A year packed to the brim with great stories, shows and matches, 2023 has been very kind to wrestling fans of all promotions. This year is the most entranced I’ve ever been with the sport (if you couldn’t tell already), and has led me to watching quite a few promotions for the very first time (NOAH, TJPW, DPW, DDT). In an attempt to give a fair (though, very opinionated) view on the wrestling landscape, I wanted to give my thoughts on how wrestling has shaped up so far this year. In this first part I will be giving out accolades to wrestlers and companies that have caught my eye so far, and in part two I will be giving my personal top ten ranking of 2023’s matches of the year. So without further ado, let’s get into the best of 2023 so far.
Event of the Year: Stardom All Star Grand Queendom 2023
Runner Up: AEW Revolution 2023
An event that already looked stellar on paper, only bolstered by Mercedes Moné bringing some overseas eyes with her, Stardom’s All Star Grand Queendom show remains my pick for show of the year thus far. It barely squeaks out against AEW Revolution, Supercard of Honor, and Keiji Mutoh’s “Last Love”, but this was a show jam packed with great matches and great moments. A high-speed tag team match featuring Starlight Kid and AZM, a tear jerking farewell match for Himeka against her longtime partner Maika, Syuri and Big Hash absolutely battering each other, and so much more. That’s not even to mention the three headlining title matches on the card: Mercedes Moné vs Mayu Iwatani, Saya Kamitani vs Mina Shirakawa, and Tam Nakano vs Giulia. From top to bottom, this was a fantastic show and one I would consider worth staying up until 4am to catch live.
Sleeper Wrestler of the Year: Jay Malachi
I’ve said it once and I will say it again, the Young OG is a future cornerstone of professional wrestling. Between Fire Star Pro Wrestling and Deadlock Pro Wrestling, I’ve had the honor of being able to watch Jay Malachi perform live a handful of times this year. Truthfully, all I can say is “wow”. If you need any proof of what this man is capable of, go out of your way to find his match from DPW’s No Pressure show earlier this year against Myron Reed. A blend of high flying and hard hitting shots, Malachi is almost reminiscent of a young Will Ospreay in a way. A smack talker to boot as well, Malachi is a very entertaining performer overall. Keep your eyes peeled over the next year or so, whichever major company is able to get their hands on Jay Malachi has a major star on their hands.
Tag Team of the Year: Aussie Open
Runner Up: Violence is Forever
There is not a tag team on the planet that is currently better than Aussie Open. Though I have thoroughly enjoyed the work of Violence is Forever in DPW (seriously, go check them out if you haven’t), they just can’t match up to the work that Aussie Open has done across NJPW, ROH, and AEW. Coming off the heels of a very successful 2022 (more so in the manner of gaining more exposure), Aussie Open capitalized on their momentum to win the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships and NJPW Strong Tag Team Championships to start the year. Though hampered by the recent injury of Mark Davis, I have full faith that by then end of 2023 we will see Tag Team gold wrapped around the pair’s waists again after being picked up by All Elite Wrestling earlier this year. With a potential rematch against FTR likely to take place (hopefully at Wembley), Aussie Open is very likely to remain in this spot come December of this year.
Women's Wrestler of the Year: Athena
Runner Up: Mercedes Mone & Tam Nakano (Tie)
This was a very tough one. On the one hand, you have Tam Nakano who has become a double crown champion (holding the White and Red belts) for just the second time in Stardom’s history to go along with her melodramatic storytelling and fantastic matches. You also have Mercedes Moné who has finally re-emerged after leaving WWE, putting on a string of classic matches as only she could. However, I do not think there is anybody who has been more consistent and in their element this year than Athena. After finally flipping the switch and going full “I’m going to beat the piss out of you” heel mode, Athena has ascended to a whole new level. Fantastic matches against Kiera Hogan, Willow Nightingale, Emi Sakura, and many more, Athena could make a case for overall best wrestler of the year. The competition for this spot is very stiff, but if she continues as she has begun the year then there is little doubt that Athena can remain my pick for Women’s Wrestler of the Year.
Men's Wrestler of the Year: Kenny Omega
Runner Up: Orange Cassidy
This was another tough pick as it could have truly been given to a number of performers. But, for my money Kenny Omega just squeaks past Orange Cassidy as Men’s Wrestler of the Year. While OC has been arguably the most consistent wrestler of the year along with Athena, Kenny Omega has had higher highs. Two classic bouts with Will Ospreay, along with his television match against El Hijo del Vikingo lead me to put Kenny as the year’s current number one. Not to mention how Omega opened the year with a fantastic bout against the House of Black in a trios match with The Elite. With Blood & Guts and a possible tiebreaking match against Will Ospreay later this year on the horizon, it’ll be intriguing to see if Kenny Omega can maintain this level of performance or if someone else will swoop in to become the year’s best men’s wrestler.
(Favorite) Promotion of the Year: Deadlock Pro Wrestling
I firmly believe that what one considers their favorite may not always be the best. So, I decided to split my opinion into two here. Attending my first ever DPW show in Janurary of this year, I have absolutely fallen in love with this promotion. It has just the right blend of that indie feel while also incorporating a few higher profile talents such as Yuka Sakazaki, Mike Bailey, Konosuke Takeshita, and more. It’s hard to explain, but there’s just something very different about DPW. The freedom that the competitors have on the mic and in the ring, coupled with storytelling told across months almost makes this company reminiscent of the old Ring of Honor. Quite frankly, DPW is also a gold mine of talent waiting to be purged as I have already talked about Jay Malachi and Violence is Forever, but arguably the biggest diamond in the rough is the current DPW Worlds Champion, Lucky Ali. Though still a relatively lowkey promotion, DPW has gained some traction and has already seemed to establish something of a cult following. Keep your eyes peeled on this promotion, there is talent for days and the matches are nothing to scoff at either.
(Best) Promotion of the Year: All Elite Wrestling
Surprise, surprise, AEW does it again. A year that has seen its share of low points, AEW has still remained the best wrestling promotion on the planet today. Scintillating stories such as Hangman vs Moxley, Christian vs Jack Perry, MJF vs Bryan Danielson, and more have left AEW as wrestling’s best blend of storytelling and matches. Not to mention the classics we have seen this year in the ring, but I will leave a few of those for part two of this article. AEW has also massively benefited from slotting The Elite right back into the heart of the promotion as the feud with the Blackpool Combat Club has made for great segments and matches. Things could change by the end of the year, though, as we have seen New Japan begin to take more risks with its product (which I have mostly enjoyed thus far) and Stardom has been packed with stories and great matches so far this year (shout out to TJPW as well). Wrestling has been in a very good place so far this year, but only time will tell which promotion we will see at the top of this list by the end of it.