What's happening folks! There has certainly been a number of reasons to celebrate this year so far in wrestling. Obviously, the formal introduction of All Elite Wrestling brought a much needed, newfound excitement the likes of which we haven't seen in nearly two decades. On top of that, this year is so far on track to be among the most amazing years in wrestling this decade and possibly ever. With incredible matches from the likes of Kenny Omega, Johnny Gargano, Will Ospreay, the Rhodes brothers, and many others, so many stars have stepped their game up and delivered out the park performances and fans appreciate every single bit of it. With that being said. let's get into the best twenty matches so far this year.
20. Street Profits vs. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Kyle O' Reilly/Bobby Fish vs. Steve Cutler/Wesley Blake
NXT Tag Team Championships/Ladder Match
NXT Takeover XXV
We begin with a hellacious Fatal Four Way Ladder Match for the vacated NXT Tag Team Championships at NXT Takeover XXV (War Raiders vacated them as they became full-time Raw competitors). Very much resembling the chaos of the much heralded Ladder Match for the NXT North American Title at NXT Takeover: New Orleans, four teams took disturbing measures at times sacrificing their bodies to become champions, and the crowd couldn't get enough of it. Not one single person came away unscathed or uninjured, but in the end, the highly charismatic Street profits claimed the belts and became champions. Although they won, every team in this match reached another level in their potential greatness.
19. Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito
IWGP Intercontinental Championship
ROH/NJPW G-1 Supershow
Many have called the rivalry between two of NJPW's greatest stars, Kota Ibushi and Tetsuya Naito, excellent, but others also see it an unnerving at times as well. The bumps and shots to their heads are sometimes cringe-worthy, but overall, it's a very entertaining rivalry that showcases how truly good these two are. At the G1 Supershow at MSG, these two fought for the I-C belt and they did not disappoint. While Ibushi came away the winner, Naito showed the competitive nature that has made him one of the best in the world. This would not be their only contest in 2019, but this definitely set the bar high.
18. Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL
IWGP NEVER Openweight Championship
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku '19
Two of the hardest hitters in New Japan squared off at their Wrestling Dontaku event as NEVER Openweight Champion Tomohiro Ishii faced LIJ's EVIL. To no surprise, this was a stiff fest. Hard hits, kicks,and clotheslines were the dominant factor in this match. Don't expect one thing pretty here folks, but this was a rugged, physical affair. If a good mouth-bloodying, ol' fashioned fight is what you like that resembles those of old Mid-South type fights, this is definitely for you.
17. Will Ospreay vs. El Phantasmo
NJPW Best Of the Super Juniors '19
Folks, listen closely. Nobody has been hotter in 2019 than the UK's Will Ospreay. NOBODY. Very much in the same position Kenny Omega was in a year ago, Ospreay is seen as the go-to guy for completely stellar matches for the company. With his match against Bullet Club's El Phantasmo, we saw two young guys that showed out on every level you can think of in this thrilling Best Of the Super Juniors match. Phantasmo is as good as any junior heavyweight you'll find in the world, but the "Aerial Assassin" is in a whole nother league, and it showed in this excellent match.
16. Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito
NJPW Intercontinental Championship
NJPW Dominion '19
As was told earlier, Ibushi and Naito's match at MSG was not their only encounter. They had a rematch for the title at NJPW Dominion. This one was even more physical, more spirited, but also more chilling in places, especially the horrific bump of Ibushi's head and neck snapping off the edge of the ring apron (it looked 5x worse in slow motion). This was at times an uneasy match, but they definitely raised their rivalry to another level and it resulted in Naito winning his fifth I-C Title. If they can just relax on some of the unnecessary head spots, this could be very well one of the most intriguing, long-lasting rivalries of today's times in wrestling.
