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Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Match

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Average rating based on the displayed comments: 6.11
TSwifty wrote on 05.03.2024:
[6.0] "This is one of their weaker matches together. They've pretty much done everything they could do by this point. This was just a Sabre submission showcase until Ibushi hit a few strikes and won. It's worth noting Ibushi's awful selling but at least this was only a 15-minute match. He was kind of on autopilot here. ***1/4"
arkhamoutlaw10 wrote on 19.04.2021:
[5.0] "These men have done all they can do together. Sadly, like with a lot of Ibushi's matches since the break, this is a lot of absolute nothingness before a Kamigoye gets busted out."
pierreMinne wrote on 29.03.2021:
[9.0] "This match is my favorite match of the New Japan Cup 2020, an excellent technical match with like always perfect submissions and counters by ZSJ. Ibushi and ZSJ have a great chemistry, I love the technical style so it was a pleasure. ****1/4"
Ma Stump Puller wrote on 26.08.2020:
[5.0] "Very solid in ring, but Ibushi's selling is STILL terrible, and it really shows when he's placed against someone who's whole thing is limb targeting and submission holds. The lack of crowd doesn't exactly help either, as the whole psychology of the babyface gaining willpower from the people cheering him is completely gone. You'd think after all this time that Ibushi would bother to slow down and actually, you know, sell, but he doesn't really seem to care. Despite all of the leg work, he gets up and does all of his offence with no trouble at all, not even pulling a Okada by grabbing his leg for a few seconds. It's pretty bad, and likely the main reason why he's never been able to get to a main event face level. If you can't sell the danger of your opponent, there's no drama."
Roach wrote on 13.07.2020:
[7.0] "A strong technical bout but probably the worst match these two have had, which is fine since they usually have bangers. Zack does a great job of targeting Ibushi's leg but it doesn't have the same effect it would on a guy like Tanahashi."
Dragon Fighter wrote on 05.07.2020:
[3.0] "This match followed the same formula these two have put on in their previous meetings but it wasn't good by any means. It was not only because of same things they repeat but also Ibushi's awful selling. I always tolerate this guy's limb selling because he is really great at a lot of other things. But here it was not excused. He completely ignored ZSJ's work every time ZSJ tried to target his leg. He didn't even bother it at all. And the finish was exactly how I rated this low. Ibushi won the match with the bad knee and he showed no pain or acted like he was hurt at all. Awful."
rhyno1989 wrote on 04.07.2020:
[7.0] "***3/4 rating. Good match. Not on par with their previous matches but still a quality match. Their usual formula works with ZSJ attacking the leg but Ibushi fights through it was used well."
Sebastian V wrote on 02.07.2020:
[7.0] "Ibushi und Sabre Jr zeigen hier ein technisch wirklich ansprechendes Match, was aber gerade durch die technische Komponente zu Beginn etwas zäh und sehr ethodisch ist, sich hinten raus aber durchaus noch steigert und aufregender wird, allerdings auch ohne die große Story zu haben. Dennoch ist es Alles in Allem ein mehr als anständiges Match, welches in meinen Augen 7 Punkte verdient."
killowenskill wrote on 29.06.2020:
[1.0] "I agree with the previous speaker. I can endure bad matches, I can endure mediocre matches, I can see at least some plus in a match without a zest and soul, but here... Whatever Sabre does, Kota won't care. He will not sell the consequences, he will not take the damage seriously, he will simply escape from the hands of the British guy, and he will only have to invent new and new ways to break through the defense, to eventually run into a knee out of nowhere and lose, the most shameful of all possible ways. Nothing in this match didn't matter. Nothing has affected anything. I didn't see the characters in the first or second wrestler. Ibushi might as well have just made his first-second finisher and nothing would have changed. But no, I'm lying. We would at least have seen an atypical confrontation in New Japan, which could be joined in the upcoming matches, either singles or tag team. For now, it's just garbage, absolutely the worst match of both guys careers."
