10 Best NJPW Matches Of The Year
7. Okada Vs. Ishii (G1 Climax Day 13)
Ishii has built quite the cult following over the past few years. The man carries himself like a brick wall and delivers offence that is as stiff as it comes.
A longtime member of the Chaos stable, Ishii has had to take a backseat to leaders Shinsuke Nakamura and more recently, Kazuchika Okada. That hasn't stopped him from putting in terrific performances though, and over the years the crowd began to take notice. That's why in the G1 tournament, when Ishii got a chance to go up against the New Ace of New Japan, the audience were united behind the underdog.
Okada being the IWGP Heavyweight champion only added to the significance of the bout, and both men came flying out of the gate. It eventually settled into a brutal slug-fest to which Ishii is accustomed and soon enough he was pulling out all the stops to bring down his stablemate. Countering Okada's signature tombstone into a sitout piledriver could have been career-ending, but thankfully they pulled it off and it only added to the violence of what was one of many incredible matches from this year's G1 tour.