Okada and Ibushi duel in Night 1 of NJPW’s two-night Wrestle Kingdom spectacular.

2020 MATCH OF THE YEAR ARCHIVES

VOICES OF WRESTLING MATCH OF THE YEAR ARCHIVES

#3
Kazuchika Okada vs. Kota Ibushi
1/4
NJPW

Overall Points: 831
Total Votes: 99
% of Ballots: 58.6%
19 First-Place Votes 

“At the time, I remember watching this match live and saying it was easily one of the best matches I had ever seen, and that it was better than any match I had seen in 2019, which made it a clear favorite for being the best match of 2020. Despite a whirlwind of stuff happening between January 4 and the end of the year, upon rewatching the match while researching this list, it was still apparent that this was indeed, the best match of 2020.

Most fans familiar with their work would agree that Ibushi and Okada are two of the very best performers in the world, and they put that on full display in this match. The selling is truly excellent, only usurped by the incredible pacing that both men are known for. There are crazy, high-impact moves in this match, but they are delicately spread out throughout the match, interwoven seamlessly with the great selling from both wrestlers. There was great storytelling in the form of Ibushi, an outsider who take a very non traditional route to find himself challenging the great Kazuhcika Okada in the main event of what would end up being the most highly-attended wrestling show of the year, and his attempt to finally win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. The match was the complete package and in the end, the obvious choice to top my MOTY list.” -Jesse Collings

“I just did not want to the match end because you knew you are living through wrestling history and you wanted to savor every minute of it. And of course, the audience investment in it was obvious as a day. The closing moments in the final 10 minutes was sensational.” -Salih Arandı

“For my money, this match far outclassed Okada and Naito’s unification match the next night. It was brutal, it was faster paced, it included Ibushi’s fugue state gimmick he was doing sparingly around that time. This match absolutely owned.” -Jeremy Sexton

“Trust me, I get it. Everyone else liked the Naito match more because of the historical and storyline significance, and I will admit to you that I loved that match. However, Ibushi’s my guy. And his match against Okada had me literally standing in my living room. Each move, each bump, each close fall was better than the last. It was a match classic that is overshadowed by the significance of the Naito match. It’s a match you show people to get into New Japan. The athleticism was the 2020 peak for Okada and the start of Ibushi’s attempted god run in New Japan.” -Ryan Neitzey

“In 2020, Ibushi wasn’t able to pull the doubleheader and win both matches for the IWGP championship. He rectified that a year later, adding the IC title to his mantle as well. The main event of night one of Wrestle Kingdom left night two a lot to live up to.” -Greg Parks

“My reaction after this finished was “That was match of the year” and nothing else in 2020 surpassed it for me.” -Kevin Chiat

“It was one of the best matches in Tokyo Dome history. The atmosphere they created was amazing. The counters in that match was something different. Every move they made meant something. When I started watching , I knew that Okada will retain. But for a minute they made me believe that Ibushi is winning. The ending sequence was perfectly executed. My heart nearly stopped, when I saw Ibushi going for Kamigoye again. But Okada perfectly reversed it with Michinoku Driver V2. Followed by a devastating Rainmaker. This is easily the MOTY. Both guys proved their quality again with a great classic. Matches like this is making me fall in love with this business more and more.” -Kaan Ünverdi

“Yet Another Wrestle Kingdom On The List. Both Okada And Ibushi Walked Into This Match With Lot Of Pressure Especially Ibushi Who Was In His First Tokyo Dome Main Event. They Started with A Slow Pace, But Things Got A Little Intense As Okada Started To Rile Up Ibushi , And This Is Where He Messed Up As Murder Ibushi Had Arrived To Hurt Someone, As He Was Literally No Selling Okada’s Big Moves. At One Point He Botched A Pele Kick And Landed On His Neck. YES THAT Happened. Things Got More Serious As Ibushi Was Legit Trying To Hurt Okada With His Kicks, As He The Fan Favorite Was Now Getting Booed, Showing How Desperately He Wants To Be IWGP Heavyweight Champion. The Action Got Intense With Every Passing Minute, As We See Kick outs From Rainmakers And Kamigoyes. The Final Death Blow Would Be A Sitting Tombstone And Another Rainmaker. As Okada Successfully Retained His Championship, as this was the best WRESTLING math of 2020” -suprit ramnathkar

“Kota Ibushi and Kazuchika Okada had an awesome match in the G1 Climax 29 prior to them meeting at Wrestle Kingdom 14. Even though that match was great, it seemed like both guys were holding back. On January 4th they blew their G1 bout out of the water. This match was epic, violent, and brutal. Both men unloaded every move from their arsenal. I lost my mind when Okada kicked out of a Boma Ye at one! This match had several great counters, hard-hitting moves, and false finishes. This match will go down as one of the best Tokyo Dome main events of all time.” -Jeremy Donovan

“This match ruled. It was brutal, stiff, and told an incredible story all the way through. Murder Ibushi at his peak and the spectacle of the Wrestle Kingdom main event took it to another level.” -Doug Fowler (Skeach101)

“It is impossible to evaluate this match without comparing it to January 5th. They are both 5-star, pantheon matches. I could take the simple, logical route: one match had Kota Ibushi and one did not, therefore January 4th was better. Admittedly, January 5th is the more historically relevant match. There’s no debate on that. On a scale of greatness and significance, January 5th is probably the match of the decade.

Ibushi-Okada is generally derided for the first half of the match. For many, it was glacial, drab, and inconsequential. Some go beyond merely judging January 5th better, but conclude that this match was Actually Just Fine.

I’d characterize the opening stretch as sportingly cautious. Ibushi seems to be doing this a lot lately. His matches have the elongated feeling-out periods you see in prize fights. Not everything is Pacquiao-Marquez I. And believe it or not, there are actually fans of both of these wrestlers. There are people who EXIST that like this thing. They were captivated. It was the January 4th main event; it was a taut atmosphere. That might not have come across to objective viewers without attachment to the competitors.

