The 10 Best NJPW Matches Of 2021, According To Cagematch.net

New Japan Pro Wrestling is the spiritual home of fantastic wrestling. The joke is often 'if it didn't happen in the Tokyo Dome, is it even a 5-star match?' and while that phrase might get thrown around in jest, it's because NJPW is the promotion that put out "match of the year" candidates on a regular basis. However, like the rest of the world, New Japan has been hit hard by the pandemic.

RELATED: 10 NJPW Wrestlers Who Are Known For Working Stiff

Times were hard for the king of sports who were initially unable to put on events as a result of the pandemic, then they were able to put on events but then their top stars got injured, and on top of that apparently, their new IWGP World Title belt is cursed because nothing has gone right since it showed up. However, despite all the turbulence the company has suffered in 2021, they have still put on some outstanding matches.

10 SHINGO TAKAGI VS WILL OSPREAY - NEW JAPAN CUP FINAL [RATING: 9.10]

2021 was Shingo Takagi's year for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he was one of the few NJPW stars that didn't get affected by injury or COVID to a major extent. Secondly, he reached the level of performer where no matter who he faced it would be a potential classic, and lastly, Takagi may have found his one true rival. The man who he may sense that he's destined to wrestle forever; Will Ospreay.

👉 For more insights, check out this resource.

The New Japan Cup Final was only the third singles match these two had ever had against one another, but it was hard to tell that. The chemistry that Ospreay and Takagi have is otherworldly, putting in performances that will put them amongst some of the greatest rivalries in NJPW history. The fact that this match is considered by some to be one of the weaker matches is a sign of just how good these guys are.

9 SHINGO TAKAGI VS ZACK SABRE JR. - POWER STRUGGLE [RATING: 9.17]

While Takagi and Ospreay have established themselves as the power couple of the title scene going forward, do not sleep on Zack Sabre Jr. A man who could wrap an ironing board into a pretzel, ZSJ is another performer who has called Japan his home in recent years. After decent success, 2021 was where Sabre Jr staked his claim for the crown.

👉 Discover more in this in-depth guide.

Takagi and ZSJ had a very physical bout for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Power Struggle, often the last major stop before the famed Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th. Knowing that Kazuchika Okada and main eventing the Tokyo Dome was at stake, the two men threw everything at each other, resulting in one of the best NJPW matches of the year.

8 WILL OSPREAY VS KAZUCHIKA OKADA - WRESTLE KINGDOM 15 (NIGHT 1) [RATING: 9.19]

It's totally incorrect to say that in the past year, Kazuchika Okada has been stepping aside to let the younger performers in New Japan take center stage. This is because firstly, Okada is only in his early 30s and secondly, he's one of the best Japanese wrestlers of all time. So putting him in the ring with someone like Will Ospreay at New Japan's biggest show of the year is a slam dunk.

RELATED: NJPW: The 10 Best Matches In Wrestle Kingdom History

During the longest match on the night one card at just over 35 minutes (longer than the main event too), the former stablemates engaged in an all-out war. "The Rainmaker" Okada, despite not wanting to admit it at first, had to teach a lesson to a man who thought he had outgrown him completely in Ospreay. This was another great showing from Okada and Ospreay on the biggest stage for NJPW.

7 WILL OSPREAY VS ZACK SABRE JR. - NEW JAPAN CUP (2ND ROUND) [RATING: 9.22]

Two British men walk into a gymnasium in Japan, they proceed to beat the color out of each other, and it's all in the name of getting out of the second round of the wrestling tournament. That's basically the story behind Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. in the 2021 New Japan Cup, simple yet effective.

The two Brits had a match of the year candidate just before the pandemic kicked into full gear at RevPro event in February 2020, so it was clear that these two men had very good chemistry. However, despite ZSJ being tough competition for the aerial assassin, it was clear that Ospreay was on another level in the early stages of 2021, leading to his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship in April.

6 SHINGO TAKAGI VS JEFF COBB - WRESTLE KINGDOM (NIGHT 2) [RATING: 9.22]

If there was one man who had a true breakthrough year in NJPW, it's Jeff Cobb, evolving from just another agile big man into an absolute monster that had one of the most dominant G1 Climax's in the tournament history. Despite an insanely impressive 12 months for Cobb, his finest hour came in the very first match of the year.

