NJPW Hi no Kuni 2018: Review, Grades, and Analysis

Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) vs. Minoru Suzuki (Suzuki-gun) (c)

Naito starts the match by playing around with Suzuki, and Suzuki was surprisingly patient. That scared me. Naito did his tranquilo pose, and Suzuki did it too. WHAT. Naito continued to poke the bear by spitting on Suzuki and laughing every time Suzuki kicked him. Suzuki locked on an armbar over the top rope.

Suzuki then took Naito to the outside, and sent him flying into the guardrail. Suzuki grabbed a chair and threw it at Naito. Naito barely made it back into the ring, but he didn’t find any reprieve, as Suzuki tore apart his knee, all what Naito was smiling. Suzuki kneed him right in the face, and Naito continued to smile. He is becoming more and more tranquilo. Naito rested his foot on Suzuki’s face and posed, infuriating Suzuki.

Naito is getting Suzuki to play his game, as Suzuki returns the foot to the face pose. Naito, it seems, has Suzuki exactly where he wants him. A tornado DDT rocks Suzuki, as Naito responds. Suzuki challenges Naito to a striking battle, which Suzuki wins, because he’s Suzuki. Naito managed to hit a triangle dropkick corner, flooring Suzuki. Naito tried to put Suzuki on the top rope, but Suzuki doesn’t like leaving the ground, and locked in a kneebar over the top rope. Nasty.

Naito sells his knee, and Suzuki is without mercy in attack it. Suzuki stomps on Naito’s head repeatedly, and Naito seems to have no response. Naito pushed the ref away as the ref was checking on him. Suzuki locked in a kneebar on Naito’s knee again, and it’s the same knee that Zack Sabre Jr. tore apart in their NJPW New Japan Cup match. Suzuki is absolutely relentless in his attack, and this feels like a flashback to when Tanahashi lost to Suzuki by stoppage.

Naito escaped by getting to the ropes. Suzuki tried to pick Naito up, but Naito reversed into a DDT. Naito then hit an inverted tornado DDT, and went for Destino. Minoru Suzuki reversed and locked in a kneebar. Suzuki continued to bend Naito like a pretzel, but Naito won’t quit! Suzuki continues to tear at Naito’s knee, and the ref is threatening to stop it. This feels exactly like the end of Suzuki/Tanhashi. Naito rolled to the ropes and just got out!

Suzuki locked in a sleeper, and brought Naito down to the mat instead of hitting the Gotch Style Piledriver. Naito almost went out, but he got up and went for a fisherman’s neckbreaker that was slightly botched. Suzuki stood up with an evil grin on his face, and Naito slapped the life out of him multiple times. Suzuki sold it like he was hurting, but then he went right back to the knee. Tetsuya Naito caused Suzuki’s nose to bleed, and reversed a takedown with a brainbuster. Naito hit Destino! Naito wins! Tetsuya Naito is your new Intercontinental Champion. Suzuki sold the Destino like he was dead. Beautiful.

Result: Tetsuya Naito

Rating: 5 stars out of 5