I'm currently in the middle of a few projects for this blog INCLUDING my best shows of 2024 and my annual 30 favorite young wrestlers in the world, but I felt like I should write something short in the meantime. I didn't write a whole lot of anything in 2024, and I promised myself that I wouldn't make the same mistake here in 2025. So with that in mind, I came up with a pretty fun idea.
I decided that every month, I'm going to celebrate the 10 wrestlers that I've enjoyed watching the most. This list will feature wrestlers from all walks of life. Some months will lean heavily toward one style, and the next will probably feature others from another part of the world. This series will serve as a sort of time capsule for myself, and I hope you'll all enjoy it as well.
Before we get to the 10, here are some of my honorable mentions:
Bárbaro Cavernario (CMLL): Made the notebook three times this past month, including a terrific singles clash against Neon and a four way with Barboza, Difunto, and Xelhua.
Ben-K (Dragon Gate): From 1/12 to 1/20, he was probably the best wrestler on the entire planet. His work in multi-man matches has been consistently strong, and his connection with new GOLD CLASS member JACKY KAMEI has been sublime so far.
Jun Saito (All Japan): The new Triple Crown champion notched a strong first defense against former champ Yuma Anzai while also continuing to have strong matches alongside his twin brother Rei.
Meiko Satomura (WWE): It's hard to imagine that the "Living Legend" is preparing to retire in April, because her match with Sareee from 1/23 was simply sublime. Hopefully we'll have a few more of these kinds of matches before she finally hangs up her boots for good.
Mike Santana (TNA): While his "I Quit" match in TNA with Josh Alexander will earn his the most praise, it was his 31 MINUTE match against the legend KENTA that impressed me to no end. TNA will be in good hands with this man at the top of the card, if he can get there.
Mio Momono (Marvelous): One of the 2024 MVPs continued her strong work in January with two recommended tag matches; one with main tag partner Yurika Oka and another with German import Bozilla.
Omos (WWE): While some may scoff at his inclusion, I've got to give some flowers to Omos for his strong work in NOAH as part of a brief loan spell. His work alongside tag partner Jack Morris featured two matches that reached the notebook. He was by far my favorite wrestler on the often ridiculed Team 2000X faction.
Shotaro Ashino (All Japan): If not for Kenny Omega and Gabe Kidd, Shotaro Ashino would've held a claim to the best match of the first week of 2025, that being against Yuma Anzai. And while not a notebook inclusion, his singles match against Yuko Miyamoto from 1/26 was a fun watch.
Shun Skywalker (Dragon Gate): The leader of Z-Brats was the first to notch five matches on the notebook, but it's been his constantly fantastic character work that has helped him standout on a Dragon Gate roster filled with super workers. Definitely check out his singles clash against YAMATO from 1/15.
Zack Sabre Jr. (New Japan): While his first offering of 2025, a main event clash with Shota Umino in the Tokyo Dome, wasn't his best, ZSJ withstood that speed bump in short order with a much better bout against Ricochet the next evening. The IWGP Heavyweight Title is in good hands as far as I'm concerned.
Now with all of that handled, let's find out who I thought were the 10 wrestler who I enjoyed the most in January.
Blue Panther
CMLL
We're gonna start things off with a few words on the oldest addition to this list, the 64-year-old CMLL mainstay, Blue Panther. The 46 year pro (!!) might not have the resume that anyone else has on the list, but there were some things about his month that made him a no-brainer to include. Chief among them was his technical masterclass against fellow grappling expert Hechicero from Arena Mexico on January 10th. This match made the rounds on lucha, and the best part of wrestling Twitter, after it happened, but it bears repeating that this match was absolutely fantastic. As it stands, it's my second favorite match of the year so far.
Blue Panther displayed everything in that match that makes him the kind of luchador you hunt for old matches and edits of on Twitter. The man has been on this spiraling ball of hydrogen and fossil fuels for 64 years, and yet he clearly ignores that fact so that he can do insane lucha moves, namely the Tope Suicida included here. The man clearly loves not only his craft, but the fans who pay him money to work while being almost old enough to have Medicare (if he was American, of course). He is a true inspiration for that alone.
Not to be overshadowed, Blue Panther has had a few other interesting matches. And while none have been good enough to live in the shadow of his clash with Hechicero, one other I'd like to commend was his trios match from January 28th where he teamed with Dark Panther and Hijo De Blue Panther against Akuma and the Gemelo Diablo duo.
