10 Best Wrestling Matches Of The Week (July 22)

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. SANADA - NJPW G1 Climax 18/7/16

Seth Rollins Dean Ambrose
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I could have easily had Okada/Marufuji in this position, but for me the semi-main event of Hiroshi Tanahashi and SANADA just takes the top spot, for a variety of reasons.

One, if there were any people out there that still doubted Hiroshi Tanahashi (surely there weren't), this should put that to bed. Tanahashi's body has all but broken down at this point, but he still wrestles big matches like a man possessed. There may not be a better big match wrestler on the planet right now.

The second, and biggest reason, is the reason that we may be looking back at this match in a more detailed fashion in years to come. This was SANADA showing all and sundry that one day, be it near or far, he is going to be the top guy in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He looks like a star, but this was the first time in New Japan that he performed like a star.

Some of the spots in this match were simply beautiful. Tanahashi looked like he might be gaining control, but SANADA managed to hit an RKO OUTTANOWHERE that rivalled anything Orton has ever managed. He also has a dropkick that rivals Okada's, and the guy has the best leapfrog in wrestling. Okay, not so important, but it is beautiful.

To cap it all off, SANADA tapped Tanahashi out, in the middle of the ring, clean as a whistle. No Los Ingobernables interference, nothing. A young future ace beating the former ace. A must-see match.

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Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.