Voices of Wrestling 2025 Match of the Year: #1 (Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd – January 5)

A match so good it made Hiroshi Tanahashi weep—Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd is Voices of Wrestling’s 2025 Match of the Year!

Voices of Wrestling 2025 Match of the Year Countdown

• Introduction, Project History, Voters/Media Outlets & 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 (Sareee vs. Syuri – March 10)
• Match #9 (El Desperado vs. Jun Kasai – June 24)
• Match #8 (Bandido vs. Konosuke Takeshita – July 11)
• Match #7 (Saya Kamitani vs. Tam Nakano – April 27)
• Match #6 (Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – February 11)
• Match #5 (Toni Storm vs. Mariah May – March 9)
• Match #4 (Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley – July 12)
• Match #3 (Adam Page vs. Will Ospreay – May 25)
• Match #2 (Mistico vs. MJF – September 9)
• Match #1 (Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd – January 5)

Voices of Wrestling’s 2025 Match of the Year Voter List

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Wrestling Media Representation in Voices of Wrestling’s 2025 Match of the Year

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#1
Kenny Omega defeats Gabe Kidd
01/05
NJPW/CMLL/AEW

Overall Points: 1074
Total Votes: 123
Percentage of Ballots: 60.29%
32 First-Place Votes

I knew that this was my match of the year the moment the closing bell rang. Before the match when Kidd revealed the lion mark on his trunks it levelled up the stakes for me and I was hooked. And Omega’s unreal performance after his long hiatus was absolutely incredible. This is why I love pro wrestling! – Jason Hart (Voices of Wrestling)

What an absolute war between two stubborn bastards. It had all the intensity and hatred that the build showcased, and it was a wild brawl that you don’t often see to this level in New Japan. Omega was in great shape, and he performed extremely well here, battling back against rumors of ring rust.

Oh, and Gabe Kidd? What a performance. He was a true mad man in every sense, taking it to Omega in a way that very few do. He brought violence and chaos, and he very nearly put Omega away in his comeback match. The fact that Gabe busted out the infamous Ganso Bomb for this is insane. If you don’t know, the Ganso Bomb was a move that Toshiaki Kawada did to Mitsuharu Misawa in 1999 where, no joke and no bullshit, he spiked him on top of his head. Going to that level here to try and beat Omega makes all of Will Ospreay’s attempts of the Tiger Driver 91 in AEW seem tame in comparison.

This match was full of little details between both men that added incredible layers to the story being told. Gabe using the Abdominal Stretch and using his elbow to dig into Omega’s ribs – just like Antonio Inoki was amazing. Both men were yelling at each other in Japanese at certain points in the match, just to prove to the other that they represented what Japanese wrestling is all about. But nothing that these two men did here tops the reaction that Hiroshi Tanahashi had on commentary at ringside. The Ace was literally moved to tears by the effort and the desire to represent Strong Style in this match. That speaks volumes, more than I could ever articulate.

This is the best match of the evening, hands down. It had a great story coming in, they told a great story throughout, it had intensity, it had violence, and it had a ferocity of strong style that was present nowhere else on this show. Hats off to both of you, mad lads. – Daniel Everhart (DanTheWrestlingFan)

One of the best matches I have ever seen. Kenny Omega turned back the clock to give one of his greatest ever individual performances. Even though he was the favorite going in, it felt like he barely survived, as he was beaten and bloodied by Kidd. Kidd was also incredible, as his emotion sold the story of the match perfectly. The selling in general was tremendous, and the match went above and beyond its goal of making Kidd feel like the defender of NJPW and the promotion’s next top star, if only for a few months. – Lionmark Luke (Voices of Wrestling)

After over a year away from wrestling due to a battle with diverticulitis, Kenny Omega returned to pull off a masterful Tokyo Dome performance on par with his other legendary bouts. Kidd shone equally as bright and showed the world why he’s a rising star in wrestling and why so many people have thought so highly of him before this match. – Grant Baxter (Voices of Wrestling)

It’s matches like this that make me think that Kenny Omega should have stayed in Japan. He could smell and taste the Tokyo Dome air that night and produced one of his best performances ever, made Gabe Kidd look like a star, and made Tanahashi cry 24 hours after he looked like he wanted to murder Shota Umino. God bless this match for real. – Sam Palmer (Wrestling Inc.)