15. Young Bucks/Kenny Omega vs. Lucha Bros./Laredo Kid
AEW Fyter Fest '19
The biggest talk of 2019 from a business standpoint in wrestling has been the emergence of All Elite Wrestling. Introduced at the start of the year by Cody, The Bucks, and Omega, AEW wanted to bring about a "revolution", and already they have become the number two promotion in the world. At AEW's Fyter Fest, the main event pitted The Elite of Young Bucks and Kenny omega against The Lucha Brothers and AAA Cruiserweight Champion, Laredo Kid. As you could imagine, there were high flying spots all over the place and this was without question the match of the night. Very highly entertaining to watch, the fans were in from jump and this was non-stop action and thrills. With main events like these, AEW is looking good this year.
14. Pete Dunne vs. WALTER
WWE United Kingdom Heavyweight Championship
NXT Takeover: New York
Perhaps the biggest (literally and figuratively) acquisition to NXT UK was heralded European star, WALTER. Once he made his debut at the end of NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool, the anticipation for a WALTER/Dunne match was immediate. They finally collided at NXT Takeover: New York and this was everything we knew it would be. The 6'6" near three hundred pound frame of WALTER was as dominant as you could picture, but Dunne's resiliency was at times exceptional here. After a crazy back and forth, WALTER emerged as the man that ended the nearly two year reign of Dunne and the championship.
13. Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros.
AAA Tag Team Championships
AEW Double Or Nothing
Two of the most touted tag teams in the world are The Young Bucks and The Lucha Brothers. The anticipation started at the press conference for the announcement of Double Or Nothing when Fenix and Pentagon attacked Matt and Nick Jackson. From there, the Bucks won the AAA Tag Team belts from the Luchas at a AAA event. The match was on for Double Or Nothing, and this was a complete barn-burner. Although these were no strangers to each other coming in, this was arguably their finest match against each other. There were crazy high flying spots and great sequences here, but in the end, the Jackson brothers came away with the gold in possibly the best tag team match of the year so far.
12. Rocky Romero vs. El Phantasmo
NJPW Best Of the Super Juniors '19
One match that had people talking from the BOSJ this year was Bullet Club's El Phantasmo and the leader of Roppangi 3K, Rocky Romero. Romero is considered one of the best workers to never make it to WWE, and possibly it was a good thing. Romero and Phantasmo's chemistry shined in the match and this surprisingly exhilarating match reminded people how very good Romero is. He may be the loud mouthpiece for SHO and YOH, and he may be more behind the table with Kevin Kelly announcing, but as evidenced by this match, Romero can go just as hard as any other star in the game.
11. Will Ospreay vs. Jay White
IWGP Heavyweight Championship
NJPW 47th Anniversary Show
Disclaimer: get used to seeing Mr. Ospreay on this list. He's had that kind of year. Ospreay collided with the-then IWGP Heavyweight Champion, "Switchblade" Jay White. Ospreay was coming off a hell of a match and hell of a win over Kota Ibushi to become the NEVER Openweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom (see later), so his momentum was very notable, but White was on a roll as champion as well. These two were no strangers to each other, as they may be more known for their GREAT match in ROH a few years ago, but this match was every bit as good. Ospreay is a fantastic storyteller that has only gotten better throughout time and White is really growing as a despised hell and leader of the Bullet Club. This match showed both these young men's growth as in ring performers and champions. White came away with the win, but Ospreay continued to rise in critical stature, even with this loss.
10. Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay
IWGP NEVER Openweight Championship
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13
A match many people had been wanting to see and one of the more anticipated matches from Wrestle Kingdom 13 was Will Ospreay challenging Kota Ibushi for the NEVER Openweight Championship. This was intense from the opening bell. Ibushi and Ospreay delivered in the opening match of the event and really set the tone for what would be a fantastic night of wrestling. Two highly regarded aerialists, Ospreay and Ibushi killed in this one. Ospreay won the title with a nasty elbow to the back of the head and Ibushi ended up getting stretchered out as a result. An unsettling end to an otherwise wonderful match.
