wrestling / Columns
Pantoja’s Top 100 Matches Of 2025 (#30-21)
Image Credit: AEW
Click here for part seven of the Top 100 Matches Of 2025, looking at #40 through 31.
30. Artist of Stardom Championship: Natsupoi, Tam Nakano and Saori Anou [c] vs. AZM, Miyu Amasaki and Starlight Kid – STARDOM Supreme Fight
There was high-octane action right from the opening bell and it almost never slowed down. There was so much to like here. Miyu Amasaki, as the least experienced, had a lot to prove but never backed down from Tam or Saori. Starlight Kid wrestled with a level of confidence fitting for someone on the run she’s on. Natsupoi reignited their end of 2024 feud with some hard-hitting exchanges in the middle of this. AZM reminded everyone that even though she hadn’t won anything major since dropping the High Speed Title, she’s still one of the best wrestlers in the company. The Cosmic Angels trio works so smoothly together, which makes sense since Natsupoi is in a damn good tag team with both partners. Meanwhile, AZM and SLK as partners feels right after their history. The spot where the champs hit a trio of Germans at the same time was dope but the challengers rallied and busted out some trios offense. We got a prolonged AZM/Saori back and forth that was excellent. I am all for AZM having a 2025 similar to Starlight Kid’s 2024. That led to the huge finish, with AZM beating Saori with the Azumi Sushi at the 18:12 mark. One of the best matches of the young year as everyone just went out there and put on a show. Tons of action, great bits of intertwining stories being told, and a welcome title change. This is the STARDOM I love. [****½]
29. No Disqualifications Match: Mei Seira vs. Suzu Suzuki – STARDOM All-Star Grand Queendom
I’m a fan of both women, loved their tag team, and was intrigued by this storyline. Suzu offered a handshake that Mei knew wasn’t sincere so she slapped her. That kickstarted an absolute war. We were maybe two minutes in before Suzu was busted open and launching chairs at the High Speed Champion. Suzu had a serious crimson mask and after a chair shot, Mei was bleeding just as much. This was Suzu’s wheelhouse and she was clearly more comfortable in this world than Mei. She was firing back shots at Suzu but Mei was battered and struggling. She did start getting it going, almost fueled by the blood and her animosity for her former partner. When she fired up, you believed it but then Suzu could stop her with something like a German Suplex. I thought Mei had it won when she countered the Tequila Shot into a pinning combination. That’s a very STARDOM finish so I bit. Suzu’s avalanche German Suplex looked incredible. Mei somehow kicked out of three more Germans and nearly countered one with a victory roll. She just refused to die. Suzu busted out a corkscrew moonsault to win in 15:55. One hell of a fight and that lived up to the hype. Brutal, bloody, it told a hell of a story, and it was a star making performance for Mei if she wasn’t one yet. I do think it should’ve ended with that third German rather than the top rope move but still, spectacular. [****½]
28. Lights Out Steel Cage Match: Darby Allin, The Golden Lovers, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Will Ospreay vs. The Death Riders, Gabe Kidd & The Young Bucks – AEW Forbidden Door
The cage setup was really cool. This was wild from the start with some ridiculous antics like Darby and Mox being handcuffed together and a funny spot where the Bucks wanted thumbtacks but their bag was filled with gummi bears instead. Lots of blood here, especially from Will Ospreay. The sicked spot was Moxley using a fork to twist Darby’s ear around. One of the worst things I’ve ever seen. Claudio also launched him into the side of the cage for a wild spot. The blood flowing from Darby’s ear was a sight. My wife was watching this with me, which is why I didn’t cover too many specifics early on but that fork spot was enough for her to be done with it. Tanahashi was left somewhat alone and had to rally like an Ace but then he took a Neutralizer and BTE Trigger, yet Will made the save. Tanahashi wanted to do a spot off a ladder but his teammates stopped him (to boos) and instead, Will did a moonsault off the cage onto a pile of bodies. Inside, Kenny and Gabe relived their war from earlier this year. Seeing Kenny and Will do a V-Trigger/Hidden Blade combo was cool. Kenny hit Mox with One Winged Angel but the pin got broken up. Wheeler Yuta tried to intervene but was knocked off the cage and onto the announce table. Darby looked to Coffin Drop Mox through tables (at an interesting angle) off the cage, only for that to get interrupted. He ended up fighting with Gabe and they both went through four tables, with Gabe taking the brunt of it. After that, Matt was left alone to take everyone’s finishers, including a Hidden Blade/One Winged Angel combo, capped by High Fly Flow, ending this in 32:26. This was everything it needed to be. An epic with memorable moments sprinkled in. Great main event. [****½]
27. Mayu Iwatani vs. Victoria Yuzuki – Marigold Dream Star Grand Prix Finals