If you enjoy watching old men wrestling, or you want to watch some incredible lucha styled technical graps, then Blue Panther NEEDS to be on your watchlist.
Highlighted Matches:
1/10 vs. Hechicero (CMLL Super Viernes, Mexico City)
1/28 w/ Dark Panther & Hijo De Blue Panther vs. Akuma, Gemelo Diablo I, & Gemelo Diablo II (CMLL Martes Arena Mexico, Mexico City)
Gabe Kidd
New Japan
Gabe Kidd entered 2025 the favorite wrestler for those of us who have seen New Japan rise to the highest highs and fall to the point where their top stars are flocking like a bunch of seagulls to Tony Kahn and Paul Levesque. The soul of the all heel all the time Bullet Club War Dogs crew, Kidd showcased that rage that those same fans have felt since TK started his company in 2019, and he let all that rage erupt in his now classic contest against Kenny Omega, who was one of the architects of that very promotion that has directly affected NJPW's popularity in America for the worst.
As if that clash, which currently stands as the best match of the year so far in 2025, is enough, the Englishman then followed up that classic with another terrific, albeit underrated and forgotten, singles match against the human/pitbull hybrid, Tomohiro Ishii, on January 11th at New Japan's Battle in the Valley event in San Jose, CA.
Because of all of that as well as his overall aura, Gabe Kidd has swiftly stolen the baton as New Japan's favorite foreigner from David Finlay or whoever it was and has simultaneously become perhaps the most talked about star in the promotion next to GOAT and President of New Japan Hiroshi Tanahashi, who is currently on his retirement tour.
Highlighted Matches:
1/5 vs. Kenny Omega (AEW/CMLL/NJPW/Stardom Wrestle Dynasty, Tokyo)
1/11 vs. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW Battle In The Valley, San Jose, CA)
Hechicero
CMLL
For a two day period in January, the wrestling world was seemingly under the spell of CMLL resident magician/wizard guy, Hechicero. This man had two standout matches in North America in that time, first in a singles match I've already mentioned against lucha libre elder statesman Blue Panther, and the second on that Saturday against everyone's favorite boa constrictor with limbs, Zack Sabre Jr., and New Japan's Battle in the Valley, which was the same show that featured the Gabe Kidd vs. Tomohiro Ishii AND the Konosuke Takeshita vs. KUSHIDA matches.
If you can't get enough of Hechicero from this past month, which is totally understandable because I can't get enough of Hechicero, then I'd also urge you all to check out two of his really fun trios matches. The first happened on January 1st, where he teamed up with Soberano Jr. and Valiente in a losing effort against Capitan Suicida, Mascara Dorada, and Mistico. And the second was another 6-man defeat on January 18th inside the Arena Coliseo.
Anyway, if you enjoy good old graps and technical wizardry with a dash of theatrics and a heaping helping of aura, then take a look at Hechicero if you haven't already.
Highlighted Matches:
1/10 vs. Blue Panther (CMLL Super Viernes, Mexico City)
1/11 vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (NJPW Battle In The Valley, San Jose, CA)
JACKY KAMEI
Dragon Gate
JACKY KAMEI lacked a certain spark at the end of 2024 that if you told me that he would be listed as one of my ten favorite wrestlers of January 2025, I probably would've looked at you like you were crazy. However, as you can see, the man formerly known as "FUNKY" has had a month to celebrate, and a lot of that has to do with one major change he made at the start of the year. KAMEI joined GOLD CLASS early on in the year, and has parlayed that move with a bunch of stellar performances in the ring with his new brothers. He's featured in tag, trios, and other multi man contests with ever other member of the faction, but has especially found a home as Riiita's main tag team partner.
This move to GOLD CLASS has also sparked his personality as a lovable underdog babyface, especially his feud with Jason Lee of Z-Brats has intensified. All five of JACKY KAMEI's matches listed in my recommendations feature Lee in some form. His first match, for instance, saw KAMEI and Lee on opposite sides of a GOLD CLASS/Z-Brats eight-man tag. Additionally, the two of them have appeared in trios, tag team, and even a singles match from January 15th at Korakuen Hall.
If I had to choose a favorite match of his from January, then I'd have to go with the tag team clash between the team of JACKY and Riiita and Jason Lee and Kota Minoura for the Open the Twin Gate tag titles from The Gate of Bayside on January 25th. This match perfectly infused the duos hate-filled rivalry with an awesome tag team match.
