AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki

[7.0] "This isn't my kind of match. I expected something different from a Suzuki vs. Styles match at that time. The striking exchanges are good, but the interference and strong insistence on submissions in a relatively short match makes everything a bit monotonous, and AJ Styles' reaction doesn't win me over because he doesn't seem strong enough to overcome such a dominant performance from Minoru Suzuki. This match ended up winning MOTY at the WON in 2014, and I couldn't disagree more with that decision (I can list at least 20 better matches than this one) [***1/2]."

[7.0] "This is a really great match! Especially towards the end once they've gotten past the arm work that AJ is like, sorta selling, but also not really? He holds it constantly but keeps using it for moves, but he does try and adapt and uses his left arm more than he otherwise would. It's good selling but not amazing or anything, a little spotty. The ref bump and interference spot was also totally unnecessary. The rest is great stuff, and I particularly like the hot crowd and big match feel (a crowd chanting for Suzuki is a rarity, but in the end AJ leaves with the respect and adulation of the fans too) but it's not quite worthy of the reputation it has gained in the west. I'm guessing that this was an intro for a lot of people in the west into New Japan, because AJ Styles is a white dude and they're all about that, so it's been carried by that reputation since, despite not being quite as amazing as its reputation would suggest."

[10.0] "I will always regret not getting into New Japan till 2015 and thus missing Minoru's previous run before he goes to conquer and terrorize NOAH for 2 years, but anyways man is this match amazing and does so many things. It pretty much solidifies AJ as a mainstay in New Japan, at least many believed or hoped, but his run was... well not to pun but phenomenal and this match pretty much silenced any possible doubters. Minoru Suzuki is such a jacked and monstrous badass at this point in his career that he has to play the heel while still getting massive cheers as AJ is put through a trail by fire and combat to prove he's the new big bad as Minoru will soon make his way out of the company. Such a damn good match."

[8.0] "Loved the pacing, I live for this type of wrestling. Sometimes names add up to a match and this time it was like this. Both wrestlers are so unique and cool that it was impossible for it to be a bad match."

[10.0] "A talent showcase! Match starts intense right outta the gate, and never loses this intensitiy throughout. Suzuki is really once in a lifetime wrestler, the armwork that he did made me forget wrestling isn't real. AJ sold really good during the match as well, makes the injury really believable. Also the hard hitting aspect, these two wrestlers already have some of the better combos in pro wrestling, but it exceeded my expectations. And lastly, the counters. I was so pumped for Suzuki's Styles Clash counter, literally blew my mind, AJ did some great counters too, like ankle lock etc. Another proof for these two being one of the greatest of all time."

[9.0] "This is a really good fight between Styles and Suzuki. I can't believe I didn't watched it sooner because it hits hard. Not a MOTY contender but definitely a hard-hitting match-up. AJ Styles' run in NJPW is really legendary and one for the ages."

[7.0] "[3.5*] I thought this match was great but not as spectacular as the average rating may suggest. I watched this one and AJ vs Abyss back to back with my friends and all of us thought the TNA match was more special, so maybe it's on us. Anyways, I really liked this one too, it was an excellent G1 group stage match. The last 6 minutes after the 10-min warning were absolutely amazing, I loved the limbwork, the arm selling and the submission exchanges. The interferences were very fun too. Overall a great match with no flaws that I just wasn't able to get completely, I guess."

[10.0] "Probably my favourite match I've seen from BOTH men, which is lofty praise given how great they both are. A must watch if you are a fan of either man!"

[10.0] "Brilliant match with a LOT of moments that really made it shine. Both Suzuki and Styles are two of the greats when it comes to fast-paced, technical wrestling, and that was shown during this match. So many times where Suzuki would trap AJ in a hold and you would think that he would tap, but every time he managed to find a way to escape. Suzuki moving out of the way so that AJ splashed the ref was a cool moment, all chaos ensued when guys started hitting the ring and beating on eachother. Overall, a very satisfying ending to a great match."

"(3.75*) This match is very overrated but is still good. I really wonder how people find this match good, great even. Im not saying this was a bad match but they could have done stuff that could have put alot more drama and realism in this."

