The wait is over. It is finally time to reveal the matches that finished in the Voices of Wrestling 2017 Match of the Year Top 10 and, of course, name the 2017 Match of the Year.

2017 Match of the Year Archives

Voices of Wrestling Match of the Year Archives

#10
AJ Styles vs John Cena
1/29
WWE
Total Votes: 23
First Place Votes: 1
Overall Points: 111
Average Points Per Vote: 5

“Having Cena tie the almost-certainly-inaccurate world title record held by Ric Flair was fitting given Cena’s resume over the last decade. Like Flair before him, Cena has an extensive list of tremendous rivalries against his contemporaries that outshines almost any other top star in WWE. His feud with Style has produced several classic matches with this match being my favorite. Styles had a lean year compared to 2016 with regard to great matches, but he started 2017 very well and made a nice comeback at the end of the year.” -Michael Levy

“Even though I prefer their SummerSlam 2016 match over this one but man this match was great. AJ Styles continues to be one of the best in ring performers ever and John Cena continues to deliver in big time matches. Styles may have given Cena his best matches of his entire career. Taking place at the Royal Rumble, Cena and Styles set the bar high early in the year 2017. The two delivered the best WWE main roster match of the year. My only complaint is that I would’ve loved to have a different result at the end.” -Luis Perez

“John Cena sabe dar buenos combate cuando tiene un rival que le exija y sin duda esto fue lo que sucedió en este duelo.” -Apolo Valdés

“I think that Cena won his 16th world title victory somewhat overshadows how good this match was. Also hurting it was that it happened at the Royal Rumble, which is largely remembered for the match that carries the show’s namesake. Despite that, this was still one of my favorite matches from 2017.” – Vaughn Johnson

“In what was a very bad in ring year for main roster WWE, this is really the only match I even considered for my list. The match is basically one long closing stretch and depends big time on near falls, but it was dramatic, entertaining, and leagues better then every other WWE title match this year (reminder that the WWE title is the one Jinder, Bray and Orton had this year).” -Matt “Swarley” Johnsen

“This is the only WWE match that managed to make it into my top ten, I’ll be the first to say that WWE has really fallen off of the radar for me this year and truth be told I probably haven’t seen a full episode of RAW this year. However my distaste for WWE aside this I couldn’t pass up putting this match on my list. AJ Styles goes into the second biggest WWE show of the year as the WWE Champion and John Cena goes into the match as the challenger and the one who is chasing reign number sixteen all the makings of a great match. This match delivered upon the hype, they had their first encounter at Money In The Bank 2015 and while that match was excellent this match was somehow better and meant more in the long run. John Cena would go on to win but AJ Styles put up one hell of a an effort trying to defend his championship but at the end of the day Cena would retain and claim his sixteenth World title tying the what was once considered an untouchable feat by the legendary Nature Boy Ric Flair.” -Nathan Neumann

“What is there to say about Cena vs. Styles that hasn’t already been said? These two distinctly different wrestlers have phenomenal chemistry (no pun intended). There’s few things better than seeing two all-time greats not only put on great matches, but genuinely enjoy working together. Case and point: I had the pleasure of seeing Cena vs. Styles in a 40 minute classic in Summer 2016 – on an MSG house show – not PPV or TV. Cena’s record-tying (sort of) 16th World Title reign may not have been all that memorable, as it lasted only two weeks, but the match he needed to capture the gold sure as hell was. Following what surely would have been an inconceivable title run years ago, Styles proved yet again why he belongs in the conversation amongst the all-time great wrestlers. That Cena guy isn’t so bad either.” -Fred Richani

“I really enjoyed their matches with each other in 2016, but for the biggest Royal Rumble in history at the Alamodome they stepped it up a gear to put on the best main roster match of the year. How WWE go from this being the standard of their WWE title matches to Jinder Mahal as WWE Champion within the space of four months is astonishing. Both men went all out in an action packed 25 minute bout full of counters and reversals and nearfalls and every move in their respected arsenals. I loved Cena not wanting to take any chances at the finish after AJ survived the Super AA when he rolled and scooped up AJ for consecutive AAs; it showed Cena recognised he was in the ring with someone special and that he needs to go above and beyond to make sure he’s finally got his opponent down for the 3 count. It also put an exclamation mark on his historic, Flair record equaling night. I don’t think it’s crazy to suggest AJ is one of Cena’s best ever opponents on the strength of their 3 pay-per-view matches together.” -Ed Mills

“AJ Styles had a big 2016, establishing himself as a key player in his new home, but this match saw him start 2017 with a legacy statement, in front of a large stadium crowd with the WWE’s top star of the past decade. While John Cena was going after his 16th world title win, equalling WWE’s version of Ric Flair’s record, Styles was out to prove that he was beyond a shadow of a doubt the top in-ring performer in the company, and the two men delivered in spades. Some may complain the match relied on the usual WWE trope of big move kickouts, but they were well paced in this match and meant a lot to the drama, as Styles tried but failed to put Cena away, leading to “The Champ” claiming Number 16. In terms of the WWE main roster, few matches even got close to the magnitude and excellence of this one in what turned out to be a disappointing in-ring year for the company.” -Martin Bentley

“Any time these two men step into the ring against each other, it is must-see TV. Their match at the Royal Rumble was no different. John Cena always gets slept on going into matches like this and it sure feels like every single time he delivers. He kept up with AJ and the two of them put on an absolute classic. Getting this and the Okada/Omega match in the same month left us feeling like 2017 was going to blow our minds. Though it did, WWE didn’t really have much to do with that. This match, however, stands out not only amongst WWE matches, but across the industry as a whole. Two hall of famers out there giving it everything. It won’t be the hip, cool pick this year, but this match was fantastic.” -Jeremy Sexton

#9
Michael Elgin vs Tetsuya Naito
2/11
NJPW
Total Votes: 26
First Place Votes: 1
Overall Points: 138
Average Points Per Vote: 5

“In other years this might’ve been in top of anyone’s list but not only did this one came on the heels of the epic Okada-Omega match, but it had to endure tough competition throughout the year in order to stay relevant. During the first half of the match, Naito wisely worked on Elgin’s leg but that didn’t kept the big man down: this was a showcase of Michael Elgin’s strength as he countered move after move with surreal power maneuvers that kept the crowd in a state of amazement. During the last 5 minutes, both athletes gifted the crowd with powerbombs, forearm smashes, DDT’s and plenty of drama, highlighting Naito’s kickout of the Elgin Bomb. It seemed impossible for the crowd to cheer louder, but then Elgin decided to try a freakin’ Burning Hammer, that despite being unsuccessful, it put the crowd into a frenzy. Finally Naito used Destino to conclude one perfectly executed wrestling match and probably the best in Big Mike’s career.” -Ricardo Gallegos

“When people talk about Tetsuya Naito’s 2017, I’m sure a lot of people will bring up his awesome feud with Hiroshi Tanahashi, or his amazing performances in the G1 Climax. However, one of his best matches of the year came in February, when he defended his IWGP Intercontinental Title against Michael Elgin at The New Beginning In Osaka. I had a feeling that these two were going to have a great main event title bout, but this blew away my expectations. This was an absolutely phenomenal match that featured some awesome in-ring action, a strong story (in the form of Elgin’s selling), and an incredibly hot Osaka crowd, particularly in the final few minutes. Naito was awesome, as he always is in big-match situations, while Elgin had one of the best performances of his career. The drama throughout was off the charts, and these two absolutely delivered. All of the different elements worked perfectly, and it resulted in a truly memorable main event clash.” -Sean Sedor

“This was a spectacular effort from both guys, especially after the amazing match that took place before it; they had to deliver something special and did. The pacing, the overall work, the tremendous near falls and drama down the stretch were just so, so good that they had me biting on the near falls. The crowd was awesome, as they tried to will Elgin to victory. Speaking of Elgin this may have been the best I have ever seen him. It was a special performance; he lost nothing in defeat, and will likely be more over after this match” -Larry Csonka

“This was the long-form version of my favourite match of the previous year’s G1. From the fiery start, where Elgin would have none of Naito’s shit and ragdolled him all over the place, this was bomb after bomb after bomb. Elgin’s gameplan of “be incredibly strong” completely disrupted Naito’s preferred tactics of “be a total asshole instead of wrestling,” and sent the Intercontinental Champion was reeling in short order. Upon realizing that he was going to have to actually try, Naito attacked Elgin’s leg and set up the other narrative strand of the match. Like I said about last year’s G1 match, Elgin’s strength adds an incredibly compelling element of believability to his leg selling, as he can purposely mess up power moves without accidentally maiming somebody. Elgin’s initial comeback sparked bomb-throwing equivalent of a nuclear war, with Elgin escalating through a series of increasingly horrific powerbombs. Naito put on an excellent display of counter-wrestling, but couldn’t resist being a total asshole, and kept giving Elgin chances to win. One of the things that really stood out to me when I rewatched this match, was the transition Naito made throughout the year in his in-ring style. In this match, Naito is a complete ingobernable dickhole. Throughout the year, though, he showed more and more of the Stardust Genius – Naito pretending not to care was a front, and one which slowly eroded as he got closer and closer to the main event at the Tokyo Dome. It adds another interesting wrinkle to an already incredible bout that was full of character moments from both competitors.” -Jeff Martin

“Elgin was getting a rematch for the Intercontinental Title after losing it to Naito in September of 2016. Elgin was bigger, tougher, and stronger than Naito, but Naito was smart, taking advantage of Elgin’s eye injury that kept him on the shelf for a few months at the end of 2016. When it looked like Elgin was taking control of the match, Naito would attack his eye to regain momentum and fend off the big man. This was a fantastic match with a really dramatic finishing stretch. It might get a bit overlooked among st all the talk of “six-star matches” that happened before and after it, but it is definitely a must-watch for a pro wrestling fan.” -Geovanny Astorga

“The best performance I saw of either man in all of 2017. Excellently built, paced and with great psychology.” -Lawson Leong

“On the heels of putting away Tanahashi, Naito has another incredible defence against Elgin, yet another gaijin Naito has great chemistry with.” -Matt McEwen

“Lost in the shuffle back in February, Naito and Mr Problematic put on a phenomenal match that had the crowd dying for Elgin to win – in a match with Tetsuya Naito. The critique with Naito in this ‘ungovernable’ stage of his career is that sometimes he is just too slow, and that his heat segments are not all that interesting, but going after the knee of Elgin was sound logic, and it all built into a frantic crescendo of false finishes towards the end. Brilliant stuff.” -Mark Robinson

#8
Will Ospreay vs KUSHIDA
6/3
NJPW
Total Votes: 30
First Place Votes: 1
Overall Points: 170
Average Points Per Vote: 6

“Will Ospreay wanted to win BOSJ two years straight. He wanted to flip and dive and soar his way to victory. He wanted to FINALLY beat KUSHIDA after failing so many times. KUSHIDA answered with a punch to the neck. A phenomenal match that had me jumping out of my seat at times, mostly thanks to Mr. Ospreay’s Shooting Star Press on a rope-hung KUSHIDA and a Spike Reverse Hurricanrana on the apron that made me gasp. These two have perfect chemistry and this match proved it once again.” -Andrew Rich

