10 Introductory Matches To The Unrivalled Art Of Japanese Wrestling
7. Katsuyori Shibata Vs. Tomohiro Ishii - NJPW G1 Climax 04/08/13
The layout of this match was both bizarre and utterly gripping.
The two men, literally bouncing on the mat in anticipation, launched themselves at one another in a gruesome exhibition of the strike-heavy Strong Style before, in kneeling positions, taking it in turns to politely request full-on blows to the face in a novel p*ssing contest.
Purposefully devoid of defensive tactics, the selling which eventually factors into the bout isn't just realistic; it is visibly and sickeningly real. Despite Shibata's legitimate MMA background, which he utilises to exhaust Ishii with a series of submissions, it is Ishii who emerges victorious in a stature-enhancing win. Ishii on the back of this gutsy performance has since been adopted by New Japan fans as their sentimental favourite.
On this evidence, Shibata has been wasted by New Japan, who, seemingly still betrayed by his mid-noughties departure, have so far resisted powerful overtures to push him to the top of the card.
He came agonisingly close in this year's G1 Climax tournament, in which the tantalising prospect of Golden Boy Okada Vs. Black Sheep Shibata at Wrestle Kingdom 11 was teased, but, as we'll discover, the eventual victor was a more than adequate equaliser.