Wrestling’s Top 10 Matches of January: A Month of Heartbreak

Photo Source: njpw1972.com

No match on this list or for the rest of the year will have as much historical impact as this one. At many points, the brutality shown by Suzuki was uncomfortable to watch as he dissected and destroyed the torn biceps as well as the shredded up knee of New Japan’s Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Like a surgeon, Suzuki picked his spots to attack, letting Tanahashi give every last bit of energy to end the match as soon as he could to preserve his body before going in for the kill. Tanahashi would fight back to his feet and try to throw forearms, but Suzuki would just laugh at him with the most disturbing laugh you will ever hear and go right back to work.

There was a moment in this match where Suzuki had the Sleeper locked in and transitioned to the Gotch Piledriver. Usually this is a sign of bad things to come for Suzuki as his marriage with the Gotch is very one sided. He can almost never hit it, but, here, he was able to hit it, but he didn’t go for the cover. He locked Tanahashi’s knee right back up in the knee bar, leading to the most agonizing, painful few minutes of the Ace’s career.

However, Tanahashi refused to tap, scratching and clawing at anything he could get his hands on to break the hold, but it was no use. Consequently, the referee called for the stoppage, putting an end to the match, Tanahashi’s title reign, and possibly his career. The reign of The Sadist is only just beginning, and if this match foreshadowed anything, it’s that there’s going to be an abundance of broken limbs left in the path.