The build-up supported this excruciatingly careful beginning as well. The story leading into the match was that Kazuchika Okada and Kota Ibushi are two of the greatest wrestlers of all time, they both understand the importance of this match, they each have victories over the other, and they are very aware of how vulnerable they could be if they take things lightly. Or, equally, if they make a mistake. Of course they would start slow.

As far as consequence… they were feeling each other out. It shouldn’t have had an effect on the ending. It wasn’t limb work to deteriorate the limb, it was limb work to deplete the wrestler’s energy. It doesn’t matter anyway, because it turned into a fight. Throw your limb work selling ledger out the window once Murder Ibushi arrives.

No one questions the brilliance of the latter stages of the match. It reaches sublime levels of otherworldly brutality and magnificence. It is peak Okada and prime Ibushi, just sensational and captivating to degrees few matches approach. I don’t believe that this match reaches those heights without the lengthy, measured prologue. The entirety of the match is significant.” -J. Michael Mastro

“Utterly breathtaking. A rousing, noveau New Japan epic main event featuring Okada’s best outing since his June 2018 all-time classic with Kenny Omega.” -Mo Chatra

“The tantalising energy this match built up from the second Kazuchika Okada and Kota Ibushi made their spellbinding entrances, led to the perfect storm for both a Wrestle Kingdom main event and my MOTY. The match fitted the glorious archetype of a modern NJPW main event spectacularly, whilst simultaneously maintaining a grounded sense of pure pro-wrestling rivalry. This match took on a violent side too, from Okada’s almost neck-breaking offence and the appearance of ‘Murder Ibushi’, an element which took this match to the very highest level. Rewatch upon rewatch proves this is/will be a timeless encounter – never fading in its intensity and grandeur.” -Jamie Johnson 

“The night one main event of Wrestle Kingdom 14. It took me a while to understand Okada’s greatness. The moment I really got it was Okada vs. Shibata in 2017. It doesn’t matter who his opponent is, he wrestles THEIR match. This match was awesome, it was technical, it was brutal and Okada survived Death Trance Ibushi. Ibushi proved he belongs in Tokyo Dome main events for years to come.” -Noveliss

“An epic match that is even better with a year of hindsight seeing that it built to Ibushi’s 2021 win. Both guys brought intensity to a new level and showed themselves to be establishing the state of the art.” -Dave Musgrave

“Absolutely epic match that left me disappointed and wanting more all at the same time.” -Mike Gilbert

“Naito standing tall over Okada might have been the story we all came to see, but Okada/Ibushi was the better match bell-to-bell. Despite its role as a placeholder to build to the climax of Night 2, Okada and Ibushi torn the house down, with an IWGP defense that deserved of top billing on 1/4. Even in this year of COVID, few wrestling moments have burned themselves into our collective consciousness quite like Kota Ibushi, with a dead-eyed stare, hauling back and cold-cocking Okada with a closed fist. Brutal and brilliant from beginning to end.” -Jason Westhaver

“Ibushi has an edge to his persona, and a crisp pop to his offense that is executed with the highest level of excellence. When Ibushi is performing at this level, he seems truly like the perfectly crafted wrestler. Okada also showed why he’s consistently able to deliver the best matches, perhaps in history, in not only his tried and true classics, but also pulling out a few less-used maneuvers with absolute perfection. The only less-than-perfect aspect of this match was its end, where a cocky Okada stood triumphant against a failed hero in Ibushi.” -Reuel Castillo

“Want to realize how long a year is? Open up NJPW World and run back 40,000 people losing their mind in the same building over two of the best of the modern era absolutely taking themselves to the limit. Murder Ibushi is everything.” -Marty Day

“It seems like every year for the past few years, we’ve said the same thing – we’ve got a Match of the Year contender only four days into the calendar. This year certainly was no exception – in fact, I’d say it was the closest we’ve ever come to a match holding the top spot for the entire year. In the penultimate match of a main event saga that had been going for months at that point, Kazuchika Okada showed us once again why he is one of the best wrestlers of all time, while Kota Ibushi proved that he belonged in the main event and should never leave it. Both men used every tool in their arsenal and even brought out some new ones, just for the chance to hold the double gold. This was violent, this was epic, this was enthralling – in short, it’s everything that a Wrestle Kingdom main event should be. Both of these men already have legendary careers that will only gain stature in the future, but this match will be especially remembered as a pinnacle of excellence for both of them.” -George Atsaves

“High-stakes, hard-hitting and unpredictable” -Matt Carlins

“Kazuchika Okada defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Kota Ibushi at New Japan’s biggest show of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 14. The strikes from the challenger Ibushi to the champion Okada are just brutal. This match was spectacular.” -Luis Perez

“A cervical spine surgeon’s wet dream” -Christoff

“It might as well have been 67 years ago for all I remember about it but I gave it 5 stars.” -Andrew Lecelle

“It would take another year for Ibushi to become God, but he sure as hell transended to such levels on this night against the current wrestling God.” -Mark Robinson

“This match is just the epitome of a modern big New Japan match. Second half of the match is everything you can ask for with big move after big move. Highlight of the match is Ibushi getting into his darker side and just landing stiff shots at Okada.” -Jason Oun

“This was a big time NJPW Strong style type of main event. Ibushi had splendid selling and facial expressions, while Okada was great at building drama. Perfect blend and best singles match of the year.” -Sid Pullar III

“The best thing NJPW did all year was this match. My favorite wrestler of all time, Okada, working with an opponent who brings out the best in him.” -Ed Kody

“An incredible match fitting for a Wrestle Kingdom main event. Okada and Ibushi gave it all in one of the best Wrestle Kingdom main event matches. Both wrestlers have great chemistry with one another.” -Juan Carlos Reneo

“The main event of the first big show of the year would have taken my top spot in almost any other year – as the first half of the “Double Gold Dash” played out. While the lengthy New Japan main events have drawn some criticism, the 39-minutes here absolutely didn’t feel it. Balancing the will to win with keeping enough left over for night two’s “final”, Okada went to the well and burst out moves he’d not used in ages – perhaps getting the idea for mothballing the Rainmaker from this – but was able to overcome Kota Ibushi and set him off on his own redemption story.” -Ian Hamilton

