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Post by maddog1981 on Jan 4, 2018 18:19:55 GMT -5
I think it's a testament to this match that it sticks out in a sea of great AJ Styles matches. Suzuki is awesome here as he just abuses Styles. I think this performance is also significant as you can see Styles really wins over the New Japan fans. All around excellent match that stood out in this tournament and I think this would easily match a list from me.
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Post by Kadaveri on Jan 6, 2018 7:36:27 GMT -5
One of the best heel vs. heel matches. Another one of those matches I give points to for going outside the comfort zone of the promotion's style and pulling it off. Suzuki is terrifying in this match. The way he counters everything Styles attempts with such blunt force trying to snap fingers and stuff like that, he looks like a total psychopath.
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Post by bossrock on Jan 6, 2018 13:42:54 GMT -5
Third.
Awesome sprint of a match and proof that sometimes less is indeed more. It didn't need any big spots but just back-and-forth action and a super hot battle of wills with the submissions in the finishing stretch. This was definitely the match that made A.J. a star in New Japan and solidified his status as one of the best in the world.
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Post by microstatistics on May 2, 2018 1:17:54 GMT -5
Fantastic clash of styles (no pun intended), killer arm work, great selling, intensity, unique spots and grit. 2014 MOTYC.
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Post by elliott on Oct 18, 2018 19:02:32 GMT -5
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Post by elliott on Oct 20, 2018 18:46:08 GMT -5
Oh awesome. Thank you for that. This was really good. I thought the second half (post run-in) was terrific. Micro basically nailed my thoughts on this. Some really unique spots, great striking and submissions, etc. I was happy that it didn't go 40minutes.  I have generally liked Styles as a worker, but I've always haaaaaated the Styles Clash. But here I really loved Suzuki's counter to it into a leg lock though. Awesome spot. I'm enjoy matchups of differing styles/approaches to matches, and this is a fine example of that with Styles' flying and Suzuki's striking and submissions. Good stuff overall. |
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Post by Cap on Nov 16, 2018 14:38:28 GMT -5
I liked this match a lot.... but I don't think it sniffs my list. I wasn't quite as high on it as others. It is a really high level heel vs heel match, but as an overall piece of work I wasn't as taken up in the drama as some. I don't think I made a top 10 or 20 on the year in 2014, but this would have probably been in that range for me, but not a match I will really be going back to for this project.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Jun 2, 2019 20:29:34 GMT -5
I am about as big of an AJ Styles fan as they come and I know I loved this match but honestly my memories are just flickers at this point as I have not watched it in four years. Not to toot my own horn, but I read my own review of this match written in early 2015 and goddamn it makes me believe this match totally fucking ruled. I hope to have time to watch this match again, but my priority is to keep watching stuff I have never seen or reviewed before, but this is something I will consider for next year.
IWGP Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles vs Minoru Suzuki - G-1 Climax Day 7
Minoru Suzuki is pissed. He is pissed that some arrogant, punk outsider just waltzed in here and is now the champion. This is not time to stick out tongue and play mind games. That shit is reserved for those who earned it. He is here to teach a lesson in respect. Minoru Suzuki walking tall is the best thing ever! I would say this is probably the greatest heel vs heel match ever, but I would hear the argument that Suzuki is just a babyface using violent heel tactics to kick some ass. AJ Styles proves he is here to stay. He can take a lickin' and keep in tickin'. He is going to earn his stripes. Even if that means losing the use of his right arm, he is going to earn the respect of Suzuki and the New Japan crowd. It is amazing that the two biggest heels in New Japan basically play babyfaces in this match because they believe in what they are doing. Minoru Suzuki is going to send this Johnny Come Lately a message and AJ Styles is here to make a statement he won't back down. It just depends on your own sensibilities who your root for and on this night the crowd was 100% behind Minoru Suzuki.
Minoru Suzuki slaps the taste out of AJ's mouth early, but AJ scores a dropkick to retaliate. AJ uses his jump over the railing offensively by hitting a springboard forearm from the railing. I love Suzuki's angry selling. He is pissed that he is getting his ass kicked by Styles right now and there is nothing he can do. There is just a real sense of struggle to everything. Suzuki sees his opening and pounces. He trips up AJ on a springboard move and applies a hanging armbar and then kicks ever loving shit out of that arm. Suzuki is out to rip that arm off and beat him with it. I love him whipping AJ into the railing and then trying to pry the arm off while this Japanese girl just screams the entire in the background. AJ's verbal selling was so good in this. His yelps of agony really took this to another visceral level. AJ is able to roll through a couple arm drags to snap off a suplex into the turnbuckles to stop the bleeding. At this point one of Suzuki-Gun jumps AJ and here comes the Bullet Club. I like the heel gang vs heel gang warfare in the middle. AJ is so committed to selling his right arm, he hits all his strikes with his left hand and they look damn good! I love how quick and explosive this strike exchange was. There was no waiting out, goading people to hit each other. They just both desperately wanted to knock the other out and they ended up knocking each other out.
Then the match goes from excellent to instant classic in one simple moment. AJ does the Bullet Club Gun signal and puts it to Minoru Suzuki's head. Suzuki did not like that. Not one bit and AJ you aren't going to like Minoru Suzuki when he is angry. Minoru Suzuki grabs that finger and tries to wrench it off of AJ's hand, who is screaming in pain. The ref is even trying to tell Suzuki to watch the fingers. Styles tries to come back with springboard forearm, but that is caught into an armbar and Suzuki is going to snap that finger off. AJ is trying to everything and Suzuki just has an answer for everything. It feels almost hopeless for AJ. Suzuki goes for the piledriver, but AJ blocks. AJ knows it is Styles Clash or bust. Suzuki counters into a heel hook and Suzuki sniffs out AJ's second counter and grabs a cross armbreaker. AJ is dead to rights. Oh shit! Oh Shit! OH SHIT! STYLES CLASH OUT OF THE CROSS-ARMBREAKER!!! The kid may just got it. Suzuki spits at him. You feel like they are about to enter into Mortal Kombat. AJ is totally relying on left handed slaps as his right arm is fucked. Suzuki punches him in the face and thinks he has him. PELE~! Suzuki is knocked loopy. Go AJ GO! AJ wastes no time, he fights through the pain, hoists Suzuki up and STYLES CLASH! AJ wins!
AJ did not just win a G1 Climax match. He won the respect of the New Japan fans worldwide with that performance. Both wrestlers were wrestling on a out of this world level. Styles felt overwhelmed. His arm was toast and he could not get anything going. Suzuki was just ripshit the entire match and had every intention of beating AJ into submission. Then just like that a desperation Styles Clash while in a cross-armbreaker and AJ salvages his match. The selling from AJ was off the charts. His desperation in trying to survive was something most of wrestlers could never convey. The true anger of Minoru Suzuki is something you also do not see. This was not hatred. It was anger. It was amazing. Every move felt huge, consequential and urgent. It is a coin flip between Shield/Wyatts Elimination Chamber in this. It does not really matter because at the end of the day, wrestling fans win! ****3/4
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