2023 Year-End Awards & Lists
What a year of pro wrestling
After what was a whirlwind of a year in 2023, I’m happy to once again put together my year-end awards here on my Substack!
In past years, I’ve written a lot about why certain people were my Wrestler of the Year and why the matches have made it into my top five. I sadly didn’t have the time to do so this year, so we’re going to keep it simple with my overall lists with a few thoughts throughout!
Tag Team of the Year
1. Astronauts
2. CRAZY STAR
3. Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi
4. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens
5. FTR
Truth be told, Trios wrestling dominated 2023 far more than normal Tag Team wrestling did — making this a tough award to pick from. It came down to a few things when deciding on my top five tag teams of the year but none more important than consistency. Astronauts were the team that had consistency in all their matches, followed by CRAZY STAR in STARDOM and so on. Takuya Nomura and Fuminori Abe climbed up my Wrestler of the Year list slow and steadily throughout 2023, both ranking easily in the Top 50 thanks to their accomplishments as a duo.
Kento Miyahara and Yuma Aoyagi would have got the award from me if it wasn’t for their best match of the year in terms of tag action being on opposite sides. They took just too long to get back together, slotting them down my ultimate list.
It’s nice to have WWE and AEW involvement on here but I hope both of those companies pick things back up with their divisions in 2024.
Women's Wrestler of the Year:
1. Suzu Suzuki
2. Sareee
3. Maika
4. Giulia
5. Natsupoi
No one necessarily was the favorite until the second half of 2023, when Suzu Suzuki and all of her major matches finally pulled away from the rest of the crew. Had Saya Kamitani avoided injury, there’s a real chance that she’d be sitting at the number one spot with what was planned for her throughout the rest of the year. Sareee would have been number one with another handful of matches toward the end of the year but it became minimal after what was an incredible return to the scene throughout the summer and into early fall.
I expect this list to be wildly different in 2024.
Men's Wrestler of the Year:
1. Bryan Danielson
2. Will Ospreay
3. Kazuchika Okada
4. Kento Miyahara
5. Jon Moxley
Overall Wrestler of the Year
Bryan Danielson
Even with the time he missed, there was nothing that could stop Bryan Danielson from being my 2023 Wrestler of the Year. No one had the consistency like he did. Out of the 28 matches I saw of his this year, I think 20 of them were at least legitimately great. The Continental Classic run that he had was one for the ages, making him a lock for this award. Whether it was his World Title main event against MJF, the Dream Match against Zack Sabre Jr., or fighting Eddie Kingston on TV with the finals on the line — Danielson kept living up the expectations.
Favorite Wrestlers To Watch
Mei Seira
Natsupoi
Kento Miyahara
Saya Kamitani
Mayu Iwatani
Kaito Kiyomiya
Swerve Strickland
Kenny Omega
AZM
Shota Umino
Match of the Year
Queen’s Quest vs. Oedo Tai in a Steel Cage (STARDOM SUNSHINE 2023, 6/25/23)
The peak of what professional wrestling is all about for me. It’s rare a story can be told so painfully, emotionally, and beautifully within a single match. Queen’s Quest — specifically Utami Hayashishita and Saya Kamitani — delivered the showing of a lifetime in this match against Oedo Tai. Hayashishita’s fight to save Queen’s Quest before herself was something that won’t leave my mind. She was left in there with both Natsuko Tora and Saki Kashima, being battered, destroyed, and left without any answers. She was broken open and bloody, making it feels as though her time with Queen’s Quest was over.
But the leader got up and fought, ultimately winning the match once Kamitani reached for her hand and had the moment atop the Steel Cage.
When they’re at the top of their game, it’s hard to be anywhere near Hayashishita and Kamitani in terms of in-ring abilities. However in this match, the wrestling was second to their magical storytelling.
One of the greatest matches and stories in STARDOM history.