“Culminating the first night of the first ever two night Wrestle Kingdom, Kota Ibushi and Kazuchika Okada delivered in a spectacular match. This wasn’t laced with a lot of story, just two guys desperately fighting to win the best prize in professional wrestling and they did not disappoint.” -Tyler Forness

“Swept up in the Naito lovefest of Wrestle Kingdom 14, some people have seemingly decided this match simply doesn’t exist, but I am not one of those people. This was the clear best match of Wrestle Kingdom 14, as they unleashed the second half of what their preview in the 2019 G1 seemed to be. This was a glorious fight, with each man brutalizing the other and doing a match that I don’t think people expected at the time. Instead of a traditional fast paced action packed match, Ibushi quietly changed his style to more of a grounded fighter and Okada met him at any place he wanted to take the action. The match just kept getting better and better until Okada walked out the champion. Then he dropped the title the next day and was forgotten.” -Rich Latta

“Kota Ibushi was the winner of the previous year’s g1 Climax which earned him the opportunity to face the champion Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom. This match would take place in the main event of Night 1 on January 4th 2020 as part of the double gold dash in an effort to crown a double champion in NJPW. The winner of this match would go on to face Tetsuya Naito the following night after Naito had beaten Jay White to win the Intercontinental Championship. This match was slow paced at the beginning, Ibushi would have the upper hand at the start and Okada would be worn down as he was forced to expand a lot of his energy early on. The two would work their way to the outside of the ring and Okada would hit Ibushi with a draping DDT on the guardrail (I fear for Ibushi’s brain in the future he’s insane). Okada would take over but Ibushi would fight back and it made for an excellent back and forth match between two of the best wrestlers that NJPW has on their roster. At the end of this match Kota Ibushi’s many efforts would prove to be futile as the Ace (Okada) would hit him with a multitude of last ditch rainmaker clotheslines while maintaining wrist control. Ibushi hit Okada with a head kick as well as a hellacious V Trigger but Okada would come back to hit a tombstone and one last Rainmaker to put Ibushi away to advance to the next night as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. It was one hell of an effort from Ibushi but at the end of the day you can never doubt the Rainmaker it will always get you in the end and at the end of this one Okada was able to hit it and score the win. This match was absolutely incredible.” -Nathan Neumann

“Leave it to these two geniuses to kick off the new year with one of the greatest matches we were treated to all year. A breeze to watch with action shifting from athletics to bare-bones Murder Ibushi violence. In retrospect, if three Rainmakers couldn’t put Ibushi away, maybe I’d try to get a submission finisher, too.” -Warren Hayes

“As I was putting this list together, I realized that I didn’t much care for pandemic-era New Japan, even the stuff that I’m sure I would’ve loved in front of a hot crowd. This was the last hurrah before that, a true Tokyo Dome main event with all the bells and whistles.” -Jarrett Seidler

“Kota Ibushi puts in an incredible performance in this match. The lead up to the match and the first half of the match perfectly build up to a pivotal moment. Ibushi unleashes his more sadistic side like he did in the Nakamura match five years earlier. The criticism that the first portion of the match was bad or boring is annoying, overused and not real accurate. It’s just one of those things that people who don’t have anything meaningful to add say about the match. That’s not to say that Okada matches never go longer than needed and sometimes the first portion of some of his matches have no content in them but this was not one of those matches. If one simply paid attention to the build to the match they would see that. It was a slow pace at the start but it was necessary for the rest of the match. I get that not everyone likes long matches and that’s okay. This match had a slow start for sure but to say that it lacked any meaningful content is incorrect.

In the lead up to the match Okada repeatedly goaded Ibushi into wrestling a style he wanted to. Ibushi, being the idiot he can be sometimes, fell for it and moved away from more of his striking offense to more of Okada’s mat wrestling. The wrestling here was pretty good. Okada got the best of Ibushi on the mat. Every time Ibushi would begin to muster up a comeback Okada would cut him off and wear him down. Ibushi’s frustration grew with every failed comeback. Ibushi did a great job selling his frustration. The urgency of his comebacks escalated until it reached the boiling point. Without this portion of the match, the next part where Ibushi pummels Okada with a flurry of strikes is not as effective. It is earned and it is a great payoff to that first half.

Ibushi going ballistic on Okada was one of the highlights of the year. The no-selling was excellent. Okada with Ibushi with everything and just shrugged it off. Ibushi then responded with some of the nastiest kicks, chops, punches, slaps and forearms I’ve seen all year. It was so brutal and vicious that the crowd started to boo Ibushi a little when he wouldn’t let up on Okada who was cowering on the ropes. Okada was great in this too. At first he was a little smug and cocky when he was hitting Ibushi. His plan hit a roadblock. You can sense his desperation as he tries to wear down Ibushi once more. He sold Ibushi’s offense like death. This entire sequence was a great transition into the next part of the match.

At this point the match is moving at a faster pace. Ibushi and Okada go back and forth hitting each other with big moves. Every move they did was done with great intensity and urgency. The sequences were well done. They struggled intensely to even hit moves on each other. One of the better spots of the match was the battle for the tombstone on the apron. The drama was outstanding. The crowd hung with every big move and every nearfall.” -Rene Martinez

“Some have accused the early portion of this match of being boring and slow, much like the critique of many big time Okada matches. The thing I will always remember from this match that saves it though is Ibushi. His selling and facial expressions during the first parts of this class show a man that is nervous and cautious. He is taking it slow. He doesn’t want to make a mistake. The immensity of this moment is not lost on him. This is the Tokyo Dome. January 4th. This is the main event for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. This is Kota Ibushi’s first time on such a stage and he is in there against a man who has owned this stage for the past 5 plus years. This is why we watch Wrestle Kingdom, for matches that feel like this. Kota Ibushi reflects the magnitude of that feeling, almost as a conduit of the audience. Slowly, slowly, the match starts to pick up. Ibushi becomes more comfortable. The nerves start to disappear. The butterflies are gone. He starts to loosen up and do what he does best. And then in what is the most memorable moment of the match Ibushi flips. He started out nervous, then changed to confident, then changed into the emotionless, vacant, frightening “murder-Kota” that comes out in big spots. In one of my favorite spots of the entire year he stalks Okada while the Rainmaker is on the mat and just begins to punch him directly in the face. A shockingly simply display of violence and agression. Eventually though it’s not enough and Okada, the recent ruler of the Dome stands tall once again. Was Ibushi too nervous? Too confident? Was the unhinged murder Kota his undoing? We will have to wait and see. This just the first part of his Tokyo Dome story. I know he understands the importance of it and can’t wait to see where he goes from here” -S. Dakota Jones