9. Will Ospreay vs. A-Kid
WWW Total Rumble 9
White Wolf Wrestling is the top promotion from Spain and they've presented some damn good wrestling over the past few years especially. One particularly blockbuster match occurred earlier this year between Mr. Ospreay and A-Kid. A-Kid had one oif the most impressive matches in all of 2018 against Zach Sabre Jr, and his momentum of outstanding matches continued with this simply incredible match. This nearly thirty minute match was a master class in athleticism and captivating in-ring storytelling from two of the youngest and best around. They need to have a lot more matches against each other.
8. Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA
NJPW New Japan Cup '19
The finals of the New Japan Cup saw the incomparable "Rainmaker",Kazuchika Okada face LIJ member, SANADA, in a hell of a match. SANADA brought perhaps the match of his career against the champion, and was poised for his biggest win yet. However, Okada reauthorized his position being arguably the best in the world with this match. The winner would face then-IWGP Champion Jay White at MSG, and while Okada picked up the win, SANADA's status within NJPW greatly elevated with this phenomenal, star-making match.
7. Will Ospreay vs. Dragon Lee
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
NJPW Dominion '19
Will Ospreay is one of the single most exciting wrestlers on the planet, bottom line. Not too many are on his level. Enter Dragon Lee, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. Lee is also considered one of the best in the game as well. Once Ospreay won the ever stellar Best Of Super Juniors tournament, all eyes were on this match, and when they competed at Dominion, they didn't disappoint whatsoever. Lee and Ospreay are two of the very best at what they do and from the opening bell, therefore this was an anticipated pace and they completely thrilled here. There were plenty of highlight spots and highlight spots in this one. Although Ospreay came away the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Dragon Lee was met with even more respect and acclaim than he did going in. These two need to have plenty ore matches for us.
6. Dustin Rhodes vs. Cody
AEW Double Or Nothing
It's been quite a long time since we've seen a match as blood-soaked yet emotional as the battle of the Rhodes brothers, Dustin and Cody. The build for this match at Double Or Nothing was set as Dustin's "last ride" versus Cody wanting to destroy the much-famed "Attitude Era". The fifty-plus year old Dustin came to play and presented a performance like we haven't seen from him in seemingly ages. The former Goldust performed like a twenty year old in this one, in spite of him bleeding damn near torrents in the ring (think Eddie Guerrero, Cena, Muta, etc.). As for the baby brother, Cody came off as a heel on a mission, but the story here was what captivated fans, especially their not-a-dry-eye-in-the-house moment when they hugged and gave a tribute to their late father, the iconic "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. Blood, a riveting story, excellent in-ring work, wonderful build. All delivered magnificently.
5. Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole
NXT Championship
NXT Takeover XXV
If there was a bigger rivalry in 2019 in NXT than Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole, I'd like to know what it was. This was a GREAT rivalry, at least in terms of just plain and simple in-ring storytelling. While not the insane craziness of Gargano/Ciampa, their chemistry from an athletic standpoint might be even better than Ciampa's interaction with Gargano. This was the rematch from their earlier masterpiece (see later) and this was almost every bit as awesome. This time, Cole came out as the new NXT Champion, but if history has shown us with this rivalry, their next match could be NXT's version of Okada/Omega in terms of historical significance within not just NXT, but all of WWE.
4. Bandido vs. Will Ospreay
NJPW Best Of the Super Juniors '19
Ol' Willie is back on the list again, but this time against ROH star Bandido. This UNBELIEVABLE match from Best Of the Super Juniors was arguably the best match besides the Finals (see later) and was so very highly acclaimed for a reason. The always mesmerizing Ospreay killed along with the dazzling lucha antics and aerial abilities of Bandido to make sustainable magic between the two. The irony is that Ospreay would later face Bandido's brother Dragon Lee for the IWGP Heavyweight Title, which was covered earlier. Bandido was a fantastic preparer of things to come for Ospreay, as he nearly didn't survive the in-ring skills of Bandido. This match needs to have several rematches.
3. Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole
NXT Championship/2 Out Of 3 Falls
NXT Takeover: New York
The man known as "Johnny Takeover" Johnny Gargano collided against the leader of the Undisputed Era, Adam Cole (BAY-BAY) for the NXT Title in a match that has been considered the greatest WWE match of all-time from a purely athletic standpoint. Due to injury, Tomasso Ciampa had to vacate the title, which left the door open for Cole to face Gargano in a Two Out Of Three Falls match that could honestly rival any of the best Two Out Of Three Fall matches in history, including Steamboat/Flair from '89. Johnny Takeover earned that name again with this momentous classic with Cole, but this time he came away the new NXT Champion. One could argue that this was the greatest WWE match ever as a whole, but there's no one that can say this wasn't the greatest NXT match in history. Not. One. Person.
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kenny Omega
IWGP Heavyweight Championship
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13
What's more to say about the "Ace Of The Universe" Hiroshi Tanahashi? He's among the greatest wrestlers to ever emerge from Japan, and a bonafide New Japan legend. Many consider him among the greatest of this generation. All are decent and credible arguments. The winner of the G1 Climax tournament of 2018 had a daunting task: challenging who many consider the best in the world in Kenny Omega for the IWGP Heavyweight Title. Omega, who one year ago defeated Kazuchika Okada for the title in arguably the greatest wrestling match of all-time, was on a high as champion so this was a natural main event for Dominion. As the main event at Wrestle Kingdom 13, this was a master-class in psychology and athleticism from two of the best to do it. At forty-one Tanahashi showed why he was still THAT ace by defeating Omega in a subtle, yet brilliant match that could easily be debated as the greatest match from either one this year.
1. Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors '19 Finals
Mr. Ospreay can have a match with a mop handle and somehow make the mop handle look amazing. He's that good. As you've seen, he's dominated this list against various opponents with various styles. Before he went on the face Dragon Lee for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title, he first had to face LIJ member Shingo Takagi in the Finals of the BOSJ tournament. Folks, this was as amazing as amazing gets. Ospreay has become such a master storyteller to match and this time, he has a true badass of a competitor with Takagai to tell his story with. The results are spectacular and ranks as Takagi's best singles match since he debuted in NJPW last year, and this was simply another day in the proverbial office for the "Aerial Assassin". If you didn't think Ospreay was all that and wasn't worth the hype going into this match, Willie erased and demolished every petty notion like this and made the world aware, he was the world's next big match star.
Honroable Mentions
Tanahashi vs. Okada/NJPW G1 Climax Day One
Ibushi vs. KENTA/NJPW G1 Climax Day One
Omega vs. Jericho/AEW Double Or Nothing
Naito vs. Jericho/NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13
Mustache Mountain vs. Grizzled Young Veterans/NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool
Dunne vs. Coffey/NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool
Lucha Bros. vs. LAX/IMPACT Homecoming '19
War Raiders vs. O' Reilly & Strong/NXT Takeover: Phoenix
Ricochet vs. Gargano/NXT Takeover: Phoenix
Okada vs. White/NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13
Okada vs. White/ROH/NJPW G1 Supershow
Ospreay vs. PAC/RevPro High Stakes '19
WALTER vs. PAC/OTT Homecoming '19
Tanahashi vs. White/NJPW New Beginnings In Osaka
