So I decided to do an experiment this year of writing down all the wrestling I watched and when needed provide some commentary and recommended matches -this is chapter 1.
Part 1
December 31st into January 1st
Big Japan’s King of Deathmatch GP II Light Tube Crusaders – even Jun Kasai couldn’t save this boring tournament that just had light tubes as the only weapon, extra ugh points for Jojo Otani showing up.
AJPW New Year’s Eve show – aside from the obvious KURAMA bollocks the 2nd half is worth seeing I feel: Jun Saito impressed me vs Go and Kento carries on a fun Triple Crown run.
Marigold’s NYE show had a nice mini Rookie of 2025 tournament between Megaton, Shinno, Seri Yamaoka and Yuuka Yamazaki – I highly recommend the final of Seri vs Shinno.
AEW New Year’s smash – a fun show to close out/enter the New Year: A fun intergender trios match between Death Riders and Timeless Conglomeration, loved the Kaientai DX pose the Driders did at one point plus how Roderick and Marina did NOT hold back when it came to ther brief sequence together, a delightful Bandido vs Beast Mortos match, a hard-hitting match with Mox and Walking Weapon Josh Alexander and a beautiful main with Willow coming full circle against Mercedes not just with the TBS title but given she was Mone’s first loss since leaving WWE…
Beyond’s end of year show was pretty much a two match card for me – Dan Barry’s emotional retirement and a fans bring the weapons match between my breakout deathmatch star of 2025 in Bear Bronson and Krule. By the time Doc and I do the pod about this month Bear’ll probably be signed with TNA maybe so this is my way of noting it here for what happens either way!
(Also the mic echoing throughout the entire show making every word said on it double up is a PET HATE of mine… please make it not happen in 2026.)
Surprisingly alongside the VNDL48 vs Ciclope, Tremont and Redacted 6 man death match Shotzi and Priscilla Kelly exceeded my expectations (blame the WWE PC system being utterly useless) in a Six Feet Under death match.
January 1st
Speaking of WWE not knowing a wrestler at all – Sareee being relegated to some Sailor Moon schoolgirl fetish gimmick while in that company was insulting so it’s wonder to see her actually show what she is capable of and never more so when facing MIRAI on the Shinjiro Ohtani aid show (Stand up again no matter how many times) in a match that sets the bar high for Joshi on 2026’s FIRST DAY.
NOAH’s annual THE NEW YEAR was top-heavy but when the main stories are the debut of Naito and BUSHI in the company, AMASUKA being the only one to defeat an invader in Hiromu and having a MOTYC in the process (unlike Kaito and MaruKEN) and Inamura besting Ozawa a year after Ozawa’s coronation in the same venue it’s interesting to see where they go from here – as long as NXT doesn’t invade TOO much this year.
January 2nd
CMLL had the annual SIN SALIDA cage match – sixteen wrestlers fight in a cage under escape rules until two are left to face off in a singles match – loser either loses their hair or mask where appropriate. While the match isn’t much to behold as sixteen wrestlers in a cage is pretty much chaotic the post match at least is worth seeing for the crowd shots (one kid in a Robin mask looking distraught as his hero loses) and the loser’s family performing the unmasking ceremony – this year’s was Robin aka Robin Ivan Alvarado Dominguez who has been wrestling since 15 and is now 35.
WWE Smackdown having Damien Priest thriving in an Ambulance Match (last match I REALLY cared about from this company was him vs Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico) and old Tommy End of course using a stip match to lose I see rather than a pin just like old times *IYKYK* couldn’t stop the show from dragging its feet as the Codyverse consumed the rest of the show up.
Surprised that All Japan had HAVOC lose the tag titles already to Titans of Calamity (with the cross between Giant Silva and Lance Archer that is Talos) but I’m not expecting a long reign.
January 3rd
Daisuke Sekimoto just being the best against Shotaro Ashino and winning the GAORA TV TITLE making the downfall of HAVOC continue is the only match honestly to check out from New Year Wars Day 2 in AJPW, avoid the main featuring the sex pest unmasking at all costs.
Memphis finally had Tim Bosby turn heel and win their championship – very interested to see how he does minus the extra element of Dylan Hales as his mouthpiece because there’s something about that team that just clicks very well elsewhere.
CMLL had a lovely Mistico and Templario vs Cavenario and Soberano Jr tag match main event to check out from Sabados De Coliseo.
DDT ended up being a nice prelude to Wrestle Kingdom with their New Year Dramatic Parade – Answers will be given in a year show with four great matches to recommend – Shinya Aoki vs Sanshiro Takagi, the final match of Schadenfreude International as Brookes, Honda and Masada took on HARASHIMA, Owashi and Hirata, Takeshita taking on Dieno, Akito and Super Sasadango Machine in a handicap match and the KO-D title match between Ueno, To-y and Takechi vs MAO, KANON and Sumi.
