Hiromu Takahashi completes his miraculous comeback by tearing the house down with Will Ospreay.

2020 MATCH OF THE YEAR ARCHIVES

VOICES OF WRESTLING MATCH OF THE YEAR ARCHIVES

#5
Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi
1/4
NJPW

Overall Points: 508
Total Votes: 78
% of Ballots: 46.2%
4 First-Place Votes

“Deciding which match from 2020 would take my top spot was a very tough call to make, as I felt that three different matches were right on the same level. Ultimately, I decided to go with Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi from Night 1 of Wrestle Kingdom 14. The matches that were part of the Double Gold Dash had all the attention (rightfully so, in many respects), but the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title arguably stole the entire weekend. It was an incredible match between two of the best wrestlers in the world today. Ospreay was impeccable as always, while Hiromu had an outstanding performance in his own right, and was able to regain the title that he lost after suffering his serious neck injury in 2018. They were able to prove that, with the right combination, the juniors can go into the Tokyo Dome and put on a match that’s just as strong as the critically acclaimed Wrestle Kingdom main events.” -Sean Sedor

“Will Ospreay and Hiromu Takahashi are both fantastic professional wrestlers, this was Hiromu’s first match back there is a lot of backstory to how this match got set up that goes all the way back to Power Struggle 2019. After Will Ospreay defeated Bushi to retain the Junior Heavyweight Championship he grabbed a microphone and promptly issued an open challenge to anyone in the Junior Heavyweight Division to a match at Wrestle Kingdom 14. To Ospreay’s surprise and everyone else’s in attendance for that matter, the challenge was answered by the returning Hiromu Takahashi who had previously broken his neck in a match with Dragon Lee on July 7th 2018 at the g1 Special in San Francisco California. Hiromu’s emergence from the curtain created one of the loudest reactions that I can remember in quite some time. There’s not a living soul who didn’t want to see Hiromu come back and once he got into the ring it set up what was to come. When Hiromu would make his way to the ring at Wrestle Kingdom he was laser-focused determined to do one thing and one thing only and that was to dethrone Will Ospreay and once again become the king of the junior division and to regain his rightful crown that he never officially lost. It’s the ultimate redemption story that fans everywhere wanted to see. The match began and the crowd was into it, they would wrestle to the ground and Ospreay would divert his focus for a moment to showboat in the corner before things picked up again. They would trade blows in the center in the ring the match was an offensive exhibition between both men as they both gave their best efforts against the other. Hiromu would powerbomb Ospreay on the apron Hiromu would then run from the apron and hit Ospreay with a dropkick that sent him into the guardrail. The beginning of the match was brutal Hiromu doesn’t pace things he goes 100% from the opening bell because that’s Hiromu. Ospreay would catch Hiromu coming back into the ring with a DDT sending his head directly into the mat. This match was phenomenal it was an absolute war to see who the better man was. The current King of the Super Juniors in Will Ospreay vs. the returning King in Hiromu Takahashi who came back to lay claim to what was rightfully his, this match had zero room for error and they nailed everything that they did it was a true joy to watch. Hiromu hadn’t wrestled a single match in a year and a half prior to this match taking place but there was zero rust on him and he didn’t miss a beat at all he was the man that everyone wanted to see and he made the effort to give us a performance that we would never forget! For everything surrounding the match with the backstory involving Hiromu his journey back to the ring, as he looked to get back what was taken from him there is no doubt in my mind that this is the best match of 2020, TIMEBOMB FOREVER!!!” -Nathan Neumann

“Stealing the show at the Tokyo Dome is likely to land you a top 3 spot maybe just on principle alone. There were high expectations for this and they blew it out of the water.” -Sean Ross Sapp

“An absolute spectacle of innovative high spots and the rewatchability factor is through the roof.” -Bill Bodkin

“The ceiling for this match was “greatest match of all time.” Of all the matches as Wrestle Kingdom, this was the one that had me salivating the most. It’s too tempting to turn a critical eye onto everything I watch these days, but the exchange of dodged dives to the outside dragged me into this match in a way that not many matches can. This is junior wrestling at its best.” -Neil David

