The looks I get when I say I am a wrestling fan are really funny. I guess people do not really know how I can like all the things I do yet still admit I love what they think is a totally fabricated world where everything is fake. It will surprise people then when I say this is the most consistent love I have had throughout my life.
I remember when I was four, my sister used to collect wrestling cards and turned on a show in 2009 called ‘WrestleMania 25'. It was the weekend, and I had just woken up. I sat right next to her. The first match I managed to catch was between this man in a black trench coat with long black hair and a wrestler who wore all white to the ring and descended from what looked like the sky. My first match was Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels tearing the house down in what history will remember as quite a bad wrestling show. I was hooked though. It was the coolest thing ever to four-year-old me. It is one of my oldest remaining memories.
I want to introduce you all to this world of mine, but I do not want to scare you off. I will start by saying this. Yes, professional wrestling is not real. In other news, neither are all the movies you watch most of the time. Wrestling to me is the most fluid and continuous art form. It is something that builds on top of itself with all its history and it all blends together into this massive melting pot of athleticism and storytelling. Also, wrestlers are still getting hurt even if everything goes perfectly. They still have to take all the falls intentionally and every move performed hurts them in some way. When they get hit with a chair, that's not fake most of the time. They are just getting hit solidly in the back or (worst case) head with a solid steel object.
This is all to say, never call it fake. The results are decided, they have a rough idea of what moves they want to do and long-term storylines that are written. However, they are still putting their bodies on the line everyday with the intent to entertain and fulfill their dreams. Respect the wrestler.
Anyway, I want to introduce you to this world, so I have decided to make a list of 10 matches that I think are great to introduce you to the world of professional wrestling. Here is the catch though. When people think about wrestling, they think WWE. That makes sense. It is the biggest promotion in the world and most of the biggest stars in the world wrestle there. Here's the thing though. I want to show you that there is something out there for everyone and the fact of the matter is, WWE is really only one style of wrestling that quite frankly does not appeal to me as much as it does to others. I find them quite corporate and soulless in many ways and I find a lot of their stories less rewarding than most people. I do like some of their stuff but I also believe the history of that company is quite readily available. There are also many lists of WWE matches for you to watch but I do not think that is enough. I want to show you the world. With that all out of the way, here is what I am looking for in each match and why I chose to show it to you, the viewer.
What I Am looking for:
1. An Easy-to-Follow story for someone who has never watched wrestling
Each wrestling match can be its own story, but a lot of wrestling matches are the culmination of segments on TV that build them up with the match being the blowoff or even continuation. What I want to do is be able to show you a match with none of what I mentioned above and you will still get it. I am also choosing some simple types of cliché wrestling stories but the best example of them so you can recognize when they show up if you choose to go further into the sport.
2. A fun match that can be accessed quite easily
Look, I'm going to be real. I have watched a lot of really weird wrestling and know way too much about certain stuff in this space. Not as much as others obviously, but I have been watching this thing in some shape or form since 2009. All this quite actively as well. I am showing you non-WWE and even non-American promotions, but I do not want to just drop you into some stuff you are not ready for. You are not ready for extreme stuff yet so I am not going to drop you in there. There is some stuff here that is going to introduce you to stuff like that, but nothing insane.
3. Introduce you to some of my favorite wrestlers
I mean a personal goal here but also, I believe I have quite the roster of favorites across history, and I think they represent some great styles of wrestling you would be interested in. I also want some diversity here, so I have decided to try and limit how many times a wrestler appears on this list. Again, I am trying to introduce you to the whole world as much as possible. Throwing like ten matches of the same wrestler would be boring.
Here we go!
