Voices of Wrestling 2024 Match of the Year: #7 (Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay)

Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada’s clash in the 2024 Continental Classic finals is #7 in Voices of Wrestling’s 2024 Match of the Year countdown!

VOICES OF WRESTLING 2024 MATCH OF THE YEAR ARCHIVES

• Introduction, Voters & Honorable Mentions
• Matches #100-76
• Matches #75-51
• Matches #50-26
• Matches #25-11
• Match of the Year Statistical Analysis & Top 10 Early Reveal (FlagshipPatreon.com)
• Match #10: Hangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland
• Match #9: CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre
• Match #8: Swerve Strickland vs. Will Ospreay
• Match #7: Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay

VOICES OF WRESTLING MATCH OF THE YEAR ARCHIVES

• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012

#7
Kazuchika Okada defeats Will Ospreay
12/28
AEW

Overall Points: 276
Total Votes: 50
Percentage of Ballots: 24.63%
2 First-Place Votes

“Of the two major signings that AEW made from New Japan in 2024, it’s fairly safe to say that Will Ospreay had the better year- case in point, exactly one singles match in AEW of Kazuchika Okada’s is rated in his top 100 matches of all time according to Cagematch, and it just so happened to be the match he had against Will here. Okada may have spent most of the year coasting, but at least he showed everyone he could still turn it on and *be Kazuchika Okada* when he really wanted to. The two of them had a condensed version of their classic series from New Japan to wrap up the Continental Classic, giving this tournament a classic final in year two that should greatly help its prestige going forward.” – John Carroll

“I would have liked to see Ospreay pick up the win, but this was a great match regardless. In what I thought was an underwhelming first year for Okada, he showed up for this one.” – Josh Nason

“This match was nothing like any of the previous Ospreay and Okada encounters. This wasn’t the story of an up-and-coming star trying to pull an upset over the champ, nor of two aces with a rich rivalry locking horns. Instead, this was the story of a promotion’s best wrestler trying to finally score a title victory over an aging foe, but of injury and exhaustion from a grueling semi-finals keeping that goal frustratingly out of reach. It was 19 minutes of perfectly paced and executed wrestling telling a simple yet compelling story. One of their best matches together.” – Lionmark Luke

“Oh man, after months and months of not seeing Okada at full strength, this match was a breath of fresh air. Okada went full main event Okada and Ospreay was normal Ospreay. We know from San Jose how good they can be together and this was a repeat of that. I wish AEW would make the C2 about the World Title so we could care a little bit more, but I digress.” – Jon Rogers

“By the end of the year there were questions about the ability of the great Kazuchika Okada to still have the great matches that he has become known for. Okada answered those questions in the best possible way by having yet another classic match with Will Ospreay. Ospreay was out of this world adding to the drama of the match coming out bandaged and bloody from his epic match with Fletcher. This was Ospreay not at 100% and yet he showed awesome desperation trying to overcome the brilliant and methodical Okada who was in his element here. Despite everything Ospreay cannot overcome the odds but after all this it didn’t really matter what a night for Ospreay and the return of big match Okada.” – Jason Turner

“A late entrant into the MOTY discussion, and another Ospreay entry. Okada showed he can still go despite playing a secondary role in AEW so far. I may quibble with the finish, but the reveal of Kenny Omega at the end made Okada’s win make sense. ” – Greg Parks

“This could be the recency bias or the “I was there live” bias talking, but the closing stretch of this match was absolutely electric. I will remember this match fondly for the rest of my life. ” –Swarles

“Getting in just under the wire, Okada and Ospreay had their second match of a historic year for the both of them, and had the PPV ended with this match, AEW would have left 2024 on one hell of a high note.” – Chris Gannon

“The closest thing to a G1 Final of old, especially on American pro wrestling. Hell, I think it’s probably both men best match in their feud. You are just in awe at seeing two of the best going at it and the final minutes are pure bliss.” – Abraham Delgado

“The Continental Classic confirmed what was already obvious: Ospreay was the best wrestler in the world in 2024. A great match with a great story – Ospreay trying to overcome the beating he took earlier in the night against the best tournament wrestler of all-time. This was Okada’s best AEW match, with the post-match angle seemingly setting up a huge match against Omega at All In in 2025. ” – Jays Retro

“Excellent match befitting the finals of a tournament they aim to make prestigious. The emphasis on Okada’s record in tournaments helped sell the his prowess, something they company hasn’t focused a lot on since bringing him in. I liked the story they set up earlier in the night, with Ospreay fighting from behind because of the his massive blood lose, while Okada had a far less taxing go of his semi-final match. This felt like one of the relatively rare instances were a major blood spot played heavily into the story of the match and didn’t feel like carnage for the sake of it.” –Brandon LeClair

“Both guys wrestling at the beginning of the night, but still doing this after it? I truly belive that Will Ospreay is not a human. So at this point it shouldn’t surprise anyone. But Okada’s AEW run was kinda underwhelming. This is the moment where he reminded everyone, why he is still one of the best. A fast paced, epic clash with an amazing last sequence that felt like an anime fight. This was the proper way for AEW to close the year. ” – Kaan Ünverdi