“Wrestle Kingdom was so long ago that I had somewhat forgotten about this match since I first saw it. The only thing I could immediately recall from Wrestle Kingdom 14 were the two main event matches. However, when looking back at my notes from earlier this year, it was clear this was one of the best matches of 2020. As you would expect from these two; this was a match full of insane risks and intricate spots, worked at a furious pace that made it seem like no move was too ambitious from taking place at any moment. The excellent story, of Hiromu Takahashi returning from his broken neck and battling Ospreay, who had basically outgrown the NJPW Junior Heavyweight division, was also a huge part of what made this match so good.” -Jesse Collings

“After tragically breaking his neck over 17 months prior to this match, there were some questions about whether he could go and he silenced them within the first 5 minutes. This match had everything you could want out of an IWGP Junior Title Match at the Tokyo Dome: high flying, crazy spots done to perfection and even the debut of a devastating finisher in the Time Bomb 2. Hiromu showed us that he never truly left.” -Tyler Forness

“Hiromu’s first big test after recovering from a broken neck, in hindsight this was perhaps more of a canvas for Ospreay to test out the heelish side that later be used as part of the Empire – particularly since the focus of this was was on one man. Hiromu. Of course there was focus on his neck, but the story of the match was about Hiromu’s resilience – that what that didn’t kill him did make him stronger, and that all that time off hadn’t taken him out of the game. The same emotions we all felt a few months earlier on his return came back in full force for this – and would have set up for something much different had the world not gone to hell.” -Ian Hamilton

“Blistering pace, non stop action, immaculate execution. Have a feeling this will be forgotten in this year’s voting, but it was sublime.” -Jeremy Sexton

“Two of the very best wrestlers in the world delivering a clinic on one of the year’s biggest shows. Oh, and a wonderfully executed comeback angle, culminating in a title change. You can’t ask for much more really.” -Andrew Sinclair

“Hiromu’s Tokyo Dome comeback started with a real banger against Will Ospreay. Despite it being pretty clear that Hiromu was going to win “his” title back from the “Aerial Assassin” the match delivered big time. Those two men showed unreal athleticism, great selling of Hiromu’s neck and great intensity. Will Ospreay made a case for the best wrestler around, and Hiromu was as good as he ever was before his career-threatening injury and thus they had the best match on the first day of Wrestle Kingdom.” -Christian Gascoigne

“The cream of the crop of the juniors division delivered in a big way at Wrestle Kingdom. One of those pairings that simply can’t have a bad match together.” -Greg Parks

“State of the art action. Out of this world chemistry with these two men. The story telling was phenomenal using Hiromu’s real life neck injury to ramp up the drama. Fantastic junior heavyweight title match.” -Sid Pullar III

“Take two of the best wrestlers on the planet, with one of them making his big match return from injury, and give them 25 minutes to go balls out in the Tokyo Dome. Ospreay capped off his incredible 2019 with this, and Hiromu let the world know that even a broken neck wouldn’t stop him from being one of New Japan’s brightest stars.” -Suit Williams

“Incredible performance by Takahashi in his first singles match in eighteen months after that horrible neck injury. In the context of that lengthy hiatus, Hiromu’s performance was all the more remarkable.” -Mo Chantra

“The biggest question coming into this match was if Hiromu would be as crazy as he was before he broke his neck. Within the first minute of this match we got our answer. About as excellent as you think it would be on paper, and more.” -Bryan Rose

“One of the best junior heavyweight matches of all time. Takahashi became the junior ace for years to come in both positioning and ability and Ospreay graduated to the heavyweight division. A sublime combination of high spots and psychology.” -Benno

“Ospreay picked up right where he left off in 2019. Takahashi was back in top form. Crazy sequences, this match was just explosive from start to finish and they maintained an amazing pace.” -Noveliss

“This is one of the best Jr. Heavyweight matches that I ever seen between two of the best wrestlers right now in the world. The finishing stretch to the match was just tremendous.” -Filip Pejic

“Two elite level junior heavyweights putting on one of the greatest Jr Heavyweight title matches ever. Showed that both men are destined for bigger things than this title.” -Ed Kody