2018 Men's Royal Rumble
Why This? An introduction to 30 wrestlers and their stories in 1 hour
This would be my number one in every way. Royal Rumbles are great to introduce a lot of wrestlers in not a lot of time whilst also being simply the best event for a wrestling fan. There is so much surprise and mini storytelling through these matches and what makes them interesting is how accessible they really are. You also may already have heard this term or even seen some clips from one. That viral clip from earlier this year of Speed getting seemingly cut in half by a wrestler is really fun. So why 2018? It's the best one. Simple. Best story and filled with great wrestlers you need to know. There is also a good mix of a lot of styles of wrestling together and they all make sense. There is some great comedy, some emotional storytelling, and some supernatural stuff as well. It all builds to a climax that is one of the best they have ever had in this annual match. I will always recommend watching the Rumble as a fan, even a lapsed one who does not watch WWE (which I am not), as it is one of the most perfect concepts. I also find it easier to explain than actual wrestling. Really only a few rules to keep in mind. 30 wrestlers come in at equal intervals and wrestlers get eliminated from the match with them being thrown over the top rope and both feet touching the floor. Keep that last rule in mind when watching. Also, try and watch this match in a group if you can.
This is also the only main roster WWE match on this list.
Bayley vs Sasha Banks – NXT Takeover Respect
Why This? A great example of classic wrestling storytelling
This is another classic story but this is just some great character work is why I want to show this to you. A very outward good person versus a very cool and outward bad person. There might not be a right person to root for but by the end, I will be looking at you really weird if you are rooting for Sasha. Not because Sasha is not awesome (she is), more because Bayley in this era was the most likable good person and all you want in this match is for her to win. This is a great story to introduce to someone who wants to get into wrestling because it is such a basic story yet so effective.
This match also introduces you to something that might shock you. Wrestlers do not keep the same character for their entire careers. They often have to reinvent and change themselves in order to keep them and their work fresh. These are two examples of wrestlers who have done that well. Bayley changes her character from this to a much edgier and cooler “gimmick” as she progresses in her career. A gimmick is basically the character of the person for future reference. She also is the “face” in this match or the person to root for.
Sasha Banks leaves WWE and goes on to wrestle as Mercedes Mone, an evolution of her character in this match and a lot more outward with some of the parts of this gimmick. She is also the “heel” in this match or the person they want you to root against. These terms will be used throughout the rest of this article so keep these in mind. You just saw a great example of the very classic “Face vs. heel” formula that has worked since the days wrestling used to be a circus sideshow.
Orange Cassidy vs PAC – AEW Revolution 2020
Why this? Orange Cassidy
All cards on the table, Orange Cassidy is my favorite wrestler of all time. I have watched so much serious wrestling in my time, and I really do love it, but Orange Cassidy is ultimately my favorite wrestler ever. If you do not know, his whole character is that he is a slacker who does not want to try yet if he does, he is one of the best wrestlers in the world. He had a lot of great matches in his International Championship reign but this is the match where the world knew how good he was. It is an easy match to watch as well and a great introduction to why comedy wrestling can be so rewarding despite how silly it is. The ultimate counterpoint I have to people saying that wrestling is ‘fake' is that the wrestlers know that to a certain extent and instead choose to play with it. Cassidy is paired with PAC who is a hard-hitting highflier with a sick look all things considered. What makes him fun is his dynamic with someone so inherently dumb in Cassidy and the match is one of my all-time favorites. It's an easy-to-follow story and a short match as well if that's what you are looking for.
Keith Lee VS Donovan Dijak – PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2017 Night 3
Why This? Big Guys having fun
Now this. This is just two of the strongest and biggest boys doing things you do not think strong and big boys can do. Keith Lee is another one of my all-time favorites and he had a lot of great matches in WWE's developmental brand NXT (keep this name in mind). I have ultimately gone for this one which is a classic that cemented Pro Wrestling Guerilla or PWG as one of my favorite brands in a really hard time to be a wrestling fan. The mid-2010s were filled with inconsistent and frustrating stories in WWE and all of its major competition falling on incredibly hard times. PWG represented this ground where people did not take wrestling completely seriously yet could still turn it up to a very legit wrestling competition and story on a dime. This is a great gateway into it, one of its greatest matches. It is also a signature story, a ‘hoss fight' is a term that many wrestling fans use but I do not really like that term. I just like seeing it as two strong wrestlers just colliding like it's a massive fight between Kaiju except the Kaiju can both do backflips. This is a classic story and a great introduction to a promotion that's best era can be digested quite easily on the internet. This includes all the funny and the serious as well. Also, you need to see a Keith Lee match to believe that the man is real.
