[2004-12-11-NJPW-Battle Final] Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shinsuke Nakamura vs Minoru Suzuki & Kensuke Sasaki

[NintendoLogic]

I downloaded this on a whim from Ditch's website and almost immediately had buyer's remorse when I saw that the file was 387 MB. I certainly wasn't expecting a bona fide classic, but that's what this ended up being. For those who approach long Tanahashi matches with trepidation, rest assured that this is nothing like his usual fare. The veteran outsiders control probably 90% of the match, and they put the young guns through the wringer with a combination of technique, brute force, and underhanded tactics. It was like watching Jumbo and Fuchi torture Kobashi and Kikuchi. It's easy to forget that Nakamura used to do moonsaults and corkscrew planchas. The combination triangle choke/Shining Wizard was a pretty kickass spot. The lack of crowd heat for most of the match hurt it somewhat, but the work in the ring was excellent. Bonus points for Tanahashi continuing to sell the leg after the match.