It’s a new year – and a fresh list of our Match of the Year Contenders. All of these matches either got ****¼ and above in our reviews, our would have (if we reviewed it, for shows we don’t fully cover).

  • Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada (New Japan, WrestleKingdom 15 – Night One, January 04, 2021)
  • Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito (New Japan, WrestleKingdom 15 – Night One, January 04, 2021)
  • Jeff Cobb vs. Shingo Takagi (New Japan, WrestleKingdom 15 – Night Two, January 05, 2021)
  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori (New Japan, WrestleKingdom 15 – Night Two, January 05, 2021)
  • Jay White vs. Kota Ibushi (New Japan, WrestleKingdom 15 – Night Two, January 05, 2021)
  • Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku vs. Anthony Henry & JD Drake (ACTION Wrestling, Matt The Mouth’s Mysteriously Meaty 29th Birthday Bash Extravaganza, January 08, 2021)
  • Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Suzu Suzuki (Ice Ribbon, New Ice Ribbon #1095 ~ Winter Story, January 23, 2021)
  • Will Ospreay vs. Satoshi Kojima (New Japan, The New Beginning in Nagoya, January 30, 2021)
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shingo Takagi (New Japan, The New Beginning in Nagoya, January 30, 2021)
  • SHO vs. Hiromu Takahashi (New Japan, The New Beginning in Hiroshima – Night One, February 10, 2021)
  • SANADA vs. Tomohiro Ishii (New Japan, New Japan Cup 2021 – Night Four, March 09, 2021)
  • Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (New Japan, New Japan Cup 2021 – Night Eight, March 14, 2021)
  • Thunder Rosa vs. Britt Baker (AEW, Dynamite, March 17, 2021)
  • Chris Dickinson vs. Wheeler Yuta (Beyond Wrestling, Signature Series #4, March 18, 2021)
  • Chris Dickinson vs. Matt Makowski (Beyond Wrestling, Signature Series #6, April 01, 2021)
  • Tommaso Ciampa vs. WALTER (WWE, NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver – Night One, April 07, 2021)
  • Rampage Brown vs. WALTER (WWE, NXT UK Prelude, April 08, 2021)
  • Jon Moxley vs. Josh Barnett (GCW, Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 6, April 08, 2021)
  • Jay White vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Japan, Wrestling Dontaku 2021 – Night One, May 03, 2021)
  • Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay (New Japan, Wrestling Dontaku 2021 – Night Two, May 04, 2021)
  • Wheeler Yuta vs. Lee Moriarty (Beyond, Project Reality, May 06, 2021)
  • JD Drake vs. Daniel Garcia (Limitless, The Games We Play, May 07, 2021)
  • Chris Dickinson vs. Tom Lawlor (New Japan, Strong E42 – Collision 2021, May 28, 2021)
  • Shingo Takagi vs. Kazuchika Okada (New Japan, Dominion 6.6 in Osaka-Jo Hall, June 07, 2021)
  • Meiko Satomura vs. Kay Lee Ray (WWE, NXT UK #143, aired June 10, 2021)
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shingo Takagi (New Japan, Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, July 25, 2021)
  • Ethan Allen & Luke Jacobs vs. Michael Oku & Connor Mills (Rev Pro, Live at (not) The Cockpit 52, August 01, 2021)
  • Adam Priest vs. Daniel Makabe (Scenic City Invitational 2021, Night One, August 06, 2021)
  • AC Mack vs. Daniel Garcia vs. Alex Kane vs. Daniel Makabe (Scenic City Invitational 2021, Night Two, August 07, 2021)
  • Daniel Garcia vs. Wheeler Yuta (IWTV 100, August 08, 2021)
  • Danny Hope & Joey Hayes vs. Ethan Allen & Luke Jacobs (FutureShock, 17th Anniversary – Part One, August 14, 2021)
  • Ethan Allen & Luke Jacobs vs. Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher (Rev Pro, Nine Year Anniversary, August 21, 2021)
  • Ilja Dragunov vs. WALTER (WWE, NXT TakeOver 36, August 22, 2021)
  • Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shingo Takagi (New Japan, G1 Climax 31 – Night One, September 18, 2021)
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Japan, G1 Climax 31 – Night Two, September 19, 2021)
  • Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher vs. Michael Oku & Connor Mills (Rev Pro, High Stakes 2021, September 19, 2021)
  • Ricky Knight Jr. vs. Will Ospreay (Rev Pro, High Stakes 2021, September 19, 2021)
  • Bryan Danielson vs. Kenny Omega (AEW Dynamite – Grand Slam, September 22, 2021)
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Shingo Takagi (New Japan, G1 Climax 31 – Night Three, September 23, 2021)
  • A-Kid vs. Ilja Dragunov (WWE, NXT UK #161, taped October 06, 2021/aired October 14, 2021)
  • Daniel Garcia vs. Alex Shelley (Beyond Wrestling, Uncharted Territory Season 3 Episode 1, October 07, 2021)
  • KENTA vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (New Japan, G1 Climax 31 – Night Thirteen, October 09, 2021)
  • Michael Oku vs. Will Ospreay (Rev Pro, Live in Southampton 14, October 10, 2021)
  • Jeff Cobb vs. Kazuchika Okada (New Japan, G1 Climax 31 – Night Eighteen, October 20, 2021)
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Katsuyori Shibata (New Japan, G1 Climax 31 – Night Nineteen, October 21, 2021)
  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado (New Japan, World Tag League 2021 & Best of the Super Junior 28 – Night Seven, November 21, 2021)
  • Mike Bailey vs. Michael Oku (Rev Pro, Uprising 2021, November 21, 2021)
  • Arik Royal vs. Daniel Makabe (ACTION Wrestling, Bangers Only 2, December 03, 2021)
  • Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi (New Japan, World Tag League 2021 & Best of the Super Junior 28 – Night Twenty-Two, December 12, 2021)
  • YOH vs. Hiromu Takahashi (New Japan, World Tag League 2021 & Best of the Super Junior 28 – Night Twenty-Three, December 15, 2021)
  • Cara Noir vs. WALTER (wXw, 21st Anniversary, December 18, 2021)