[2015-08-12-NJPW-G-1 Climax] Tomohiro Ishii vs Tomoaki Honma

[Superstar Sleeze]

Tomohiro Ishii vs Tomoaki Honma - NJPW 8/12/15

This is absolutely fantastic! Honma is my favorite Ishii opponent. He takes a lickin but keeps on tickin. He has so much personality. He is like Donald Duck and Popeye rolled up into one fabulous headbutting package. He is wicked over with live crowds and you just want the dude to win. Ishii is so strait-laced and no-nonsense, it contrasts so well. They do a great job portraying Honma as overeager he misses three falling headbutts in a row all from different positions. They also establish Ishii's strength advantage. For every half-dozen Honma elbows, it only takes one Ishii elbow to fell Honma. Honma does a great job selling all this. Honma's first ray of hope is an excellent suplex struggle that he wins when he deadlifts (Ishii does a great job making this feat of strength look impressive as fuck) Ishii over. They do a Kobashi/Sasaki chopfest tribute which is the worst part of an otherwise terrific match. Ishii wins when he chops high, which I do love as a finish. Ishii hits his textbook superplex for two. He is thinking Sliding Lariat, but doesnt get it. When Ishii misses, Honma goes for his falling headbutt but he misses. His DDT does NOT miss. There is nobody that sells being spiked on his head better than Ishii. Honma's Popeye windup and Donald Duck hissing, make his great lariat all the better. Honma hits his Island Driver for two and this is when he goes for the top rope headbutt but crashes and burns. I thought for sure at this point that was it for our hero. In typical Honma, he put a good fight, but he was going to come up short. He leaps in for a Torpedo Headbutt but Ishii sidesteps sending him head first into the turnbuckle. Ishii unloads with an elbow barrage and a Mack Truck Lariat. He sets him up for the Sliding Lariat, nails it. At this point, I am thinking this was a good, fun match, glad I watched it. Ishii signals for the brainbuster. BRAINBUSTER! But wait it is HONMA THAT HIT THE BRAINBUSTER! Ishii comes up selling his neck like only he can. They start this crazy Lariat war! Then Honma just leaps at him headlong three times in a row with crazy headbutts including a Sliding version! He is stealing Ishii shit but making it his own! Can he pull it off? Headlong Headbutt from the top, falling headbutt, bodyslam, arms up, SUPER FALLING HEADBUTT! 1-2-3! That was fucking awesome! They had me totally thinking Ishii would win only for an absolutely awesome Honma barrage of headbutts to take it home. I loved this! ****1/4