What a match this was great action and drama with one of the moments of the year with Hiroshi Tanahashi in tears on Japanese comms. This is wrestling not constant House of Torture runs not two idiots staring at each other because we tell stories but this dramatic and intense violence that brings out a full range of emotions. – Jason Turner (WhiteTail Wrestling)

The image of Tanahashi crying after this match will stay with me forever. The question “can Omega still do it in the Dome?” was answered emphatically as the modern day GOAT put on a performance for the ages, with Kidd performing his role to perfection as the crowd gladly rallied behind him despite it being Kenny’s first New Japan match since he bullied Ospreay in the Dome in 2023. This was a classic professional wrestling match that will withstand the test of time. – Eric (snazzy) (Social Suplex)

Kenny Omega in AEW is great. Kenny Omega in NJPW is better, and Kenny Omega in the Tokyo Dome is legendary. Kenny is coming back from a very serious illness and, together with a very hungry Gabe Kidd, delivers a match so outstanding that Tanahashi is moved to tears and Chris Charlton almost talks himself into unemployment. – Green_Dragon (Moonsault)

After years of sneak-disses and social media sniping, and the insane partisan nature of WWE vs. AEW debates in particular, it’s nice to see interpromotional hatred done the right way.

The dynamic of this match is superb. Kenny Omega, a hero to the rest of the world once again, returns to Tokyo a deserter. The snarling, twisted Gabe Kidd is suddenly standing up for the promotion that made him into such a sadistic character.

I don’t think Gabe’s a real hero here though; you get the sense he’s using this sudden NJPW loyalty as a vessel through which he can be a real bastard. Nor is Kenny a true villain, regardless of Chris Charlton’s performance on commentary (which I believe adds to the atmosphere, as controversial as it may have been.) – Jack G. King (Jack the Jobber)

What can I say about this watch that hasn’t already been said? Gabe Kidd’s coming out party, despite me not being a big fan of his this was genuinely insane. – Cody Milkman (Goon Squad / Bodyslamnet)

While the booking’s follow-up with Kidd following this was, let’s just say, awkward, this match started the year off with a bang, and it did give him some momentum. How NJPW utilized Omega as a reliable name and talent to elevate a younger talent, even in defeat, should be an example for bookers everywhere right now. – Corey Michaels (Wrestling Observer Network, Last Word on Pro Wrestling, BodySlam)

The biggest and best “fireworks match” match in 2025 allowed both men to prove something: for Kenny that he was definitively B.A.C.K. and that he can still thrill the Tokyo Dome same as he ever could; for Gabe that he is able to own a moment and breathe the rarified air at the top of the Best Bout Mountain.

Forget about what happened with arc of both men’s years after this match – it doesn’t matter. They still had that match, on that day, in that room. They still made Hiroshi Tanahashi cry with joy. I’d wager any number of wrestlers who had a ‘better’ year on the other 364 days of the year would trade it in to have the day that Kenny and Gabe had on January 5th. – Chris Whitehead (Social Suplex Newsletter)

My clubhouse leader for quite some time. I recall staying up very late and watching this, thinking Kenny would deliver but not sure how. I wasn’t watching closely during a lot of Omega’s big Dome matches yet I found myself living and dying with every moment of this. They completely hooked me in and had me throughout. – Andrew (cero1max) (Cero1MAX Wrestling)

Couldn’t have envisioned a better Kenny Omega match after an absence of over a year. – Jays Retro (Chilling with JR and Blair (podcast) )

This was my leading match of the year for the first half of 2025. As is the case with most years, the early January Tokyo Dome New Japan shows normally produce at least one, if not multiple MOTY candidates right out of the gate. Gabe Kidd and Kenny Omega produced 2025’s standout.

The story of this match added to the in-ring work to create an incredible atmosphere and emotional ride bell to bell. Gabe Kidd, defending New Japan from the returning Kenny Omega, complete with the Lion Mark on his tights. It’s a story that shares many parallels with this year’s Takeshita vs. Tsuji IWGP title match, however the Kidd/Omega match felt emotionally charged in a different way. It felt more raw, more antagonistic, had an almost real-life animosity flowing through the screen.

You could, and probably should, attribute a lot of that to Kenny Omega, who seems to be at his best in a heelish role in New Japan, however I would be more inclined to say that Gabe Kidd bought the raw emotion to the match.