“This match is absolutely incredible. For starters the story of Hiromu returning to his throne after being out for a year and a half was very heartwarming. To see him come back and wrestle like he never left, like the absolute madman he is, was excellent. He was arguably one of the most over acts in the Tokyo Dome those two nights, second to Naito and maybe Okada. Ospreay and Hiromu and some of the most incredible sequences I’ve ever seen. Just a complete masterclass in high flying action.” -Christopher Duarte

“New Japan has an all time great baby face in Hiromu. He is better than Yamada, Sayama and Dynamite Kid. That was my favourite comeback story.” -Salih Arandi

“As Ospreay took his final bow as a junior heavyweight, Hiromu returned to take over as the leader of the division. It was only right that they had an absolute classic and the best of their series of matches. Filled with flawless, jaw-dropping sequences, it’s a match so amazing you have to remind yourself that Hiromu was returning from a broken neck. 2020 was a noteworthy year for both men, and it all started right here.” -Andrew Rich

“Hiromu Takahashi walked in the dome fresh off a broken neck and with Will Ospreay perhaps reached the stylistic peak of Jr. Heavyweight wrestling. There’s too many incredible moves to count, but you’ve all seen the GIFs, highlighted by Will going out and in the ring like a madman. In his swan song to Jr Heavyweight status, he left the torch with Hiromu in a thriller that saw Takahashi break out an entire new finisher to put down the Brit. This is the unofficial cap to Ospreay’s legendary 2019 run which saw him own a calendar year like no wrestler had done before him. While the jr belt may reach bigger heights to come at the dome, I don’t know if it’ll ever be better.” -Rich Latta

“Two of the best junior heavyweights in the world locked horns for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title. Going into this match we were all worried about the status of Hirmou’s surgically repaired neck. Ospreay played into those concerns about targeting the neck throughout the match. Ospreay’s assault on the previously injured neck did not slow the Ticking Time Bomb down. This match had several awe-inspiring sequences and counters. Both men moved with such precision and grace. They made the most difficult moves look easy. These two elevated the standard for junior heavyweight wrestling.” -Jeremy Donovan

“A clear babyface vs. heel dynamic isn’t something you always see in high-profile NJPW matches (I believe it’s for the best), but this match was all the better for it. Hiromu was the obvious fan favourite, with this being his first singles match back after his career-threatening neck injury. It was fought in an electric, exhilarating style which included incredible high-flying and spectacular strike combinations.

With a year filled of empty arena, limited and clap crowd wrestling, it is really refreshing to revisit a packed Tokyo Dome crowd, stomping their feet, chanting and cheering on the wrestlers relentlessly – an outstanding match all round.” -Jamie Johnson

“I mean, it’s Hirmou and Will Ospreay in the Dome, does anything more need to be said? Despite being away for over a year recovering from a neck injury, Hiromu hasn’t missed a beat and delivers exactly the kind of insane performance he’s known for. Will Ospreay is no slouch either giving his all in his final title match as a junior. Come for the return, stay for the Sasuke Special.” -Jason Westhaver

“Hiromu’s big singles return showed he was every bit as good as before. New Japan’s decision to run with EVIL during the early days of the pandemic era instead of elevating Hiromu remains one of the most baffling booking decisions Gedo has ever made.” -Jarrett Seidler

“I don’t even know what to say here. It’s Ospreay vs.Hiromu. It’s exactly what you expect it to be.” -Doug Fowler (Skeach101)

“Innovative and athletic excellence from two of the best juniors on the planet.” -Matt Carlins

“Relentless pace and exhilarating action from two of the best wrestlers in the world. Had some of the best sequences and spots that you would see in 2020. Just incredible athletic ability from these lads. But at the same time, it felt like a gruelling and intense battle. Like the nastiness from Ospreay when he attacked the head and neck of Takahashi. The added layer of this being Hiromu’s big comeback singles match from a major injury had made this even more of a triumphant moment.” -ScorpioCorp

“Another 2 men who may each have a claim to the title of best wrestler world. This match was state-of-the-art pro wrestling. Big innovative moves, incredible selling, and the culmination of the story of Hiromu’s return from injury.” -Liam Renner

