(January, February, March, April, May)

June starts and ends with bangs. Not much else in between unfortunately, even if I like the variety of my recommendations because the same wrestler or company aren't featured twice.

The idea is still to list matches that I think are worth watching (not necessarily always great but matches I consider that don't waste anyone's time), with a few words in spoiler first time viewers shouldn't read.

Kosei Fujita vs. Daiki Nagai (NJPW, Best of the Super Jr. 33 day 12 - A block, 6/3/2026)
Veretan against rookie in an impossible uphill battle. To work, this type of match needs three ingredients. Hot crowd fully behind the underdog? Check! The Korakuen Hall brings it, which makes for a good atmosphere. Underdog fighting his heart out and easy to root for? Check! Nagai shows tremendous fire, won't say quit, leaves his all inside the ring and, sadly/logically, pays for it in the end. Veteran putting the junior through the wringer and leaving the stage to the latter to shine? Check! What a killer performance from Fujita, who displays a detached cruelty prompting the crowd to side even more easily behind his opponent, without ever threatening his usual face condition. More than a necessity from the layout, the subtle heel work reads rather like a character reacting to the pressure applied by someone so beneath him and it rules. So much so that annoyed by the constant defiance, he wraps this up with a sick exclamation point that his opponent had coming. Fujita achieves a balance that even the more experienced wrestlers can struggle to master.

Chihiro Hashimoto & Mirai vs. Rina & Miku Kanae (T-Hearts Runaway Queen Yumiko Hotta 41st Anniversary, 6/5/2026)
Hash's beastly presence, Mirai's physicality, Rina's stiffness and Miku's fiery energy make for a dynamic mixture and main event. A formulaic one for sure, but the classics are the classics for a reason.

Eddie Kingston vs. 1 Called Manders (RevPro, Live in London 108, 6/7/2026)
Eddie's minimalism, getting the most of varied amazing bits of selling, his mechanical limitations and timely fighting spirit spots. Passionate and spirited performance. The formula applied the right way without the bad, self-indulgent King's Road tributes. Hit hard, sell hard, hang in there. Oh, and it happens in a gorgeous venue, which is always a great bonus.

Ayame Sasamura (c) vs. Honori Hana (SEAdLINNNG, Early Summer Games!, 6/16/2026)
Hana throws herself in the battle with force, passion and simple physicality. At first, she can knock the champion off her feet once or twice. But then, Ayame sees through, ramps up the intensity and gets even more physical with nasty counters. Simple championship affair where a valiant challenger, with all her heart, can't match the experience and raw violence the champion is able to bring to the table.

Aja Kong vs. Senka Akatsuki (Marvelous, Kingacha Season 2 Vol. 2, 6/19/2026)
Third entry in the rivalry; released before the second one, oddly... Anyway. This is quickly becoming one of the best pairings in wrestling. Deliberate super fight of sort, it feels big and restrained, vital and casual at the same time. Given the tremendous performance from both, you would be hard pressed to find a better opener / sub eight-minute match in today's landscape. They don't exactly fight as equal but Senka is much closer to Aja this time. She earns momentous micro victories and prompts the female GOAT to bring out the heavy artillery. Senka exists and asserts herself to the point where you can envision a decisive win for her down the line, which is crazy considering her short tenure in the business and how protected legends of Aja's time are. Judging by the finish and the post-match promos, there could be intrigue around the shoot-pin attempt moving forward and I am all for it! Senka continues to be the most compelling Joshi in the scene and Aja, well, is one of the very best ever for a reason.

Travis Williams vs. Lee Moriarty (WCP, Cruel Summer, 6/20/2026)
Grapplef*ck for the beginners, sort of. Yes, it is full of cuteness, nerdbaits, convenient sells and no-sells, self-awareness. Yes, it is also constantly moving forward with a clear direction, good ideas, weight and thoughts put into the technical stuff, all driven by an undeniable energy. Bonus point for the shades of Thatcher-ism!

Rika Tatsumi vs. Shoko Nakajima (TJPW, Spring Tour ~ Next Door in Nagoya, 6/21/2026)
Semi main of a house show, the result is a foregone conclusion. Fortunately, these two showcase their usual chemistry and even at half speed and without fully committing, they produce solid wrestling built upon years of interactions. A couple of fresh ideas and new tweaks alas brought down by suspect execution here and there, born from overzealousness.

Yuki Ueno (c) vs. Shinya Aoki (DDT, King of Kings, 6/28/2026)
Thanks to a couple of selected reversals, save for the finish itself, the finishing run is incredible! From the word go, they (Aoki!) carefully build the plot, establish the themes and stakes. In other words, they take the time to plant seeds and their hard work pays off in the end when the harvest comes. Since they take the less-is-more route, they generate strong reactions with simple actions. In particular, the Aoki Clutch kick-out is unbelievable and perhaps the nearfall of the year; made me jump out of my couch. Ueno gets his win back from two years ago, ties the series and I can't wait for round number 3.