More often than not, Kidd goes too far and often ‘flies too close to the sun’ for me in regards to his energy and promos, but in this match, he was absolutely perfect. I cared more than I had in a long time, I was invested in who was going to win or lose. I would think is the ultimate goal of any big match.

This match is incredible and, in my opinion, overshadows everything else produced by New Japan in 2025.– Kristian Scheurer (Backbreakr)

Some thought this might be Kenny Omega’s last, great match, a torch-passing moment if you will. It may not have been that, but it helped put Gabe Kidd on the map. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Kidd’s standout early 2025 performances weren’t capitalized on. The brutality of this match stood out, as is Kidd’s style. – Greg Parks (Pro Wrestling Torch)

A bloody, drag out brawl that turned into a classic New Japan style main event that delivered everything it set out to do. At the time Gabe was the hottest thing going in New Japan, and to have the legendary Kenny Omega come back as an outsider to face him was the perfect match to get Gabe over the hump and into the top echelon of New Japan stars.

That match itself was quite slow at the beginning as they brawled on the outside for the majority of the first half. Kenny is selling the stomach after coming off of his Diverticulitis that helps keep the match even as Gabe uses it multiple times to take back control and almost get the win.

The final few minutes were great as both men go all out and perform some really high risk moves and some great counter sequences. In a call back to the Kenny/Ospreay match from the year before, Kenny hits the Kamigoye and the One Winged Angel to take the win.

The fighting for New Japan story was great, but on rewatch its kind of funny now that we think Gabe is heading to AEW in 2026. Regardless it was a landmark match for him and he totally delivered. – Adam Darwin (Dragonscrew Wrestling)

I thought Wrestle Kingdom underwhelmed in 2025 despite great offerings from Finlay/Tsuji and Takeshita/Shingo. Before Goto won the IWGP, I wasn’t very high on the promotion, and it felt more of an obligation than something I couldn’t wait to watch. However, it was different that year as Wrestle Dynasty took place the night after instead of New Year Dash, where New Japan’s promotional partners such as AEW, CMLL, and STARDOM would take part in the show. One of those matches saw Kenny Omega once again return to New Japan in a match against emerging star Gabe Kidd. With Gabe, I thought he had a great first half of 2025, but his second half saw a decline in his in-ring and character work, where he was too focused on making “epics” than strengthening his positives (hitting hard and fast in sub-20-minute matches). This was the match where I believe Gabe began to think he could change his style for the better, when I didn’t think that was the case. Having said that, this match is tremendous. Seeing Gabe keep up with Kenny and drill him with so many strikes and spikes to his head made it clear that Gabe was very close to having his number. However, with Kenny, his wrestling IQ and creativity enthrall an audience to hang onto every move, step, taunt, or breath he takes (or at least that’s how it feels with his big matches). When we look back, this may end up being the last all timer match from Kenny Omega as his body, after years of wear and tear, has forced him to slow down and work smarter as he gets older but when the moment calls for it, Kenny Omega can still get it done in the ring the likes no one else can and that is a testament to his dedication of the sport. – Hakeem Johnson (Pro Wrestling Spreadsheet)

Kenny Omega is a god in Japan. If in the US he’s lost a lot of his aura in recent years, every time Kenny steps in a ring in Japan, he becomes something else completely. It was no different when he faced Gabe Kidd. The match was on a whole different level from the rest of the card, exposing New Japan’s current roster. – Evandro Furtado (Voices of Wrestling)

A match so beautiful that it made Tanahashi cry. There is something special about Kenny Omega at the Tokyo Dome that I have not seen replicated anywhere else he has been to. I was wondering if Omega still had it after being away for a while, and I was a fool for doubting him. Kidd was also exceptional in this match in what I consider his career best work. An unmissable match that keeps going and just leaves your jaw hanging. – Abraham Delgado (Voices of Wrestling)

The shot of Hiroshi Tanahashi with tears streaming down his cheeks is the only justification required to vote for this match. Beautiful pro wrestling. – Dalton Henry (Voices of Wrestling)

A pro wrestling masterpiece. Omega rolling back the years to deliver a vintage performance, with Kidd finally stripping back the over-the-top nonsense to show what he’s really capable. Tana’s tears were more than justified. – Andrew Sinclair (Voices of Wrestling)

