Throwback Match Reviews: Dynamite Kid vs Tiger Mask

Dynamite Kid vs Tiger Mask (NJPW) 04/23/1981

This is the first match in this legendary series. The early exchanges in the match were well executed. A mixture of uppercuts, chops, kicks and some violent snapmares by both men all helped set the pace of the match. Tiger Mask was very impressive early on. His offense was quick but brutal at the same time. This was enhanced by Kid’s selling. The bumps that he took and the expressions on his face of anguish and surprise really sold the story of the match. Dynamite Kid continued to grow angrier, frustrated and annoyed by Tiger Mask’s offense. Kid tried to slow him down with some holds but Tiger Mask would counter or escape with ease. Kid’s frustration really showed when he resorted to underhanded tactics like feigning injury to get out of tight situations or taking the match to the outside. Tiger Mask eventually used Kid’s frustration against him and won with a German Suplex. Kid kicked out at 3.1. After the match Kid’s frustration continued and got a cheap kick on Tiger Mask. Tiger Mask responded with a kick of his own and the two were read to go again. Both of these wrestlers didn’t use up all their bullets. A feud had then started.

Final Rating - ****¼

Throwback Match Reviews: Jerry Lawler vs Terry Funk

Jerry Lawler vs Terry Funk (CWA) 03/23/1981

The version of the match that I found online was a clipped. After doing some research I learned that all that was cut out were the slower and down moments. All of the action was left in. While I personally enjoyed that, I need to have the full match in order to give it a proper rating. Keep in mind that my rating reflects what I saw only and while I’m assuming the slow periods were cut, I can’t let that influence my final rating.

This was a good hate-filled fight. Funk especially was great here with the punishment he inflicted on Lawler. Lawler played a good babyface. The crowd definitely enhanced this match. This is the first match I’ve watched for this project where I could not get into the frame of mind of the time. The problem is that I’ve seen a lot more of these hate-filled brawls done better. The match was good, worked well, had great crowd connection and was psychologically sound but it was not special in any way, even for the time.

Final Rating - ***½

Wrestler Most Valuable Player 2019

Wrestler Most Valuable Player 2019

10) Cody

I hesitate to put Cody on this list because he is not as valuable a wrestler as he is as an executive. Cody is probably the second or third most important figure in American pro wrestling if we factor in his executive contributions to the business. But this list is not for that. With that being said I do think he is still important to All Elite Wrestling. He was a big part of a lot of major storylines in 2019 AEW. Cody is one of the best promos in the world right now and that is reflected with the connection he has with the crowd. He is probably the most over wrestler now and in 2019 in AEW. He has also had a couple of great matches, including the Match of the Year level match he had with his brother Dustin at Double or Nothing.

9) Jay White 

Jay White had a very successful year in NJPW. He won the IWGP Heavyweight Title at the beginning of 2019 and although it was a short zero defense reign, it was significant in the fact that it established him as one of the top players of that promotion. The end of that reign came at a sold-out G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden where he main evented with Kazuchika Okada. White continued to be a big part of NJPW throughout the year. He also had a run with the IWGP Intercontinental Title and was a big part of the Double Gold Dash along with three other top NJPW stars. White also made it to the finals of the G1 Climax and although he didn’t win, making it to the finals is a big deal, especially since he is the second foreigner to do so. His in-ring year was up and down. The G1 final against Kota Ibushi, the Okada matches and the Tanahashi matches were all great. He had a match with Tetsuya Naito that was also great in the fall. Some of his other matches were not so great. Had White been more consistent with his in-ring work he’d be higher on this list.

8) Psycho Clown

Admittedly I am not the biggest lucha fan nor am I the leading expert on it. I watch very little lucha throughout the year but what I do watch is big AAA shows. What I take away from watching these shows is that Psycho Clown is the biggest star in the promotion. The guy is over. He also is a big draw in Mexico and is a part of a lot of major storylines in the promotion. It’d be a crime not to include him in this list. He’s at number eight with my limited knowledge of his work so just imagine how higher he’d be if I actually followed AAA closer.

7) Ben-K

Ben-K is an important piece to the new generation of Dragon Gate. He has been placed into the position of the new ace in 2019 and he did great with it. He had a pretty good year in the first half but after getting kicked out of R.E.D in May he really picked up steam. His run in King of Gate was great and his victory of Pac at Kobe World was an important moment. He had a great run with the Open the Dream Gate championship and although it was shorter than anticipated it was very successful. Ben-K’s in-ring year was also impressive. He had a match of the year caliber match against Masaaki Mochizuki in October. 

