Hello everyone, I’m back!
Last year, I brought you the third edition of the VOW MOTY poll analysis—check out my previous iterations from 2022 and 2019, where I also looked at the tiers for US Wrestling and Women’s Wrestling.
Hopefully, you aren’t burned out on Voices of Wrestling’s 2025 Match of the Year coverage or have completely moved past it. I’ll go into my explanation of why/how I do the tier breakdown below, but honestly, this is just a fun way for me to recap and review the entire list. I’ve found that they are very good references for the MOTY polls when looking back, and I hope you find them useful, fun, or entertaining in some way. Thanks for reading!
First, an overview of what/how/why this list is:
The concept of my analysis here is that while we like to focus on things like “top 10”, “top 25”, or “top 100” for lists like these, those are completely arbitrary distinctions.
They are just nice round numbers that make sense in our heads. In reality, especially when we have data to look at, we can group the matches together in much better ways. If the matches at numbers 26, 27, and 28 are all within 5 points of the number 25 match, then they should be considered equal to that match. But, as the way many look at it, one of those matches is in the “Top 25,” and the other three are left in the dust.
Using a simple formula that takes the points of the higher-ranked match and subtracts them from the lower-ranked match, I look at the entire list by the number of points separating the matches.
As I go through, I will end up finding natural break points where there are only 0-1 points between matches, and then suddenly there are 2 points between matches for the first time. Later in the poll, there is suddenly a 12-point difference, whereas before the largest difference between matches was 7 points. I will also look at the total votes the match received, as well as the first-place votes, to help create separation and see how the list changes and evolves as we move up the ranks.
Alright – enough rambling – let’s talk ball!
Honorable Mentions
The early part of the list. This includes “Sadness Village”, “Vanity Picks”, and other matches with very small amounts of points, making it just a little too difficult to separate. Pretty much every match has 0-1 points between them, and the listing in the article already separates them pretty well by the number of points earned. I’ll throw a few honorable mentions here of matches that caught my eye before we officially start with my tier system.
297. AZM vs. Bozilla (7/24, Stardom)
Kazuki Hirata vs. Yuki Ueno (8/31, DDT)
2 points, 2 votes, highest vote 10th
First matches with 2 votes.
Between defeating Mercedes Mone (muh-nay) in a triple threat match along with Mina Shirakawa NJPW Resurgence in California on 5/9/25 for the NJPW Strong Title (which did not place on the list) and then losing the title in a unification match with Saya Kamitani on 9/27 (VOW Poll #69, 26 points, 5 votes), AZM made one defense of that title in Korakuen Hall. This match, which really showed Bozilla’s development after jumping from Marigold, is one of the first two matches to receive two votes. Along with the 8/31 DDT matchup of Kazuki Hirata and Yuki Ueno they are the first matches with more than a single 9th or 10th place vote.
216. Hiromu Takahashi, Mayu Iwatanai & Yuka Sakazaki vs. Sumie Sakai & House of Torture (1/11, NJPW, 5 points, 4 votes, highest vote 9th)
First match with 4 votes
Yes, we completely skipped three votes. All the matches before this only had one or two votes. Now, many of those were higher votes – such as the multiple matches tied at 217 with 5 points from 1 sixth place vote. But once we get here to 216, we have our first match on four ballots with this NJPW STRONG retirement match of Sumie Sakai.
191. Hayabusa vs. Masato Tanaka (8/3, ZERO-1, 6 points, 3 votes, highest vote 7th)
First match with 3 votes
Read Kim Wong’s excellent “Trapped in the Cagematch” article on this match:
Trapped in the Cagematch: Masato Tanaka vs. Hayabusa (August 3, 2025)
We go back to the three-vote threshold landmark anyway, because our first three-vote match ends up higher on the list at number 191, and two points above the previous match.
In addition to that, it’s such a notable match with the newly reborn Hayabusa facing Masato Tanaka for the second time in 2025. They previously faced each other in the new Hayabusa debut match in April, and now they put on an excellent match, showing how quickly this Hayabusa has improved.
