15 Best Non-WWE Matches Of The Last Decade (According To Dave Meltzer)
3. Kazuchika Okada Vs. Katsuyori Shibata (5* - NJPW, 2017)
Okada's impressive string of five-star title defences continued in April this year when he took on Katsuyori Shibata at Sakura Genesis, a match that, once again, went nearly 40 minutes (and was, perhaps, scheduled to go on a while longer but for a nasty injury suffered by the latter).
This one had not just athleticism, but raw emotion too - and at the moment both men were trading tired blows from the Lotus position in the middle of the ring, you would have had a hard time convincing the crowd wrestling doesn't matter.
Of course, wrestling really doesn't matter when you consider the extent of Shibata's injury. If this was his last match, though, it was a fitting way to end his stellar career.