Yuji Nagata vs Minoru Suzuki | January 4, 2011 NJPW Tokyo Dome
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00:00The fifth match, No Justice, No Life, 30 minutes, one match.
00:07From the blue corner, Suzuki Miura.
00:11It is Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton on the call here tonight for January 4th, 2011.
00:16January 4th, you know what that means, Chris.
00:18It is Tokyo Dome time. It is Wrestle Kingdom 5.
00:21And it is Yuji Nagata versus Minoru Suzuki, a tale as old as time.
00:25Of course, No Justice, No Life, Walker Stewart.
00:28There is nothing like Minoru Suzuki and Yuji Nagata.
00:41Of course, even at this point, 2011, what a 23-year vendetta.
00:48And it is still going on even today in 2024.
00:52Four decades in growing the loathsome relationship between these two men.
01:05The new champion is...
01:10The new champion is...
01:13Minoru Suzuki!
01:34You might be able to spot a young, dashing Chris Charlton in the crowd here at Wrestle Kingdom 5.
01:45Who is that young lion, Walker?
01:57I am projecting a kind of feeling of distinctly sinister evil air amongst our young lions out there at ringside.
02:03If you look very, very closely, but nothing, nobody more evil than Minoru Suzuki.
02:08You are right about that.
02:33Yuji Nagata!
03:02Folks, there is an unmatched energy and atmosphere every single time you pay witness to wrestling in the legendary Tokyo Dome.
03:08But Chris, it is not about atmosphere, it is not about championship.
03:12These two men would fight in the back alley of the Tokyo Dome if they were able to.
03:16Well, I mean, I would say coming off of the infamous press conference we had just a couple of days ago going into January the 4th, 2011,
03:24I would say it is entirely about atmosphere.
03:27Minoru Suzuki said of Yuji Nagata, every time that he breathes, he is using valuable oxygen and converting it to carbon dioxide.
03:37Therefore, speaking as an environmentalist, I should stop Nagata from breathing.
03:45Conversation about literal atmosphere.
03:48And bell sounds are already starting off here tonight.
03:51Yuji Nagata, Minoru Suzuki, Suzuki and Nagata made it very clear in that legendary press conference.
03:56Chris Charlton, these two men do not like each other, dating back to their days on the amateur mat.
04:01Yeah, indeed, on the amateur mats.
04:04Minoru Suzuki was on the amateur wrestling team for the infamous Yokohama High School.
04:13One of the toughest schools there was in existence at the time.
04:19And he only wanted to be in amateur wrestling so that he could become a pro.
04:23So, you know, I mean, the guy was built like a brick hitting house at the age of 15.
04:28Yuji Nagata always mastered technique.
04:32So Suzuki dominated Nagata through sheer size back then.
04:38And ever since, Nagata determined to beat Minoru Suzuki.
04:44When Suzuki came back to pro wrestling, they met singles one on one.
04:49November 3rd, 2003, Nagata was victorious.
04:52But then G1 2004, G1 2005.
04:56Then at our first Wrestle Kingdom in 2007, Minoru Suzuki was successful.
05:03So Nagata driven by hate towards Minoru Suzuki here.
05:08And hate does violent things for Nagata in this building especially.
05:14And as you mentioned, four years ago was the last time these two men competed.
05:17The very first ever legendary Wrestle Kingdom.
05:19It was Minoru Suzuki defending the All Japan Triple Crown Championship in the Tokyo Dome, doing so successfully.
05:26Classic bit of offense there.
05:28Nagata on the apron.
05:30Suzuki either suckered Yuji Nagata in or Nas got that knee bar over the top rope.
05:42And you can see, you know, not always a barometer of New Japan Pro Wrestling success over the years has been the Tokyo Dome.
05:52And I think you could see, for a fair few, let's be honest, empty seats on the floor there as they leave.
05:57Their entrance.
05:59This was still New Japan Pro Wrestling struggling out of a dark era.
06:04I think, you know, combatants like these two and the sort of fights they put on were what kept people in the building successful.
06:15He's definitely going to disengage the kick game for Yuji Nagata.
06:18Nagata.
06:23Marty Asami.
06:27Yeah, I would love to try and keep this one in the ring as Marty Asami, but I'm going to have to be careful out here at ringside with Minoru Suzuki at bay.
06:34So if you're playing spot the young lion, spot the bad luck fale.
06:38Oh, one of those shots. There he is.
06:41Part of Yuji Nagata's Justice Army.
06:46King fale at the time.
06:52Bringing this one back inside the ring.
06:55You know, can you talk to me a little bit, how different, similar, etc. is the beginning of this matchup compared to their previous four encounters they had, specifically their last Tokyo Dome bout?
07:05Their last Tokyo Dome bout turned into an absolute bloodbath on the floor.
