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    2023 Contenders

    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).

    • Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay (New Japan, WrestleKingdom 17, January 04, 2023)
    • Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White (New Japan, WrestleKingdom 17, January 04, 2023)
    • Adam Priest vs. Anthony Henry (ACTION, Lords of Chaos, January 20, 2023)
    • Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI vs. TJP & Francesco Akira (New Japan, The New Beginning in Sapporo – Night One, February 04, 2023)
    • Taichi vs. Will Ospreay (New Japan, The New Beginning in Sapporo – Night One, February 04, 2023)
    • YOH vs. Hiromu Takahashi (New Japan, The New Beginning in Sapporo – Night Two, February 05, 2023)
    • Shingo Takagi vs. Kazuchika Okada (New Japan, The New Beginning in Osaka, February 11, 2023)
    • Tristan Archer vs. Will Ospreay (Rixe Catch, Episode 12, February 25, 2023)
    • Dan Moloney vs. Shigehiro Irie (Rev Pro, Live in London 71, March 05, 2023)
    • Trey Miguel, Arez & Fuminori Abe vs. Komander, Senza Volto & Aigle Blanc (wXw, 16 Carat Gold 2023 – Night Three, March 12, 2023)
    • Black Taurus vs. Komander vs. El Hijo del Vikingo (WrestleCon, Mark Hitchcock Memorial Supershow 2023, March 30, 2023)
    • Komander vs. El Hijo del Vikingo (ROH, Supercard of Honor, March 31, 2023)
    • Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis vs. YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto (New Japan, Sakura Genesis, April 08, 2023)
    • Gabriel Kidd vs. Luke Jacobs (Rev Pro, Live in London 73, May 07, 2023)
    • Mike Bailey vs. Hiromu Takahashi (New Japan, Best of the Super Junior 30 – Night One, May 12, 2023)
    • Lio Rush vs. Hiromu Takahashi (New Japan, Best of the Super Junior 30 – Night Three, May 14, 2023)
    • Taiji Ishimori vs. Mike Bailey (New Japan, Best of the Super Junior 30 – Night Seven, May 19, 2023)
    • TJP vs. Hiromu Takahashi (New Japan, Best of the Super Junior 30 – Night Seven, May 19, 2023)
    • Mike Bailey vs. Ryusuke Taguchi (New Japan, Best of the Super Junior 30 – Night Eight, May 21, 2023)
    • Dan Moloney vs. Robbie Eagles (New Japan, Best of the Super Junior 30 – Night Eight, May 21, 2023)
    • Francesco Akira vs. El Desperado (New Japan, Best of the Super Junior 30 – Night Eight, May 21, 2023)
    • Mike Bailey vs. Lio Rush (New Japan, Best of the Super Junior 30 – Night Nine, May 23, 2023)
    • Master Wato vs. Mike Bailey (New Japan, Best of the Super Junior 30 – Night Eleven, May 26, 2023)
    • Luke Jacobs vs. Shigehiro Irie (wXw, We Love Wrestling #46, May 27, 2023)
    • Titan vs. Master Wato (New Japan, Best of the Super Junior 30 – Night Twelve, May 28, 2023)
    • Shigehiro Irie vs. Michael Oku (Rev Pro, Live in Southampton 24, June 11, 2023)
    • Callum Newman vs. Leon Slater (Rev Pro, Live in London 75, July 02, 2023)
    • Leyton Buzzard vs. Michael Oku (Rev Pro, Live in London 75, July 02, 2023)
    • Aigle Blanc vs. Michael Oku (wXw, We Love Wrestling #47, July 08, 2023)
    • Jordon Breaks vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (Rev Pro, Epic Encounter 2023, July 09, 2023
    • Leon Slater vs. Will Ospreay (Rev Pro, Epic Encounter 2023, July 09, 2023
    • Kazuchika Okada vs. Taichi (New Japan, G1 Climax 33 – Night Five, July 21, 2023)
    • Kaito Kiyomiya vs. SANADA (New Japan, G1 Climax 33 – Night Seven, July 25, 2023)
    • Tomohiro Ishii vs. Eddie Kingston (New Japan, G1 Climax 33 – Night Eight, July 26, 2023)
    • Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada (New Japan, G1 Climax 33 – Night Nine, July 27, 2023)
    • El Phantasmo vs. Will Ospreay (New Japan, G1 Climax 33 – Night Fourteen, August 06, 2023)
    • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Kazuchika Okada (New Japan, G1 Climax 33 – Night Seventeen, August 10, 2023)
    • Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada (New Japan, G1 Climax 33 – Night Nineteen, August 13, 2023)
    • Luke Jacobs vs. Tomohiro Ishii (Rev Pro, 11 Year Anniversary Show, August 26, 2023)
    • Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay (Rev Pro, 11 Year Anniversary Show, August 26, 2023)
    • Chris Jericho vs. Will Ospreay (AEW, All In, August 27, 2023)
    • Shigehiro Irie vs. Chris Brookes (DDT, Big Bang 2023, September 09, 2023)
    • Icarus vs. Dover (wXw, World Tag Team Festival 2023 – Night One, September 22, 2023)
    • Mike D Vecchio, Aigle Blanc & Senza Volto vs. Gringo Loco, Arez & Latigo (wXw, World Tag Team Festival 2023 – Night Two, September 23, 2023)
    • Peter Tihanyi vs. Axel Tischer (wXw, World Tag Team Festival 2023 – Night Two, September 23, 2023)
    • Takuya Nomura vs. Fuminori Abe (Kakuto Tanteidan, We Are Fighting Detectives, October 12, 2023)
    • Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii (New Japan, Royal Quest 3, October 14, 2023)
    • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Will Ospreay (New Japan, Royal Quest 3, October 14, 2023)
    • Luke Jacobs vs. Ricky Knight Jr. (Rev Pro, British J Cup 2023, October 21, 2023)
    • Luke Jacobs vs. Michael Oku (Rev Pro, Live in London 79, November 05, 2023)
    • Luke Jacobs vs. Tomohiro Ishii (Rev Pro, Uprising 2023, December 16, 2023)