5 Best Wrestling Matches of 2005

2005 was an amazing year for pro wrestling, as promotions all around the world put on some outstanding matches. Japan’s Pro Wrestling NOAH was the clear #1 in the world, selling out major shows all over the country and putting on tons of matches rated between four and five-stars.

TNA was also growing as a promotion as well, with their growing roster of home-grown talent showing off some of the most athletic and exciting matches not seen in a non-WWE American promotion since the peak years of WCW. Three of their X-Division stars even managed to put on TNA’s first and only 5-star match to date.

Of course, WWE wasn’t far behind, as they showcased some amazing matches as well. From technical masterpieces to hardcore brawls, WWE did extremely well in 2005, especially since it was something of a ‘transitional year’ for them. The need to push new stars led to some fresh match-ups, many of which were show-stealing performances on their respective Pay-Per-Views.

Top to bottom, 2005 was such a good year in the good match department that picking the five best matches was incredibly challenging. Several fantastic matches almost made the list, but lost out to the five listed below.

These five matches are simply the best for a number of reasons. Whether it’s historic importance, insane crowds, or just outstanding in-ring work, these five matches stand head and shoulders above the rest.

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5. A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe – TNA Turning Point 2005

Not only was this a great match between two of the greatest wrestlers in TNA, but there was also a great story being told here. On one hand, Styles wrestled with a sense of urgency, as he was desperately trying to win the X-Division title. On the other hand, Joe was the dominant champion that used his size and power to keep Styles down.

Because of that size difference, Styles got desperate as the match progressed. This caused him to bring out increasingly riskier moves, including an ultra-rare Fosbury Flop and even managing to hoist the 280-pound Joe up for a Powerbomb.

Styles sold this sense of urgency perfectly. Through his actions, facial expressions, and moves executed, you could tell how badly he wanted to win and the lengths to which he was willing to go to achieve that goal. Joe, meanwhile, looked like the perfect champion by finding an answer for this worthy challenger on every occasion.

For those who might have reservations about Styles and Joe in main-event matches, go watch this match. It’ll prove that these men are more than capable of stealing the show and putting on a barn-burner of a wrestling match.

#4. Kenta Kobashi vs. Kensuke Sasaki – NOAH Destiny, July 18, 2005

There may not be a better example of ‘unstoppable force meets immovable object’ than this match.

You have two powerful wrestlers from two different companies clashing in singles competition. Both of them are known for being power wrestlers with devastating maneuvers in their respective arsenals. Also, one of them is known for delivering the stiffest chops in the entire wrestling business. So when they clashed, it felt like a titanic struggle, like any Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle match from 2003.

From bell to bell, the wrestling is hard-hitting and stiff. But what most people will remember from watching this match is the chop battle. For almost five minutes, Kobashi and Sasaki chop the ever-loving daylights out of each other, each one pushing out their chest to take a chop hard enough to knock the wind out of someone.

Each chop led out a thunderous noise which traveled throughout the Tokyo Dome, which means that it must’ve hurt like hell. The crowd cheered with each chop and gave both of them a standing ovation not once but twice in the span of just over four minutes. By the time the chop battle was over, Kobashi and Sasaki had chopped each other 168 times four minutes, proving to the world just how superhumanly tough both of them were.

But that’s not all; Kobashi and Sasaki hit so many other crazy moves in this match that it made tens of thousands of Japanese fans erupt. These include: a Norther Lights Bomb (brainbuster-type move) from the apron to the floor; lariats from both guys that look like they have enough force to decapitate a normal person, and some of the most out-of-nowhere and seemingly impossible reversals ever seen. Just when you think a move is going to land, either Kobashi or Sasaki find a way to either reverse a move or find the strength to absorb the pain and survive.

If you’re the type that doesn’t really care about characters, promos or storylines, and just want to see two incredibly tough athletes fight to see which is better, this is the match for you. It’s the closest wrestling gets to ‘pure competition’, and feels like a genuine and unscripted contest between two of the strongest and toughest wrestlers in the world at the time.

