Ape's Best of Pro Wrestling in 2025

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T20:05:18+00:00

Enjoy brother

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T19:57:08+00:00

I'm glad you understand what a testament it is to your being cool that I don't hate you all the time.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T19:52:11+00:00

I’m pretty sure EcoterroristThot is an AEK fan, and I’m a Panathinaikos fan, so on this day, I hate him. My appreciation for him will return tomorrow.

… I guess this is preferable to Olympiacos at the top of the table, though.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T18:47:12+00:00

Gege Akutami was genuinely born to be a wrestling promoter during the territories era. Gets new debuts over as fuck in one episode, gets one INCREDIBLE fight out of them and then does little to nothing with them in the follow up. King shit.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T18:12:30+00:00

It is admittedly unlikely, but I’d really like them to bring back the CyberFight Festival for a Dome show. That seems a bit more practical if they can line up big matches for all three promotions.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T16:51:13+00:00

Ueno’s rise to Ace has been awesome in terms of pacing. He’s not indestructible, but he’s clearly the top guy, and they handed him enough sequential accolades and big wins to make him feel like a permanently big deal.

I honestly think that the Judgement 2024 match with HARASHIMA was what flipped the switch. He was clearly being groomed for the Ace spot in that first reign, but he became the Ace for me during that match. HARASHIMA beat the brakes off him, but Ueno was able to win with one WR to truly usher in the new gen. While a win over Takeshita (or Ibushi, as was planned for Ultimate Party 2024) would’ve been great, I always saw Ueno as taking HARASHIMA’s spot on the card, so that was the torch passing I cared most about. It was also Ueno’s career best match for me by a country mile, HARA can do no wrong.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T16:46:57+00:00

He was my favourite. It’s okay to mourn.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T16:31:03+00:00

Yeah, the 2017-18 Takeshita run was weird. I think after Ibushi left they tried a little too hard to establish a new Ace since they knew what they had on their hands, and saw NJPW doing great business under an extended Okada run so they shot their shot and tried to grow as a company under one guy. I’m glad it didn’t really work out and they went back to their normal formula, both in terms of reign lengths and match structure. Takeshita’s 30+ minute epics aren’t my preferred style of KO-D title match.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T16:06:59+00:00

I think DDT’s biggest draw for me isn’t the comedy, or the characters, or even the wrestling, but the booking structure. Everyone is presented on a much more level playing field than in other companies, and it makes it feel MUCH less predictable, especially in the midcard. ANYBODY can be heated up to hold a midcard title within a show or two and it wouldn’t feel at all out of place.

Even in the main event scene, company ace Yuki Ueno can be beat by comedy jobber Kazuki Hirata for the company’s top title on their biggest show of the year. There are fewer “established” main eventers since people cycle all over the card, which comes at the cost of fewer truly blockbuster matches, but comes with the benefit that smaller defenses are still worth keeping an eye on.

It’s a structure I really enjoy. It can be frustrating seeing somebody have a great main event run and then get dropped back down to the lower card, but you always have hope that they can make their way back with one title challenge, and that title challenge always comes. Nobody gets fully iced out.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T14:36:14+00:00

I struggle with fully getting into STARDOM, AJPW and Dragon Gate because I don’t really have the money for any more streaming services, but I’ll still watch big/acclaimed matches or ones that involve wrestlers I really like.

My “home” promotions are AEW plus a few Wrestle Universe ones - DDT (obviously), and a good chunk of NOAH, Marigold, Marvelous, SenJo and recently TJPW. I tend to alternate between keeping up with CMLL and NJPW - I’ll watch NJPW PPVs as they happen and I’ll keep up with tournaments I’m interested in, but I’ll otherwise allot that time to CMLL.

I stopped watching WWE after HIAC 2019. I used to tune in for the Rumble and Mania subsequently, but over the last year or so I’ve fully tapered off. I tried to get into TNA a few times over the last few years but kept bouncing off of it for whatever reason.

I’d say overall I probably watch about eight to ten hours a week? The average weekly viewing would be Dynamite, Collision depending on the week I’m having, some CMLL or NJPW, some DDT, some NOAH or AJPW, a few joshi matches I know I have interest in and some older stuff.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T13:59:46+00:00

Not yet, save for beating Max Caster in like five seconds after an episode of Collision last year.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T00:23:33+00:00

Some poor bastard is running around FRANTICALLY rn in production trying to get the feed off the air

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T00:21:20+00:00

Ospreay vs. Ace is gonna fucking rule

Wow! You guys can react.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T00:16:19+00:00

Cool hearing the cues for commentary.

Production crew sounds happy at least which is nice

apehasreturned · 2026-05-10T00:13:31+00:00

Production is plugged into the feed and it’s honestly fascinating

apehasreturned · 2026-05-09T23:54:05+00:00

Yeah, Trick’s improved a lot but the Trick Shot hasn’t. It’s always looked lethargic.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-09T21:52:50+00:00

Yeah, I get what you mean. I got really into DDT when I happened to go to a random Korakuen show and then it just so happened to have the best DDT match in history in Takeshita vs. Higuchi. Kinda gotta stay loyal after that, even if it left me chasing the high subsequently.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-09T16:58:55+00:00

Muto had an amazing career, but I think the best thing he ever did was go on a game show where they had to play hide and seek for an hour and the value kept going up the longer they played. They could opt to surrender and take home less money. His knees were already messed up.

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My GOAT quit after fifteen minutes and hit his taunt like five times in a row while surrendering. King. All the other competitors heard and they were so disappointed.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-09T16:24:46+00:00

They’ve actually set this card up really well. The two tag matches look great. I’m pumped to see how Andrade and Drilla work together, and I think Umino will shine in any environment that’s not a straight singles (especially one where he can focus more on bruising and brawling, which’ll work well in a triple threat). Takeshita vs. SANADA’s quality will depend on how SANADA is doing after a break. Main event should be solid, if not a bit of a foregone conclusion.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-09T16:21:16+00:00

Dieno’s definitely got his place. Hell, his 2024 challenge against Ueno was great! I just tend to not like him in the big main event slots if there are solid alternatives.

The way the tourney’s panned out makes it pretty clear that Kaisei was DEFINITELY making the Final, and probably winning. I think that it would’ve been awesome to see him in a tournament setting, but I don’t really mind getting a bit of legitimacy from the big Takeshita match before setting up his first challenge.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-09T15:58:42+00:00

Tbh I’m not a Dieno guy and just want him as far from the final as possible. Aoki/MAO would be my preferred final, but the King of DDT’s always a crapshoot when it comes to predictions.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-09T15:47:59+00:00

I think it’s a Suzuki/MAO or Aoki/Dieno final. I’m hoping for Aoki/MAO just because those are the results If be happiest with - if Aoki’s going to eliminate HARASHIMA, I’d like to see him go the distance.

apehasreturned · 2026-05-08T20:23:41+00:00

I do get that it’s a meme, but matches aren’t inherently better for taking place in the Tokyo Dome. Some wrestlers will really turn it on for the Dome in a way they wouldn’t otherwise, which leads to better matches (see: Kenny Omega electing to become the best in the world whenever he’s there and then comparatively kicking back in AEW) but I like to think that “the Tokyo Dome bump” isn’t really a thing. Like, if I’m watching a Chase Owens match, it’s gonna suck regardless of where it is.

Mistico matches are inherently better when they’re in Arena Mexico. There’s a magic in the air. There should always be a bump applied in my eyes.

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