The wrestling world and the world in general, has crawled to a halt. What better time to look back and see what wondrous gems and masterpieces have taken place this year. And with that, I give to you my 2020 Must-See Matches So Far!
In these strange and worrying times, I have tried repeatedly to take my mind off the situation by watching some wrestling. Actually a LOT of wrestling. I mean I watch wrestling for a living, but for the past few weeks, all my spare time has been watching even more. While I was watching, I had a great idea…I should tell you all that I think has been the greatest matches of the year so far!
2020 Must-See Matches
AEW Tag Team Championships
Hangman Page/Kenny Omega (c) vs The Young Bucks
AEW Revolution
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7sdukx
The greatest tag team match I have ever seen. Those were the words of, none other than Dave Meltzer. And I wholeheartedly agree with him…will wonders ever cease! I shouldn’t scoff really, this match was a-bloody-mazing! From the very moment Page spat at Matt Jackson, as Matt went for a handshake, this match had emotion oozing from every pore. Matt saw red whenever Page was in the ring and it took both Nick and Kenny to stop the match from being thrown out.
The near falls – involving a 450 splash, a crossface chicken wing, a V-Trigger, a superplex, and a Tiger Driver ’98 really do have to be seen to be believed. It all happened so quick, in the blink of an eye, it was magical. And for those that say that they miss story-telling in matches, take a look at this match. The back injury that Kenny had during the match meant he couldn’t hit his One-Winged Angel finisher. Never fear as Page hit it instead, but even then he could only garner a 2.999999 count. Sometimes it really is the little things!
Now stop reading and watch the match. It’s a master class of tag team wrestling, storytelling, high spots, near falls and pretty much everything else that’s beautiful in wrestling.
2020 Must-See Matches
Finn Balor vs Johnny Gargano
NXT Takeover: Portland
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7rw00w
We had to wait four long months to see this match. And in all fairness, it was worth the wait. Finn’s heel turn gave fans an insight to a new darker Finn, something NJPW fans know all too well. And who better to turn all that pent up aggression on to than the shining light of NXT, Johnny Gargano. Again it’s all about the story setting the match, and it’s something we come to expect from NXT.
The match itself was a brutal stiff affair that showed that when pushed, Johnny could wrestle a strong style way when needed. Yes, he’s been in his fair share of matches where hardware has been involved, but this is his first match in NXT where he really had to pull the stops out and step up to his opponent, style-wise.
The fact that there was nothing on the line but dominance and revenge, this match showed it didn’t need a championship. No, this was always about who was number one, and cold hard revenge. A simple story for a simple feud. A little goes a long way folks! To see Finn wrestle like his Prince days in NJPW was a sight for these reviewer’s eyes, just beautiful. If you like your wrestling physical then this is a match for you.
NXT Tag Team Championships
Undisputed Era (c) vs The BroserWeights
NXT Takeover: Portland
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7rw2xn?playlist=x66ysa
On the same card as the match above was this little beauty. Many of you will know that I’m a sucker for some decent tag team wrestling. And you can’t go wrong with these four guys involved.
Thrown together just a few weeks before this, Riddle and Dunne had instant chemistry, something very rare these days. You could say that both men have opposite styles, but as the old adage goes “opposites attract”. And they sure did here. Combine that chemistry with being over with the crowd during the Dusty Rhodes Classic, and you have a sure-fire hit.
The match itself was both a technical wonder and a hard-hitting affair. O’Reilly and Fish are known to be hard hitters. Riddle has his MMA background, and Dunne has been known on occasions to mix it up a bit. And all four went at it here. This isn’t a match of the ages kinda match like the Bucks vs Page/Omega or #DIY vs The Revival from Takeover: Toronto. No this was something different indeed. And I bloody enjoyed it immensely!