“Is there anything better than Murder Ibushi? I love the glazed eyed violent robot. This was just a stellar match, that took everything they had. It’s also a fantastic launching point for Ibushi, the start of his “darkest night” before fighting back to glory this year. Nobody delivers in the main event spot better than Okada. Almost perfect wrestling.” -Neil David

“Two of the most athletic men in wrestling putting on an absolute spectacle, fit for the 1/4 main event. Spectacular in all the right ways.” -Suit Williams

“Another year, another Wrestle Kingdom main event blowing all our socks off?

In this match Kazuchika Okada and Kota Ibushi, two wrestlers at the peak of technically, athletically and psychologically. As with all matches featuring these two this match had a perfect pace, starting with tentative opening volleys, progressing through the early stages as they feel each other out and accelerating as they begin to push for an advantage, pushing each other further and further until the other cracked. In the end it was Ibushi who cracked first, regressing to his most raw, base state unleashing a violent barrage that few who saw it will forget. Unfortunately for Ibushi, Okada weathered the storm and was able to eek out a final win.

On top of this superb match, this was the night Kota Ibushi stepped up to the most prestigious stage pro wrestling has and showed he belonged.” -Sam Brown

“Match of the year on GRAPPL (average of 4.84 from 1,139 ratings! Essentially 1,000 people think this is perfect). This is a top five match of the year if only for the part where Okada’s dropping Ibushi with an uppercut sends Ibushi psycho and starts landing sick punches in the corner. The story around it of Okada wearing Ibushi and his brittle neck down, but being unable to hang in the striking exchanges / counters was great and led to some great spots (rainmaker attempt countered into bastard driver; Ibushi stomp on Okada mid-dropkick attempt; Okada dropkick countered into powerbomb). 5 star stuff.” -Gareth Hodgson

“Okada and Ibushi had a methodical start but it felt very organic how they acted in this match. Ibushi was a real lunatic in this match, while Okada was pretty straight forward and focussed to defend his title. The strikes were so intense, the storytelling on another level and the whole match was perfectly balanced here. If you look for a clean and well paced match, don’t look any further. Okada battered Ibushi at the end with the Rainmaker and the atmosphere at the Dome was absolutely great.” -Christian Gascoigne

“This match feels like it got lost in the shuffle, considering that it got overshadowed by both the main event between Okada and Naito on Night 2 as well as (to a lesser extent) the big IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title bout between Will Ospreay and Hiromu Takahashi on Night 1. It’s a shame really, because this was an absolutely amazing main event. We got a taste of what these two could do together during the 2019 G1 Climax, and they improved on that previous encounter in a big way with this bout. Okaka. Ibushi. The Tokyo Dome. Wrestle Kingdom. What else is there to say? When you put those various ingredients together, you’re almost guaranteed something special, and that’s exactly what we got.” -Sean Sedor

“2020 was a very rocky year for a lot of reasons, and while New Japan was not spared its fair share of turbulence, it at least started off on the right foot with an epic worthy of a Wrestle Kingdom main event. If Okada didn’t follow up the next night with the Naito match, this would’ve taken my #1 spot for the best match of the year in New Japan, I’m sure of it.” -Andrew Rich

“The greatest of entrance of 2020 hands down. Oh and the match was pretty awesome too.” -WH Park

“At several times during Okada vs. Ibushi, I found myself jaw dropped, blurting out “Wow!” Both men seemed intent on elevating the art form that night. Chemistry, crispness, and all-world talent added up to one of the best Wrestle Kingdom matches ever. Ibushi was a revelation as the obstinate challenger, popping up after big moves with a go-ahead-and-try-me look on his face.” -Ryan Dilbert

“2 great artists, both with a claim to being the best wrestler of their generation. While the story of the Naito win on night 2 may be more memorable, this match deserves to be remembered as an all-time classic as well.” -Liam Renner

“39 minutes of hard-hitting and highly satisfying puroresu action back when crowds could roar. Good times.” -Ricardo Gallegos

“Full honesty, there is a time for long 30-plus minute battles in wrestling and then there’s not. Personal preference is 25 minutes or less because you can tell your story without going on for nearly an hour. But when it comes to a true Kazuchika Okada Wrestle Kingdom main event, it’s hard to deny that greatness. And while many love the battle with Tetsuya Naito on Night 2 of Wrestle Kingdom 14, it is the Okada vs. Kota Ibushi match that takes the top prize in my rankings for best New Japan match of the year. The brutalization from beginning to end shows a sense of desperation to not be the one left out of the Double Gold Dash final the night after. Ibushi, the G1 Climax winner, was looking and searching to somehow put “The Rainmaker” away on the stage that he shines the brightest, but he could not accomplish that feat. In the end, it was Okada who walked out as the winner in what goes down as an all-time classic bout.” -Scott Edwards

“I thought Wrestle Kingdom peaked at night one, and this had a heavy task of headlining that night, and trying to follow a trio of outstanding matches that led to the main event that evening.” -Sean Ross Sapp

“The first half amounted to almost nothing but filler, but when these two hit the higher gears it was excellent. As an unabashed Ibushi fan I was on the edge of my seat, roaring with each near fall. Despite the length, if Ibushi won here it would’ve been my MOTY, no question.” -Shane

Voices of Wrestling 2020 Match of the Year
(261-11)