“What AEW should be all about. Two phenomenal wrestlers going head to head where predicting the winner is 50-50. Omega return was the cherry on the top.” – Joe Towner

“Renewal of a rivalry, for the finals of the Continental Classic, no less.” – Ryan Ciocco

“Return of the mack? Return of the king? A return to being the best? I know a lot of people were disappointed with Kazuchika Okada’s output this year. I get it to a degree, but I genuinely don’t think it was as bad as some people seemed to have made it out to be… it just wasn’t a remarkable year in ring. I think this match showed us all that Okada can turn it on when he wants to, that he’s the arbiter of when he has a balls to the wall classic. This was a tremendous match and exactly what Okada needed to show the world… he’s still the Rainmaker, still the best in the world when he wants to be. Will Ospreay was incredible in this as well, cutting a very spirited promo asking the crowd to help carry him through the match, and coming out wrapped up in bandages like John Cleese on Fawlty Towers. Pro wrestling at it’s primal best.
” – DJ Convoy

“Kazuchika Okada’s 2024 was incredibly disappointing for a talent of his caliber. Between his clear drop in effort level and the lackluster booking around him, Okada hasn’t felt like The Rainmaker in a long time. But the Continental Classic Final with Will Ospreay gave us a glimpse of the old Okada as he and Ospreay legitimized the C2 as a true marquee event in the AEW calendar. This had all of the energy, the buzz, and the match quality of any G1 Final – which shouldn’t be a surprise considering this was literally a G1 Final in 2022. A bright spot in an otherwise weak 2024 for the Rainmaker. ” – Suit Williams

“The best match in C2 history, and an awesome final befitting a tournament that will go forward as the most must see pro wrestling tournament in televised western wrestling. ” – Lawson Leong

“Up there with any tournament final, ever. Okada can still do this!” – Jeremy Sexton

“An awesome match in a vacuum, but one that takes on even greater significance when seen in the context of both men having wrestled earlier in the night and that a match like this does so much to vindicate the Continental Classic as an elite tournament. After all the handwringing over Okada in AEW, he offers a powerful reminder that he is still one of the very best wrestlers in the world.” – TDE

“I had the privilege of being live in the building for this one, and the energy was electric as the next chapter of the Okada/Ospreay rivalry unfolded. The crowd was firmly behind Ospreay, who had rallied their support earlier in the night after defeating Fletcher and imploring them to “give him his energy.” These two rivals know each other inside and out, capable of delivering a masterpiece seemingly with ease. Since their time in NJPW, Ospreay has been on a quest to defeat Okada clean. On this night, Ospreay threw everything at Okada—the Styles Clash he used to win earlier, the Hidden Blade, and the Stormbreaker. Despite Ospreay’s relentless onslaught, Okada once again endured and emerged victorious. The dramatic closing sequence had the crowd on the edge of their seats, making this an absolutely incredible match.” – Jeremy Donovan

“Why can’t we have this Kazuchika Okada in AEW all of the time? ” – Lee Malone

“Fantastic effort and performance from Will Ospreay; I wanted to use the term ‘star-making performance’ because it was so gutsy, but that’s ridiculous as we all know he’s a star and has been for a long time. Nonetheless, he was next-level here and it shows that he’s still growing and improving, which is kinda mad. This was GOOD SHIT OKADA too, with some Herculean reversals and counters to remind everyone why he is so highly regarded. I thought I’d seen everything these guys had to offer in their last NJPW matches, but they still managed to bust out some new stuff here, making for an absolutely exhilirating contest. Very, very nice indeed.” – Theo Sambus

“The rivalry between these wrestlers going back to the days of New Japan has always been interesting. There have been many shifts in the dynamic between them. Ospreay was the clearly inferior wrestler and protégé of Okada at first, and then he lashed out at him in a villain roll that saw Ospreay gain equal footing until Ospreay finally is able to defeat him. This match marks another one of those shifts. Now we see Okada as someone who refuses to let Ospreay continue to surpass him. This match feels like Ospreay hit a brick wall in his progress to the top of AEW. Okada serves as that stepping stone but the difference in the feud at this moment is that Okada is also looking to prove himself in a new environment. Okada’s offense was stellar as always but it was Ospreay’s selling that really took the match to another level. The unintentional bleeding on the part of Ospreay definitely helped and is a distinctive image of this match.” – Rene Martinez

“Reports of Okada’s demise as an elite worker were premature. This is a match that relies on Okada being the indomitable mountain that needs to be climbed by his protege Will Ospreay who is struggling with his own demons with his protege Kyle. And does it ever deliver. Significantly rawer and bloodier than their previous matches and in slightly different roles but ultimately works beautifully as Okada and Will go into rarefied air to close. And then after Will is done? We get Kenny.” – AmericanNumbers

“The final of the C2 delivered as we had hoped, showing that this tournament could rival the G1 if they would just make sure to give it everything it deserves. All three matches on the PPV were fantastic, but this felt like a true G1 final, all the way from Ospreay asking for the fans to give him everything they had to help him, to Okada just being too much yet again for Will.” – Ryan S Cooke

Voices of Wrestling 2024 Match of the Year
(305-11)