Here we are, the end of another month! The first month of 2025 is officially behind us so it's time to go over the best of the best from the Wrestling Vault this month. I think this month may have had the most "Match of the Month" contenders yet, and I'm not saying that with any certainty because I haven't counted, but this list felt like it was never going to end.
Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay - AEW Collision - Christmas Collision - 12/21/2024
To the surprise of none, Ospreay and Ricochet had a great match in the Continental Classic. I've praised the CC and Ospreay in their own posts and gave some time to highlight Ricochet as well, but it can't be said enough how much of a delight the CC really was in the tail end of 2024. Ricochet was given a chance to spread his wings and slowly turn heel more and more in each match, complimenting beautifully to Ospreay's babyface spirit that carried him through the entire CC. You're hard pressed to find a match in the CC that isn't great, with this match not coming anywhere close to bucking that trend.
Shelton Benjamin vs. Daniel Garcia - AEW Collision - Christmas Collision - 12/21/2024
While Shelton may not have come out of the Continental Classic with a lot of points to his name (he did better than Kommander with 3 and Mortos with 0 but tied Brody King at the bottom with 6), he was by no means a bad or even mediocre part of the CC. Garcia came off his recent TNT title win and performed exceptionally well in each match. He gets the tar beaten out of him by the more tenured Benjamin but is able to eek out the victory through willpower and skill. He may not be the hardest hitter or biggest body in the match, but his heart and grit was on full display in matches such as this one. I think the world Danny.
Mark Briscoe vs. The Beast Mortos - AEW Collision - Christmas Collision - 12/21/2024
Mortos was able to parlay his cult-like following that developed in the back half of 2024 to give himself a lot of momentum in the Continental Classic. As stated before, he wasn't able to get a single point in the CC and was the fall guy in every one of his matches. Despite that, Mortos never felt like the underdog, never felt like he was out of his element, and never gave the match a half effort. Briscoe, the sentimental favourite of the entire tournament, was able to blend veteran instincts and skill with the perfect amount of "I'm really taking a beating here." Mortos blends power with skill to an insane degree and was able to challenge Briscoe more than you'd anticipate.
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Darby Allin - AEW Collision - Christmas Collision - 12/21/2024
For those that have watched even a few Darby Allin and Claudio Castagnoli matches, you can probably predict how this one went. Aside from a huge crossbody off the entrance scaffold at the start from Darby, this match was almost entirely Claudio throwing Darby around like a training dummy. Time with the Death Riders has given Claudi the edge necessary to really highlight his freakish strength and skills in the ring, and this match with Darby stands out as a rare "top-guy gets squashed in his ascent to the top" match that works in every way. Darby is always at his best when he's at a distinct disadvantage and you can't do much better- or worse, than squaring off against Claudio. If you don't find yourself grimacing at least half a dozen times in this match, we aren't watching the same match.
Will Ospreay vs. Brody King - AEW Dynamite - Dynamite On 34th Street - 12/25/2024
The monstrous Dog of War does what he does better than most in this match, make someone hurt. Ospreay has been giving the CC everything he has to this point and finds himself regretting that choice near the tail end of the tournament. Brody is able to eat shots from Ospreay that would drop anyone else, but King comes back twice as hard for twice as long. It's been a real pleasure seeing Brody get the highlight in Continental Classic, the wide variety of opponents gives him a chance to prove he's able to stand on his own. King is on his feet and swinging until the final moments of the match, with Ospreay's win coming after two of his strongest moves. Also, shout out to Brody hist bumping the wheelchair-bound fan in the front row during his beat down of Ospreay, there's a good guy in there somewhere.
John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio - WWE SmackDown - 11/04/2003
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 030
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hechicero - Best Two out of Three Falls - CMLL Sabados De Coliseo - 06/22/2024
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Claudio Castagnoli vs. PAC - Death Before Dishonor - 07/21/2023
In the midst of Claudio's second Ring of Honor title reign, we're treated to this clash of styles in the semi-main event of Death Before Dishonor. Claudio is commanding and power personified, with PAC doing everything he can to fend off the champion and keep him down. PAC has had a rough go of it in AEW, a World Title contender in the early days but with his position on the card fluctuating so much, it's nice to see him get a chance to prove that he's able to stand toe to toe with the Ring of Honor World Champion. There's a gnarly table bump near the end of the match that would have killed a lesser challenger, but PAC survives long enough to nearly put Claudio down. A real treat of a match.
Shingo Takagi vs. Konosuke Takeshita - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 - 01/04/2025
Shingo Takagi is one of the most highly praised wrestlers in New Japan and has been a treat every time I've watched him over the past few years of watching New Japan again. Takeshita could easily be considered one of the best wrestlers on the planet currently, having exceptional matches with just about everyone he stands across the ring from. Shingo and Takeshita take lumps out of each other and don't hold back for a second. Someone should let these guys know wrestling is fake because these two haven't been clued in yet, clearly. lariats that could take your head off, suplex's that rattle the spine, everything about this match rips.