Even better – the whole match is free on the official Zero-1 YouTube! You don’t even need to make up a fake Japanese address for the Base-1 NEO app!
141. Mark Briscoe vs. Kyle Fletcher (11/22, AEW, 9 points, 4 votes, highest vote 8th)
The second match on the list to get four total votes is this feel-good match from AEW Full Gear. Honestly, Mark Briscoe is one of the few people where I can appropriately call a violent No-DQ match where someone tries to impale another person with a screwdriver “feel good” – but Chicken’s TNT Title win here is just that.
131. Ilja Dragunov vs. Sami Zayn (10/17, WWE, 11 points, 4 votes, highest vote 6th)
The third match on the list, with four votes, shows two of the wrestlers who were the highlights of WWE from an in-ring perspective this year. I swear, we will soon stop featuring the matches that got four votes.
Just one more!
120. Darby Allin vs. Claudio Castagnoli (8/27, AEW, 13 points, 4 votes, highest vote 4th)
There were many other matches that got four votes, including FTR vs. Brodido from AEW Full Gear, and AZM vs. Mei Suruga from Chocopro 11/8. However, I wanted to feature this match as it is the highest-ranked match before I start my official first tier. In addition to that, I voted for it! Yep, one of those four votes was mine, highlighting this amazing Falls Count Anywhere tribute to the ECW arena between two of the greatest and most consistent TV wrestlers of all time.
Tier 17: The “Superstan” Matches (14 points, 1 vote)
113. Bobby V vs. Lil Sicko (8/20, We Love Wrestling)
Jun Kasai vs. Momoka Hanazono (8/30, Up Town)
Hirooki Goto vs. Shingo Takagai (6/15, NJPW)
Demonio Infernal vs. El Tiburon (2/23)
DASH Chisako, Sayaka Toyota & VENY vs. Chihiro Hashimoto, Miku Kanae & Sareee (3/30, T-HEARTS 5th Anniversary)
Team 200kg vs. Meiko Satomura & Sareee (4/28, Fortune Dream 10)
The six matches above start off our official tiers here with the wonderful distinction of being “Superstan” matches.
What a “Superstan” match means is a match that only got one vote in the poll. However, that one vote was a first-place vote, giving it 14 points. These matches always put a spotlight on unique wrestlers and promotions worldwide.
This year is no exception.
While the main event of Dominion (Goto vs. Shingo, 6/15) wouldn’t fall under that category, we then get deathmatches from Lil Sicko and a Jun Kasai match from the Up Town promotion. I assume Demonio Infernal vs. El Tiburon from Freelance Mexico is also a deathmatch, but honestly, I can’t find anything about it on Cagematch or much of anywhere. True sicko stuff. And then lastly, we have a pair of Joshi tags from Fortune Dream and a T-HEARTS Anniversary show. If these mentions aren’t the definition of obscure, then I don’t know what is.
Tier 16: The Small But Dedicated Fan Base (14-15 points, 2-4 votes)
111. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Taichi (3/15, NJPW, 14 points, 3 votes)
to
104. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Danshoku Dino (8/31, DDT, 15 points, 4 votes)
In our second tier, we get out of the superstan matches with only one vote, and get into a group of matches with a similar point total (14-15 points), but now with between two and four votes. Actually, a majority of matches in this tier have three to four votes, with the 109th-place match, Yuya Uemura vs. Yuto-Ice from 10/6, NJPW, being the only match with two votes.
The bottom half of the tier has 14 points from three votes until we get to that match, and then the last four matches, starting with David Finlay vs. Yota Tsuji at Wrestle Kingdom, each have four votes for their 15 points. We do get a few more “sicko” type matches from obscure promotions in here, including Akira Jo, GENTARO & Taro Yamada vs. Mushuku from the Mutoha promotion, and another ZSJ working a tiny indy showcase match with Keita Yano in Tenryu Project. Lastly, I can’t end this without mentioning the match that tops this tier: Hiroshi Tanahashi showing his great versatility on his retirement tour and truly showing his love of pro wrestling by going out and wrestling in all the promotions he wanted to, including a Danshoku Dino match on a DDT show. Long live the Ace. Make your own rhyme/pun if you’d like.