“The finals for the 2017 Best of the Super Junior tournament saw Will Ospreay take on KUSHIDA. Once both of these men won their respective blocks, it appeared that they were both in “must win” situations. KUSHIDA was coming off two losses to the current Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Hiromu Takahashi (the most recent one happening in less than 2 minutes) and desperately needed to redeem himself. At the same time, Will Ospreay had developed a reputation as the guy that just can’t beat KUSHIDA, and this match was his chance to finally change that narrative. However, in the end, KUSHIDA once again kept that narrative going as he defeated Will Ospreay in one of the greatest Jr. Heavyweight matches in years. As Will Ospreay left the ring, the crowd gave him the standing ovation that he deserved, which prove he actually didn’t need to win the match after all. He became a bigger star in defeat and set him on a course of redemption later on in the year.” -Douglas Fowler

“The finals of the 2017 BOTSJ tournament saw to of the best Jr. heavyweights clash in a match that was northing short of spectacular. Ospreay was looking to become 2nd ever back-to-back winner. KUSHIDA was on a path of redemption trying to regain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship that he lost in January to Hiromu Takahashi. Winning the BOTSJ would guarantee him a match with Takahashi. In this match, Ospreay showed not only that he could fly, but also that he could wrestle. There were multiple times when these two wrestled to a stalemate which caused them to take to the air. With a combination of wrestling and high-risk moves, everything great about Jr. heavyweight matches was showcased here. KUSHIDA spent a good amount of time working on the arm of Ospreay to build up to the Hover Board Lock. Ospreay dished out plenty of damage to the neck of KUSHIDA with sick reverse ranas and kicks. What stated out as a match between two respected opponents turned into a fight with vicious strikes and stomps to each other’s face. Both KUSHIDA and Ospreay showed how important it was to get he win and be crowned the Best of the Super Juniors. With a super Back to the Future and a final regular one for good measure, KUSHIDA continued his path to redemption.” -Brian Kline

“This is the epicentre of the great Jr. Heavyweight matches we saw this year. Both Kushida and Ospreay had great matches with others but everything just went perfect here.” -Dave Musgrave

“This match almost made me cry. I stood in awe as the Japanese replay followed and again, was in awe of the magic these men had created. Ospreay is such a great babyface and one of the top 5 best in ring wrestlers in the world at the age of 24. An easy MOTY in other years, but being the best BOSJ match will have to do for now.” -Brady Childs

“Of all the matches in my provisional top 10, this was the one I thought would be most vulnerable to be cut, since I remember my intense enjoyment of it at the time being down to the sheer heart stopping drama of the near falls. Watching it again, well aware of who won, what would be left to appreciate? An exhausting combination of world class high flying, a big fight feel, and shocking spikes of pure nastiness, it turns out. Even on second viewing I was taken aback by the remorselessness of both KUSHIDA and Ospreay, the nasty, biting limb work, Ospreay dropping KUSHIDA on his head twice in a row with a Poison Rana on the apron and then a fantastic Essex Destroyer, KUSHIDA winning the match with a top rope Back to the Future… this match wasn’t exactly subtle, and was all the better for it. A fabulous display of cutting edge Jr. Heavyweight action with strong style sensibilities that left me feeling a bit overwhelmed, in the best possible sense.” -Jack Stevenson

“Best of the Super Juniors will most likely go down as one of the best tournaments of the 2010s. Featuring a who’s who of talent from around the world, it featured great bouts on almost every night. But all of those great bouts were overshadowed by the finals, a classic that continued a rivalry between two stars in the junior heavyweight division. Will Ospreay, finally trying to defeat KUSHIDA and reach the top of the junior heavyweight mountain. KUSHIDA, needing to win the tournament to get a shot at getting HIS title back. Like always, both men pulled out all of the stops to win. Like always, they put on one hell of a match.” -Taylor Maimbourg

“KUSHIDA is one of the best overall wrestlers in the world today. Will Ospreay isn’t too far off, but is one of the flashiest wrestlers you’ll ever see. Combine these two and you have an epic, incredible encounter to close out this past year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament. I have to give props to someone who can unleash a dragon rana and make it look that good — and it’s no real surprise that someone like Will Ospreay can pull it off.” -Bryan Rose

“I rated two matches five stars this year and either could’ve been my number one match. In the end, the underlying stories of each man in this match pushed it over the top. Kushida, coming off an embarrassing loss to Hiromu Takahashi in less than two minutes, was seeking redemption. Ospreay, possibly the most spectacular wrestler working today, wanted his second straight Best of Super Juniors win to push him over the top. The work, story and the setting added to making this the best match of 2017.” -Michael Levy

#7
WALTER vs Ilja Dragunov
3/12
wXw
Total Votes: 26
First Place Votes: 4
Overall Points: 211
Average Points Per Vote: 8

“The perfect ending for an incredible tournament. This year’s 16 Carat Gold had some great matches, but the final was on a whole other level. WALTER destroyed everyone on the tournament. Ilja had a more difficult path, trying to reach his first Carat final. WALTER tried to wear Ilja down with heavy strikes and great blows, but Ilja wasn’t going down without a fight. Dragunov refused to lose, but his body, more precisely his chest, was falling apart. In a great visual, Dragunov’s chest was on a critical level, bleeding and hurt. Dragunov survived everything that WALTER did, even the Gojira Clutch. WALTER resisted a Torpedo Moscow, but at the end Ilja connected another one to win. Absolutely fantastic match, with great narrative and two great performers giving their best. Brutality at its finest. One of the best matches ever seen in a european company and that will be remembered and studied for a long time.” -Gin Malkavar

“Brutality. Passion. Drama. WALTER had star turn in 2017, finally becoming a worldwide commodity and putting on storming performances across the globe. Yet, it was Dragunov’s star who’s shone brightest here. He withstood some of the most brutal chops I’ve ever witnessed, and responded in a way only he could. Peeling skin of his battered and bloodied chest, the Russian Dynamo fired back at WALTER with everything he had, leaving me in tears on my sofa screaming “TORRRPPEEEDDDOOO MOOSSSKAAAUUU”…” -Andrew Sinclair

“For a few minutes, these men made me believe. With a simple formula, an ecstatic crowd, and all the fire in the world from one young man, these two made me forget that I knew the outcome of the match already and made me simply believe.” -Brock Jahnke

“Take over 800 fans from around Europe, stick them in a building formerly used to generate electricity… and you end up crowd probably did a good job of generating electricity themselves that night! Helped by WALTER and Ilja Dragunov gleefully (at times) laying into each other, this was a match that didn’t need any smoke and mirrors to make you think it was a war – Ilja’s chest by the end told you everything you needed to know. A match that made Ilja in wXw, regardless of his current status with the company.” -Ian Hamilton

“This match is what I wish NJPW wrestling was. Two wrestlers just beating the shit out of each other. I may never get the disgusting image of Dragunov’s chest out of my mind. This was fighting spirit done perfectly.” -Steven Graham

“There are fair critiques and criticisms one could make of certain elements of this match. However in terms of delivering on what a crowd wants, executing an incredible story over the course of a tournament, creating a star via the strength of his own performance and the excellent performance of a veteran kingmaker, and maximizing the dramatic impact of a match through sheer violence, this was as good a match to come down the pike as any match this decade. Really a great underdog performance from Dragunov, primarily via his selling and willingness to let WALTER absolutely destroy him. Pretty much a perfect ending to a promotions biggest event of the year, which is something that many promotions failed to deliver in 2017.” -Dylan Hales

“Arguably the greatest match ever wrestled in Europe. The ultimate announcement that wXw can be major players on the international indie scene. A revival of the King’s Road style of match structure and storytelling. Dragunov defeating WALTER to win the 16 Carat Gold tournament meant a great deal, but most importantly, it was just a damn excellent wrestling match. Watching it on VOD in isolation is still good, but the real magic of this match came from witnessing it live, at the end of a tiring but amazing festival weekend of wrestling. New friends were made, memories embedded in the brain forever, karaoke songs belted out poorly, and at the end of it all, Dragunov had his chest ripped open by WALTER’s chops but remained invinceable through the pain. This match made fully grown man Arn Furious cry, it was that good. For us EuroGraps fans, this was seminal.” -Oliver Court

“A lot of the context for this match comes through watching the entire 16 Carat Gold tournament, where Ilja Dragunov goes through a murderer’s row of punishment, most notably with “Bad Bones” John Klinger in the semi finals earlier that day. It’s generous to say that Dragunov was at 50% when faced with the behemoth WALTER in the final, and “The Ring General” does not relent, brutalising Dragunov’s chest with chops, even peeling his skin off. Dragunov responds by rewriting the book on babyface determination and spirit, summoning up whatever courage he had to battle back and eventually topple WALTER to claim the tournament victory. What Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate did for the UK scene, these two did for the European scene, demonstrating to American fans that they need to look beyond the British Isles for the best wrestling in this continent.” -Martin Bentley

“HARD HITTING. That’s what this match was. The brutality in this match can’t be matched by any other. Those that were there in person say this is one of the greatest things they’ve ever seen live and well I believe them. Something everyone should seek out and watch if they’re unfamiliar.” -Sarah Flannery

“WALTER has been getting hyped as the “top ten in the world,” and the 16 Carat Gold final he had with Ilja Dragunov was what I considered the best match he had all year. The whole story of Dragunov being Unbesiegbar (invincible/unconquerable) and getting chopped and choked to hell was incredible as WALTER really lit into him. WALTER’s chops are really something special, and this match really was the best example of how a chop based offense can work in 2017 as he literally busted Dragunov’s chest open to a point where it was disturbing. I kind of discovered something about my wrestling tastes this year while doing this lists. A lot of matches that my colleagues and friends like didn’t connect with me. They are sure technically good, and are achievements in wrestling. Give me a good match of folks beating each other up, or going real fast, or doing real reckless things to their body, that’s what I call a good time. This match had all three. It ruled. And it ushered in the year of WALTER” -Mike Spears

“I have been to 16 Carat Gold seven times and I don’t think I have witnessed anything quite like this match. After three days of wrestling with many, many good to great matches and little to no sleep you’re completely exhausted. And then Dragunov vs. WALTER happened. An absolute WAR between to of the very best wrestlers in Europe with a rabbid crowd that ate up every single move they both did.” -Florian Schreiber

“This may well be the greatest match I’ve ever seen in person. Ilja is a fabulous relentless babyface, and WALTER is the perfect terrifying monster to put in front of him. This brutal and punishing match was the perfect final to cap off a very well booked tournament weekend.” -Dave Ryan

#6
Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada
8/12
NJPW
Total Votes: 38
First Place Votes: 2
Overall Points: 256
Average Points Per Vote: 7

“A very different match to the first two. This time, Omega believes he is the better man after taking Okada to a draw at Dominion. In a way, this isn’t really about who wins the G1 Block B, but the same story that has defined this stellar feud – who is the better man? Okada is battered and bruised following his shock defeat to EVIL and his punishing encounter with Suzuki in the previous matches. He’s not at 100%, and Kenny knows this. Kenny also knows that he only has 30 minutes to get the job done here, and what follows is an absolute sprint of a match, like watching two sports cars tearing down the freeway towards a brick wall. Kenny ultimately wins the match, proving to himself that he is the best bout machine, IWGP title or not.” -Joel Abraham