6) Will Ospreay

Ospreay already won my award for Most Outstanding Wrestler of 2019 but his in-ring year was so great that it merited ranking on this list. I’m not going to go into depth on his in-ring year because I already did that on the Most Outstanding Wrestler list but needless to say it was historic. Ospreay was also a major part of NJPW’s storylines in 2019. He competed in almost every tournament they had to offer. He also wrestled in various indies all over the world and was a big draw in those places.

5) Chris Jericho

Jericho’s 2019 is one of the best years of his career. He was a major part in AEW getting as popular as it did and probably was a big factor in the TNT TV deal. He was the only champion that made sense for the promotion and he definitely lived up to the expectations for the first champion. Character wise he was just as entertaining as his best in the world run in WWE in 2008. His promos were great and his in-ring work was pretty good. Mixed with his AEW run is his NJPW run as well. He’s also a big draw for New Japan and has had his best matches of his career there. The match with Tetsuya Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 13 was a legit match of the year contender. Jericho also main evented Dominion against Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Title. He was a major part in the main events of the number 2 and number 3 promotions of the world.

4) Kazuchika Okada

Okada always has under-the-radar years. He is sometimes a boring pick for wrestler of the year but always a correct choice. He had a great in-ring year that contributed to his spot on this list. Okada was champion for nine months out of the year and of course was a big part of NJPW’s storylines. He main evented Dominion with Chris Jericho and main evented and sold out Madison Square Garden against Jay White. He has been a consistent player in NJPW for years now and he’s only 32. 

3) Pac

Pac this year was a tribute to old school wrestling renegades. He won Dragon Gate’s Open the Dream Gate title in late 2018 and protected through 2019 like it was his own child. He wrestled in many indies across the world. The belt was protected because he knew he had to and knew his worth. His in-ring year was pretty good and wrestled a lot of dream matches including with Will Ospreay. The culmination of his Dream Gate run came at Kobe Wrestling Festival where he dropped the title to and elevated Ben-K in a great match. After that he joined All Elite Wrestling and instantaneously became a major player in that promotion. He continued to have great matches, further elevate his stardom and still looked strong while doing it.

2) Kento Miyahara

No wrestler is as vital to their promotion as Kento Miyahara is to All Japan Pro Wrestling. Were it not for him the promotion would be in serious trouble. Miyahara’s current title reign in 2019 was an all-timer. Match after match he consistently performed at a high level. He has the ability to get anyone on that roster over during his matches. He continues to draw good crowds for AJPW and even though he has plateaued as a draw he hasn’t hurt them substantially either. That is the only reason why he isn’t at number one for this list. The connection he has with the fans is fitting of an ace.

1) Kota Ibushi 

Ibushi dominated the heavyweight scene in New Japan. His in-ring year was great with many MOTY level matches. After signing with the promotion full time he was immediately inserted into the top storylines. He won the IWGP Intercontinental Title at Madison Square Garden against Tetsuya Naito. He was a big draw on a lot of shows for NJPW especially during the G1 Climax. He won the G1 Climax which is one of the more important trophies to win in pro wrestling. Ibushi continues to have adoration from fans unmatched by almost no one.

Throwback Match Reviews: Billy Robinson vs Nick Bockwinkel

Billy Robinson vs Nick Bockwinkel (AJPW) 12/11/1980

Billy Robinson continues to live up to the hype in this match against Nick Bockwinkel. They were exchanging holds early on in the match. What I enjoyed is that Robinson was going from hold to hold when one would not work. With that said, some of the early work in the match was very slow. The match escalated from a back-and-forth competitive struggle to a hard-hitting battle. Bockwinkel’s suplexes were very impactful and his submission escape attempts were done with urgency. The leg work on Robinson was very consistent and he sold it well. Bockwinkel’s growing frustration of not being able to put Robinson away as Robinson continued to survive the onslaught was exceptionally portrayed by Nick. They bitterly fought to a draw and it continued even after the bell rang. It was a great match.