Highlighted Matches:
1/15 vs. Jason Lee (Dragon Gate Open The New Year Gate 2025 - Night 4, Tokyo)
1/25 w/ Riiita vs. Jason Lee & Kota Minoura (Dragon Gate The Gate of Bayside, Yokohama)
Jason Lee
Dragon Gate
Jason Lee's inclusion here is intrinsically linked with my previous selection, JACKY KAMEI, however this guys has one thing that his rival doesn't have at this point and that's a true blue tag team partner is Kota Minoura. And while Minoura is as boring as a 90-minute lecture on the history of the abacus hosted by Ben Stein, Jason Lee is one of Dragon Gate's most fresh and exciting performers.
All of Jason's matches also featured his aforementioned adversary KAMEI, so I won't bear repeating it right now. Instead, I'm gonna celebrate his overall look and aura as a cornerstone to the new Z-Brats roster. Besides Shun Skywalker, who looks like he's committed enough war crimes to warrant wearing not only a lucha mask but a full body suit, Jason Lee looks like a certifiable sociopath at all times. Long have the days gone by where he's looked like everyone's favorite member of a boy band from the 2000s, Lee looks like a caged animal when he's at his best. It's simply insane to think that he was ever a babyface at any time because he simply works even better as the bulky heel bully he is today.
Lee is one half of the Open the Twin Gate champs at a fortuitous time in the Dragon Gate calendar right now because barring a late challenge from someone in February, he and Minoura should hold on to the straps until the end of the Rey De Parejas tag team tournament, which is due to kick off in March.
Highlighted Matches:
1/15 vs. JACKY KAMEI (Dragon Gate Open The New Year Gate 2025 - Night 4, Tokyo)
1/25 w/ Kota Minoura vs. JACKY KAMEI & Riiita (Dragon Gate The Gate of Bayside, Yokohama)
Konosuke Takeshita
AEW
The only pro wrestler in the world to be signed to THREE different promotions at the very same time, Konosuke Takeshita began 2025 seemingly on a mission to end the best wrestler in the world debate. And while I have one exception who we'll get to later on, I think Take was close to convincing me.
The 29-year-old began the year with a double dip of delicious matches with two singles matches from the Tokyo Dome worth a mention. First, he took on and beat Shingo Takagi at Wrestle Kingdom 19 to become the newest NEVER Openweight Champion in a match where Take also successfully defended his AEW International Title. And the next day, at Wrestle Dynasty, he defended both his belts in a masterclass against Tomohiro Ishii.
Takeshita continued his blistering pace on January 11th when he notched his second defense in a week of his NEVER Openweight belt against the former ACE of New Japan's junior heavyweight division, KUSHIDA in San Jose. And finally, he earned his seventh defense of the AEW International strap against one of the greatest pure wrestlers of all time, Katsuyori Shibata.
Takeshita's singles match catalog in January was unrivaled and strong enough on it's own to earn him an EASY mention on this list. Looking ahead, Take looks to compete in all three of his contracted promotions; AEW, New Japan, and DDT over the next couple months.
Highlighted Matches:
1/5 vs. Tomohiro Ishii (AEW/CMLL/NJPW/Stardom Wrestle Dynasty, Tokyo)
1/25 vs. Katsuyori Shibata (AEW Collision, Jacksonville, FL)
Neón
CMLL
There's nothing more exciting for me than to witness a wrestler reach a level once felt unreachable, and the latest person to do just that might very well be the Human Astroid of CMLL, Neón. The 26-year-old had a truly tremendous January as he was the second wrestler to reach five spreadsheet matches this year and did so while also elevating his own status on the CMLL card with his recent inclusion in Mistico's new iteration of the Sky Team faction, alongside Mistico himself and Mascara Dorada.
In the ring, Neón's most memorable clashes of the month included his lightning match against Bárbaro Cavernario from January 4th, a trios clash with the rest of the Sky Team against Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, & Volador Jr. from January 17th, and best of all, a singles match against Virus at MLW's Reloaded show on January 25th.
I've already seen his work in the Reyes del Aire match from February 4th, and while that match has not been factored into this writeup, just know that his performance in that match continued his tremendous run in 2025. Be sure to look out for his potential inclusion on the February list for that and much more to come, both in Mexico and in Japan as part of CMLL's touring troop for NJPW's Fantastica Mania.