Bryan Danielson vs Will Ospreay – AEW Dynasty 2024
Why This? The best possible match and a great example of in-match storytelling
Now here is the thing. This might be a hot take. However, I believe that this match is quite accessible and absolutely deserves its status as one of the greatest American wrestling matches of all time. I believe that the stakes in this match being low actually help make this really accessible to a casual or even someone like you, the person reading this article. You see, this match did not have a massive build or even a long story. This is just two of the best wrestlers in the world going at it and sometimes people need to be told that not everything has to be this long arch and culmination. Sometimes it can just be Bryan Danielson, one of the greatest to ever do it and someone who is in the final part of his career. Someone who had to retire due to neck issues and came back as maybe an even better wrestler. Sometimes it can just be Will Ospreay, the face of the new generation of wrestlers and someone who has more in common with a comic book character in how he moves and what he can do in a wrestling ring. It is also another simple story, the old vs the new. This is your first challenge and I intentionally put it here to make the point: even one-on-one matches can be long and have this strong and continuous story. This is the best example of an in-match story without much that happened outside of it. A plus point is that this is also one of the greatest matches of all time between two of the greatest of all time, so that helps.
Manami Toyota vs Aja Kong – AJW Doumu Super Woman Great War 1994
Why This? A look into Joshi Wrestling, First test for physicality in a match
This is maybe the most challenging match on this list. If wrestling is metal music, something that the mainstream might already consider a bit too far, then Joshi is like Drone Metal. Even the most hardcore American wrestling fans might not be very familiar with Joshi outside of a few of the wrestlers who crossed over. I am not one to deter you though. Joshi is the blanket term for women's wrestling in Japan. It is a style very different from the American style of wrestling and is quite hard-hitting. I am introducing you to it though, as it is one of the most influential forms of the style of all time. These are two of the biggest icons in Joshi going at it in a massive event with a really passionate crowd. Also, use what you applied earlier about faces and heels. Hear who is getting all the chants and the applause and that will help you figure out the story. This also introduces you to Japanese wrestling crowds who treat wrestling very differently. The claps when people get out of submissions in particular are something I really love.
This match also introduces you to Manami Toyota, one of the greatest of all time. Every wrestler who goes to the top rope to jump or a “high flyer” owes a little bit to Manami. Also, note how the flexibility both these wrestlers have contributes to why the match feels different. It is a small thing that I personally find quite interesting when watching Joshi matches. Treat this match as a final step and an introduction to a world that you should absolutely deep dive into when you are ready.
Cody Rhodes vs Dustin Rhodes – AEW Double or Nothing 2019
Why This? The Emotion
This one is just here to make you understand the pure emotion wrestling storytelling can have when done right. You do not need to know wrestling though to get this story. Cody and Dustin are real-life brothers and sons of one of the most influential people in wrestling history. Older vs Younger as the older wants to prove he still has it. That is all you need to know. Remember earlier when I showed you that Ospreay match? This is a different take on that same story and yet, it is a totally different story. You also need this match to know more about Cody Rhodes. If you are not aware, Cody is the world champion in WWE right now. This will give you a bit more insight into his character as they are practically the same.
This is just an emotional rollercoaster and a bit of a violent one. This is the most I go with like the red stuff on this list but just know, that is also very real and wrestlers have to do it themselves. It is really dangerous to actually bleed for real so wrestlers will make the cut themselves. It is rough but much safer for the wrestlers to do it themselves and they train to do it safely. This match shows how blood can actually tell a story in a match and for the story they tell here, it works so well as an example. Also stay for the post-match, you will be crying if this match resonates with you like it does with me.
Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi – Wrestle Kingdom 10
Why This? Getting you into Japanese Wrestling, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Okada's work
This is another challenge if you are used to the American wrestling style but I feel this is essential for you to know. You know John Cena. You do. What if I told you that Japanese wrestling also has an equivalent when it comes to basically the whole main thing of the company revolving around one man for a really long time? That man is Hiroshi Tanahashi. At least for this era, it has been Hiroshi Tanahashi. He is really good at this and he runs into basically the new challenge for his throne at this event. This match is another story of the “passing of the torch” moment we see a lot in wrestling. When one era ends, another begins. It does not necessarily someone winning over the older, but what it does mean is the start of another wrestler's era. This match comes right at the end of Tanahashi's run at the top of the company with Okada looking to be the person to take over his throne. That is the story of this match and it informs a lot of the decisions they make. This is also a Japanese match at their equivalent of Wrestlemania. These matches are a lot longer and more calculated than anything. They are meant to be these showstoppers with match-long stories leading up to a climax where every match decision comes together. That is at least what the best of Wrestle Kingdom's big matches do. Keep all this in mind when you take on this 36-minute match and also watch Okada's entrance. It is one of the best of all time.
Kenny Omega VS “Hangman” Adam Page – AEW Full Gear 2021
Why This? Perfect Storytelling, More Emotions, Introducing Kenny Omega
Very few times have I nearly cried watching wrestling and this is one of those times. I need to share that emotion with you but I believe this match is another case of great storytelling. This is also the first match with a “manager”, someone who accompanies a wrestler to the ring. A classic trick is a heel wrestler will have a manager who can help them cheat to win against morally good wrestlers. That formula is something that has been in wrestling for a while in many forms and here it is used really well.
This match is not about Don Callis though. This match is about two of the best wrestlers going at it right now in a highly emotional match. These are two people who used to be in a team together and now they are fighting each other is such a basic way to tell this story. This match is going to introduce you to Adam Page. He is someone who represents a new age of wrestling good guys. He is not perfect and he later goes on to do bad things in story. In this match though, he represents the perfectly imperfect new image of a good guy in wrestling.
Then, there is Kenny Omega. One of, if not the greatest to ever do it. Someone who perfected one of the most athletic styles of in-ring storytelling. He also has something you might have seen in all these matches. All these wrestlers have signature moves that are not exclusive to them but are seen as most effective when used by them. Kenny has a move called the “One-Winged Angel” that no one else really does and the whole thing about it is that no one has ever survived after that move has been hit by Omega. It is intentionally complicated to show that he can't just do it and call it a day. That single story changes the dynamic of his matches compared to so many others in wrestling today. It makes him unique. This match is the most emotional introduction to his catalog and then honestly, he is a great wrestler to binge-watch matches. He rarely, if ever, has missed a major position.
IYO SKY vs Utami Hayashishita – MARIGOLD Summer Destiny
Why This? Honestly just vibes.
This match is here just because it is a good representation of women's wrestling in two major places right now. It is also just a really good match that kind of represents the era of wrestling we are in. Companies are working with each other as there is quite a significant demand in the market for it. IYO SKY used to wrestle as Io Shirai in Japan and left as one of its most popular Joshi stars in recent years. That crown recently went to Utami Hayashishita who has made quite the name for herself with some incredible matches. She leads a new wave of great things happening in Joshi today. This match is just great and acts as a great transition into the world and trying to find new things for you to explore. See what you like from a list like this and just start watching the matches of wrestlers you like. If you like IYO SKY, watch the stuff she has done with people like Bayler who is also on this list. See the stuff she does as Io Shirai in STARDOM. With Utami, seek out her matches with Syuri or Mayu Iwatani, some of the bigger names in Joshi today. This match shows that sometimes matches do not have to be life-changing or change how you think about wrestling. They can just be really good and help you find someone else you might want to check out more from.
I believe this is a good door into what I think is cool. There is a single phrase you need to remember though. LIKE WHAT YOU LIKE!!!!! It is completely fine if you think some of these matches are not great or even bad. Have your opinion and have it well thought out like you would with any opinion. Just do not go around and shame people if they do like it. Question their reasons and be curious obviously. Just do not continue with a lot of the tribalism that plagues wrestling fandom today. You are going to do great with this knowledge. Have fun!
