10 Matches For The Ultimate NJPW Vs. AEW Supercard

7. Tomohiro Ishii Vs. Darby Allin

Okada Omega
NJPW/James Musselwhite

A ghoulish prospect, Tomohiro Ishii would kill Darby Allin. He would kill him, and it would be exceptional.

Ishii is a beloved figure—his lack of a high-profile Tokyo Dome match is considered as nothing less than sacrilege—but he’s also a vicious bastard who wrestles smaller performers like they should not be in the same ring. To prove it, he annihilates and trash talks them when they fail to die.

Darby Allin is near-perfect prey for one of the best killers in all of wrestling; a reckless, brave/dumbass performer who is marvellous at fighting from underneath, he is also very capable on the mat, and Ishii wrestles such a distinct style so brilliantly that any deviation from it is always a huge crowd-pleaser.

It’s a bit harrowing, the idea of Ishii drilling Allin’s spine, which the thin layer of flesh only barely protects.

But that motherf*cker just has different bones to everybody else, and this match would represent a glorious meeting of two very different breeds of perseverance, fought with spirit and an unexpected, and therefore very dramatic, tone.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!