2023 Year-End Awards

Photo credits: Místico – CMLL, Chihiro Hashimoto and Natsupoi – Joshi Puroresu Magazine, Bryan Danielson and Zack Sabre Jr. – AEW, Kazusada Higuchi – @Markun_pw, The Astronauts – Kakuto Tanteidan, Mio Momono & Mayumi Ozaki – @Ko0289

Disclaimer: Some of the wrestlers mentioned in this article are terrible people. Their inclusion in these lists is in no way, shape, or form an endorsement of character.

2023 was not a great year for professional wrestling. It was a year of extreme highs and steep lows. Most promotions felt creatively bankrupt, and pushed some of the least interesting acts imaginable, at least as far as my tastes go. Both AEW and WWE got stuck in a creative rut for much of the year, with the promotions’ world title scenes featuring the kind of theatrical, melodramatic bouts I’m not especially fond of. As a result, I spent much of the year watching comfort food wrestling, which meant a lot of CMLL and Dragongate. I went weeks without watching a single match on several occasions this year. As you may have noticed, the blog has slowed down recently. Part of that is because most contests haven’t inspired me to write much about them. That said, the last several weeks of Dynamite and the Continental Classic have revitalized my interest in American wrestling television, so hopefully, 2024 will be better. Regardless, there was still quite a bit of high-quality wrestling this year, and I intend to cover it. As always with a list of this magnitude, my brain tends to go into overdrive, so I apologize in advance if anything slipped through the cracks.

Some of my blindspots include the following:

AJPW
Australian indies
European indies
Ice Ribbon
NOAH
Stardom (post-All Star Grand Queendom)
Tenryu Project
TJPW
U.S. indies

Now, with that out of the way, let’s get into what I have seen. In 2023, I watched 1,094 matches spanning 94 promotions. 26 of those matches were at four stars higher. 165 wrestlers from 24 promotions made my Wrestler of the Year spreadsheet, meaning they had at least one match rated at three-and-a-half stars or higher.

Note: Some wrestlers from Dragongate or CMLL may have more match recommendations than others despite ranking lower on the lists. This is largely due to me watching a lot of house show matches that clocked in around the three-star range. I’ve included a footnote as to where you can find matches wherever applicable.

Most Improved:

1. Madoka Kikuta
Madoka Kikuta had a fire lit under him after a tumultuous 2022 plagued by injury. I always liked Kikuta, but he didn’t start putting the pieces together until last December when he faced off against Shingo Takagi in a tag match. He linked up with Dragon Dia and Yuki Yoshioka as D’courage, later being joined by upstart Ryoya Tanaka. In their trios matched, Kikuta is a reliable hot tag. Kikuta’s hard-hitting singles matches against the likes of BIG BOSS Shimizu and Masaaki Mochizuki were a highlight of Dragongate’s Dream Gate division this year. 2023 was a year of growth for Kikuta, and I’m eagerly anticipating what he does next.

Recommended matches:

w/ Yuki Yoshioka & Dragon Dia vs. Mochizuki Jr., Kaito Nagano & Yoshiki Kato (Dragongate, 1/8) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. GOLD CLASS (Ben-K, Kota Minoura & Minorita) (Dragongate, 1/11) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Yuki Yoshioka vs. M3K (Masaaki Mochizuki & Mochizuki Jr.) (Dragongate, 2/26) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Don Fujii vs. REVENGERS (Masato Tanaka & Takuya Sugawara) (Dragongate & Masaaki Mochizuki Produce, 4/4) [Dragongate Network]
vs. Kota Minoura (Dragongate, 4/5) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu, Jason Lee & Kzy) (Dragongate, 4/23) [YouTube]
w/ Kota Minoura & Shun Skywalker vs. Ben-K, Strong Machine J & Yuki Yoshioka (Dragongate, 5/11) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. YAMADoi (YAMATO & Naruki Doi) & Dragon Kid (Dragongate, 6/1) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu, Kzy & Jason Lee) (Dragongate, 6/4) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu & Jacky “Funky” Kamei) vs. GOLD CLASS (Kota Minoura & Minorita) & Yuki Yoshioka (Dragongate, 6/18) [YouTube]
w/ Yuki Yoshioka vs. Natural Vibes (Jacky “Funky” Kamei & Jason Lee) (Dragongate, 6/25) [YouTube]
vs. Masaaki Mochizuki (Dragongate, 7/7) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu, Kzy & U-T) (Dragongate, 7/17) [YouTube]
vs. BIG BOSS Shimizu (Dragongate, 8/3) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. GOLD CLASS (Ben-K, Kota Minoura & Minorita) (Dragongate, 8/4) [YouTube]
w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. Dragon Kid, Takuma Nishikawa & YAMATO (Dragongate, 9/7) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. Dragon Kid, Punch Tominaga & YAMATO vs. GOLD CLASS (Ben-K, Kota Minoura & Naruki Doi) (Dragongate, 10/6) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu, Kzy & Jason Lee) (Dragongate, 10/23) [YouTube]
w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu, Kzy & Jason Lee) (Dragongate, 11/3) [YouTube]
w/ Dragon Dia, Yuki Yoshioka & Ryoya Tanaka vs. Natural Vibes (Jacky “Funky” Kamei, Jason Lee, Kzy & Strong Machine J) (Dragongate, 11/9) [Dragongate Network]

Rookie of the Year:
Anyone who is in their first full year as a professional wrestler is eligible for Rookie of the Year. For example, if someone debuted in December of 2022, they’d qualify for 2023.

3. Mochizuki Jr.
Mochizuki Jr. may wrestle a lot like his father, Masaaki Mochizuki, but there’s a youthful exuberance to Junior that makes him a joy to watch. He’s also shown character growth throughout the year, opting to take on challenges head-on rather than deferring to his dad in their tag team matches.

Recommended matches:

w/ Kaito Nagano & Yoshiki Kato vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia, Yuki Yoshioka & Madoka Kikuta) (Dragongate, 1/8) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Natural Vibes (Kzy & Strong Machine J) (Dragongate, 1/12) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Z-Brats (H・Y・O & ISHIN) (Dragongate, 2/3) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Kung Fu Masters (Jason Lee & Jacky “Funky” Kamei) (Dragongate, 2/3) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Kaito Nagano & Yoshiki Kato (Dragongate, 2/19) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Masaaki Mochizuki vs. D’courage (Madoka Kikuta & Yuki Yoshioka) (Dragongate, 2/26) [Dragongate Network]

2. Amira
Amira’s a rock-solid power and mat wrestler with a lot of upside. It’s frankly astonishing that she’s in her first year as a pro. You’d hardly know it by her poise in the Nicole Matthews matches.

Recommended matches:

vs. Nicole Matthews (DOA, 8/5) [IWTV]

1. Kaito Nagano
Kaito Nagano is an exciting high-flyer whose Space World has become one of my favorite moves in wrestling. He’s a solid hand on the undercard already, but what impresses me most about Nagano is how he’s incorporated his soccer gimmick into his matches. His foot drag is always a thing of beauty.

Recommended matches:

w/ Mochizuki Jr. & Yoshiki Kato vs. D’courage (Yuki Yoshioka, Dragon Dia & Madoka Kikuta) (Dragongate, 1/8) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Minorita, Ryu Fuda & Yoshiki Kato vs. Don Fujii, Naruki Doi, Shuji Kondo & YAMATO (Dragongate, 1/12) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Yoshiki Kato vs. Kung Fu Masters (Jacky “Funky” Kamei & Jason Lee) (Dragongate, 2/11) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Yoshiki Kato vs. M3K (Masaaki Mochizuki & Mochizuki Jr.) (Dragongate, 2/19) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Yoshiki Kato vs. Masaaki Mochizuki & Don Fujii (Dragongate, 3/4) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Yoshiki Kato vs. GOLD CLASS (Kota Minoura & Minorita) (Dragongate, 3/11) [YouTube]
w/ Minorita vs. Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu & Jason Lee) (Dragongate, 3/27) [YouTube]
w/ Daiki Yanagiuchi & Minorita vs. Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu, Jacky “Funky” Kamei & U-T) (Dragongate, 5/11) [Dragongate Network]

Feud of the Year:

3. Kazuchika Okada vs. The Youths
One of my favorite roles in wrestling is that of the grumpy veteran. Kazuchika Okada has not only taken to that role like a fish to water, but the rivalry has also reinvigorated him as a character. Okada’s arrogance and pettiness know no bounds. While battles with Kaito Kiyomiya remain a highlight, he’s also tangoed with the Reiwa Three Musketeers: Shota Umino, Ren Narita, and Yota Tsuji. They still have a ways to go if Okada has any say in the matter, and watching him punk out the youngsters has been marvelous.