07:09It wasn't long before both guys got split open, courtesy of the ring post on the outside.
07:17I would not be surprised if that's the direction one or both go into on this one.
07:25Nagata's been a part of other bloodbaths right here in the Tokyo Dome.
07:30Everybody remembers Kazunori Murakami, 2006, and infamous Kensuke Sasaki in 2004.
07:42And Nagata right now, Walker, doesn't have a leg to stand on.
07:45No, not at all. That right knee, right leg, all the way up and down being targeted by Minoru Suzuki.
07:51Suzuki knows the game of Yuji Nagata and he can mimic it, he can master it in his own right.
07:57He can take it a different direction just the same.
08:00You know this is a place that Minoru Suzuki loves to be.
08:09Fully on top of Yuji Nagata, pressing him down to the mat.
08:12I can lay any strike in at any time that I want to.
08:15Certainly a very different feel and flavour to some of the other matches we had on tonight's card.
08:25Sorry, I know Rob Van Dam earlier on this evening.
08:30Jeff Hardy and Tetsuya Naito, that was certainly a match.
08:36And this, a good deal.
08:40Snug it.
08:42And you can feel this, whether you're watching at home, whether you're sitting in the stands.
08:46Yuji Nagata catches the leg, Minoru Suzuki back up to the corner.
08:49Justice knee from Yuji Nagata.
08:55Short, quick, sudden, explosive out of Yuji Nagata.
09:01Both these men at this point in time, 42 years of age.
09:05Far from being put out to pasture.
09:07And Yuji Nagata continues this assault in on Minoru Suzuki.
09:38Now taking it out of the corner, post to post.
09:41Boot right through the skull, Minoru Suzuki.
09:44Exploder of justice.
09:46Cover here.
09:47Here we go.
09:48Hooked in, and it's only two.
09:50Here it's a post for Yuji Nagata.
09:56Keeping it aggressive, it's a high pace here.
09:58Indeed, and Minoru Suzuki trying to get low.
10:02Not just motivated is Yuji Nagata by his hate for Minoru Suzuki.
10:08Which really, I think, Suzuki's past, present and future.
10:15The theme of the night here at Wrestle Kingdom 5,
10:19Yuji Nagata's third generation contemporary, Satoshi Kojima.
10:24Current IWGP Heavyweight Champion, G1 Climax Champion,
10:28Current IWGP Heavyweight Champion, G1 Climax Champion,
10:31Yuji Nagata wants to be in that limelight once again.
10:36And it is more than possible, but he has to get past this threat of Minoru Suzuki here tonight
10:40to focus on those goals.
10:43And Suzuki's always looming.
10:45Win or loss here tonight.
10:46Cover here for Minoru, and it's two.
10:52I think sometimes you see Minoru Suzuki go for a cover like that,
10:56he doesn't want to beat this guy.
10:58He just, he wants to show that he's on top for the moment
11:01and then continue the beating.
11:18Don't forget, of course,
11:21the last, one of the last memories of 2010,
11:25especially for Yuji Nagata.
11:27December the 23rd.
11:31Suzuki and Yoshihiro Takiyama beating Yuji Nagata and our power,
11:37Wataru Inoue.
11:40In tag competition, there was again Suzuki showing his superiority.
11:47It's so frustrating for someone like Yuji Nagata.
11:56And Nagata now.
11:57Bam! Continues that attack on the left arm of Minoru Suzuki.
12:07Oh no!
12:10Super hold locked in right now.
12:12Yeah, but look, Nagata, great defense there.
12:15Yeah, not as deep as Minoru Suzuki would have wanted it.
12:22Oh, he licks his chops.
12:33This is what it's all about, Chris.
12:35Oh yeah.
12:36This is what the Tokyo Dome's all about.
12:46Oh, ducked under the super hold of blood.
12:49Not as deep as he wants it.
12:51Yuji Nagata still has a chance of life here.
12:53Again, yeah, but that forearm against the windpipe.
12:57Now he's got that butcher's grip around the throat,
13:00but Nagata in the ropes pulls away.
13:05Yeah, Yuji Nagata might be starting to fade here.
13:09Minoru Suzuki, that Carl Gotts training,
13:13comes into play every single time he steps into the ring.
13:22Yeah, they're trying to pull it out straight.
13:24He can't, he can't.
13:25He's going to fade out now.
13:30And this might be it very, very soon.
13:32Minoru Suzuki sitting down to one knee.
13:34Yuji Nagata is going to fade out.
13:36Suzuki sitting down to one knee.
13:38Yuji Nagata fighting on the rear,
13:39and this one is in a lot of trouble.
13:47Years of frustration.
13:52All the way back to their time as teenagers.
13:55Right here, and it's two.
14:01Change of game plan here for Minoru Suzuki.
14:03I mean, that would have been yet another thing
14:05for Suzuki to humiliate Nagata with.
