wrestling / Columns
Pantoja’s Top 100 Matches Of 2025 (#60-51)
Image Credit: WWE
Click here for part four of the Top 100 Matches Of 2025, looking at #70 through 61.
60. Unsanctioned Match: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn – WWE Elimination Chamber
I’ve seen these two fight so many times and they always manage to make the story interesting and engaging while giving us great matches. Possibly my favorite rivalry ever. They kept the lighting low for this which is too much. Just let it be unsanctioned in street clothes. They brawled from the opening bell, using weapons that included a hockey stick, which was used for a few cool spots. The first really big spot saw Sami hit a version of the Blue Thunder Bomb through a table before following it up with a second through a different table. Back at the ring, KO knocked Sami off the top and through two tables, keeping up the violent nature of it all. Sami was selling the injured neck for all of this. KO’s Brainbuster through a chair was an even bigger spot than the table bumps. I didn’t like when KO pulled the referee into Sami’s big boot and then went for a pin. Like, you made the choice, you can’t act mad when there’s no referee. The fisherman buster off the top trough the table led to KO shouting that this was all Sami’s fault, which then led to a Sami Helluva Kick. A barbed wire chair got brought into play and KO took it to the face after a drop toe hold. KO responded with a Popup Powerbomb, slamming Sami’s neck into the post while wrapped in a chair, and then an apron powerbomb. He went for a second and they seemed to slip, so Sami started fighting back before taking a second apron powerbomb. KO won with that in 27:36. A violent war fitting of the story and some insane bumps. It’s below their best matches but gets a bump because of the emotional weight that it might be KO’s final outing. [****½]
59. AEW International Championship: Kenny Omega [c] vs. Mike Bailey vs. Ricochet – AEW Dynasty
Dynasty was the only PPV for AEW this year that wasn’t genuinely fantastic. Of course, it still had at least one standout match, which was this contest for the International Title. Honestly, this feels like a random three guys to put together in 2025 since none of them had much to do with the others outside of this, yet it worked so well. Omega and Ricochet spent the 2010s and early 2020s showing the world how good they are but Speedball wasn’t able to compete in the United States, so this worked as an introduction of sorts for many when it comes to him. They understood that and gave him a ton of room to showcase his skills. He was easily the focal point here and that worked wonders for the match. Looking like he belonged alongside guys of this caliber let AEW fans know that he was for real. There are some breathtaking exchanges here, though I do think that at 30:56, it went a bit too long. Still, it’s one of the better matches of the year. The Super One Winged Angle that finished this was outstanding. [****½]
58. NXT Championship: Oba Femi [c] vs. Je’Von Evans – NXT Heatwave
It has been said by so many people, including the likes of Swerve Strickland, but Je’Von Evans is so good. Oba Femi is also awesome and putting them together equaled magic for NXT. After a great match at Stand & Deliver involving Trick Williams, they went one on one here and again put on a show. The story is tried and true but with the right people, it can work so well. Oba is the dominant champion who seemed unstoppable while Je’Von is the fiery underdog challenger who must overcome his size disadvantage. Je’Von also came in injured, adding to the underdog story. He threw himself into every spot, risking it all to try and topple Oba. The ref bumps late seemed like they might turn the crowd on the match but then Oba did the massive spot of just launching Je’Von from the ring and onto the announce table. A mad spot that set up a powerbomb to finish this 17:43 match. These are two can’t miss prospects and they proved it here. [****¼]
57. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Starlight Kid [c] vs. Tomoka Inaba – STARDOM To The World
