[2000-07-20-NJPW-Summer Struggle 2000 Night 20] Kensuke Sasaki vs Takahashi Iizuka

[Superstar Sleeze]

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kensuke Sasaki vs Takahashi Iizuka - NJPW 7/20/00

Sasaki is in the middle of his peak run as New Japan Ace. Iizuka is famous for three matches against the Steiners, the 1/4/00 tag with Hashimoto against the UFO Shooters and the 12/11/00 tag with Nagata against the All Japan Invaders. Pretty safe to say the year 2000 was his peak. I did f even remember what he looked like never mind his style. 
 

I was pretty interested in this match because Champion versus unknown commodity is the best way to understand how a Champion envisions his reign. Sasaki versus Kawada was a match of equals. This is not. So how do you work that? 
 

Call me crazy but I loved this. This is a real feather in Sasaki’s cap. It shows his versatility, Ring generalship and ingenuity, Even though it was a competitive squash for most of the match, I was engaged, the work was compelling and Sasaki delineated a clear sense of hierarchy.

Sasaki established not only his superiority in the power game: bowling over Iizuka, taking him down at will, countering a hold with Bob Backlund lift, but also the ground game he does a great monkey lift into an armbreaker attempt, he works in and out of guard well and generally is able to counter submissions well. Iizuka’s first strategy seems to be piss off Sasaki as he realizes he is not the better wrestler. He smacks Sasaki around but Sasaki flips him into a mount but Sasaki’s overzealousness presents the opportunity for Iizuka to target the legs which was smart psychology. When Sasaki escapes that, that ends the opening New Japan chain wrestling but that is some of the best opening chaining you’ll see it is not perfunctory they really establish the story in that. 
 

Sasaki is ready to turn this into a pro style big bomb match which Iizuka is totally outgunned for. Iizuka’s next strategy is to target a body part which I figured would be his best strategy as when someone has a clear advantage in multiple aspects of the game injuring a body part closes the gap. Since Sasaki was smoking him with lariats Iizuka dropkicks the arm as if to say fuck You stop that shit. Iizuka works some great arm holds and Sasaki sells well. The peak of this is when stubborn Sasaki goes for the Tejana Bomb but leaves himself open for the cross armbreaker. 
 

While this is Iizuka’s best opening of the match I would hardly say Sasaki is in trouble bur he hauls off and PUNCHES HIM! Iizuka sells it like death. I thought that reeked of too much desperation by Sasaki we weren’t there yet in my opinion. Sasaki powerslam gets two. Sasaki goes for a lariat armbar takedown into a choke. Now here comes the real Iizuka finish stretch. It is a barrage of Exploders and Chokes. They really milk the Chokes. I think the Punch would have worked better here because now desperation has set in. However I loved the use of Sasaki’s special arm drag to counter the standing choke. Two more of those a couple clubbing lariats and a Northern Lights Bomb and Sasaki gets a definitive win even though he almost blew it.

Perfect champion versus have no chance midcarder. Champion clearly demonstrates why he is the champion. Challenger tries a couple different strategies one eventually sticks. Champion gets desperate. Things get a little dicey for the Champion but they find an opening, accelerate through the hole and finish strong. Great pro wrestling ****