2020 saw Tetsuya Naito finally win the big one, a singles match between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Chris Jericho, and the retirements of Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Hattori, and Manabu Nakanishi. And that was BEFORE the pandemic! * nervous laughter *
2020 was really bad, but Japan and by proxy New Japan were able to find some way out of the COVID-19 crisis and put on a bunch of good wrestling. Whether it was 40,000 fans in the Tokyo Dome, limited capacities with noise restrictions across the country, or zero fans in Korakuen Hall – New Japan was wrestling. Not everything hit and some on the roster adapted to the circumstances better than others, but the boys still got it done. The G1 Climax being as good as it was remains astounding.
Here are my favorite New Japan matches and wrestlers from this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year.
New Japan’s Top 30 Matches of 2020
30. Yota Tsuji vs. Gabriel Kidd (10/1/20)
Young Lion matches are as good, solid, and fun as it gets – but this could’ve been in any spot on any show. A competitive and credible match that built into something special and paid off a whole tour of matches.
29. IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title Briefcase: KENTA [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (11/7/20)
Modern wrestling took its a toll on KENTA, but his shtick versus the babyface energy of Hiroshi Tanahashi makes for great matches. Last year’s G1 felt like these two feeling each other out, this year’s G1 felt like Tana delivering, and this match felt like KENTA finally coming back. Bonus Good Match: G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. KENTA (10/6/20)
28. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. Taiji Ishimori (8/29/20)
These two just GO here, all rope-running and big bombs with zero rest periods in front of a very charmed stadium audience. They put over each guys’ desire to win while keeping a lighting-fast pace – great work.
27. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tatsumi Fujinami, Great Sasuke & Tiger Mask vs. Naoki Sano, Shinjiro Otani, Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Ryusuke Taguchi (1/4/20)
A sentimental favorite, but this was so cool: legends of various ages who have always known exactly what to do in the ring whether they were young boys rising up the ranks or old men still able to pull off some of what made them famous. 8-and-a-half minutes of beautiful moments before Liger closed up wrestling career doing ass-based comedy with Taguchi.
26. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (9/20/20)
Naito and Tana have had dozens of matches, a whole-ass feud, but it had been a while and this delivered.
25. G1 Climax – Block A: Will Ospreay vs. Taichi (10/10/20)
The 10/10 G1 show was filled with great wrestling matches, and this still stood out: Taichi can do the big tournament match but also keep up with Ospreay’s rope-running and high-flying, and those things combined made for one of Ospreay’s more complete matches this year.
24. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jay White (10/16/20)
Going into this final Block A match, Ishii could no longer qualify for the finals but White still could. There was a lot needed to ensure they closed it up not just well but compelling, and by selling his leg like a champion Ishii made sure they did. Better than the actual Finals!
23. G1 Climax – Block B: YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL (10/8/20)
There is a lot of tape on record that says this should not have been good, but I watched the whole thing and thought it was great. YOSHI-HASHI is one step beyond an acquired taste, but once it hits it… well, it still doesn’t always work but SOMETIMES it does and that’s the point. The dispassionate underdog ended up having the best EVIL match since the heel turn.
22. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Kazuchika Okada vs. Yuji Nagata (6/24/20)
This isn’t a hard-hitting or epic type of match, but they wrestled hard and told a good story. Before Okada was the facial expressions guy, Nagata was: Okada clearly out-wrestles Nagata early, but Nagata finds a rhythm and they made some magic even in an empty arena.
21. NEVER Openweight Title: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. Tomohiro Ishii (2/20/20)
Shingo throws elbows and lariats harder than anybody else, which combined with his feats of strength makes him a very special wrestler. Ishii, as always, just gets it done. By the end, they’re spent. A pre-COVID crowd loved this wonderful match.
20. NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Title: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI [c] vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI (10/23/20)
Sometimes it’s just about the staredown before the bell. After DOUKI pinned YOSHI-HASHI at the G1 Climax Finals, there was a wonderful tension in the air that carried all the way to Korakuen Hall and then through this entire 30-minute 6-man tag. Goto, Ishii and YOSHI have great chemistry whether running through triple teams or just defending each other, and Korakuen was losing it for the finish. A big time match from a different crew than usual.
19. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Taichi (10/5/20)
A different, rewarding, and occasionally epic G1 match: Taichi’s simultaneous vibes of “wow, that prick” and “how is he so good?” up against a tired Tomohiro Ishii made for a great time.
18. NEVER Openweight Title: Minoru Suzuki [c] vs. Shingo Takagi (11/7/20)
I’m a simple man; all I need are elbows, headbutts, and stares of rage. Shingo throws bombs, Suzuki is cocky then trying to keep up – this crazy uncle-nephew pairing is a blast. Bonus Good Match: NEVER Openweight Title: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. Minoru Suzuki (8/29/20)
17. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Chris Jericho (1/5/20)
These two Men of a Certain Age delivered a match that felt more WrestleMania than Wrestle Kingdom, but in a good way: big reactions from limited movements, with the flabby painted mess that is Japan Jericho right there for every big spot they did. Straight-up brilliant wrestling.
16. New Japan Cup – Semi Final: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiromu Takahashi (7/3/20)
Maybe not the most obvious choice, but besides a crowd this had everything I could have ever wanted out of the first big Okada/Hiromu match: not just good wrestling, but weird wrestling. It’s like a passive aggressive match that became an epic match. They left something on the table, but put together a little masterpiece all the same.
15. G1 Climax – Block A: Kota Ibushi vs. Shingo Takagi (10/7/20)
There’s a ton of high-impact wrestling matches these days, but here was a first time match between two of the best at it. Shingo just wrecked Ibushi in another great G1 performance.
14. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jeff Cobb (10/10/20)
Tomohiro Ishii could have easily just mailed this in with shoulder tackles and a few elbows, but instead he just relentlessly beats a great match into Jeff Cobb. By the end of it I was fired up for a Cobb title run or something; the guy finally got it!
13. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Will Ospreay [c] vs. Hiromu Takahashi (1/4/20)
Hiromu returned to singles action with an astounding professional wrestling match in front of a big audience. Will almost plays it safe for a bit, but Hiromu is ready to prove he’s 100%: crazy bumps, impressive precision, and just jaw-dropping fun. Awesome wrestling.
12. RPW British Heavyweight Title: Zack Sabre Jr. [c] vs. Will Ospreay (2/2/20)
Will Ospreay slows it down, barely runs the ropes, and tries to best his buddy at his buddy’s kind of match… and it rules. When Will does hit a Sasuke Special it feels like a legitimate offensive maneuver. This was a pleasure to watch: less matwork and staredowns, more chain wrestling with an intent to win.
11. G1 Climax – Block A: Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii (9/27/20)
The G1 Climax started a little slow this year, but Ibushi and Ishii smacked the life into it. Watch these two pack ALL of it into 15 minutes, the kind of match where they put it all out there then went backstage and laid on the floor in silent pain.
10. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA (10/14/20)
Tanahashi does a 1970s NWA tribute match about once every G1 now and this year SANADA got it in what felt like both guys’ best match all year. Tana takes 25 minutes and just enjoys being a main event superstar professional wrestler who milks every moment as they go hold-for-hold and counter-for-counter before they bring it home with a finish that pays off the limb damage done early on… This is not a tape study tribute, this is a tribute tribute.
9. IWGP Heavyweight Title & IWGP IC Title: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Tetsuya Naito [c] (1/5/20)
The main event of New Japan’s biggest show(s) of the year delivered: spirit, cooperation, timing, precision, drama, selling. Naito hasn’t always worked for me recently, but Okada and no less than the biggest win of his career got the very best of New Japan main events out of him. The moment when Okada realizes Naito might actually win… priceless.
8. Kazuchika Okada vs. Taichi (2/2/20)
This felt right at home with Okada’s legendary ’16-’18 title reign, a match that both followed the Big Match Kazu formula but also conjured the ultimate version of his opposition’s potential: here Taichi brings the strangest concoction of both All Japan Pro Wrestling and General Japanese Indy Sleaze to the top guy and it feels like the biggest match in the world. There is genuine disgust in Okada’s eyes as he lifts Taichi up for a second Rainmaker. Bonus Good Match: G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Taichi (9/30/20)
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (9/24/20)
A main event Naito match, but with a twist: ZSJ grounds him and forces him to work the mat with a focus you rarely see, then grind for victory with an intensity you rarely see. It made for one of the best Naito matches I saw all year.
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Kota Ibushi vs. Taichi (10/16/20)
Similar to the Suzuki match, this was an Ibushi match that felt completely different by just going back to basics. Besides a couple big boots and the Kamigoye knee to the face, I’m not sure there was another move in this match that wasn’t a kick to the leg. Because of some brilliant selling and pacing, it works – let these two wrap you up in their world. Bonus Good Match: New Japan Cup – Round 2: Kota Ibushi vs. Taichi (7/1/20)
5. Best of the Super Jr. – Final: Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado (12/11/20)
The headline is that El Desperado took his mask off towards the end of this match in a last ditch effort to win the tournament, but the story is that the junior heavyweights delivered a main event as awesome as any heavyweight one… and one of those junior heavyweights was freaking El Desperado. Desperado rules, but that’s a statement. Despy provided the shit-kicking, Hiromu the dramatic selling, and it was all tremendous.
4. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Shingo Takagi vs. SHO (6/22/20)
Best match of the empty arena era and one that stands right with anything that had an audience, even if the style these guys do is best when there are people freaking out for it. These two threw themselves into everything so hard they had me freaking out all alone. SHO is relentless on offense, a dead man on defense, and any time someone got hit or knocked down it was an absolute moment. Bonus Good Match: NEVER Openweight Title: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. SHO (7/12/20)
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi (10/10/20)
An unbelievable first time match and Okada’s best G1 performance by a lot: big time feel, great payoffs, quality peaks and valleys, and a return to form for the Rainmaker. Shingo is the man.
2. G1 Climax – Block A: Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii (9/30/20)
Here’s two bad dudes who know they’re going to have to do the whole damn thing to beat each other and WELP! They did all of it. Shingo brings a new energy to the already awesome Ishii match: this is not just two guys hitting each other back-and-forth, it’s the new generation coming for Ishii’s spot.
1. G1 Climax – Block A: Kota Ibushi vs. Minoru Suzuki (10/10/20)
A match that stood out in the middle of a great G1 tournament and still stands out at the end of the year. This is as old school Strong Style as New Japan got this year, pure strikes and submission holds: first it’s who can strike the hardest, then the quickest. They not only told the story of Ibushi’s ascension into a badass better than anyone; they straight-up told a story better than anyone.
New Japan’s Top 10 Wrestlers of 2020
- Shingo Takagi
- Hiromu Takahashi
- Tomohiro Ishii
- Kota Ibushi
- Taichi
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Hirooki Goto
- Tetsuya Naito
- Minoru Suzuki
- Kazuchika Okada
Honorable Mentions: El Desperado, SHO, Will Ospreay, SANADA, KENTA