“I don’t always remember spots in great matches, but I always remember how they made me feel. Okada vs. Omega III gave me the same adrenaline rush and excitement I can only equate to my previous all-time favorite match, Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25. The climax of the Okada vs. Omega feud (no pun intended) delivered in every conceivable way. The first match was about Omega proving he was in Okada’s league. The second match was obviously about the IWGP Title, but also Okada’s inability to put Okada away. The third and final match (for now) was non-title, but still had so much at stake – pride and the right for the victor to call themself the best in the world. The rapid fire pace of this match compared to the previous two classics told a tremendous story. Could Okada put away Omega within the time limit? Could Omega finally defeat Okada? And could Omega do it with his One Winged Angle finisher that Okada successfully avoided up to that point? While I would have preferred for Omega to capture the IWPG Title at some point in 2017, I felt that his third match with Okada was a great ending to perhaps the greatest trilogy in the history of modern pro wrestling.” -Fred Richani

“Omega finally getting the win over Okada here was something special, though I wasn’t a fan of the compressed timeframe in which it happened. This match was near perfect for me, though.” -Jeremy Botter

“These two put together the best match of their series by working a simple but effective formula. It was still a nutty Fire Pro Omega match but they managed to work in the spots without being too self-indulgent and it followed the thread of Okada’s injured neck and Omega just blasting it with his high-impact offense. Omega as the movez aggressor works so much more than him cartoonishly selling a limb, whereas Okada, who has historically been spotty in his selling, has improved a lot since the Shibata match and his performance here really sold this match for me. The real turning point was the reverse frankensteiner on the floor, which Okada sold beautifully and it injected some drama into the final half with Omega cranking up the aggression on Okada’s neck. One of the best parts of the match was Omega repeatedly kneeing Okada in the head with a distraught Gedo on the outside, covering his head. The crowd was buying the nearfalls and of course, both guys were bumping like crazy. I mean, that uranage/side suplex counter to the Rainmaker was awesomely brutal. Obviously, they were going to ramp it up for the finishing stretch and when Omega hit the double arm piledriver for a nearfall, I thought this was going to either draw or venture into an endless waltz of counters and nearfalls…but it had me guessing and the hot atmosphere of Sumo Hall made it feel important. Omega still isn’t my favorite dude in pro-wrestling but he thankfully kept the histrionics to a minimum and by telling a true and tried story rather than trying to impress the pants off of everyone, he wrestled his best match of the year. This was a top notch performance from Okada and yet another shining feather in his cap as he continues to have possibly the best year of his career thus far.” -Brennan Patrick

“The weakest of their trilogy, but an excellent match regardless, as they were extremely effective in condensing everything that made their previous bouts so buzz-worthy into the condensed 30-minute run-time. Kenny’s victory was absolutely the right choice and leaves New Japan with a huge money-making rubber match still on the table.” -Andy H. Murray

“It’s pretty tough to pick my favorite of the Okada vs Omega trilogy but the 25-minute format of this match plus its building off the two previous matches brings it out on top.” -Dave Musgrave

“They did it again, delivering an absolutely amazing match that was completely different than the previous two, with great drams and an excellent sense of urgency. Omega’s gameplan was perfect in attacking the neck of Okada, focusing on that weakness and it was in that where Okada fell as the toll of his great 2017 performances really caught up with him here. You could see him breaking down as we got deeper into the tournament, the loss to EVIL (where he “injured the neck”) and then the brutal draw with Suzuki. He was ripe for the pickings, and Omega’s tremendous focus and the fact that the pacing was so amped up was just too much for Okada to overcome this time around. It was a great story, laid out since January, and paid off in what I feel was the best match of the tournament so far with one last match to go. This also gets us to a rematch from last year, where Omega beat Naito, so we’re coming full circle, as Naito looks to complete his redemption story. I love the wrestling.” -Larry Csonka

“This was a 25 minute closing stretch. A sprint where every moment, I was sitting on the edge of my seat. Every minute I was jumping out of my couch. There wasn’t a second about this match that seemed like it didn’t matter. Not a thing about it that I would change. It was PERFECT in every possible way . From Omega’s sublime work on the neck, to Okada’s masterful selling, to the exhilarating near falls at the end which my neighbors may or may not have heard me react to and the final few minutes which left me gasping for air. And, of course, the payoff to the rivalry of Kenny finally hitting the OWA in the middle of the ring. Finally pinning his arch nemesis.” -Wrestling Guru

#5
Pete Dunne vs Tyler Bate
5/20
WWE NXT
Total Votes: 55
First Place Votes: 2
Overall Points: 344
Average Points Per Vote: 6

“Without question the best match (and one of the most heated) to take place during WWE programming last year featured two British non-regular performers under 5’10. Being in Chicago helps, of course, but to expect two kids under 25 to go out and put on such a masterful performance took sheer balls on the part of Uncle Paul.” -Mark Robinson

“If you thought their match from the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament was good, they delivered a match that was better, now in front of a larger crowd. Not only was the match better and the crowd bigger but the Chicago crowd was hot the entire match. This was not only NXT’s match of the year but WWE’s match of the year and one of the best matches in NXT history.” -Luis Perez

“This is how you get people over. This match was great because THEY DID THEIR OWN THING. WWE taught them nothing. They went out there and had a balls to the wall match that eviscerated the WWE developmental system, WWE’s way to telling people how to work, and WWE’s style in general. It’s a match that would never happen on WWE main roster television, because it would be the clearest demonstration of WWE’s plodding style no longer resonating with the public. ” -Bryan Rose

“This felt like the Michinoku Pro match at ECW Barely Legal in 1997 and the Dragon Gate 6 Man at ROH Supercard Of Honor in 2006. This decades version of a match where the participants go out in front of a new audience and just knock their socks off.” -Alan4L

“This was a war in which both combatants worked extremely hard and struck each other even harder. But in this blessed wrestling era, that isn’t particularly notable. The brilliance here is in the attention to little things. Dunne locks in an arm submission on Bate. Not content to lie there and hope it was enough to finish off Bate, Dunne unleashes a fist on Bate’s face. Though one of his arms was at great risk, Bate couldn’t just absorb strikes to his face. He used his free hand to give his best effort at blocking Dunne’s attacks. Perhaps that doesn’t read like much but it was a perfect example of Dunne and Bate’s refusal to just have a wrestling match. They had a fight. There wasn’t a moment to let up on offense or defense. Every second mattered. And that, in any era, is exceptional.” -Aaron Bentley

“The matches these two in the WWE during 2017 have all been incredible, with this one just edging out the other encounters. It’s actually almost unfair, as these two have Flair-Steamboat chemistry and when it’s all said and done, they could end up having as many matches together if they continue to do this well together. To WWE’s credit, instead of trying to get them to work a more “WWE” style, these two were allowed to go out and wrestle their match and it made it that much better.” -Rich Laconi

“While some of the NXT audience in attendance that night had an idea of who the UK guys were, Dunne and Bate had the crowd eating out of their hands by the time the match got going.” -Jamie O’Doherty

“This was a lean year for WWE. For the amount of talent under their umbrella, this was an embarrassingly lean year for the worldwide leader. But one of their best moves was their decision to branch out to the United Kingdom and scoop up the young talent making waves across the pond. This was a rematch of the final of the original UK tournament, and these two young men made their country proud on this night with a stellar mix of technical mastery and high intensity.” -Suit Williams

“An appreciative crowd amplifies the incredible action in what you know could be an early chapter in a story told over years to come. They dabble in pretty much every style and stitch it all together into something magical.” -David Dunn

“Talk about seizing the brass ring and taking the opportunity to showcase what you can do. The bully vs the young pretty boy, a true story of the high school bully, ugly as hell, wanting to steal the nice looking guy’s girlfriend and smother his face at the same time. And a fantastic ending with Bate meeting his doom with a missed tope right into Dunne’s elbow.” -Ludovic Leleu

“Chicago made this match special. From the opening bell they never stopped shouting; dueling chants and thunderous ovation accompanied every move, punch or kick that Dunne and Bate performed, pushing them to create a classic bout. The athletic display was on a superior level, both champion and challenger were able to create drama at every corner using one spectacular move after another as we witnessed flawless transitions, non-stop action, surprising counters and even some aerial moves. British wrestling at it’s finest.” -Ricardo Gallegos

“This match was something special. Of all the UK Championship tournament participants, it is Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne who have captured the attention of the NXT crowds the most. This was the match that told the American crowds what they were all about, and they were into it throughout. I genuinely don’t think Bate and Dunne can have a bad match against each other. They know each other, and their own roles, so well it just works. Honestly, I think this should probably have been higher on my list; on any other year, it may even have taken top spot.” -Amanda Why

#4
Kenny Omega vs Tetsuya Naito
8/13
NJPW
Total Votes: 52
First Place Votes: 6
Overall Points: 384
Average Points Per Vote: 7

“They had a lot to live up to after the match that they put on last year and they more than lived up to that match and delivered an al time classic and one of the very best G1 finals matches ever. (I’ll redo my list later). I thought that they worked an absolutely excellent match, with the focus of both men being on the neck and or back, which fits into both men’s finishers. They went long, but kept an amazingly brisk pace and also worked with the sense of urgency you want to see in a match situation like this. This isn’t just any other match, this is the G1 finals. This had great action, a molten crowd, amazing near falls and a great and dramatic build to the finish. They did an excellent job of making you believe that either man could win, which not only made for amazing crowd reactions, but also kept the energy at an extremely high level. I loved the focus on the neck, not only because it played into both men’s finishers, but also because over the years, big time NJPW matches have focused on legwork, so this made this one feel different and fresh, which isn’t always easy to do. This was top-notch work from both men and the perfect way match wise to close things out, and the right man won. I am thrilled that Naito won, although to be honest with you, I always imagined him main eventing the dome after challenging the briefcase winner and being the first guy to win it that way, but this was amazing. Finally, when you consider the grind of the tournament, this performance from both men is even more impressive. Omega is certainly really banged up and Naito has been working through a major shoulder injury. This was special not only due to the in ring, but due to the reaction Naito got for winning. I also now consider it the best G1 finals match of all time, and that was with a rewatch of previous great finals matches.” -Larry Csonka

“Although Omega vs. Okada received 6 stars from Meltzer, I think this is the better match of the year. Omega tried to get a second G1 Climax win in a row while Naito looked for a win so he can achieve his dream of headlining the Tokyo Dome. This match was the best match in the G1 Climax tournament that year, which is saying a lot because there were a ton of great matches. Amazing performances from both Kenny Omega and Tetsuya Naito.” -Luis Perez

“Maybe the most fun I’ve had watching a match all year. The pace of this was insane, the crowd was white hot and the match was chock full of thrills & drama that hooked me from start to finish.” -Billy Carpenter

“It speaks to what kind of year 2017 was that the greatest G1 Finals match of all time will likely be overlooked as Match of the Year. But my God, what a match. The key matches of 2017 were amazing for a particular reason: Shibata/Okada was violent and physical; Bate/Dunne was a technical showcase that the crowd ate up; Omega/Okada was a spectacle. But for me, Omega and Naito hit all these high notes to create a fabulous symphony. Just fucking spectacular stuff.” -Mark Robinson

“So first you have Okada vs. Omega as matches that you can count on to be great every single time but then there’s Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito which is the exact same way. This match was one year in the making; Kenny Omega would win the g1 climax in 2016 and go on to main event Wrestle Kingdom 11 while Naito would have to settle into a match with Tanahashi which isn’t a bad consolation prize. However one year later we would be treated to the exact same final that desperately needed a different outcome. It was the outcome we all wanted and got. Tetsuya Naito would go on to defeat Kenny Omega to avenge his loss from a year prior in the g1 finals in a match that everyone was praising after it was over. This wasn’t only Tetsuya Naito’s time it was his DESTINO!” -Nathan Neumann