Tier 15: Building Consensus (First matches with 5-6 votes)
103. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Shingo Takagi (7/26, NJPW, 15 points, 6 total votes)
to
85. Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali (4/27, TNA, 20 points, 2 votes)
While the Takeshita/Shingo G1 match has the same total points as the Tanahashi/Dino match that preceded it, I created a new tier here because it netted six total votes, the previous high being four. This tier spans 15-20 total points and two to six total votes. The other matches reaching the six-vote high include Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena from SummerSlam (#91, 8/3, WWE) and a GCW trios match from 7/5 featuring Marcus Mathers & YDNP vs. Billie Starkz, Megan Bayne & Miyu Yamashita at #86. Another significant match in the tier is #94 Brodido vs. Takeshita/Okada from Wrestle Dream (10/18, AEW), as it is the first match outside of the “superstan” tier that has received a first-place vote. The 14 points from a first-place vote is also the reason why the Santana vs. Ali match from TNA ended up at #85 despite only having two votes, as it was the only other match in the tier to get one of those coveted first-place votes.
Tier 14: Everybody’s Talkin’ (20-22 points, 2-6 votes)
84. Neon vs. Mascara Dorada (7/25, CMLL, 20 points, 6 votes)
To
78. Mayu Iwatani vs. Nanae Takahashi (5/4, Marigold, 22 points, 5 votes)
Now this might be a first in the history of my tiers columns here at Voices of Wrestling. While the Neon/Mascara Dorado match does have the distinction of being the first match with 20 or more points and more than two votes, the real reason I started a new tier with it was the number and quality of the voter comments in the article.
These comments are commonly referred to as “blurbs,” and in reading through the list, it was quite noticeable at this match that nearly all of the six people who voted for it were compelled to write their thoughts and praise it. Eliciting that strong a reaction from the voters, to me justify making a new tier.
As I was looking through the numbers, making the tiers, and trying to come up with names for them – calling this one “Everybody’s Talkin’” was in my head in order to focus on the blurbs, and to reference the great Harry Nilsson song featured in the movie “Midnight Cowboy” (do yourself a favorite and listen to the album “Nilsson Schmilsson” – a pop music masterpiece). While I was doing this, I was listening to a live show from the band Daniel Donato’s Cosmic County (11/15, Greenville, SC), and like a sign from the great beyon,d they started playing a cover of “Everybody’s Talkin’” I mean who am I to question fate – the tier was then officially named. Also, if you like live jam band style music with a heavy country influence, I can’t recommend Daniel Donato enough. Almost all of their live shows are available to stream on Bandcamp, and their 2023 album “Reflector” is simply incredible. Anyway, that’s enough of music corner – if you’d like more, I’d highly recommend the Voices of Wrestling Discord music channel and my very own substack – Special Deliveries, which also features a lot of wrestling writing.
Tier 13: It’s Starting To Get REAL Good (First matches with 8 votes)
77. Kosei Fujita vs. YOH (6/1, NJPW, 22 points, 8 votes)
To
61. Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega (7/12, AEW, 28 points, 8 votes)
While we continue with only 0-1 points separating each match, we see another jump in total votes received, helping create a new tier. The BOSJ finals between Kosei Fujita and YOH received eight total votes, breaking the previous high of six. The other matches in this tier to get eight votes include the Dragongate Open the Twin Gate title match between Jacky Funky Kamei and Riiita (often referred to as Jackyriiita and representing the Love & Peace unit) and the D’Courage duo of Yuki Yoshioka and Dragon Dia. John Cena’s final match against Gunther and the Okada/Omega match at All In: Texas also have the distinction of receiving eight total votes.
Noteworthy matches include the Super Sasadango Machine vs. Toru Yano match at #76, which is the final match in the entire poll with only two votes, including 1 first-place vote. We then later get the final match in the poll with only 3 votes – that being the Night 1 main event of the WrestleMania BOGO extravaganza Triple Threat(™) match between Seth “Freakin” Rollins, “The Original Tribal Chief” Roman “Cousin of the Usos” Reigns, and CM Punk at #66.
