10 Essential Jay Briscoe Matches
7. The Briscoes Vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima And Kota Ibushi (NOAH Shiny Navigation 2008 - Day Nine)
Pro Wrestling NOAH's popularity was slowing down by the time 2008 arrived, but nobody told the Briscoes, Katsuhiko Nakajima, and Kota Ibushi. A ripping affair during an era when there weren't many polarising duos doing the rounds, the match - part of NOAH's Nippon TV Cup Junior Heavyweight Tag League - embellished the Briscoes' reputation as an adaptable pairing.
They're rough and tough. Conjuring a match vs. two performers of a similar style wasn't something they were regularly used to, instead traditionally working with the likes of the high-flying Motor City Machine Guns and Young Bucks.
Jay and Mark embodied the no guts, no glory spirit written into the lore of NOAH, upping the ante against Nakajima and Ibushi. Ibushi's kicks take guts to watch even in his modern outings; his executions here were stomach-churning material, as were his suplex variations.
The match peaked just before its Doomsday Device conclusion. Kota Ibushi, attempting to mount a comeback for himself, and Katsuhiko Nakajima performed a blazing exchange on Jay Briscoe. One run of the ropes, however, and he nearly got decapitated with a Lariat, his spirited comeback thwarted in one swift motion.
It was a tough encounter that encapsulated the very best of the Briscoes in Japan.