Top Matches I Watched in June 2025
- spotmonkeypro
- 6 hours ago
- 10 min read
Top Matches I Watched in June 2025
By Alex Kalil

We are halfway through 2025 and ain't slowing down anytime soon! Great stuff from NJPW and AEW plus some hits from CMLL and even GCW!
Losers Leaves Bullet Club Dog Pound Steel Cage Match: EVIL, Ren Narita, SANADA, SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. David Finlay, Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd and Taiji Ishimori at NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2025 Night 1: An incredible wild brawl of a match. Things start off hot with everyone getting in the cage and going right at it in the ring and around ringside. Kendo Sticks come into play right away as everyone gets some shots in. House of Torture take over the ring and pick Moloney as the proverbial sacrificial lamb to get worked over. Moloney is busted open after being stabbed with forks as House of Torture takes turns attacking Moloney and keeping the War Dogs from getting in the ring to help. War Dogs are eventually able to rally and start to get revenge on House of Torture. Kanemaru is superplexed to the outside on top of everyone by Finlay. Connors and Ishimori take out Kanemaru and SHO with a double Gore and Moonsault off the cage respectively. Dick Togo tries to get involved but is stopped by Gedo who splashes Dick onto a table. Finlay and EVIL have a really good back and forth until Yujiro Takahashi gets in the cage and helps EVIL take out Finlay. Moloney hits SANADA with a guitar as payback for him turning on War Dogs but SANADA recovers enough to put Moloney through a table. A bloody Gabe brings in a table wrapped in barbed wire into the ring to attack an equally bloody Ren with. The two battle on the top rope while covered in each other's blood for a gruesome visual. Bret's rope Piledriver by Gabe onto the table! Gabe gets the pin for the War Dogs and House of Torture is forced to leave Bullet Club! Just a wild match! Loved how fast paced it was as everyone got right into the action. Lots of great usage of the cage and weapons plus a ton of blood. Really enjoyed everyone in each stable getting a chance to shine and really put over the feud between the two groups. ****1/2
"Speedball" Mike Bailey, Kevin Knight and Komander vs. La Facción Ingobernable at AEW Dynamite 6/4-Fyter Fest: A super fun trios match for TV. Things start off hot with all 6 men going at it in and around the ring. LFI is able to take control early on by being the more experienced trio as well as having the size advantage. Classic wrestling structure with LFI isolating Bailey for the heat before Bailey is able to make the hot tag to Komander. Babyfaces are able to start running wild with their fast pace offense and some pretty impressive double team offense. LFI are able to take over again by using the numbers game on Komander for a couple of really nice near-falls before the babyfaces can rally. Bailey nails Mortos with Time Adventure and Komander hits a rope walk dive onto Rush and Dralistico! UFO Splash by Knight on Mortos and that gets the 3 for the babyfaces! Super fun trios match with everyone given a chance to shine. ****
4 Way Match for the AEW International Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Brody King vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Máscara Dorada at AEW Dynamite 6/4-Fyter Fest: A really good back and forth 4 way match. Bell rings and we get right to the action with everyone going at it. Some nice storytelling all match with Brody and Claudio being the powerhouses all match, Dorada being the high flyer and Omega the fighting champion trying to defend his championship. Brody and Claudio more or less control the early portion of the match with their powerful strikes and big offensive bombs while Omega and Dorada try to play defense. Omega gets Brody on his shoulders, looking for the One-Winged Angel, only for Claudio to come off the top and nail a Doomsday European Uppercut! Action picks up as everyone goes for bigger and bigger shots. Top rope Hurricanrana from Dorada to Claudio. Omega looks for the One-Winged Angel on Dorada, who counters into a Poison Rana. Claudio with the Giant Swing on Brody and Dorada comes in with a dropkick to Brody! Dorada wipes out both big men with dives on the outside. Dorada tries for a Springboard Hurricanrana on Omega but Omega catches him and turns him into the One-Winged Angel for the 3. Super fun match with everyone doing a great job of showing off their talent. Really enjoyed the big men of the match being in control early before the smaller but faster wrestlers were able to string together some big offense of their own. ****