PlaceMatchDatePromotionOverall PointsTotal Votes% of ballotsHighest Vote
1Hangman Page & Kenny Omega vs. The Young Bucks2/29AEW106912272.2%1st
2Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada1/5NJPW93610662.7%1st
3Kazuchika Okada vs. Kota Ibushi1/4NJPW8319958.6%1st
4WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov10/29WWE (NXT UK)5658349.1%1st
5Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi1/4NJPW5087846.2%1st
6Go Shiozaki vs. Takashi Sugiura12/6NOAH4345633.1%1st
7Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado12/11NJPW3405532.5%1st
8Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Go Shiozaki11/22NOAH3074224.9%1st
9RED vs. Toryumon Gen12/20Dragongate2763721.9%1st
10Kenny Omega vs. PAC2/26AEW1713420.1%1st
11Stadium Stampede5/23AEW1662816.6%1st
12Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi10/10NJPW1463520.7%2nd
13Villano III Jr. vs. Aéreo3/1AAA1452414.2%1st
14Santana/Ortiz vs. Best Friends9/16AEW1422917.2%1st
15Kota Ibushi vs. Minoru Suzuki10/10NJPW1232213.0%1st
16Jon Moxley vs. Minoru Suzuki2/9NJPW1152816.6%1st
17Mayu Iwatani vs. Takumi Iroha2/8Stardom1142112.4%2nd
18Mizuki vs. Yuka Sakazaki11/7TJPW1111911.2%1st
19FTR vs. The Young Bucks11/7AEW1092514.8%2nd
20Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi9/20NJPW1032213.0%2nd
21Go Shiozaki vs. Kazuyuki Fujita3/29NOAH91137.7%1st
22Kento Miyahara vs. Zeus10/5AJPW811810.7%2nd
23Yuki Ishikawa vs. Daisuke Ikeda3/7wXw80116.5%1st
24Adam Page, Alex Reynolds & John Silver vs. MJF, Ortiz & Santana12/30AEW771810.7%1st
25Mayu Iwatani vs. Takumi Iroha10/18Stardom75116.5%1st
26Sasha Banks vs. Bayley10/25WWE66105.9%1st
27Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Will Ospreay2/14RevPro61158.9%2nd
28Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Go Shiozaki1/4NOAH59116.5%3rd
29Hiromu Takahashi vs. Ryu Lee2/9NJPW58116.5%2nd
30Kenny Omega vs. Laredo Kid12/12AAA51105.9%2nd
31Mike Bailey vs. Bandido3/7wXw5074.1%1st
32Brodie Lee vs. Cody10/7AEW49158.9%6th
33Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay9/27NJPW49116.5%5th
34Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak3/8WWE4974.1%1st
35Finn Balor vs. Kyle O'Reilly10/4WWE (NXT)47116.5%3rd
36PAC vs. Orange Cassidy2/29AEW4695.3%1st
37Fred Yehi vs. Jeremy Wyatt6/27St. Louis Anarchy44105.9%2nd
38Matt Tremont vs. Rickey Shane Page10/30H204274.1%1st
39Kento Miyahara vs. Suwama3/23AJPW3895.3%1st
40Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii9/27NJPW3884.7%4th
41Kota Ibushi vs. Taichi10/16NJPW3884.7%5th
42Butcher & Blade vs. Natural Nightmares11/11AEW3774.1%1st
43Kaito Ishida vs. Keisuke Okuda11/3Dragongate3763.6%1st
44Eita vs. Naruki Doi8/2Dragongate3674.1%2nd
45Hideki Suzuki vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima2/16NOAH3674.1%4th
46Go Shiozaki vs. Kenoh8/10NOAH3653.0%2nd
47Chessman vs. Pagano12/12AAA3453.0%1st
48Hangman Page & Kenny Omega vs. The Lucha Brothers2/19AEW3195.3%4th
49Kagetsu & Mayu Iwatani vs. Jungle Kyona & Momo Watanabe1/26Stardom3153.0%4th
50Jake Lee vs. Kento Miyahara1/3AJPW2974.1%5th
51Tetsuya Endo vs. Daisuke Sasaki11/3DDT2942.4%1st
52Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jay White10/16NJPW2784.7%4th
53Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kaito Kiyomiya10/11NOAH2742.4%1st
54Cody vs. Eddie Kingston7/22AEW2742.4%3rd
55Wotan & Mascara Sagrada Jr. vs. El Hijo de Fishman & Mr. Condor2/15Lucha Strong2731.8%1st
56Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Will Ospreay2/2NJPW2674.1%4th
57Will Ospreay vs. Dowie James1/11MCW2642.4%1st
58Kzy vs. Naruki Doi2/7Dragongate2642.4%2nd
59Rickey Shane Page vs. Nick Gage2/15GCW2584.7%3rd
60AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan6/8WWE2574.1%2nd
61Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii9/30NJPW2553.0%1st
62Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly & Roderick Strong vs. Alexander Wolfe, Fabian Aichner, Marcel Barthel & WALTER1/25WWE (NXT)2542.4%2nd
63Minoru Suzuki vs. Yuji Nagata6/17NJPW2484.7%4th
64Brodie Lee vs. Cody8/22AEW2374.1%5th
65Arisa Nakajima vs. Yoshiko7/13SEAdLINNNG2263.6%6th
66Yuya Aoki vs. Fumenori Abe2/11BJW2253.0%4th
67Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso9/27WWE2053.0%5th
68Emi Sakura vs. Yuna Mizumori6/30Gatoh Move2021.2%1st
69Tomohiro Ishii vs. Minoru Suzuki9/19NJPW1953.0%4th
70Jun Akiyama vs. Konosuke Takeshita11/3DDT1942.4%3rd