Top 25 Matches of the Year
1. Queen’s Quest vs. Oedo Tai in a Steel Cage (STARDOM SUNSHINE 2023, 6/25/23)
2. Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17, 1/4/23)
3. Saya Kamitani vs. Hazuki (STARDOM Triangle Derby I Championship Battle, 3/4/23)
4. Hangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland in a Texas Death Match (AEW Full Gear, 11/18/23)
5. Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks in a Strap Match (AEW All Out, 9/3/23)
6. Mina Shirakawa vs. Natsupoi (STARDOM Legend of Fukuoka Goddess, 5/4/23)
7. Tetsuya Naito vs. Will Ospreay (NJPW G1 Climax 33, 8/12/23)
8. Arisa Nakajima vs. Sareee (SEAdLINNNG 8th Anniversary, 8/25/23)
9. Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito (NJPW G1 Climax 33 Final, 8/13/23)
10. Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kento Miyahara (NOAH One Night Dream, 7/15/23)
11. Will Ospreay vs. Shota Umino (NJPW Power Struggle, 11/4/23)
12. KAIRI vs. Mercedes Moné (NJPW Battle In The Valley, 2/18/23)
13. Kazuchika Okada vs. Kaito Kiyomiya (MUTO Grand Final Pro-Wrestling “Last-Love”, 2/21/23)
14. RUSH vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW Dynamite, 2/8/23)
15. Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay (AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door II, 6/25/23)
16. El Desperado vs. Jon Moxley in a Final Death Match (NJPW STRONG Independence Day, 7/5/23)
17. Hangman Page vs. Jon Moxley in a Texas Death Match (AEW Revolution, 3/5/23)
18. Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (AEW WrestleDream, 10/1/23)
19. Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Kenoh (NOAH The New Year, 1/1/23)
20. MJF vs. Bryan Danielson ( AEW Revolution, 3/5/23)
21. Yuji Okabayashi vs. Yuya Aoki (BJW Endless Survivor~Infinity Independent, 5/4/23)
22. Saori Anou & Natsupoi vs. Suzu Suzuki & Mei Seira (STARDOM 5★STAR Special in Hiroshima, 9/3/23)
23. The Usos vs. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens (WWE WrestleMania 39, 4/1/23)
24. Sareee & KAIRI vs. Arisa Nakajima & Takumi Iroha (Sareee-ISM ~ Chapter II ~, 8/4/23)
25. Emi Sakura vs. Miyuki Takase (DPW x Gatoh Move Tokyo Crossover Night 2, 4/27/23)
Other Matches I Just Loved
Dante Martin & Darius Martin vs. Jon Moxley & Bryan Danielson (AEW Rampage (1/6/23)
Volador Jr. vs. Rocky Romero (CMLL Super Viernes, 1/20/23)
MIRAI vs. Chihiro Hashimoto (STARDOM Supreme Fight, 2/4/23)
Nanae Takahashi & Yuu vs. Maika & Himeka (STARDOM Supreme Fight, 2/4/23)
Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi (NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka, 2/11/23)
Kento Miyahara, Suwama & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima, Kenoh & Manabu Soya (MUTO Grand Final Pro-Wrestling “Last-Love”, 2/21/23)
Giulia vs. Maya Yukihi (STARDOM Triangle Derby I Championship Battle, 3/4/23)
Shota Umino vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (NJPW New Japan Cup 2023, 3/15/23)
Kenny Omega vs. El Hijo del Vikingo (AEW Dynamite, 3/22/23)
GUNTHER vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (WWE WrestleMania 39, 4/2/23)
Mercedes Moné vs. Hazuki vs. AZM (NJPW Sakura Genesis, 4/8/23)
Maika & Himeka vs. Giulia & Syuri (STARDOM Korakuen, 4/14/23)
Saya Kamitani vs. Mina Shirakawa (STARDOM All Star Grand Queendom, 4/23/23)
Mercedes Moné vs. Mayu Iwatani 💙 (STARDOM All Star Grand Queendom, 4/23/23)
Lio Rush vs. Mike Bailey (NJPW Best of the Super Jr. 30, 5/23/23)
Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Shota Umino (NJPW Dominion, 6/4/23)
Kento Miyahara, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Kazuchika Okada, Kenoh & Yuma Aoyagi (NJPW x NOAH x AJPW ALL TOGETHER AGAIN, 6/9/23)