“Last year, Naito and Omega had a modern classic that was as unexpected as it was great. This year, they had to follow it on an even greater stage with higher expectations. Their solution? Excess. They went balls to the wall and broke out tricks no one had ever seen before. Possibly botched piledrivers off of tables, DDTs of the top rope right onto turnbuckles and top rope hurricanranas were just a snippet of the spectacle here, and it all worked brilliantly. It didn’t necessarily have the organic feeling of their first match, but it played off of it brilliantly for a worth follow-up.” -Kevin Hare

“The almost perfect combination of great storytelling, off the charts athleticism and out of control chaos. Would’ve been the best match of any other year.” -Eric Mutter

“Back and to the right. Back. And to the right. Surely… they didn’t miss that table on purpose… did they? I replayed that table spot at least a dozen times. It was just one spot amongst many that made me cringe, yell, and cover my eyes. I’ve seen this match dinged because it felt too dangerous. As if such a thing were possible. This was wild, insane, reckless, and brilliant.” -Jeremy Sexton

“The fact that they pulled out something like this at the end of what has to be one of the greatest tournaments of all time is mind boggling to me, how was this even humanly possible? THAT table spot is was just absolutely insane. A match that is such an easy re-watch.” -Sarah Flannery

“I loved all the big Kenny Omega matches this year and refuse to apologize for it. The Okada matches were all top-notch for me but Omega vs Naito comes in on top because the stakes of it being the climax of the G1 Climax (see what I did there) brought a special level of emotion to it. I think the fact that when I reviewed the other three matches it was a re-viewing and then I watched this fresh could play into my vote but I really do prefer this over everything this year. It also had the benefit of building off the Okada matches as well as Omega vs Naito from 2016.” -Dave Musgrave

“In 2016, these two had an extraordinary encounter in the B Block Finals of the G1 Climax. It was voted the Match Of The Year in this very same poll a year ago and, in my opinion, it’s the single greatest wrestling match I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t wait to see a rematch, and it ended up occurring exactly one year later. This time, however, they were fighting in the Finals of the G1 Climax, with a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Title in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 12 on the line. It was going to be a tough task for these two to have a bout that equalled their first encounter, and while I think they fell just short, it was a still an incredible contest that I’m voting as my 2017 Match Of The Year. People always talk about the chemistry that exists in feuds like Okada/Tanahashi, Okada/Omega, and even Naito/Tanahashi, but the chemistry that exists between Naito and Omega is (dare I say) unparalleled. Their first singles encounter was nothing short of magical, and this rematch wasn’t far off. The back-and-forth action from start to finish was fantastic, the crowd was molten hot throughout, and there was never a dull moment. This featured so many incredible moments that still stick out in my mind, whether it be the piledriver off the table, the DDT into the ring post, the super hurricanrana off the top rope, and all of the other crazy moves in between. This was two of the best wrestlers in the entire world having an absolutely killer tournament final, and I loved every single second of it. These two are so great together that I truly hope (as unlikely as it might seem in the Era of Okada) that they main event the Tokyo Dome someday. This second match between Naito and Omega was a excellent sequel to their original encounter in 2016, and I cannot wait to see when (and where) their third meeting takes place.” -Sean Sedor

#3
Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
6/11
NJPW
Total Votes: 46
First Place Votes: 13
Overall Points: 413
Average Points Per Vote: 9

“A perfect wrestling match. Somehow, they took everything that made their WK bout so thrilling and improved upon it. The format was similar, but the call-backs, pacing, and escalation of drama were flawless. Kenny’s exhaustion sell on the Rainmaker goes down as 2017’s best spot, but the moment when he FINALLY hit Okada with the One Winged Angel, only to be foiled by a foot on the bottom rope, is just as memorable.” -Andy H. Murray

“I don’t think anything I could write could really put into words how incredible this match was. It truly is a masterpiece of storytelling, hard hitting and indeed an emotional rollercoaster. Times flies when you’re having fun and that’s exactly what happened when watching this. It didn’t even feel close to sixty minutes. THAT spot when Okada goes to hit the Rainmaker on Omega but Omega collapses out of sheer exhaustion is my absolute favourite spot of 2017. My favourite of the trilogy.” -Sarah Flannery

“Who would have thought that, in 2017, a 60-minute Broadway would be able to hold audience attention? And yet, this gargantuan match did just that. It told a tremendous story and elevated Omega to new heights as an international powerhouse of Pro-Wrestling. Okada’s part is certainly not to be under-appreciated either, as this match added another brilliant defense to his inevitably record-breaking title reign.” -James “NuclearConvoy” Snelgrove

“This may have not been the spectacle that the first match was. This may have had more guff than the 30 minute sprint at the G1. If you watched this knowing how it ended, I can understand how that would affect how you felt about this. But not only was Okada/Omega II my favorite of the three, it was my favorite match of the year. I remember watching this match the morning after, staying unspoiled. I remember as the time passed, I had to get ready for an all day shift at work. I got dressed, I washed my face, I brushed my teeth. Throughout that entire time, I never took my focus away from the match. It was compelling, it was drama-laden, and it never tipped its hand (at least in my view) that it would be a time-limit draw. Along with Don Callis laying down my favorite call of all time (“THAT GODDAMN DROPKICK”), I’m gonna remember this one for a long, long time.” -Suit Williams

“Omega STILL couldn’t beat Omega, but proved that maybe the champ couldn’t beat him again either.” -Matt McEwen

“Parece que estos luchadores cada que se encuentran hacen mejores cosas y sin duda este combate fue el mejor de la trilogía, superando las espectativas” -Apolo Valdés

“Put in a near unwinnable position after putting on arguably the highest praised match in the history of professional wrestling, Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega found a way to top it. Despite the fact that this match went an hour in length, it had a very real sense of urgency throughout most of it. Even knowing the ending, the ending to this match still holds up as one of the most exciting closing stretches of the entire year.” -Douglas Fowler

“An absolute masterclass in drama from bell to bell. The hour flew by – no rest spots, no filler, just an unbelievable pace that showed extraordinary athleticism. The last few minutes had me jumping out of my seat, I genuinely thought Kenny would win with all his BC guys ringside ready for the big celebration. The finish was perfect: Okada is still the better wrestler, but Kenny has improved and is ALMOST at his level now. Most people doubted they could top their WK11 match, but I believe that they did.” -Joel Abraham

“Probably the best hour draw ever. Like their Wrestle Kingdom contest, this had periods of dead air, but also once past the halfway point, the two men didn’t look back and got back to creating magic. The One Winged Angel rope break and Omega’s collapsing evasion of the Rainmaker were instant classic moments that had everyone on the edge of their seats. The last 15 minutes were heart-in-mouth and tested the endurance of the audience’s emotions as well as of the wrestlers themselves. And of course, the ending of Okada crawling towards Omega as time ran out was another ultra-important moment that displayed the first chink in the armour of Okada’s still-ongoing record-breaking title reign. Exhausting and amazing in equal measure.” -Oliver Court

“Imagine going for 60 minutes at a pace you’d expect from a 15 minute Shibata G1 match. Yeah so this was pretty good. Not quite as good as their Wrestle Kingdom effort but to be fair that’s a pretty high standard. It’s still one of the best matches ever and is almost certainly the best 60 minute draw ever. I had no idea they were even going 60 until the final minutes which is a testament to the pace they were working and their ability to draw me into a match.” -Josh Robinson

“I’ve to say that I’m not a fan of 40+ minute matches but while watching this, I lost all notion of time: I was absolutely glued to my screen, lost in the story these men were telling me. When I heard the 5-minute warning from the announcer, it finally hit me: these guys have been wrestling a classic for almost one hour. I had been deep inside the drama, watching Omega struggling to get up, Cody trying to stop the match and Okada barely surviving the One Winged Angel. Throughout the match. these two played around the most famous spots from their Wrestle Kingdom match, teasing the crowd and raising the stakes in order to create some tremendous drama, and that was an absolute key to the level of excitement this one reached .When an exhausted Omega fell to his knees inadvertently avoiding the Rainmaker, the deal was sealed: this titanic 1 hour revenge might be the most dramatic match ever put together.” -Ricardo Gallegos

#2
Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega
1/4
NJPW
Total Votes: 73
First Place Votes: 27
Overall Points: 723
Average Points Per Vote: 10

“It’s one of the best matches I’ve ever seen live. Kenny Omega is a incredible performer, knows how to amp it up in the last few moments of a big that has big consequences. I didn’t give this six stars, but it’s a match that few will be able to top anytime soon.” -Bryan Rose

“No. Brainer. I watched this match at 5:30 in the morning and I was ready to pass out when I was watching this match, but this match got me so wired and so hyped that I couldn’t even sleep afterwards. WrestleKingdom 11 was one of the best shows in a long time, and probably will not be topped for a long time, and Okada-Omega was the culmination of that, in what was my favorite of the Okada-Omega trilogy, and my favorite match of the year.” -Matthew Terry

“A lot of wrestling exceeded expectations in 2017, which is what made the year such a strong year overall for wrestling. No match exceeded expectation more than Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega, and the match started with expectations already through the roof. Like a Game 7 in basketball or baseball, you expect it to be good. But when it goes to overtime or extra innings and the game is won on a last second shot or last at-bat home run, it becomes something special. That’s what Okada/Omega did. Two men on one of the biggest stages in all of professional wrestling delivering a classic.” -Taylor Maimbourg

“Although many felt the NJPW Dominion show was stronger, the first epic encounter between the two was my favorite. Omega and Okada put on a clinic here and the story of Omega not being able to put Okada away here really drew me in. The expectations for this match weren’t as high as they were for Dominion, so for my money, as good as their Dominion match was, this one takes the cake because it was on such a grand stage at Wrestle Kingdom and both really delivered.” -Rich Laconi

“While the other two bouts between Omega and Okada might have added a couple of things that improved upon this match, my favourite match of the year happened four days into the new year. Okada, the ace of the promotion, versus Omega, the first Gaijin to ever win the G1 Climax. And what a match they had! It completely shattered expectations and changed the ways we think about “good wrestling” in general. Wrestle Kingdom 11 was a very, VERY long. But after this one you’re wide awake, ready for action and excited for the future to come.” -Florian Schreiber

“I had the rare pleasure to be there, on the floor of the Tokyo Dome, for this match. The energy in the building was tremendous and you could feel the crowd buying deeper and deeper in the match as they built towards each crazy match. Wordlessly I shared my enjoyment with the Japanese founds around me through oohs, and aahs, and tribal war cries of our hero’s names. Were it only the live-bas at work here, I might have ranked this below the pair’s epic clash in Osaka. In many ways their rematch was better, but this match tore apart people’s expectations and broke the ratings scales for the first time. There can only ever be one “First 6-Star match” and this was it. It deserves praise for reaching beyond just being a great Dome match and into the stratosphere of Wrestling.” -James “NuclearConvoy” Snelgrove

