"Oh, you watch that stuff?", a question that many wrestling fans have likely run into when they openly express their love for the sport. Though its overall popularity has decreased in recent years, I (Unno speaking) find that many of my friends are actually quite open to watching pro wrestling if I put on a match. Many people may not go out of their way to actively seek wrestling, but it seems like the right match (or story) still has the ability to resonate with even the most distanced watchers of the spectacle. So, with that in mind, we thought it would be a fun idea to give our picks for the matches that we would choose to introduce new watchers to a promotion or wrestling as a whole.
King's Pick: The Young Bucks vs Lucha Brothers -- AEW All Out 2021
When choosing a match to get someone into professional wrestling, I believe choosing a match that highlights as many of the best things about wrestling matters. What are some of these things though? To me, these things include having competitors the fans are invested in, a story and/or rivalry that draws people in, and allowing that story to play out through the action of the match while also pulling off athletic feats and moments that wow the crowd.
There are many Young Bucks and Lucha Bros matches that check most of these boxes. Their matchup at All Out 2021, though, executes all of these to perfection. The Young Bucks were on the run of their careers in 2021 as AEW Tag Team Champions, fully aligned with their old friends Kenny Omega (who was AEW World Champion at the time), Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows as the Elite. The Lucha Brothers were the number one ranked tag team in AEW at the time and won a tag team tournament to face the Young Bucks for the titles at All Out in a steel cage match. This was not at all the first time these two teams had met, as they already had one of the biggest rivalries in not just AEW, but all of pro wrestling. They have wrestled each other in multiple promotions since 2016 including AEW, PWG, and AAA.
This, though, would be the first time in almost two years that the teams met in a straight-up tag team match. The familiarity never left as the teams started the match reversing each other's moves as well as reminding each other of their many similarities in styles. The match was fast-paced with non-stop action. It only took a little over 10 minutes for the Bucks' stooge, Brandon Cutler, to throw a bag over the cage into the ring. This bag contained a sneaker with thumbtacks attached to the bottom for Matt Jackson to wear. Penta's face/mask would end up stuck to the bottom of this shoe after Nick ran his face into it as Matt sat on the top turnbuckle with his foot out.
The match ended in a wild sequence that not many outside of these two rivals could have pulled off. The end of the match saw Matt Jackson break up a pin on Nick Jackson after a Fear Factor from The Lucha Bros. Penta then told Rey Fenix he must go to the top of the cage and do the stomp from up there to end it. Just as Rey got set up at the top of the cage, Penta ate a super kick from Nick Jackson before he attempted to climb the cage, but was kicked back down by Fenix before he could reach the top. This helped Penta get the Bucks in position for Fenix to hit a diving cross-body from the top of the cage. The Lucha Bros then hit Matt Jackson with one more big tag team move, spiking him directly on his already injured neck and allowing the Lucha Bros to get the pin and the win. A classic match between two rival tag teams who have been with AEW since the beginning. It was a bout between two teams whom the fans love, telling their story, pulling off moves, and creating moments that had the crowd hot for all 20+ minutes. That's pro wrestling.
Harkin's Pick: Starlight Kid vs. AZM -- STARDOM Cinderella Journey in Nagaoka 2022
Choosing one match and one match only to get someone hooked on professional wrestling is a tough task. There's so many different ways to express this beautiful art form out there that may appeal to different people with different tastes. It's very complicated to find one match that kills multiple birds with one stone, but I truly believe that AZM vs Starlight Kid's high-speed classic from 2022 is one of the best examples of what makes pro wrestling the best thing on planet Earth.
SLK & AZM's rivalry needs no introduction. They are eternal foes for a reason, bound to fight until the end of their careers, even if they have some sort of mutual respect for each other these days. This match for the High Speed Championship, a title that was designed by WWE's Asuka (FKA Kana), in my opinion, is their magnum opus with a near-perfect showcase of high-flying, counter wrestling, technical wrestling, and in-ring storytelling. It's the true showcase of how great high-speed wrestling can be, packing a 30-minute epic into a 17-minute match in the most seamless way possible.
While the high-flying spots, along with the crisp and smooth sequences typical of Joshi high-speed matches, are the main focus of offensive artillery, this match is actually centered around limb targeting. AZM works over SLK's arm throughout the entire match with brutal-looking submissions, continuously making it tougher and tougher for Kid to keep up with the high-speed pacing of the contest. Kid's selling in this match is nothing short of phenomenal until the end, as she is on the verge of tears as she's forced to submit to her biggest rival and lose her coveted championship.
All I can say is that this is wrestling at its best, in my personal opinion. It's not only the perfect match to get someone into the world of pro wrestling, but it's also the perfect entry into the deep and incredible world of Joshi Puroresu. A true must-watch.
Unno's Pick: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kota Ibushi -- NJPW G1 Climax 28 Finals
With hundreds of matches that I could have possibly chosen from, this was a very hard decision to make. Should I go for something hard-hitting, or something hardcore, or maybe even something with a lot of flips and wall-to-wall action? In the end, I decided to go for a match that is a bit more story-driven and one of my favorite matches of all time: Kota Ibushi vs Hiroshi Tanahashi in the G1 Climax 28 Finals. I have already written most of my thoughts regarding this match in a previous article, so a lot of what I say here will probably just be rehashing what was already stated.