The NEVER Openweight Championship has been an underrated portion of New Japan's cards for a long time now and has often stolen the show with its matches often being the toughest and stiffest to watch, and Cobb vs Takagi was no different. It's very hard to steal the show across a two-day New Japan show in the Tokyo Dome, but Takagi and Cobb managed to do it.

5 SHINGO TAKAGI VS TOMOHIRO ISHII - G1 CLIMAX 31 (DAY 1) [RATING: 9.22]

For fans wondering where the best place to start when starting on their NJPW journey as a fan, many will point to the Wrestle Kingdom events in January. However, the G1 Climax is arguably a better place to start because fans get almost three weeks of "match of the year" showcases and storyline development without any nonsense. A perfect example of this is Shingo Takagi vs Tomohiro Ishii on the opening night of the 2021 tournament.

Ishii has got to be just a few big wins away from finding himself in the main event title picture as he has been one of the most impressive members of the NJPW roster for many years now. However, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion proved once again why he was the MVP on New Japan in 2021, picking up the victory and kicking off his G1 Climax in spectacular style.

4 SHINGO TAKAGI VS ZACK SABRE JR. - G1 CLIMAX (DAY 3) [RATING: 9.25]

Zack Sabre Jr. got his IWGP Heavyweight Championship opportunity at Power Struggle 2021 thanks to this match. ZSJ was one of only two men to defeat the champion during the G1 Climax (the other was Kota Ibushi), with Sabre Jr's victory against Takagi being one of the highlights of the entire tournament.

Takagi may have had the more accomplished 12 months of the two men in the match, however, this match was a contest that showcased Zack Sabre Jr. to full effect. ZSJ has been one of the best technical wrestlers for years now and has never fully reached the pinnacle of NJPW, so this match was one of the biggest moments of Sabre Jr's entire career.

3 SHINGO TAKAGI VS HIROSHI TANAHASHI - WRESTLING GRAND SLAM IN TOKYO DOME [RATING: 9.37]

He may have passed the title of 'The Ace' to other members of the NJPW roster in recent years, however, Hiroshi Tanahashi is still putting on exceptional matches to this day. The once-in-a-lifetime athlete was at home in the main event of a Tokyo Dome show, this time he was going up against the new face of the company, Shingo Takagi.

RELATED: 10 Backstage Stories About NJPW That We Can't Believe

In Takagi's first title defense since winning the title at Dominion against Kazuchika Okada, Tanahashi did everything he could to make Takagi look like a champion in this match. The Dragon was able to vanquish the former ace of the company, however, it was a moment that showed NJPW fans that even in the face of adversity and worry thanks to the pandemic, Hiroshi Tanahashi could be relied upon for a classic match.

2 SHINGO TAKAGI VS WILL OSPREAY - WRESTLING DONTAKU (DAY 2) [RATING: 9.38]

In the eyes of famed journalist Dave Meltzer, this is the highest-rated match of the year for any wrestling company. The fourth meeting between Takagi and Ospreay received a staggering 6 stars from Meltzer, and for good reason. Their first three bouts were all classics in their own right, but this was for the biggest prize in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

The match went almost 45 minutes, with back-and-forth action for the entire thing which could have been the crowning achievement for NJPW in 2021 had it not been for the injury that derailed the plans of the company. Ospreay suffered a legitimate neck injury in the match that would force him to vacate the title after the event, so defending the belt in a match of this caliber with an injury that serious is a sign that Ospreay has the heart of a champion.

1 SHINGO TAKAGI VS HIROSHI TANAHASHI - THE NEW BEGINNING IN NAGOYA [RATING: 9.40]

Rounding out the 'Shingo Takagi had a ridiculous 2021' anthology is the night that Takagi actually lost his NEVER Openweight Championship, but not without a fight. It's safe to say that Takagi can get a good match out of anyone, but when you put Takagi in the ring with another man who can get good matches out of anybody, fireworks are a guarantee.

Over half an hour of Tanahashi rolling back the years, Takagi provided a glimpse of what's to come in the rest of the year and one of the best matches in the history of the NEVER Openweight Championship. While New Japan hasn't had the strongest year in their recent history, the fact that they still produce matches of this quality goes to show fans should never sleep on the king of sports.