Minoru Suzuki vs Kota Ibushi (NJPW - 10/10/2020)

As of this writing, this match is neck and neck with Ilja v Walter for my MOTY. I absolutely love this. It is sort of worked like a battlearts match getting dropped into the middle of the G1. I think in a lot of ways this is the perfect example of how great Suzuki is at not just knowing his character, but also at using it to elevate someone else. Here, some of the things that can kind of annoy me about high end, later career Suzuki matches are used to absolute perfection to elevate the match and put a ton of shine on Ibushi. The match starts with some exchanges. There is a sort of authenticity to how they are getting their frames in that you don't often see. It feels more shoot style in that. Suzuki gets frustrated. He goes up the ramp and he calls Ibushi out to meet him outside of the ring. Ibushi comes up and they start going out it. After that it is more or less a battle of absolute brutality. They beat the shit out of each other and somehow escalate things as they go. It is sort of simple in this regard, but it is very effective. I think even the just brutal exchanges, which can soemtimes feel like a formality, work in this context. Murder grandpa is fighting for pride and respect after getting left out of last year's G1. What better way to get that than to beat down the winner of last year's tournament. Ibushi is always pushing himself and that was the story of his run this year, he wanted to challenge himself in every match.The strike exchanges late sort of lean Suzuki’s way. He pulls into grappling in all the right moments and it feels like he has Ibushi on the ropes… just for Ibushi to hit a kill shot. By the time Ibushi finally overtakes old man Suzuki, who will just not die, Suzuki is smiling as he gets pinned. It was silly, but fuck it. It was pro wrestling great.  It is so much fun. The strikes are hard and the grappling is so snug and in places quite realistic.

Inject this sort of thing into my veins.