Final Rating - ****¼ 

Throwback Match Reviews: Dynamite Kid vs Tatsumi Fujinami II

Dynamite Kid vs Tatsumi Fujinami (NJPW) 2/5/1980

A follow up to their match in Stampede and it exceeded expectations. This picked up where that match left off with the intensity and hatred between both wrestlers. Fujinami had a cut above his eye and the match was worked around it. Kid viscously went after that cut with punches and knees. If there’s one word to describe this match it’s explosive. Whether it was Kid’s offense or Fujinami’s comebacks everything was done with intensity and urgency. Fujinami getting busted open adds to the drama and to the brutality of the match. As the match progresses Fujinami begins to out-wrestle Kid because Kid begins to get more and more frustrated that Fujinami is surviving his attacks. This was all simple but brilliant and led to the finish. Fujinami rolls Kid up for a win. The way Kid sold the defeat after the match exemplified his frustration from early in the match. Also the crowd was very hot the entire way, especially for Fujinami’s comeback spots and hope spots.

Final Rating - ****¼

Throwback Match Reviews: Tatsumi Fujinami vs Dynamite Kid

Tatsumi Fujinami vs Dynamite Kid (Stampede Wrestling) 8/17/1979

It was a great match. The WWF Junior Heavyweight title was on the line. They started off a little slower but the action only escalated from there. Fujinami worked Kid’s legs early in order to ground him and eliminate a big part of his offense. Kid retaliated with some great suplexes and brutal strikes to the head. The match got more heated as it went. The finish saw a double count-out as both men bitterly fought on the outside without regard to the count.

The count-out finish didn’t really bother as it was setting up their next match. There was simple but well implemented psychology shown by both wrestlers. The action was intense and the Stampede atmosphere was ideal for this type of match.

Final Rating - ****

Throwback Match Reviews: Harley Race vs Jumbo Tsuruta

Harley Race vs Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW) 1/20/1978

Well this was definitely a match that existed. I watched the clipped version so my review is not a fair one. It makes me think though, if this is what made tape, what was cut? This was your standard Jumbo Tsuruta 1970s 2 of 3 falls match. It was boring at first but a lot of the exchanges were well executed. Harley Race’s selling here was pretty good. There’s not much else to say about this match. Race won the first fall and Jumbo won the second and they went to the time limit for a draw. Had I seen the entire match I would probably be lower on it.

Final Rating - ***

Match of the Year 2019

Match of the Year 2019

10) Tetsuya Naito vs Kota Ibushi (NJPW) 6/9/2019

This match is a counter-argument to anyone who says there are no feuds in wrestling anymore. The utter hatred between both wrestlers is exemplified by the devastating strikes and moves. They tried to kill each other. No where was this match by any means slow. Ibushi's selling was really great. Naito played to the Osaka crowd perfectly. The apron spot only added to the drama and to the importance of the match. Naito's arc with the IC title pretty much climaxed here as from this point forward it was now about getting both titles. Ibushi was an excellent babyface here. Just an outstanding match.

Final Rating - ****¾

9) Jungle Kyona vs Momo Watanabe (STARDOM) 3/3/2019

This match saw two incredible performances from both women. Momo was outstanding as the cocky champion most notably when she no-sold Jungle's early leg work by repeatedly kicking her with the same leg. Jungle, who is already great, was just on another level here in her hometown. She was right there with Momo in terms of intensity and timing. Transitioning from working on Momo's leg to her back when it was obvious that her leg work was not effective showed great ring psychology. The closing stretch was phenomenal with both ladies trading signature moves until the better woman won. This was hard-hitting and viscous at times but also very technical. Momo showed why she should be getting a monster push in this promotion and why she is one of the best wrestlers in the world.

Final Rating - ****¾

8) SANADA vs Kazuchika Okada (NJPW) 8/3/2019

This match is why I love the G1, especially towards the end where the stakes are even higher. SANADA proved in this match that he belongs among the top wrestlers of the company. The match was a prime example of how to effectively build to a climax. Even the slow parts were engaging enough thanks to Okada's offense. The last 5 minutes of the match was one of the hottest stretches all year. That crowd was firmly behind SANADA. The story was continued with SANADA finally getting a win over Okada.

