10 Best Wrestling Matches Of 2025
2. Anarchy In The Arena IV (AEW Double Or Nothing)
Anarchy In The Arena has essentially become AEW’s Christmas: the same things happen every year, and at the same time of the year, because it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
The music playing over the PA for several minutes; the explosion spot; the babyface destroyed backstage making their heroic return to the ring: what should feel tired, formulaic and predictable is in fact a beautiful celebration of the art.
The use of ‘Bodies’ by Drowning Pool was inspired, particularly after the comedy rule of three was observed; a fife instrumental was followed by the cute insider gag of Tony Khan trying to make ‘I’m So Excited’ happen for a second time.
The action was an incredible cloudburst of babyface awesomeness. Literally everything that is cool about babyfaces kicking ass happened, at a relentless speed, very often at the exact same time. As ever, the director had to scramble to catch up to it all, just barely able to film a highlight reel in real time. This put over the chaos to brilliant effect. Whenever this bombastic frenzy of a pop factory is filmed “correctly”, the match is dead.
Kenny Omega’s balcony moonsault. Swerve Strickland kicking Matt and Nick Jackson’s ass in a warp-speed movez war. Samoa Joe leaving the fancy stuff to everybody else and simply biting every poor motherf*cker in sight in the head. Powerhouse Hobbs withstanding a fork to the head before no-selling everything thrown at him with the baddest snarl you’ve ever seen. Willow Nightingale standing right next to him, wearing his Big, Black, and Jacked t-shirt.
It was the first time the babyface squad won. Not only was it about time, it capped off the theme of the match beautifully. Not since you were a child were you this hopped-up to see babyfaces being babyfaces.