Top 20 Pro Wrestling Matches

The very best of all time! Includes exact date, city, arena, Wrestling Observer Newsletter star rating from Dave Meltzer, and Cagematch.net score.

Keep in mind that Cagematch scores can change over time; these scores are accurate as of the date of publication.
#1 Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Tokyo Dome
Date: January 4, 2017
NJPW — Wrestle Kingdom 11
WON: ★★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.82

The bout that detonated the modern star-rating scale, Omega and Okada painted a grand Tokyo Dome epic that redefined main-event pacing and escalation.

#2 Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Nippon Budokan
Date: March 1, 2003
Pro Wrestling NOAH
WON: ★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.79

A late-era clash between titans, blending NOAH grit with King’s Road drama.

#3 Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kazuchika Okada
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Ryōgoku Kokugikan
Date: April 9, 2017
NJPW — Sakura Genesis
WON: ★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.79

A harrowing masterclass of realism and will—Shibata’s stoic defiance meets Okada’s brilliance.

#4 Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
City/Arena: Osaka, Japan — Osaka-jō Hall
Date: June 9, 2018
NJPW — Dominion 6.9
WON: ★★★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.78

An operatic conclusion to their saga: three acts, flawless structure, and emotional payoff.

#5 Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi & Mitsuharu Misawa
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Nippon Budokan
Date: June 9, 1995
All Japan Pro Wrestling
WON: ★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.75

Peak King’s Road tag team storytelling—alliances, payoffs, and punishing exchanges woven into a classic.

#6 Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Tokyo Dome
Date: January 4, 2023
NJPW — Wrestle Kingdom 17
WON: ★★★★★★¼ Cagematch: 9.74

Velocity meets brutality—Omega’s precision and Ospreay’s daring fuse into a Dome spectacle.

#7 Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Ryōgoku Kokugikan
Date: August 13, 2017
NJPW — G1 Climax Final
WON: ★★★★★¾ Cagematch: 9.73

A tension-soaked finale—Naito’s swagger and Omega’s explosiveness collide with G1 stakes.

#8 Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Nippon Budokan
Date: August 12, 2018
NJPW — G1 Climax Final
WON: ★★★★★¾ Cagematch: 9.73

Ace vs. prodigy—Tanahashi’s craft and Ibushi’s fire craft a perfectly tuned final.

#9 Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Ryōgoku Kokugikan
Date: August 13, 2016
NJPW — G1 Climax
WON: ★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.72

A blistering G1 showcase, balancing character, pace, and risk.

#10 Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
City/Arena: Osaka, Japan — Osaka-jō Hall
Date: June 11, 2017
NJPW — Dominion 6.11
WON: ★★★★★★¼ Cagematch: 9.71

An exhausting marathon where resolve becomes the story

#11 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Nippon Budokan
Date: June 3, 1994
All Japan Pro Wrestling
WON: ★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.70

The definitive rivalry entry—grit, pride, and punishing escalations distilled into a benchmark for seriousness.

#12 Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
City/Arena: Osaka, Japan — Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
Date: January 20, 1997
All Japan Pro Wrestling
WON: ★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.69

A punishing chapter in their saga—Kobashi’s heart versus Misawa’s poise, with thunderous strikes and grueling shifts.

#13 Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay
City/Arena: St. Louis, Missouri — Chaifetz Arena
Date: April 21, 2024
AEW — Dynasty
WON: ★★★★★★½ Cagematch: 9.69

Technique and timing at terrifying speed—Danielson’s ring IQ meets Ospreay’s athletic peak in a modern classic.

#14 Adam Page & Kenny Omega vs. Young Bucks
City/Arena: Chicago, Illinois — Wintrust Arena
Date: February 29, 2020
AEW — Revolution
WON: ★★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.68

A tag epic layered with friendship and fracture—precision sequences and emotional beats make every save matter.

#15 Ilja Dragunov vs. WALTER
City/Arena: London, England — BT Sport Studios
Date: October 29, 2020
WWE — NXT UK
WON: ★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.68

Raw, unflinching intensity—Dragunov’s resilience against WALTER’s blunt-force dominance created a televised war.

#16 Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Nippon Budokan
Date: June 11, 1999
All Japan Pro Wrestling
WON: ★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.67

A Budokan staple—escalating punishment and iron wills, cementing the aura of the Kobashi–Misawa rivalry.

#17 Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Ryōgoku Kokugikan
Date: August 12, 2017
NJPW — G1 Climax
WON: ★★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.67

A sprinting crescendo in their rivalry—shorter runtime, same magic, with G1 urgency sharpening every decision.

#18 Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Tokyo Dome
Date: January 4, 2016
NJPW — Wrestle Kingdom 10
WON: ★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.67

A generational handoff—the Ace era bows with grace as Okada claims the Dome’s throne.

#19 Kensuke Sasaki vs. Kenta Kobashi
City/Arena: Tokyo, Japan — Tokyo Dome
Date: July 18, 2005
Pro Wrestling NOAH — Destiny
WON: ★★★★¾ Cagematch: 9.67

Thunderous, crowd-pleasing warfare—two hammers colliding at Dome scale, turning exchanges into seismic moments.

#20 Kenta Kobashi vs. Samoa Joe
City/Arena: New York City, USA — New Yorker Hotel
Date: October 1, 2005
Ring of Honor
WON: ★★★★★ Cagematch: 9.66

An international dream clash—Kobashi’s aura electrifies ROH as Joe channels pride and power to meet the legend head-on.