Final Rating - ****¾

7) Kento Miyahara vs Naoya Nomura (AJPW) 9/3/2019

An incredible match. Miyahara as a subtle heel here was fantastic. Every move and every little detail he made was great and it shaped up the story for Nomura. Kento as the dominant champion looking to get everything he can out of his opponents to get great challenges out of them was perfect for Nomura's rise from a upper mid-card contender to a legitimate threat to Miyahara. Nomura was also excellent. The way he reacted to Miyahara's crap was very entertaining. The slaps and chops were hard and Miyahara deserved every one of them. The selling was a little drawn out but it was still great. The stretch between when Nomura broke free of the straight-jacket German suplex and the finish is what really put this match over for me. Korakuen was very hot for that. This match proved that Nomura should be the one to take the Triple Crown from Miyahara.

Final Rating - ****¾

6) Shingo Takagi vs SHO (NJPW) 5/13/2019

I may be the only person on this planet to go the full 5 on this match but it was perfect. These two had been feuding all year in the Junior Tag division at this point with Shingo being the overbearing and dominant wrestler. From the opening lock up you can derive all of that. It is an aggressive lock up showing that while the feud is heated, it still revolves around athletic competition as opposed to your traditional blood feud. The whole match was designed to get SHO over to a next level. He went from tag wrestler to a serious contender to win his block. The story of the match progressed seamlessly through the great back-and-forth battles throughout. SHO had an answer for everything Shingo did. SHO proved to Shingo that he was better than Shingo made him out to be. Shingo had great reactions to SHO's flurries of offense. SHO's intensity here was great. Everything each wrestler did was met with a great reaction by the other and this really drove home the story that SHO was surprising Shingo. In the end it was Shingo's experience that allowed him to emerge victorious. Shingo was reassured that he was better than SHO but SHO had elevated his position on the roster through this match. After the match Shingo confronts SHO gives him a pat on the back as to say "You almost had me there but I'm still better." It was a perfect story with great heat coming in that was told solely through the actions and reactions of the wrestlers. THIS IS PRO WRESTLING!

Final Rating - *****

5) Konosuke Takeshita vs Tetsuya Endo (DDT) 7/15/2019

This was an incredible match with an interesting heel/face dynamic. The entire match was built with the roles reversed seeing Endo as the sympathetic face and Takeshita as the heel. Endo's selling of his back was brilliant as it played a factor in the finish of the match and other key moments of the match as well. The match was fast-paced and hard-hitting. There were some very well executed moves all throughout the match. The crowd was hot and firmly behind Endo. This was amazing. 

Final Rating - *****

4) Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kenny Omega (NJPW) 1/4/2019

It was an incredible epic. It was hate-filled and had a good story coming in. The outcome was the most intriguing thing as Omega's future in NJPW was in question. That definitely gave the match more heat. Each man’s offense looked really brutal. You had your standard Omega moveset with some added hate. The crowd was very hot. This match concluded a turbulent year for Tanahashi and peaked with a world title win.

Final Rating - *****

3) Shingo Takagi vs Tetsuya Naito (NJPW) 8/4/2019

This match was an incredible showcase of in-ring psychology and storytelling. All of the backstory coming played into the story of the match. Naito is trying to best an old rival that was always better than him. They work around their differences with Naito going for faster paced maneuvers while Shingo is overpowering. This story plays into Naito's character arc. He has to find ways to adapt to Shingo in order to not make the same mistakes again. That is the gist of Naito's arc: learning from his past mistakes to better himself. There was also a lot of awesome moves, Shingo did a great job selling and the crowd was hot from the beginning. All of that plus the stakes of a late G1 match makes for a special bout.

Final Rating - *****

2) Shingo Takagi vs Will Ospreay (NJPW) 6/5/2019

This match was a perfect culmination of the entire Best of the Super Juniors tournament. Both men had incredible runs with Shingo going undefeated and Ospreay only losing twice. That shaped the dynamic of the match as Ospreay was the underdog looking to stop the monster Shingo. The match was just incredible. Some of the reversal sequences were outstanding. The technical aspect was just unbelievable. 

Final Rating - *****

1) Arisa Nakajima vs Nanae Takahashi (SEAdLINNNG) 11/2/2019

What an amazing match. Two great performances from two amazing wrestlers. The strikes in this match were insane. This was a proper heated match from two rivals. It was vicious and intense. The hair vs hair stipulation made it that much better. Being for the title, a hair vs hair match and a blow-off to a long feud, it was the perfect recipe for a professional wrestling match. The pace in which they worked was outstanding. There was not one dull moment in the entire match. If you've seen previous matches in this feud the drama of this match is better than anything this year. This is encapsulated by the moment after the match when Takahashi is getting shaved by Nakajima while Nakajima is in tears. Takahashi's face is one that says that she's accepted her failure and is willing to endure the consequences. Incredible stuff.