Excellent return match for Omega following his injuries. Great showcase for Gabe Kidd on a big stage. Big time match. – Dan Watson (Wrestling with Reviews)

There’s a real chance this is the last truly great match we get from Kenny Omega. He played heel incredibly well, and Kidd was the up and coming babyface who loves New Japan. They went to war and it was exactly what you’d want. It’s a shame this didn’t launch Kidd into a career year. – Tyler Forness (Voices of Wrestling)

Didn’t know what Kenny had left in the tank. Turns out he had a lot left and made Gabe, who squandered it as the year went in with this “I’m Mr. New Japan Ope Let Me Drop Out of the G1 and appear a lot in AEW” act. They adjusted on the fly based on crowd reaction. I didn’t think anything was going to top this for me this year, and only one match did. – Eric Krol (Pro Wrestling Torch)

After over a year away, Kenny Omega showed why he’s the greatest to ever do this and Gabe showed he could step up in a big spot. – Chris Gannon (Social Suplex Newsletter)

Going into this match I remember looking forward to it but having never seen Gabe Kidd before I wasn’t sure what to expect. My expectations weren’t high but they weren’t low either. I just went into the match expecting to see a good match and boy was I wrong in the best way possible. Kenny Omega’s track record at Wrestle Kingdom and inside of the Tokyo Dome both speak for themselves he’s absolutely incredible. Gabe Kidd went into this match as a virtual unknown to the New Japan fans and to myself and came out of it a bonafide superstar. From bell to bell this match was incredible Kenny Omega made his return to pro wrestling after a year of absence and a battle with Diverticulitis and he came back to make a statement and boy did he ever. Kenny Omega proved during this match that he is one of the best pro wrestlers in the entire world he looked like he didn’t lose a step and had only gotten better and Gabe Kidd held up his end of the match as well by playing the perfect opponent for Kenny’s return. I watched this match live late at night/early in the morning like the maniac that I am and after it was over I knew right away that I had just seen one of the best matches of the year and possibly one of the best wrestling matches of all time. Matches like these are exactly why I love pro wrestling, this one gets my highest recommendation so do yourself a favor and go watch it if you have yet to do so. I promise you that you won’t be disappointed. – Nathan Neumann (WrestleCast Radio)

this match was so good it made Tanahashi cry – yaron kfir (top 7)

This is the Kenny Omega I loved. I feel like it was full effort and showed the potential in Gabe Kidd. I really enjoyed this match and I knew after this week it would be one of the best matches of the year. – Conrad Kushman (Everything Pro Wrestling )

This will likely go down in history as a “what could have been” moment in Kidd’s New Japan run, but frankly New Japan only have themselves to blame for not capitalizing on the incredible atmosphere Kidd generated from the moment he stepped out. Omega offered an unimpeachable demonstration of what he can still do and, more importantly, how he’ll be able to adjust the pace and structure of the matches in the latter half of his career without losing any of his magic, much like we saw with Danielson. A fantastic tour through both men’s personal histories, grudges, and desires, as well as New Japan history at large, all while the Ace looked on with tears in his eyes, knowing he had one year to prepare for something which could measure up to this love letter to New Japan. – Bruce Lord (POST Wrestling)

I had no idea how hard Kenny Omega could go after missing over a year of action. Pretty fucking hard, as it would turn out. Blood, smoke and mirrors could cover up a lot here, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this had the Dome rocking and brought The Ace to literal tears by the end. Kidd revealing the lionmark in his trunks and pulling off the Inoki style Cobra Stretch have lost some of its effect over the following months, but I can’t deny that in the moment all of that felt huge, big and career making. An insane showcase and well deserving of all the praise it gained at the start of the year. – Semi Salmikannas (Smarkside & Kuristusjuntta)

One of my all time favourite wrestlers at the peak of his game. And using the big stage to elevate his opponent. Omega may not have had any matches but I don’t think anyone was better at their peak in 2025. – Paul Fontaine (F4WOnline)

This probably would have faded out of my top ten by now, if I wasn’t there live. But being in the Dome for this super human performance by Kenny Omega and Gabe Kidd in the Tokyo Dome was almost an out of body experience and something you can probably only witness once in a lifetime. – Tim Hunter (Joshi’ing around)

This was an incredibly impressive match. It was something unique to Omega, primarily a weapon heavy brawl with double juice, which isn’t Omega’s forte. But he did it, and in his first match back too. That’s an incredible feat. The best part about this being a brawl is that Kidd’s strengths were shown – this allowed him to be in fight for his life mode, instead of focusing too much on his “I’m a mad man” mode. The brawl was really strong and I think they largely nailed a really good closing stretch too. However, I don’t rate this fully as a MOTYC or a classic. The brawling languish toward the end before they transitioned into the traditional closing stretch, and then that felt a sequence or two too long. But both had strong performances in an overall compelling bout. **** – MC (Shoot Style and Other Stuff)

The second time we’ve had an Omega comeback in the Dome in recent years and I had serious concerns about the state of his body going in, but he smashed it as always. Kenny just hits different in Japan. Squandering the momentum that Kidd had coming out of this was one of New Japan’s most egregious of their many booking crimes in 2025. – Conor McFall (Social Suplex)

An incredible, story and drama filled match! Things start off with both men working a more heated and stiff style even in the lock-up. Some nice storytelling early with Omega protecting his abdominal area due to his injury and Gabe looking to go after it. Doesn’t take long for the match to spill out to the floor and Omega ups the violence by powerbombing Gabe through a table! The referee and Bullet Club check on Gabe and Omega dives on everyone! Omega seems to have hurt himself on the dive though as a busted up Gabe is able to fight back with some chair shots and suplexes Omega through a table! Gabe bashes Omega with pieces of the table and Omega is pouring blood! We got a fight going on! Both men use chairs to slam the other onto and attack with. These two want to hurt each other! The big bombs start coming with Omega hitting a Jay Driller and a V-Trigger. Omega tries to lift Gabe up for the One-Winged Angel but his midsection won’t let him. Gabe counters into an Inoki Abdominal Stretch for a HUGE pop! What a fucking moment from a basic wrestling move! Gabe drops Omega on his head with multiple piledrivers but Omega won’t stay down! Omega catches Gabe with a V-Trigger! Powerbomb into Kamigoye! Omega gets Gabe up for the One-Winged Angel, hits it and gets the win! What a match! Omega makes his return to wrestling and shows that he is still one of the best in the world. Meanwhile, Gabe came out defending NJPW and gave an all time performance while coming across like a star. Every blow, every piece of offense and every moment felt important to the match. This was pro wrestling done right. – Alex Kalil (Spot Monkey Pro)

Every time Kenny Omega returns and performs in Japan, that means we are in for a treat. A true hard hitting match that releases the fighting spirit in both guys. When you make Tanahashi cry, we don’t need to say anything else. – Kaan Ünverdi (Tokyo Merkez Podcast)

Feeling completely out of left field when it was announced, Omega vs Kidd ended up being a truly excellent pro wrestling match.

Gabe Kidd, seemingly coming out of nowhere, a man unproven as a true top guy in any promotion, was handed the coveted spot of being Kenny Omega’s dance partner for Omega’s first match back since career-threatening surgery. Many questioned it, many had doubts, but one man never did: Gabe Kidd. He understood the spot he was in, understood the mission. He understood the spot he was in, the mission in front of him, and the scrutiny that came with it. What we discovered instead was a highly talented, uncompromising Gabe Kidd who delivered a career performance to prove he was not all talk. That he did, indeed, love professional wrestling. Deeply, undeniably in love with it. That he was, cliché as it may sound in moments like this, built for this. From the Tokyo Dome-sized gasp when he revealed the lion mark, to the violence he both endured and delivered, Gabe Kidd showed he has everything it takes to be one of the greats.

Alongside him, Kenny Omega delivered exactly the kind of Kenny Omega performance you would expect, right down to the iconic springboard dive that wiped out Kidd and everyone rushing to check on him. In that moment, it was crystal clear: Omega was back.

