10 Must-See Matches That ALREADY Make 2018 Wrestling’s Greatest Ever Year
9. Will Ospreay Vs. Marty Scurll (NJPW Sakura Genesis)
A product of their in-built chemistry after years of working together for countless independent promotions on all sides of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Will Ospreay and Marty Scurll proved their worth in saving their best effort for their biggest stage. The scale of the contest added crucial ingredients to the drama within the match - Osprey hadn't been able to win the big one against 'The Villain', and looked a long way from home after splattering his own neck during a reckless Spanish Fly from the apron to the floor.
It elevated the contest from energetic to epic, with Scurll seemingly in permanent command over the 25-year-old with the broken body thrice his age. Ospreay's selling can still sometimes veer across the believability spectrum, but he found a perfect middle ground between pantomime and pathos with his pained wails and gutsy comebacks against his fierce and focussed foe.
It was almost inconceivable when he won, in fact, but stayed on the right side of credible thanks to a stirring final third dominated by the devious Bullet Club d*ckhead. Too cocky and confident for his own good, Scurll fell to the 'The Aerial Assassin' once and for all, confirming his place as the new kingpin of the revered NJPW Juniors Division.