Featured image by @NAPP0Nx_x_x
Very boring for about ten to fifteen minutes then suddenly very good. Suwama ruled as a big man forcing Kento work from underneath. Found Kento much more compelling as an underdog babyface rather than a cocky top ace or maybe it was just a nice break in the formula. Either way, things were a bit plodding for the first half of the match especially when the action spilled out to the floor. Kento’s floor segments really are just a whole lot of nothing and it disrupts the momentum of the match pretty much every single time, stunting things before the actual match can get going in the ring five minutes later. But when things got going, they were really good. Suwama tossed Kento around with some great suplexes. Kento was driven to a desperation piledriver on the apron but Suwama still kept coming back with his throws and double handed chops. Really enjoyed just watching Kento absolutely get owned by this old man for a good thirty or forty minutes. Suwama pulls out the Jumbo combo of a big dropkick and a bridging backdrop hold to get the win and become Triple Crown Champ in what seems to be a very strange booking move. Even as someone who doesn’t religiously follow All Japan, sacrificing the lengthy Kento title reign to last decade’s Ace is questionable to say the least. Booking aside, the match took a while to get going but once it did, it rarely let up and was a fun ride.