This is a big one. If Utami Hayashishita loses the next match, the winner here takes the block. There’s also great history as Yuzuki idolizes Mayu. This was hyped as Master vs. Apprentice, including them wearing similar masks during their entrances. Despite shaking hands before the bell, Mayu attacked with a loud dropkick to kick us off. That set off a wild start that included a Yuzuki German Suplex and her nearly stealing this with a rollup. I liked that Mayu was in control for a lot of this but she would get a bit too cocky and it would cost her or Yuzuki’s knowledge of her idol would open a door for her. Then when it was time for Yuzuki to get going, Mayu would find a way to stop her with a quick shot or something utilizing her veteran advantage. Everything they did looked great whether it was trading suplexes or Mayu wrecking Yuzuki with a superkick. I really liked how you could sense Yuzuki’s desperation. She had the points advantage but she was dying to beat Mayu. The submission Yuzuki worked looked brutal and Mayu was turning red as she struggled to get free. They reached the final minute of the time limit and the frantic nature picked up and Yuzuki made a crucial mistake of stopping to line up a move instead of just hitting one. That made the time limit expire at 15:00. A fantastic match and another chapter in this story they’re telling with Yuzuki and Iwatani. Probably the best match I’ve ever seen from someone who is only two years into their career. [****½]
26. World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther [c] vs. CM Punk – WWE SummerSlam
Image Credit: WWE
CM Punk was in Fantastic Four themed gear. They worked the mat in the early stages here, which made sense given this was a first time match. They were feeling each other out. Gunther was the first to gain a real upper hand and he held that for most of the match. Gunther brutalized and, at times, dominated Punk. The challenger looked out of his depth yet found ways to give himself and the fans hope through sheer veteran knowhow. He’d find any opening and try to capitalize on it for flash pins or quick bursts of offense. Yet, Gunther was always there to send him back down to the mat. Whenever Punk got something going, the crowd ate it up and it wasn’t prolonged. He really felt like he had no chance at points. Commentary noted that Punk’s stubbornness shined here as he simply refused to stay down and be beaten despite getting his ass kicked. Gunther got too cocky though, opening the door for Punk to do stuff like trip him up on the announce table as he was taunting. That spot led to Gunther bleeding, which isn’t something we’ve seen often from him. That seemed to bother him as he struggled to see through the blood and Punk used that to his advantage to reel off several moves. However, Gunther turned the GTS into a rear naked choke. Punk got free and hit the GTS but Gunther was stunned and didn’t go down, so Punk added a second to win the title in 30:19. Fantastic and the best Gunther World Title match, plus Punk’s best singles match since the Drew one in the Cell. They told a hell of a story and ended at just the right time. [****½]
25. IWGP Women’s Championship: Syuri [c] vs. Sareee – STARDOM The Conversion
The first title defense for Syuri after ending Mayu Iwatani’s spectacular reign with the belt. She’s one of the best on the planet and Sareee has been in the conversation for the best over the past year or so. Two of the best in a main event. Can’t ask for much more than that. And they delivered in a big way. This was everything you could want from them, including Syuri coming off more like a killer than she has in a long time. She was kicking the shit out of Sareee and laying into her with strikes. Sareee was taking the full brunt of these and responded with some of her own. You could tell these two were out to have an epic. That said, it’s also my biggest issue with the match. At times, it felt like they were stretching out what they were doing to go longer and it’s a case where they could’ve had an all-timer at 20-25 minutes rather than the 32:49 that this goes. It’s not a case like when SANADA and Okada would go 36 minutes and bore me to tears as what we got here was still fantastic, though. The brawling on the aisle, the battle for position on submission attempts, and the bombs they were throwing late were all excellent. I think Sareee going after the leg made sense since Syuri was lighting her up with kicks, though that aspect also could’ve been done better. I thought they might go double knockout when they both fell outside after trading headbutt barrages. The close calls late were also great until Sareee got the win with a modified suplex. Though I had some issues with it, this is still one of the best main events anywhere in 2025. [****½]
24. Blood & Guts: Harley Cameron, Jamie Hayter, Kris Statlander, Mina Shirakawa, Toni Storm & Willow Nightingale vs. Marina Shair, Megan Bayne, Mercedes Moné & Triangle of Madness – AEW Blood & Guts 11/12/25
Skye and Willow started us out. We were maybe three minutes in and Skye Blue was busted open in a big way. She got some help in the form of Julia Hart. They dominated Willow in this segment. Of course, Harley was next in to give us more of the tag feud between these four. They went at it through the commercial break. Upon returning, Thekla joined the fray and she whipped the faces with a belt. That segment was very short (I didn’t hear if they get progressively shorter or something) and Jamie was next in. She laid waste to the heels until Megan Bayne entered. Respect to Penelope Ford for being ringside with her. She dominated like the powerhouse she is until Statlander entered, wearing her title, and broke a pool cue over Megan’s head. This lasted through another commercial break until Mercedes Moné hit the scene. She came out dancing and was in no rush to get into the ring. She brought all of her belts into the ring, giving weapons to her teammates. It was up to Mina Shirakawa to try and turn the tide for her team. She did well enough in that sense but stumbled through