Cap's 2023 GME List
1. Shinobu Kandori vs Akira Hokuto (AJW – 4/2/1993)
2. Sangre Chicana vs MS-1 (Hair vs Hair – EMLL – 9/23/1983)
3. Bryan Danielson vs Low Ki (ROH – 3/30/2002)4. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW – 4/16/1993)
5. Devil Masami vs Chigusa Nagayo (WWWA All Pacific Title – AJW – 8/22/1985)
6. Naoki Sano vs Minoru Suzuki (PWFG – 7/26/1991)
7. Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (Triple Crown Title – AJPW -1/20/1997)
8. Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Nobuhiko Takada (UWFi – 10/25/1990)
9. El Hijo Del Santo vs Espanto Jr (Mask vs Mask – EMLL – 8/31/1986)
10. Holy Demon Army vs Kenta Kobashi/Mitsuharu Misawa (Tag League Final – AJPW – 6/9/1995)
11. Eddie Guerrero vs John Bradshaw Layfield (WWE Title – WWE – 5/16/2004)
12. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (RINGS – 6/27/1998)
13. Shinobu Kandori vs Yumiko Hotta (WWWA Title vs LLPW Title – LLPW – 3/21/1998)14. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW – 7/29/1993)
15. Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu (Triple Crown Title – AJPW – 6/5/1989)
16. Stan Hansen vs Andre The Giant (AJPW – 9/23/1981)
17. Shinobu Kandori vs Bull Nakano (Chain Match – AJW/LLPW – 7/14/1994)18. Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (I Quit Match – WWF – 3/23/1997)
19. Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Super Tiger (UWFi – 12/5/1984)
20. Shinobu Kandori/Akira Hokuto vs Bull Nakano/Aja Kong (AJPW – 3/27/1994)
21. Sangre Chicana vs Perro Aguayo (Hair vs Hair – EMLL – 2/28/1986)
22. Tully Blanchard vs Magnum TA (Cage Match – US Title – JCP – 11/28/1985)
23. Nick Bockwinkel vs Curt Hennig (AWA Title – AWA – 11/21/1986)
24. Jaguar Yokota vs La Galactica (UWA Women’s Title – 2/27/1985)
25. Greg Valentine vs Roddy Piper (Dog Collar Match – U.S. Title – JCP – 11/24/1983)
26. El Satanico vs Gran Cochise (NWA Middleweight Title – EMLL – 9/14/1984)
27. Katsuyori Shibata vs Kazuchika Okada (IWGP HW Title – NJPW – 4/9/2017)
28. Stan Hansen vs Carlos Colon (Texas Bullrope Match – CWP – 1/6/1987)
29. Stan Hansen/Terry Gordy vs Genichiro Tenryu/Toshiaki Kawada (AJ Tag Titles – Real World Tag Finals – AJPW – 12/16/1988)
30. Sgt. Slaughter vs Iron Sheik (Bootcamp Match – WWF – 6/16/1984)
31. Atlantis vs Vilano III (Mask vs Mask – CMLL – 3/17/2000)
32. Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (2/3 Falls – NWA Title – WCW – 4/2/1989)
33. El Hijo del Santo vs Negro Casas vs El Dandy (Hair vs Hair vs Mask – CMLL – 12/6/1996)
34. Can-Am Express vs Kenta Kobashi/Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (All Asia Tag Title – AJPW – 5/25/1992)
35. Jushin Thunder Liger vs El Samurai (Super Juniors Final – NJPW – 4/30/1992)
36. El Satanico vs El Dandy (Hair vs Hair – EMLL – 12/14/1990)
37. Negro Casas vs El Hijo del Santo (Hair vs Mask – CMLL – 9/19/1997)
38. Steve Grey vs Johnny Saint (JP – 1/28/1980 [air: 2/2/1980])39. Billy Robinson vs Giant Baba (PWF Title – AJPW – 7/24/1976)
40. Megumi Kudo vs Combat Toyoda (No Rope Exploding Barb Wire Death Match – FMW Independent Womens Title/ WWA Title – FMW – 5/5/1996)
41. Shinobu Kandori vs Devil Masami (JPW – 7/14/1988)
42. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Akira Taue (Champions Carnival Final – AJPW – 4/15/1995)
43. Kenta Kobashi vs Stan Hansen (AJPW – 9/4/1991)
44. Bryan Danielson vs Low Ki (Submission Match – JAPW – 6/7/2002)
45. Volk Han vs Kiyoshi Tamura (RINGS – 9/25/1996)
46. Aja Kong vs Yumika Hotta (WWWA World Championship – AJW – 1/24/1994)
47. Stan Hansen vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW – 2/28/1993)