[7.0] "It's a very good match and I really enjoyed it. I used to think it was great and perhaps one of the best matches in njpw's history.. It was certainly getting there but then it ended. I gave this a 10 three years ago and that tells me that either my tastes have changed or I have higher standards nowadays. ****"

[9.0] "GODLY! An incredible match finally got around to hunting this match down after seeing how highly rated this match is and it didn't disappoint. Incredible counter wrestling between the two and the way aj sold the arm throughout was fantastic. 4.5/5 must watch"

"Really solid match! Always a treat to see Suzuki's technical skill. Aj is as "phenomenal" as ever here."

[10.0] "I honestly don't think that even AJ Styles like this match more than I has, cause in my mind this was fucking amazing and it's was the most close the Pro Wrestling ever came from anime and movies. Two great leaders of two villains stables from two different continents and two different styles of wrestling, with AJ being a more all rounder at this age, fighting in a very american style, and Suzuki playing the most puroresu style possible, the only wrestler cabaple to be compared with the style of Murder Grandpa it's himself. They face each other in a AMAZING match that I love so much, the aura, the feeling I had watching this match was funny as hell. I can think and agree with my sense to say that this is a five stars match, and it's my favorite match of AJ Styles career. I know it's not the best match of his career, but it's my favorite one without a doubt."

[7.0] "AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki was a great clash of styles--AJ's athleticism and precision against Suzuki's brutal, methodical offense. The match had a strong mix of technical wrestling, stiff strikes, and smart counters, with Suzuki's signature intensity making every exchange feel meaningful. AJ's selling and movement kept the pace engaging, though the match didn't quite reach an all-time classic level."

[8.0] "It's a bit odd to me that this is people favorite Japan match from AJ. The match itself is very solid, but a bit sluggish, and it's missing the charm some of AJ's other matches from the time have. The last handful of this match are undoubtedly great though, but the burn is too slow for me to go any higher than 4 Stars."

[9.0] "Crazy match! Even while in holds, Minoru Suzuki keeps my attention. His and AJ Styles' uh... styles are very different, but they worked so well together here. Suzuki targeting Styles' finger throughout the match was pretty damn unique as well. While this was an incredibly exciting match, I will knock a point off for the ref bump and interference which didn't seem all that necessary. It didn't quite reach a 10/10 level for me, but I still thought this was awesome. My appreciation for Minoru Suzuki keeps on growing."

[7.0] "An entertaining match if a little bland and typical of most Minoru matches. Was hoping to see more of AJ's showy style of wrestling pitted against Minoru's classic shoot style but they just don't do that much we don't see from each of them in most of their matches--particularly Minoru."

[4.0] "On paper this match sounds excellent. Styles is the cocky foreign heel with the title who's facing off against Suzuki who's the unmovable unimpressed vet looking to put him in his place. The storytelling in this match indicates this and granted there are moments that did leave me impressed. But as a match overall, I can't help but feel that they could have done way better. I would have liked if Styles leaned into his arsenal more and tried more of his tactics as it would have been interesting to see Suzuki try to counter. Instead of just have Suzuki put him in holds for a couple of minutes I think this would have been more engaging and more beneficial for the storytelling for this to be Styles complex and stylish wrestling style to be put against Suzuki's simple but brutal style. But instead, this match, although passable leaves me with a bland taste in my mouth."

[10.0] "Since leaving TNA earlier in the year AJ Styles was treated like a true top star in NJPW quickly defeating golden boy Okada to win the IWGP title, however before this match his run in the ring was a little underwhelming. But this match changed everything for the phenomenal one and kicked off the best period of his career (the rest of his NJPW run and his first year in WWE). Its funny because for most of the period AJ Styles is know so his amazing heel work but its a match where he gets to play babyface that bring it this run out of him. Suzuki and Styles are the two leaders of the villainous fractions in NJPW at this point. Styles uses his flash and speed to get a quick advantage but when Suzuki blocks the springboard elbow and locks in the rope assisted arm bar, the match turns into the Suzuki torture show. Suzuki is absolutely one of my favorite wrestlers at picking a body part and manically sticking to that part in order to punish his opponents. My favourite spot is Styles tries the Bullet Club taunt and Suzuki responds by grabbing the finger and twisting it to get back into the arm work. Styles selling is wonderful in this too, subtle things like using his other arm during striking exchanges. Suzuki has some punishing submissions but Styles has the counters for them, like countering the cross arm with a modified Styles clash. Small nitpick, the ref bump and the run-ins by Suzuki-gun and Bullet Club were completely unnecessary. Loved that at the start of the match, Korakeun Hall was cheering for Suzuki and booing Styles but by the end of the match they were chanting AJ. Styles won over his naysayers at Korakuen that night and would spend the next few years winning over the rest. ****3/4"

[8.0] "Well paced and action packed; plenty of grappling and submission stuff from Suzuki, some hard strikes, with the balance shifting every other minute. Probably the best Suzuki match I've seen."

