Merry Stiffmas!
From Go Shiozaki (NOAH). Most brutal lariat of 2011!
Naomichi Marufuji vs Shuji Kondo (AJPW 11/03/08) for the Jr. Heavyweight title.
A lot of people voted this their MOTY back in 2008. The first time I saw it, I wasn’t too impressed, mainly because it took them 20 mins of back and forth to get into some real action. So by 20 mins, I was really bored and when the interesting stuff came up, I wasn’t nearly as hooked as I thought I would be.
Very long match, almost 40 mins, BUT, I decided to give it another chance, MAINLY because of Shoji Kondo. That guy is an absolute fucking BEAST; How he still isn’t a heavyweight is beyond me. He has an impressive set of moves, that are, in name, so complicated, but he makes their execution look so easy. The dude doesn’t even do a simple spear, he does a Lifting spear into a modified 180° spinning side slam (Hurricane Mixer), and a Running lifting spear dropped into a modified spinebuster (Lanzarse), meaning he doesn’t joke around. I am surprised he hasn’t killed someone in the ring yet!! His King Kong Lariat is one of the best lariats you’ll see in the business!
So, upon seeing it for the 2 nd time, I think this match was rightfully a MOTYC. Imo, Marufuji is the best worker in all of NOAH, and even in all of the japanese wrestling scene. I have yet to see a match of his that I haven’t liked, be it against Jr Heavyweights, or Heavyweights!
Great match! And to fully enjoy it, check this MV of it: World’s Junior Explosion: Naomichi Marufuji vs Shuji Kondo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDSIfutrfaA
