Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews
G1 Climax 2014 – AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki
Written by Mark Haggerty & Gary Mastriano
Welcome to the jungle where instead of fun and games we're supplying objective opinions as to what is being called by many the "2014 Match of the Year." Ladies and gentlemen my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I'm joined this week by my brother from another planet-we've-yet-to-discover Gary Mastriano. If you haven't already had the chance, do yourself a favor and check out Gary's growing library of incomparable content featuring far-out fantasy-booking and more mainstream musings on the current state of professional wrestling. The man is an exceptional talent who I'm proud to say has been my best friend since we were only fifteen years old. Several years later and just on the southern-side of thirty we're both overjoyed to introduce our first joint-venture for Cheap-Heat, a retrospective review series titled, "Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews." For the debut edition we thought it might be fitting to talk about one of the most impressive contests of 2014: the G1 Climax showdown between "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles and Minoru Suzuki.
A Stranger in a Strange Land
By Gary Mastriano
Where is Michael Cole? Does AJ Styles think that tattoo is cool? Will the Shield have a run in? What is G1 climax? What is with Suzuki's hair? Can I download his awesome theme song somewhere? These were the questions I was asking myself as I sat down to watch AJ Styles vs Minoru Suzuki at G1 Climax. Luckily I found an English commentary track over the match to help my American ass understand this better.
Ok so maybe I have only seen about 5 New Japan matches in my life, including this one. That being said I am glad I had Bob Saget sounding American commentator to take me through the background of the match. Apparently these guys were in some sort of 2 week tournament. That sounds pretty cool. AJ Styles is still the TNA champ? Or is that the Divas championship? Can AJ wrestle in a ring without 6 sides? AJ is in the Bullet Club, that I know. They are like NWO 2000. I think Finn Balor was in that group too. Suzuki is in… the New Hart Dynasty?
Right off the bat this Suzuki dude impresses me. Not only does he have an awesome receding hairline and kickass theme song, but also every move he does is "his finisher" according to Bob Saget. AJ brings his educated legs to Japan with a flurry of kicks. Suzuki brings his educated Ric Flair chops to AJ. Are the fans chanting for Triple H? Wait…wait… TAKA MICHINOKU!!!???????? CHOPPY CHOPPY TO PEE PEE!
All jokes aside, this was an exciting match. Hard hitting and frantic right from the get go. My favorite spot had to be the finger submission Suzuki applied to AJ. I have never seen a finger submission before. Very cool. Very lucky AJ wears gloves while he wrestles. Side note… his hands must get sweaty. The run in was cool, mostly because I saw a lot of guys I knew. I have never been a fan of the Styles Clash. It just looks overly complicated and unnatural. Styles is a great talent, and I am happy to see him doing well. After seeing Suzuki for the first time I looked up some of his other matches on YouTube. That should keep me busy for a while.
I think what put me off the most to this match was the lack of backstory. Yes the wrestling and athleticism was fantastic. But that is only a small part of the reason I enjoy professional wrestling. I admit it—I LOVE the soap opera storylines and personalities. The fact that this match was just another match in a tournament really hurt it in my opinion. If this was the blow off to some long-standing feud, then I would rate it much higher. In my opinion it was a solid match, with decent action, but far from my top match of the year.
Everything is Something
By Mark Adam Haggerty
Whenever I sit down to review a match I find myself taking notes page by page until I'm left with nothing more than a yellow pad riddled with short hand phrases such as, "Drop Kick F AJ T Suz." Of course that's referring to the high angle drop kick performed by AJ Styles immediately following the initial string of chain-wrestling and rope-running. From the moment we're introduced to the competitors, it's made clear that we're no longer in WWE and this main event is about to take place inside a Japanese community center. I personally enjoy the stripped-bare presentation of independent wrestling, so I don't really read much into any promotion staging an event on a youth basketball court.
The match was off to a lightning quick start which allowed both men the chance to display their specific brand of high-octane physical prowess without being blown up too early. However just as fast as the action itself, so came the screeching halt when the two combatants slowed things down on the outside of the ring. Sometimes when I watch the strong-style wrestlers such as those commonly seen in Japan, I question the constant use of kicks and forearm strikes. But that's when I remember that closed-fist punches are illegal in wrestling, I'm just not use to a company that cares about consistency. I thought the ring psychology outside of the squared circle was just as beneficial to the outcome as anything between the ropes, and actually worked to establish both characters in their respective roles. Suzuki's use of the bell-hammer as a mere prop was subtle yet worked to distract the referee from Suzuki's ultimate intentions. Jim Ross likes to say, "Bad guys can't cheat when there aren't any rules to break." It appears that NJPW keeps its rules intact, perhaps for that very reason.
I was taken out of the action by the seemingly meaningless ref-bump that allowed for various third party players to become involved, though it was interesting to see Styles and Suzuki react. It's easy to forget the disadvantages both English-speaking and Japanese wrestlers could encounter; outside talents have to rely greatly on their miming abilities, whereas domestic workers are faced with a rather low glass ceiling. I commend guys like AJ and Suzuki who are able to convey a sense of urgency to every fan in attendance—from the front row to the rear of the auditorium to the geeks on their computer back here in The �States. Suzuki reminds me of Big Van Vader and Stan Hansen, which isn't surprising as both American Geijin achieved mythical status during their tours of Japan. Both "The Lariat" and Leon White operated at full speed with an arsenal of maneuvers meant to inflict damage, not look pretty on TV. Much the same can be said for the knee-and-elbow pad-lacking Minoru Suzuki who appears more fixated on injuring AJ Styles, than he is with winning the G1 Climax.
The defining moment of the match occurred as AJ caught Suzuki's leg and made an unsuccessful attempt at the "Styles Clash." Suzuki turned the tables once more, gripping Style's leg in a vicious ankle lock submission. The script continued to flip as both wrestlers gained leverage each with their own variations on the ankle lock until Suzuki broke the monotony with a cross arm-bar. Another exchange of slaps to the face and chest courtesy of both individuals bled into the final moments of the match; amidst the confusion of an already turbulent bout, AJ powered the mighty Minoru Suzuki into his infamous "Styles Clash"—this time capitalizing and earning the 1-2-3.
I'm not sure if I would call this the Match of the Year, but it was still fantastic and included many of the components I admire in such high-caliber contests. An all-around incredible twenty minutes of non-stop action featuring two of the greatest wrestlers in the world, telling a story about honor and AJ's lack-thereof. I can't give this match a full five-star rating because of the inauspicious run-in by The Bullet Club and Killer Elite Squad, but a very entertaining match nonetheless.
Gary's Star Rating: 3
Mark's Star Rating: 4.25
New Japan is most certainly a polarizing entity, as are many things found in the whimsical world of professional wrestling. While the strong-style employed is perhaps more than enough to satisfy some, the product does seem to lack somewhat in the more traditional sense of pageantry and presentation. Though we both grew up in the exact same shadow of New York City watching Shawn Michaels on TV each week, it's clear that Gary and I have differing ideas as to what comprises a truly excellent wrestling match. It was both interesting and informative for both of us to read the others' opposing opinion regardless of whether or not we agree. Thanks for reading this very special preview—we invite you join us next week when we compare WWF Wrestlemania 17 to WCW Greed in the first official edition of "Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews."
