10 Best British Wrestling Matches Of 2016

9. Matt Riddle Vs. Will Ospreay (PROGRESS Chapter 39)

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Spoiler alert: there's a lot of Will Ospreay on this list. This was unavoidable: the Aerial Assassin has had an absolutely phenomenal year, and while his work in the USA and Japan has definitely stood out, some of his best matches took place in the UK.

Simply put, this is one of the best sub ten-minute matches you'll ever see. It's a furious, fast-paced, and unrelenting showdown between two of the best independent wrestlers on the planet, and Ospreay fought from beneath throughout. Riddle blasted him with a flying knee during the introductions and beat the British high-flyer down with a prolonged assault, but Ospreay dug deep, fought his way back, and was soon busting out the flippy sh*t.

Ospreay and Riddle had the crowd on their feet throughout. This was Riddle's first ever appearance on British shores, but he did enough in this match's 9 minutes to immediately get himself over for life with everyone in attendance. An incredible sprint, and a perfect British introduction for the former UFC welterweight.

Will almost pulled it off towards the end, but Riddle countered his attempted OsCutter, drilled him with a diving Tombstone, and finished him off with his trademark Bromission. A huge win for Riddle on his first night in the country, and one of Ospreay's best performances this year.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.