10 Best Wrestling Matches Of 2020 (So Far)

6. Jon Moxley Vs. Minoru Suzuki - NJPW The New Beginning In Osaka

Matt Jackson Kenny Omega
NJPW

If it were possible for a professional wrestling match to wear a leather jacket and have a ten-inch c*ck, it would be this professional wrestling match.

The dynamic was perfect before Moxley and Suzuki perfected it.

In a way, this perfected the particular brand of masculine energy that draws in the - and yes, your bespectacled writer is obviously included in the comparison - geekier pro wrestling fan that isn't necessarily interested in real combat sports. It wasn't pastiche - they beat the sh*t out of each other, you couldn't not take it seriously - but it intersected perfectly the outsize theatre of professional wrestling and its hard-hitting physicality.

The theme of the match, and its vibrant, ghoulishly fun tone, was one of relish; they each wanted the match as much as the IWPG US Championship it was contested for.

Mox and Suzuki played it like the first act of a demented buddy movie before the friendship is formed, duelling with guardrails, stoically absorbing stiff-as-sh*t lariats and smiling with mutual appreciation as they smashed one another through tables.

There was more personality in this match than exists in real human beings.

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 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!