2020 Must-See Matches
Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya Naito
Wrestle Kingdom 14 – Night Two
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7q3hju
Wow! Just frickin WOW! This was a match worth waiting for. Nearly 36 minutes of pure wrestling enjoyment that flew by in the blink of an eye. The main event match that was worthy to main event any card, of any promotion, of any era.
Seeing both men survive their respective matches the night before set up this mega dream match-up. And with the IWGP Intercontinental AND IWGP Heavyweight championships on the line…the stakes were huge. Never in NJPW history has the stakes been this high. Both men knew they needed a five-star match to live to the hype. And boy did they!?!
Years in the making, seeing Naito finally win the big one was a sight to behold. He took Okada to limits that he hadn’t been taken to since his feud with Kenny Omega. And seeing Kazuchika taking Naito apart – from his knee to his back – was akin to watching an artist paint. Just fantastic!
2020 Must-See Matches
Tyler Bate vs Jordan Devlin
NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II
I love it when I’m proved right! I said for weeks heading into this event that this would be Jordan Devlin’s WWE breakout match. And he did not prove me wrong.
Seeing two guys put on a wrestling masterclass for twenty minutes made me so happy. Add to the fact that they’re UK talent too…and I’m in heaven. Of course, Tyler Bate could have a match with a broom and make that object look like a million dollars. But Devlin more than put in his fair share here, and they both made magic in this match.
The match itself never slowed down. And it built consistently, wave upon wave, to an amazing crescendo of a finish. It’s an art you don’t see much of anymore. A lot of matches have highs and lows, ups and downs, before the finish. Here both men kept pushing the action ever so slowly forward, all building to the finish, peaking at the exact right time.
And as I said above, Devlin shined in this match. So much so, that not long after, he captured the NXT Cruiserweight championship. I do love being right!
2020 Must-See Matches
#DIY vs Moustache Mountain
Worlds Collide
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7r3jzw
You can come at me (that’s what all the kids are saying now right?) for the number of tag matches I have on this list. But I really do love tag team wrestling. When it’s done right, it can be amazing. It gives you a kind of action that you can’t get in singles matches. And when the match is a dream match? Well….you have this!
I speak a lot about chemistry. It is one of the fundamental things needed to take a match from ok to exceptional. All four men here have chemistry in spades. From the get-go where the match was very respectful and technical, to when things broke down and got downright dirty – the chemistry was on-point.
And the storytelling? Seeing Trent Seven sacrifice himself as Gargano and Ciampa hit their Meeting In The Middle finisher? Beautiful! this match hit each and every note needed to make this worthy on my list. No titles, no animosity, just two teams seeing who the better one was. Perfect!
2020 Must-See Matches
Will Ospreay vs Hiromu Takahashi
Wrestle Kingdom 14 – Night One
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7q1xpd
I finish my list with a match that hit me right in the feels, as those kids keep saying. A match I thought would never happen. Hiromu Takahashi, in the ring at Wrestle Kingdom, taking on the best Junior Heavyweight in the world. I mean you really couldn’t make it up. Storybook ending if there ever was one.
I have watched Will grow from a backyard phenom into one of the very best wrestlers in the world right now, regardless of weight class. I knew from the moment that this was announced that this would be a great match. But I wasn’t expecting this though. A bonafide Match of the Year contender.
I sat in awe as Takahashi looked like nothing had ever happened to him. That the career-ending injury he suffered was just a fever dream. He was out there performing on NJPW’s biggest stage like nothing had ever happened to him at all. There were parts of the match where I even forgot about the injury. Hiromu is a once in a lifetime talent and deserved his victory.
Forget weights, forget backgrounds, this was an AMAZING match that captured everything that is right and needed in pro wrestling. Sit back, take a load off, and watch this match folks. I cannot recommend it enough!
There we have it, folks. My best matches for 2020 so far. What do you think? Have I waxed lyrical about them too much? Would any or all of the above matches make your list? Let me know below or via social media as I’m always on the lookout for more wrestling to watch!