“When you know, you know. I know in my mind, my gut, and my heart how I feel about this match. Now when you have two divisive wrestlers in a match, the match itself is going to be divisive. Obviously people have different tastes in wrestling, but I really have a hard time understanding how this match can be looked at negatively. A major argument for this match was how long it was and how not much happened in the first part of the match. Well, it went 46 minutes and 45 seconds. It honestly did not feel that long for me and I was invested the entire time. It was an epic encounter that kept building and building as the match went on. Both men were outstanding. This match had so many gears to it. There were many times when I thought, “This is it, the end is coming.” but then they kicked it up a notch! Omega cemented his place as one of the top guys in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Okada showed his time wasn’t over yet (a year later and it still isn’t) and why he is still THE top guy. I went from the edge of my seat to standing and cheering in my living room. I can still recall the feelings and pure emotion this match made me feel. It was everything I love about wrestling and as I type this and think back I get chills and all I want to do is watch it again. With all of that said, how can this not be my top match of 2017?” -Brian Kline

“The match that broke the five star scale, and truly made Kenny Omega a worldwide star. Although Omega ultimately failed in dethroning New Japan’s ace on its biggest stage, he succeeded in bringing a larger overseas audience to the company, and did a lot to ensure that the shows in California last summer were a major success. While some prefer the rematch at Dominion, I feel a lot of the value in that one was watching it live, as knowing it was a time limit draw takes something away from it. The first meeting, on the other hand, achieved way more than just being one of the greatest wrestling matches of all time, it expanded New Japan’s business worldwide, and isn’t that the ultimate goal at the end of the day?” -Martin Bentley

“One of the greatest matches in the history of wrestling. Enough said.” -Eric Mutter

“It was the largest crowd in the 2017 trilogy of matches and it was there first one-on-one meeting, but the pacing was well done and matches the big fight feel a Tokyo Dome event usually brings. You know it’s good when Melzer breaks his own rules.” -Matt Jodouin “Matty Jay”

“I watched Wrestle Kingdom 11 live with the rest of the world and when this match was about to begin it was probably around 6:00AM central time, I was absolutely exhausted but this match made me forget all about that. This match was an instant classic it managed to keep my attention after I had already been watching a show for the past 5+ hours and it was an emotional masterpiece of a match that I’ll never forget. I’ve watched this match over multiple times and it gets better every time and I pick up on things that I didn’t see or pay close enough attention to the first time but you can never duplicate that that first time viewing experience. This match gave me Goosebumps from start to finish and if you haven’t seen this match (my god what’s wrong with you and how heavy is that rock you’ve been living under?) you need to change that right now because this match is absolutely incredible. Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada produced art on a canvas on this night and they created a masterpiece of a match that will be remembered for years to come. If Kazuchika Okada is 1A then Kenny Omega is 1B. Appreciate both Okada and Omega while you can and while they are still here, enjoy every performance you see from them because everything these guys do is a work of art.” -Nathan Neumann

“I really did consider placing the hour long draw #1 but after really thinking about it…it had to be the 1/4 match. I watched this match live and after it was over I thought it was the greatest match I’d ever seen. The crazy spots, the drama, the crowd losing their minds…it had everything you could want from a big main event. I had taken 1/5 off work so after the match I passed out. I woke up a few hours later and looked at some tweets I had made saying it was the greatest match of all time. I then thought to myself “hmm I was pretty sleep deprived, maybe this match wasn’t that good” so I watched it again. About 4 or 5 hours after watching it once. I then watched it when it was on AXS a few weeks later. I don’t think I’ve watched a match that many times in such a short amount of time since childhood, and it’s especially notable in the streaming era where a lot of matches I watch are kind of never thought of again.” -Matt “Swarley” Johnsen

“The match caused quite stir with Dave Meltzer breaking his own rating scale for it, but the hysteria surrounding was warranted. It was one of the best matches I have ever seen. No matter how many stars you want to give it, it was worthy of all of the praise it garnered.” -Vaughn Johnson

“The match that set the tone for possibly the best in ring year on record, and literally reset the standard for snowflakes.” -Matt McEwen

“Usurped Taker/Michaels at Wrestlemania 25 as my favorite match of all time. I’ve never been more engrossed by a closing stretch. Has probably 6 or 7 moments/sequences that rank as my favorite of all time in wrestling. In fact, the spot where Omega is kicking and kneeing Okada repeatedly to try to make him let go, and Okada refuses to and fires up to give him a Rainmaker is my favorite sequence ever. ” -Lawson Leong

“This match had everything. Some of the most brilliant pacing I’ve ever seen in a wrestling ring, and both men had counters for everything. The psychology of Kenny being able to withstand a Rainmaker in a way only Tana had before, and not being able to land his patented One-Winged Angel hooked me into a trilogy that would define wrestling in 2017.” -Andrew Sinclair

#1
Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuyori Shibata
4/9
NJPW
Total Votes: 79
First Place Votes: 31
Overall Points: 774
Average Points Per Vote: 10

“Such an impassioned performance from Shibata, putting his life on the line (literally) to try and defeat the easily frustrated Okada, who tried to man up to Shibata’s stiff ways only to get beaten down in glorious fashion. I mean, from start to finish, this was Shibata pissing all over Okada’s gold rug. From the early matwork, with Shibata hiking his leg just because he can, to the Rainmaker-tease into a straight bitch slap, Shibata made Okada his for nearly 40 minutes. Quasi-heel champ Okada was great here, drawing the ire of the NJPW fans with his dirty breaks, which only further fuels Shibata’s stiff beatings. Was it a perfect match? No. I mean, it could’ve benefited from a little fat trimming in the midsection of the match, but the build to the finish was well-executed, with Shibata working the Rainmaker arm to weaken the impact and in perhaps the most spectacular (and cringe-worthy) moment of the match, Shibata withstanding the Rainmaker and thunking Okada with that blood-busting headbutt. When you put Okada in a different situation, he becomes so much more enjoyable to watch in the ring. He had to fight for every one of his signature spots, even though some of his offense looked pathetic compared to the heat behind Shibata’s elbow strikes, and his selling during the submission teases really added a dose of drama to the bigger narrative. I loved his little temper flareups throughout. But this was Shibata’s match, the way he goads Okada into striking with him, the zero respect boot scrapes to the back of the head. The no sold “”strong style”” rush of back-and-forth offense was pulled off so well, with Okada unable to follow up after that German suplex. Okada takes one hell of a beating here, getting dumped on his head a number of times with suplexes. The wrist play stuff was excellent, with Shibata holding on as he just drills him repeatedly with those kicks to the shoulder. Such a brutal visual accompanied by those shotgun acoustics. The final nail-in-the-coffin Rainmaker looked absolutely nasty but I loved how Shibata was still trying to fight back, going for an elbow as he gets hooked with the killer final blow. The crowd was hot for Shibata and this was a career performance for him as he put his body on the line for our enjoyment. It was hard to watch him try to make it to the back on his own post-match knowing the full extent of his injuries but that’s Katsuyori Shibata for you. There was so many little things to love about this match, simple things, like Okada trying to block the figure-four attempt or Shibata’s British-inspired counters in the first few minutes. Hell of a performance from Red Shoes, as well. Great, great match.” -Brennan Patrick

“Katsuyori FUCKING Shibata. That’s my explanation.” -Andrew Rich

“This is a match that keeps on getting better & better everytime I watch it. It’s one of the 3 matches that are legitimate candidates for the best match ever in my eyes.” -Heikki Oinonen

“The image of Shibata glaring as blood trickles down his face is someone I will never be able to get out of my mind. Part of that is because of the tragedy that occurred after. But even before I knew anything about Shibata’s life-altering event, I knew I had seen something special. There’s nothing about this match I can strongly criticize: They hit hard, the crowd was hot, and the prodigal son did everything he could to kill the golden boy. It was hardly the ideal end to Shibata’s career, but he certainly went out on a high note.” -Derek Tillotson

“I’ve seen tons of cliché and hyperbole surrounding this match. I’ve seen people employ the Lao Tzu quote, “The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long.” People have used the ‘homonymous’ nature of the word “star” to describe how Shibata was brightest at the end. Regardless of the comparisons used, Shibata and Okada’s match at Sakura Genesis was a tragic work of art. As with all great art, you can see yourself within it and draw connections to our own lives. We all have goals that we strive to meet while enduring sacrifices to ultimately reach those goals… or instead, to ultimately to come up short. For Shibata, it was both. He may have failed to reach his goal of becoming IWGP Heavyweight Champion on this night, but his performance in this match secured his legacy as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.” -Douglar Fowler

“This was wrestling in it’s purest art form. The story of Katsuyori Shibata’s assent to the pinnacle of his company after abandoning it and returning as the black sheep rising to fight Okada had been building for years and was finally paid off here. The match delivered in spades, with hard hitting high drama. Shibata had a response to every single move that Okada had, even to the very end. Shibata gave literally every single thing he had to beat Okada, yet it still wasn’t enough. It is a magnificent story that will resonate for more than almost any other high profile NJPW match, and is without a doubt 2017’s most masterful act of storytelling.” -Kevin Hare

““Every match I have might be my last match. That’s how I wrestle every time. I don’t want to change that mentality, ever. Because if I did I wouldn’t wrestle my style of match. And if I can’t wrestle my way, I don’t want to wrestle.”- Katsuyori Shibata” -Kelly Harrass

“The crown jewel of a pretty stacked Kazuchika Okada title reign and another match that showed the versatility of the style of matches his opponents were bringing out of him. Shibata had been one of the guys I immediately liked and rooted for when I started watching New Japan and every G1 I would get my hopes up that this would be his year and he was finally going to be thrust into the IWGP Heavyweight title scene and every G1 I was let down. I waited impatiently for it, but eventually here he was as a challenger for the top title after winning the New Japan Cup and issuing the challenge to Okada. The match was brutal, incredible, dramatic and ultimately heartbreaking. It had everything I love about New Japan Pro Wrestling.” -Ed Mills

“Putting aside what happened afterwards, which I feel like you must do for something like this, I can’t imagine a more perfect professional wrestling match. Kazuchika Okada reaches his pinnacle here as the unbeatable champion, a wall so strong that it can’t be broken down no matter how hard anyone pounds against it. Katsuyori Shibata on the other hand plays the underdog better than anyone I’ve ever seen, absolutely hitting his stride as the overmatched challenger who won’t quit but deep down you know has no chance; in fact, one of the most incredible parts of this match was that you end up both rooting for Shibata more and more as the match goes on while also becoming more and more certain that he was going to lose. As the crowd roars and Shibata refuses to buckle for the first Rainmaker, so many emotions flash in front of you (especially on repeat viewings, knowing this is likely Shibata’s final professional wrestling match). It leaves you with both a profound sadness and yet a sense that you watched one of the greatest things you’ll ever see in your life, and I have zero doubt it’s the match of the year for 2017.” -John Carroll