71Hiromu Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii7/2NJPW1842.4%4th
72Mayu Iwatani vs. Jungle Kyona7/24Stardom1821.2%1st
72Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak5/11WWE1821.2%1st
74Lee Moriarty vs. Jonathan Gresham10/10GCW1742.4%5th
75Mayumi Ozaki vs. Saori Anou8/28OZ Academy1731.8%3rd
76Jake Lee, Shuji Ishikawa & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Kento Miyahara, Suwama & Zeus4/6AJPW1631.8%1st
77Abdullah Kobayashi vs. Toshiyuki Sakuda vs. Yuki Ishikawa6/21BJW1631.8%3rd
78Marcius Pitt vs. Davis Storm3/7EPW1631.8%3rd
79Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi vs. Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ueno10/25DDT1631.8%5th
80Lee Moriarty vs. ACH10/9GCW1542.4%3rd
81Men's Royal Rumble Match1/26WWE1542.4%4th
82Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin1/12WWE (NXT UK)1442.4%7th
83Utami Hyashishita vs. Momo Watanabe12/20Stardom1431.8%3rd
84Giulia vs. Tam Nakano10/3Stardom1431.8%5th
85Jordynne Grace vs. Deonna Purrazzo7/18Impact Wrestling1421.2%4th
86Shotaro Ashino & Kuma Arashi vs. Shuji Ishikawa & Suwama11/18AJPW1410.6%1st
86Baliyan Akki & Mei Suruga vs. Riho & Yuna Mizumori7/5Gatoh Move1410.6%1st
86Mayu Iwatani, Tam Nakano, Starlight Kid & Saya Iida vs. Giulia, Syuri, Maika & Himeka6/21Stardom1410.6%1st
86Daniel Makabe vs. Kevin Ku1/5SUP1410.6%1st
86Jordan Oliver vs. Myron Reed7/25Synergy Pro Wrestling1410.6%1st
86Jack Tucker vs. Thirteen11/13United Pro Wrestling1410.6%1st
92John Cena vs. The Fiend4/5WWE1342.4%3rd
93Titan vs. Soberano Jr.9/25CMLL1331.8%3rd
94Suwama vs. Shotaro Ashino6/30AJPW1321.2%3rd
95Lee Moriarty vs. Daniel Makabe10/9SUP1321.2%4th
96Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page11/7AEW1242.4%6th
97Riho vs. Nyla Rose2/12AEW1231.8%4th
98Shingo Takagi vs. SHO6/22NJPW1231.8%5th
99DIY vs. Moustache Mountain1/25WWE (NXT)1221.2%3rd
100Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Yoshiko & Sareee11/27SEAdLINNNG1131.8%3rd
101Daisuke Harada vs. Dick Togo1/30NOAH1131.8%5th
102MAO vs. Masato Tanaka2/23DDT1131.8%6th
103Kota Ibushi vs. SANADA10/18NJPW1131.8%6th
104Giulia vs. Syuri12/20Stardom1121.2%2nd
105Rich Swann vs. Eric Young10/24Impact Wrestling1121.2%3rd
106Kagetsu vs. Meiko Satomura2/24Kagetsu Retirement Show1121.2%4th
107Wotan & Super Dragons vs. El Hijo de Fishman & Amatheus12/5LLPM1121.2%5th
108Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL & Shingo Takagi1/6NJPW1053.0%8th
109Thunder Rosa vs. Priscilla Kelly9/22UWN1042.4%7th
110Wardlow vs. Cody Rhodes2/19AEW1031.8%4th
110Will Ospreay vs. Tomohiro Ishii9/23NJPW1031.8%4th
112Mayu Iwatani vs. Momo Watanabe1/19Stardom1031.8%7th
113Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura vs. T-Hawk & El Lindaman6/7DDT1021.2%2nd
114MJF vs. Jungle Boy5/23AEW1021.2%6th
114Butcher & The Blade & The Lucha Brothers vs. The Young Bucks & FTR7/8AEW1021.2%6th
116Matt Riddle vs. Timothy Thatcher5/27WWE (NXT)942.4%6th
117Undisputed Era vs. Broserweights2/16WWE (NXT)931.8%4th
118Chris Dickinson vs. Matt Makowski 9/20Beyond Wrestling921.2%4th
118Will Ospreay vs. Bea Priestley3/16WrestleTalk921.2%4th
120Cody vs. Darby Allin11/7AEW921.2%5th
120Mayu Iwatani vs. Syuri10/3Stardom921.2%5th
122Mitch McCarthy vs. Rip Rielly2/29AWL910.6%2nd
122Natsumi Maki vs. Sareee1/4TJPW910.6%2nd
124Yuji Okabayashi vs.  Daisuke Sekimoto11/23BJW831.8%7th
125Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI10/23NJPW821.2%5th
126LA Park vs. Eddie Kingston2/14RevPro821.2%6th
127Minoru Suzuki vs. Shingo Takagi11/7NJPW821.2%7th
128Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee5/23AEW810.6%3rd
128Ace Perry vs. Lee Moriarty3/15Bizarro Lucha810.6%3rd
128Tim Hayden vs. LFB8/15IPW Australia810.6%3rd
128Mei Hoshizuki vs. Maria1/19Marvelous810.6%3rd
128Dangerous Tekkers vs. Golden Aces7/12NJPW810.6%3rd
128Giulia vs. Himeka10/29Stardom810.6%3rd
128Mayu Iwatani vs. Utami Hayashishita11/15Stardom810.6%3rd
128Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley4/5WWE810.6%3rd
136Masato Tanaka vs. Tetsuya Endo6/7DDT731.8%7th
136Minoru Suzuki vs. Shingo Takagi8/29NJPW731.8%7th
138Jeff Cobb vs. Tomohiro Ishii10/10NJPW731.8%7th
139AZM vs. Starlight Kid10/3Stardom721.2%5th
139Men's War Games12/6WWE (NXT)721.2%5th
141Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kenoh9/18NOAH721.2%5th
141Timothy Thatcher vs. Oney Lorcan7/1WWE (NXT)721.2%5th
143Masashi Takeda vs. Toru Sugiura12/25FREEDOMS710.6%4th