In the aftermath, questions linger about whether Kenny can “still go,” whether he still has a truly great match left in him. Time will be the judge. But if this does end up being the last great Kenny Omega match, then it came in its most recognizable, most honest, and most excellent form. – Warren Hayes (Voices of Wrestling / The Mr. Warren Hayes Show)

The ultimate return match. Kenny Omega once again returns to the Tokyo Dome and puts on a world class performance while catapulting Gabe Kidd into the main event stratosphere. Tanahashi wasn’t the only person moved to tears at how incredible pro wrestling can be. Both guys give everything in the tank; Omega is out to prove that he is back and diverticulitis can’t kill the Best Boute Machine. Gabe Kidd is out to prove that he is the new star and it’s time for Omega to step aside so a new Gaijin star can emerge. This match is perfect; it’s violent, it’s athletic, it’s dramatic, it’s pro wrestling in it’s purest form. Favorite match of 2025. – Noveliss (Noveliss.bandcamp.com)

When a big-time match in the Tokyo Dome during the first week of January hits, there’s almost nothing better in pro-wrestling. In 2025, New Japan Pro Wrestling once again gave us an instant classic to kick off the new year, only this time, it was on January 5th as part of the Wrestle Dynasty card. After spending all of 2024 on the shelf due to a serious case of diverticulitis, Kenny Omega made his return to the squared circle on the biggest stage possible against a hungry rising star in Gabe Kidd, and ultimately picked up the win in what was a spectacular match. Omega proved that, despite all of the health issues he endured, he can still go out and deliver when it matters most, while Kidd had what was nothing short of a star-making performance. There are too many memorable spots to go over in just one blurb, but all you need to know is that this match was so unbelievably epic that it brought Hiroshi Tanahashi (who was on commentary for the Japanese broadcast) to tears. That’s when you know a match absolutely killed it, and there was no doubt in my mind that this would be my pick for Match Of The Year in 2025. – Sean Sedor (Voices of Wrestling)

As this was happening I found it hard to believe anything would top this as the match of the year. The contest seemed over on January 5th. The raw brutality of it was more compelling than anything I could imagine in the moment. This just felt like the best wrestling could possibly be. I was very lucky to feel this was topped by two other matches but that does not take away how special this was. – mongo_ebooks (The Monumental Podcast)

Gabe’s subsequent career choices be damned, this was one night where he was perfect. And Kenny channeled his past perfection and brought Gabe to another level. – Elliot Imes (Super J-Cast)

It’s crazy to think now, but going into this match we weren’t sure what Kenny Omega was still capable of. Injury and illness had kept him away from the ring for an extended period. Could he live up to his reputation of being “The Best Bout Machine” in a New Japan ring? Or would he be a shell of his former self? This match had multiple dimensions that made it intriguing, as outside of the questions surrounding Omega and his health, he was stepping into the ring with his polar opposite. Gabe Kidd was a young brash brawler looking to make a name for himself at Omega’s expense. He accused Omega of being disloyal to NJPW when he left years earlier, and claimed he was now New Japan’s top gaijin representative. The match that followed was a modern day Hart-Austin, with the preeminent wrestler of his time fighting for his life against a young brawler that had no interest in playing by the rules. On this night Omega wasn’t just great, he was still “The Best Bout Machine” and dished out more than punishment than Gabe Kidd seemed to expect. As the match went on the audience sympathize with Gabe Kidd who kept pushing forward again and again despite appearing outmatched by a Kenny Omega still at the peak of his powers. By the end of the match Kenny Omega proved he was still Kenny Omega, and Gabe Kidd proved he was the next big thing. – Adam Berger (Voices of Wrestling)

For one day, for half an hour, that special feeling of Big Match Kenny was back. – Rob Hutton (Eternal Couch Potato)

This match developed a surprisingly strong cult following, at least for me. It’s not the best match I’ve seen and it’s not even the best match of 2025.

I understand that Kenny Omega returned after serious health issues and it showed. When an actor mis-times a line by even a fraction of a second, it’s noticeable and that fraction of a second was noticeable with Omega, more than once. On top of that, the way Omega worked was much more restrained compared to his peak days in NJPW. And that’s not a criticism, it’s just a fact.

To add to the negatives, what frustrated me most in this match was the bleeding. Completely unnecessary and forced in otherwise mundane moments.

What I appreciated most, though, was the foundation that made the match as strong as it was. The story and the crowd. Also, the small gestures and interactions between Kidd and Omega were fantastic. The match relied heavily on these subtle details, which might go unnoticed by an untrained eye, but really carried the emotional weight. – Dan Duca (Wrestling, Examiend)

I’ve never believed in giving star ratings above 5.