2. Jon Moxley vs. Adam Page
While Moxley and Page’s story took a backseat to the larger Elite/Blackpool Combat Club narrative in the latter half of the year, their three singles meetings stand out. It also led to one of the coolest segments of the year, in which Moxley cut a promo in a stairwell. The feud culminated in a gruesome, memorable Texas Death Match that is one of the high points of 2023 overall.

1. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston
Eddie Kingston’s quest to resolve his unfinished business with Castagnoli from their CHIKARA days was one of the most captivating stories in wrestling in 2023. When he finally expelled his nemesis to win the ROH World Title at Supercard of Honor, it was incredibly cathartic. Despite the fact that Kingston has defeated Castagnoli in all three of their matches this year, his victories always felt hard-fought and earned.

Show of the Year:

5. GLEAT – LIDET UWF Ver. 3 (3/7)
Despite all of the matches taking place under LIDET UWF rules, Ver. 3 was a varied event, showcasing the different styles of the competitors involved. The three most notable matches, Shinya Aoki vs. Tetsuya Izuchi, Hideki Sekine vs. Seichi Ikemoto, and Hikaru Sato vs. Soma Watanabe, each felt distinct.

4. AEW - Dynamite #174 (2/1)
This was by far my favorite episode of wrestling television in 2023. The undercard went by swiftly, and there were three great matches in Jon Moxley vs. Adam Page, Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher, and Samoa Joe vs. Darby Allin in a wild No Holds Barred fight.

3. ROH – Supercard of Honor (3/31)
Supercard of Honor began with a fun bout between El Hijo del Vikingo and Komander, and didn’t let up. While I’m not as high on the ladder match as others, Samoa Joe vs. Mark Briscoe and Wheeler YUTA vs. Katsuyori Shibata were very good. The main event between Claudio Castagnoli and Eddie Kingston remains my favorite of their 2023 trilogy.

2. AEW – All Out (9/3)
Many will point to other pay-per-views AEW produced as their favorite of the year, but for my money, none matched the consistency of this show. I often have problems with major AEW events. Either they go too long, or every match tries to be great. All Out was different, a well-paced show with peaks and valleys, highlighted by two outstanding contests between Bryan Danielson and Ricky Starks and Jon Moxley and Orange Cassidy.

1. Kakuto Tanteidan – We Are the Fighting Detectives (10/12)
Being the shortest show on this list, Kakuto Tanteidan’s debut event, “We Are the Fighting Detectives,” is also the best of the bunch. If you’re watching for the in-ring portion, you can knock out this show in an hour and change. The main event between The Astronauts is sensational. Seeing perennial rivals Daisuke Ikeda & Yuki Ishikawa punch each other in the face is always a delight and there was a surprisingly enjoyable tag match between Ikuto Hidaka & Thanomsak Toba and Hikaru Sato & “brother” YASSHI. Rounding out the card are two sound bouts between Hideki Suzuki and Yu Iizuka, and Super Tiger II and Keita Yano.

Discovery of the Year:

The Discovery of the Year goes to a wrestler I was unfamiliar with for up to a full year prior to 2023.

3. Hikaru Machida
I don’t have anything profound to write here, but what I’ve seen of Machida has been a ton of fun. He wears boxing gloves and punches people hard. Sometimes, that’s enough to sell you on a wrestler.

Recommended matches:

w/ Thanomsak Toba & Yukio Sakaguchi vs. Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima (DDT, 1/29) [Wrestle Universe]

2. Panterita del Ring Jr. / Máscara Dorada 2.0 / Máscara Dorada II
Panterita del Ring Jr. first burst onto my radar late last year, teaming with his father, Panterita del Ring, against Blue Panther & Dark Panther. He’d then participate in the Gran Alternativa finals alongside Místico against fellow prodigy Raider and Gran Guerrero. Since then, Panterita Jr.’s stock has soared. He’s been at the forefront of CMLL’s youth movement, scoring victories over established veterans and racking up accolades. He was also gifted the Máscara Dorada gimmick. Dorada is an incredibly exciting, graceful high-flyer who continually ups his game and pushes the limits of what’s possible in the ring. It’s easy to see why CMLL is so high on him with his skill set.

Recommended matches:

w/ Guerrero Maya Jr. & Titán vs. Los Nuevos Ingobernables (Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja) & Bárbaro Cavernario (CMLL, 2/3) [YouTube]
w/ Panterita del Ring vs. Black Panther & Blue Panther (CMLL, 3/16) [YouTube]
w/ Panterita del Ring vs. Soberano Jr. & Euforia (CMLL, 4/4) [YouTube]
w/ Volador Jr. & Valiente vs. Hechicero, Stuka Jr. & Yota (CMLL, 5/28) [YouTube]
w/ Metalik & Titán vs. Bárbaro Cavernario, Templario & Virus (CMLL, 7/14) [YouTube]
vs. Rocky Romero (CMLL, 7/28) [YouTube]
w/ Atlantis Jr. & Místico vs. Guerrero Maya Jr., Templario & Titán (CMLL, 9/8) [YouTube]
w/ Místico & Titán vs. Los Nuevos Ingobernables (Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja) & Templario (CMLL, 10/6) [YouTube]
w/ Atlantis Jr. & Místico vs. Los Nuevos Ingobernables (Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja) & Templario (CMLL, 10/27) [YouTube]
w/ Atlantis Jr. & Volador Jr. vs. Averno, Soberano Jr. & Templario (CMLL, 12/25) [YouTube]

1. Austin Connelly / Mad Dog Connelly
Mad Dog Connelly fights like you’d expect someone named “Mad Dog” to fight. He wrestles with explosive, impactful offense, and his matches feel dangerous in a thrilling way. What impresses me most about Connelly is that he’s equally as effective of an underdog babyface as a menacing, reckless heel.

Recommended matches:

vs. Jeremy Wyatt (SLA, 1/27) [YouTube]
vs. 1 Called Manders (SLA, 4/14) [YouTube]
vs. Dominic Garrini (BLP, 7/22) [TrillerTV]
vs. 1 Called Manders (SLA, 7/28) [YouTube]

Promotion of the Year:

5. DEADLOCK Pro-Wrestling

It takes a lot to get me to watch anything from the U.S. indies these days, but DPW has carved out a niche by using a mix of local talent and big-name imports. Plus, any promotion where The WorkHorsemen, Adam Priest, and Violence Is Forever get to do their thing on a regular basis, and Miyuki Takase is a champion, is cool with me.

4. All Elite Wrestling
Look, I get it. AEW’s made some baffling decisions this year, in-ring and out. Between pushing stale acts, waiting too long to pull the trigger on the wrestlers who get over organically, it can be an incredibly frustrating company to follow in real time. But their highs are undeniably high, and matches like Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. are the reason they still have me on the hook. That’s not even mentioning the Continental Classic, which, despite questionable decisions, produced some of the finest television matches of the year. While I have my numerous issues with AEW, they were bound to end up with several matches in my top 100 due to the sheer amount of content the company produces weekly.

3. Kakuto Tanteidan
Did they only run one event in 2023? Yes, but that show will stick with me far longer than most from this year. Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura’s debut produce show was a breath of fresh air in a wrestling landscape that is constantly pushing towards the idea that more is more. I also don’t feel strongly about the previous two picks on this list for myriad reasons, which is why Kakuto Tanteidan finds itself comfortably at number three.