Death Match: Bear Bronson vs. SLADE at GCW Cage of Survival 4: An awesome and bloody fight from these two! We got right into the action with both men utilizing light tubes and gusset plates to bust each other open and Good Lord do they bleed! Both men are covered in blood but keep dropping bombs on each other in and out of the ring as they fight and the crowd is losing their mind for it! The two battle into the crowd and up onto a scissor lift before Bronson hits SLADE with a huge slam through a pair of tables! Bronson gets him back in the ring but SLADE still kicks out. SLADE fights back and while Bronson gets some hope spots, including an amazing kick-out at 1, a Uranage into light tubes is enough for SLADE to get the win. Just an insane match! The violence, blood and crowd really made this match for me and made Bronson someone to look out for going forward. ****
IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship Match: Yota Tsuji (c) vs. Yuya Uemura at NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2025 Night 2: A really great back and forth battle from these rivals. We get a rather slow start with these two feeling each other out and trying to work for openings. Yuya is able to start getting the best of Tsuji with his quick arm drags and grounding the bigger man. Tsuji responds by going after Yuya's bad arm and makes that the target of his offense. Tsuji starts rolling and hits a big dive to the outside but comes down awkwardly on his knee. Back in the ring, Yuya goes right after Tsuji's knee to cut him off and locks in a Figure Four for a nice near-fall. More back and forth action with both men going after their opponent's damaged limb with targeted attacks and some nice submissions. Yuya keeps going to the top looking for his version of the High Fly Flow but Tsuji is able to block or avoid it each time. Yuya is finally able to hit Tsuji with enough big offense to rock him and nails the High Fly Flow for a big near-fall. Yuya starts looking for the Deadbolt Supex, even with the hurt arm. Tsuji does an excellent job fighting like crazy to block it but Yuya eventually hits the Deadbolt Suplex but his arm is too hurt for the bridge. Yuya gets to his feet but is nailed by a Gene Blaster by Tsuji! Cover and Tsuji gets the win! I really loved this match! Really great selling all match by both men and the finish was fast paced and frantic with both looking for the killing blow. While Yuya hit his first, the damage done by Tsuji gave him enough time to recover and nail the Gene Blaster for the win. ****1/4
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match: Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Callum Newman at NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2025 Night 2: A good match between the veteran champion and young challenger. Callum comes in wanting to prove himself and comes out the gate swinging and going at Goto full speed. Doesn't take Goto long to cut off Callum's opening flurry by going after his hurt neck with lots of strikes, kicks and big bombs. Callum sells for everything Goto throws at him well and nicely fights back just enough to stay in the match. Callum finally gets an opening with an Oscutter on the apron and a near count-out win. Callum takes the opening and starts throwing everything he has at Goto: a running knee, top tope double stomp and even a Rainmaker for only near-falls. Another Oscutter by Callum and a Firebolt gets him the closest of near-falls! Goto finally has enough and stops Callum's momentum with his own Rainmaker before he starts laying in the big bombs. Callum tries to keep fighting back for one last chance but a GTR by Goto ends his hopes and allows Goto to retain. Great showing by Callum, who took everything Goto could throw at him and kept fighting back. Nice selling and great comebacks by the young man before the veteran Goto put him away. ****
Will Ospreay vs. Swerve Strickland at AEW Dynamite 6/11-Summer Blockbuster: An incredible back and forth match from these two. We get a nice opening exchange with both clearly not rushing and just testing the water with how dangerous their opponent is. Ospreay gets his nose busted open early and Swerve nicely goes right after it with some stiff facelocks and strikes to ground Ospreay in the early goings. When Ospreay starts to fire back, Swerve switches tactics and goes after the neck and arm of Ospreay, which has been a nagging injury for Ospreay. Match becomes a bit of a back and forth with Ospreay looking to brute force his way to a comeback on Swerve, even as Swerve is able to keep cutting him off. Swerve goes for a dive to the outside but Ospreay avoids it and Swerve looks to tweak his knee on the landing. Ospreay takes the opening and hits an awesome diving Hidden Blade to the outside right to the back of Swerve's head! Ospreay starts laying in his strikes on Swerve but goes for a Hidden Blade, only for Swerve to move and Ospreay to run neck and shoulder first into the turnbuckle. Swerve goes back to the neck and arm with submissions as Ospreay tries to fight out. Ospreay is able to get Swerve into position for a Styles Clash but Swerve blocks it and nails a Deadeye! Love it! Swerve Stomp misses but the Hidden Blade by Ospreay doesn't for a big near-fall! Ospreay starts kicking at Swerve's hurt knee to try and cut him off but Swerve nails a House Call! Swerve Stomp connects! 2 count! Swerve snaps at Ospreay's arm and goes for another House Call but Ospreay nails Swerve with a Hidden Blade! Stormbreaker! 2 count! Holy Shit! Ospreay looks for the Tiger Drive but his arm gives out! Swerve nails Ospreay with a Cop Killa! House Call! But Ospreay rolls to the apron to avoid the pin! Swerve climbs to the top to nail a Swerve Stomp on the apron as the time limit expires and we have a draw! What a match! The slow pace to start as the match built and built to these two throwing everything they have at each other. Loved the limb work and selling by both men as it helped make their comebacks even more impactful. Perfect way to set up for a rematch down the road. ****1/2
