VOW 2019 Match of the Year (25-11)

Voices of Wrestling’s 2019 Match of the Year countdown enters its final stages with the first batch of top 25 matches as voted by our panel of experts.

2019 MATCH OF THE YEAR ARCHIVES

• Introduction & Honorable Mentions: voicesofwrestling.com/2020/02/03/vow-match-of-the-year-2019-introduction-sadness-village/
• Matches 100-76: voicesofwrestling.com/2020/02/04/vow-2019-match-of-the-year-100-76/
• Matches 75-51: voicesofwrestling.com/2020/02/04/vow-2019-match-of-the-year-75-51/
• Matches 50-26: voicesofwrestling.com/2020/02/05/vow-2019-match-of-the-year-50-26/

VOICES OF WRESTLING MATCH OF THE YEAR ARCHIVES

• 2018: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2018-match-of-the-year/
• 2017: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2017-match-of-the-year/
• 2016: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2016-match-of-the-year/
• 2015: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2015-match-of-the-year/
• 2014: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2014-match-of-the-year/
• 2013: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2013-match-of-the-year/
• 2012: voicesofwrestling.com/2012/12/20/top-10-matches-of-2012/

#25
Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano
6/1
WWE (NXT)

Overall Points: 76
Total Votes: 10
1 First-Place Vote

“A match that I felt was the best of the series that these guys had this year. I felt there was very little filler that harmed their other matches this year. I really liked how they worked Gargano’s knee which led to his kneepad being down so he could hit Cole’s ‘Last Shot’ back to him. This meant that Gargano tried to hide his knee in the Gargano Escape, but Cole countered by manoeuvring to hit with his elbow. These two are at the height of their powers and have helped in ensuring that NXT Takeover cards are as unmissable as the big NJPW/WWE/AEW shows. Its tough to only have this at 9 but it shows the sheer quality at the top end of wrestling in 2019.” Brian1zvx

#24
Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega
11/9
AEW

Overall Points: 78
Total Votes: 15
Highest Vote: 3rd

“This match divided a lot of fans, with some enthralled by the spectacle and physical violence put forth in the match, and others dismissing it as an unnecessary sideshow act that has no place in wrestling. Obviously, I felt like it was the former; and I liked the storyline of Omega willing to do anything to get his revenge on Moxley. I understand why some people didn’t like it, it isn’t for everyone, but there was no denying it was a tremendous viewing spectacle.” Jesse Collings

#23
Josh Barnett vs. Minoru Suzuki
4/4
GCW

Overall Points: 79
Total Votes: 16
1 First-Place Vote

“Passion, energy and a willingness to take physicality to the extreme. Great finish, both looked like masters, both left looking more like masters. Huge step forward for the fight-oriented wrestling niche. Bloodsport will hold the torch and move it forward inside the pro wrestling world.” Justin M Knipper

#22
Takuya Nomura vs. Yuji Okabayashi
7/21
BJW

Overall Points: 81
Total Votes: 12
3 First-Place Votes

“Continuing on the years-long story of Takuya Nomura getting increasingly better, but not quite there yet – this is the closest he has come to FINALLY win the Strong title over in BJW, but just couldn’t quite get it done. A great mix of strong striking, mat grappling and a great underdog story.” Andy LaBarre

“This absolutely lived up to the hype and personal expectations, as the build to this moment had been phenomenal and really set the stage for this singles encounter. This was a true “coming of age” performance from Nomura, where he didn’t look like the cutesy little ass-kicker but a legit bulked up threat to Okabayashi’s title reign. His transitions and groundwork have improved a lot and his kicks only continue to get more precise and sharper. The story was obvious going into this match, with Nomura targeting the bandaged left arm, and everything surrounding that storied ruled. I feel like Okabayashi is still so underrated when it comes to being one of the absolute best at what he does and his selling in this match was so so good, and it played into his offense. The spear being almost ineffective, the way Nomura is able to crucifix Yuji’s Argentine backbreaker and turn it into the manjigatame, and the apron spot, with Yuji countering the armbreakers with a sleeper and Nomura biting the arm to break it off. Of course, the blows they trade throughout are gnarly – Yuji turns Nomura’s chest into pepperoni pizza with chops very early on and the way he clocks Nomura’s head around with some of those open-hand slaps were scary. The simple offense felt huge — Yuji’s superduperplex or the nearfall off Nomura’s German suplex hold, for example. The violence escalates into a nasty final showdown and this is where Nomura “the man” really shined. Loved his slaps turning into desperate punches and that last fireman’s carry>armbar counter to Okabayashi’s lariat. Okabayshi wins in dominant fashion, as he should, but he really struggled to get there and only used that injured arm when he had to, which played into the finish with him stripping the bandage. No overkill, perfect build and match length.” Brennan Patrick