“Hiromu Takahashi suffered a near career ending injury. Many were concerned that even if Hiromu did return, he wouldn’t be the same worker he was pre-injury. Hiromu put all those concerns to bed with just one match. In the first 5 minutes of the match alone, the opening sequence itself, he showed that he hadn’t missed a beat. He was just as good if not better. Ospreay on the other hand closed out one of the best years of any wrestlers ever. This match was 21st century state of the art Junior heavyweight wrestling at its best. Action packed with tons of creative spots and innovative sequences, it managed to live up to the insanely high expectations everyone had for it.” -PW_IND

“Great drama for Hiromu’s singles return. Crowd really up for this, and clearly nervous for Hiromu’s neck (audible gasps of concern when Will has Hiromu on his shoulders on top rope). A few awesome spots and sequences, particularly the Sasuke Special, but held together by enough aggression and selling in between to stop it being a ‘dance’.” -Gareth Hodgson

“It really shouldn’t be possible for a match to hold a finishing like pace for the entire match, Yet somehow Hiromu and Will did just that. Not only was there a lot of spots but this match also had a unique point of storytelling with Ospreay slowly turning more heel and trying to destroy Takahashi’s neck which would set him up for the rest of his 2020.” -Kentucky210

“Two of the best Jrs. in the world, one being Hiromu’s return to single action after his injury, the other the MVP of 2019, and Wrestle Kingdom. How the hell will that combination not work? This was an exciting match that you probably have seen via gif form a million times and an example of great storytelling and moment. Hiromu and Ospreay did what they do best at the biggest stage in Japan.” -Abraham Delgado

“Two of the best Juniors giving it their all at the Dome” -Cristoff

“Hiromu was back. That was all that mattered. In November 2019 at Power Struggle, I either woke up in the middle of the night or stayed up way too late to watch a surprisingly good Ospreay vs. BUSHI match as an appetizer for a main course – the return of Hiromu Takahashi. And it didn’t disappoint. And his first singles match here at Wrestle Kingdom didn’t disappoint either. He came to the ring in his incredible rainbow peacock entrance gear – something that sounds ridiculous, but when it’s worn by a man this charismatic it works. And then the match started and he hadn’t lost a step. He was in the ring with a man many consider the best wrestler in the world and he matched him every step of the way – despite being on the shelf with a broken freaking neck for 18 months. And then there was the sequence. Or should I say THE SEQUENCE. If you’ve seen the match you know. The two continue to put on a show until the finish, when Hiromu debuts the Time Bomb 2.0, which is presented beautifully by the NJPW production crew. The camera work in New Japan is always top notch and the way they shoot the move here with a low angle shot, making Hiromu look larger than life, and also with the camera squared on the wrestlers makes it all look amazing and very distinctive from the OG Time Bomb. The hook of the leg is clearly seen and the move is emphasized so much by the camera work that you know as a viewer – this is the end. Luckily for us, it was only the beginning of Hiromu’s incredible 2020.” -S. Dakota Jones

“One of the best Junior Heavyweight matches ever. Just an incredible match.” -Mike Gilbert

“Will Ospreay spent the entirety of 2019 making himself THE guy to welcome Hiromu Takahashi back on the biggest stage possible. He stockpiled accolades thrown his way from every conceivable direction, and for his final act as a junior, handed the baton back to a ticking timebomb. To his credit, Takahashi was astonishing, especially when you consider that it was his first singles match in 17 months. Anyone who’s seen the match can still perfectly envision Will’s Fosbury Flop at the nine-minute mark and the “are you fucking kidding me” sequence that followed, but I’d encourage you to go back and listen to the crowd during it. Hoo-boy.” -Jonathan Hernandez

“Not gonna lie , it had some overdose of flashy moves, but the match gets away with it by creativity. Spots in that match was uniqe and interesting. That Space Flying Tiger Drop sequence was amazing. Looked very spectacular. Both Hiromu and Ospreay used everything in their arsenal. When it comes to junior matches , I can call it best in Dome history. But generally I’ve seen better matches. I was concerned about Hiromu’s neck. But he proved me wrong. He took some bad bumps. Ospreay’s athleticism was great as always. The ending was great. Ospreay , kicking out from Time Bomb and Hiromu introducing a new move. That Modified Emerald Flowsion looked to strong. Like a real finisher. I can easily say that , both guys stole the show with that match. Amazing show stealer by two of the best. Thats what I can call a true Wrestle Kingdom quality title match.”  -Kaan Ünverdi

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.