NJPW: 20 Best Matches of 2023 (Part 3)
Fans around the world are still buzzing over what transpired at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4th, 2024. New Japan Pro Wrestling set the bar extremely high for themselves going into the new year, but the company reached astronomical levels in 2023 with some of their matches.
Over the past few days, I have been counting down the best NJPW matches from 2023, and we have no officially crossed the halfway mark. Join me, Sam Palmer, for the next installment of this countdown of the best matches New Japan Pro Wrestling produced in 2023.
10. Will Ospreay vs. El Phantasmo – G1 Climax 33 (Day 14):
The Aerial Assassin had one of the best years any wrestler has ever had in 2023, which included a run in the G1 Climax tournament over the summer that produced some absolute classics. While Ospreay’s title matches often get the spotlight, it’s time to give his match with El Phantasmo the credit it deserves.
ELP has quickly become one of NJPW’s most popular stars. His time with the Bullet Club came to an end at Sakura Genesis, and the G1 Climax was the perfect chance for him to cement himself as a future main eventer. However, when matched up against one of the modern greats, it was all a little too much for little El Phantasmo. This bout had quick action, an electric finish, and enough signs to show fans that when Will Ospreay leaves New Japan to join AEW in 2024, Phantasmo might have the potential to fill his shoes.
9. Hiroshi Tanahashi & CHAOS vs. Shota Umino & Blackpool Combat Club [NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship] – Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall:
An outrageous match on paper that almost didn’t end up happening. Moxley and Umino earned a shot at the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championships at Resurgence a few weeks earlier, and Mox decided to bring his Blackpool Combat Club teammate Claudio Castagnoli to Japan with him to be the third man on the team. However, Claudio almost missed the match due to his journey having many setbacks, even getting changed into his gear in the taxi from the airport to Osaka-jo Hall.
As mentioned previously in part two of this countdown, putting the belts on Tanahashi, Ishii, and Okada was a great way to guarantee strong outings for a title that is low down in NJPW’s pecking order. Seeing Okada getting swung around like a little child by Claudio, Shota proving why he’s the future of the company, and Mox looking like a god in Japan by, makes this easily the best trios match New Japan booked all year.
8. Kazuchika Okada & Togi Makabe vs. Kaito Kiyomiya & Yoshiki Inamura – Wrestle Kingdom 17 in Yokohama Arena:
Sometimes in wrestling, it’s better to keep it short and sweet. This bout is without question the shortest match on the list, clocking in at just over six-and-a-half minutes. But it’s not about the quantity, it’s about the quality, as this is the infamous match that spawned one of Japan’s fiercest rivalries of the year: Okada vs. Kiyomiya.
The Rainmaker wasn’t too thrilled about being on the show, and he was even less thrilled about being matched up with Kaito Kiyomiya, a man whom Okada thought was disrespectful. Rather than apologizing to the then IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Kiyomiya got in the ring, and kicked Okada square in the face.
A brawl between the two ensued and the match was ultimately thrown out, with both Makabe and Inamura attempting to restrain their partners. In a business where everyone wants to be real, this match was easily the most real match of the year.
7. Master Wato vs. Titan [Best of the Super Juniors 30 Final] – Best of the Super Juniors 30 (Day 12):
WATOMANIA IS RUNNING WILD! At least that’s what people were saying in the first half of 2023 as Master Wato had organically become one the best underdogs in the junior heavyweight division. His 2022 was steady, if a little unspectacular, but you could tell something was there, and after his performance at Wrestle Kingdom 17, it was just a matter of time before he had his time to shine.
The Best of the Super Juniors tournament is always filled with top contenders, but Wato fought his way through everyone to meet Titan in the final. The Mexican luchador had also been a dark horse throughout the tournament, only becoming a true contender in the final few days. This meant that the final was between two men who had both everything to gain and nothing to lose, and boy did it deliver. The crowd was into both men, who threw everything at each other to see what would cause the most damage. A 25-minute match might sound daunting to some, but it’s the quickest 25 minutes you’ll experience all year.
6. Will Ospreay vs. Yota Tsuji [IWGP United States (UK) Championship] – Destruction in Kobe:
Rounding out part 3 of this countdown is the man who started it, Will Ospreay, and the first of three IWGP United States Championship defenses from the second half of the year. Ospreay renamed the belt the IWGP UK Championship since he’s English, which gave him an extra sense of pride when it came to defending it. This was on full display at Destruction in Kobe as he took on Yota Tsuji.
Tsuji had just returned from his excursion in RevPro in England a few months earlier and had his sights set on gold. He came up short in challenging SANADA for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in June, but that didn’t slow him down. This first-ever bout in September was a true showcase of how good Tsuji will become in the next few years, while also proving that Will seems to be incapable of having a bad match with anyone. It is one of the best NJPW main events of the year, and there will be many more in Yota’s future for certain.
THAT’S THE END OF PART 3! Stay tuned to Vendetta Sports Media to find out what we think is the best NJPW match of 2023! See you then!
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