Tier 12: Gaining in Popularity (First matches with 10 votes)
60. Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Mone (7/12, AEW, 28 points, 10 votes)
To
50. Demus vs. El Hijo de Fishman (3/9, Zona 23, 35 points, 6 votes)
While many of us were disappointed that the Mentai Kid retirement match against Genkai (5/13, Kyushu Pro Wrestling) just barely missed getting into the illustrious Top 50 in the poll, I’m here to try and help out a little bit by showing that it’s in the same tier as the junkyard clash between Demus and Hijo de Fishman at #50. These are two of potentially the biggest “sicko matches” on the list and it’s awesome they are right next to each other with 34 and 35 points. The Mentai Kid match also has the distinction of being only the second match on the list with ten total votes.
This tier actually begins with that, as it’s the 10 total votes of the AEW Women’s Title match at All In between Toni Storm and Mercedes Mone (muh-nay) that separates it from one of the other top matches at AEW’s stadium event – that being Omega/Okada. Both matches had 28 total points, but the ten votes for Toni/Mercedes set a new high, surpassing the previous eight votes for Okada/Omega and others mentioned in the previous tier.
This tier is also interesting in that all matches have 28 or more points. That is important, as it indicates that all these matches have equal to or more points than any match that received only two first-place votes (a double superstan match?). We don’t have any matches in the poll this year that meet that criteria, and in fact, we still won’t see a match get more than one first-place vote in a few tiers. In this tier, the Demus/Fishman match was the only one to receive a first-place vote.
This tier also features the two highest-rated NOAH matches in the poll, with the Kenoh vs. Kaito Kiyomiya iron man match on 12/7 coming in at #54 (31 points, 6 votes). This was the Kaito Kiyomiya 10th anniversary show, so you could argue it’s not technically a “NOAH canon” show. Of note, though, not only does Kaito wrestle for one hour in this match, he also took part in an 11-minute 8-man tag match and an 8-minute singles match earlier in the show. Crazy stuff. The best “true” NOAH match then comes in right after it at #53 with the GHC title match between Kenoh and KENTA from 7/20 (32 points, 4 votes).
Tier 11: Solid as a Rock (First match with 11 total votes, 3 matches with 1 first place vote)
49. Bandido vs. Mascara Dorada (6/17, CMLL/AEW/ROH, 35 points, 11 total votes)
To
45. The Lucha Solos vs. Los Hermanos De La Jungla/Panther Brothers (4/18, DGUSA/PWR, 36 points, 10 votes)
The small tier gets started with a new high in total votes, as the Bandido vs. Mascara Doradoamatch for the ROH World Title at the ROH x CMLL Global Wars Mexico show during the great week of AEW’s Grand Slam Mexico show gets 11 votes, up from the previous high of 10. No other match in the tier gets up to that 11 votes again; however, the middle group of three Joshi matches (Suzu Suzuki vs. Mei Seira 4/27 Stardom, IYO SKY vs. Mayu Iwatani 10/26 Marigold, and Chirio Hashimoto vs. Meiko Satomura 3/19 Sendai Girls) all have the distinction of receiving one first-place vote. As we move higher in the poll, we reach a point where first-place votes become more common and much more important, and this run of three matches is a precursor to that.
Finally, the tier ends with the excellent WrestleMania week showcase match from the Dragongate USA/Pro Wrestling Revolution show. The Lucha Solos of Arkangel Divino and Ultimo Maldito faced off against Los Hermanos De La Jungla (also commonly referred to as the Panther Brothers) of Aero Panther and Fight Panther Jr. in a frenzied, insane match that brought back great memories of when wrestlers would regularly go out to “steal the show” during WrestleMania weekends. Hopefully, in 2026, we get even more wrestlers making a name for themselves during the bevy of indie wrestling shows in Las Vegas.