Time for my first experience with STARDOM and considering the place put on two shows in one day I picked a good time to jump in! Loved seeing some familiar faces such as Bozilla, Olympia from CMLL, Sareee and Alex Windsor but loved seeing properly for the first time the Cosmic Angels, AZM, Starlight Kid and the God’s Eye and H.A.T.E factions.
Collision was another solid show with the debut of Arez as El Clon, Hyan and Maya World getting their graphic after a match with Toni and Mina (which goes to show that if you step up after two people with egos – a MAGAt and a former Fed ‘star’ with high delusions – decide AEW’s beneath them you will be rewarded) and a fun Lucha showcase between Hechicero and Komander.
For the Deathmatch fans we got a double feature of ICW NHB 90 and GCW ONE NIGHT ONLY – highly recommend the Vixsin vs Demanto, Hoodfoot vs Mowery and the main of JWM vs Bear Bronson for the American Deathmatch Championship from ICW and everything from the Mr Danger match onwards in GCW.
January 4th
Naturally this day belonged to WRESTLE KINGDOM 20 and the retirement of one of the greatest wrestlers ever in Hiroshi Tanahashi and with the end of an era came many other seismic changes to the New Japan landscape: Aaron Wolf impressing in his debut match beating EVIL for the NEVER openweight title (and proof that EVIL can make a star), Yoji Tsuji becoming the breakout Reiwa Musketeer by beating the ‘invader’ in Takeshita and of course Tanahashi showing how you leave a company right by having his greatest rival defeat him one last time.
Tanahashi’s emotional retirement ceremony I urge everyone to check out as Jay White’s ‘ban’ was lifted for one night, Shibata and Tana locked up one last time, Ospreay, Omega, Naito (appearing for the first time since last May) and Fujinami all turning up to give flowers and wish him well in his retirement.
Shinsuke Nakamura sadly was absent since WWE decided him and AJ Styles couldn’t be there – in Nakamura’s case making sure he was on Smackdown to confront Tama Tonga. Needless to say fuck the Fed hours were in effect.
It’s also interesting that by Takeshita losing to Tsuji with a Boston Crab – Young Lion style – and Okada winning his (and also using the crab to try and put away Tanahashi at one point) adds to THEIR story in AEW too.
Worth catching Syuri vs the first ever woman to get the Tokyo Sports MVP award Saya Kamitani match for both IWGP/STRONG women’s titles as an abridged but great showcase for those unfamiliar with STARDOM like myself.
Had to chuckle during the opening VTR Tanahashi walking on like he’s Genesis in the I Can’t Dance video (complimentary).
Tokyo Joshi kicked off their year with the annual Hyper Misao/Shojo Nakajima match – this year being a wrestling equivalent of the Namco game Final Furlong! We also saw MIRAI’s journey after Marigold continue as she faced Arisue Endo and became the new International Princess champion.
January 5th
How do you do a crossover with the biggest show on the platform you’re on and do absolutely nothing with bar a different title sequence and some merch? The answer is Raw Is Stranger Things. (I find it hilarious that they apparently tried to get cast members but failed.) Sure you got Rhea and Io winning the Women’s tag titles but a match where Bron had to carry a clearly checked out Punk, Becky Lynch doing an impression of an Orange Goblin President and no stars from stranger Things it looks like the main roster of WWE is stagnating and not moving from 2020 never mind the 80s. At least Corey wished Tanahashi a good retirement.The Jericho tease was worthless plus way to make Jevon Evans look even more of a GEEK than on NXT by relegating his contract signing to an ad break which’ll get edited out of Netflix in a few days!
New Year’s Dash solidified the post Tanahashi era beginning with Tsuji setting out his stall by bringing back the lineage of the proper IWGP title (in kayfabe at least), ending the Bullet Club and creating the Unbound Company plus making clear how he plans to defend the titles going forward. Catch the main event of TMDK vs Knock Out Bros and especially stick aroud for Yuto-ICE’s passionate speech shooting down WWE rumours at the end.
January 6th
So given NXT New Year’s Evil had the only match I liked from the Fed in 2025 with Giulia and Roxanne facing off for the NXT Women’s title would lightning strike twice? When the beast that is Oba Femi and one of the brightest up and comers in wrestling full stop in Leon Slater square off it can.Hate the whole ‘got nothing left to prove so I’ll just vacate the belt and move to main’ trope – Gunther was guilty of this in Progress back in the day too btw – just boost someone else with the win. Leon’s a star in the making and YET… companies still do this shit in 2025. STOP.JCW was watched and while they have the occasional good match with the likes of Ninja Mack - Vince Russo doing the same old shit he’s done for years and throwing in some Janel Grant shit with Alice Crowley (who if you remember the Nolan Edward reveal of harassment towards her makes it even more disgusting) makes the storyline shit unwatchable.