Black Mass With Love wrote on 28.06.2020:
[1.0] "It was terrible. Everything Zack did was completely ignored. Ibushi paid no attention to anything. I can't imagine how it is possible at all. Kota ignores all the Sabre's moves. I can't remember a wrestler who would be equally disregard for the work of an opponent. Even Sabre who could do submissions all the time. Ibushi instantly stopped selling his leg, but the farther, the worse it got. The ending caused only laughter."
marexcel wrote on 28.06.2020:
[7.0] "Ibushi und ZSJ haben schon so ihre Historie in den vergangenen Jahren und schreiben auch hier ihre nächste gute Episode. Kompakte Action, bei der beide ihre Qualitäten ins Match bringen können und so versuchen zum Ziel zu kommen. Da ist auch das etwas abrupte Ende passend. MOTN für mich."
jboyaquar wrote on 28.06.2020:
[6.0] "A fine, if not particularly memorable, entry in their series. 5. 75 I haven't posted much on this site for the past two years, and though this may not be the most appropriate junction to post this rant, I guess these unending corona-etc circumstances have fueled the fire to obey 'De La Rocha' and follow on his 'What better time than now' dictate: Kota Ibushi is one of the more overrated competitors of the past five years. Don't get me wrong, I adore the Kota of '04-'14, but this guy no longer has the physical capabilities to regularly captivate me. The intensity and undeniability of his rapid, varying kick-based moveset & raw fighting spirit has been distilled into a more muscular, equally likable, yet far less dynamic performer. To make matters worse, 90% of the time his finisher, (because he can't regularly do the Phoenix, though the older Tana still manages at least one 'High Fly Flow' in practically every singles match, ) the 'Kamigoye, ' is shit, or rather a knee-slapping, barely touching joke that I would assent my Mother to take. Compound this with the fact that his set-up, the Boma Ye, is a rip-off, callout, to another overvalued wrestling commodity. Plagerizing main-event babyfaces are, for me, a no-go. Antonio Honda/Lingerie Muto doing the 'Shining Wizard, ' fine because they're comedy figures. Taguchi ripping-off 'Big Lazy' is fine because he's a mid-card entertainer, not a role for the #2 Babyface. All of the aforementioned is current Ibushi, so we're not even mentioning his longtime weakness... selling. Compare Ishii against Desperado & Ibushi here... a joke. And based on his match statistics, injuries, interest, it's not as if he's a reliable workhorse. Count me out rooting for this shell as a future IWGP champion, but he'll get it, as the ladies wanna be with him and the boys wanna be him. Business - Maybe he'll get selected into the Observer Hall of Fame like Nakamura, with an absurd 73% his first year on-the-ballot... Dave's certainly pushin"
MAGICIAN wrote on 24.06.2020:
[5.0] "Ich hätte gedacht, dass dieses Match das beste der ersten Runde wird - was habe ich mich getäuscht. Zwar hat man, wie für beide typisch, einige ganz nette Konterserien, die sich jedoch ohne Heat nicht entfalten konnten. So bekommt man hier leider nur ein spannungsloses, durchschnittliches Wrestlingmatch. **½"
NastyYaffa wrote on 24.06.2020:
[7.0] "These two are always good together, but I do feel like this match-up feels completely overdone at this point. But then again, as I say that, I come back to that first statement, as this was indeed really good. Some of Zack's early matwork didn't translate too well into the empty arena setting, but once he set that focus on Ibushi's leg, it became very easy to enjoy & follow along, and it was indeed the good stuff."
MaveDeltzer wrote on 23.06.2020:
[6.0] "There are a few wrestling styles and tricks which seem to be impacted by the lack of crowds the most. Big, spot-fest style matches, babyface fire, and submission based matches. Babyface fire and submissions go hand in hand, especially when the heel is the submission guy. Usually submission holds can work to get the crowd cheering for the face in peril, a great example of how pro wrestling can bounce off of the crowd and feed them the emotions they want to express. It doesn't work so well without a crowd though, unfortunately. I didn't think that this match was particularily good or bad either way, but I also have to factor the lack of crowd into my score because there's no getting around it. The most effective matches with no crowd so far have been those which made their own noise by way of hard strikes and slapping flesh. This felt a little hollow to me, though the performers are not entirely to blame."
zephyr wrote on 23.06.2020:
[7.0] "I get that NJPW likes this matchup and these two always put on a great show but I was already kind of tired of seeing these two together last time so this wasn't great for me."
therainmaker69 wrote on 23.06.2020:
[6.0] "They were building up well with the technical stuff. The finishing sequence was lightning quick and did not feel like it was incredible. Decent match, maybe a little bit more time could've helped it."