#21
Dragon Lee vs. Will Ospreay
6/9
NJPW

Overall Points: 85
Total Votes: 18
Highest Vote: 3rd

“This was an amazing and insane match, with Ospreay coming off of the MOTY contender against Shingo and making the most of his BOSJ win by winning the championship here. Both guys were absolutely great here, and Lee may have lost, but looked great in doing so, putting in another top-notch effort. A mix of tremendous pacing, ambitious athleticism, and just two guys working extremely well together allowed this to be a complete success, and finishes Ospreay’s BOSJ tournament run and sets up his first title match with Eagles, who beat him in the BOSJ. Ospreay’s case for most outstanding performer of 2019 continued to grow.” Larry Csonka

#20
Joey Janela vs David Starr
7/28
Beyond Wrestling

Overall Points: 89
Total Votes: 13
2 First-Place Votes

“This was a fantastic ironman match that at 60 minutes didn’t even have 1 minute of downtime, I was seriously impressed by how quickly the match went by. These guys got the lucha standing ovation treatment where balls of dollar bills are thrown into the ring for both competitors as a sign of respect for something truly special. David Starr proved himself yet again to be one of the best wrestlers in the world who has deep enough range to be a fabulous dickhead heel on this night against Janela when in the same year he’s being a beloved babyface protecting the honour of independent wrestling in the UK and chasing down his personal nemesis of WALTER. Joey Janela I’ve often said does his best work in Beyond Wrestling, and this is without question the best match I’ve watched of his and that image of him breaking a kendo stick in half just to jam it in Starr’s head is going to live with me for the rest of his career I feel.” Ed Mills

“This match had so much working against it. It was an Iron Man match. It was a garbage match filled with insane spots. It had so much hype due to their previous match, but damn this was one of the best matches of the decade. The storytelling and the breeze this hour flew by is hard to comprehend.” Steven Graham

#19
Arisa Nakajima vs. Nanae Takahashi
11/2
SEAdLINNNG

Overall Points: 90
Total Votes: 9
4 First-Place Votes

“A match that started hot and never slowed down. Somehow these two ladies managed to keep their high level of intensity throughout the entire match, gifting us with a stiff display of non-stop savagery where every move was infused with rage. Arisa Nakajima and Nanae Takahashi were not only fighting for a championship or defending their hair: they were trying to murder each other. We got facebusters in the apron, unbelievable counters, top rope footstomps, headbutts, ferocious slaps, beautiful submission moves, brutal kicks and dozens of bone-chilling suplexes. This was a violent masterpiece in tune with the stakes at play and one of the finest examples of top joshi wrestling you will see.” Ricardo Gallegos

“The peak of not just the MAX VOLTAGE vs. Las Fresa de Egoistas (The Selfish Strawberries) rivalry in the highly underrated SEAdLINNNG but the culmination of years of backstory between Arisa Nakajima and Nanae Takahashi saw the two main people in their respective groups square off with both the company’s top title and each women’s hair on the line in one of the matches with the highest stakes this year. The only thing keeping this from being an all time classic was the crowd being lacking, but it checked off every other box you would want in a great match. Hard hitting action, drama, and a climactic finish as good as any match of the year. This was the match that I rated highest and appealed to me most through the year. I loved what we saw and Nanae losing her hair and then quickly riding off into the sunset for awhile would be an iconic piece of business if not for Joshi, and particularly SEAd’s lack of scope in the grand scheme of things. Regardless, a worthy addition to the MOTY collection and one I’m happy with settling into my number one spot in a year without a clear cut number one in many ways.” Dylan Fox

“What an amazing match. Two great performances from two amazing wrestlers. The strikes in this match were insane. This was a proper heated match from two rivals. It was vicious and intense. The hair vs hair stipulation made it that much better. Being for the title, a hair vs hair match and a blow-off to a long feud, it was the perfect recipe for a professional wrestlling match. The pace in which they worked in was outstanding. There was not one dull moment in the entire match. If you’ve seen previous matches in this feud the drama of this match is better than anything this year. This is encapsulated by the moment after the match when Takahashi is getting shaved by Nakajima while Nakajima is in tears. Takahashi’s face is one that says that she’s accepted he failure and is willing to endure the consequences. Incredible stuff. Match of the Year. 5 stars.” Rene Martinez

#18
Lucha Bros vs. The Young Bucks
8/31
AEW

Overall Points: 92
Total Votes: 20
Highest Vote: 2nd

“I know the general feeling amongst a decent chunk of wrestling fans right now is that Ladder Matches are overdone and not that interesting anymore. While that is certainly true in some cases (see WWE), The Young Bucks never fail to have absolutely thrilling Ladder Matches. That was the case in ROH, and that continued over to AEW, where they had an insane Ladder Match with the Lucha Brothers for the AAA World Tag Team Titles. These four guys really put their bodies on the line in this one, and we saw some incredible spots throughout. We saw Canadian Destroyer off the top of a ladder through a table, a freaking Package Piledriver on a ladder bridge, and so much more. Anyone who says the Ladder Match is played out has never seen a Young Bucks Ladder Match. They’ve had some of the best Ladder Matches over the last decade, and this match just added to that lineage.” Sean A Sedor

#17
PAC vs. Kzy
2/10
Dragon Gate

Overall Points: 98
Total Votes: 21
1 First-Place Vote

““Give me eight months, I will give you your next five years.” That was going to be the title of an article I wanted to write about PAC’s time in Dragon Gate. Never had the time, and since we aren’t going to develop a way to have twenty-eight hours in each day, it’s going to stay that way. The crux of the article was going to be able how after an insanely turbulent last two years, PAC’s guiding force with the championship, and who he faced, put people on a deliverable level in a promotion that direly needed it.

