Minoru Suzuki vs Alexander Otsuka-NJPW 14.5.2005.

Gave this a rewatch, the opening amateur wrestling sequence was insane but the rest of the match didn't really live up to my memory of it being a possible best <5 minute match candidate. The intensity of Suzuki's offence unfortunately didn't match Otsuka's selling, it's not that it was bad or even mediocre but Otsuka was really going out of his way to make Suzuki look as good as humanly possible. Otsuka's German Suplexes during his brief comeback overshadowed Suzuki's knees and slaps, just beautiful technique on his part. The Bow And Arrow into a Sleeper was a badass transition, really something that you believe could catch a wrestler off guard and set up a finish. ***1/4

Kazunari Murakami & Minoru Suzuki vs Suguru Miyatake & Yoshihiro Takayama-Tokyo Gurentai 1.12.2015.

Yeah this was really good. Miyatake is a DDT DNA guy and the kind of guy you'd bet your house on on taking the fall and they treat him like that, the exchanges between him and Takayama are pretty hilarious as was Suzuki just dismissing him as a threat. I love the way Takayama throws forearms, they look like punches half the time. While this wasn't a comedy match per se I spent a good chunk of it laughing, it doesn't get much better than Murakami taunting Takayama before they start blasting each other with brutal shots while commentary makes Fist Of the North Star references. Suzuki is great at spots where he milks a submission for all its worth and he even made it a viable false finish here. I loved Takayama cutting off Suzuki's Piledriver attempt, it completely caught me off guard. ****

Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Minoru Suzuki vs Kazunari Murakami & Kensuke Sasaki-Big Mouth Loud 19.4.2006.

Total dream match for me right here. Ten seconds in Kensuke and Murakami quarrel over who's going to start and chop and punch each other for a second before Kensuke starts things off, that spot is awesome in that setting but when you have like, Sekimoto and X modern puro guy doing it for twenty minutes it's boring. MiSU-Kensuke interactions sound least intriguing since I've seen them go at it plenty of times including a 40 minute match. They do a quick strike exchange and Kensuke irish whips MiSu into the ropes and-stare offs might not work in junior matches after doing kung fu sequences but they totally work here when MiSu suddenly stops as Kensuke is going to chop him. That's UWF blood for you. Fujiwara and Murakami do some nice grappling and MiSu stomped Murakami when they were near his corner which was a great touch and him not so subtly repeteadly kicking off Murakami's feet of the ropes to break the rope break was awesome as well. Murakami is just the best, he might be the greatest ever at conveying disgust and disdain through facial expressions. Minoru Suzuki can phone it in but man he is great when he wants to be, it's so much fun watching him troll Murakami and just act like a dick. The Murakami peril in section was absolutely hilarious, you gotta love the tremendous pastice of shoot style and comedy Fujiwara and MiSu present here. Loved the way Fujiwara fell down after Sasaki Lariated him, it looked like a beast of a man hit him in the back of the head and that's how he sold it. I fucking lost it when Kensuke fucked up the save, laughing out loud while Fujiwara punches people in the face is about as ennjoyable as wrestling gets and they immediately followed it up with Suzuki stomping on Murakami's head in the corner (which is Murakami's signature move), Fujiwara shitbeating Murakami and then choking him when Murakami yelled at him in an insulting matter AND then Fujiwara distracting the ref so Suzuki could choke Murakami and just pull his nose and do all these disgusting things. Murakami's comeback is the world's greatest uppercut (boxing, not european) and the finishing run is awesome as Kensuke Sasaki runs over people, Murakami and MiSu beat the shit ouf of each other and Fujiwara bleeds a lot at the age of 200. ****1/4

Minoru Suzuki vs KENTA-NOAH 27.8.2005.

KENTA attacking Suzuki before the bell here was very well done, he just dashed at him and booted him in the head, and Suzuki's towel blocking his vision made for a great detail. KENTA brought great fire and his offence was as crisp as I remembered it to be. I loved the transitions Suzuki would use-the Front Necklock/Guillotine where he left KENTA hanging in particular was a fascinating visual, and he was at home when it was time to stretch KENTA, but I wasn't in love with the portions in the match where in the middle where he was outstriking KENTA. Due to their difference in stature KENTA had to sell really big for Suzuki and he did, but Suzuki isn't big enough and didn't hit hard enough that it'd make those long moments of selling after every strike fitting. The match went into another gear when they moved onto the finishing stretch and started working more evenly, Suzuki's Leglock counters were awesome as was him busting out a Giant Swing out of Half Crab and they smoothly worked them into the match since KENTA has enough kicking offence he doesn't have to to pointless rope running of doom with no moves being attempted in them, and the final slap battle was perfectly done with Suzuki evading KENTA's strikes and gaining a bigger and bigger advantage until finally just nuking him and putting him away. ***1/4