Monday 10 July 2017

Hideki Suzuki of the Day #4

Hideki Suzuki & Atsushi Maruyama v Yasafumi Nakanoue & Takayu Nomura (Big Japan, 6/20/16)

Suzuki/Nakanoue might've been the best feud in wrestling last year. I haven't seen the blowoff to it, nor do I know if there even is one, but everything I saw them do together in 2016 was exactly what I wanted in the current Japanese pro-wrestling. And this was more of the same. Early on Suzuki was trying to get under Nakanoue's skin by refusing to engage, but it didn't take long before the shackles came off. There was a two minute spell towards the end where Suzuki went full Tenryu and absolutely fucking mauled him. It was very, very great; like, one of the best segments of a match I've seen in ages. Nakanoue would have none of it and fight back, but Suzuki would just cave him with an elbow or a headbutt or full force kick him in the face. It was amazing. And then Nakanoue would fight back even harder and it would just annoy Suzuki even more! At one point he threw a forearm that was honest to god one of the nastiest I've ever seen. He's like the perfect modern day mix of Tenryu's cunty savagery and Regal's nasty matwork, replete with all sorts of armbars and leglocks that bend joints at angles they shouldn't be bent at. I mean, what a combination! Maruyama and Nomura were fine. Nomura is a young kickpad guy and he had a fun exchange with Suzuki, who tied him up in a fisherman's knot. It was he and Maruyama who closed out the match, but I couldn't tell you how it ended, intent as I was on watching Suzuki and Nakanoue slabber each other on the floor. Give me everything those guys have ever done together.

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