10 Best Wrestling Matches Of 2023 (So Far)

There was a moment in Charlotte Flair Vs. Rhea Ripley - whether intentional or not, prudent or otherwise - that had an incredible effect on the crowd not too dissimilar to the denizens of Budokan Hall in the 1990s.

The fans could not tell whether the spot was planned or if they even liked it or not; when Ripley threw Flair onto her face from a German suplex, an awed, repulsed hush cloaked the SoFi Stadium, echoing the sheer fright that enveloped the most intense All Japan classics. Ripley registered the noise with a sh*t-eating grin, never feeling more like a warrior and ring general. The match wasn't as good as those seminal, unforgettable battles, but was wrestled in the same spirit. It was intense as any WWE match one can remember, the motivation levels of which were off the charts.

Too often, with a checklist of tropes begging to be ticked so that online fans will call it a "banger", a modern match is too cynical in its pursuit of greatness. Here, Rhea and Charlotte were intent on putting a classic without remotely trying too hard. Stripping itself of any self-conscious trappings, they instead beat the piss out of one another and escalated the primal violence to an awesome extent. Soaked with sweat, the endeavour was literally written all over their exhausted faces deep into an attritional, ultra-physical big match.

No melodrama, no tropes, no irritating appeals for "This is awesome!" chants: this was assured main event business that laughed in the face of accusations that it could not headline.