2. Dragongate Japan Pro-Wrestling
Dragongate had a strong 2023, in no small part due to the efforts of Dream Gate champion Madoka Kikuta and BIG BOSS Shimizu. While the Twin Gate scene hasn’t been as engaging for me this year, trios matches remain the promotion’s best asset. Add in a crop of promising rookies, some of whom have shown to be wise beyond their years, and it makes for a wholly enjoyable product.

1. Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
CMLL continues to be the most watchable promotion on the planet. You can throw on a random Friday show and virtually guarantee there’s a high-quality match or two, sometimes more depending on the card. They’re also pushing younger stars. At the forefront of that movement is Máscara Dorada II, who has quickly racked up wins over established stars.

Tag Team/Unit of the Year:

5. Natural Vibes (Jason Lee, Kzy, Strong Machine J, Jacky “Funky” Kamei, U-T & BIG BOSS Shimizu)
Natural Vibes is one of the rare units where virtually every pairing is good. Their trios matches are often a shining example of Dragongate at its best. They’re brisk and exciting without being overbearing, and when they decide to work a heat segment, downright mean when they want to be. Whether they’re faces or the defacto heels, Natural Vibes are infinitely watchable.

Recommended matches:

vs. M3K (Masaaki Mochizuki & Mochizuki Jr.) (Dragongate, 1/12) [DG Network]
vs. Kaito Nagano & Minorita (Dragongate, 3/27) [YouTube]
vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka) & Naruki Doi (Dragongate, 4/1) [Dragongate Network]
vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka) (Dragongate, 4/5) [Dragongate Network]
vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia, Madoka Kikuta & Yuki Yoshioka) (Dragongate, 4/23) [YouTube]
vs. Dragon Dia & La Estrella (Dragongate, 5/11) [Dragongate Network]
vs. Daiki Yanagiuchi, Kaito Nagano & Minorita (Dragongate, 5/11) [Dragongate Network]
vs. Don Fujii, Genki Horiguchi & Kagetora (Dragongate, 5/28) [Dragongate Network]
vs. D’courage (Madoka Kikuta, Yuki Yoshioka & Dragon Dia) (Dragongate, 6/4) [Dragongate Network]
vs. GOLD CLASS (Kota Minoura & Minorita) & Yuki Yoshioka (Dragongate, 6/18) [YouTube]
vs. D’courage (Madoka Kikuta & Yuki Yoshioka) (Dragongate, 6/25) [YouTube]
vs. GOLD CLASS (Kota Minoura, Minorita & Naruki Doi) (Dragongate, 7/2) [Dragongate Network]
vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia, Madoka Kikuta & Yuki Yoshioka) (Dragongate, 7/17) [YouTube]
vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka), Eita, Kagetora & YAMATO (Dragongate, 8/3) [Dragongate Network]
vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia, Madoka Kikuta & Yuki Yoshioka) (Dragongate, 10/23) [YouTube]
vs. D’courage (Madoka Kikuta, Yuki Yoshioka & Dragon Dia) (Dragongate, 11/3) [YouTube]
vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia, Madoka Kikuta, Ryoya Tanaka & Yuki Yoshioka) (Dragongate, 11/9) [Dragongate Network]

4. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi
2023 was not a great year for tag team wrestling, as I’m sure you’ve gathered from the intro. Enter Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi, who were as reliable as ever. Aside from the excellent program with The Astronauts, they had an entertaining bout with Violent Giants. Unfortunately, their year was cut short when Okabayashi announced he was taking a hiatus from wrestling in June.

Recommended matches:

w/ Kazuki Hashimoto vs. Ryota Hama, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuya Aoki (BJW, 2/12) [BJW Core]
vs. The Astronauts (Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura) (BJW, 2/13) [BJW Core]
vs. Yuya Aoki & Takuya Nomura (BJW, 4/1) [BJW Core]
vs. The Astronauts (Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura (BJW, 4/16) [BJW Core]
vs. Violent Giants (Shuji Ishikawa & Suwama) (AJPW, 6/17) [AJPW TV]

3. Violence Is Forever (Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku)
Talk about a tag team that lives up to their name. The steel cage match with The WorkHorsemen was a gruesome spectacle, and VIF also had entertaining bouts against The Motor City Machine Guns and The Miracle Generation.

Recommended matches:

vs. The WorkHorsemen (Anthony Henry & JD Drake) (DPW, 3/26) [DPW On-Demand]
vs. The Miracle Generation (Dustin Waller & Kylon King) (DPW, 6/18) [DPW On-Demand]
vs. The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) (DPW, 8/13) [DPW On-Demand]

2. The WorkHorsemen (Anthony Henry & JD Drake)
Anthony Henry & JD Drake are undoubtedly one of the best tag teams in the world when it comes to doing Southern tags with a modern twist. Beyond the fantastic steel cage match against Violence Is Forever, they had quality matches against Grizzled Young Veterans, Kevin Blackwood & Kevin Knight, and Katsuyori Shibata & Alex Coughlin.

Recommended matches:

vs. Violence Is Forever (Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku) (DPW, 3/26) [DPW On-Demand]
vs. Alex Coughlin & Katsuyori Shibata (ROH, 4/13)
vs. Double Kevin (Kevin Blackwood & Kevin Knight) (DPW, 8/13) [DPW On-Demand]
vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) (AEW, 9/23)
vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) (DPW, 10/15) [DPW On-Demand]
vs. The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) (DPW, 12/10) [DPW On-Demand]

1. The Astronauts (Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura)
I’m running out of adjectives to describe how stellar The Astronauts are. Their matches are typically succinct and hard-hitting, which is all I can ask from modern tag team wrestling. Their series against Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi is the crown jewel of their year, but Nomura and Abe were involved in several enjoyable multi-man tags. While they’re number one on the list, I was short on time and didnt get around to the bulk of their work in the latter half of the year against Similarity, Hideki Suzuki & Hikaru Sato, and more.

Recommended matches:

vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 2/13) [BJW Core]
vs. Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 3/17) [BJW Core]
w/ Yuya Aoki vs. Daimonji So, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 3/26) [BJW Core]
vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 4/16) [BJW Core]

10 Under 10:
The 10 Under 10 is comprised of a list of sub-ten-minute matches you should make time for. This list is comprised of matches that get the most mileage out of doing very little. Think of it as a “Hoot of Year” type of list.

10. Mei Seira & Starlight Kid vs. AZM & Mei Suruga (Stardom, 4/23) [Stardom World]
9. Kazusada Higuchi vs. Yusuke Okada (DDT, 5/6) [Wrestle Universe]
8. Averno vs. Virus (CMLL, 10/27) [YouTube]
7. Anthony Henry vs. Eddie Kingston (ROH, 12/15) [HonorClub]
6. Mike Bailey vs. Kota Ibushi (GCW, 3/30) [YouTube]
5. Seichi Ikemoto vs. Hideki Sekine (GLEAT, 3/7) [YouTube]
4. Emi Sakura vs. Athena (ROH, 3/30) [HonorClub]
3. Samoa Joe vs. Darby Allin (AEW, 1/4)
2. Kaito Kiyomiya & Yoshiki Inamura vs. Kazuchika Okada & Togi Makabe (NJPW, 1/21) [NJPW World]
1. Blue Panther vs. Virus (CMLL, 2/24) [YouTube]
Reviewed here

Match of the Year:
Note: Due to the volume of matches listed, I decided to forego blurbs.