48. Black Terry vs Wotan (Chilanga Mask – 8/21/2016)
49. Adrian Street vs Jim Breaks (JP – 2/12/1972)
50. Shinobu Kandori vs Yumiko Hotta (Knock Out Match – WWWA World Title – AJW/LLPW – 3/10/1999)
51. Yuki Ishikawa vs Daisuke Ikeda (BattleArts – 8/29/1999)
52. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (Triple Crown Title – AJPW – 7/24/1995)53. Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama (Triple Crown Title – AJPW – 5/26/2000)
54. Bryan Danielson vs Adam Page (AEW World Title – AEW – 1/5/2022)55. Mayumi Ozaki vs Dynamite Kansai (Street Fight – JWP – 3/17/1995)
56. Volk Han vs Kiyoshi Tamura (RINGS – 1/22/1997)
57. Ric Flair vs Terry Funk (NWA Title – NWA – 7/23/1989)
58. Bryan Danielson vs Takeshi Morishima (ROH World Title – ROH – 8/25/2007)
59. The Briscoes vs FTR (Double Dog Collar Match – ROH World Tag Titles – 12/10/2022)60. Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (GHC Title – NOAH – 3/1/2003)
61. Bull Nakano vs Devil Masami (JWP – 4/18/1993)
62. Shinjiro Ohtani vs El Samurai (UWA World Jr LHW Title – NJPW – 1/21/1996)
63. Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (Triple Crown Title – AJPW – 10/31/1998)
64. Ric Flair vs Ricky Morton (Cage Match - NWA World Title – MA – 7/5/1986)
65. Kenta Kobashi vs Samoa Joe (ROH – 10/2/2005)
66. Eddie Kingston, Proud and Powerful, Bryan Danielson, and Jon Moxley vs The Jericho Appreciation Society (Anarchy in the Arena – AEW – 5/29/2022)67. Masakatsu Funaki vs Tatsuo Nakano (UWFi – 7/24/1989)
68. Super Dragon vs Necro Butcher (PWG – 9/2/2006)
69. Shinobu Kandori vs Akira Hokuto (AJW – 12/6/1993)
70. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Minoru Suzuki (IWGP Heavyweight Title - NJPW - 10/8/2012)71. Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuinness (ROH Title vs ROH Pure Title – ROH – 8/12/2006)
72. Negro Casas vs El Dandy (CMLL Middleweight Title – CMLL – 7/3/1992)
73. Daniel Bryan vs HHH (WWE – 4/6/2014)
74. Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama (GHC Title – NOAH – 4/25/2004)
75. Manami Toyota/Toshiyo Yamada vs Dynamite Kansai/Mayumi Ozaki (WWWA Tag Titles – AJW – 4/11/1993)
76. Eddie Kingston vs Chris Hero (Last Man Standing – IWA-MS – 9/29/2007)
77. Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kota Ibushi (IWGP IC Title – NJPW – 1/4/2015)
78. Holy Demon Army vs Mitsuharu Misawa/Jun Akiyama (Tag League Final – AJPW – 12/6/1996)
79. Alexander Otsuka vs Mitsuhiro Matsunaga (BattleArts – 11/9/1999)
80. Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee (Loser Leaves Town – Southern Heavyweight Title – CWA – 6/6/1983)
81. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (Triple Crown Title – AJPW – 6/3/1994)82. Akira Hokuto vs Meiko Satomura (GAEA - 4/29/2001)83. John Cena vs Umaga (Last Man Standing – WWE Title – WWE – 1/28/2007)
84. Bryan Danielson vs MJF (Iron Man Match – AEW World Title – 3/5/2023)85. Mitsuhara Misawa vs Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW – 9/1/1990)
86. Akira Maeda vs Tatsumi Fujinami (NJPW – 6/12/1986)
87. Necro Butcher vs Shamoa Joe (IWA MS – 6/11/2005)88. Lola Gonzolez VS. Pantera Surena (Hair vs Hair – EMLL – 12/9/1988)
89. Aja Kong vs KAORU (AAAW Title – GAEA – 2/13/2000)
90. Giant Baba vs Destroyer (NWA International Title – JWA – 3/5/1969)
91. Akira Hokuto vs Manami Toyota (AJW – 9/2/1995)
92. Ricky Steamboat vs Rick Rude (Iron Man Match – WCW – 6/20/1992)
93. Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (2/3 Falls – IWGP HW Title – NJPW – 6/9/2018)94. LA Park vs el Mesias (AAA - 12/5/2010)