her early offense. The final heel team member, Marina Shafir, was in last. She battled with Stat, who was also bleeding now, and introduced a bed of nails, which Stat was kicked onto. Toni arrived last and used a handful of pearl necklaces as a weapon. She also broke a champagne bottle and used the glass shared on her taped fists as a weapon. They worked through another commercial, returning to see Jamie powerbomb Skye Blue onto a table that didn’t really break. That woman is bumping and working out there. Mercedes kissed Toni before hitting her finisher and then nailing a Backstabber on Stat. Harley brought out her Mercedes puppet, which was tossed away and Harley then used brass knuckles on her. Julia and Thekla managed to slip out through the small openings in the cage, where they stole the key and opened the door. The fight spilled outside, where the heels held serve. Stat took out Mercedes with a Samoan Drop on the outside through a table. Toni brought in a mirror to use as a weapon but Marina threw it in her face instead. The heels then used glass to stomp on Mina. Marina held her in position as Megan beat on her with the TBS Title. The other heels held Toni down and forced her to watch until she gave up to save her friend in 46:09. A hell of a Blood & Guts match. Brutal, barbaric, and played into the existing storylines so well. There were a few spots that didn’t quite work for me but overall, this was fantastic. [****½]
23. Steel Cage Match: Kyle Fletcher vs. Will Ospreay – AEW Revolution
Both men stood atop the cage and stared across at each other before bell for a cool shot. As expected, these two went all in from the very beginning and it was just a few minutes before both men were busted open. Everything they hit had snap and looked brutal from half dragon suplexes to Kyle’s Liger Bomb to Will’s diving forearm. Kyle kept licking the blood which was pretty gross. Like, maybe don’t do that. It also cost him at one point as he was busy doing that goofiness and missing Will get up. Will also licked some blood because we’re just gross. After some breathtaking exchanges, both men were down and bloodied. Mark Davis came out and broke the lock to the cage, sending weapons into the ring. Will cut off Kyle and kicked the door into Mark’s dead before bringing out a barbed wire bat from the new bag of weapons. He used it and eventually hit Storm Breaker but Mark Davis broke the pin up. Will fought him off and climbed the cage for the biggest Oscutter, yet only got two on it. They kept going, complete with a screwdriver being used as a weapon, and even a Styles Clash onto thumbtacks couldn’t end it. They climbed to the top where Will hit him with the screwdriver again and did a Spanish Fly off the top. Kyle sat up a bit and shouted that he hates Will, who hit him with Hidden Blade and the Tiger Driver to end this in 28:56. While that was great, I do think there was some overkill in there. Parts of this had me like “Oh, so we’re still going after that?” but overall, it was phenomenal. [****½]
22. Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Semifinals: Athena vs. Mercedes Moné – AEW Spring Break Thru 4/16/25
I was stunned that AEW did this match here. It felt like this was something they could’ve built to on a PPV for a first time major match. Athena has been ROH Women’s Champion for about a decade and Mercedes was seemingly untouchable to this point. Having them meet on TV in a tournament felt odd but I wasn’t about to complain. On a night with another top-tier match, these two nearly stole the show. They were given 21:12 and made the most out of it. What I liked about this was that it didn’t follow the traditional structure of someone maintaining control and another person rallying. This felt like an evenly matched affair. It was a struggle of two people who seemed unbeatable colliding. Whether it was trading strikes in the center of the ring or finding way to counter each other’s signature moves, everything they did was crisp and came off well. Their fight headed outside where a shotgun dropkick helped set up Athena’s O-Face finisher. However, Mercedes countered into a rollup with a handful of tights to advance. It kept Athena strong and gave us one hell of a match. [****½]
21. WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria – WWE Evolution
This is the best built thing on the show and the crowd was very hot for this. The action was fast-paced from the start. Bayley and Becky went at each other with plenty of venom, showcasing how well they’re handling that feud. Lyra was tossed aside a handful of times so they could get their rivalry stuff in. She’d pop back in with a cross body or something noteworthy so we don’t forget about her. They all had a moment or two like that actually, as when Lyra had Becky pinned, Bayley showed up with an elbow off the top to break things up. Bayley was way over here and it’s wild that she can remain that over given some of the booking centered on her. She was also the MVP here, most often in the middle of everything, bumping for everyone, and being the throughline here. As this progressed, we moved to bigger offense and closer near falls. I also love that they didn’t have to do a ton of finisher kickouts as they utilized the third person to break pins and such up in smart fashion. In the end, just when Bayley had this won, Becky pulled her into an impressive pinning combination to steal this after 16:25. Just spectacular wrestling. This had no lulls, everyone killed it, and that finish was a fun little twist on the “pin thief” trope we’ve come to know. [****½]