100. Averno vs. Soberano Jr. (CMLL, 5/5) [YouTube]

99. Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin) vs. The Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley) (AEW, 1/6)

98. Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu, Jacky Funky Kamei & Kzy) vs. GOLD CLASS (Kota Minoura, Minorita & Naruki Doi) (Dragongate, 7/2) [Dragongate Network]

97. Jun Akiyama vs. Toi Kojima (DDT, 5/28) [Wrestle Universe]

96. Adam Priest vs. Noah Hossman (TWE, 2/11) [IWTV]

95. Kazusada Higuchi vs. Yuji Hino (DDT, 1/29) [Wrestle Universe]

94. Alex Shelley vs. Jonathan Gresham (Prestige Wrestling, 7/23) [IWTV]

93. Syuri vs. Chihiro Hashimoto (Stardom, 4/23) [Stardom World]

92. Jay White vs. Eddie Kingston (NJPW, 2/18) [YouTube]

91. Arisa Nakajima vs. Ayame Sasamura (SEAdLINNNG, 3/20) [SEAdLINNNG Live]

90. Wheeler YUTA vs. Timothy Thatcher (ROH, 3/9) [HonorClub]

89. Wheeler YUTA vs. Katsuyori Shibata (ROH, 3/31) [HonorClub]

88. Jon Moxley vs. Artemis Spencer (DEFY Wrestling, 7/29) [Wremix TV]

87. Hechicero vs. Euforia (CMLL, 1/13) [YouTube]

86. Orange Cassidy vs. Daniel Garcia (AEW, 5/10)

85. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi vs. Yuya Aoki & Takuya Nomura (BJW, 4/1) [BJW Core]

84. DOUKI, Hechicero & Templario vs. El Desperado, Místico & Soberano Jr. (NJPW & CMLL, 2/26) [NJPW World]

83. Takanori Ito vs. Fujita Hayato (GLEAT, 7/1) [YouTube]

82. Emi Sakura vs. Miyuki Takase (DPW & Gatoh Move, 4/27) [YouTube]

81. Jon Moxley vs. Adam Page (AEW, 1/11)

80. GUNTHER vs. Chad Gable (WWE, 8/21) [Peacock]

79. Dragon Kid, Punch Tominaga & YAMATO vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia, Madoka Kikuta & Yuki Yoshioka) vs. GOLD CLASS (Ben-K, Kota Minoura & Naruki Doi) (Dragongate, 10/6) [Dragongate Network]

78. Chihiro Hashimoto vs. MIRAI (Stardom, 2/4) [Stardom World]

77. Soberano Jr. vs. Hechicero (NJPW & CMLL, 2/28) [NJPW World]

76. Samoa Joe vs. Mark Briscoe (ROH, 3/31) [HonorClub]

75. El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Hideki Suzuki (NOAH, 5/4) [Wrestle Universe]

74. Madoka Kikuta vs. BIG BOSS Shimizu (Dragongate, 8/3) [Dragongate Network]

73. Timothy Thatcher vs. Josh Barnett (GCW, 3/30) [YouTube]

72. Austin Connelly vs. 1 Called Manders (SLA, 4/14) [YouTube]

71. Nicole Matthews vs. Masha Slamovich (DEFY Wrestling, 8/12) [Wremix TV]

70. Mika Iwata vs. Mio Momono (Sendai Girls, 2/24) [YouTube]

69. Chris Hero vs. Timothy Thatcher (West Coast Pro, 11/9) [YouTube]

68. The Astronauts (Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura) vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 2/13) [BJW Core]

67. Rocky Romero vs. Máscara Dorada 2.0 (CMLL, 7/28) [YouTube]

66. Fujita Hayato & Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Fuminori Abe & Ikuto Hidaka (Michinoku Pro Wrestling, 6/30)

65. Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland (AEW, 10/10)

64. Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia (AEW, 12/16)

63. Travis Williams vs. Daniel Makabe (365 Pro Wrestling, 9/22) [YouTube]

62. CM Punk & Darby Allin vs. Ricky Starks & Christian Cage (AEW, 7/22)
Reviewed here

61. Mike Bailey vs. Timothy Thatcher (West Coast Pro, 3/4) [IWTV]

60. Arisa Nakajima vs. Mio Momono (Marvelous, 2/21) [YouTube]

59. CMFTR (CM Punk, Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) & Ricky Starks vs. BULLET CLUB Gold (Jay White & Juice Robinson) & The Gunns (Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn) (AEW, 6/24)

58. Kaito Kiyomiya & Yoshiki Inamura vs. Kazuchika Okada & Togi Makabe (NJPW, 1/21) [NJPW World]

57. Athena vs. Willow Nightingale (ROH, 3/9) [HonorClub]

56. CMFTR (CM Punk, Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) & vs. BULLET CLUB Gold (Jay White & Juice Robinson) & Samoa Joe (AEW, 6/17)

55. Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Natsupoi (Sendai Girls, 7/16) [YouTube]

54. Virus vs. Blue Panther (CMLL, 2/24) [YouTube]
Reviewed here

53. Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks (AEW, 9/23)

52. Darby Allin vs. Roderick Strong (AEW, 9/9)

51. Místico vs. Stuka Jr. (CMLL, 1/24) [YouTube]

50. GUNTHER vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (WWE, 4/2) [Peacock]

49. HARASHIMA & Hideki Okatani vs. Kazusada Higuchi & Yuya Koroku (DDT, 6/16) [Wrestle Universe]
Reviewed here

48. Místico vs. Templario (CMLL, 10/13) [YouTube]

47. Black Panther & Blue Panther vs. Panterita del Ring & Panterita del Ring Jr. (CMLL, 3/16) [YouTube]

46. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Jordon Breaks (Premier Promotions, 12/29) [YouTube]

45. Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli (AEW, 12/23)

44. Soberano Jr. vs. Atlantis Jr. (CMLL, 12/22) [YouTube]

43. Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Mio Momono (Marvelous, 3/15) [YouTube]

42. Aja Kong & Sareee vs. Mika Iwata & Mio Momono (Hana Kimura Memorial Produce, 5/23) [TrillerTV]
Reviewed here

41. GUNTHER vs. Chad Gable (WWE, 7/31) [Peacock]

40. Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli (AEW, 12/9)

39. D’courage (Dragon Dia, Madoka Kikuta & Yuki Yoshioka) vs. Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu, Jason Lee & Kzy) (Dragongate, 4/23) [YouTube]

38. Seichi Ikemoto vs. Takuya Wada (HARD HIT, 5/30)

37. Akira Jo vs. Takafumi Ito (Mutoha Pro-Wrestling, 6/3)

36. Darby Allin vs. Samoa Joe (AEW, 2/1)

35. Eddie Kingston vs. Jon Moxley (AEW, 12/30) [Bleacher Report]

34. Hechicero vs. Stuka Jr. (CMLL, 11/24) [YouTube]

33. Yuki Ishikawa & Daisuke Sekimoto vs. Daisuke Ikeda & Minoru Fujita (Kakuto Tanteidan, 10/12) [Wrestle Universe]

32. Jon Moxley vs. Adam Page (AEW, 2/1)

31. Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher (AEW, 2/1)

30. Christian Cage vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW, 10/14)

29. Bryan Danielson vs. Bandido (AEW, 1/18)

28. CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe (AEW, 7/8)

27. Jon Moxley vs. The Great-O-Khan (NJPW, 11/4) [NJPW World]

26. Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 12/2)

25. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 9/20)

24. Orange Cassidy vs. Jon Moxley (AEW, 9/3) [Bleacher Report]

23. 1 Called Manders vs. Mad Dog Connelly (SLA, 7/28) [YouTube]

22. Eddie Kingston vs. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW, 7/26) [NJPW World]
Reviewed here

21. Kazuchika Okada vs. Kaito Kiyomiya (NOAH, 2/21) [Wrestle Universe]

20. Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia (AEW, 12/8)

19. Violence Is Forever (Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku) vs. The WorkHorsemen (Anthony Henry & JD Drake) (DPW, 3/26) [DPW On-Demand]

18. Nicole Matthews vs. Daniel Makabe (DUSK Pro Wrestling, 9/2) [YouTube]

17. Dick Togo vs. Yasu Urano (YMZ, 2/22) [Filmuy]
Reviewed here

16. GENTARO vs. Kenichiro Arai (Mutoha Pro-Wrestling, 2/5)
Reviewed here

15. GUNTHER vs. Chad Gable (WWE, 9/4) [Peacock]

14. Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley (AEW, 3/5) [Bleacher Report]