143Mei Suruga vs. ASUKA5/23Gatoh Move710.6%4th
143Mei Suruga vs. Ryo Mizunami10/4Gatoh Move710.6%4th
143AZM & Kagetsu vs. Mayu Iwatani & Starlight Kid1/2Stardom710.6%4th
143Ivan Black vs. Ricky Rembrandt9/26United Pro Wrestling710.6%4th
143AJ Styles vs. The Undertaker4/4WWE710.6%4th
143The New Day vs. The Street Profits11/22WWE710.6%4th
143Mayumi Ozaki & Saori Anou vs. Aja Kong & Hiroyo Matsumoto2/24ZERO1710.6%4th
151Daniel Bryan vs. The Fiend1/26WWE631.8%7th
152Eddie Kingston vs. Jon Moxley -11/7AEW631.8%8th
153Suzu Suzuki vs. Tsukushi9/20Ice Ribbon621.2%7th
154Masaaki Mochizuki  vs. Kaito Kiyomiya  9/18NOAH621.2%8th
154Takumi Iroha, Rin Kadokura & Mei Hoshizuki vs. Momo Watanabe, AZM & Utami Hayashishita9/28Stardom621.2%8th
156CHANGO & Kaji Tomato vs. Kengo Mashimo & Kunio Toshima5/102AW610.6%5th
156Mei Suruga vs. Mitsuru Konno7/9Gatoh Move610.6%5th
156Emi Sakura & Riho vs. Mei Suruga & Yuna Mizumori9/26Gatoh Move610.6%5th
156Mei Suruga vs. Yuna Mizumori5/27Gatoh Move610.6%5th
156Trish Adora vs. Suge D10/9GCW610.6%5th
156Alex Colon vs. AKIRA10/17ICW610.6%5th
156Kota Ibushi vs. Shingo Takagi10/7NJPW610.6%5th
156Kenoh vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima8/4NOAH610.6%5th
156Lana Austin vs. Yuka Sakazaki1/11Pro Wrestling Eve610.6%5th
156Leon vs. Hanako Nakamori7/26PURE-J610.6%5th
156Jules Canan vs. Craven vs. Ritchie Taylor3/15Wide Bay Pro Wrestling610.6%5th
156Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Shotaro Ashino2/12Wrestle-1610.6%5th
156Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Makabe3/6wXw610.6%5th
169Takuya Nomura & Fuminori Abe vs. Kohei Sato & Daisuke Sekimoto8/10BJW531.8%9th
170Kaito Ishida vs. Keisuke Okuda11/15Dragongate521.2%7th
171Mitsuru Konno vs. Mei Suruga7/19Gatoh Move521.2%8th
172Kenny Omega & Hangman Page vs. The Young Bucks vs. Best Friends vs. Santana & Ortiz1/15AEW510.6%6th
172Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin8/5AEW510.6%6th
172Lee Moriarty vs. Alex Shelley2/7AIW510.6%6th
172RED vs. Toryumon Generation12/6Dragongate510.6%6th
172AJ Gray vs. ACH10/10Glory Pro510.6%6th
172Jay White vs. Tetsuya Naito1/4NJPW510.6%6th
172Jay White vs. Kota Ibushi9/23NJPW510.6%6th
172Shingo Takagi vs. Hirooki Goto2/1NJPW510.6%6th
172Arisa Nakajima vs. Yoshiko1/24SEAdLINNNG510.6%6th
172Arisa Nakajima vs. ASUKA6/13SEAdLINNNG510.6%6th
172Arisa Hoshiki vs. Utami Hayashishita1/19Stardom510.6%6th
172Jake Nova vs. Tim Kade vs. Jackson Cross2/22Venom Pro Wrestling510.6%6th
172Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso10/25WWE510.6%6th
185TJP vs. Hijo del Vikingo2/4Impact Wrestling421.2%8th
185Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii2/20NJPW421.2%8th
187Ayato Yoshida & Tank Nagai vs. Kaji Tomato & CHANGO3/252AW410.6%7th
187Zac Reynolds & Renegade vs. Wacol's Most Wanted5/93 Count Wrestling Academy410.6%7th
187Daniel Makabe vs. Judas Icarus1/103-2-1 BATTLE!410.6%7th
187The Young Bucks vs. The Butcher and The Blade7/22AEW410.6%7th
187Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley12/2AEW410.6%7th
187Tony Deppen vs. John Silver3/1Beyond Wrestling410.6%7th
187Kimber Lee vs. Joey Janela8/23Beyond Wrestling410.6%7th
187KAI vs. BxB Hulk vs. YAMATO vs. Yoshino vs. EITA vs. Big R Shimizu9/21Dragongate410.6%7th
187Hagane Shinnou vs. Keisuke Ishii7/26Ganbare Pro410.6%7th
187Maya Yukihi vs. Suzu Suzuki8/9Ice Ribbon410.6%7th
187Low Ki vs. Masashi Takeda1/4ICW410.6%7th
187The Great Space War12/11Michinoku Pro Wrestling410.6%7th
187KENTA vs. Hirooki Goto1/5NJPW410.6%7th
187El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori12/2NJPW410.6%7th
187Edge vs. Randy Orton6/14WWE410.6%7th
187Johnny Gargano vs. Finn Balor2/16WWE (NXT)410.6%7th
187Timothy Thatcher vs. Oney Lorcan7/22WWE (NXT)410.6%7th
187Io Shirai vs. Candice LaRae10/28WWE (NXT)410.6%7th
187Strong BJ vs. Dangan Yankees3/1ZERO1410.6%7th
187Yuji Hino vs. Kohei Sato3/1ZERO1410.6%7th
207Hiromu Takahashi vs. Toru Yano6/24NJPW331.8%10th
207Thunder Rosa vs. Allysin Kay1/24NWA331.8%10th
209Arez vs. Tromba11/6Lucha Madre321.2%9th
210Daichi Hashimoto vs. Yuji Okabayashi1/2BJW310.6%8th
210Yasufumi Nakanoue vs. Yuya Aoki3/21BJW310.6%8th
210Masato Tanaka vs. MAO2/25DDT310.6%8th
210Naruki Doi vs. Susumu Yokosuka3/1Dragongate310.6%8th
210Davis Storm vs. Gavin McGavin12/5EPW310.6%8th
210ASUKA vs. Shota12/26Ganbare Pro310.6%8th
210Grizzly Kal Jak vs. Erik Hammer10/12GCW310.6%8th
210Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Suzu Suzuki3/15Ice Ribbon310.6%8th
210Tetsuya Naito vs. EVIL7/12NJPW310.6%8th
210Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.9/24NJPW310.6%8th
210Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii10/13NJPW310.6%8th
210Jay White vs. Kota Ibushi11/7NJPW310.6%8th
210Shane Taylor vs. Jay Briscoe12/18Ring of Honor310.6%8th
210Briscoes vs. Bandido & Flamita2/9Ring of Honor310.6%8th
210Jeremy Wyatt vs. Nick Gage1/10St. Louis Anarchy310.6%8th
210Tam Nakano vs. Giulia7/26Stardom310.6%8th
210Mayu Iwatani vs. Tam Nakano9/19Stardom310.6%8th
210Malibu vs. Jack Tucker9/12United Pro Wrestling310.6%8th
210Asuka vs. Sasha Banks8/23WWE310.6%8th
210AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Sami Zayn9/27WWE310.6%8th
230Mei Suruga & Baliyan Akki vs. Emi Sakura & Kaori Yoneyama12/5Gatoh Move221.2%10th
230Hiromu Takahashi vs. Robbie Eagles11/29NJPW221.2%10th
230Yuji Hino vs. Yuji Okabayashi1/1ZERO1221.2%10th
233Yuji Okabayashi vs. Tank Nagai5/232AW210.6%9th
233Penta El Zero M vs. Rey Fenix10/21AEW210.6%9th
233Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara2/29AEW210.6%9th
233Chris Jericho vs. Jon Moxley2/29AEW210.6%9th
233Yuki Ishikawa vs. Raito Shimizu2/11BAP210.6%9th
233Daichi Hashimoto vs. Yuji Okabayashi10/21BJW210.6%9th
233Toru Sugiura vs. Yuko Miyamoto2/10FREEDOMS210.6%9th
233Lulu Pencil vs. Kaori Yoneyama6/20Gatoh Move210.6%9th
233Dark Sheik vs. Still Life w/ Apricots & Pears10/10GCW210.6%9th
233Tom Lawlor vs. Homicide10/11GCW210.6%9th
233John Wayne Murdoch vs. Orin Veidt8/30ICW210.6%9th
233Chase Cooper vs. Reaper8/15Impact Pro Wrestling Australia210.6%9th
233Deonna Purrazzo vs. Su Yung11/14Impact Wrestling210.6%9th
233Eric Young vs. Eddie Edwards10/3Impact Wrestling210.6%9th
233Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard1/12Impact Wrestling210.6%9th
233Shingo Takagi vs. SHO7/12NJPW210.6%9th
233Jay White vs. Shingo Takagi9/19NJPW210.6%9th
233Minoru Suzuki vs. Jay White10/13NJPW210.6%9th
233Go Shiozaki, Katsuhiko Nakajima & Shuhei Taniguchi vs. Takashi Sugiura, Kazuyuki Fujita & Hideki Suzuki1/30NOAH210.6%9th
233Kenou vs. Kaito Kiyomia11/22NOAH210.6%9th
233Ricky Starks vs. Nick Aldis1/7NWA210.6%9th
233Jinny vs. Nina Samuels1/11Pro Wrestling Eve210.6%9th
233Masashi Takeda vs. Brandon Kirk1/8SAW210.6%9th
233Yoshiko & Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto8/26SEAdLINNNG210.6%9th
233Maki Itoh vs. Hikari Noa1/4TJPW210.6%9th
233Yuji Okabayashi vs. Kuma Arashi 3/15Wrestle-1210.6%9th
233Keith Lee vs. Roderick Strong1/2WWE (NXT)210.6%9th
233Women's War Games12/6WWE (NXT)210.6%9th
261Hikaru Shida vs. Thunder Rosa9/5AEW110.6%10th
261Chris Jericho & Jake Hager vs. Luther & Serpentico10/7AEW110.6%10th
261Naoya Nomura vs. Ayato Yoshida1/19AJPW110.6%10th
261Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Jake Lee & Koji Iwamoto12/7AJPW110.6%10th
261Fuminori Abe vs. Isami Kodaka7/14BASARA110.6%10th
261Nick Jackson vs. Matt Jackson4/20BTE110.6%10th
261Volador Jr. vs. Templario9/25CMLL110.6%10th
261Shinya Aoki vs. Sanshiro Takagi11/3DDT110.6%10th
261Kaoru Ito & Tomoko Watanabe vs. Miyuke Takase & Haruka Umesaki8/30DIANA110.6%10th
261Miyako Matsumoto vs. Cypress Ueno6/5Gake No Fuchi110.6%10th
261Anthony Greene vs. Ava Everett8/26Limitless Wrestling110.6%10th
261Chigusa Nagayo & Takumi Iroha vs. Mei Hoshizuki & Masha Slamovich3/20Marvelous110.6%10th
261Yota Tsuji vs. Gabriel Kidd6/15NJPW110.6%10th
261EVIL vs. Zack Sabre Jr.9/20NJPW110.6%10th
261Will Ospreay vs. Minoru Suzuki10/7NJPW110.6%10th
261Kenou vs. Kazushi Sakuraba12/6NOAH110.6%10th
261Thunder Rosa vs. Allysin Kay2/4NWA110.6%10th
261Hoodfoot vs. Erick Stevens10/11Paradigm Pro110.6%10th
261Spike Trivet vs. Jordon Breaks3/14Riptide110.6%10th
261DASH Chisako, Meiko Satomura & Syuri vs. Chihiro Hashimoto, Sakura Hirota & Yuu3/28Sendai Girls110.6%10th
261Giulia, Syuri, Maika & Himeka vs. Momo Watanabe, Utami Hayashishita, AZM & Saya Kamitani7/24Stardom110.6%10th
261Hikari Noa vs. Mirai Maiumi11/7TJPW110.6%10th
261Craven vs. Renegade2/22Venom Pro Wrestling110.6%10th
261Keith Lee vs. Dominik Dijacovik2/16WWE (NXT)110.6%10th
261Sasha Banks vs. Io Shirai7/1WWE (NXT)110.6%10th
261Io Shirai vs. Rhea Ripley11/18WWE (NXT)110.6%10th
261Timothy Thatcher vs. Tommaso Ciampa12/6WWE (NXT)110.6%10th

 

Voices of Wrestling 2020 Match of the Year
(Archives)

Visit voicesofwrestling.com/match-of-the-year to view our Match of the Year archives.