95. Team Taco vs Alexander Otsuka and Yuki Ishikawa (BattleArts – 10/30/1996)
96. Walter vs Ilja Dragunov (NXT UK Title – NXT UK – 10/29/2020)
97. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs The Usos (WWE Unified Tag Titles – WWE – 4/1/2023)98. Shinobu Kandori vs Kyoko Inoue (AJW – 8/25/1993)99. El Hijo Del Santo and Villano IV vs Angel Banco Jr and El Hijo Del Solitario (TXT – 2/25/2012)
100. Nobuhiko Takada vs Bob Backlund (UWFi – 12/22/1988)
Some Notes
3. Bryan Danielson vs Low Ki (ROH – 3/30/2002): This took a little jump into the #3 spot at the last minute for me. I've talked about it elsewhere, but this is just pretty much perfect in my mind (aside from the commentary). This is smart, physical, urgent... it is everything I want out of my wrestling. I'm always just so impressed by how they build to the bombs late in the match.
13. Shinobu Kandori vs Yumiko Hotta (WWWA Title vs LLPW Title – LLPW – 3/21/1998): This is another one that took a massive jump for me at the last minute. I watched this down the home stretch and was just blow away even more so than I had been in the past. Oddly enough it feels like a match that benifits from each woman demonstrating some self control. There were a few spots this could have gone off the rails
17. Shinobu Kandori vs Bull Nakano (Chain Match – AJW/LLPW – 7/14/1994): Two of the greatest ever tied together with a chain trying to murder one another... that's wrestling, baby. Maybe it is because this match just dropped on the main list, but it feels like I should have this even higher. I always say that if it were a favorite list this might be #1. I just walked through it and asked "which match do I like more" between this and every match above it. I couldn't answer quickly and definitively until I got to #2. That doesn't mean it will make that next jump up, but that is how close everything is here for me.
38. Steve Grey vs Johnny Saint (JP – 1/28/1980 [air: 2/2/1980]): I haven't really visited this stuff in. while and would like to again soon. This feels like the peak of the style, but there are so many matches that are awesome and different types of awesome from this era/region. I'm probably too low on the rest of it if I have the best of it in the top 40.
52. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (Triple Crown Title – AJPW – 7/24/1995): This year I raised this one significantly and dropped 6/3. This feels more focused and urgent to me. The narrative beats are more lucid. It feels more emotional as well. I just flat out think it is better.
54. Bryan Danielson vs Adam Page (AEW World Title – AEW – 1/5/2022): It feels like I should comment on each of the 5 matches I added from the past year and a half. This is obviously my highest ranked of the lot. Just a wonderful payoff to the mini program and a masterful sequel to their first match. While I think you benefit from seeing the first one, I suspect this is going to hold up really well in a vacuum. This is a modern classic in my mind. For my taste, tt is physical without being overly excessive and smart without being overly clever.
59. The Briscoes vs FTR (Double Dog Collar Match – ROH World Tag Titles – 12/10/2022): I said in the main thread this is probably the least like match from 2022/2023 to fall off my list. This just doesn't strike me as something that will ever fall out of favor with me. Maybe it is the emotional element, but I think it is also that it is just a truly brilliant bit of business. Doing it with one chain is hard enough. Doing it with two puts the degree of difficulty here through the roof and they sort of make it look easy.