Final Rating - *****

Throwback Match Reviews: Jumbo Tsuruta vs Mil Mascaras

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Mil Mascaras (AJPW) 8/25/1977

This is a 2 out of 3 falls match. They went hard on the Lucha vs Puro clash in this match. The story of the first fall, and an overarching story of the entire match, was Mil wearing down Jumbo while Jumbo tries to get out of Mil’s holds. Some of the early holds were very boring. The idea of Mil transitioning from hold to hold when a hold is not working or Jumbo is about to escape is great in theory it failed in execution. The holds and transitions looked very cooperative and Mil did not do anything interesting while applying a hold. Jumbo was also not very good in the beginning. His selling was underwhelming as he sat in a hold looking more bored than me watching a Hideki Suzuki match. Even his escape and comeback spots lacked urgency. Towards the end of the fall this improved as the match began to look more like a struggle rather than a dance. Mil wins with a arm submission (I forget what it’s called and I’m too lazy to describe it, watch the match).

The second fall picks up where the first fall left off with Mil doing more submission holds. This was done better and had the crowd raging. It was a short fall and Jumbo won with a dropkick off the top rope. That comeback was the highlight of the match.

The third fall was just there to get to the finish. Nothing else really happened and Jumbo wins it via countout.

There really isn’t much to say about this match other than it was kind of bad and boring during the first 20 minutes. Mil worked multiple body parts and most of it didn’t matter to the overall story of the match. The match did get better after the first fall but wasn’t anything special. Mil did a reverse Romero Special that I actually popped for and that bumped this match a quarter star for.

Final Rating - **3/4

Throwback Match Reviews: Harley Race vs Terry Funk

Harley Race vs Terry Funk (NWA) 07/01/1977

The match is 2 out of 3 falls for the NWA World Heavyweight Title. Terry Funk is amazing here. His offense is very impressive. He does everything with urgency. During his control period where he had Race in holds, he made it very interesting with the way he kept the holds. It was very brutal. Unfortunately the match slows down when Race takes over. Race wins the win with an abdominal stretch. The holds that Race applied didn’t all lead into the finish of this fall making it very hard to get through.

The second fall picks up the pace a little with Funk getting in some great offense. Race also steps it up a little here as well. This fall was more of what I was expecting from these two when I saw it was coming up. Funk wins this fall with an incredible piledriver. Funk’s urgency and intensity really stood out here. 

This third fall was filled with intensity and brutality that you’d expect from Terry Funk and Harley Race. Funk went after Race with great motivation and Race repeatedly had to escape Funk’s flurry of offense. Those exchanges showed Funk’s determination and dedication and really made him into a likeable babyface. The fans were going crazy for Funk. These exchanges also highlighted Race’s cleverness and his skill as a world champion. The spinning toe-hold sequence was a great continuation to those exchanges. Funk got Race on the mat and unrelentlessly applied the hold all while Race repeatedly punched him above his eye busting him wide open. The image of Funk with a bloodied face not letting up with the toe hold while Race battered his face is one that I will remember about this match for years to come. The referee stoppage was the right way to end the match here. Funk being disoriented and not being able to even see straight while still trying to fight as he ended up just swinging wildly both gave the victory to Race and made Funk look very strong. 

Overall this was a great match despite the painfully boring first fall. It felt like two different matches took place. This is another example of the 2 out of 3 falls structure being a detriment to the match. It was completely unnecessary and you could’ve told the story better without it. The second half of the match, which was the second and third falls, felt like the true fight one comes to expect out of these two. It was brutal and intense.

Final Rating - ****1/4

Throwback Match Reviews: Billy Robinson vs Jumbo Tsuruta

Billy Robinson vs Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW) 03/05/1977

This match is 2 out of 3 falls for the NWA National Title. The first fall is your basic first fall format that All Japan had been doing at this time. Robinson and Tsuruta had great back-and-forths battle sprinkled throughout the fall. The technical execution in this fall is what really stood out above all else. Not much happened in terms of story. All that was established was that both men were on equal footing. There were some slow spots when Robinson was in control that did not add anything to the overall match. Tsuruta won after a pretty exciting exchange with a bulldog. The crowd was hot for some of this especially when things started happening.