13. Eddie Kingston vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW, 12/27)

12. Stuka Jr. vs. Soberano Jr. (CMLL, 8/18) [YouTube]

11. Adam Priest vs. Daniel Makabe (ACTION Wrestling, 4/28) [IWTV]

10. Arisa Nakajima vs. Sareee (SEAdLINNNG, 8/25) [SEAdLINNNG Live]

9. Rush vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW, 2/8)

8. CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe (AEW, 8/27)

7. Mio Momono vs. Mayumi Ozaki (Marvelous, 8/7) [YouTube]
Reviewed here

6. HARASHIMA vs. Kazusada Higuchi (DDT, 12/9) [Wrestle Universe]
Reviewed here

5. Anthony Henry vs. Adam Priest (ACTION Wrestling, 1/20) [IWTV]

4. Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks (AEW, 9/3) [Bleacher Report]

3. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston (ROH, 3/31) [HonorClub]

2. Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (AEW, 10/1) [Bleacher Report]

1. Takuya Nomura vs. Fuminori Abe (Kakuto Tanteidan, 10/12) [Wrestle Universe]

Wrestler of the Year:
Honorable mentions: Athena, Orange Cassidy, CM Punk, Yuji Okabayashi, Nicole Matthews

20. Adam Priest
2023 was more of a low-key year for Priest after being my wrestler of the year in 2022, but he still makes the list off of some stupendous showings. Kicking off the year with a scorching feud-ender against Anthony Henry, Priest didn’t let his foot off the gas for the remainder of the year. Whether he was working a scramble match, duking it out with Fuminori Abe on the opening show of a tournament weekend, riffing on the mat with Timothy Thatcher, or guiding a talented youngster like Jackson Drake to a good match, everything Priest did was entertaining at a minimum.

Recommended matches:

vs. Anthony Henry (ACTION Wrestling, 1/20) [IWTV]
vs. Noah Hossman (TWE, 2/11) [IWTV]
vs. Jackson Drake (DPW, 3/26) [DPW On-Demand]
vs. Daniel Makabe (ACTION Wrestling, 4/28) [IWTV]
vs. Ryan Clancy (TWE, 7/13) [IWTV]
vs. Timothy Thatcher (SCI, 7/15) [IWTV]
vs. Bojack (ACTION Wrestling, 9/29) [IWTV]

19. Sareeee
Going into 2023, Sareee’s status in pro wrestling was up in the air. After toiling away for months in NXT doing little of note, she left the company in March. Still, questions remained about her in-ring work. After all, the WWE system has a way of grinding talent down until their work is rigid and indistinguishable. After shaking off some ring rust, however, Sareee gradually returned to her old self, delivering the kind of emotionally-fueled, hard-hitting matches that made her 2019 run special. In the following months, Sareee had a strong return match with perennial rival Chihiro Hashimoto, a great tag-team match with Aja Kong against Mio Momono and Mika Iwata, and a terrific bout against Arisa Nakajima.

Recommended matches:

vs. Chihiro Hashimoto (Sareee Produce, 5/16)
w/ Aja Kong vs. Mio Momono & Mika Iwata (Hana Kimura Memorial Produce, 5/23) [TrillerTV]
w/ Saori Anou vs. Red Energy (Miyuki Takase & Mika Iwata) (Sendai Girls, 7/16) [YouTube]
vs. Arisa Nakajima (SEAdLINNG, 8/25) [SEAdLINNNG Live]
vs. Riko Kaiju (SEAdLINNNG, 9/15) [SEAdLINNNG Live]

18. GUNTHER
GUNTHER makes the list simply by being one of the best wrestlers in a company that borders on unwatchable most of the time. The triple threat match with Sheamus and Drew McIntyre from WrestleMania is a delightful piece of violence, the Chad Gable series is excellent, and he has strong showings in singles matches with Tommaso Ciampa and Xavier Woods, as well as solid tag team contests alongside Imperium stablemates Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser scattered throughout the year.

Recommended matches:

vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (WWE, 4/2) [Peacock]
vs. Xavier Woods (WWE, 4/21) [Peacock]
vs. Kevin Owens (WWE, 6/5) [Peacock]
vs. Sami Zayn (WWE, 6/26) [Peacock]
vs. Chad Gable (WWE, 7/31) [Peacock]
vs. Chad Gable (WWE, 8/21) [Peacock]
vs. Chad Gable (WWE, 9/4) [Peacock]
w/ Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci vs. The Alpha Academy (Chad Gable & Otis) & Tommaso Ciampa (WWE, 9/11) [Peacock]
vs. Tommaso Ciampa (WWE, 10/2) [Peacock]

17. Arisa Nakajima
Arisa Nakajima simply doesn’t miss. She was the centerpiece of her home promotion for most of the year, having fantastic contests with comparatively less experienced wrestlers like Riko Kawahata and Ayame Sasamura. Nakajima also had stellar bouts with Mio Momono as the outsider taking it to the plucky babyface on her home turf, and an all-out war with Sareee in SEAdLINNNG. Sprinkle in a few fun tag matches like Nakajima & Takumi Iroha vs. Ayame Sasamura & Riko Kaiju, and it rounds out a strong year for the 17-year veteran.

Recommended matches:

vs. Riko Kawahata (SEAdLINNNG, 2/16) [SEAdLINNNG Live]
vs. Mio Momono (Marvelous, 2/21) [YouTube]
vs. Ayame Sasamura (SEAdLINNNG, 3/20) [SEAdLINNNG Live]
w/ Takumi Iroha vs. Ayame Sasamura & Riko Kaiju (SEAdLINNNG, 4/30) [SEAdLINNNG Live]
vs. Sareee (SEAdLINNNG, 8/25) [SEAdLINNG Live]

16. Kazusada Higuchi
2023 was a bit of a step down for Higuchi. Late last year, Higuchi had his triumphant moment standing at the mountaintop of DDT, winning the KO-D Openweight Championship and being named the promotion’s flag-bearer. Shockingly, he lost the title early in the year to Yuji Hino, albeit in a great match. In a way, that’s representative of DDT’s year as a whole. They often went with the less intriguing option of who they pushed, and while he still won King of DDT, it’s hard not to feel like Higuchi has been cycled down on some level. With his primary Harimao tag partner Naomi Yoshimura out of action due to an injury, Higuchi has also felt a little directionless. Despite this, he made the most of his singles opportunities, and the makeshift tag team with promising DDT upstart Takeshi Masada made for enjoyable matches.

Recommended matches:

vs. Yuki Ishida (DDT, 1/5) [Wrestle Universe]
w/ Yuki Ishida vs. Akito & Yuji Hino (DDT, 1/14) [Wrestle Universe]
vs. Yuji Hino (DDT, 1/29) [Wrestle Universe]
w/ HARASHIMA & Takeshi Masada vs. Burning (Jun Akiyama, Tetsuya Endo & Yusuke Okada) (DDT, 3/5) [Wrestle Universe]
w/ Yuki Ishida vs. HARASHIMA & Keigo Nakamura (DDT, 3/24) [Wrestle Universe]
vs. Yusuke Okada (DDT, 5/6) [Wrestle Universe]
vs. Hideki Okatani (DDT, 5/7) [Wrestle Universe]
w/ Yuki Ishida vs. Kota Umeda & Takeshi Masada (DDT, 5/28) [Wrestle Universe]
w/ Takeshi Masada vs. Yuji Hino & HARASHIMA (DDT, 6/10) [Wrestle Universe]
w/ Yuya Koroku vs. HARASHIMA & Hideki Okatani (DDT, 6/16) [Wrestle Universe]
w/ Takeshi Masada vs. Yuji Hino & Yukio Sakaguchi (DDT, 6/17) [Wrestle Universe]
w/ Akito & HARASHIMA vs. Hideki Okatani, Jun Akiyama & Yuji Hino (DDT, 7/2) [Wrestle Universe]
vs. HARASHIMA (DDT, 12/9) [Wrestle Universe]

15. CM Punk
As I mentioned last year with Punk, I am not here to relitigate the events surrounding his AEW departure. This is strictly based on in-ring performances. I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t have him somewhere on the list. Despite only having a few months’ worth of work in 2023, Punk produced some of the best and most memorable matches of AEW’s tumultuous year, rekindling an old feud with Samoa Joe and providing focus to the first several weeks of Collision with traditional, heated tag team matches. The crown jewel of his run is the Joe match from All In London, where he fully leaned into his heel side and ended his in-ring run with AEW with a bang. That he accomplished so much in such a short time span was incredibly impressive.