What makes these two such interesting opponents are their similarities. Both are really good at targeting a body part and picking it apart. SLK often does it to the leg to set up her finisher but Tomoka used that strategy to beat her in the Grand Prix. She went to that well again this time around and Starlight Kid returned the favor, giving us the crux of this bout. The work both did on the leg was well done, from SLK slamming the knee from the apron to the floor to Tomoka catching a springboarding SLK with a kick to the leg. This felt like a genuine struggle in the best possible way. Two people who came in with similar game plans, making it something of a chess match. Tomoka got Starlight Kid trapped in the kneebar that beat her previously and they did a good job of selling the trouble that the champion was in. That said, I never really believed a title change would happen. Once Starlight Kid survived that hold, we entered the final few minutes, which saw her deliver a moonsault onto the leg and then use one of her best Black Tiger Leg Killers to date to retain in 21:15. Yeah, that was absolutely my kind of match. The only thing it lacked was drama as the outcome was never really in doubt but the story they told worked so well and it was technically sound. There should be more serious conversations about Starlight Kid being in the conversation for 2025 Wrestler of the Year. [****½]
56. AZM vs. Rina – STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 8/6/25
Given how great Rina was in 2025, this was pretty exciting because AZM is one of the best out there. Rina jumped AZM and that gave her early control. AZM fought back and they went into trading shots, seemingly trying to prove who was better than the other. The Korakuen crowd, as is often the case, helped this by being awesome and way into everything. The pace here was outstanding as they never allowed this to let up. They also had so many counters and such for two people going so quickly. AZM turning the Gory Bomb into Code Red and taking the kickout right into an armbar was just great pro wrestling. It was the best looking armbar I’ve seen from anyone in a long time. Rina had her own impressive submission soon after. Both girls came close to winning with various pin combinations. I loved how they nailed the little things, like AZM actually struggling to kick out before finally doing so just in the nick of time. AZM used the Azumi Sushi to win from out of nowhere in 11:50, ending Rina’s unbeaten run. Holy shit that was awesome. I’m likely the high man on this but I don’t care. A hell of a match with tons of action in a short time and you felt like both women badly wanted to win. [****½]
55. Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher – AEW Grand Slam Australia
Sometimes, all you need to do as a booker is throw a bunch of talented wrestlers in the ring together and they’ll produce magic. That’s what happened at this major show in Australia, when we got something of a dream match. Takeshita and Fletcher are the top rising male stars in AEW, while Omega and Ospreay are a dream team. These guys opened this special episode of Dynamite and stole the show. The crowd was molten hot for this entire 21:48, while the action never slowed down. With these guys headed to individual singles matches at the upcoming PPV, they managed to tease what was to come while also giving us interesting interactions. Omega vs. Fletcher is something phenomenal and the bit of it we got here was stellar, while Ospreay and Takeshita relived their incredible match from 2024. I also love that they didn’t cop out with a cheap finish. Omega and Ospreay delivered an awesome Hidden Blade/One Winged Angel combo to beat Takeshita and cap a fantastic match. [****½]
54. AAA Mega Championship: El Hijo del Vikingo [c] vs. Chad Gable – AAA x WWE Worlds Collide 6/7/25
I love when a match comes from out of nowhere to be awesome. We all know that Chad Gable is a fantastic wrestler and El Hijo del Vikingo has impressed in almost every major opportunity he’s had but their styles are so different that it could’ve been a disaster. Instead, they worked together so well that it almost seemed effortless. It was indeed Vikingo’s speed and aerial style against the grounded mat game of Gable and that made for a compelling story. I think Vikingo did a good job of selling the damage of the Ankle Lock as he was still able to hit some of his stuff but he made it clear that it wasn’t easy. From the sitout powerbomb off the top by Gable to the moonsault through the table, there were a ton of great moments in this 22:00 encounter. Every once in a while we get a performance like this from Gable and then WWE doesn’t capitalize on his immense talent, which is a shame. [****½]
53. Mayu Iwatani vs. Nanae Takahashi – Marigold Rising Spirit
