8 Ups & 2 Downs From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12

3. Suzuki & Goto Go To War

Minoru Suzuki Hirooki Goto
NJPW World

What. A. War.

Much of Minoru Suzuki’s NEVER Openweight Championship reign had been defined by contrived stipulations, overbooking, and constant interferences, but not this. Here, the legendary catch wrestling sadist more than justified his reputation, delivering a vicious performance against the impossibly violent Hirooki Goto, who remains one of the world’s most compelling offensive wrestlers.

The strikes were stiff, the submissions snug, and the verbal exchanges heated. Suzuki bullied Goto throughout, literally knocking his challenge limp on multiple occasions. The challenger, meanwhile, delivered a masterclass in selling throughout, but Suzuki’s goons inevitably showed up. The valiant YOSHI-HASHI arrived to fend them off, though: the interference was brief, ineffective, and couldn’t halt Goto’s crushing comeback.

The challenger’s performance was nothing short of heroic. He not only walked away with the title, but Suzuki’s dignity, having condemned the deposed NEVER kingpin’s iconic barnet to the bin.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.