Tier 10: Separation Begins (first point difference >1)
44. Kazusada Higuchi vs. Shinya Aoki (5/6/25, DDT, 39 points, 8 votes)
To
33. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Tomohiro Ishii (1/5/25, NJPW/CMLL/AEW, 50 points, 11 votes)
Alright, this is a big one! For the first time in the poll, we have a point differential of more than one; in fact, it is three! Three whole points separate the Higuchi/Aoki match in DDT from the Lucha Solos/Panther Brothers tag match. Prior to this, in the nearly 300 (!!) matches that preceded it, every match was either tied or only one point different from the matches before and after it. To this point, I’ve had to use total votes and not points to create the tier separations. But not anymore! We are now getting into big-time territory. It’s nut cuttin’ time! From here on out, the point totals will grow tremendously as we get into matches with more total votes and more votes with higher point values, including those precious first-place votes.
Most notable when it comes to first-place votes is the wXw match between Ahura and Elijah Blum (9/28) at #37. It is the first match on the list with more than one first-place vote, and, similar to our point separation in this tier, it went from a previous high of 1 to 3. These three first-place votes also help give it the notoriety of being the last match on the entire list with only four votes total.
This Ahura/Blum match is also part of a run in which five matches received first-place votes. The others only got one and include the Darby vs. Mox “I Quit” match from AEW WrestleDream, the John Cena vs. AJ Styles “love letter” match from Saudi Arabia, the Omega/Bailey/Ricochet three-way match from AEW Dynasty, and the incredible underdog performance from Senka Akatsuki against Aja Kong during Mania week. In fact, the Cena/Style match from 10/11 ends up being the highest-ranked match from the entire John Cena retirement tour. It beat out his final match vs. Gunther (#64) and his SummerSlam rematch against Cody Rhodes (#91).
More important though, is that the Senka/Aja Kong match ended up one spot ahead of Cena/Styles with one more point (46 vs. 45) and 2 more total votes (9 vs. 7). If there’s anything that proves that many of the over 200 people that vote in the Voices of Wrestling Match of the Year poll are not your typical fan that only focuses on WWE, it’s this – definitive proof that Senka > John Cena.
Tier 9: Pulling Away From The Pack (5 point separation, first match with 2 first place votes)
32. Ben-K, Hyo, and Kzy vs. Z-Brats (4/18, Dragon Gate USA/PWR, 55 points, 9 votes, 1 first place vote)
To
27. Adam Page vs. Kyle Fletcher (9/20, AEW, 63 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote)
Once again, we make a leap of two points rather than one in our greatest separation when forming this new tier. Previously, “Separation Begins” saw a jump from a 1-point difference to a 3-point difference, and now we see a 5-point difference here with the Dragongate 6-man tradition REBORN on WrestleMania week. This match is the highest rated Dragongate match on the list – or I guess match featuring Dragongate wrestlers if you want to be technical, as it was a Dragongate USA show in Las Vegas. The 5-point difference is then achieved again with the 3-way deathmatch between Jun Kasai, El Desperado, and Masashi Takeda (3/10, 60 points) in a precursor to a match we will see much higher up on the list.
The KUSHIDA vs. Kosei Fujita shoot-style showcase from BOSJ (#29, 5/17, NJPW) has the distinction of being the first match on the list with 2 first place votes. Remember, we did have a three-first-place-vote match earlier, but had skipped the two-first-place-vote landmark. The two first-place votes for this match also make it notable in that with its 7 total votes, it is the last match on the list with <10 votes. Everything from #28 and onward will have double-digit votes and appear on 5% of all ballots. Other matches of note are two that tie the total vote high of 11 – the Page vs. Fletcher main event at AEW All Out (#27) and the Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Sareee match from Sendai Girls (#28, 11/16, 61 points).
