2025

[Jetlag]

Who is the greatest wrestler of the year?

[Jetlag]

#1 Mari

Great discovery and feels like the strongest #1 contender I can imagine. Badass wrestler with stiff and creative offense, but also has lots of variety. Some great work in singles, tag matches, both as an overdog heel but can also stooge and make throwaway undercard matches fun, often against half-baked wrestlers. Not the only talented wrestler in AWG (MARU, Saihara, Fukunaga and others have also delivered lots of good stuff) but definitely the best.

#2 Meiko Satomura

As good as always and had a great series of big matches leading up to her retirement.

#3 Ali Najima

Rookie of the year, was pretty much having good-great matches weekly in Sportiva and he definitely wasn't just carried in those matches, also did some really good stuff against other less experienced wrestlers like Yuta Oya, Masanori Watanabe etc. Pretty no nonsense style with the focus on kicks, building up to a bodyslam, and some cool submissions.

#4 Yasushi Sato

Only 3 matches on tape but he rules every time. Still a great grappler and really intelligent.

#5 Blue Panther

65 years old, insane aura, can still have great matches, the big matches against Hechicero and Ultimo delivered beyond what should be humanely possible and he's also been great in the Maestro trios that the DVDVR guys booked.

 

Other mentions: Super Taira, Yu Shimizu, Masanori Watanabe, Paul Ishida, Mad Dog Connelly, Rico Fukunaga, Marino Saihara, CHANGO, GENTARO, Kenichiro Arai, Keita Yano, MARU, Avisman, Manabu Hara, Xelhua...

[highflyflow]

I watched 1000 matches exactly from 2025 (god knows why). Jon Moxley was far and away my wrestler of the year

[HeadCheese]

My Top 10 was for 2025

1. Zack Sabre Jr

I really value going around and range. I saw nobody have as many great matches as ZSJ. The Goto feud is good too. 

Favorite Match - Zack Sabre Jr. and Jake De Leon vs. Fabio Makisig and El Phantasmo (DEXCON Dakila, 5/18)

 

2. Mei Suruga

A similar case to Zack, the best ace and maybe best champion reign of the year. Mei Suruga has so much creative spark.

Favorite Match - Mei Suruga vs. Chie Koishikawa (ChocoPro 438 Warring Era, 3/31)

 

3. Adam Priest

The best heel and/or face in the world, excels in every opportunity he is given in a variety of settings. The DPW Champion work. Is so good.

Favorite Match - Ultimate Conflict (DPW Title Fight in Vegas, 4/18)

 

4. Jon Moxley

Mixed work at the start which is still understandable but, eventually clicked.  His leaning into vunderability and desperation was really cool.

Favorite Match - Jon Moxley vs. Adam Page (AEW All In Texas, 7/12)

 

5. Kyle Fletcher

Feels like he really found himself this year. Sometimes goes to a little too far but, is still growing. In maybe the best match I have ever seen live and maybe the one of best cage matches ever vs. Will Ospreay.

Favorite Match - Kyle Fletcher vs. Will Ospreay (AEW Revolution, 3/9)

 

6. Shinya Aoki

Favorite Match - Astronauts (Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura) vs. Keigo Nakamura & Shinya Aoki (DDT Change Age, 4/6)

 

7. Kenny Omega

Favorite Match - Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher (AEW Grand Slam Australia, 2/15) with Japanese Commentary 

 

8. Chihiro Hashimoto

Favorite Match - Sareee vs. Chihiro Hashimoto (Sendai Girls Hashimoto 10th Anniversary Show “KAIBUTSU A DECADE”, 11/16)

 

9. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Favorite Match - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom, 1/4)

 

10. Senka Akatsuki

Favorite Match - Mayu Iwatani, Seri Yamaoka, and Utami Hayashishita vs. Mio Momono, Senka Akatsuki, and Takumi Iroha (NOAH Monday Magic Xtreme Season #1, 10/6)

[Boss Rock]

Probably Bandido or Takeshita. Ospreay also had a really strong year despite missing the last third.