10 Academy Awards (For Pro Westling)

1. Best Picture - Kazuchika Okada Vs. Kenny Omega, NJPW Dominion 2017

Omega Oscar
NJPW

Was Kazuchika Okada Vs. Kenny Omega II the greatest match of all time?

Over the course of a time-bending hour, one that both flew by and thoroughly earned Kenny's sublime exhaustion spot at its literally breathless climax, the two best wrestlers in the world performed to an even loftier standard than that. They answered the brilliant question left unanswered at the close of the original - could Okada withstand the blast of the One-Winged Angel? - in an awesome false finish spot deployed curiously early. Where could they go from there?

They answered that question with a superb sequence of intermittent dropkicks thrown by the IWGP Champion, each timed exquisitely to both cut off the challenger and compel the audience to watch the clock as the time limit approached. It was a dizzying experience reflected in that between-two-minds state - a match designed perfectly in how you could not bring yourself to look away from it while, in parallel, you risked whiplash to check if Omega had enough time - or energy - to put the Ace away.

Honourable Nominee Mention: Okada Vs. Omega III was arguably even more impressive in how it did as much with far fewer resources. A simplistic sprint match plot somehow stretched out to 25 spellbinding minutes, this was the work of two masters of the craft.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!