Loss Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 Talk about it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Ridge Posted March 18, 2014 Report Share Posted March 18, 2014 Sakuraba seems pasty looking. Have not seen a wrestling match of his since before he got into MMA. I did not expect much out of this one so ended up thinking this was a good affair. Some slick mat work with submissions from Sakuraba though that did feel a bit too short in the end. Nakamura comes with the big bombs. The type of match that gets over with the Dome crowd. Felt like a Choshu match in a way. No messing around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted March 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 I don't think Nakamura has the right look to be pushed as this type of wrestler and that was hard for me to get past. I also didn't like his offense at all because it was too pro wrestlingy instead of trying to match Sakuraba's style. I did think this was an okay match and it was interesting to see some modern Sakuraba. I will give this praise for being efficient, but I didn't really buy Nakamura as a credible opponent and they didn't do anything in the body of the match to suggest otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted March 19, 2014 Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 It is going to be interesting reading your thoughts going forward Loss, as so far I seem to have disagreed with you on every match Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Childs Posted March 19, 2014 Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 The early part of the match was pretty blah, but once they started throwing hands, this was great. The Sakuraba knee to a running Nakamura holds up as one of the indelible in-ring moments from 2013. And I thought Nakamura came off plenty credible, with some vicious knees of his own. I probably had a stronger reaction to this when I watched it a year ago, but that's no surprise. Still easily the most memorable match from the Dome show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted March 22, 2014 Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 One of the only "great" NJPW matches from last year that I actually thought was great. I could give a shit what Nakamura looks like, and I thought this built and built to a violent finish. Matches like this that have a real feeling of escalation and an "anything can end it vibe" are always going to get over with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Sleeze Posted July 19, 2016 Report Share Posted July 19, 2016 IWGP Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kazushi Sakuraba - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom VII Â Pro wrestlers in shoot style can work. Shoot style workers in pro wrestling definitely work. But you have to decide what style you want to do. I don't think these two every really decided. The match came off clunky and disjointed. It sounds harsh, but this is a great match. On paper, Nakamura is the best pro wrestler for this match with legitimate MMA credentials and his gimmick is that he is essentially the best wrestler in terms of striking & submission talent on the roster. He is finally facing someone who is his superior in submission grappling, but he still holds an advantage in length & striking. It is interesting because watching the Tanahashi matches the key to Nakamura's strategy is counterwrestling. Here, he is getting out-counterwrestled throughout the match. He goes for his knee in the corner and Sakuraba moves and grabs a rear naked choke. He goes for a takedown and eats a knee. He gets caught in a Kimura. The way he combts this is using his length to get out of holds and then bombarding Sakuraba with a big knee to the head. This narrative is a great story. The problem lies in between this is awkward, tentative faux-MMA. The beginning like 4 minutes is as awkward as you will see on a big stage. Until, Nakamura slapped Sakuraba it was pretty boring. Even later on, why is Nakamura reversing in such a way that Sakuraba can get a full mount and transition easily into a side mount? The finish is Nakamura is too long to be kept in a cross armbreaker (he pops up a little too easily) and knees Sakuraba in the head. He hits the Boma-Ye to take this one home even though in true shoot-stylist fashion kicks out right after three! Too much awkwardness to rate this too, too high. But the story was interesting enough for me to consider this as a great match. Definitely unique and I can see why it is polarizing. **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cactus Posted December 17, 2017 Report Share Posted December 17, 2017 Sakuraba's first singles match in a long, long time and you can feel that there's something special in the air.  The mat work is dominated by Saku and even if you aren't you aware of him before this match like I was when I first saw this, you now know that he's no pushover. The first few minutes establishes that Nakamura has no chance beating Sakuraba in a grappling match and he has to resort in using a lucky strike to bring down the mighty Saku. Nakamura makes the mistake of going for a take down and is met with a legitimate looking knee, a direct call back to when Nakamura attempted a take down on Takayama many moons ago. Nakamura manages to slide out of an armbar and takes Sakuraba out with a violent Boma Ye, the only pin attempt of the match.  Still as great as it was when I first saw this back in 2013. It's like Lesnar v Cena at Extreme Rules, but worked as a shoot style match, and who could hate that?  ★★★★½ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShittyLittleBoots Posted January 2, 2018 Report Share Posted January 2, 2018 Some solid grappling to start things off, but it's when Nakamura slaps Sakuraba that the match gets really good. Sakuraba answers to that by beating the piss out of the King of Strong Style. From that point on, the match remains wonderfully violent & intense w/ Sakuraba locking every hold with extra tightness to them & busting out every strike w/ extra stiffness (that knee.. holy crap). Nakamura's Boma Ye's were superb too - really miss when that move was the most hype move in all of wrestling. Great match. **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigVanCrush Posted January 11, 2018 Report Share Posted January 11, 2018 At the time I thought this was easily the best match on the show and on last rewatch nothing had changed. Sakuraba is awesome, Nakamura hands in his yearly 'okay I'm gonna actually try now' performance and the way the match flows feels organic. Saku does the Mongolian chop and the jumping face stomp and owns Nakamura on the mat, Nakamura takes the knee on the takedown attempt and then he kills Saku off with the Boma Ye. What I've always liked about this is Saku kicking out right at three. I don't know if that was something they called or just something he thought to do, but I love that shit. This was my favorite match from 2013 New Japan until the Shibata/Goto war in June. ****1/2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShittyLittleBoots Posted October 22, 2020 Report Share Posted October 22, 2020 They start it off with some nice grappling stuff -- it's certainly not the best grappling ever seen in a pro-wrestling ring or anything close to that, but it's slick n' nice, aaaaand it also comes with a GREAT sense of caution & danger, which help make it all extremely enjoyable. The match really explodes once Nakamura decides to deliver a lil' disrespectful slap to Sakuraba, to which Saku answers accordingly by going on a huge strike-flurry. It was a great way to transition into the 2nd stage of the match I thought, and everything that followed was just superb. Everything Sakuraba does has such a fantastic feeling of danger to it, Nakamura sells his ass off & they make every bigger move and submission truly feel BIG. It's some terrific Tokyo Dome worthy drama, but with its own, unique charm. I love it. Saku vs. Naka is such a beautiful match that holds up on every single viewing of it. **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Rock Posted October 23, 2020 Report Share Posted October 23, 2020 That counter knee is one of the greatest moments in a match ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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