10 Best Wrestling Matches Of 2025

7. The Young Bucks Vs. Will Ospreay & Swerve Strickland (AEW All In: Texas)

ospreay strickland
AEW

There’s a certain sequence in this match that makes it seem as though the Young Bucks and Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland, wrestlers with an infamous reputation of excess, formed a pact: if we’re doing a Young Bucks Vs. Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland match, let’s give them a f*cking Young Bucks Vs. Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland match.

You can almost see them debating whether or not to proceed with that certain sequence before the show. Is it too much, even for us?

In that sequence, a frenetic exchange of moves and a superkick party culminated in a winded Swerve and Ospreay bending forward. The Bucks blasted them with a pair of Canadian Destroyers - but, in stereo, Swerve and Ospreay fired up and fired back with a House Call and Hidden Blade executed with frame-perfect synchronisation. .

As it transpires, that sequence was almost the opposite of self-indulgent. All In: Texas was trending perilously close to a monumental disappointment. The glacial pacing of the show, combined with the awful news of Adam Cole’s indefinite hiatus, meant that the fans needed something incredible to lift the uneasy vibe. This sequence, the sort of thing that is easier to justify on such a major event, practically saved the show.

The match was very good, not great, up to that point. It developed into something transcendent from then on: an absolutely relentless, dizzying blitz of massive moves, saves, and friendly fire.

Elevated by the stipulation - each team stood to lose everything, either their power or their presence in the title picture - the sheer number of believable, perfectly-timed near-falls was as densely-packed as any match ever.

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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!