10 Best Wrestling Matches Of 2017

4. Will Ospreay Vs. KUSHIDA - NJPW Best Of The Super Juniors Final

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NJPW1972.com

In 2016, Will Ospreay divided the wrestling fandom by wrestling a futuristic match opposite Ricochet in New Japan's Best Of The Super Juniors tournament.

Wrestling wasn't the operative word for some, who condemned it as cooperative performance dance. The beautiful, insanely convoluted aerials weren't enough to convince them that it was a thing of beauty; it was used as a stick with which to beat it.

The progression of Ospreay's work in 2017 is terrifying - as terrifying as the batsh*t bumps he doled out in this outstanding BOSJ final opposite KUSHIDA. Ospreay, apparent transgressor of the art of selling, let out such believable, agonised howls here that you could totally believe KUSHIDA had wrenched his arm out of his socket each time he applied the Hoverboard Lock - the best application of which saw KUSHIDA leap to join a falling Ospreay from the top rope in a perfectly-timed fusion of submission and aerial work. A cheap shortcut it might have been, but Ospreay's "You f*cking little c*nt" rallying cry proved totally immersive in putting this over as an emulation of an actual fight.

The sickening reverse apron Frankensteiner spot stole the headlines - but the real story was of KUSHIDA's belated march to the critical pinnacle, Ospreay's new-found, genius grasp of selling, and their shared masterpiece of strategy and spectacle.

Contributor
Contributor

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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!