10 Best Wrestling Matches Of 2020 (So Far)
2. Kazuchika Okada Vs. Kota Ibushi - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night One
Much like the babyface morphed throughout the '90s into the antihero, Kota Ibushi has reconciled the passé supernatural gimmick in a less cartoonish context by presenting himself - at random, like most of life's unsettling cruelty - as a murderous void of humanity consistent with his erratic headspace.
Midway through this advanced iteration of the classic modern IWGP Heavyweight Championship match - and think of the ground that covers - Ibushi no-sold Okada's offence. The switch flicked. He rocked Okada with blows that sounded absolutely grotesque. Without hyperbole: the absence of significant bruising all but confirms that this torrent of strikes was the greatest thrown in a professional wrestling match. Impervious to pain, he was only shaken from this chilling fugue state by an apron Tombstone.
Okada in contrast was insurmountable through his unprecedented athleticism and genius in-ring IQ. Deep into a twisting match of incredible drama, Okada had the intelligence, flexibility and core strength to somehow counter the Kamigoye into a dropkick from his knees. This was astonishing. Almost literally unreal.
This dynamic of towering parity informed and justified the epic 39:15 duration and the scorching excess of the near-fall trade-off at the finish.
Masterful pro wrestling across every in-ring discipline of the craft: pacing, character work, psychology, athleticism, emotion.