[7.0] "Not the type of match I was hoping for. I was expecting a physical encounter and I got a submission spammer instead. The second half was nice to watch, the first one - not so much. A generous 7 for demonstrating their technical skills and not making this bout long given my aforementioned opinion"

[10.0] "This match isn't explosive, is a real bomb! The rhythm was very high - Styles hit barricade Phenomenal Forearm in the first minutes - and the rest was just poetry. One of the best "unique matches" I have ever seen, it looked this was theyr tenth encounter. *****"

[10.0] "I think this suffered a bit for me just because I'd heard it hyped so much for years but never actually seen it until now, and it was really challenging to live up to those expectations. Still, I thought this was an excellent match. Suzuki is such an brilliant heel. He comes across as such a cruel bastard. His timing in cutting off all of AJ's comebacks is perfect and really sets this stage for a great finale as AJ has to gut through his arm injury in an attempt to pull out the victory while being thwarted at every turn. There are some really strong strike exchanges between the two as well, and the combination of AJ's athleticism and Suzuki's deadly submissions made for a unique combination. I've gone back and forth on my rating for this, but ultimately I feel it's unfair to penalise the match for a near decade worth of hype giving it insurmountable expectations. I feel if I went in blind I'd be much more confident in giving this a 10, because I think they put forth a really well worked and compelling match here."

[9.0] "I had heard about this match before even watching it, so I had high expectations going in. I can't lie throughout the beginning and middle stretches of the match I was mostly underwhelmed. The crowd was hot for Minoru from the beginning, as the two exchanged strikes before heading to the outside, where Styles hits him with a forearm from the guardrail. Back in the ring Minoru gets Styles caught up in an armbar from the ropes, injuring it, and with that he is able to control the pace going forward, including a cool spot in the crowd where he traps Styles' arm in the chair. All of this was fine for me, but I was left mostly wondering why people were raving about this match. An exchange back in the ring leads to a ref bump, which causes members of Bullet Club and Suzuki-gun to fill the ring. The two factions eventually brawl their way out of the ring...and it's at that point where this match becomes special. The two exchange absolutely beautiful submission counters (Suzuki countering a powerbomb attempt into an ankle lock, and Styles reversing with an ankle lock of his own, Suzuki once again reversing it, until Styles muscles him up for a Styles clash). An incredible strike exchange follows this, in which at one point I'm pretty sure Minoru just shoot punches Styles as hard as he could. AJ hits him with a Pele kick coming off this, and one more Styles clash for the win. As I said, this match starts off slow, but the burn is worth it for the absolutely exceptional closing stretch, honestly one of the best I've seen. Easily Styles' best NJPW match to that point. (****1/2)"

[10.0] "I knew this match was going to be special after I saw these two stare each other down, and then seconds later Suzuki smacked the hell out of AJ. AJ gets in a flurry of offense after this, but after Suzuki blocks a forearm attempt from Styles, he locked in the armbar, and the whole match changes. After this, Suzuki brutalizes AJ's arm the rest of the way, and AJ would never ever forget to sell it at any point during this match, and it played a major part in the finishing part of the match. I thought the interference would ruin this match, but it didn't do that at all which was great. The last 5 minutes had a lot of great counter sequences into submission holds, but the best one wasn't even a submission, it was AJ turning an armbar into the Styles Clash. The ending was both men trading blows, but AJ landing the one knockout shot to set up the Styles Clash was perfect. This was a very compelling match that flew by with no dull moments at all.*****"

[10.0] "Man NJPW Aj is actually his peak as all of his matches were so good and you can see by this being a 5* and not even the best one. Suzukis style fits aj perfectly and the two match up amazingly. this especially has both men at there prime just going at it and because its the G-1 it had the an unpredictable winner. ***** without a doubt top 10 of both mens career."

