What a time to be a wrestling fan! Now more than ever, there are so many options when it comes to watching television programming and pay-per-view (PPV). While promos can be fun and help build a feud, angle, and rivalry; there’s no greater way to tell a story than when two (or more) opponents face off in the middle of that squared circle. 2023 provided some great matches, but which one was the best?
2023 Best Wrestling Match Of The Year: Bryan Danielson Versus MJF, AEW Revolution
Occurring earlier in 2023, Bryan Danielson and MJF’s 60-minute Iron Man match at AEW’s Revolution was a phenomenal watch. Danielson continued to prove why he is one of the GOATs when it comes to in-ring performance, and MJF revealed a never-back-down-never-give-up attitude that would eventually lead him toward a babyface path.
The match was an emotional rollercoaster ride, where fans were unsure where things were going to end up. As is the case with most Iron Matches, the two went into overtime, which was an expected swerve but still a swerve nonetheless.
At the end of the match, MJF was the victor. However, the fans were the real winners when all was said and done.
2023 Best Wrestling Match Of The Year: Honorable Mention – Charlotte Flair Versus Rhea Ripley, WrestleMania 39
In this passing of the torch match, Rhea Ripley walked into WrestleMania 39 with something to prove. As she lost the bout the last time she faced Charlotte Flair on the WWE’s Grandest Stage of Them All at WrestleMania 36, she was determined to win, and not allow lightning to strike twice.
The word “lose” isn’t in The Queen’s vocabulary, so their clash at WM had fans on the edge of their seats, with many leaving Night One of WWE’s flagship event wondering if Flair and Ripley should’ve closed the show.
2023 Best Wrestling Match Of The Year: Not Quite Done Yet …
At the age of 42, Bryan Danielson’s in-ring wrestling career might be starting to wind down, but he brought it up and notch or two in the ring during 2023. His match against MJF at Revolution was amazing, but his bouts with Zack Sabre, Jr. (AEW WrestleDream) and Ricky Starks (AEW All Out) were incredibly noteworthy, as well.
Lastly, another WM 39 match that is worth mentioning in the “best of the best” matches for 2023 was GUNTHER versus Sheamus versus Drew McIntyre. This slugfest between the three men who desperately wanted that win for three very different reasons had fans invested in every second of the bout.