Highlighted Matches:
1/17 w/ Máscara Dorada & Místico vs. Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, & Volador Jr. (CMLL Super Viernes, Mexico City)
1/25 vs. Virus (MLW Reloaded 2025, North Richland Hills, TX)
Sareee
Freelancer
It may shock some of you constant readers since I have written a lot about Joshi wrestling, but I only included one woman on the list for his past month. While this is a bit of a bummer for me, I can't lie that if any woman was included, it might as well be the single best wrestler on the planet. That's right, Sareee is the best wrestler on the planet, period end of story. She's also the best booker, but that's a different conversation. The "Freelance Queen" had three matches I'd like to highlight from January, with each of them taking place in a different company.
First, Sareee defended, and lost, her Marigold World Title on Marigold's first show of 2025 against Utami Hayashishita, who pulled out her best performance since leaving Stardom last year. Two weeks later, Sareee lost her SEAdLINNNG Beyond the Sea Title, her second world title loss of the year so far, in a terrific clash with VENY in Shin-Kiba 1st RING. And finally, Sareee took on the Living Legend, Meiko Satomura at her very own Sareee-ism event in Shinjuku FACE, and guess what? She lost again.
Sareee is the only person on this list who had zero wins all month. But her overall workrate, as well as her ability to work in different places makes her an easy inclusion.
Highlighted Matches:
1/17 vs. VENY (SEAdLINNNG Shin-Kiba Series 2025 Vol. 1, Tokyo)
1/23 vs. Meiko Satomura (Sareee-ism Chapter VI, Tokyo)
YAMATO
Dragon Gate
The ACE of Dragon Gate AND currently reigning and defending Open the Dream Gate Champion continued the best run of his career in January 2025, 19 years into his illustrious career, with four great matches worth recommending to you all today. The 43-year-old started his insane run of exciting matches on January 9th when he teamed with BxB Hulk and KZY to take on Z-Brats trios Kota Minoura, Shun Skywalker, and Yoshiki Kato. Then just three days later he notched another match when he and PARADOX ally BxB Hulk took on the Natural Vibes duo KZY and Strong Machine J.
Following those multi-man affairs, YAMATO was tasked to main event two exciting cards over the next two weeks. First, he was taken to the limit by Z-Brats leader Shun Skywalker at the end of that fantastic Dragon Gate Korakuen show from January 15th. And then he survived a 24-minute onslaught from the aforementioned Strong Machine J at Dragon Gate's Gate of Bayside event for the Open the Dream Gate Title.
It's currently unclear who YAMATO will defend his world title against at Champion Gate on February 25th, but one thing is clear, and that's that he will team with BxB Hulk in March for Dragon Gate's annual tag team round robin tournament, "Rey De Parejas".
Highlighted Matches:
1/15 vs. Shun Skywalker (Dragon Gate Open The New Year Gate 2025 - Night 4, Tokyo)
1/25 vs. Strong Machine J (Dragon Gate The Gate of Bayside, Yokohama)
Yuma Anzai
All Japan
We'll finish today's list with a nod to the the future ace of All Japan Pro Wrestling, the Gunma native Yuma Anzai. The 25-year-old gave us the best match inside Korakuen Hall so far this year back on January 3rd with a 15 minute bloody war against the suplex machine Shotaro Ashino, and he followed that up with a terrific Triple Crown challenge against champ Jun Saito on January 26th in Chiba. Although he fell in the latter contest, the two-year pro has consistently held himself as a top challenger on the King's Road.
Looking ahead, Yuma will feature in one of my most anticipated matches of the year next month when he and tag team partner Rising HAYATO will defend their All Asia Tag Team Championships against the best tag team in Japan today, Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura, on the 24th inside the Esforta Arena Hachioji Main Arena. Definitely be on the lookout for a potential match review in the days following.
Highlighted Matches:
1/3 vs. Shotaro Ashino (All Japan New Year Wars 2025 - Night 2, Tokyo)
1/26 vs. Jun Saito (All Japan New Year Wars 2025 - Night 3, Chiba)
BONUS!!! The theme song of the month:
GOLD CLASS
Special thanks to @mjk_pw100 for the Dragon Gate photos, @CMLL_OFICIAL for the CMLL photos, and @FortuneKK0327, @GabeKidd0115, @JJWilliamsWON, and @Meh_ItsIrv for additional photos used in this post.
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