to prove himself and Misawa, as the ace, just wanted to grind Kobashi down. Kobashi’s selling was tremendous in this and he had the crowd in the balm of his hand, but this match gets long in the tooth and Misawa’s comeback doesn’t seem to fit too well. Great first huge match in their series.

Rating: 8.25/10

#16
MIRAI vs Momo Watanabe
“5STAR Grand Prix: Blue Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
July 23, 2023

These two match up so well, as they are both hard-hitting with great impact moves, and MIRAI is a great underdog, and Watanabe is a tremendous heel. Momo really tries to pound MIRAI down in this one, and MIRAI was great at hope spots and comebacks. The finishing sequence was intense.

Rating: 8.25/10

#15
Mayu Iwatani (c) vs Utami Hayashishita
“IWGP Women’s Championship”
Stardom X Stardom
August 13, 2023

I loved the contrast of power and speed/technic that these two use against each other. The first part was good, with Utami trying to put her down, but the match really excels near the end with them going for the kill. The finisher was one of the best, if not the best of the year!

Rating: 8.5/10

#14
El Hijo del Santo vs Negro Casas
“NWA World Welterweight Title Tournament Final”
CMLL Super Viernes
December 1, 1995

A wrestling focussed match with dives, cheating, and everything taken out leaving two great athletes trying to the other pin or submit. I loved it for it’s grittnyess and focus.

Rating: 8.5/10

#13
Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs Ultimo Dragon
“Super J Cup Semi-Final”
WAR Super J Cup: 2nd Stage
December 13, 1995

This was a tremendous match that built from some feeling out technical work and ended with great nearfalls and some fo the most creative and cool counters I’ve seen. These two worked like everything was on the line, which it was to get into the final of the tournament.

Rating: 8.5/10

#12
Alex Wright vs Brian Pillman
WCW The Great American Bash
June 18, 1995

This started as a typical technical cruiserweight match, but built into something very special and shockingly great. The little things from Pillman were out of this world, especially the subtle heel moves. While Wright brought really crisp and unique European offense. It never stops being awesome and the finish even tops that. I’m still in awe it’s this good.

Rating: 8.5/10

#11
Headhunter A vs Headhunter B
“Barbed Wire Board Glass Window Death Match”
IWA Japan All I Need “A Chance For Me”
May 1, 1995

It’s two nearly four hundred pound twins hitting each other with glass, barbed-wire, and high flying moves. What else do you want from pro-wrestling? At one point a twin was sandwich between two barbed-irwe boards while the other moonsaulted on top of him. Wrestling is awesome!

Rating: 8.5/10

#10
Aja Kong vs Kyoko Inoue
AJW Monday Night Sensation
December 4, 1995

These two continue to have amazing chemistry and they both tried to take the other out! The near falls were some of the best ever down the stretch. Tremendous match!

Rating: 8.75/10

#9
Mitsuharu Misawa (c) vs Akira Taue
“Triple Crown Championship”
AJPW Summer Action Series II
September 10, 1995

After the initial onslaught from Misawa to begin, I loved Taue taking control and the middle third or so is of him destroying Misawa with amazing offense and determination. The match started to falter on the comeback and the bits of back and forth, but still a great showing again from these two.

Rating: 8.75/10

#8
Diesel (c) vs Bret Hart
“WWF World Championship”
WWF Royal Rumble
January 22, 1995

I haven’t watched this since my Bret Hart project, but it is as great as I remember. It’s shocking how great Diesel looks everytime he’s in the ring with Bret. He sells his leg getting destroyed so well and fights back shows his exhaustion so well. Bret is miraclous all match. It’s only really negatives are the interferences, re-starts, and the finish. The foreshadowing of the Survivor Series finish is so clever.

Rating: 8.75/10

#7
Suzu Suzuki vs Syuri
“5STAR Grand Prix: Red Stars”
Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
July 23, 2023

From the opening bell these two tried to destroy each other with all the vicious moves they could think of. Everything hit and hit hard. It was a beautiful 11 minute sprint showing these two have magical chemistry and just fits so perfectly into a tournament.

Rating: 9/10

#6
Megumi Kudo vs Shark Tsuchiya
“No Ropes Barbed Wire Death Match”
FMW Yamato-Nadeshiko II
December 22, 1995

This was a great version of a barbed wire match with two very memorable moments. One was the lengths Shark went through to get Kudo through the table that wouldn’t break. It was partially funny but got more violent the longer it lasted. The other was Shark using a legit sickle to attack Kudo, including swinging it at her and Kudo blocking it with a piece of a table like a shiled. The sickle got stuck in the table, like it was a movie. Unreal stuff. The dram, outside of that, was high through out and Kudo makes such a great babyface!

Rating: 9/10

#5
Dynamite Kansai (c) vs Manami Toyota
“WWWA World Championship”
AJW Monday Night Sensation
December 4, 1995

A really great start to the match which set the stage for the whole contest. These two contrast very well and they played up the unrelenting risk taking style of Toyota vs the unrelenting badass style of Kansai. A spot that I loved was Toyota getting whipped into the ropes and jumping up and springboarding back into sunset flip for a nearfall. Near the end the nearfalls got every more impressive leading to the crowd being super hot. Although the finish was kind of botched, still a great match!

Rating: 9/10

#4
Psicosis (c) vs El Hijo del Santo
“Mexican National Welterweight Championship 2/3 Falls”
AAA Sin Limite
May 3, 1995, aired May 28, 1995

A tremendous lucha title match with great technical wrestling to start and building to a dramatic match filled with breathtaking but dangerous moves. Especially one hit by Santo.

Rating: 9/10

#3
Raven & Stevie Richards (c) vs The Pit Bulls
“ECW World Tag Team Championship 2/3 Falls Double Dog Collar Match”
ECW Gangstas Paradise
September 16, 1995

This match is absolutely bonkers, but in the best way possible. It’s over booked more than almost any match ever, but it all works as a bunch of stories are all interwined. The spots are nuts and everyone is bloody, it may not make too much sense without context, but damn it’s awesome with it! Plus it ends in a Super Duper Bomb!

Rating: 9/10

#2
Keiji Muto vs Scott Norton
“IWGP Heavyweight Championship #1 Contendership”
NJPW Fighting Spirit
February 3, 1995

Although this started off a little slow, with Muto trying to keep grounded, it sure ended up delivering. After Norton got control, the match was a classic. The offense by Norton was just vicious! The hope spots were so well planned out, and the cut-offs by Norton were perfect. The crowd was rabid for Muto. He got in some nice nearfalls as the match built to the finish, with some that had me bite. The finish was so well done, with Norton just having enough of Muto, who wouldn’t go away, so he goes to the top. Must watch match.

Rating: 9.25/10

#1
“The Best Match I Watched in August 2023”
Goldberg (c) vs Diamond Dallas Page
“WCW World Championship”
WCW Halloween Havoc
October 25, 1998

I watched this again for the first time in a couple of years and it really hit home how special it is. It felt like a legit sporting contest that didn’t completely rely on wrestling troupes to create drama, but there was drama. The huge spots all hit so well and the Diamond Cutter false finish was amazing. This should had been on my Greatest Match Ever list.

Rating: 9.25/10

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