“I haven’t watched this match since I first saw it on the end of a hotel bed on my tiny shitty phone. I don’t need to. The memories of that morning will live with me for the rest of my life as vividly as right now. I remember at the time thinking not only was this the best match I’d ever seen, but the best performance Shibata had ever given. This was him at his most complete giving a showing that represented him to his very core. You talk about moments in wrestling and this match was full of them. Obviously the (now infamous) headbutt spot where he looks up and that one perfect trickle of blood flows down his face is the big one. That clip 20 years down the line will be looked at as one of the most legendary shots of all time, I guarantee it. But just before that was another moment I’ll never forget. Remember when nobody kicked out of the Rainmaker? Remember how huge it was when Tanahashi and then Omega and then Naito kicked out of it? Well fuck that, Shibata isn’t even going down for one. He took it dead on and stood firm, the next one he took he still didn’t go down to, he stood defiantly and buckled forward. Then on the last Rainmaker he raised his arm for a forearm but was too slow. You know when wrestlers say the goofy line “You’ll have to kill me to beat me”. THIS IS IT. THIS IS WHAT THAT IS! Okada literally had to put Shibata down and even on the last fucking blow Shibata was still fighting. This is THE Shibata performance. This is HIS match. If his career really is over then so be it. What a way to end. All I can think to say is, thank you Katsuyori Shibata.” -Josh Robinson

“The story coming out of this match overshadowed the match itself and in some ways, that’s unfortunate, as the match itself was an absolute classic. If we’re just evaluating the match as a match, it’s a five star match any way you slice it. Like a pro-wrestling retelling of Anderson Silva’s first encounter with Chael Sonnen, the champ was beat up and bested again and again by a man who on that night was superior. However, the challenger couldn’t quite get it done. Shibata snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and Okada went out with his hand raised. It was incredibly powerful even if you stop the story there. Unfortunately, the story didn’t stop there. As someone who recently has myself had to leave the job I love for reasons out of my control, Katsuyori Shibata’s story spoke to me on a deeply personal level. It’s absolutely terrible that The Wrestler may never compete inside that ring again, but if he must walk away, what an incredible memory to leave everyone with. This match is a masterpiece.” -Jeremy Sexton

“This is the match that will forever be remembered both as a masterpiece and as a tragedy. From the opening bell, you could sense something special was about to happen as the crowd’s energy was completely focused on one individual: ten thousand people in Sumo Hall watched as Shibata evolved before their very eyes, becoming an elite level performer, confident and in control giving Okada no quarter and no mercy, out wrestling him on the mat and striking the piss out of him. I was totally invested in the story and development of Katsuyori Shibata while also amazed by Kazuchika Okada’s impeccable performance in every aspect of the game. This is my match of the year because no other produced in me the same amount of raw emotion. The blood flowing through Shibata’s head after delivering a sickening headutt while a red hot crowd screamed it’s heart out is a stamp I will never forget.” -Ricardo Gallegos

“The one thing that really stood out to me here is the obsession of the Okada character, not only wanting to be the very best, but almost willing to do that instead of beating his opponent. This is a character trait will eventually be his downfall; there are cracks in the armor, the defense is weakening and it will only be a matter of time before someone figures out the puzzle. Okada’s defenses keep getting longer and longer, and the new Ace is having to dig deeper than ever before, has to go longer and has to resort to some nefarious tactics to get the job done. This was an absolutely beautiful match, one where the fans were not only behind Shibata, but at times turning on Okada; Amazing work from both men, leading to a very dramatic home stretch, when the wrestling is great, the wrestling is great. This was a top-tier MOTY contender, my match of the year and a must-see match in an effort that made Shibata a made man to the paying customers; unfortunately, it came in an effort that by all accounts, cost him his career. This is of course the match that Shibata threw the shoot headbutt, which left him hospitalized and his career in jeopardy (and now by all reports, ended his career). I’ve had people ask if I am going to change my rating of the match due to that, and the answer is no. It’s extremely unfortunate, but I will not change my mind about loving the match due to that. Shibata made the decision to throw a real headbutt, something he’s done repeatedly, and something that pops the crowd and I will not lie, a spot I popped for as well. I still feel that the match told an amazing story and was one of the best things I watched all year; but it looks to be the final match Shibata ever has. The rating for the match is left unchanged, because I’m not going to become a crusader like some against the head butt spot, because that would feel disingenuous. Did I mark out for it? Yes. Is it needed? Obviously not when you can do it way safer. We can only hope that Shibata can recover and live a normal live, and that others will learn from his mistake, but my original rating stands because no match connected with me on an emotional level like this one did. And still does on repeat viewings.” -Larry Csonka

“There has been enough said about Katsuyori Shibata’s presumably final match of his career. It might be seen as distasteful to put this as my Match of the Year for 2017, but I kept on coming back to it. It was the match I compared everything else against, and nothing stacked up. Nothing made me want to jump out of my seat and scream at its peak moments like this. Nothing struck me with awe about the first ten minutes of the match, where Shibata was determined to outclass Kazuchika Okada technically and cleanly, and only got “mean” when Okada did first. I felt like no other crowd was as so into a match, and into their guy winning, as Ryōgoku Kokugikan was for Shibata. I kept on coming back to this match, and since no other match supplanted it, it’s my Match of the Year.” -Mike Spears

“Since his return to New Japan in 2013, Katsuyori Shibata has been a man synonymous with fighting spirit. On April 4th, 2017, he and Kazuchika Okada WERE fighting spirit, physical avatars of the will of the warrior. The narrative structure of the match was based on Shibata having all the answers for the challenges posed by the besieged IWGP Champion. Kenny Omega may be inspired by the Terminator, but Shibata wrestled like the Terminator. On the mat, Shibata reminded Okada why his nickname is “the Wrestler.” Every attempt made by the champion to assert himself was met with a counter and a patronizing smirk. When Okada made the mistake of blasting the challenger with a flurry of forearms, he was met with an absolutely devastating response. The match itself served as a microcosm of Okada’s title reign – the champion fraying at the seams, looking for any advantage he can find to hold it together.Shibata’s strikes seemed like they could shatter the planet. Okada, staggered, his eyes unfocused, could only think to himself “what do I try next? What do I have left?” As has always been the case, it was the Rainmaker. Even Shibata, blood trickling down his forehead, couldn’t will his body to stand after a third Rainmaker.

Shibata’s final match was the apotheosis of his stoic warrior persona – he lived by the sword, he died by the sword, and the legend of his fall in battle will live forever.” -Jeff Martin

“In a year of fantastic matches all over the world this was the one that in my opinion stood out – not only, but especially in hindsight. Right from the beginning the crowd in Sumo Hall made it abundantly who they wanted to win and the „Shibata“ chants were deafening. Okada was in Shibata’s house and Okada was in Shibata’s ring. Shibata made Okada wrestle his match as he tormented him with vicious strikes, lethal submission holds and early on with his natural cockiness. Okada’s role in this match was built on these early minutes and he fired back showing how cocky he can be. He didn’t break the hold and continued to put his boots to Shibata in the corner – maybe in despair? This despair was understandable since in this match something happened that I had never seen before as Shibata no sold the Rainmaker and just got into Okada’s face again. This moment was followed by the fatal headbutt that was a cool visual, but was absolutey detrimental in hindsight. My favorite moment amidst all this fantastic storytelling was Shibata trapping Okada in the Manjigatame, the Octopus Hold, which almost led to Okada losing. Sitting here I felt the struggle from both men and a lot of Okada’s title run is about struggling, or more specifically struggling to survive as champion. Him refusing to let go of Shibata’s wrist once more saved him and led to another successful title defense while on the other hand it may have been Shibata’s final curtain call. A lot has been said about Shibata and the blog entries I translated over the course of the last months revealed that Shibata hadn’t only lost a match, but he almost had lost his life inside the squared circle on this fateful day. As this became public I questioned whether I could add this match to my top 10, but in the past months I realized that I had to add this match not in spite of the real life tragedy, but because of it. Sure, the headbutt wasn’t needed and I could happily live without Shibata hitting his skull against other skulls, but who are I to judge? After all it’s Shibata’s body and he is responsible to take care of it or not.” -STRIGGA

“Probably the 2017 match that will live with us all the longest. It will likely be a match talked about 20 years from now in the same vein as the most legendary bouts of the 70s, 80s and 90s. On this night we saw one of the greatest ever pro wrestling performances by Katsuyori Shibata.” -Alan4L

“This match was like the sun, setting on the horizon. A fierce fight, where you see something so beautiful and you know it can’t last longer. This was Shibata’s last match, but it was also his best performance, showing his evolution through all this years. Since he came back he showed more enthusiasm on pro-wrestling, doing more moves and being more savage. But his style would be his worst enemy. This was built around Okada, being overconfident after defeating the likes of Omega and Marufuji. In his throne, he laid down the challenge against the New Japan Cup winner, Shibata. Shibata wants to show him what is he made of. Pure domination by Shibata, who counters everything Okada throws. He overpowers the champion, with hard kicks and strong forearm strikes. With Okada against the ropes, Shibata gets overconfident and it finally cost him the match. Pure awesomeness, with a great beatdown against Okada. Okada sold everything like he was hit by a hurricane. This is what pro-wrestling is, a great story told by two great performers, making people feeling something, and it was incredible. Best of the year, without a doubt.” -Gin Malkavar

“2017 was the Year Of Kazuchika Okada, and this was not only his best match but one of the best matches I’ve ever seen. Okada playing the heel because the crowd was loving Shibata, Shibata working the arm and then shruggling off the first Rainmaker only to hit the Headbutt Heard Round The World. Shibata’s selling was some of the best I’ve ever seen, from his deadeyed look after the last rainmaker to just collapsing at the end. The definitive feature to Okada’s 2017 is that each match was different. Okada is both a wrestling chameleon and a wrestling savant and this won’t be the first time we see his name on this ballot. He gave enough to Shibata for the latter to be elevated in a loss as well, a thing that gets forgotten in the aftershocks of the aforementioned headbutt.” -George Atsaves; Chris Colgan

“A perfect story with perfect drama told in the ring. Okada, arrogantly thinking he could out-wrestle The Wrestler, then thinking he could out-strike him, barely escaping by the skin of his Rainmaker.” -August Baker

“This is a very unique match, there are maybe two pin attempts in this match but it still manages to create some amazing drama. Okada here aims to continue his title reign against Katsuyori Shibata, the man who left NJPW when they most needed him. Shibata has been on the road to earning the respect of his peers and fans since his return and now has finally gotten his turn at trying to dethrone Okada. Shibata’s goal in this match is very clear. Sure, he wants to become the IWGP Heavyweight Champion but what he really wants is to dominate the Champion in order to show the world how much better than Okada he is. Shibata holds nothing back, with extra-stiff strikes he dominates Okada who cannot stand toe to toe with Shibata, losing every strike exchange. The only hope for Okada here is to find a way to capitalize on a mistake by Shibata and hope that will be enough to secure the victory. This match features some of the most iconic visuals of all of 2017 and I still find myself just as engaged every time I watch it again as the time I saw it live for the first time.” -Geovanny Astorga

“In a year where, once again, NJPW cranked out MOTY contenders so frequently, this match was the one that I kept coming back to when thinking of what bout would claim top spot on my list. I’ll admit, the sad story of the abrupt end of Katsuyori Shibata’s career after this encounter added more of an emotional punch on subsequent rewatches but even without that, this match delivered everything I want in a pro wrestling match from bell to bell. The story this match told was amazing and when it was over, I was more than invested in watching Shibata’s journey to eventual IWGP champion, presumably at WK12. While we know that wasn’t the case, what we did get was ‘The Wrestler’ painting perhaps his finest masterpiece to date. Okada was just as great here, proving why he is maybe the best on the planet right now. As Shibata continued to punish the champion during the course of the match, Okada desperately fought back against the challenger until he finally was able to do just enough to get the hard victory. Many will look to Okada’s series against Kenny Omega when selecting the best match of 2017; while those are great and won’t warrant much of an argument as being the best of the year, Katsuyori Shibata & Kazuchika Okada hit all the right notes and created a timeless piece of professional wrestling.” -Billy Carpenter

“What was already a truly great (if somewhat flawed on the champion’s end) match was elevated to a legendary match that I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it doesn’t turn out to be a sleeper #1 overall candidate. The emotion and legacy of the match is hard to put into words but the crowd and what it meant to Katsuyori Shibata and his career was a special moment. Watching it makes me wish he would come back and have optimism possibly beyond medical reason, but if not he put on a performance that was the best of his entire career, and knowing the circumstances surrounding his tumultuous relationship with pro wrestling in general, it’s a least gratifying he got one moment with the world title, even if his story remains incomplete. But what more fitting thing for the man who left the company originally just as he seemed to be nearing his time to win the IWGP World Title over a decade prior to this match. Yet again he was nearly at the apex of the company, and yet again his career was left in limbo. In the mid 2000s he left under much brighter and more optimistic circumstances, and yet this exit is what he will be remembered for far more. A shame, but the match will live on, and what we saw was tremendous.” -Dylan Harris

“Poetry in its true essence. Shibata swallowing Okada into his wold of violence to tragically end his career in his attempt. I’ve never really “got” Shibata before this match, so it’s really a sad match for me, but sadness is the truest of all emotions. Shibata’s career died the way it always lived, and much like his MMA career, it died losing.” -Ludovic Leleu

“Beautiful and tragic in equal measure, Okada vs. Shibata was a masterpiece. Both were incredible. ‘The Wrestler,’ of course, worked with a massive chip on his shoulder, having suffered in the shadow of NJPW’s main eventers for far too long. His redemption arc was nearing completion. Finally, he’d made it to the top, and he started by straight up out-wrestling the IWGP Heavyweight Champion on the mat. A surprising turn, but the bombs soon fell, with Okada forced to suffer through his opponent’s trademark stiff onslaught. This brought out prime ‘cocky prick’ Okada. With the crowd firmly behind his opponent, ‘The Rainmaker’ abandoned them completely, understanding that he needed to tap into his old viciousness to survive Shibata’s brutality. Survive he did, though. Shibata was vanquished. The outcome should have set up an eventual rematch that could conceivably have broken Dave Meltzer’s star rating system beyond six-and-a-half and towards seven, but alas, the opportunity is gone. Katsuyori Shibata went out on his shield. His story is heartbreaking, and THAT headbutt spot will resonate forever, but his last last dance will go down in legend.” -Andy H. Murray

“While the aftermath was tragic, the match that preceded it was incredible. The story of Shibata being too damn stubborn to take the win and Okada being tough enough to survive and advance is fantastic and compelling. And when Shibata no-sold the Rainmaker, I lost my mind! A must-see match.” -Suit Williams

“This match was an absolute war. Katsuyori Shibata’s star was rising and everyone knew that we’ve got a very special couple of months ahead after he got rid of that peskly NEVER title. He won the New Japan Cup and got his wish: A match against Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight title and boy, OH BOY, did he make the most of his opportunity. I think everybody has a hard time writing about this match and everything that happened with Shibata after that, but I just appreciate this bout for what it is. If we really have seen the last of Shibata, we can keep him in our memories going out on top.” -Florian Schreiber

“If Okada/Omega was a beautiful display of athleticism, Okada/Shibata was a display of grit and perseverance, two men desperate to win with everything on the line. Katsuyori Shibata knows only one way – forward. When the Rainmaker comes, he doesn’t duck. He doesn’t kick the arm away. He moves forward, taking the full force of the move and refusing to back down. Unfortunately, although our minds may say “forward”, our bodies can only obey so long. But Shibata was defeated on his terms. Refusing to quit until he had no other choice.” -Taylor Maimbourg