Tier 8: Flirting With Greatness (12-16 total votes, first matches with >11 votes)
26. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (10/13, NJPW, 66 points, 16 votes)
To
23. Yuya Uemura vs. Ryohei Oiwa (8/7, NJPW, 70 points, 14 votes)
While the total point differential doesn’t achieve any new high watermarks in this tier (each match is between 0-3 points apart), the total number of votes is all greater than the previous high of 11. The tier stars with the Takeshita/ZSJ match for the IWGP title at King of Pro Wrestling with 16 total votes. Two matches later, at #24, Takeshita shows up and again sets the high for vote total as his 3/9 match with Kenny Omega at AEW Revolution garnered 18 total votes and one first-place vote. Also getting a first-place vote in this tier is the 8/8 CMLL clash of veteran legends, with Blue Panther and Ultimo Guerrero getting into #25 with 69 points and 12 total votes.
Here we also see a clear benefit of using the “tier” system, as Takeshita/ZSJ may not crack the arbitrary top 25, but it is clearly equivalent in status to the 23-25 matches just in front of it. Also, it’s becoming clear that the tiers are getting much smaller, while the point totals and differences are getting much larger. This is just the nature of the poll, as everything becomes relative. Previousl,y a 3 or 5 point difference between matches was HUGE and a big deal, now we’ll start to see those regularly and continue numbers greatly increase, to something as big as, I don’t know – 17 maybe?
Tier 7: The True Best Matches of the Year Begins Here (20 total votes, 17 points between matches)
22. Mike Bailey vs. Kyle Fletcher (12/10, AEW, 74 points, 20 votes)
To
21. Saya Kamatani vs. Tam Nakano (3/3, Stardom, 91 points, 12 votes, 2 first place votes)
As I just said, the tiers are getting smaller, and the numbers are getting bigger. This here is a particularly small tier – with only two matches, it is the smallest tier of the entire list. Honestly, you could probably split hairs and say it should only be a one-match tier with the Saya vs. Tam match from Korakuen Hall coming in at 17 points ahead of Bailey/Fletcher, shattering the previous record of 5 points. But I really didn’t want to have just a one-match tier, and the 20 votes the Continental Classic match received set a new record for total votes, with the previous high at 18. Those 20 votes put it at 9.8% of all ballots, very close to 1 out of every 10. That 20-vote total is also a landmark, because after the Saya/Tam match, every match on the list will have more than 20 votes. Saya/Tam got a high placement with only 12 votes, two of which were first-place votes.
I call this tier the “True Best Matches of the Year Begin Here” because breaking both that 20-vote threshold and establishing such a massive point differential really make these two matches, and the 20 that follow, clearly distinct from the over 300 matches that preceded it. Looking back at 2025, focusing on the top 22 matches in this poll will be much more appropriate than limiting it to the top 20.
Tier 6: The Diverse Greatness of 2025 (29 point differential, all matches with 20-25 votes and >100 points)
20. Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay vs. The Young Bucks (7/12, AEW, 120 points, 20 votes)
To
16. Sareee vs. Syuri (6/21, Stardom, 144 points, 22 votes)
Immediately after we make a big leap with a 17-point differential in the last tier, we smash the record again with now 29 points separating the Swerve/Ospreay vs. Young Bucks tag from All In: Texas over the first Saya/Tam singles match of 2025. I named this tier the “Diverse Greatness of 2025” because it features one match from each of five major wrestling companies worldwide. This includes the AEW tag previously mentioned, as well as the highest-ranked matches from both WWE (IYO vs. Bianca vs. Rhea from 4/20 WrestleMania) and AJPW (Kento vs. Yuma Anzai 12/31). The Yota Tsuji/Gabe Kidd NJPW clash from New Beginning Osaka over the Global Title and the Sareee vs. Syuri rematch from Stardom: The Conversion, now for the IWGP Women’s title, round out the worldwide tour of wrestling. The WWE Women’s Title 3-way match also sets a new high with 25 votes, it was 20 votes. We also have two matches with three first-place votes at the top of the tier with Sareee/Syrui and Kento/Yuma.