66. Eddie Kingston, Proud and Powerful, Bryan Danielson, and Jon Moxley vs The Jericho Appreciation Society (Anarchy in the Arena – AEW – 5/29/2022): Speaking of degree of difficulty, this one takes the cake. What a truly special match. I'd have this rated even higher if not for one moment that was a bit immersion breaking. Fortuntely everything else was so otherworldly good that it sucked me back in. Kingston walking down with the can of gas is a top 5 moment in wrestling ever. I really hope they follow up on his willingness to light Danielson on fire. That was an underrated layer.
70. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Minoru Suzuki (IWGP Heavyweight Title - NJPW - 10/8/2012): This one snuck onto my list for the first time this year. This is a good time to say that Suzuki is a top 15 wrestler all time.
81. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (Triple Crown Title – AJPW – 6/3/1994): I don't want to make this about things i don't like in a match I consider one of the top 100 EVER, but with this match, it sort of feels like the elephant in the room. It boils down to this; when I'm nitpicking between the top shelf stuff, there is a little too much walking around between moves in this one. I know it is a version of selling, but it is not one I prefer. I also know Misawa is concussed, but yeah... it just knocks it down a bit. That said, this match still rules and there is a reason folks have been singing its praises for almost 30 years.
82. Akira Hokuto vs Meiko Satomura (GAEA - 4/29/2001): This match is back after getting bounced from my list. This thing absolutely rules. Hokuto is just a stunning talent and it is on full display here. You can see that Satomura is aces too and you can tell Hokuto sees it (or at least it sure looks that way here). Feels foolish that I dropped it at one point.
84. Bryan Danielson vs MJF (Iron Man Match – AEW World Title – 3/5/2023): The 60 minutes were perfect. I genuinely don't know if I have any complaints. I've seen them and I understand them, but they don't resonate with my taste and read on the match. The overtime was very good and a net positive. The lame nerd in me wanted something clean after all this near perfect wrestling and generally prefers clean finishes, but it also made so much sense not just for the broader story, but for the story isolated within the match itself.
87. Necro Butcher vs Shamoa Joe (IWA MS – 6/11/2005): Alright, I finally came around on this match being on my list. I still think Necro v Super Dragon is better and I'll likely die on that hill, but as I said a while ago, there aren't 100 matches better than this. What an absolute shit show. Having Kingston and Punk elevated this because at its core, this was a gift to dorky wrestling fans in 2005 and beyond and the entire thing embraced what it was.
93. Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (2/3 Falls – IWGP HW Title – NJPW – 6/9/2018): A match at the center of some banter here. It has always felt boring to have this as the highest Okada/Omega match, but much like the Dragon/MJF match, I just sort of think it is perfect. I don't have a horse in the "long matches vs short matches" race. My tastes are probably veering a bit towards the shorter sprints/brawls, but there are good and bad versions of everything. This is a great version of what they were doing.
97. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs The Usos (WWE Unified Tag Titles – WWE – 4/1/2023): I think as far as this board goes, NL and I are on an island with this one. This is masterful WWE melodrama. The Usos are everything they are trying to accomplish with Reigns in the ring right now. They feel like final bosses that are physically dominant and two steps ahead. Their banter somehow feels less overdone and contrived (perhaps because I don't see it from them as often). Zayn and Owens feel like the greatest tag team in the world here. The meshing together of their career history, the bloodline story, the chemistry of the teams, the big stage of Mania, and the physical action was just pitch perfect for me.
98. Shinobu Kandori vs Kyoko Inoue (AJW – 8/25/1993): I think I was the only person who voted for this match and that is dumb.
100. Nobuhiko Takada vs Bob Backlund (UWFi – 12/22/1988): I actually don't know that this is the 100th best match, but this is my heart pick. I just love Backlund being a goofy fucker while getting kicked in the head by Takada. This is awesome. May not be able to hold onto it forever, but for at least this year, it stays in place.