2. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9)
It was clear just by listening to legendary wrestling announcer Jim Ross discussing the show on his podcast in late-2014 that he didn't really have much of a clue who many of the talents on the annual Tokyo Dome event produced by NJPW were. In fairness to the man, he surely deserves to be cut some slack, because even though he was only offered a few months of preparation for his commentary gig in Japan, he did an admirable job of calling the action alongside Matt Striker. Just as obvious, Jim's sense of awe when Shinsuke Nakamura and Kota Ibushi locked up was exciting for wrestling fans to hear. A lot of people were tuning into their first ever Wrestle Kingdom event this past January, and Ross was likely amongst those experiencing the entire show for the first time. Simply put, the action was gripping, and more than just a little bit stunning. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada may have been a worthy headliner for the show, but it was the IWGP Intercontinental Title bout between Nakamura and Ibushi that had the main eventers sweating. Going on second-to-last, both wrestlers gave their all, displaying an exhibition of the best that Puroresu has to offer. Ibushi using a lot of Nakamura's signature offensive moves against him was a nice touch, and this is a must-watch.