[9.0] "One of AJ's best match in his brief stint in Japan. The wrestling styles were completely different; AJ's Finese Vs Suzuki's Savagery. Early on Suzuki targeted the arm of AJ and like a dog with a bone, he did not let go. He tortured and rip apart that arm and AJ was really selling that arm. The crowd was really hot; It was more Pro Suzuki but AJ also got a lot of support from the crowd. The interference was interesting and a little fun cameo by the two biggest heel Factions but it didn't actually affect the match. The last 5 mins were absolutely amazing with a really fun ankle lock sequence, Suzuki catching AJ with an armbar and a last min all out slugfest. This was an excellent match. ****3/4"

[10.0] "This match was simply beautiful. Minoru Suzuki was vicious in his offense and his work on Styles arm was incredible. And AJ sold it very well. The chemistry between these two was so good that everything they did was smooth and natural. 9/10"

[8.0] "This match was very different from regular suzuki's chops and elbows fest . Interference was in middle so it didnt affected the match much . It really was a good counter submission match . Both had amazing chemistry throughout the match but it lacks tension and result was somewhat predictable"

[9.0] "Awesome match with both being great in their roles, Suzuki as the aggressor and Styles as the underdog."

"9.5/10 is my rating for this match. This was one of the best matches I have ever watched. Aj styles selling was incredible in this match and Minoru Suzuki was so brutal and he proved why he is one of the best."

[9.0] "This still holds up as one of the best matches I've seen. They have a face to face stare down so you know shit is about to go down. Suzuki slaps Styles to start and Styles comes back with a dropkick forcing Suzuki to bail. This match had so many layers to it. The arm work from Suzuki, the FINGER work by Suzuki, the counter exchanges. This was a work of art."

[9.0] "Two greats doing what they do best. The interference didn't seem necessary but Suzuki as always playing the measuring stick veteran here perfectly and Styles matched him well. Loved the reversals and ways they worked the styles clash and ankle locks. Great stuff, so smooth and done at a top tier level."

[10.0] "This was an epic match. Pace of the match was controlled so nicely by both wrestler. This match didn't felt boring at any point. Lots of great submissions by Suzuki and his work on AJ arm was amazing, and Styles selling was great too. It was match between "Bullet" Club leader and Suzuki-"Gun" leader. Styles trying to do Bullet pose and Suzuki ripping his arm was amazing. At one point Bullet Club and Suzuki-Gun got into brawl but it didn't feel like overbooked match. In just 16 minutes it was instant classic. And great technical work by Suzuki and selling by Styles. Still one of my favorite match of Style to this date. (*****)"

[10.0] "The definition of psychological warfare. AJ Styles made an immediate impact in New Japan Pro Wrestling, winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his very first match. Minoru Suzuki has always been something of a gatekeeper, however, as wrestlers look to prove that they truly rank amongst the world's elite. And Suzuki put Styles through the rigors of wrestling hell in this magnificent encounter designed to remind the world of who Styles was before selling his soul to Bullet Club. Suzuki pushed Styles to his limit, but it wasn't even about the physical encounter. This was about Suzuki's belief that The Phenomenal One had lost his way. And he did everything imaginable to make Styles prove that he still deserved to be called one of the best in the world. Styles not only dug deep but had to pull out such a wide variety of approaches to success that it pushed him beyond relying on Bullet Club interference and back into being the star who helped define non-WWE wrestling for the 10+ years before he even signed with NJPW. An absolutely magnificent match that displays why both men are the legends they are. Storytelling at its absolute best. One of the best matches that both men have ever been a part of. 5 stars, 10 out of 10."

[10.0] "You would think the two styles of Minoru Suzuki and AJ Styles would be too much of a clash, but these two pros made it work. Suzuki is known for his great facials, but his ones here were next-level brilliant. The interference from Suzuki-gun and Bullet Club made sense and didn't detract from the match. Suzuki goes to town on Styles' arm and it plays into finishing stretch. Styles Styles Clashing Suzuki while still being locked in an armbar was a thing of beauty. This was a total war that went the right length and was full of intensity and grit from bell to bell."

[8.0] "Really don't get why this is rated so highly, it's a standard Suzuki epic. Some parts of the match like SZG/BC interference just didn't really add much, but the limbwork was good at least. This was stronger than AJ's 3 previous matches with Okada at least, and it showed AJ was slowly finding his groove with the style ****1/4."