14:07I pinned you with a sleeper hold.
14:11Cover here from Minoru.
14:13Two.
14:18Minoru Suzuki has built up
14:21a legacy as one of the toughest men in professional wrestling.
14:24And you can see exactly why.
14:26Right here, Yuji Nagata's been feeling it
14:27for the better part of 24 years.
14:30One thing Yuji Nagata has always held over Minoru Suzuki
14:35is that he has been IWGP heavyweight champion
14:40on two occasions at this point in time.
14:43The most successful, winningest IWGP champion of all time.
14:48Minoru Suzuki has never held that goal
14:52that he felt he was put on earth to be IWGP champion.
14:56He felt he was put on earth to be IWGP heavyweight champion.
15:00Well, if Minoru Suzuki wins this match here tonight,
15:03he very well could secure himself an opportunity.
15:06A step forward from belly to belly.
15:09Nagata had pointed to the heavens towards Kyle Gotch
15:13as he was getting set to deliver that piledriver,
15:16and Yuji Nagata took advantage.
15:27Look at him!
15:36Look at him!
15:40Incredible striking game on Yuji Nagata
15:42puts him at the advantage.
15:44Oh, here we go.
15:46It might be time.
15:48The crowd will be calling for it.
15:57And back to the bottom.
15:58Back to the center now.
16:02Yuji Nagata wants that seated arm bar.
16:06Right to the eyes.
16:20Suzuki in excruciating pain.
16:27We have never known Minoru Suzuki to be one to break easily.
16:30You're seeing greatness.
16:32Teeth rubbing, yell out in agony,
16:34saying to the referee,
16:35saying to Mike Yasami,
16:36no.
16:55Oh, my gosh.
16:58He's gone nuclear, that's Yuji Nagata.
17:06Been in this shit all day for a long, long time, Chris.
17:12There is no way Minoru Suzuki would give in or surrender
17:18or say that, yes, Yuji Nagata is the better man.
17:21That just isn't going to happen.
17:23Well, if there wasn't a match to win,
17:25Yuji Nagata could have kept Minoru Suzuki there all day
17:27and enjoyed it.
17:44We see the sweat fly off the head of Yuji Nagata.
17:49And he says, come on and take your best shot.
18:20How you doing there, Walker?
18:21Do you want some cauliflower?
18:25These two men are serving up enough for me.
18:29Couple of potatoes as well.
18:31How about some spuds with that?
18:50Oh!
18:53Minoru Suzuki.
18:55It's four.
18:58And still Nagata down just to one knee.
19:02But it might be enough.
19:04You can feel the energy shift in the room tonight.
19:20You can see Minoru Suzuki trying to shake the sweat off there.
19:22It's such a slippery situation.
19:24Good God have mercy.
19:26Backdrop suplex.
19:28And Suzuki still won't give in.
19:30It's like the terminator is second.
19:34It's still a cover for Yuji Nagata tonight.
19:37No!
19:50Oh!
19:54Oh!
19:55Oh!
19:58A mighty kick to the head reminds you of how he
20:01retained against Takiyama.
20:03Oh!
20:04This time!
20:05This time!
20:06Yes!
20:07He got him!
20:08Oh!
20:16Chris, it was sudden.
20:17It was sharp.
20:18And it was swift.
20:19Yuji Nagata.
20:20It was a long fought matchup for Minoru Suzuki.
20:23Nagata walks away with the win in the end.
20:39Oh, it's still Phineas J. Midnight.
20:44And folks, if you want to see more action like this,
20:46make sure you check out NJPW World.
20:49The archives are filling up.
20:51More and more.
20:52Go back in time.
20:53You can relive this entire epic rivalry.
20:56Yuji Nagata, Minoru Suzuki.
20:58For Chris Charlton, I've been Walker Stewart.
21:00Subscribe, NJPW World.
21:08Dot com.
21:39Yuji Nagata.
21:40Yuji Nagata.
21:41Yuji Nagata.
21:42Yuji Nagata.
21:43Yuji Nagata.
21:44Yuji Nagata.
21:45Yuji Nagata.
21:46Yuji Nagata.
21:47Yuji Nagata.
21:48Yuji Nagata.
21:49Yuji Nagata.
21:50Yuji Nagata.
21:51Yuji Nagata.
21:52Yuji Nagata.
21:53Yuji Nagata.
21:54Yuji Nagata.
21:55Yuji Nagata.
21:56Yuji Nagata.
21:57Yuji Nagata.
21:58Yuji Nagata.
21:59Yuji Nagata.
22:00Yuji Nagata.
22:01Yuji Nagata.
22:02Yuji Nagata.
22:03Yuji Nagata.
22:04Yuji Nagata.
22:05Yuji Nagata.
22:06Yusuke Kubo.
22:21Thank you!