Recommended matches:

w/ Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood vs. BULLET CLUB Gold (Jay White & Juice Robinson) & Samoa Joe (AEW, 6/17)
w/ Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood & Ricky Starks vs. BULLET CLUB Gold (Jay White & Juice Robinson) & The Gunns (Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn) (AEW, 6/24)
vs. Satoshi Kojima (AEW & NJPW, 6/25) [Bleacher Report]
vs. Samoa Joe (AEW, 7/8)
vs. Ricky Starks (AEW, 7/15)
w/ Darby Allin vs. Christian Cage & Ricky Starks (AEW, 7/22)
vs. Samoa Joe (AEW, 8/27) [Bleacher Report]

14. Soberano Jr.
Soberano Jr. remains one of Mexico’s can’t-miss stars. Throughout the year, he had solid to great singles bouts against Templario, Hechicero, Averno, Místico, and Stuka Jr., to name a few. Soberano also formed a makeshift tag team with his father, Euforia, and recently has begun showing his chops as a rudo. Every major match Soberano Jr. participates in feels like a must-watch occasion.

Recommended matches:

vs. Templario (CMLL, 1/6) [YouTube]
w/ El Desperado & Místico vs. DOUKI, Hechicero & Templario (NJPW & CMLL, 2/26) [NJPW World]
vs. Hechicero (NJPW & CMLL, 2/28) [NJPW World]
w/ Atlantis Jr. & Titán vs. Bárbaro Cavernario, Niebla Roja & Yota (CMLL, 3/24) [YouTube]
w/ Ángel de Oro & Místico vs. Averno, Templario & Volador Jr. (CMLL, 4/1) [YouTube]
w/ Euforia vs. Panterita del Ring & Panterita del Ring Jr. (CMLL, 4/4) [YouTube]
vs. Averno (CMLL, 5/5) [YouTube]
w/ Místico & Volador Jr. vs. Los Guerreros Laguneros (Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr. & Último Guerrero) (CMLL, 5/12) [YouTube]
w/ Euforia & Valiente vs. Los Guerreros Laguneros (Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr.) & Atlantis (CMLL, 6/9) [YouTube]
w/ Atlantis Jr. & Místico vs. Los Guerreros Laguneros (Último Guerrero. Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr.) (CMLL, 8/4) [YouTube]
vs. Stuka Jr. (CMLL, 8/18) [YouTube]
w/ Euforia & Stuka Jr. vs. Místico, Templario & Titán (CMLL, 8/29) [YouTube]
vs. Místico (CMLL, 9/1) [YouTube]
w/ Andrade el Ídolo & Ángel de Oro vs. Atlantis Jr., Místico & Star Jr. (CMLL, 12/15) [YouTube]
vs. Atlantis Jr. (CMLL, 12/22) [YouTube]
w/ Averno & Templario vs. Atlantis Jr., Máscara Dorada II & Volador Jr. (CMLL, 12/25) [YouTube]

13. Stuka Jr.
After losing his mask to Atlantis Jr. at last year’s CMLL Aniversario, Stuka Jr. became the most angry man in Lucha Libre. That extends to his matches, where his pettiness and hatred no know bounds. He also linked up with Los Guerreros Laguneros, one of the most consistent trios acts in the world. Their matches will rarely blow you away, but they’re consistently solid to very good. Stuka Jr. also had quality singles performances against Mistico and Soberano Jr., with the latter being one of the best matches in Mexico this decade.

Recommended matches:

w/ Último Guerrero & Gran Guerrero vs. Atlantis, Atlantis Jr. & Templario (CMLL, 1/10) [YouTube]
vs. Místico (CMLL, 1/24) [YouTube]
w/ Último Guerrero & Gran Guerrero vs. Atlantis Jr., Titán & Volador Jr. (CMLL, 2/5) [YouTube]
w/ Último Guerrero & Gran Guerrero vs. Místico, Titán & Volador Jr. (CMLL, 4/14) [YouTube]
w/ Último Guerrero & Místico vs. Atlantis Jr., Averno & Volador Jr. (CMLL, 4/21) [YouTube]
w/ Último Guerrero & Gran Guerrero vs. Místico, Soberano Jr. & Volador Jr. (CMLL, 5/12) [YouTube]
w/ Hechicero & Yota vs. Volador Jr., Panterita del Ring Jr. & Valiente (CMLL, 5/28) [YouTube]
w/ Gran Guerrero & Atlantis vs. Euforia, Soberano Jr. & Valiente (CMLL, 6/9) [YouTube]
w/ Último Guerrero & Gran Guerrero vs. Atlantis Jr., Místico & Soberano Jr. (CMLL, 8/4) [YouTube]
vs. Soberano Jr. (CMLL, 8/18) [YouTube]
w/ Euforia & Soberano Jr. vs. Místico, Templario & Titán (CMLL, 8/29) [YouTube]
vs. Hechicero (CMLL, 11/24) [YouTube]

12. Chihiro Hashimoto
More than anything, Chihiro Hashimoto is a victim of her home promotion, Sendai Girls, only making tape sporadically. She wrestles a mat-based style that I adore. Whether she’s tossing Natsupoi out of the ring or engaging in an intense lock-up with MIRAI, Hashimoto is superb. Quality matches with Mio Momono, Sareee, Syuri, and Himeka round out her case. Hashimoto would likely be a lock for the top ten had Sendai Girls uploaded shows more frequently.
Recommended matches:

vs. MIRAI (Stardom, 2/4) [Stardom World]
vs. Himeka (Stardom, 3/4) [Stardom World]
vs. Mio Momono (Marvelous 3/15) [YouTube]
vs. Syuri (Stardom, 4/23) [Stardom World]
vs. Sareee (Sareee Produce, 5/16)
w/ Yuu vs. Red Energy (Mika Iwata & Miyuki Takase) (Sendai Girls, 6/11) [YouTube]
vs. Natsupoi (Sendai Girls, 7/16) [YouTube]

11. BIG BOSS Shimizu
BIG BOSS Shimizu is a delightful wrestler, brimming with personality and charisma. He produced a litany of enjoyable trios and multi-man tag bouts alongside his Natural Vibes cohorts. The Dragongate main event house style rarely works for me, but Shimizu broke through that barrier with extraordinary singles efforts against Kota Minoura and Madoka Kikuta. If you want a breezy, entertaining undercard sprint against Minorita or need him to be the glue in a trios match, Shimizu is the man for the job.

Recommended matches:

w/ Jason Lee vs. Kaito Nagano & Minorita (Dragongate, 3/27) [YouTube]
w/ Jason Lee & Kzy vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia, Madoka Kikuta & Yuki Yoshioka) (Dragongate, 4/23) [YouTube]
w/ Jacky “Funky” Kamei & U-T vs. vs. Daiki Yanagiuchi, Kaito Nagano & Minorita (Dragongate, 5/11) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Kzy & Jason Lee vs. D’courage (Madoka Kikuta, Yuki Yoshioka & Dragon Dia) (Dragongate, 6/4) [Dragongate Network]
vs. Minorita (Dragongate, 6/11) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Jacky “Funky” Kamei & Madoka Kikuta vs. GOLD CLASS (Kota Minoura & Minorita) & Yuki Yoshioka (Dragongate, 6/18) [YouTube]
w/ Jacky “Funky” Kamei & Kzy vs. GOLD CLASS (Kota Minoura, Minorita & Naruki Doi) (Dragongate, 7/2) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Kzy & U-T vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia, Madoka Kikuta & Yuki Yoshioka) (Dragongate, 7/17) [YouTube]
vs. Madoka Kikuta (Dragongate, 8/3) [Dragongate Network]
w/ Jason Lee & Kzy vs. D’courage (Dragon Dia, Madoka Kikuta & Yuki Yoshioka) (Dragongate, 10/23) [YouTube]
w/ Kzy & Jason Lee vs. D’courage (Madoka Kikuta, Yuki Yoshioka & Dragon Dia) (Dragongate, 11/3) [YouTube]

10. Samoa Joe
In 2023, Samoa Joe was a model of consistency. He could have a good, entertaining match with just about anyone. Commencing his year with a stellar series of matches against Darby Allin, Joe would have high-quality competitions against Mark Briscoe, CMFTR, and Roderick Strong, to name a few. The highlight of Joe’s year is arguably the renewed rivalry with CM Punk, which capped off with an excellent contest at All In London. Unfortunately, he spent the last quarter of 2023 doing little of note before he won the AEW World Title at Worlds End.