#3. A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels - TNA Unbreakable 2005

This the first and only TNA match to ever be rated 5-stars by the Wrestling Observer. The action was fast-paced, crisp and well-executed. Every move meant something and made sense, unlike many other triple threat matches, which tend to feel cluttered and repetitive. Furthermore, this was a very fast-paced match, with big moves and reversal sequences happening in seconds. These three wrestlers packed thirty minutes’ worth of action into just over twenty (including some comedy, which, surprisingly, didn’t hurt the match in any way).

All three of these wrestlers kept reversing each other’s big moves Kurt Angle/Chris Benoit style, which was amazing. At one point, Daniels tried to hit a monkey flip onto Styles, and Samoa Joe ran in hoping to catch Styles mid-air and Powerbomb him. Instead, Styles reversed Joe’s Powerbomb attempt and hit a Frankenstein while in mid-air. The man’s technique and sense of timing were second to none here.

Of course, this was a TNA match, so of course high-flying athleticism would be on display. All three of these guys hit amazing aerial moves. Daniels hit a split-legged moonsault that was absolutely perfect; Styles hit a springboard shooting star press to the outside that was also perfect in its execution; and Samoa Joe (who weighed around 280 pounds in this match) hit a pescado (corkscrew dive over the ropes) without using the ropes for leverage.

All three of these wrestlers did absolutely amazing things in the ring in this match. Anyone of them could’ve been a credible main-eventer by this point. WWE should’ve signed all three of them after this match happened. Had they done so, WWE would’ve had three of the best wrestlers in the world at the time on their roster, which would’ve led to some potential dream matches in WWE.

#2. Kenta Kobashi vs. Samoa Joe - ROH Joe vs. Kobashi - October 1, 2005

Have you ever seen a match that’s so captivating that it doesn’t need commentary? Well this is it.

In 2005, Samoa Joe was still a rising star in the wrestling business, while Kenta Kobashi was a certified legend who had come off a two-year reign as NOAH’s world champion. These two heavyweight wrestlers faced off in one of the most physical matches ever seen, with Kobashi at one point chopping Joe’s chest so badly it actually turned purple. But this isn’t a technical masterpiece by any stretch; in that department, the match is really good but not outstanding.

What makes this match awesome is the crowd. They cheer every single move with such fervor and passion that the crowd of maybe 1,000 sound like over 20,000. The crowd cheered every chop, kick, throw, suplex, submission hold, transition move, everything. They adored this match, giving both men a standing ovation within minutes. Even before the match had even started, the crowd was roaring with approval.

This match is the perfect example of a great crowd making all the difference. If you were to rate this match by its in-ring action alone, it would likely be in the 4-star range, and that’s because the action itself is dramatic with lots of great back-and-forth action.

But the crowd in attendance is like no other; they manage to make the small venue sound like a stadium full of cheering fans. That is why Ring of Honor released two versions of the DVD for the show hosting this match: one with commentary and one without it.

And honestly, the one without any commentary is infinitely better because it allows the fans to voice their support for their favorite superstars and give their direct opinion on this brutal slugfest of a match.

#1. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 21

This was the dream match to end all dream matches...

This particular video has the acronym ‘BMOTD’, which means ‘Best Match of the Decade’.

Although such a title comes down to taste, this is easily one of the top contenders for that honor.

This match is off the charts. It’s two of the greatest in-ring technicians of all time wrestling to find out which of them is better. Given how good both guys were in terms of credentials and accomplishments, expectations were very high for this match.

And they exceeded all of those expectations.

I absolutely LOVED this match. The chain grappling and reversals were out of this world. The power game and big moves were devastating. The athleticism from both wrestlers was outstanding. Whether it was Shawn Michaels’ springboard body splash onto the announce table, Kurt Angle’s vicious Angle Slam into the ringpost (or the one from the top rope), or Angle’s sky-high moonsault, there were some phenomenal moves in this match that brought everyone to their feet.

But most importantly, this is a match that could end at any time. There were so many reversals, transitions and changes in control that it could literally end at any time. That made this match simply breath-taking. It kept everyone watching at the edge of their seats, not knowing when or how the match would end. That makes it only fun to watch once, but you can also re-watch it again and again and still enjoy it. Only two of the best wrestlers in the world can put together such a match.

Astonishingly, this match was rated 4.75 out of 5 stars by the Wrestling Observer. If there was any match that deserves to be revisited and have its rating increased to a perfect five out of five, it’s this one.

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