David Finlay vs. Yota Tsuji - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 - 01/04/2025
Knowing very little about Finlay and next to nothing about Tsuji, I was expecting very little from this match. To my surprise, this ended up being one of the best matches of the night. For some reason, David Finlay looks like early 2000's biker era Undertaker to me and I can't accurately describe why. Tsuji is as exciting and skillful as he is handsome and this is only his 6th year in the business. He gets it, man. He really does. Much like other stand out matches on the card, Tsuji and Finlay give each other some mean offence and don't know the meaning of "holding back."
David Finlay vs. Brody King - NJPW/CMLL/AEW Wrestle Dynasty - 01/05/2025
Despite walking into Wrestle Kingdom the night before to defend the IWGP Global Heavyweight Title (and losing it to Tsuji), Finlay gets beaten from pillar to post tonight by Brody King. Bringing his brand of violence to the rings of Japan, King tests the son of the legendary Fit Finlay to meet his violence head on or get smothered. It's all King for a good portion of the match, but Finlay is able to mount enough offence when it really counts to put King away by the skin of his teeth.
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Tomohiro Ishii - NJPW/CMLL/AEW Wrestle Dynasty - 01/05/2025
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 031
Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd - NJPW/CMLL/AEW Wrestle Dynasty - 01/05/2025
This is the return. After being away for just over a calendar year, Omega comes back to the rings of Japan after fighting the hardest fight of his life against diverticulitis. Gabe Kidd is someone I've heard very little about but was optimistic about going into this match, and he held his own against Omega in an early contender for match of the year. The referee (Bryce Remsburg) is extremely lenient in this match, with both men bleeding buckets after outside brawling and weapon shots take the violence up several notches. Kidd targets the gut of Omega and tries to exploit the knowledge of Omega's fight with diverticulitis. Kidd is vicious and evil, and Omega is as valiant as ever, fighting through pain that would put anyone else away to win his first match back.
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ricochet - NJPW/CMLL/AEW Wrestle Dynasty - 01/05/2025
The main event of Wrestle Dynasty kinda caught me off guard, if I can be totally honest. A year ago, I'd be laughing at the idea of Ricochet being in the main event of not only one of AEW and New Japan's biggest show of the year, but one for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title to boot. Ricochet's recent performance in the Continental Classic was the perfect primer for this main event match, his heel character and opportunity to highlight his skills outside of "sick flips bro" completely changed my perception of him in a very short amount of time. ZSJ combated the aerialist in his typical fashion, doing everything in his power to keep Ricochet on the ground to tear him apart and tie him up worse than the earbuds in your pocket. I was initially unsure of this getting the main event spot, but it held up and was a good end to a weekend of great wrestling.
Jake Something & Mike Bailey vs. Alec Price & Kevin Blackwood - DPW You Already Know 2024 01/21/2024
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 031
Kevin Blackwood vs. Alec Price - DPW Forever 2024 - 02/18/2024
Looking to get his first win in DPW after taking the fall in a tag team match alongside Price, Blackwood doesn't hold back and goes hell for leather in this match. Price has been a real standout in DPW, always able to get a reaction out of the crowd and wow with his athletic ability. Blackwood is one of the most proficient strikers in the indies today, always ready to dish it out just as hard, or even harder, than he takes it match after match. Neither man can ever be accused of giving a match 50%, and they went above and beyond here to prove they are worth their weight in gold.
Bryan Keith vs. Jake Something - DPW Forever 2024 - 02/18/2024
Finally able to get his hands on the DPW National Champion, Something tries to win his first piece of gold in DPW off the back of the hometown favourite at DPW Forever. With his freakish athletics on full display, it should be elementary that Something will put Keith away relatively quickly. But Keith is no slouch, deceptively hard hitting and as resilient as they come, the Bounty Hunter takes Something's best and just keeps coming. After Into the Void fails him, Something goes into uncharted territory on the top rope. Keith is able to make the most of Something's top rope trepidation and retain his gold.
Jordynne Grace vs. Tessa Blanchard - TNA Genesis 2025 - 01/19/2025
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 032
Josh Alexander vs. Mike Santana - I Quit Match - TNA Genesis 2025 - 01/19/2025
Santana has been proving himself to be a very competent singles wrestler during his most recent run in TNA. It's hard to chock up the quality of this match solely to Josh Alexander, a stalwart of TNA and a wrestler who is hard pressed to have a poor quality match. The I Quit stipulation gives each of them a lot of creative license to go around the arena and put each other through hell, with both men more than willing to dig down deep to try and force the other man to give in. The heart of Santana refuses to quit, even with Alexander raining down unprotected elbows to the skull, and the match would be all but won for Alexander if all he needed to do was pin Santana. In the end, with Alexander held handcuffed above steel steps with the boot of Santana against his skull threatening to feed him the diamond plate, he not only quits the match but announces that he's quitting TNA as well. Did not see that coming.
