It’s that time of year. Let the debate begin, but then end with this of the top ten matches of 2023.
You know me. I’m all about transparency. So, what factored into the construction of this match of the year 2023 breakdown? Take a look …
Story – Was there a good story within the match?
Pageantry – What was the spectacle of the bout like?
Stakes – Anything on the line? If so, what was it?
Scale – Where did the match take place and what did it do for the card?
In-Ring – How good was the in-ring product?
Entertainment – Did the match entertain and was it fun to watch?
Here we go.
10. Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus - WWE Intercontinental Championship - WrestleMania 39
Just a wonderful display of violence. Nothing hardcore, but violent wrestling. The striking was on point and brutal, the bumps were wild, and it all happened on the biggest stage of the year in wrestling.
9. FTR vs. Jay White & Swerve Strickland - AEW World Tag Team Championship - AEW Collision
It’s a shame AEW couldn’t capitalize on this one because it was a classic. Both teams seemed to wrestle with a chip on their shoulder and the result was a high intensity and fast-paced tag match. The hot tag teases worked perfectly too. Exactly the kind of match that AEW said they wanted their tag division to exemplify.
8. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair - WWE Women’s World Championship - WrestleMania 39
Nobody will remember the WrestleMania 36 match these women had, but they made up for it with the time they got this year on the WrestleMania stage. Hard-hitting, great story, and then a title run after that was worthy of the moment in which she won it.
7. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kenny Omega - AEW All Out 2023
Just and insane showing of athleticism and at a pace that the rest of this list wishes it could have operated at. Omega and Takeshita brought the best out of one another on a show that needed the match to deliver in a major way. It did.
6. Tetsuya Naito vs. Will Ospreay - G1 Climax Tournament
A different kind of Will Ospreay match. Ospreay looked dangerous in this one and Naito sold it perfectly. Naito getting concussed in the match helped drive home the serious nature of his selling and it just all clicked.
5. MJF vs. Bryan Danielson - AEW World Championship Iron Man Match - AEW Revolution 2023
I loved this match. MJF and Danielson told a story going in about how Danielson was going to take MJF to deep waters in the match. The match itself illustrated that story. That was the focus. No funny bells or whistles, just a constant focus on that story. MJF isn’t the babyface he is today without having this match.
4. Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay - Forbidden Door 2
A strong follow-up to their Wrestle Kingdom match, but more brutal. The callbacks made for a fun ride and the entire thing had the audience standing. The chemistry between the two is palpable and they fully leaned into it during this.
3. Swerve Strickland vs. Adam Page - Texas Death Match - AEW Full Gear 2023
I’m not usually a death match guy, but I’m open to them when it makes sense. It did as a stipulation here. Strickland invaded Page’s home and the match needed to be wrestled at a level in which there could be punishment for that heel move. This was brutal the entire way and even featured Swerve drinking Page’s blood, but it worked given the context. It needed to be brutal and it was. Plus, the match made Swerve Strickland. It jolted him with a ton of momentum that gave AEW another bonafide star to build around. Will they? We’ll see.
2. Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay - Wrestle Kingdom 17
This Wrestle Kingdom clash was a long time coming and built effectively thanks to promos from both Omega and Ospreay. It had stakes and both men were able to create an aura of desperation to win as they wrestled the match. Athletic at the highest of levels.
1. The Usos vs. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens - WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship - WrestleMania 39
If this choice creates waves, it shouldn’t. It’s the match of the year without any doubt. Not only was this a main event of the biggest show of the year, but it also was the culmination of a months long story that drove business, interest, ratings, and intrigue for WWE. The match itself told a masterful story of friendship and championship glory. The action was smooth, well executed, and with near falls that had 80,000 people biting. This is what pro wrestling should be and what it looks like when it’s accomplished at the highest of high levels.