15 Best Non-WWE Matches Of The Last Decade (According To Dave Meltzer)

7. Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (5* - NJPW, 2015)

Ospreay KUSHIDA
NJPW

Tanahashi and Nakamura were said to have been two of the new era NJPW trailblazers, both having shot to fame in the early 2000s as a pair of rookies ready to lead the promotion back to the top of the Japanese wrestling pyramid.

Yet they saved arguably their best encounter for 2015 - just a couple of months, in fact, before The King of Strong Style would depart the promotion for the greener pastures of WWE.

And if he wanted to go out on a high note, then it would be fair to say "mission accomplished". Before finishing up with a match against AJ Styles at Wrestle Kingdom 10, he earned a five-star rating for this effort on the final day of the G1 Climax.

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