It’s just never really sat right with me. A 5/5 is perfect. Anything above is just kind of nonsense.

But when this match ended, and the bell rang?

I felt it.

This match is nearly flawless. Kenny Omega, after 13 months away, had no business coming back and putting on a performance that may have eclipsed anything that I saw in the year previous.

Gabe Kidd, who I had NEVER WATCHED WRESTLE A SINGLES MATCH before this one, was absolutely fantastic also. A tremendous babyface defending the promotion he works for.

This match had everything. Tons of emotion. Tons of fire. Blood. Everything you can want. The only possible criticism I have is they may have is they probably did two too many kickouts. But really, it meant nothing in the grand scheme of my rating.

So after January 5th, the question i kept asking myself all year was:

“Is this better than Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd?”

Nope.

No it wasn’t. – Matthew Lovallo (The Monumental Podcast)

One of the greatest workers of all times summoning up his powers to work a top 10 match for the year while putting over a possible future star in Gabe. Kenny didn’t have a great year health wise and workwise but he threw this in there as a reminder. I am living on the hope that we get one more Kenny run now that he’s looking healthier on 2026 and it’s this match I point to as to why – Arturo Galletti (The P[w]rescription)

I’ve thought a lot in the last year about what to say about this match, but I don’t think anything could stack up to the visual of Hiroshi Tanahashi being moved to tears. “So good it made Tanahashi cry,” that’s it, that’s the review! – TDE (TDE Wrestling)

Despite not quite being a Wrestle Kingdom match, it entered that pantheon of great WK matches because it had that key ingredient: two wrestlers giving everything that have to the craft of pro wrestling. – Neil David (Voices of Wrestling)

The biggest question going into this match was if Kenny Omega still had something after being on the shelf for all of 2024. The answer was a resounding yes. I’ve never seen anyone look so good after being gone for so long. Maybe this isn’t the Kenny Omega of old but the Omega in this match knew what he wanted to do and everything he did was on point. He helped Gabe Kidd be on his level and be a better wrestler coming out of it, that was how good this match was. It did such a great job setting the tone for the year, and while there were plenty of fantastic, incredible matches, this one tops the list. – Bryan Rose (Wrestling Observer)

Kenny Omega proves that even after his ongoing medical issue with Diverticulitis, he’s the End All, Be All. – Slyguy46 (/r/SquaredCircle)

Outstanding encounter from Omega & Kidd that showed the world Kenny was back, while proving to be a star making performance from the entrances on for Gabe. Physically intense and filled with emotion to the point Tanahashi had to cry. – Sid Pullar III – SP3 (Tru Heel Heat Wrestling / Sports Illustrated / Fightful)

It was so nice to see Big Match Kenny one more time and Kidd was every bit as good. Tanahashi crying at ringside was all of us by the time this ended. – George Atsaves – George Atsaves/Chris Colgan (Two Guys One Sport)

I sometimes want hatred, emotion, drama, and violence all in the same package. This match was that package. – Jeri Evagood (Voices of Wrestling)

A high level Omega match we haven’t seen in years and may not see again. A reminder of why he was the Best Bout machine – Syd Moss (Strawberry letter 123!)

There are images that will stick with you, and watching how emotionally charged both men were in this match will forever be indebted in me. To see Gabe Kidd get emotional after the match was priceless, because in that moment, he must’ve realized that Kenny Omega officially handed him the keys he once held as Japan’s top gaijin. For a veteran like Omega to do that, is truly commendable. – Brie Coder (The Bonzo Gonzo/Wrestling Inc. )

Violent and plunder laden competition with super solid storytelling revolving around Kenny’s vulnerability and Kidd embodying NJPW. The moments where Kidd pulled out Inoki’s moves against Omega really kicked it up in the emotions department! – James “NuclearConvoy” Snelgrove (Nuclear Convoy Productions)

In a year that I struggled to capture and maintain an excitement for professional wrestling, this was the match that made my diehard inner fan come to life. It’s like Joe says, “hate and heat” and this match blended those unique out of the ring politics with passionate storytelling, all embossed on a hard-hitting and beautifully worked match. No other match made me feel as much as this one did and it might be the only lasting 2025 wrestling memory that will sustain in my brain. – Jacob Nelson (sleeperawakened.com, Dispatch Ajax podcast)

I have never been in an atmosphere like this at a wrestling show. It was transporting. The match felt philosophically adversarial going in, but it was the crowd, and their investment in their guy Gabe – as defender of NJPW – that is impossible to forget.

