Best Matches of June 2017

June didn't have as many great matches as the months that came before it but when it was good it was very good.

As usual matches are based on when the match became available to the public, so PWG matches are based on DVD dates while others are based on PPV or VOD dates.

Honourable Mentions

KUSHIDA vs Volador Jr - NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Night 13 ****

Marty Scurll vs KUSHIDA (ROH TV Title) - ROH Best In The World ****

Zack Sabre Jr vs Matt Riddle - Evolve 86 ****

15. Jeremiah Crane vs Killshot - Lucha Underground S03E24

This season of Lucha Underground hasn't been up to the standards of the previous 2 but they can still throw a really good match in there at a moments notice. This was great and it would have probably been higher on the list if it weren't for the deflating finish. ****

14. Roppongi Vice vs Young Bucks (IWGP Jr Heavyweight Tag Titles) - NJPW Dominion

I thought this was slightly better than their match at Wrestle Kingdom. You know what you are going to get when these two teams are paired up. ****

13. Lucha Bros vs Young Bucks (PWG Tag Titles) - PWG Head Like A Cole

This is described as a 'Texas Tornado Spotfest' so you know what you are getting before you go in. It's great fun though and as long as you don't feel that wrestling always has to be treated deadly serious you will have a good time with this one. ****

12. Marty Scurll vs Chuck Taylor (Reseda Street Fight) - PWG Game Over, Man!

PWG doesn't book a large amount of gimmick matches but when they do they go all in. This match took place on Chuck's birthday which leads to a spot where he retrieves a birthday present left for him by his best friend Trent?. The present contains thumbtacks. This is just a really fun hardcore brawl between 2 men that are not known for it. ****

11. Zack Sabre Jr vs Jaka (Evolve Title) - Evolve 87

Jaka had a poor showing the previous night at Evolve 86 so there was a touch of trepidation heading in to this but he put that behind him and produced his best singles outing to date. This was a great back and forth title match with the crowd slowly getting behind Jaka as it went on. Sabre Jr must be a great to wrestle as you know you will look great every time. Could be the breakout match for Jaka. ****1/4

10. Asuka vs Nikki Cross (NXT Women's Title, Last Woman Standing) - NXT 28th June

This may very well be my favourite Asuka title defence. This was a violent, hard hitting match that built well throughout to its excellent finish. It didn't get too hung up on having a bunch of slow 10 counts and that kept the match flowing. Really good stuff. ****1/4

9. Young Bucks vs War Machine vs Best Friends (ROH Tag Titles, Tornado Match) - ROH Best In The World

If you put three of the most entertaining teams in wrestling together and take away the need for tags you get a thoroughly enjoyable sprint that is well worth your time. The crowd buys in to it fully too, making it even more enjoyable. There isn't a great deal of subtlety to this but it's certainly fun. ****1/4

8. Zack Sabre Jr vs Trent? (PWG Title) - PWG Head Like A Cole

For the last 18 months or so Trent? (or Trent Barretta if you prefer) has been possibly the most underrated wrestler around. He has put in consistently great performances and deserves the opportunities to showcase that in higher profile matches. This one was great, as you would expect from a Sabre Jr match, and the near falls were constantly believable. Really good stuff. ****1/4

7. Matt Riddle vs Keith Lee (WWN Title) - Evolve 87

This is the future of wrestling right here. This match was an absolute war. It played to the strengths of both wrestlers and highlighted how much upside both of these men have. I would not be surprised if in two years both of these men are wrestling in a WWE affiliated ring. Superb match. ****1/2

6. AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura vs Baron Corbin vs Dolph Ziggler vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn (Money In The Bank Ladder Match) - WWE Money In The Bank

With the talent involved this was always likely to be a great match, and it was. It started off slowly but it kicked into overdrive down the closing stretch. We also finally got a face to face between Styles and Nakamura in a WWE ring. This was one of the best MITB matches ever and it is highly recommended. ****1/2

5. Samoa Joe vs Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins vs Bray Wyatt vs Finn Balor (Extreme Rules, Number 1 Contenders Match) - WWE Extreme Rules

Much like the previous entry this had too much talent to be anything less than great. Samoa Joe and Bray Wyatt did most of the heavy lifting here but everyone got a chance to shine. It didn't really fall in to the traps of most multi-man matches either. Excellent main event on an otherwise poorly booked show. ****1/2

4. Hiromu Takahashi vs KUSHIDA (IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title) - NJPW Dominion

In addition to being an excellent match this told a great story too. KUSHIDA was having a rough time of things following his loss to Takahashi at Wrestle Kingdom and this was the culmination of his road to redemption. These two could have an exceptional match in their sleep and they added another chapter to their feud here. ****1/2

3. Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (IWGP IC Title) - NJPW Dominion

This was another rematch from Wrestle Kingdom 11. These are two of the best big match wrestlers in the world and it is once again shown here. The structure and pacing are excellent, as is the story that they tell. There isn't that much else to say other than to tell you to watch it. ****3/4

2. KUSHIDA vs Will Ospreay (BotSJ Final) - NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Final

Well, this was spectacular. You expect insane aerial moves from Ospreay, and you get that here, but he also did a great job of selling in this match. He is 24 and he is really developing into a well rounded, fully developed talent. On the other side KUSHIDA is fantastic. He is capable of putting on great matches with anyone. This is an absolutely spectacular way to end a tournament and a match I highly recommend to everyone. *****

1. Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega (IWGP Heavyweight Title) - NJPW Dominion

Their first match at Wrestle Kingdom was a 47 minute masterpiece so how do you raise the stakes? You book a one hour time limit draw. This match is a perfect example of how to keep people enthralled for every minute of a match. These two are having incredible years and this is right up there as the best matches of 2017. I can't say that it is better than their first match but I can't say that it isn't either. Near perfection. *****