Shuji Ishikawa & Suwama vs. Yuji Okabayashi & Daisuke Sekimoto (AJPW Dynamite Series ~New Age MANIAx~, 6/17/23)
Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Atsuki Aoyagi & Rising HAYATO (AJPW Dynamite Series ~New Age MANIAx~, 6/17/23)
Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Shota Umino & Konosuke Takeshita vs. Hangman Page, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Eddie Kingston & Tomohiro Ishii (AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door II, 6/25/23)
Mizuki vs. Maki Itoh (TJPW Summer Sun Princess ‘23, 7/8/23)
Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler vs. Jay White & Juice Robinson in 2/3 Falls Match (AEW Collision, 7/15/23)
Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Natsupoi (Sendai Girls Korakuen, 7/16/23)
Athena vs. Willow Nightingale (ROH Death Before Dishonor 2023, 7/21/23)
Syuri vs. Suzu Suzuki (STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix, 7/23/23)
Giulia vs. Saori Anou (STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix, 7/23/23)
Rocky Romero vs. Mascara Dorada (CMLL Super Viernes, 7/28/23)
Giulia vs. Mariah May (STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix, 8/8/23)
Syuri vs. Natsupoi (STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix, 8/8/23)
AZM. vs. Hanan (STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix, 8/12/23)
Mina Shirakawa & Mariah May vs. Saori Anou & Natsupoi (STARDOM STARDOM x STARDOM 2023, 8/13/23)
Tam Nakano vs. Mayu Iwatani (STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix, 8/15/23)
CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe (AEW ALL IN, 8/27/23)
KAIRI & Saori Anou vs. Unagi Sayaka & Sareee (AJPW Giant Series 2023, 9/8/23)
Kento Miyahara vs. Yuma Anzai (AJPW Giant Series 2023, 9/8/23)
Naomichi Marufuji vs. Will Ospreay (NOAH Naomichi Marufuji 25th Anniversary, 9/17/23)
Will Ospreay vs. Yota Tsuji (NJPW Destruction In Kobe 2023, 9/24/23)
Starlight Kid & Haruka Umesaki vs. Saya Iida & Hanan vs. AZM. & Miyu Amasaki (STARDOM NEW BLOOD 11, 9/29/23)
Titán vs. Mascara Dorada (CMLL Noche de Campeones, 9/29/23)
MIRAI vs. Maika (STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix, 9/30/23)
Will Ospreay vs. Mike Bailey (IMPACT Bound For Glory, 10/21/23)
MJF vs. Kenny Omega (AEW Collision, 10/28/23)
Yuma Aoyagi vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima (AJPW Giant Series 2023, 11/5/23)
Jacky Funky Kamei, Jason Lee, Kzy & Strong Machine J vs. Dragon Dia, Madoka Kikuta, Ryoya Tanaka & Yuki Yoshioka (DRAGONGATE The Gate Of Evolution 2023, 11/9/23)
Saki Akai, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani vs. Naomichi Marufuji, Miyu Yamashita & Kazusada Higuchi (DDT Ultimate Party 2023, 11/12/23)
Miyu Yamashita, Yuka Sakazaki, Rika Tatsumi, Mizuki. & Shoko Nakajima vs. Miu Watanabe, Suzume, Yuki Arai, Arisu Endo & Moka Miyamoto in a 2/3 Falls Match (TJPW We Are TJPW, 12/1/23)
Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Kingston (AEW Collision, 12/2/23)
Dalton Castle vs. Kyle Fletcher vs. Lee Moriarty vs. Komander vs. Lee Johnson vs. Bryan Keith (ROH Final Battle 2023, 12/15/23)
Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kento Miyahara (AJPW #ajpwMANIAx2023, 12/31/23)
If you want to take a dive into my 2023 Matchguide to see all of my favorite matches and wrestlers from the year, click here to do so!
And for those already looking for my forward to the new year, my 2024 Matchguide is now live!
Thank you for reading and supporting me throughout the year. Here’s to another awesome year of pro wrestling!