PlaceMatchDatePromotionFirst Place VotesTotal VotesOverall PointsAverage Points Per Vote
1Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuyori Shibata4/19NJPW31797749.8
2Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega1/4NJPW27737239.9
3Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega6/11NJPW13464139.0
4Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito8/13NJPW6523847.4
5Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate5/20WWE NXT2553446.3
6Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada8/12NJPW2382566.7
7WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov3/12wXw4262118.1
8Will Ospreay vs. KUSHIDA6/3NJPW1301705.7
9Michael Elgin vs. Tetsuya Naito2/11NJPW1261385.3
10AJ Styles vs. John Cena1/29WWE1231114.8
11Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi1/4NJPW214946.7
12AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar11/19WWE015815.4
13Tetsuya Naito vs. Kota Ibushi7/17NJPW016794.9
14Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki8/8NJPW115765.1
15Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kenny Omega7/2NJPW017754.4
16The Usos vs. The New Day10/8WWE18617.6
17Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito8/11NJPW015604.0
18Hideki Suzuki vs. Yuji Okabayashi5/5BJW26579.5
19Rush vs. LA Park3/11Bacaral28546.8
20Killshot vs. Dante Fox9/27Lucha Underground18546.8
21Brock Lesnar vs. Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman8/20WWE014533.8
22Kazuchika Okada vs. Michael Elgin7/22NJPW011504.5
23Masashi Takeda vs. Masaya Takahashi12/17BJW013493.8
24Will Ospreay vs. Zach Sabre Jr.11/10RPW010474.7
25Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kenny Omega5/3NJPW010474.7
26Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi11/5NJPW012453.8
27Authors of Pain vs. DIY vs. Revival4/1WWE NXT09434.8
28Konosuke Takeshita vs. HARASHIMA3/20DDT16437.2
29Hirooki Goto vs. Katsuyori Shibata1/4NJPW011413.7
30WALTER vs. David Starr10/28wXw09394.3
31Hiromu Takahashi vs. Dragon Lee2/11NJPW09374.1
32Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar4/2WWE011363.3
33Velveteen Dream vs. Aleister Black11/18WWE NXT18354.4
34Tomohiro Ishii vs. Keith Lee11/9RPW08354.4
35Chip Day vs. Trevor Lee3/25CWF Mid-Atlantic15357.0
36Chuck Taylor vs. Zack Sabre Jr7/7PWG06335.5
37Zack Sabre Jr vs. Michael Elgin5/6AAW05275.4
38Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay5/18NJPW06264.3
39Authors of Pain vs. DIY5/20WWE NXT05265.2
40Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai6/21STARDOM13258.3
41Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi6/11NJPW04246.0
42Keith Lee vs. Donovan Dijak9/3PWG06223.7
43WALTER vs. David Starr WXW3/10wXw05224.4
44WrestleCon 10 Man Tag3/31WrestleCon04215.3
45The New Day vs. The Usos8/20WWE04215.3
46Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Susumu Yokosuka11/3Dragon Gate03217.0
47KUSHIDA vs. Hiromu Takahashi1/4NJPW07202.9
48SUWAMA vs. Kento Miyahara10/9AJPW04194.8
49Minoru Suzuki vs. Sanshiro Takagi6/1DDT03196.3
50South Pacific Power Trip vs. Ringkampf1/29PROGRESS05183.6
51Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Hikaru Shida8/20OZ Academy04184.5
52Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin7/27NJPW04184.5
53CK-1 vs. Speed Muscle7/23Dragon Gate13186.0
54Gunner Miller vs. Matt Riddle8/5Scenic City Invitational03186.0
55Psycho Clown vs. Dr.Wagner Jr8/27AAA03175.7
56Jeff Cobb vs. Matt Riddle5/28PROGRESS03175.7
57Nick Gage vs. Matt Tremont6/3GCW03175.7
58Timothy Thatcher vs. Zack Sabre Jr.2/25EVOLVE03175.7
59Barbaro Cavernario & Volador Jr. vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Valiente2/24CMLL12178.5
60Kento Miyahara vs. Bodyguard2/26AJPW03165.3
61Cavernario vs. Volador Jr.6/20CMLL03165.3
62Iron Kid vs. Demus6/18Lucha Memes02168.0
63Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate1/15WWE04153.8
64Matt Riddle vs. Walter7/9PROGRESS03155.0
65CWF Rumble10/14CWF Mid-Atlantic03155.0
66Will Ospreay vs. Adam Brooks8/5MCW03155.0
67South Pacific Power Trip vs. Sami Callihan/Shane Strickland3/31PROGRESS12157.5
68Dick Togo vs. Daisuke Sasaki4/14DDT / DAMNATION02157.5
69Cassandra Miyagi, DASH Chisako & Meiko Satomura vs. Pete Dunne, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate9/3CHIKARA03144.7
70Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Brian Cage7/27Pro Wrestling NOAH03144.7
71CIMA, Dragon Kid & Eita vs. Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino & Kotoka vs. Shingo Takagi, T-Hawk & El Lindaman9/5Dragon Gate111414.0
71Kotori & Riho vs. Masahiro Takanashi & Emi Sakura3/28Gatoh Move111414.0
71Matt Tremont vs. Nick Gage9/16GCW111414.0
71Jushin Liger vs. Will Ospreay vs. Marty Scurll vs. KUSHIDA7/8RPW111414.0
75Kenoh vs. Eddie Edwards12/22Pro Wrestling NOAH04133.3
76YAMATO & Kzy & BxB Hulk vs. Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino & Jason Lee12/23Dragon Gate03134.3
76Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Negro Navarro4/28Lucha Memes03134.3
78Go Shiozaki vs. Kenoh11/19Pro Wrestling NOAH03134.3
79Taichi vs. TAKA Michinoku5/18NJPW02136.5
79Ilja Dragunov vs. John Klinger12/23wXw02136.5
81WALTER vs. Zack Sabre Jr.10/21PWG05122.4
82Kento Miyahara vs. Shuji Ishikawa8/27AJPW05122.4
83Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kenoh10/14Pro Wrestling NOAH04123.0
84Prince Puma vs. Johnny Mundo10/18Lucha Underground03124.0
85Daga/Penta vs. LA Park/Rey Escorpion3/1AULL02126.0
86Shuji Ishikawa & Suwama vs. Kento Miyahara & Yoshitatsu12/12AJPW04112.8
87Timothy Thatcher vs. Daniel Makabe7/283-2-1 BATTLE!03113.7
88Daisuke Harada vs. Minoru Tanaka12/23Pro Wrestling NOAH02115.5
89Fenix/Penta vs. Ricochet/Matt Sydal vs. Young Bucks3/18PWG02115.5
90Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Chris Hero1/28EVOLVE04102.5
91Will Ospreay vs. Robbie Eagles vs. Adam Brooks8/19MCW03103.3
91British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) vs. Ringkampf (Axel Dieter Jr., Timothy Thatcher & WALTER)4/23PROGRESS03103.3
93Low Ki vs. Sami Callihan3/17AAW02105.0
94Travis Banks vs. Tyler Bate5/29PROGRESS02105.0
95Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens10/8WWE02105.0
96Hideki Suzuki vs. Hideyoshi Kamitani5/25BJW02105.0
96Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin7/1NJPW02105.0
96Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns4/30WWE02105.0
99The Young Bucks vs. Matt and Jeff Hardy4/1Ring of Honor0393.0
100Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino vs. Jimmy Susumu & Ryo "Jimmy" Saito8/8Dragon Gate0393.0
101Mike Bailey vs. Will Ospreay8/24WCPW0393.0
102Flamita vs. Fenix10/5The Crash0294.5
103Ben-K, Big R Shimizu, Naruki Doi, and Takehiro Yamamura vs. Cyber Kong, El Lindaman, Shingo Takagi, and T-Hawk2/2Dragon Gate0294.5
103Takehiro Yamamura vs. Big R Shimizu2/2Dragon Gate0294.5
105Taya vs. Ayako Hamada4/21AAA0294.5
105Sekimoto/Sato vs. Takagi/Okabayashi9/20BJW0294.5
107Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Takashi Sugiura1/7Pro Wrestling NOAH0199.0
107Rey Fénix vs. Flamita11/29The Crash0199.0
109Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kenny Omega3/12NJPW0284.0
110Keith Lee vs. Donovan Dijak3/31EVOLVE0284.0
111Danshoku Dino vs. Joey Ryan3/20DDT0188.0
111BxB Hulk & Kzy vs. Masaaki Mochizuki & Susumu Yokosuka12/1Dragon Gate0188.0
113Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki2/5NJPW0273.5
114Kohei Sato & Shuji Ishikawa vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi1/2BJW0177.0
114Trevor Lee vs. Alex Daniels4/29CWF Mid-Atlantic0177.0
114CIMA, Dragon Kid, Eita, Takehiro Yamamura & Naruki Doi vs. Shingo Takagi, T-Hawk, El Lindaman, YASSHI & Punch Tominaga3/8Dragon Gate0177.0
114Arisa Nakajima vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto3/26Ice Ribbon0177.0
114Jordan Devlin vs. Matt Riddle11/4OTT0177.0
114Atsushi Kotoge & Naomichi Marufuji vs. Go Shiozaki & Maybach Taniguchi1/7Pro Wrestling NOAH0177.0
114Hechicero vs. Caifan1/6Promociones Cholo de Tijuana0177.0
114Yoko Bito vs. Takumi Iroha10/17STARDOM0177.0
114AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor10/22WWE0177.0
123Travis Banks vs. Will Ospreay12/30PROGRESS0263.0
123Shotaro Ashino vs. Jiro Kuroshio9/2Wrestle-10263.0
125Gran Prix Torneo Cibernetico9/1CMLL0263.0
126Undisputed Era vs. Sanity vs. Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong11/18WWE NXT0263.0
127Gringo Loco/Steve Pain vs. DJZ/Laredo Kid vs. Flip Kendrick/Facade vs. Cheech/Colin Delaney3/24AIW0166.0
127Daisuke Sekimoto vs. Hideki Suzuki3/30BJW0166.0
127Angel de Oro vs. Caristico vs. Dragon Lee vs. El Barbaro Cavernario vs. Euforia vs. Gran Guerrero vs. Hechicero vs. La Mascara vs. Luciferno vs. Maximo Sexy vs. Mephisto vs. Mistico vs. Niebla Roja vs. Titan vs. Valiente vs. Volador Jr.4/7CMLL0166.0
127Konosuke Takeshita vs. KUDO1/29DDT0166.0
127YAMATO vs. Masaaki Mochizuki9/18Dragon Gate0166.0
127Hiromu Takahashi vs. KUSHIDA4/9NJPW0166.0
127KUSHIDA vs. Ryusuke Taguchi5/29NJPW0166.0
127Jack Sexsmith vs. Paul Robinson4/23PROGRESS0166.0
127Psycho Mike Rollins vs. Braxton Sutter8/13Smash Wrestling0166.0
127Ringkampf vs. Massive Product10/8wXw0166.0
137Zach Sabre Jr vs. Tomohiro Ishii8/11NJPW0351.7
138Zack Sabre Jr vs. Lio Rush5/21EVOLVE0252.5
138KUSHIDA vs. Hiromu Tanahashi6/11NJPW0252.5
138Axel Dieter Jr. & WALTER vs. Jurn Simmons & David Starr2/24wXw0252.5
141Cavernario and Volador Jr. vs. Ultimo Guerrero and Valiente11/17CMLL0155.0
141Kazusada Higuchi vs. Konosuke Takeshita1/17DDT0155.0
141Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mike Bailey7/2DDT0155.0
141Big Boss MA-G-MA & Black Buffalo vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Shigehiro Irie7/16DDT0155.0
141Matt Riddle vs. Kyle O’Reilly5/6OTT0155.0
141Corey Hollis vs. David Starr5/21PWX0155.0
141Matt Taven vs. Flip Gordon11/11Ring of Honor0155.0
141Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Marty Scurll1/21RPW0155.0
141Asuka vs. Nikki Cross6/28WWE NXT0155.0
150Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuji Nagata7/23NJPW0341.3
151South Pacific Power Trip4/1WWN0242.0
152Kento Miyahara vs. Shuji Ishikawa5/21AJPW0144.0
152El Soberano Jr., Rey Cometa & The Panther vs. El Cuatrero, Forastero & Sanson8/4CMLL0144.0
152Trevor Lee vs. Nick Richards6/24CWF Mid-Atlantic0144.0
152Jimmy Kagetora vs. Takehiro Yamamura5/5Dragon Gate0144.0
152Keith Lee vs. Ricochet3/30EVOLVE0144.0
152Joey Janela vs. Marty Jannetty3/30GCW0144.0
152Caifan vs. Mr Niebla12/24Lucha Memes0144.0
152Tiger Mask W vs. Kazuchika Okada3/6NJPW0144.0
152Mark Andrews vs. Flamita5/27PROGRESS0144.0
152Sareee vs. Yoshiko3/16SEAdLINNNG0144.0
152Drew McIntyre vs. Andrade Cien Almas11/18WWE NXT0144.0
152The Rottweilers (Homicide & Low Ki) vs. Ringkampf (WALTER & Timothy Thatcher)10/7wXw0144.0
164Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi vs. Naoya Nomura & KAI8/27AJPW0231.5
164Hideki Suzuki vs. Daisuke Sekimoto3/5BJW0231.5
164Big Show vs. Braun Strowman2/20WWE0231.5
167Soberano Jr. vs. Sanson4/28CMLL0133.0
167Roy Wilkins vs. Snooty Foxx5/13CWF Mid-Atlantic0133.0
167HARASHIMA vs. Tetsuya Endo6/25DDT0133.0
167Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Takehiro Yamamura2/12Dragon Gate0133.0
167Shingo Takagi vs. BxB Hulk6/1Dragon Gate0133.0
167Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Big R Shimizu9/5Dragon Gate0133.0
167James Drake, Anthony Henry vs. Jaka, Chris Dickinson7/8EVOLVE0133.0
167Go Shiozaki and Naoya Nomura vs. Yuji Okabayashi and Kaito Kiyomiya6/14Fortune Dream0133.0
167Fenix/Penta vs. DJZ/Billy Star vs. Gringo Loco/Skayde Jr.9/10GALLI0133.0
167Maya Yukihi vs. Risa Sera8/27Ice Ribbon0133.0
167Masahito Kakihara vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara8/14Kakiride0133.0
167Extreme Tiger vs. Virus7/15Lucha Memes0133.0
167Kenny Omega vs. Minoru Suzuki7/20NJPW0133.0
167Kenny Omega vs. Toru Yano7/22NJPW0133.0
167Mike Bailey vs. Matt Riddle10/7OTT0133.0
167SPPT vs. Mustache Mountain3/19PROGRESS0133.0
167Delilah Doom vs. Eli Everfly8/5Sabotage Wrestling0133.0
167Arisa Nakajima vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto5/24SEAdLINNNG0133.0
167Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Misaki Ohata & Ryo Mizunami8/24SEAdLINNNG0133.0
186Zeuxis vs. Princesa Sugehit9/16CMLL0221.0
187Sam Adonis vs. Blue Panther Jr.8/4CMLL0122.0
187El Lindaman vs. Takehiro Yamamura8/26Dragon Gate0122.0
187Nick Gage vs. Matt Tremont12/16GCW0122.0
187Trevor Lee vs. Michael Elgin6/3MVW0122.0
187Minoru Suzuki vs. Hirooki Goto6/11NJPW0122.0
187The Young Bucks vs. Roppongi Vice6/11NJPW0122.0
187Yuji Nagata vs. Tomohiro Ishii8/1NJPW0122.0
187Arik Royal vs. Logan Easton LaRoux9/22NOVA Pro0122.0
187Pete Dunne, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate vs. Angel Cruz, B. Cool & Tyler Bate6/4OTT0122.0
187Fenix/Penta/Daga vs. Sami Callahan/OI4K10/6PCW0122.0
187Zack Sabre Jr. & Marty Scurll vs. Chuck Taylor and Trent3/18PWG0122.0
187Will Ospreay vs. Jay White5/12Ring of Honor0122.0
187Sebastian Suave vs. Rosemary4/9Smash Wrestling0122.0
187Kairi Hojo vs. Jungle Kyona2/23STARDOM0122.0
187Io Shirai & Meiko Satomura vs. Mayu Iwatani & Chihiro Hashimoto3/9STARDOM0122.0
187Braun Strowman vs. Big Show4/17WWE0122.0
187John Cena vs. Roman Reigns9/24WWE0122.0
187Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas8/19WWE NXT0122.0
205Drew Galloway vs. DJZ3/17AAW0111.0
205Keith Lee vs. Sami Callihan7/15AAW0111.0
205Sammy Guevera vs. ACH11/25AAW0111.0
205Matt Tremont vs. Matt Riddle3/19Beyond Wrestling0111.0
205Isami Kodaka & Yuko Miyamoto vs. Jaki Numazawa & Kenji Fukimoto9/20BJW0111.0
205Microman & El Gallito vs. Zacarias El Perico & Mije4/30CMLL0111.0
205Micro Man & Gallito vs. Chamuel & Mije9/5CMLL0111.0
205Konosuke Takeshita vs. Keisuke Ishii7/23DDT0111.0
205Susumu Yokosuka vs. Shun Skywalker12/3Dragon Gate0111.0
205Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Keith Lee9/23EVOLVE0111.0
205Love Making Demon vs. Jack Sexsmith9/16GOOD Wrestling0111.0
205Scott Steiner and Josh Mathews vs. Jeremy Borash and Joseph Park7/2Impact Wrestling0111.0
205Prince Puma vs. Dante Fox8/2Lucha Underground0111.0
205Kazuchika Okada vs. Satoshi Kojima7/27NJPW0111.0
205Jordan Devlin vs. Speedball Mike Bailey2/4OTT0111.0
205Jordan Devlin vs. David Starr9/2OTT0111.0
205Jordan Devlin vs. Shane Strickland9/24OTT0111.0
205Atsushi Kotoge & Go Shiozaki vs. Maybach Taniguchi & Naomichi Marufuji4/5Pro Wrestling NOAH0111.0
205Meiko Satomura vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto4/6Sendai Girls0111.0
205Mike Bailey vs. Matt Riddle12/17Smash Wrestling0111.0
205Desmond Xavier vs. Shane Strickland vs. Fenix2/19Wrestle Circus0111.0
205Braun Strowman vs. Big Show4/9WWE0111.0
205Asuka vs. Ember Moon8/19WWE NXT0111.0
205Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano11/22WWE NXT0111.0
205Johnny Gargano vs. Kassius Ohno12/6WWE NXT0111.0
208Asuka vs. Ember Moon8/19WWE NXT0111.0
208Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano11/22WWE NXT0111.0
208Johnny Gargano vs. Kassius Ohno12/6WWE NXT0111.0