The second fall starts off real slow with Robinson demonstrating his technical abilities. This is what I hate about this style overall. A lot of it feels very showy and it doesn't look like they’re trying to win the match. Not surprisingly the match got hotter when they left the mat and started throwing suplexes and some good looking strikes. This fall was very boring but it was sound in terms of structure. Robinson wore Tsuruta down and was able to counter the bulldog that put him away in the first fall and win the second fall with a nasty looking backbreaker. 

The third fall was great. There was no time wasted and the pace was pretty good. The work that Robinson did on Tsuruta’s back ended up paying off. Robinson pinned Tsuruta with a pin that put all his weight on his back. It was a simple but brilliant finish. The closing stretch was very hot with some great suplexes from Tsuruta. Tsuruta lost his composure in this match which exemplified Robinson’s collected mind which was in turn reflected in the way he wrestled the match.

While boring at times the match had a great layout in the last two falls. One of the things that hurt this match for me is that the first fall felt inconsequential. It was only there to establish what we already know: that Tsuruta is a top level wrestler. This is one of those matches that didn’t need the 2 out of 3 falls formula. Had this been a regular one-fall match the flow would have been better. Technically this match was very good. Robinson is great at this style and it clashed nicely with Tsuruta’s style. Great match but at times it felt contrived.

Final Rating - ****

Most Outstanding Wrestler 2019

Most Outstanding Wrestler 2019

10) SANADA (NJPW)

SANADA had a quiet year in 2019 in terms of in-ring output. He isn’t what I typically look for in a wrestler but he did stand out. You can pretty much credit NJPW’s booking for that as they put him in a spot to perform at a high level and paired him with great talent. Normally a tag wrestler, his singles performances is what lands him on this list. He had 15 matches on my 4+ Star Matches list and one 4.75 star match, which made my top 10 overall. He excelled in his matches with Kazuchika Okada and in tournaments, where he had the majority of his singles matches.

9) Zack Sabre Jr (NJPW, RPW)

ZSJ is another one of these wrestlers that go under the radar. He is one of the most consistent wrestlers in the world and his style matches up with pretty much anybody’s style. He is the best technical wrestler in the world. The style he wrestles can be boring, but Zack makes it interesting. He had 18 matches on my 4+ Star Matches list but the reason he ranks a bit low is that none of them were match of the year contenders, which are 4.75 and 5 star rated matches for me. He did have a few 4.5 star matches, including KENTA’s best match since going to NJPW. 

8) Momo Watanabe (STARDOM)

Momo is easily the best woman wrestler on the planet and being on this list makes her one of the best overall wrestlers in the world. Her run with the Wonder of STARDOM champion in the first half of the year was an all-timer for that belt. She also mixed in great tag wrestling as well as great tournament work. She had 18 matches that I rated 4 stars or higher and one that I rated 4.75, which made my top 10 matches of the year. She’s the youngest wrestler on this list at 19 years old. She may end up being one of the greatest wrestlers of all time should she keep with this pace and barring any serious injury or early retirement like is custom in the world of Joshi.

7) Kazuchika Okada (NJPW)

Yet again we have another underrated and under the radar year for a professional wrestler’s in-ring year. What hurts Okada the most is that his title reign was a little underwhelming, especially considering his previous reign. It took up NJPW’s main event scene for the entire year and it made it a little boring. However, Okada still delivers when it matters, and his 17 4+ star matches support that. He excelled in the G1 and in the New Japan Cup and some of his title matches were overlooked, like the SANADA one in October and the Suzuki one in England. Okada had 4 matches that I rated 4.75 stars, which is the second most out of anyone. He had an entry in my top 10 matches of the year with his G1 bout against SANADA. Okada continues to deliver even when no one is paying attention.

6) Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW, RPW)

Coming off an incredible comeback in 2018 Tanahashi continued the momentum in 2019 with a great in-ring year. Being over 40 does not stop this machine from putting out banger after banger. He had 17 matches rated over 4 stars including one at 4.75 stars against Will Ospreay and one at 5 stars against Kenny Omega. Doing all of that despite his body being a broken down mess makes it all the more impressive. Genius is a word that I do not like to throw around often. People overuse it. There’s not many people I would call geniuses at what they do. Hiroshi Tanahashi is a genius. He knows exactly what to do with what he has in order to create the intended reaction. He probably will end up being my favorite wrestler of all time once I get to his 2000s NJPW work.

5) Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW)

Ishii is always on this list. It’s almost a given. He was one of those wrestlers this year that fell a little under the radar. You can always count on him to deliver. He is the guy who can get great matches out of pretty much everyone. He had 18 matches at 4 stars or higher this year including 3 matches at 4.75 stars, one with Jon Moxley in the G1, Shingo Takagi in the G1, and Kazuchika Okada in the New Japan Cup. The fact that Ishii pretty much had all his singles matches in tournaments goes to show how he is the most consistent wrestler on the planet. He was the MVP of the G1 Climax as his match quality averaged 4.42 stars per match. One of my favorite wrestlers of all time and he will never get the props he deserves.

4) Kento Miyahara (AJPW)

Miyahara had an incredible year filled with great matches. He is a guy that can get people over in his matches and still remain a babyface at the end. His Triple Crown title reigns is the best world title reign since Okada’s legendary reign. It was easily the best World title reigns this year. Miyahara had 18 matches at 4 stars or higher. 3 of those matches I gave 4.75 stars which included a Suwama match in March, a Zeus match in July and the Naoya Nomura match in September which made my top 10 matches of the year. He got Yoshitatsu’s best match of his career. He went through a main event scene that is basically like 4 guys and made it interesting. He had a lot of repeat matches this year and still managed to make them interesting and meaningful. Kento is one of the best in the world today.

3) Kota Ibushi (NJPW)

Ibushi’s first year after signing for life with New Japan was a great one. He really went all out this year. He had a great series of matches with Tetsuya Naito, which was one of the best feuds of the year. I rated 18 of his matches 4 stars or higher including 5 matches at 4.75 stars, the most of everyone this year. Those matches included two against Naito in April and June, one in July against Ospreay, one in August against Okada and another in August against Jay White, which was White’s best match ever. He is a unique talent. Injuries do not seem to slow him down. He is determined and will continue to put on masterful performances as long as his body lets him.

2) Shingo Takagi (NJPW)

After jaded fans claimed Shingo would never have an interesting match ever again after joining New Japan, he goes out there and puts together one of the greatest in-ring years in the history of professional wrestling. Shingo is one of these guys who can adapt to any style and work a match around an opponent’s style. He can work hard-hitting, fast paced, technical whatever the match calls for. He had 17 matches that I rated 4 stars or higher and while that’s lower than some other people behind him on this list 2 of those matches were 4.75 stars and 3 of them were 5 stars. I only gave a 5 star rating 6 times this year and Shingo was in half of them. His 4.75 star matches included one against Dragon Lee in the Best of the Super Juniors and one against Tomohiro Ishii in the G1 climax. His 5 star matches were against SHO in the Best of the Super Juniors opening night, Will Ospreay in the Best of the Super Juniors finals and against Tetsuya Naito in the G1 Climax. He had 3 entries in my top 10 matches of the year with one more coming just missing the mark at number 12. Shingo is also one of the most consistent wrestlers as he really only wrestled singles matches in tournaments. Shingo was one of my favorites in Dragon Gate when I first started watching. He had more of these years there but they always flew under the radar. I am so happy that a wider audience can finally see how great this man is.

1 ) Will Ospreay (NJPW, RPW, ROH, other indies)

Will Ospreay was undeniable this year. He is the most outstanding wrestler of 2019 by a landslide. This may be the best in-ring year of any wrestler in the history of professional wrestling. The term “workhorse” doesn’t even begin to describe him. He worked his ass off in 2019. He was in almost every tournament that NJPW has to offer: New Japan Cup, Best of the Super Juniors, G1 Climax, Super J Cup and the Super Jr Tag Tournament. He had great matches in other promotions as well. Ospreay was everywhere. Detractors of Will Ospreay blew him off as the most outstanding wrestler of the year because he had more opportunity than most wrestlers being that he was put in better spots. While true that he had more opportunities to shine, you can’t take away his accomplishments. This was his year. Ospreay had 33 matches at 4 stars or higher. 33 MATCHES. He almost doubled everyone else on this list. He had 3 matches at 4.75 stars, one being against Kota Ibushi, another against Kazuchika Okada and one against Hiroshi Tanahashi, all in the G1. He had the number 2 match of the year against Shingo Takagi in the Best of the Super Juniors finals that I gave 5 stars. It was a special year and I was happy to be there along for the ride.