I feel the rest of Gabe’s 2025 will cloud many’s recollections of this match. Making it feel less consequential- and I understand this. But I can’t betray the feeling I had sitting and watching it. Pure emotion that I can always return to when I think about what wrestling can be. – Josh from We Work Stiff (We Work Stiff )

Omega’s first match in over a year, it was easy to wonder how he would look after coming back from such a devastating illness and a lot of us probably would’ve been happy just to see him again, but as he’s so apt to do, he didn’t just quiet all doubts, he didn’t just pen yet ANOTHER Tokyo Dome masterpiece, he wrestled a match that was completely different from all of his other big time matches in the Dome. A violent, bloody, hate-filled match for promotional pride that fit Kidd like a glove and proved that even after this many years and this many injuries, there’s pretty still much nothing that Omega can’t do. I don’t know how many more big Omega main events we have left, so I’ll simply treasure them as we get them and this is one I’ll definitely hold onto for a long time. For not the first time and hopefully not the last, less than a week into the new year, everybody else was simply competing for the right to come in second to The Best Bout Machine. – Jeff Ahmed (Voices of Wrestling)

The Gabe Kidd coming out party and Kenny Omega’s first match in over a year. This was easily one of the best matches I’ve ever seen and I’d say Tanahashi would agree since he was crying at ringside from this being so damn good – Doug Marsh (Wrestling Marshland)

This is the exact kind of match Kenny Omega fans had been waiting for for 13 months. Kenny came back and went right into the peak form we had all come to love (though he wouldn’t reach it again this year). Gabe Kidd reached an incredible level of violence and emotion. Gabe had the benefit of working alongside one of the absolute best of a generation, but he stepped up and felt every bit of Kenny’s equal. This match was an epic in every sense of the word. This was brutal, this was bloody, this was as much of a fight as it was a match. – TayKZY (Youtube.com/@taykzy)

Kenny Omega has accomplished a lot in his career, but coming back from a year-long hiatus from diverticulitis and having a match so great it makes Hiroshi Tanahashi cry might be his crowning achievement. – Andrew Rich (Voices of Wrestling / Music of the Mat Remix)

It made Hiroshi Tanahashi cry, of course this was the match of the year. – Suit Williams (Voices of Wrestling / Williams Watches Wrestling)

This match only looks even more incredible a year later than it did at the time, given the shape Kenny since appeared to be in at times throughout the rest of 2025 (and I say this not to mock him at all, having gone through the exact same medical condition and surgery he did- frankly, I’m amazed the man ever stepped into a ring again period). On the other hand Gabe pulling off his pants to reveal the lionmark on his tights for the first time to an enormous ovation doesn’t quite hit the same a year later with him seemingly having one foot out the door himself, but it was still an indescribably cool moment at the time that brought a sparsely attended Dome crowd to their feet. It set the tone for a match where the NJPW/AEW tensions that always seem to bubble under the surface constantly finally got an on-screen release- and then an announcer got suspended for doing his job and none of it went anywhere, of course. But none of that takes away from an incredible match. – John Carroll (Voices of Wrestling / Wrestling Omakase)

This match was an absolutely insane war that felt dangerous in all the best ways. Omega’s first match back after a year on the shelf from diverticulitis could have easily been a safe “greatest hits” performance, but instead, he had one of the most violent matches of his career. Omega did not work tentatively. He took big bumps from the opening bell, crashed through tables, and even sold his abdomen to tie the brutality back to his real-life health scare, turning what could have been a liability into a compelling story beat. The visual of both men, bloodied and battered, exchanging unprotected chair shots to the head and pushing past thirty minutes, made this feel like a true epic. Kidd came off like a complete star, making the most of the biggest spot of his career with his one-count kick-out after a V-Trigger serving as a career-defining moment of defiance. Omega finally stringing together the Kamigoye and One Winged Angel to put Kidd down was the perfect exclamation point, delivering a classic that justified all the hype around his return and cemented Kidd as one of the most compelling wrestlers to watch in 2025. – Jeremy Donovan (Social Suplex / Keepin’ It Strong Style)

Voices of Wrestling 2025 Match of the Year Countdown