Nonetheless, what captivates me most here is the story of this match. Walking into the G1 Climax 28 Finals against Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi was looking to knock off the man he claims to be his god of professional wrestling (alongside Shinsuke Nakamura). It's a testament to his ultimate goal and the name of his finishing move, Kamigoye, "to surpass god". In the process of winning the G1 Climax, Kota Ibushi would have also been on the path to facing his Golden Lover, Kenny Omega (whom Ibushi had beaten to reach the G1 Finals), in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship the following year. On the other hand, Hiroshi Tanahashi was out to prove that he’s not past his prime and can still hang with the best of the best. Many had said he was entering the twilight of his career, but he was determined to set the record straight and prove everyone wrong.
So, though there is a decent bit of lore necessary to explain the weight of the match to new watchers, I believe that the match itself (even without the context) is more than enough to satisfy many. This was a beautifully crafted match as Tanahashi fought with every fiber of his being to overcome the stiff-hitting and agile Kota Ibushi. Ibushi also gave everything he had but just couldn’t put “The Ace” down for a three count, with Tanahashi pushing through every strike thrown at him (even busting out Tana-Mania after awakening “Murder Ibushi”).
In my opinion, Tanahashi put on one of his best performances yet and showed why he is so beloved by many fans of New Japan. Tanahashi's struggle to reach the top of the promotion once again and Ibushi's goal of surpassing god to face Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom come together to form a match that I think many new fans of wrestling (or NJPW itself) would enjoy.
Jake's Pick: Anarchy in the Arena -- AEW: Double or Nothing 2022
When it comes to showing someone who has no experience or knowledge of wrestling their first match, there's a few things I like to take into consideration: the match needs to be truly unique and stand out amongst everything else, the match can't drag on for too long at risk of boring said person and losing their attention, and most importantly, this match needs to have a moment so insane that they'll remember exactly where they were the moment they laid eyes on it for the first time. The match that I believe accomplishes all of this is the first iteration of Anarchy in the Arena, taking place at Double or Nothing in 2022. A match so unique that even AEW's attempts to recreate it haven't been able to live up to the first installment, and probably never will.
It all starts with Justin Roberts in the ring for announcing the match, where he simply states: "shit is about to hit the fan". Immediately, the JAS came out all clad in white gear, straight out of an NSYNC music video dressed like an early 2000s boy band. Once they are in the ring, our babyfaces are next. Mox's theme, "Wild Thing", hits as he and Bryan make their way down through the crowd as the BCC typically does. But, they are also joined by Ortiz, Santana, and Eddie entering through the crowd with them. Immediately, the JAS make their way through the crowd looking to meet their opponents, and instantly we have multiple huge brawls taking place all while Wild Thing continues blasting through the speakers, reminiscent of a New Jack ECW match.
A few minutes into the brawling, we already have "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard leaking blood out of his face with all kinds of intense fighting still rampaging through the audience. Guys are using anything they can find lying around: trash, beer, chairs, even sunglasses and the camera equipment filming them isn't safe from being turned into a violent weapon. As we approach about the eight-minute mark of this brawl, Jericho and Mox fight their way over to the soundboard area where Jericho manages to somewhat shut off Wild Thing as it had been playing throughout the brawl, looping multiple times to huge pops each time. While Jericho does break some equipment, the song does keep playing slightly less loudly throughout the match.
The real stars of this match are Eddie Kingston, Chris Jericho, Daniel Garcia, and Bryan Danielson. Eddie and Daniel Garcia have an extremely violent fight in the concession area of the arena, using mustard, trash, and, at one point, Garcia even takes his belt off, wraps it around Eddie's neck, and proceeds to drag him across the floor of the arena. The most memorable part of this match, however, comes at the end when Eddie Kingston shows how insane and unhinged he truly can be. After fighting Garcia into an elevator and disappearing for a few minutes, he reappears making his way out of the entrance on the stage. Eddie, however, looks like a murderous madman as he makes his way down the ramp to the ring where Bryan has Jericho in a Lebell lock.
Eddie, wearing his white Yankee's tee stained with mustard and blood from himself and probably others, is walking down bleeding and carrying a jug of gasoline. He gets in the ring and proceeds to pour the gasoline on Bryan and Jericho, both men whom he has had feuds with to this point, and pulls out a lighter intended to burn these men alive. Bryan manages to wrestle the lighter out of his hand and they proceed to fight in the ring, but are then both attacked by Jericho and Jake Hager. Eddie is down and out, and Bryan does his best to fight off both men. But, Bryan is overpowered and is then placed in the Walls of Jericho and choked out with a turnbuckle (that Mox had undone when he unscrewed the top rope of the ring off) giving the JAS the win.
This match is just under 23 minutes of pure violence, chaos, and destruction that really did bring the anarchy that was promised. I didn't even mention the countless table spots, multiple men bleeding, piledrives on steps, and so much more carnage that took place. If you were to show this match to someone for the first time watching wrestling, there is no doubt in my mind they would be entertained from start to end as this match truly has everything. Anarchy in the Arena was also able to differentiate itself from a standard hardcore match. It didn't last overly long at just over 20 minutes, and Eddie walking down as a zombie is something you'll always remember. It doesn't matter if you've been watching wrestling for one week or decades, this match is for everyone to enjoy.