The Motor City Machine Guns vs. Jake Something & Mike Bailey - DPW Live 5 - 03/10/2024
Arguably the greatest and most seasoned tag team in history, the Motor City Machine Guns found gold in DPW to elevate an already solid tag team division. The team of Something and Speedball was a last minute replacement for MxM who were unable to make the show, and the lack of preparation ended up costing the Machine Guns in a major way. Their tag team cohesion was on full display in this match, moving as they always do as a single unit, but the deadly strikes of Speedball and the raw power of Something was top much for Shelly and Sabin to counter. Sabin refused to release a sleeper on Something, even after taking the corner back first. An Ultima Weapon and Into the Void was enough to crown new DPW tag champions.
Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn - NXT Arrival - 02/27/2014
The early days were uncharted waters filled with untapped potential. The amount of names signed from prominent indies to WWE was giving a lot of fans hope and it was matches like this one that crystallized that hope into genuine excitement. Leaning into his, if I can be honest, far more natural heel side, Cesaro manhandles Sami Zayn in the opening match of not only NXT's first live event special, but also the first live event of the WWE Network. You could easily transplant this match to any of the big indies in America at this time and no part of this match would feel out of place. Huge dives, insane counters and hard hitting offence that would make the toughest of men wince, Zayn and Cesaro went above and beyond in the first big match in NXT.
Calvin Tankman vs. Mike Bailey - DPW No Pressure 2024 - 04/14/2024
Hoping to become the first double champion in the history of DPW, Speedball challenges the DPW Gatekeeper, Calvin Tankman for his Worlds Championship. Bailey has *technically* won the world title once already, but the win wasn't recognized with Colby Corino stepping in as an un-official referee. He's tasted the gold once before so knows what it feels like to be at the top, but he doesn't know how it feels to stand across the ring from Heavyweight Hustle. Tankman dominates Bailey for most of the match, with Speedball's offence coming quick and heavy but not enough to put the champion down. In the end, Tankman locks in a sleeper hold and drains the life out of his challenger, taking liberties after the bell and beating him senseless until the locker room empties to pull Tankman off him.
La Fiera vs. Tiger Mask - AJPW Super Power Series 1984 - Day 4 - 08/26/1984
In one of Misawa's earliest matches under the Tiger Mask, he goes up against the relatively unknown La Fiera in a match that ended up being far better than I anticipated. Wrestling a style that was almost a requirement for someone his size, Tiger Mask is pulling out moves in the early stage of his career that would become a staple of his offence once he donned the emerald tights many years later. The "top rope catch" he'd use regularly to save himself from a tope is shows off in this match, and the frog splash he'd pull out from time to time seems to have been borrowed from the arsenal of La Fiera, looking nearly identical. Fiera takes some insane bumps in this match, with a back body drop off a monkey flip nearly putting him in the rafters. In the end, a Tiger Suplex is enough to put Fiera away, the legend of Misawa growing by the win.
Kevin Blackwood vs. Adam Priest - DPW Limit Break - 05/19/2024
A similar pairing to Blackwood's other match in this "Matches of the Month" list, Priest is a no-nonsense ass beater who's sole focus is to dismantle his opponent by any means necessary. Priest focuses on the legs of Blackwood to keep him grounded and eliminate the bulk of his offence. Blackwood, as he's known to do, fights through the pain to the bitter end and stands nose to nose with Priest every chance he gets, neither man willing to give in. It's fast paced, hard hitting, and nasty throughout, with Priest coming dangerously close to folding Blackwood in half and ripping his legs from his body to pick up the win.
Roderick Strong vs. Fuminori Abe - DPW Limit Break - 05/19/2024
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 033
Calvin Tankman vs. Kevin Ku - DPW Limit Break - 05/19/2024
Following the pull-apart brawl that ended DPW No Pressure, Ku got in the face of Tankman and enraged the Worlds Champion, leading to one half of Violence is Forever challenging for the world title in the main event of Limit Break. Not since the early days of DPW has Ku challenged for singles gold, but his time with Garrinin hasn't made him worse off as a solo competitor. Ku is valiant throughout, taking some nasty shots from Tankman but fighting through the pain. Ultimately, a misstep in climbing the ropes costs Ku the match. A spinning back elbow drops him like a corpse as he's deadweight going up and back down for the Tankman Driver.
Kuniaki Kobayashi vs. Tiger Mask - AJPW Special Wars In Budokan - 06/21/1985
A fantastic match between Tiger Mask's arch rival, the aptly named "Tiger Hunter" Kuniaki Kobayashi. Misawa, under the mask of course, was in top form in this match and both men were taking lumps out of each other. Unbelievably, Tiger Mask went into this match hurt, but was still able to have an utterly fantastic match.
"On June 21, in his first match at Nippon Budokan, Misawa unsuccessfully challenged Kobayashi for the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship in a match rated the best of the year by the readers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Misawa blew out his knee before the match, and still delivered a "great performance" in what wrestling journalist and historian Dave Meltzer called "the best match of the Tiger Mask era", but he would require surgery afterward"
It doesn't quite wow to the level of a 5* match, for me, but it's worth seeking out for certain.
An action packed month of wrestling for sure! I can;t wait to see what February has in store for us. Until next month friends, take it easy!
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