Robert Taylor wrote on 23.06.2020:
[6.0] "ZSJ vs. Ibushi ist in meinen Augen ein Selbstläufer, da die beiden konträren Stile sehr gut miteinander harmonieren. Zack fängt wieder allerlei Strikes und Kicks in Submissions auf, was wieder klasse aussieht aber in diesem Fall leider ohne Fans auskommen muss. Was mir ein bisschen fehlt ist die richtige Spannung zum Finish und ein paar Nearfalls, da Zack sehr viel dominiert und das Finish etwas kurzfristig kommt."
DavetheTurnip wrote on 23.06.2020:
[6.0] "Ibushi tried to keep his distance from ZSJ. The turning point was after a flurry of thigh kicks dropped Zach, he was able to lure Kota into another flurry, and you should never do what Zach wants you to do. Of course Zach reversed it, and the punishment on Ibushi's leg began. I loved how even though a lot of the holds were in the ropes and only for a few moments, Zach used every opportunity to inflict pain on Ibushi's leg. It didn't work however. Ibushi was never down for long, and a well placed Kamegoye sealed the deal. Ibushi was limping on his way to the back. I wonder if his leg will be a factor in the rest of the tournament. Overall this match was fine. I enjoyed it, but nothing wowed me. Just a solid wrestling match between two guys I like."
KoaalaKing wrote on 23.06.2020:
[8.0] "Great stuff from these two! Really felt like there was no wasted motion in this one. Ibushi really brings the best out of Sabre, Ibushi's intesnity paired with Sabre's submission wizardry create some absolutely incredible sequences: ****."
Nethandle wrote on 23.06.2020:
[5.0] "A surprisingly average match from these 2. Felt like it ended just as it got going, perhaps they were pressed for time. Lack of a crowd hurt it too for obvious reasons."
Makai Club wrote on 22.06.2020:
[6.0] "Ibushi vs ZSJ always have solidly good matches at worst, and this is basically that. Solid. Nothing really great about this. Zack's submissions were good but hardly nail biting or worth buying into. Ibushi's comebacks were the same. A good match, but nothing worth going out of your way to check out. ***"
ssamu126 wrote on 22.06.2020:
[5.0] "I really didn't like this match, I don't like the current work from ZSJ, i'm glad Ibushi won although he's not going to win the cup"
taabr2 wrote on 22.06.2020:
[8.0] "Really enjoyed this match. Zack Sabre went after Ibushi's historically injured ankle. However each time Sabre tried to do something other than a submission Ibushi managed to counter or just no-sell it. Ibushi only connected with a handful of moves but it was more than enough to put Sabre down as Sabre's whole thing is less about toughness but more about avoiding taking hits. Smartly worked match which I always love to see ****"
Vindicator1996 wrote on 22.06.2020:
[9.0] "While this felt definitely rushed, it remains a very strong match between two top athletes. It's interesting to see what Ibushi will do this year, as with the Naito long story ended, I think it might be his time to shine."
superdragon wrote on 22.06.2020:
[8.0] "This was objectively entertaining however considering the talent and chemistry between the two. They weren't given enough time to shine. Still, these two cannot have a mediocre match to save their own lives. ***3/4"
imajynati0n wrote on 22.06.2020:
[8.0] "The matches between these two are always enjoyable. I was excited when I saw the matchup in the bracket. And as usual, they delivered."
PuroresuLover wrote on 22.06.2020:
[7.0] "That was obviously rushed and could be a better match, but it doesn't mean that they did a bad job or something like that, in fact, they did a very nice match. Like I said, it was just rushed and sometimes the timing was a liiitle off, still, that was very nice to watch and amused me. ***1/2"