Match Of The Month (January)

 Starting now, we will start highlighting the best match per month throughout this year and what made it so special.  These past couple of years, especially, have been exceptional with matches that weren't just MOTY candidates, but all-time greats.  While there's no doubt this year will be any different, we will put a spotlight on those matches that stand out from the pack each month, but also give it up to those matches that were almost just as great as the match getting the distinction of Match of The Month.  With that being said, let's start with our first MOTM winner.

January's MOTM

Josh Alexander vs. Will Ospreay

TNA Impact!

1/18/2024

With the exciting news of Will Ospreay officially becoming "All Elite" in March, Ospreay still had obligations to fulfill, including matches in New Japan, RevPro, and even in the rebranded TNA.  This one match in TNA happened to be a rematch from this past November at an Impact Wrestling taping.  He faced former Impact Wrestling Champion, Josh Alexander, in a great matchup that saw these two athletes compete in a match that ranks among the best matches either man has had recently, especially Alexander.  Ospreay was on a brief TNA run in 2023 and it saw him face the likes of Eddie Edwards in a fantastic match and "Speedball" Mike Bailey, in a match that many considered the greatest Impact match ever, and the best match in the career of Bailey.  For Ospreay, it was a Thursday.  Now that 2024 has arrived, the question is, "how much farther will Ospreay set the bar for 2024?"  The answer may very well lie in this rematch with "The Walking Weapon" from Canada.  This match occurred during a taping of TNA Impact on 1/18/2024, and MY GOD! This match took place the day after their acclaimed PPV, Hard to Kill in Vegas.  Not only did this outdo their original matchup, which as was mentioned that match in and of itself was absolutely tremendous, but this is already a MOTY candidate.  Ospreay's unbelievable performing abilities beautifully coincided with the technical prowess of the more grounded and deliberate offense of Alexander.  As these two put each other through a bunch of tests of endurance, the level of intensity picked up several notches when "The Aerial Assassin" put the former Impact World Champion through a table using his Storm Driver maneuver (aka a Tiger Driver).  However, even that, along with Ospreay's frightening Hidden Blade finisher, didn't stop Mr. Alexander from coming back and showing why he's a bad ass of badasses in this game by not just delivering a Styles Clash (wink and nod to TNA/Impact legend AJ Styles), but also delivered a C1 Piledriver to Ospreay and defeating the insanely talented England native.  This match was just unbelievable and certainly was nearly thirty of the most legendary minutes in TNA history, much less on free television.  While Alexander might've gone down to Ospreay in their first encounter, Alexander refused to succumb to Ospreay a second time, and with tenacity and resilience, Josh Alexander pulled out a win and what has been referred to as the greatest TNA/Impact match of all-time, which considering the performance Ospreay and Bailey put on at Bound for Glory last year is a feat in itself.

Watch the match here!

Runner-Up

Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18

1/4/2014

This was tough.  This match was arguably every bit as up there with Alexander vs. Ospreay.  At AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door, Okada did something he's rarely done in his career: submitted to another man.  Granted, this wasn't any regular wrestler. This is a modern GOAT in professional wrestling, "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson.  What made that match, and its ending, special was the fact that Danielson broke his forearm during the match thanks to an Okada elbow.  Even with one arm, he was able to make Okada tap out.  Unsatisfied with this, Danielson challenged Okada for a rematch at Wrestle Kingdom 18 and to say this was even better than their first encounter is an understatement.  Fortunately, there were no apparent injuries in this match (other than Danielson's orbital bone injury going into this match) so these two could put on a performance worthy of the super high anticipation it had stamped onto it.  Two of the best to ever do it competed in a match where we saw the ingenious technical ability of Danielson on full display with counter after counter and stiff kick after stiff kick in this affair.  From the kicks to the suplexes to the slaps to the submissions, Danielson was not to be played with in this matchup.  Not to be outdone, Okada's finesse was at its best here as well.  Okada is one of the most adaptable wrestlers you can find (as is Danielson), and even though he's not necessarily in the same technical, mat game league as Danielson or the likes of a Drew Gulak or Zach Sabre Jr, he held his own and took the fight all the way to Danielson.  As complete of a wrestler as anyone in the business, Okada floated in this match, with grit and determination (not to mention those BEAUTIFUL Okada dropkicks).  At the end, Okada avenged his loss to Danielson at Forbidden Door '23 and mutual respect was shown with both men bowing down to each other in a great moment.  As Danielson's full-time career is coming to a close by the summer, he wants to go out being remembered among the greatest to ever lace up a pair of boots, and this was just another day at the office for the Aberdeen, WA native.  With Kazuchika Okada, the former seven-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion continues to show why he's been in the world's best conversations for over a decade now.  Having legendary matches against the likes of famed rival, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ketsuyuri Shibata, Will Ospreay, Kota Ibushi, and especially Kenny Omega, Okada is in a league very few can be a part of within and amongst his peers.  The series is tied 1-1.  Where will the rubber match take place and when? Time will tell (especially with Okada rumored to be joining AEW, same home as Danielson), but for now, let's revisit this instant classic as it reminds the world about two if its most revered and respected stars.

Honorable Mentions

Jon Moxley vs. Will Ospreay vs. David Finlay/NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18

Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay/NJPW Battle in The Valley

SANADA vs. Tetsuya Naito/NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zach Sabre Jr/NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18

Momo Iwatani vs. Syuri/Stardom Ittenyon Stardom Gate

FTR & Daniel Garcia vs. House Of Black/AEW Collision 1/13/24

Jon Moxley vs. Shingo Takagi/NJPW Battle in The Valley

Darby Allen vs. Konosuke Takeshita/AEW Dynamite 1/3/24

Women's Roya Rumble Match/WWE Royal Rumble '24

Go Shiozaki vs. Kaito Kaiyomiya/NOAH Star Navigation Day 1

Mascara Dorada vs. Templario/CMLL Super Viennes

With February already starting off in awesome fashion, this looks to be another month where it'll be hard to come up with the best match of the month, but it sure will be fun seeing how the month turns out.  Until next month!