[9.0] "An interesting clash between two heels that were both well over with the crowd before the match even began. Suzuki's brutality throughout the match was excellent, and only further enhanced by Styles' performance throughout. As great as Suzuki is, this is one of the best examples of just how incredible Styles is at being able to cater to different styles and make his opponent look like a million bucks. Loved that the interference was kept very short, and the technical wrestling on display was superb"

[10.0] "Minoru Suzuki is a terrifying badass of epic proportions. AJ Styles is a guy we all know, coming less than a year out of TNA and looking to broaden his legacy beyond that company, which he did very well. I love this match, most of all because there is some tight and pretty brutal psychology on the part of Suzuki. He all but rips AJ Styles' arm off in this match, wrenching it with every move known to man, including a few with chairs and other nearby objects, and when AJ makes his little finger gun Bullet Club symbol, Suzuki goes a step further and starts trying to rip his index finger off! It's quite brilliant and AJ, to his credit, sells it quite well, falling back in pain every time he tries to use the hand and forcing himself to use different types of kicks to avoid further damage to the hand. It's a highly epic match and probably Styles' best match ever outside of TNA, and one of Suzuki's best as well."

[10.0] "In my opinion, the best AJ Styles match in New Japan. It was freaking amazing watching two different heels, and by extension their perspective factions, go against each other."

[10.0] "This match was great this was two heels who at the beginning of the match the crowd had more support for Suzuki due to his legendary status in the company, pro wrestling and fighting in general, however this match was designed to show the New Japan fans exactly how good AJ Styles could be and it did just that. *****"

[9.0] "One of Aj? s best in New Japan and also one of Suzuki? s best as well. These two have great chemistry and it? s a shame that this is their only bout. The only thing that would have made this better is if there was less Bullet Club BS. Other than that this is an almost perfect match and deserves all of its hype. 4. 75*"

[9.0] "Maybe the first (or one of the first) signs of AJ really getting to grips with the style New Japan and the fans want to see. I think it helps that in a heel vs heel match, he didn't need to lead to get over as a threat, especially against Minoru Suzuki. Suzuki ripped into the arm of AJ with nasty Fujiwara attempts, Kimuras, cross armbreakers - a wide variety of submissions. AJ sold the arm superbly well but he did a great job of desperetely fighting out of them. The slap, duck, slap, enziguri exchange was awesome. Even the litttle interference felt like it added to the match. This holds up tremendously well. ****1/2"

[6.0] "This was a good match and I didn't hate it, but I was not as enamoured with it as most other people have been. I don't know why this didn't light my world on fire, because I remember really loving this the first time around."

[10.0] "I've really enjoyed this match and i've watched it like a million times, suzuki was simply brutal as he destroyed styles's arm and fingers, and styles was just amazing as always, you can tell that they went to war against each other by their expressions after the match ended, definitely one of the best matches I've ever watched. (5/5)"

[9.0] "This was very good. The psychology and selling by both Styles and Suzuki was off the charts. AJ's selling of the arm in particular was genius, and Suzuki was just down right vicious in this match with his submission holds and strikes. I do however think this match is a little overrated in my eyes, mainly because I prefer more of a bombfest rather than trading submissions, but it was still pretty good. ****1/2"

[9.0] "Even with the ref bump and interferences in the middle of the match, that was excellent. That sequence of Ankle Holds was great, and the Punch/Pelé Kick & Juji Gatame/Styles Clash spots were just amazing and fascinating. *****"

[10.0] "One of the best G1 matches of all time. Suzuki targets Styles' right arm in sadistic fashion and Styles sells it absolutely wonderfully, to the point where he executes strikes with his left arm and even pulls off a one-armed Styles' Clash. The interference is well done and serves to get rid of both factions so no more shenanigans will ensue. On top of all this, the match is chock full of some fantastic sequences and reversals and has great storytelling around Styles' disrespect and Suzuki trying to take him down a peg. Fantastic stuff. (*****)"

[10.0] "Big Fight Feel. This was the match that made it known AJ was here to stay in NJPW and that Suzuki could still go with the best of them. From the opening bell you could feel the intensity and buzz in Korakuen. Match starts quick but slows down to let Suzuki start working AJ's arm. Not just the arm but his hand and fingers as well. The joint manipulation was amazing by Suzuki and AJ sold it well. Never a dull moment in this match as these 2 had the crowd in their hands the entire time. Brutal ending and a Styles Clash put an end to one of my favorite matches of all time. *****"