10 Awesome Wrestling Matches That Saved Careers
5. KENTA Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW G1 Climax 29)
This was the dream match of the 2000s. KENTA was Pro Wrestling NOAH’s superstar, the heir to Misawa and Kobashi's throne. He truly was the best wrestler in the world in the late 2000s after clashes with Naomichi Marufuji and Bryan Danielson. Hiroshi Tanahashi was the wrestler most credited for NJPW’s creative and financial success following the end of Inokiism, channelling his passion for professional wrestling into revitalising New Japan.
Unlike Tanahashi who stayed put, KENTA would sign for NXT in 2014 as Hideo Itami, being one of the first notable stars to sign to the developmental brand. Despite his talents, he was plagued by injuries and ended up on 205 Live before requesting his release in 2019. Instead of returning to NOAH, he made his surprise NJPW debut alongside Katsuyori Shibata at Dominion 2019 and announced that he'd be a participant in the G1 Climax 29.
While his first match of the tournament against Kota Ibushi was good, KENTA didn't truly shake off the shadow of Hideo Itami until that dream match with Tanahashi. The atmosphere was otherworldly for this showdown, deeply emotional from the beginning and completely engrossing physically. It felt like the old KENTA had never left.