Tier 5: The Best of the Best Begins (30 point difference, 33-38 total vote)
15. Bandido vs. Hechicero (8/29, ROH, 174 points, 36 votes, 1 first place)
To
13. Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita (4/16, AEW, 180 points, 33 votes)
The 30-point jump from Sareee/Syuri to Bandido/Hechicero at Death Before Dishonor that starts this tier itself isn’t that impressive. It’s only one point more than the 29 that started the last tier. However, once again, I look to the total votes, and here we see a big difference with 36 total votes, much higher than the 25 for SKY/Belair/Ripley. The Anarchy in the Arena match then immediately breaks that with 38 total votes and one first-place vote. As we go forward, we’ll see this total vote record broken almost every match—but I’ll keep highlighting it when I think it is important. After that 30-point leap, though, these three matches are very close together with only three points separating each match.
The Ospreay/Takeshita match from the Spring Break Thru episode of Dynamite in Boston is also interesting, as it is the last match on the entire list that did not receive any first-place votes. Going forward, all matches will have at least one big first-place vote, and many will have many more. In fact, going back to match #21, there are only three matches without any first-place votes in the top 21. The aforementioned Ospreay/Takeshita match, the IYO/Bianca/Rhea match, and Yota Tsuji/Gabe Kidd.
Tier 4: Hard Hitting Classics (55 point jump , 46-49 votes)
12. Jon Moxley vs. Kyle Fletcher (12/27, AEW, 235 points, 48 votes, 2 first place votes)
To
9. El Desperado vs. Jun Kasai (6/24, NJPW, 350 points, 49 votes, 6 first place votes)
This tier begins with the Moxley/Fletcher Continental Classic Semifinal at Worlds End, jumping ahead by 55 points, with the previous high being 30. The tier then continues with various forms of pro wrestling brutality, be it a cage match (#11 Ospreay/Fletcher at Revolution), world-class striking and submissions (#10 Sareee/Syuri 3/10), or a deathmatch (Despy/Kasai).
The Despy/Kasai match, which was crowned the “Sicko Match of the Year” by VOW’s own Kevin Hare, set a high with six first-place votes; the high was three. It could also arguably have formed a new tier, as it was 90 points ahead of the first Syuri/Sareee clash, a new high for point differential. However, the match after it earned an ever higher point separation and greatly increased the total vote count, making it more sensible to draw the tier line after Despy/Kasai. The total votes in this tier are nicely all in the 40s, and in the next tier, we will jump into the 60s and 70s for votes.
Tier 3: World Title Epics (159 point differential, 62-76 votes, 10-21 first place votes)
8. Bandido vs. Konosuke Takeshita (7/11, ROH, 509 points, 74 votes, 10 first place votes)
To
6. Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (2/11, NJPW, 592 points, 76 votes, 15 first place votes)
Using the popular ranking/rating system that people often use online, I would likely call this the “A” tier. A trio of matches, all for the world titles of their respective companies, that achieved incredible feats in the ring. The tier starts with a massive 159-point jump. The previous high was 90 points in the match just before it, but this is on an entirely different level. In fact, it is the second-highest point differential on the list, with only the difference between the 1st and 2nd place matches surpassing it. No other match on the list besides those two achieves more than 100 points of distance than the match preceding it. Bandido and Takeshita close this big gap by also greatly increasing the total votes and first-place votes they receive, setting highs in both. It garnered 74 total votes, which is 36.3% of all ballots, jumping up from the previous high of Despy/Kasai, which got 49 votes (24% of ballots). It also received 10 first-place votes, surpassing Despy/Kasai’s six.
