The 2023 Tokyo Sports Awards Are Out, Why Do They Matter?

The prestigious news site Tokyo Sports has released its yearly awards to the best in Puroresu, and you need to keep up with them.

By: R. Faliani

Pro wrestling has been defined by wrestlers and larger-than-life personalities for decades. Said wrestlers are chosen by big companies to be protagonists of an already-written story, but only a few can have an outlasting impact that defines them as superstars. When we think about what makes a star we always think about the achievements a wrestler had or the moments he created as an active character in the wrestling universe. But here in the West one of the things that has been able to define these wrestlers in the last decade has been the subject of pro-wrestling lists, and in this case, awards.

プロレス大賞ＭＶＰは内藤哲也！ コロナで果たせなかった高橋ヒロムと〝夢対決〟へ｜東スポWEB#プロレス大賞 #njpw
https://t.co/oUFvegCLau

— 東スポ　プロレス格闘技担当 (@tospo_battle) December 12, 2023

This concept, despite its recent popularity in the last years, is not new by any means in the wrestling industry. And of course, many wrestling outlets have their awards to define the best wrestling has to offer. In America, we have things like Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Top 500 Wrestlers, which has been running since the 80s and has given people the ability to vote for their favorite wrestlers. Japanese wrestling has awards, and the prestigious Tokyo Sports Awards just came out. If you watched at least a single minute of Japanese pro wrestling this year, you will understand the importance of these awards. And now, unto them!

2023 Tokyo Sports Awards

Tokyo Sports MVP (Best Wrestler in Japan)

• Tetsuya Naito, from New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), with 11 votes.
• Hiromu Takahashi, from NJPW, with 6 votes.
• SANADA, from NJPW, with 2 votes
• Kenoh, from Pro Wrestling NOAH, with 1 vote.

Best Bout Award (Best Match of the Year)

• Great Muta vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NOAH The New Year 2023) with 13 votes.
• Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17) with 2 votes.
• Hiromu Takahashi vs. Fujita Jr. Hayato (Michinoku Pro 30th Anniversary) with 2 votes.
• Kento Miyahara vs Katsuhiko Nakajima (NOAH One Night Dream) with 1 vote.
• Naomichi Marufuji vs. Will Ospreay (NOAH Naomichi Marufuji’s 25th Anniversary Show)
• Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW G1 Climax 33 Finals) with 1 vote.

Best Tag Team Award (Best Tag Team of the Year)

• Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI) with 10 votes.
• Saito Brothers (Jun Saito and Rei Saito) with 9 votes.
• House of Torture (As an overall unit) with 2 votes.
• Suwama and Hideki Suzuki with 1 vote.
• Team 200kg (Chihiro Hashimoto and Yuu) with 1 vote.
• Astronauts (Takuya Nomura and Fuminori Abe) with 1 vote.

Outstanding Performance Award

• Hiromu Takahashi, from NJPW, with 12 votes.
• Kenoh, from NOAH, with 3 votes.
• Jake Lee, from NOAH, with 2 votes.
• SANADA, from NJPW, with 2 votes.

Fighting Spirit Award

• Kenoh, from NOAH, with 11 votes.
• Yuma Aoyagi, from All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) with 4 votes.
• Jake Lee, from NOAH, with 3 votes.
• Katsuhiko Nakajima, with 1 vote.

Technique Award

• Yuma Aoyagi, from AJPW, with 11 votes.
• SHO, from NJPW, with 8 votes.
• Zack Sabre Jr, from NJPW, with 2 votes.
• Fujita Jr. Hayato, from Michinoku Pro, with 2 votes.
• Kazuki Hirata, from DDT Pro Wrestling, with 1 vote.
• Yota Tsuji, from NJPW, with 1 vote.
• Yuji Nagata with 1 vote.

Newcomer Award

• Saito Brothers (Jun Saito and Rei Saito) with 13 votes.
• Ryohei Oiwa, from NJPW, with 5 votes.
• Boltin Oleg, from NJPW, with 1 vote.
• ZONES with 1 vote.

Women’s Pro Wrestling Award

• Tam Nakano, from World Wonder Ring STARDOM, with 11 votes.
• Unagi Sayaka with 4 votes.
• Miyu Yamashita, from Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, with 1 vote.
• Rina Yamashita with 1 vote.