[2002-08-05-NJPW-G1 Climax] Kenzo Suzuki vs Osamu Nishimura

[Ma Stump Puller]

Suzuki is still a up and coming "star" for the promotion; despite the fact he's only been wrestling for two years he already is the prime Young Lion as per management, having beaten Tanahashi and consistently having a slot in the G1 since debuting; rather unheard of these days. He's got everything they'd really want; he's tall, has a good look and a sports background, crowds seem to take to him well for the level of experience he has. He's not much in the actual wrestling department, but that can change, right? The promotion certainly had big plans for him, of course we know how that ends. Nishimura is of course having to hold his hand here and carry: a relatively easy task given how good the guy was around this time.

As expected we go though typical Nishimura starting routines (I did like him stopping Suzuki from trying his fancy handstand when given the chance as a cheeky little spot) but it's mostly pretty dry. Suzuki has some nice tricks on the mat but he's pretty lacking in the actual details so we get a lot of basic wrestling out of him without much real purpose behind it. He's always been one of those guys who never was able to put the pieces fully together and seeing him just really fumble around the ring really hammers that in. Nishimura lands in some intelligent counters alongside solid holds: at one point he goes into a Muta Lock and then into a Bulldog choke in the same position for more leverage in a surprisingly convincing bit. He also goes for his "knee drop on a outside table" spot that he loved doing around the time which has Suzuki take a tumble. Suzuki also takes a more nasty bump off the railing after a apron dropkick comes his way. Nishimura was such a prick during this specific sequence lol. He'd get the audience to clap for his opponent to get back in the ring and get them all rallied up before landing a dropkick and sending the poor guy flying again when he actually had a chance of getting back in. Just dickish stuff that doesn't bend the rules or anything, it's just a bit mean. Eventually he just loses patience with all of this and lands a apron knee drop to a big round of applause.

I did like how Nishimura mixed up the leg work this time, going for more unconventional holds than the usual Figure Four/Spinning Toe Hold shit, so you had him stretching and pulling at the leg alongside occasionally elbow smashing when the chance came up to do so. Suzuki manages to survive for a bit despite some sturdy work but eventually we get the finish: which has Nishimura apply the Spinning Toe Hold only for Suzuki to slap on a small package and steal the win out of essentially nothing but a couple of moves. Suzuki isn't very good here but Nishimura dominating allows the crowd to mostly ignore that in favour of Nishimura's stuff instead, which is obviously far better and can carry the two to something more interesting than just a movez fest. This is also paced well; not too long but also just enough to get over how deep in the hole Suzuki is here as soon as Nishimura starts getting momentum and doing his thing. I did really like how this played on the typical "vet vs rookie" formula with how Nishimura torments Suzuki, but never goes overtly heel with what he does. He skirts the line here and there yet it still feels more like a cold mentor putting the rookie through some hurtful lessons than him being an actual heel. It got the crowd into the match, so I can't complain too much. It's a Bret/Magee situation again, only Kenzo will eventually evolve into a weird attraction wrestler who slaps the shit out of people as opposed to.....well being this badly green forever, so that's a positive.