2010 Wrestling Matches of the Year

I consider every match I rate at 4 1/2 and up to be a MOTY contender; last year, I saw 42 such matches.  My 2009 MOTY post is here. My match of the decade post for the first decade of the millennium is here.  And my list of the current best wrestlers in the world is here. (Edit - I've now finished the year off and put the top matches in order, you can get to that post here.)

I think I've seen every significant WWE, TNA, NOAH, New Japan, and Dragon's Gate match through May (December of 2009 counts with this year's matches, so we're halfway home).  I'm in March for most of the US indie shows.  I don't watch much lucha.  Some puroresu slips through the cracks, but I really try hard to see everything that might be a contender.  My bias is toward athleticism, as one can see when looking at my lists.  Sometimes that's spots, sometimes stiffness, sometimes otherwise impactful moves - but that's essentially what I care about when I watch wrestling matches. I've got 10 matches at 4 1/2 and up thusfar in the relevant period - and am considering the Davey Richards/Kota Ibushi from the Evolve debut as current MOTY.

I've got Kenta/Marufuji from June 6 on my hard drive right now.  Right now!  

(edit - I think my favorite match now is Marufuji/Devitt 3 from June, another edit - I just this second finished Death Before Dishonor VIII - I think the main event was 5 stars. I'm now solidly into October for every promotion in the world.)


Marufuji v. Devitt (NJ Dec 09) 4 ¾
Go v. Suguira (NOAH Dec 09) 4 ½
Marufuji v. Kanemoto (NJ Mar) 4 ½
Davey v. Ibushi (Evolve Jan) 4 ¾
Yoshikawa/Usuda v. Hidaka/Sawa (Battlearts Feb) 4 ¾
Dick Togo v. BKK (Osaka Feb) 4 ½
Goto v. Nakamura (NJ Apr) 4 ¾
Black v. Strong v. Aries (ROH Apr) 4 ½
Shingo v. Yamato (DGate May) 4 ½
Briscoes v. Wolves (ROH – March) 4 ¾
Richards v. Strong (PWG-Apr) 4 1/2
Shingo v. Hulk (DGate July) 4 ½
Marufuji v. Devitt (June NJ) 4 ¾
Marufuji v. Kanemaru (July NOAH) 4 1/2
Yoshino/Hulk/Doi v. Quackenbush/Jigsaw/Hallowicked (July Chikara) 4 1/2
Suguira v. Takayama (July NOAH) 4 1/2
Suguira v. Taniguchi (July NOAH) 4 1/2
Kensuke v. Go (July Noah) 4 ½
Briscoes v. Kings of Wrestling (June ROH) 4 1/2
Black v. Richards (June ROH) 5
Suguira v. Akiyama (August NOAH) 4 1/2
Kenta/Suguira v. Go/Morishima (Aug NOAH) 4 3/4
Go v. Nakamura (Aug NOAH) 4 ½
Suwama v. Suzuki (Aug AJ) 4 3/4
Black v. Richards (August ROH) 4 3/4
Kenta v. Kanemaru (September NOAH) 4 1/2
Hero v. Ryan (Sep PWG) 4 1/2
Davey v. Kanemoto (Sept NJ) 4 3/4
Kenta/Aoki v. Strong/Edwards (Oct Noah) 4 1/2
Yuji/Kanemoto v. Go/Aoki (Oct NJ) 4 1/2
Omega/Ibushi v. Devitt/Taguchi (Oct NJ) 4 1/2