Recommended matches:

vs. Darby Allin (AEW, 1/4)
vs. Darby Allin (AEW, 2/1)
vs. Mark Briscoe (ROH, 3/31) [HonorClub]
w/ BULLET CLUB Gold (Jay White & Juice Robinson) vs. CMFTR (CM Punk, Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood)
vs. Roderick Strong (AEW, 7/1)
vs. CM Punk (AEW, 7/8)
vs. CM Punk (AEW, 8/27) [Bleacher Report]
vs. Roderick Strong (AEW, 9/13)

9. Timothy Thatcher
Timothy Thatcher is a throwback in many ways. He’s a rugged grappler who will methodically break his opponents down in ways previously thought unimaginable. Thatcher is also incredibly versatile, being able to adjust his style for the AEW audience or working in tiny venues in front of no more than one hundred people. Some of his best performances come from being an excellent small-room worker. Look no further than his match with Mike Bailey from West Coast Pro or his meeting with Adam Priest in this year’s Scenic City Invitational for proof.

Recommended matches:

vs. Masaaki Mochizuki (NOAH, 1/22) [Wrestle Universe]
vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW, 2/1)
vs. Mike Bailey (West Coast Pro, 3/4) [IWTV]
vs. Wheeler YUTA (ROH, 3/9) [HonorClub]
vs. Josh Barnett (GCW, 3/30) [YouTube]
vs. Jaden Newman (TWE, 7/13) [IWTV]
vs. Adam Priest (SCI, 7/15) [IWTV]
vs. Chris Hero (West Coast Pro, 11/17) [YouTube]

8. Místico
The most over man in Arena Mexico turned back the clock in 2023. Watching Místico do his thing every week is nothing short of breathtaking. His movements are fluid, and nobody plays off the crowd quite like him. While many will rightfully point to his matches with Stuka Jr. and Templario among his best performances of the year, I think Místico is tremendous in trios matches. His timing is impeccable. He knows when to sell a gnarly rudo beatdown, when to fire up, and when to take the match to another level.

Recommended matches:

vs. Stuka Jr. (CMLL, 1/2) [YouTube]
w/ Soberano Jr. & El Desperado vs. DOUKI, Hechicero & Templario (NJPW & CMLL, 2/26) [NJPW World]
vs. Atlantis Jr. (NJPW & CMLL, 2/28) [NJPW World]
vs. Atlantis Jr. (CMLL, 3/10) [YouTube]
w/ Ángel de Oro & Soberano Jr. vs. Averno, Templario & Volador Jr. (CMLL, 4/1) [YouTube]
vs. Atlantis Jr. vs. Rocky Romero (CMLL, 4/7) [YouTube]
w/ Titán & Volador Jr. vs. Los Guerreros Laguneros (Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr. & Último Guerrero) (CMLL, 4/14) [YouTube]
w/ Los Guerreros Laguneros (Stuka Jr. & Último Guerrero) vs. Atlantis Jr., Averno & Volador Jr. (CMLL, 4/21) [YouTube]
w/ Soberano Jr. & Volador Jr. vs. Los Guerreros Laguneros (Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr. & Último Guerrero) (CMLL, 5/12) [YouTube]
w/ Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr. vs. Los Guerreros Laguneros (Último Guerrero. Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr.) (CMLL, 8/4) [YouTube]
vs. Hiromu Takahashi (CMLL, 8/27) [YouTube]
w/ Templario & Titán vs. Euforia, Soberano Jr. & Stuka Jr. (CMLL, 8/29) [YouTube]
vs. Soberano Jr. (CMLL, 9/1) [YouTube]
w/ Atlantis Jr. & Máscara Dorada II vs. Guerrero Maya Jr., Templario & Titán (CMLL, 9/8) [YouTube]
vs. Virus (CMLL, 9/29) [YouTube]
w/ Máscara Dorada II & Titán vs. Los Nuevos Ingobernables (Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja) & Templario (CMLL, 10/6) [YouTube]
vs. Templario (CMLL, 10/13) [YouTube]
vs. Rocky Romero (AEW, 10/20)
w/ Máscara Dorada II & Atlantis Jr. vs. Los Nuevos Ingobernables (Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja) & Templario (CMLL, 10/27) [YouTube]
w/ Atlantis Jr. & Star Jr. vs. Andrade el Ídolo, Ángel de Oro & Soberano Jr. (CMLL, 12/15) [YouTube]

7. Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli’s freakish strength makes him a joy to watch up and down the card. Castagnoli’s ROH World Title reign was a highlight this year, whether he defended the championship in brisk TV matches against Metalik or Robbie Eagles or revitalizing a feud with longtime rival Eddie Kingston. Fun television matches against Rey Fenix, Big Bill, and Ricky Starks, and a wild Parking Lot Fight against Best Friends bolster his case.

Recommended matches:

vs. Eddie Kingston (ROH, 3/31) [HonorClub]
vs. Robbie Eagles (ROH, 5/4) [HonorClub]
vs. Rey Fénix (AEW, 5/10)
w/ Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley & Wheeler YUTA vs. vs. The Elite (Adam Page, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) (AEW, 5/28) [Bleacher Report]
w/ Jon Moxley & Wheeler YUTA vs. The Elite (Adam Page, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) (AEW, 6/14)
w/ Jon Moxley, Wheeler YUTA, Konosuke Takeshita & Shota Umino vs. The Elite (Adam Page, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson), Eddie Kingston & Tomohiro Ishii (AEW & NJPW, 6/25) [Bleacher Report]
w/ Jon Moxley vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta) (AEW, 8/4)
w/ Wheeler YUTA vs. Eddie Kingston & Katsuyori Shibata (AEW, 9/3) [Bleacher Report]
w/ Bryan Danielson vs. Big Bill & Ricky Starks (AEW, 9/16)
vs. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 9/20)
vs. Josh Barnett (AEW, 10/1) [YouTube]
vs. Orange Cassidy (AEW, 11/1)
vs. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 12/9)
vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW, 12/23)

6. Takuya Nomura
The other half of The Astronauts, the bulk of Takuya Nomura’s case comes from his tag team matches with Astronauts partner Fuminori Abe. The series against Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi remains a highlight of the year. Another standout of Nomura’s 2023 is the excellent singles bout against Abe at Kakuto Tanteidan.

Recommended matches:

w/ Fuminori Abe vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 2/13) [BJW Core]
w/ Fuminori Abe vs. Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 3/17) [BJW Core]
w/ Fuminori Abe & Yuya Aoki vs. Daimonji So, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 3/26) [BJW Core]
w/ Yuya Aoki vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 4/1) [BJW Core]
w/ Fuminori Abe vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 4/16) [BJW Core]
vs. Fuminori Abe [Kakuto Tanteidan, 10/12]

5. Fuminori Abe
One-half of The Astronauts, Fuminori Abe is bursting with personality. He’s the kind of violent wrestler I gravitate towards, but Abe’s simultaneously charming and likable. Abe shines alongside his partner Takuya Nomura, but I was impressed by his singles outings and tag matches outside of BJW. Whether he was facing a relative rookie in Satsuki Nagao, wrestlers who’ve often left me cold, or battling his Astronauts ally, Takuya Nomura, Abe delivered every time out.

