In this monthly recurring series, the residents of Wrestle Inn will offer you their recommendation for a single match you should seek out from the last month. We might not always highlight the “best” match; perhaps we’ll pick a hidden gem instead, or a match that you may not have heard of from a promotion different to what you usually watch. But, we can guarantee that all of these picks will be more than worth your time!

Corey Michaels recommends:
Athena vs Willow Nightingale, Death Before Dishonor (Ring of Honor, July 21)
Like destined warriors, betrothed to battle until the end of time, Athena and Willow complete each other. Fighting as though they were denied the main event, they fulfilled the role as headliners in a memorable way. Both women called to the Women of Honor’s past, as though the past champions were main eventing in a way. Seeing Willow crawl until life had left her soul made for a bittersweet moment as The Fallen Goddess retained in a work of art preserved for time immemorial.

Kay Quinn recommends:
Diamante vs Ultimo Dragon vs Shun Skywalker vs Strong Machine J vs Dragon Kid, Kobe Pro Wrestling Festival 2023 (DRAGONGATE, July 2)
A 5-way mask vs mask survival cage match already sounds intriguing as a premise, but this year’s Kobe World main event hit it out of the park in execution as well. Ultimo Dragon and Dragon Kid’s master-student relationship, SMJ’s desperate desire to protect his own pride and his father’s legacy, and the villainous friendship between Shun and Diamante coalesce to make this match a perfect storm of love, betrayal and heartbreak, all leading up to an absolutely devastating final stretch. The core of DG cage matches has always been emotion rather than spectacle and this is a fantastic example of how well that idea can work.

JJohnson recommends:
Jon Moxley & Homicide vs El Desperado & Jun Kasai, Independence Day (NJPW, July 4)
A match fitting of the phrase ‘beautiful violence’. Four men covered in the blood of their opponents, their partners and their own. It was a weapon filled brawl of drama and tension. If Korakuen Hall’s reaction to the entrance of Jun Kasai didn’t give you goosebumps, the deathmatch that ensued certainly would. Underpinned by the rivalry between El Desperado and Jon Moxley this was brutal and aggressive, without a moment’s pause. The crowd was enraptured in the violence that laid bare before them. Kasai was the star of the show (of course he was), bringing out his trademark moves, along with forks and razor blades, to get the juices flowing. It was a preview tag so great it overshadowed Desperado and Moxley’s war the following night. A deathmatch of epic proportions.

Fusa recommends:
FTR vs Jay White & Juice Robinson, Collision (AEW, July 15)
2 out of 3 falls is a stipulation that FTR have become synonymous with, one of the best tag teams at the style of match, but Bullet Club Gold gave them a run for their money. An almost hour long instant-classic of some of the best tag team wrestling you will ever see. Behind Ospreay vs Omega 2, I would say this is the best match to happen during AEW’s Canadian tour. Bullet Club Gold getting the first fall after about 20 minutes, FTR striking back about 15 minutes later, all the near falls on both sides but especially from Jay White, before FTR pins Juice with evaporating minutes remaining to pick up the win and retain. It’s a PPV caliber match and AEW put it on free TV like it was nobody’s business.

Trent Breward recommends:
Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Kento Miyahara, One Night Dream (NOAH, July 15)
Beautiful violence was always going to be the order of the day when these two met in the ring in front of an absolutely electric Korakuen Hall audience. These two have a history together, one that meant even the announcement of this singles match had people muttering in a hushed tone. Nakajima’s methodical and brutal striking served well to build tension as Miyahara looked to free himself and launch his more energetic style – all while the AJPW faithful cheered on their ace despite the fact it was inside a NOAH ring. Expect to see this match on a lot of people’s MOTY lists when 2023 comes to a close, and with good reason.

Jenn F. (Patreon subscriber) recommends:
Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Kento Miyahara, One Night Dream (NOAH, July 15)

Steve Howard recommends:
Trinity vs Deonna Purrazzo, Slammiversary (IMPACT, July 15th)
Slammiversary was top to bottom a great card, and this match was the highlight for me. It was beautifully paced and hard hitting, filled with innovative submission moves and lots of gasping near falls. The Virtuosa hit a Queen’s Gambit on the hardest part of the ring, elegantly brutal. It seemed neither could do enough to put the other away until Trinity locked in the Starstruck submission to become the new champion. Her time in IMPACT! so far has been a big success, elevating the division and her own career.

Ryan Dilbert recommends:
Giulia vs Saori Anou, 5STAR Grand Prix (STARDOM, July 23)
Saori Anou looked like a star with a capital S in this war against the winner of last year’s 5STAR tourney, this fierce battle brimming with primal energy. These two went out on opening night and balled out. Anou and Giulia yeeted each other into the stands. They wrecked each other in the name of victory. You get blood, an eye-opening one-count, and a heaping portion of drama all in this one match. Man, if you’re not watching the 5STAR, you are missing out.

CiaranRH recommends:
HENARE vs Mikey Nicholls, G1 Climax 33 Night 2 (NJPW, July 21)
Lol, what the fuck?! HENARE debuted a badass look soaked in cultural importance and proceeded to go to war with Nicholls. They went explosively hard and subverted all expectations, shoot headbutts giving a visceral image of blood trickling down Nicholl’s own head. This match allowed HENARE to showcase the type of fighter he is and Nicholls a chance to prove himself in a way we haven’t seen before. A scary finishing move could have ended in disaster, but thankfully nobody was harmed in the making of this battle.