Best of the Super Junior 32 Block B Match: El Desperado vs. Nick Wayne at NJPW Best of the Super Junior 32 Night 3: A really great battle of the veteran vs. the up and coming talent. Things start off quick with Wayne looking to out-speed Desperado with some quick offense and a faster pace. Desperado cuts off Wayne's momentum by going after his leg to slow him down as well as setting up for Numero Dos. Some really nice limb work by Desperado while Wayne sells fantastically though it all. Wayne is able to start mounting a comeback on Desperado, while selling his leg still the whole time. What a pro! Desperado does everything he can to keep going to the leg to stop Wayne and goes for Numero Dos, but Wayne is able to block it from being locked in fully. Wayne fights back yet again and even tries for a series of roll-ups for several big near-falls. Wayne goes for broke and starts bombing on the veteran with everything he has! Prodigy Suplex, Killswitch attempted but Desperado blocks it only for Wayne to hit Wayne's World for another near-fall. Tiger Destroyer by Wayne and he gets the 3! What an upset! Really enjoyed this with Wayne pushing himself against a veteran like Desperado. Wayne was able to start off fast before Desperado was able to cut him off at the knees and work him over. Awesome babyface comeback for Wayne, who kept selling but fought through the pain to get the win. ****
MJF vs. Mistico at AEW Dynamite 6/18-Grand Slam Mexico: A super fun classic heel vs. babyface match. Pretty standard start to the match with MJF milking every bit of heat out of the crowd he can while Mistico is able to use his quickness and Lucha skills to run wild early. MJF cuts Mistico off with help from the Hurt Syndicate and works over his back for a bit to try and neutralize his athleticism. Mistico is able to take a comeback on MJF, who tries to flee up the ramp. Mistico follows and goes for La Mistica but MJF counters with a Tombstone on the ramp! MJF looks for the count-out win but Mistico is able to make it back to the ring. MJF goes to top but is cut off by Mistico, who hits a Spanish Fly off the top for a nice 2 count. Mistico hits La Mistica and locks MJF in the armbar! MVP distracts the referee so he doesn't see MJF tapping out. MJF low blows Mistico for the quick roll-up but only gets 2! MJF has enough and kicks Mistico low for the DQ finish. A very fun match with an incredibly hot crowd. They loved everything Mistico did and hated every trick MJF tried to pull. MJF getting more and more desperate as the match went on was a fun story to the match and the finish left room for a rematch. ****
4 Million Pesos High Flying Four Way Match: Hologram vs. Lio Rush vs. Mascara Dorada vs. Ricochet at AEW Dynamite 6/18-Grand Slam Mexico: A super fun spot-fest match. Things kick off and right away Ricochet and Lio form a partnership to control the match and work over the babyfaces. We get a makeshift tag match as Dorada and Hologram start working together to try and combat the heels. Lots of big action and spots all match with everyone pulling out some wild offense. Ricochet and Lio eventually clash and the match becomes a proper 4 way match. Tons of big near-falls as everyone starts going for the win. Ricochet and Lio battle on the top rope, only for Hologram to come in and hit Lio with the Portal Bomb for the win. Just 4 great high flyers going out and having a wild spot-fest in front of a hot crowd. Nothing wrong with that. ****
ROH World Championship Match: Bandido (c) vs. Máscara Dorada at CMLL vs. AEW & ROH: An excellent back and forth battle from these two luchadors. Match starts and right away we get a clear story of the match: Dorada is the faster and more high flying of the two while Bandido has the power advantage. Both men nicely utilize strategies for the match that highlight those advantages with Dorada working a faster pace with more high flying offense and Bandido using his power to hit big bombs. Lots of great spots and exchanges from the two as the match goes on. Dorada hits a big dive off the stage before returning to the ring and following up with a Shooting Star Press for a big near-fall. Bandido cuts off Dorada with a GTS variation and nails the 21-Plex, but Dorada still kicks out! Bandido stays on top of Dorada with a Fallaway Slam from the top rope! One more 21-Plex and Bandido retains! Just a great back and forth match from these two. Loved the subtle storytelling throughout the match and the wild back and forth action. Great stuff! ****1/4
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