Recommended matches:

w/ Takuya Nomura vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 2/13) [BJW Core]
vs. Thomas Shire (wXw, 3/11) [wXw NOW]
w/ Takuya Nomura vs. Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 3/17) [BJW Core]
w/ Takuya Nomura & Yuya Aoki vs. Daimonji So, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 3/26) [BJW Core]
w/ Takuya Nomura vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 4/16) [BJW Core]
w/ Ikuto Hidaka vs. Fujita Hayato & Masaaki Mochizuki (Michinoku Pro Wrestling, 6/30)
vs. Daisuke Sekimoto (ZERO1, 7/15)
vs. Takuya Nomura (Kakuto Tanteidan, 10/12) [Wrestle Universe]

4. Mio Momono
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve seen me gush about Mio Momono before, whether it was my review of the 2021 GAEAism tag or any number of Marvelous bouts. In 2023, she made a triumphant return to form after being sidelined with a back injury for most of last year. Aside from having a sheer volume case, Momono shines in her versatility. She’s a plucky, lovable underdog babyface who’s equally as good at controlling a match against rookies like Ai Houzan, Riko Kaiju, and Yurika Oka. Momono also displayed her range by being a shockingly good bleeder in the Mayumi Ozaki series and delivering an excellent match against another veteran in Chikayo Nagashima. No matter where she was on the card, you knew you were in for something special whenever Momono stepped into the ring. If you asked me to name one current wrestler I’d watch in any situation with virtually any opponent, it’s probably Momono. People often exclaim, “Ric Flair could’ve wrestled a broom and had a great match. I would put Momono in that same category. After all, she has a history of fighting inanimate objects.

Recommended matches:

vs. Arisa Nakajima (Marvelous, 2/21) [YouTube]
vs. Mika Iwata (Sendai Girls, 2/24) [YouTube]
vs. Chihiro Hashimoto (Marvelous, 3/15) [YouTube]
vs. Yurika Oka (Sendai Girls, 3/17) [YouTube]
vs. ASUKA (Marvelous, 4/22) [YouTube]
vs. Chikayo Nagashima (Marvelous, 5/3) [YouTube]
vs. Masha Slamovich (West Coast Pro & PWR 5/13) [IWTV]
w/ Mika Iwata vs. Aja Kong & Sareee (Hana Kimura Memorial Produce, 5/23) [TrillerTV]
w/ Takumi Iroha vs. Ozaki-gun (Mayumi Ozaki & Saori Anou) (OZ Academy, 6/11)
vs. Miyuki Takase (Sareee Produce, 8/4)
vs. Mayumi Ozaki (Marvelous, 8/7) [YouTube]
vs. Takumi Iroha vs. Masha Slamovich (DPW, 10/15) [DPW On-Demand]

3. Jon Moxley
Mox has such a cool, confident swagger about him. He gets pro wrestling like few others do. Beyond the stellar feud with Adam Page, Mox’s output was consistently top-notch. Whether he teamed with his fellow Blackpool Combat Club stablemates in trios matches and tags or went at it alone, Mox delivered the goods. When I think of some of the most memorable moments in wrestling in 2023, Mox is responsible for several. Two that stand out are him cutting a promo in a stairwell as blood dripped from his head and stomping Adam Page’s head into cinder blocks during their Texas Death Match. Most years, Mox’s sheer output would be enough to land him at the top of my list, and for a long time, I considered placing him at number-one. But, two wrestlers ended up surpassing him.

Recommended matches:

w/ Bryan Danielson vs. Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin) (AEW, 1/6)
vs. Adam Page (AEW, 1/11)
vs. Adam Page (AEW, 2/1)
vs. Adam Page (AEW, 3/5) [Bleacher Report]
w/ Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler YUTA vs. The Elite (Adam Page, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) (AEW, 5/28) [Bleacher Report]
w/ Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler YUTA vs. The Elite (Adam Page, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) (AEW, 6/14)
w/ Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler YUTA, Konosuke Takeshita & Shota Umino vs. The Elite (Adam Page, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson), Eddie Kingston & Tomohiro Ishii (AEW, 6/25) [Bleacher Report]
vs. Artemis Spencer (DEFY Wrestling, 7/29) [Wremix TV]
w/ Claudio Castagnoli vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta) (AEW, 8/4)
vs. Orange Cassidy (AEW, 9/3)
vs. The Great-O-Khan (NJPW, 11/4) [NJPW World]
vs. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 12/30) [Bleacher Report]

2. Eddie Kingston
No one in pro wrestling tugs at the heartstrings like Eddie Kingston. He wears his influences on his sleeve, for better or worse, but there’s an earnestness to Kingston’s work that separates him from the pretenders. He may stagger around the ring out of adrenaline, but Eddie’s out-on-his-feet selling is phenomenal. Kingston is, bar none, one of the best babyfaces on the planet, and seeing him live out his dreams of competing on a big stage in Japan was one of the most cathartic things in wrestling all year for me. Kingston produced tremendous matches against Jay White and Tomohiro Ishii. What sticks out when I think about Kingston’s 2023 is the excellent, rekindled rivalry with Claudio Castagnoli, which led to some of my favorite matches of the year.

Recommended matches:

vs. Jay White (NJPW, 2/18) [NJPW World]
vs. Claudio Castagnoli (ROH, 3/31) [HonorClub]
w/ The Elite (Adam Page, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) & Tomohiro Ishii vs. The Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley & Wheeler YUTA), Konosuke Takeshita & Shota Umino (AEW & NJPW, 6/25) [Bleacher Report]
vs. Shingo Takagi (NJPW, 7/16) [NJPW World]
vs. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW, 7/26) [NJPW World]
w/ Katsuyori Shibata vs. The Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler YUTA) (AEW, 9/3) [Bleacher Report]
vs. Claudio Castagnoli (AEW, 9/20)
vs. Katsuyori Shibata (AEW, 10/1)
vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW, 12/1)
vs. Claudio Castagnoli (AEW, 12/9)
vs. Anthony Henry (ROH, 12/15) [HonorClub]
vs. Daniel Garcia (AEW, 12/16)
vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW, 12/27)
vs. Jon Moxley (AEW, 12/30) [Bleacher Report]

1. Bryan Danielson
Between a reduced schedule and several injuries, Danielson’s 2023, as excellent as he was, will always have an asterisk next to it. Despite that, he delivered nearly every time out, be it on pay-per-view or television. Danielson kicked off the year with an excellent performance in a match against Top Flight, overcoming some of the tag-team tropes I don’t love by simply being a violent menace. His contest with Bandido in January is the best I’ve seen yet from the latter. The Timothy Thatcher and Rush matches were phenomenal, and Danielson played an integral role in Anarchy in the Arena 2. But the real crowning achievements of his 2023 were the matches with Ricky Starks, and Zack Sabre Jr. Danielson described the bout with Starks as being “smoke and mirrors,” with Bryan only being able to throw strikes with his good arm. It’s a remarkable piece of business and another showcase of Danielson’s versatility. The contest with Zack Sabre Jr. is a minimalist masterpiece and an exercise in getting the most out of a little. If that wasn’t a strong enough case, Danielson added to it during AEW’s Continental Classic, putting on strong performances against Claudio Castagnoli, Eddie Kingston and Daniel Garcia. Danielson was already miles ahead of the competition, but he stacked the deck during the tournament. Who knows what else he could’ve accomplished had those injuries not cropped up? As it stands, though, Danielson remains number one for 2023. With this win, Danielson is also the first two-time Spinning Wheel Kick wrestler of the year.

Recommended matches:

w/ Jon Moxley vs. Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin) (AEW, 1/6)
vs. Bandido (AEW, 1/18)
vs. Timothy Thatcher (AEW, 2/1)
vs. Rush (AEW, 2/8)
w/ Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley & Wheeler YUTA vs. The Elite (Adam Page, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) (AEW, 5/28) [Bleacher Report]
vs. Ricky Starks (AEW, 9/3)
w/ Claudio Castagnoli vs. Big Bill & Ricky Starks (AEW, 9/16)
vs. Ricky Starks (AEW, 9/23)
vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (AEW, 10/1) [Bleacher Report]
vs. Swerve Strickland (AEW, 10/10)
vs. Christian Cage (AEW, 10/14)
vs. Andrade el Ídolo (AEW, 10/21)
vs. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 12/2)
vs. Daniel Garcia (AEW, 12/8)
vs. Brody King (AEW, 12/16)
vs. Claudio Castagnoli (AEW, 12/23)
vs. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 12/27)

That’ll do it for 2023 in wrestling. As always, if you made it this far, thanks for reading! Your support is very much appreciated.

Spinning Wheel Kick