8 Reasons New Japan's Wrestle Kingdom 9 Is Must-Watch

3. Shinsuke Nakamura VS Kota Ibushi

It doesn't matter what country you're in, or what promotions you like to watch... you will never find anyone that exudes the word "swag" like Shinsuke Nakamura. His facial expressions, the way he walks, the way he talks, the way he dances, the way he wrestles... everything about him is just cool. Kota Ibushi has been one of the best high-fliers in all of wrestling for several years now, and has always had a squeaky clean image to go with it. In recent months, he had taken on more of a cocky, arrogant persona, ever since returning from a concussion. Missing the G1 Climax seemed to anger him to no end, and he was taking it out on people. The match turned out to be an amazing piece of storytelling. As a Junior Heavyweight for his whole career now wrestling with the Heavyweights, Ibushi had to prove that he "belonged", much like in North American wrestling, when a Cruiserweight or X-Division wrestler steps up to the main event scene and wrestles with a chip on his shoulder. He had a more aggressive style in the ring, and that matched up well with the "King Of Strong Style", Nakamura. The whole thing had a "big fight" atmosphere about it, and there was a buzz in the Dome from beginning to end. The match was for Nakamura's IWGP Intercontinental Title, which has been elevated so high that it nearly has as much prestige as the IWGP Heavyweight Title, so there was a lot on the line, and both men wrestled like it. It seems like 50% of the people who watched WK are calling this the Match Of The Night, and one of the better matches they've seen in a long time. The other 50%, though...