2017 Ongoing MOTY List: Suzuki v. Okabayashi

14. Hideki Suzuki v. Yuji Okabayashi BJW 5/5

ER: A big stubborn meathead versus a big calculating meathead, yes please. I appreciate the patience in this one, as it's a Japanese heavyweight singles match that doesn't really see it's first elbow smash until 14 minutes in. This was all about Suzuki crushing and bending Okabayashi's arm in terrible ways, and Okabayashi being a big lug with tunnel vision. Both went in with game plans, both stick to those game plans, one game plan was smarter. The opening knucklelocks were really great, adding some new twists to the match start test of strength, two beefy dudes just locking hands and trying to muscle each other around, looking like they were genuinely putting everything into it. Suzuki goes after the arm from there and it's all nasty, all of it. Okabayashi does not look like a very pliable dude, and Suzuki works armbars and hammerlocks and Okabayashi just wants to use that damn arm. We get a killer camel clutch with Okabayashi bending Suzuki's jaw back with his right arm, while Suzuki rips at his left arm. Okabayashi sold all the arm work great, like a wounded animal who still needed to use his arm and had to work through it to survive. The arm factored into a lot of the match, and by the time Suzuki started throwing blows Oka was at a disadvantage, almost as if Suzuki was purposely keeping Okabayashi's mind off of this turning into a bombfest (Oka threw a couple of his mammoth chops earlier, two blocked by Suzuki, one landed, which is probably when Suzuki thought "I'm gonna have to take that arm, son"). I thought the fighting spirit spot was stupid, but could be convinced that it was Oka's last gasp, using the bad arm for a nasty lariat but it not being enough, and Suzuki - surviving it - really smells blood. Him maneuvering into the match ending octopus hold was awesome, and the elbows to soften Oka up were gross (especially the diving one to a seated Oka). Every moment of this match felt like a struggle, selling put over the rewarding work, just a super satisfying modern Japanese heavyweight match.

PAS: This was really fun, I am not a fan of the Strong BJ guys, but this was a good Okabayashi performance mixed with a great Suzuki performance. Suzuki is one of the only guys still working the MUGA style, and this was a like a classic Osamu Nishimura match. I loved the simplicity and the violence of Suzuki's arm work, lots of bending the elbow awkwardly, pressing his thumbs into soft joints and muscles, just grinding violent stuff. The camel clutch spot was awesome. Suzuki is countering the clutch by mangling the bad arm, but Okaybayashi refuses to let go and tries to rip off Suzuki's jaw with one arm. I really hated the "suplexes don't hurt me" section by Okaybayashi, and after avoiding it the whole match, the had to succumb to the stupid "make faces and hit each other" strike section. Still the actually finish was great, and I loved how Suzuki worked that Octupus until Okabayashi had to quit.


2017 MOTY MASTER LIST