5 Highlights From NJPW's Best Of The Super Juniors XXIII

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard all about this match (and the tedious debates it inspired). Whether you care for the style of not, this match inspired “holy poop!” and “this is awesome!” chants in Japan, where crowds are famously quiet and subdued. That speaks volumes.

This was utterly spectacular, edge-of-your-seat, state of the art professional wrestling from two of the most gifted athletes you’ll ever see. These two aren’t out there Ishii slugfests or Okada slow-burners: they’re trying to dazzle, entertain, and tell a completely different type of story.

They succeeded on every conceivable level, and to call this match a “spotfest” is to completely disregard two wrestlers who are at the forefront of athletic evolution in the sport.

It’s a perfect story: the de facto “best high-flier in the world,” Ricochet, defending his turf against the prodigiously talented Will Ospreay, whose inherent cockiness mixed with a clear lack of self-awareness makes him one of the most endearing dorks in the sport.

Not only that, but away from the flips, there was a really nasty, aggressive undercurrent running through this match. Ricochet was willing to do all it takes to shut “The Future of Flight” down, and Ospreay responded in kind.

Ospreay overcome the 2014 BOSJ winner in the end, but it’ll only be so long before these two tie-up again. There were flips, yes, and a couple of slightly over-coordinated sequences, but Ospreay vs. Ricochet was riddled with technique, passion, and yes, psychology.