The GOAT has arrived. Fresh off her final match with STARDOM, here’s Mayu Iwatani to debut in Marigold. Two Joshi legends (Mayu is even dubbed an Icon here) and their final chance to meet since Nanae is set to retire. Lots of emotion for Mayu’s entrance. Right off the bat, I loved the way this was laid out. Nanae is the tough veteran and often acts as a bully, meaning that Mayu had to play the underdog fighting from beneath. As such a major star in STARDOM, she hasn’t really portrayed that role in a long time. That made this feel fresh in a way that I wasn’t expecting. Nanae was beating the hell out of Mayu, stomping her out in the corner and wearing her down. There were even looks of doubt on Mayu’s face as she regrouped outside. The battle went outside and up the Korakuen steps where they traded shots. Nanae seemed to be, as is often the case with her, trying to bring out the very best in her opponent. Mayu was so into this that she even took a bump down the stairs, tumbling like John Wick. Nanae had them sit across from each other to trade shots and they didn’t overdo it here, allowing it to work. That’s not a spot I always dig. Mayu survived whatever Nanae threw at her and fought back despite clearly being on the verge of exhaustion. The closing stretch was a thing of beauty but my one major gripe came with the finish. Mayu snapping off a rana for something of a surprise win is fine but it came off rather slow and the count was especially slow, so it felt less like a shock and missed the mark because of it. Still, this was a spectacular 26:19 of wrestling. Mayu arrived in Marigold and instantly reminded everyone why she’s the best. [****½]
52. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Shingo Takagi – NJPW G1 Climax 7/26/25
This was clearly going longer than their past matches, yet they didn’t start this with some long, drawn-out feeling out process. They were going right after each other from the opening bell. It’s like these two only have one mode and that’s going all out. I’m talking, they were throwing sentons, suplexes, and ranas all within the first 10 minutes. That’s my kind of match. As this progressed, the crowd got more and more into it while the moves got bigger and bigger. Made in Japan got a near fall followed by a Tombstone also only getting two. The Brainbuster that Takeshita hit left both men down, showing how much they had given in about 15 minutes. The final 10 or so minutes were out of this world, with the two just throwing big bombs at each other. Takeshita hitting his own Made in Japan was great and they kept kicking out of each other’s signature moves but not their finishers. When Takeshita couldn’t figure out what would keep Shingo down, he applied the Crossface Chicken Wing and Shingo fought hard but passed out in 23:57. I loved that he passed out with his eyes open, making it look more vicious. An awesome match and what I want from the G1. [****½]
51. World of Stardom Championship: Saya Kamitani [c] vs. Natsupoi – STARDOM Sapporo World Rendezvous
Not many wrestlers are better in big matches than Natsupoi. These two haven’t met in a singles match since 2022. Poi doesn’t like the way Saya has been carrying herself as champion and there’s the added caveat of Saya ending Tam Nakano’s (Poi’s bestie) career. This had the vibe of two people who hate each other. They were aggressive from the start from Poi grabbing Saya by the hair to the champion throwing her into a few rows of chairs. Saya used Poi’s emotions to her benefit, mocking her and goading her into making mistakes. That gave Saya what she needed to hold serve for her heat segment. Poi stopped a Saya springboard move with a superkick and followed with a plancha, turning the tide, though that was short-lived. I liked Poi throwing Saya into chairs, giving her a taste of her own medicine. The fight on the stage was cool and though it only led to a body slam up there, Saya sold it so well. They fought up through the steps in the crowd (where Saya his some weak looking forearms), leading to Poi taking a bump down the stairs. The closing stretch inside was filled with great moments from Saya’s spinning heel kick to Poi’s release German Suplex. They started trading slaps and strikes before a vicious Poi headbutt set up an even hotter final couple of minutes. Saya survived whatever Poi threw at her before winning with the Star Crusher in 25:54. Although a few spots didn’t quite hit for me, I loved how physical and violent this was. It felt like there was hatred there while also working as a big title match. Saya’s run has been great, she’s working so well as a heel, and Natsupoi is Natsupoi. She always delivers. [****½]