Starr vs. WALTER/wXw 16 Carat Gold
Fenix vs. Phantasmo/TNT Super Extreme
Ospreay vs. Eagles/NJPW Southern Showdown
Ospreay vs. Archer/NJPW G1 Climax Day One
Black, Dream, & Ricochet vs. Cole, Ciampa, & Gargano/NXT Halftime Heat
Ishii vs. Nagata/NJPW New Japan Cup '19
Okada vs. Ishii/NJPW New Japan Cup '19
SANADA vs. Suzuki/NJPW New Japan Cup '19
Riddle vs. Strong/NXT Takeover XXV
Blanchard vs. Callahan/Impact Slammiversary
Robinson vs. Moxley/NJPW BOSJ Finals '19
SCU vs. Best Friends vs. Private Party/AEW Fyter Fest
Rollins vs. Styles/WWE MITB '19
Kingston vs. Bryan/WWE Wrestlemania 35
Okada & Ishii vs. EVIL & SANADA/NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Day One
Saree vs. Satomura/SENDAI Girls
Lethal vs. Taven/ROH 17th Anniversary
Cobb vs. Taylor/ROH 17th Anniversary
Bandido vs. Lee vs. Ishimori/ROH/NJPW G1 Supershow
PAC vs. Pentagon Jr./TNT Super Extreme
Ishii vs. Sabre Jr./NJPW Sengoku Lord In Nagoya
Asuka vs. Lynch/WWE Royal Rumble '19
Men's Royal Rumble/WWE Royal Rumble '19
Women's Royal Rumble/WWE Royal Rumble '19
Men's Elimination Chamber/WWE Elimination Chamber '19
Storm vs. Ripley/NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool
Ospreay vs. SANADA/NJPW G1 Climax Day 3
Riddle vs. Gulak/Evolve 10th Anniversary
Omega vs. CEMA/AEW Fight For The Fallen
Brotherhood vs. Bucks/AEW Fight For The Fallen
Tanahashi vs. KENTA/NJPW G1 Climax Day 3
As you can see, there have been a tremendous amount of awesome instant classics, and even more highly enjoyable encounters that do not need to be missed. While there are some others that are not included here, also remember the year is literally just over half done. If this first half has been this good, just imagine how the rest of the year will be. With big events coming from AEW, ROH, NJPW, WWE/NXT/NXT UK, and PWG among others, the anticipation for more incredible matches is very high. The excitement is beyond control. Strap up folks! Until next time!
Ospreay vs. Archer/NJPW G1 Climax Day One
Black, Dream, & Ricochet vs. Cole, Ciampa, & Gargano/NXT Halftime Heat
Ishii vs. Nagata/NJPW New Japan Cup '19
Okada vs. Ishii/NJPW New Japan Cup '19
SANADA vs. Suzuki/NJPW New Japan Cup '19
Riddle vs. Strong/NXT Takeover XXV
Blanchard vs. Callahan/Impact Slammiversary
Robinson vs. Moxley/NJPW BOSJ Finals '19
SCU vs. Best Friends vs. Private Party/AEW Fyter Fest
Rollins vs. Styles/WWE MITB '19
Kingston vs. Bryan/WWE Wrestlemania 35
Okada & Ishii vs. EVIL & SANADA/NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Day One
Saree vs. Satomura/SENDAI Girls
Lethal vs. Taven/ROH 17th Anniversary
Cobb vs. Taylor/ROH 17th Anniversary
Bandido vs. Lee vs. Ishimori/ROH/NJPW G1 Supershow
PAC vs. Pentagon Jr./TNT Super Extreme
Ishii vs. Sabre Jr./NJPW Sengoku Lord In Nagoya
Asuka vs. Lynch/WWE Royal Rumble '19
Men's Royal Rumble/WWE Royal Rumble '19
Women's Royal Rumble/WWE Royal Rumble '19
Men's Elimination Chamber/WWE Elimination Chamber '19
Storm vs. Ripley/NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool
Ospreay vs. SANADA/NJPW G1 Climax Day 3
Riddle vs. Gulak/Evolve 10th Anniversary
Omega vs. CEMA/AEW Fight For The Fallen
Brotherhood vs. Bucks/AEW Fight For The Fallen
Tanahashi vs. KENTA/NJPW G1 Climax Day 3
As you can see, there have been a tremendous amount of awesome instant classics, and even more highly enjoyable encounters that do not need to be missed. While there are some others that are not included here, also remember the year is literally just over half done. If this first half has been this good, just imagine how the rest of the year will be. With big events coming from AEW, ROH, NJPW, WWE/NXT/NXT UK, and PWG among others, the anticipation for more incredible matches is very high. The excitement is beyond control. Strap up folks! Until next time!
