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:
Adam Copeland vs Minoru Suzuki, Dynamite (AEW, January 24)
Though the Georgia crowd had the energy of a comatose hospital patient whose family dearly misses them, this match met the expectations and hype I had going in. Adam Copeland’s edge is as sharp as ever, producing some of the best work of his career early into his AEW run, and running a random dream match with Minoru Suzuki adds a fantastic layer to the gritty pavement he’s walking on. Suzuki played his role to perfection, being suitably himself. More Adam Copeland matches against puro stars and legends, please.

ThumblySqueezed recommends:
Women’s Royal Rumble, Royal Rumble (WWE, January 27)
In prior incarnations, the newer women’s version of WWE’s most-anticipated event had to be fleshed out with callbacks and “legends” we didn’t necessarily clamor to see again. Not so this year, with the triumphant cameo of Jordynne Grace, a return from Naomi (fka TNA’s Trinity), and a debut from Jade Cargill all providing sparks and jazzing up the in-ring mix. So many participants had ongoing stories, like Chelsea Green comedically getting squashed over and over or Liv Morgan coming up just short again. Seeing Bayley finally claim her last outstanding honor in WWE perfectly topped it all. This was exactly how a Rumble should be done (don’t ask about the Men’s).

Trent Breward Recommends:
Mayu Iwatani vs Syuri, STARDOM Ittenyon Gate, (STARDOM, January 4)
Mayu Iwatani had expressed disappointment that she wasn’t going to be defending her IWGP Women’s Championship at the Tokyo Dome on January 4, so she set out to prove why that was a mistake. Mayu and Syuri went out into Tokyo Dome City Hall with a point to prove and they did exactly that, putting on an absolute war in the process. Brutally hard hitting with two of the best in the world testing the resilience and determination of the other. The fact it had to follow the emotional dissolution of Donna Del Mondo and it wasn’t hindered at all speaks to the kind of performance these two delivered. Don’t sleep on this just because the boys were wrestling in a bigger building straight after.

JJohnson recommends:
Kenoh vs Go Shiozaki, Star Navigation (NOAH, January 13)
Remarkable! This was a stellar example of what two of the world’s best can do when entangled in the squared circle. Go Shiozaki and Kenoh battled over the GHC crown and ‘I Am Noah’ moniker, doing so with fantastic body-part targeting and believable selling. It was a main event with a sense of urgency and an interesting twist of the champion attacking Shiozaki’s midsection to set-up his double stomp finish. The exchanges of Shiozaki chops and Kenoh kicks were thunderous, vibrating a feverous energy around Korakuen Hall. NOAH isn’t the shining light it once was, but this match was like a beacon in the fog.

Adam Ryan recommends:
Jon Moxley vs Shane Taylor, Collision (AEW, January 20)
Bengals vs Browns. Reds vs Guardians. Cincinnati vs Cleveland. This was the “Battle of Ohio” in its most primal form. Two guys, one from each end of the state and each grizzled and hardened street toughs in their own rights, fighting for supremacy to prove who is the ultimate bad-ass. Shane Taylor walked in wanting to show that he can hang with the likes of Moxley and he exceeded beyond imagination, going blow for blow with Moxley for 15 minutes without giving an inch, proving he belongs in the upper-echelon of AEW/ROH guys who aren’t afraid to thrown down and fight. Even though Moxley won this first round of the Battle of Ohio in the ring, it’s nice to see Shane Taylor, and by extension Lee Moriarty, getting a TV feud with the BCC out of this one single match.

Ryan Dilbert recommends:
AKINO vs Mio Momono, The Wizard of Oz, (OZ Academy, January 10)
Fuck me, this was brilliant. Mio Momono expertly played the babyface fighting off an unrelenting bully of an opponent. AKINO is dominant, a bulldozer. With an arm hanging limply at her side, Momono captivates with heart and fight. The whole thing buzzes with emotion. Be sure to watch more Mio as she continues to stake her claim as one of the best in the world.   

Fusa recommends:
Will Ospreay vs Josh Alexander, iMPACT! (TNA, January 18)
If 2023 was the year of the dream match, then 2024 is the year of the rematch. Ospreay now competing in the newly rebranded TNA got to wrestle for the promotion that made him want to be a wrestler; Alexander however, did not come to play, keen to avenge his loss from last year. Both tried their best to remove each other’s heads with decapitating clotheslines, kicks, piledriver and anything they could think of on the ramp and apron, plus a Tiger Driver off the apron through a table for good measure! A match that one-upped the first encounter, so good that TNA president Scott D’Amore came out and publicly praised both men and said “TNA is back and it is never ever going away!” Welcome back TNA!

Steve Howard recommends:
Chris Sabin vs KUSHIDA vs El Hijo Del Vikingo, Hard to Kill (TNA, January 13)
The relaunch of TNA was an incredible show and this battle for the X Division Championship was the standout. There was contagious chemistry between the three competitors and the pre-match announcement of the working relationship with AAA led to an increased element of doubt about the outcome. Lots of high flying moves and near falls added to the excitement level of the sellout crowd, Sabin retaining following a perfectly executed Cradle Shock on KUSHIDA.

BCube recommends:
Wakana Uehara vs Aja Kong, Tokyo Joshi Pro ’24 (TJPW, January 4)
Out of the norm for Aja Kong matches in the modern era here, was the amount of struggle she went through. Wakana is a truly unique type of rookie, already immensely popular with enticing in-ring talent, citing Ricochet as her inspiration. This match showed a different side of her, though, still showing upbeat happiness but now with a side of grit your teeth attitude, locking in multiple sleepers on her larger opponent to the point where it was genuinely believable that this rookie could put THE Aja Kong to sleep. The way Wakana took the fight and kept it going against Aja was impressive and spectacular, the comeback by Aja was more desperate than dominating. A real sense of purpose and commitment by Wakana throughout.

CiaranRH recommends:
Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii vs TMDK, Road to The New Beginning (NJPW, January 24)
Okada’s swansong in Korakuen Hall was a poetic affair, every moment burdened with everlasting purpose as he competed in his final match as an NJPW contracted wrestler. As much as this match was about Okada, though, it was equally about TMDK’s Kosei Fujita putting on another star-making performance. The imagery of Fujita almost stealing a win with a perfect pinning bridge directly in the center of the famed lion mark will be burned in the brains of fans for years to come. At 21 years old Fujita has no right to be as smooth and brilliant as he is, get on board the Fujita band-wagon whilst there’s still room.