10,000 Pesos Match (RIOT, 5/29/2026)

Like many viewers of this match, I’m sure, I knew none of the competitors and had never heard of the promotion before watching. Apparently, it somehow wound up in the WON round of reviews this week, and it seems to have captivated the internet wrestling community. Even knowing none of the specifics, any of the moves would be recognizable by anyone familiar with lucha. This was a chaotic spotfest, plain and simple, with every athlete given a handful of seconds to perform a move before it was onto the next. What made this match so special, though, was the crowd. Named a “10,000 Pesos match” for the amount fans throw in the ring to show appreciation, and it showed. The crowd was white hot the entire time and the seemingly small gym was out of control. This is the match I would show an eight-year old to make them a fan for life.

El Hijo del Santo vs. La Parka (Monterrey, 12/23/2001)

I was promised blood, and I got it. The opening caida was a little slow, as these tend to be, but the action really took off in the second fall. At first, I thought it would be La Parka who would spill all the blood, because he took a shot off the ring post and spent a lot of time on the ground. Not the case. This was my first watch, so I didn’t even catch what busted Del Santo open, but his light mask was red in a matter of minutes. Wild blading, emphasized by the lingering shots on viscera in the ring. Also, I’m not well-versed in lucha matches, but I don’t ever remember seeing one with two referees, at times doing simultaneous counts. I suppose that was all to set up a confusing gimmick of a finish, but by that point, who really cares.

Triple H vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (WWF, 2/25/2001)

This was a nice take on the two-out-of-three falls format, even if the first two falls were basically indistinguishable from each other, and the cage match came up lacking as a result. Still, the hatred between the two of them was evident. The finish was well-told with both competitors exhausted to the point of passing out, which really sold the intensity of the 35+ minutes of action. Even though the actual resolution may have been corny and unbelievable, it was a protected win for Hunter, overwhelmingly the unpopular choice. But when both are seemingly passed out after the bell, no one actually loses.  

Mile High Madness Anything Goes (AEW, 2/25/2026)

This is not really my style of match, overemphasizing chaos and props, but it was certainly enjoyable for what it was. This was the definition of a spotfest, and I don't necessarily use that as a pejorative. To begin the match, having Jack Perry's music running the entire first two or three minutes was goofy and fun. From there it was quick cuts jumping from action to plunder to more action. Kudos to the Perry, the Rascalz, and the Bucks for wearing similarly colored pants; otherwise, I would have been totally lost in the mayhem. I can't watch too many of these in a row, but I'm good for one or two a year. 

AEW Dynamite (2/11/2026)

I don’t often have the time to watch full wrestling shows anymore, but I try to keep up with the must-see matches at the very least, and this week’s Dynamite had two of them. First up was the newly added Tommaso Ciampa against Mark Fletcher. The heat for this match was unreal, especially for a TV match, and not even a main event at that. The plant on the steps was brutal, and the crowd was white hot from then on. The ending was somewhat telegraphed for how often commentary talked about the Australia show next week and the possibility of Fletcher returning home as champion, but that didn’t stop every near-fall from feeling meaningful. Ciampa kicking out of a brain-buster and looking blankly ahead while Fletcher cradled him in disbelief was perfect imagery.

Then, I skipped ahead to the end of the show to watch the strap match between Kris Statlander and the “toxic spider,” Thekla. Strap matches are rare enough they still hold some novelty for me. Add in a healthy amount of blood, and this was a looker. I quite liked Thekla going into her spider pose, only to be yanked out by a quick yank on the strap from Kris. It was short, it was violent, it was excellent.

Hazuki vs. Mei Seira (Stardom, 1/11/2026)

Stardom is one of those wrestling promotions I see all the time on best-of lists, always want to know more about, but don’t usually have the bandwidth to follow regularly. In fact, I can’t recall if I’ve ever seen either of these competitors before this match. So, without any of the storyline context or background knowledge, I can safely say: wow, this was a stiff match! Hazuki’s offense in the closing minutes was relentless, Seira looked completely exhausted at the final bell. The pure sound alone was bombastic enough to make this a must-watch match. On a related note, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a referee with such rigid, vigorous mat counts. Truly authoritative performance from the referee, outshone only by the intense, rapid action from the wrestlers themselves. The one-off matches of Stardom I catch never fail to disappoint, and I need to do that more often.

As an aside, I have to start thinking about where Korakuen Hall would land on a list of all-time venues. Like a Madison Square Garden, it is one of those places where the location lends to the stature of the event.