A big talking point in this tier has been the Saya Kamitania vs. Tam Nakano main event from All Star Grand Queendom, which came in at #7 with 518 total points on 62 ballots (30.4% of all ballots) and 21 first-place votes. Only the #1 and #2 matches on the list had more first-place votes than Saya/Tam from 4/27. There has been some discussion about whether it didn’t achieve a higher placement because there simply wasn’t a wide enough audience watching Stardom. Now, while it’s unquestionable that in the Voices of Wrestling poll both AEW and NJPW likely have much more exposure, I don’t think it’s a lack of exposure or Stardom viewership that leads to this. Honestly, placing #7 in the list is still excellent. And in total votes, with 62, it received more than all but 7 other matches, with Bandido/Takeshita being the only match below it on the list with more votes. Saya/Tam was on nearly one out of every three ballots! I think the 21 first-place votes just speak to how emotionally impactful the match was on a large number of fans. Now, the dramatics and theatrics ultimately may have turned some people off, or just brought it down a small amount to where it didn’t end up in the top 10 of the year list for them. It’s obviously a small sample size, but looking at the recent episode of Wrestling Omakase, which went over the MOTY ballots of five different voters, I think it’s interesting. The Saya/Tam match appeared on two of the five ballots, and both voters had it at #1. The other 3 voters, with varying amounts of joshi exposure (including the host – who extensively watches Stardom and many other joshi promotions) did not have the match on their list. In addition, I think the earlier Korakuen match between the two split some votes from this match, as many have expressed liking that match better than this one. Either way, whatever the reason, while I and many others were hoping for a higher placement (maybe even first overall!), being the 7th best match of the year and in the 3rd tier of great matches in 2025 is still an amazing accomplishment for an incredible match.
Tier 2: The Elite (81-91 total votes, up to 25 first place votes)
5. Toni Storm vs. Mariah May (3/9, AEW, 647 points, 91 total votes, 10 first place votes)
To
2. MJF vs. Mistico (9/19, CMLL, 766 points, 91 total votes, 25 first place votes)
A cheeky name for sure, but hey, that’s kind of the whole gimmick. This tier features three major matches from All Elite Wrestling and 1 match from CMLL featuring an AEW wrestler and significant TV time given to it in Tony Khan’s promotion, including the first match between MJF and Misticio on Dynamite Grand Slam Mexico, which set up this rematch. In between the bloodbaths of MJF/Mistico and the Toni Storm/Mariah May “Hollywood Ending”, we have the major matches of Hangman Page’s redemption arc with his main events against Will Ospreay at Double or Nothing at #3 and his World Title triumph against Jon Moxley at All In coming in at #4.
As mentioned in the last tier, that 159-point differential does not get surpassed here. We have a 90-point difference between MJF/Mistico at 2 and Hangman/Ospreay at 3, which ties it for second place with the 90 points Despy/Kasai had over Sareee/Syuri 3/10. MJF/Mistico does, however, hold the record for the most first-place votes with 25, beating the 21 of Saya/Tam at ASGQ. Ultimately, it was the total votes that formed this tier, as there was a clear jump from 62-76 votes in the last tier up to 81-93 votes in this tier. The Hangman/Ospreay match was the low-vote getter here with 81 votes (39.7% of ballots) but 18 first-place votes. The remaining three matches all had around 90 votes (45% of ballots). With the previous tier being the “A” tier, I would give this one the “A+” tier.
Tier 1: A Tokyo Dome Masterpiece
1. Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd (1/5/25, NJPW/CMLL/AEW, 1074 points, 123 total votes, 32 first place votes)
And then we have the “S” tier. The clear, undisputed 2025 Match of the Year. It finished 308 points ahead of MJF/Mistico, easily the largest difference in the poll. It also easily had the most total votes with 123. It was on 60% of all ballots, the only match with >50%. And it had the most first-place votes with 32. That 308 points between it and #2, if it were a match itself, would put it at #10 on this list. It received 448 points from first-place votes alone, which would put it at #9 on the list. With its 123 total votes, if for some reason all of those people voted it number 10 and it got 123 points, it would finish #20 on the list. A remarkable accomplishment once again for Mr. Kenneth Omega, and while the rest of 2025 didn’t continue this insanely high standard, hopefully, this is the start of things to come for Gabe Kidd.
Thank you, everyone, for reading.
I hope you enjoyed it and all of the Match of the Year coverage here at Voices of Wrestling. BIG THANKS to Rich, Joe, and Jeremy Sexton for building this thing up and putting it all together. And thanks to all the voters and everyone in the VOW Discord Match of the Year channel for being a great community to appreciate and talk wrestling with.
Here’s to 2026!