In the send off for the venerable Hakata Star Lanes, PAC and Kzy had perhaps the best Dragon System match ever in the venue. That’s now over 20 years of running it and the last match was the best one. Kzy’s character shines best in these sort of matches. When Akira Tozawa left the promotion, Kzy made a big deal about how he wanted to carry forth his legacy. For a while it was crowd calls and just being the “cool” wrestler in the promotion, but over the last two years, it’s been made abundantly clear what Kzy was talking about: He’s going to be the hardest out in Dragon Gate. You are going to have to kill him with fire to get the victory, because if you do any less, he’s going to come back and elbow you in the jaw.

Out of PAC’s matches, this is the one that was the cut above for me and makes the list. PAC’s sheer brutality and glee in facing a guy who doesn’t stay down meshes perfectly with Kzy’s toughness and charisma. The tombstone piledriver from the second rope remains the sickest spot of the year, non-deathmatch division. With this loss, the legend of Kzy continues. He’s going for the title again in February. Each time it gets more and more compelling. And as the old school heel, PAC built up himself, the title, and the company, more until finally dropping that fall to Ben-K.” Mike Spears

#16
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Will Ospreay
8/10
NJPW

Overall Points: 101
Total Votes: 16
1 First-Place Vote

“A significant moment in the careers of both Ospreay and Tanahashi – a true ‘passing of the torch’ feel. Tana ended the G1 with a losing record for the first time in the Bushiroad era, while Ospreay took his first victory against a tippy-top heavyweight. The ending and post-match were very emotional, with Ospreay marking the significance of the occasion by going over to Tanahashi and thanking him privately. Will Ospreay has the seal of approval from the big man, and now surely a heavyweight main event run is in the works.” Oli Court

#15
Konosuke Takeshita vs Tetsuya Endo
7/15
DDT

Overall Points: 103
Total Votes: 14
1 First-Place Vote

“This may be the best match between these two ever. I always felt that their other encounters missed something. They definitely had it here.

This match had everything you could ask for: Great drama, a long rivalry, crazy/brutal moments and awesome chemistry. Endo’s selling was perfect, with fantastic offence by Takeshita, focused on Endo’s back. Takeshita dominated most of the match, while Endo tried his best to overcome him. The final stretch was really cool, with an amazing ending with the Walls of Takeshita. It never had a dull moment, impressive performance by both of them.” Gin Malkâvar

#14
Tomohiro Ishii vs Jon Moxley
7/19
NJPW

Overall Points: 105
Total Votes: 25
Highest Vote: 2nd

“What some considered a possible dream match between two guys known for being brawlers, became a reality when Moxley left WWE and appeared in New Japan. That exactly how it was as these two men started brawling right away as soon as the bell hit. They fought all over the place, they exchange chair shots and just hitting each other. This was such a fun match to watch especially since it deviates away from the typical G1 Climax match. For me, it is my favourite match of Moxley since he has left WWE.” Filip Pejic

#13
Kento Miyahara vs. Naoya Nomura
9/3
AJPW

Overall Points: 126
Total Votes: 19
Highest Vote: 2nd

“Kento had a stellar year, but this was his best match. It may be the chalk choice, but sometimes that’s the right call. I loved Nomura’s facial expressions throughout this. He breathed like the situation he was in had only just dawned on him. I believed that his dream was a heartbeat away and the mere concept of winning the Triple Crown was beyond anything he thought possible. He desperately holds onto this dream throughout the match as he wrestles out of German attempts and pummels Kento with big strikes and horrendous slams. His guttural yells at the crown were caffeine to me, and I was desperate for him to win. The closing stretch is wrestled at such as pace, it has your eyes bouncing up and down, desperately drinking it all in. Brilliant.” Neil David

#12
Tetsuya Naito vs Shingo Takagi
8/4
NJPW

Overall Points: 137
Total Votes: 21
1 First-Place Vote

“In a year where I didn’t give any match 5 stars, ordering a list like this is splitting hairs. However, this match stood out above the rest. Pairing Naito with his stablemate this late in the G1, where Naito has to run the table to just make the final is just one of those little things that make Gedo one of the best bookers ever. the intensity and hard-hitting offence of Shingo Takagi with the selling and desperation from Tetsuya Naito coupled with a hot Osaka crowd made for the best match of the year.” Harley Duncan

#11
WALTER vs Tyler Bate
8/31
WWE (NXT UK)

Overall Points: 160
Total Votes: 27
1 First-Place Vote

“WALTER is often seen as a throwback to old-school big men but this match showed that he is as modern as anyone and so is Tyler Bate. An epic match that I feel comfortable saying is one of the best I’ve ever seen.” Dave Musgrave

VOW 2019 MATCH OF THE YEAR RESULTS (260-11)

VOW 2019 Match of the Year (Free Matches Playlist)