VOW 2020 Match of the Year (8: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Go Shiozaki)

Wrestler of the Year candidate Go Shiozaki and former partner Katsuhiko Nakajima go to war.

2020 MATCH OF THE YEAR ARCHIVES

• Introduction & Honorable Mentions: voicesofwrestling.com/2021/01/25/vow-2020-match-of-the-year-introduction-sadness-village/
• Matches 100-76: voicesofwrestling.com/2021/01/26/vow-2020-match-of-the-year-100-76/
• Matches 75-51: voicesofwrestling.com/2021/01/26/vow-2020-match-of-the-year-75-51/
• Matches 50-26: voicesofwrestling.com/2021/01/27/vow-2020-match-of-the-year-50-26/
• Matches: 25-11: voicesofwrestling.com/2021/01/28/vow-2020-match-of-the-year-25-11/
• Top 10 Audio Reveal & Analysis: patreon.com/voicesofwrestling ($5)
• 10: voicesofwrestling.com/2021/01/29/vow-2020-match-of-the-year-10-kenny-omega-vs-pac/
• 9: voicesofwrestling.com/2021/01/29/vow-2020-match-of-the-year-9-red-vs-toryumon-generation/

VOICES OF WRESTLING MATCH OF THE YEAR ARCHIVES

• 2019: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2019-match-of-the-year/
• 2018: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2018-match-of-the-year/
• 2017: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2017-match-of-the-year/
• 2016: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2016-match-of-the-year/
• 2015: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2015-match-of-the-year/
• 2014: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2014-match-of-the-year/
• 2013: voicesofwrestling.com/category/vow-latest/columns/2013-match-of-the-year/
• 2012: voicesofwrestling.com/2012/12/20/top-10-matches-of-2012/

#8
Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Go Shiozaki
11/22
NOAH

Overall Points: 307
Total Votes: 42
% of Ballots: 24.9%
6 First-Place Votes 

“Brutal isn’t a word strong enough to define this match. Shiozaki and Nakajima absolutely battered each other. Two former partners turned bitter enemies is one of the best stories to tell in wrestling. They both played their roles well in this match. Nakajima excelled in his bitter heel role and Shiozaki was brilliant in the fighting spirit face role. They have been entwined in each other’s careers from the start. Through their wrestling alone they display their bitterness and hatred for the other.” -Rene Martinez

“Beautiful story of two friends becoming bitter enemies and beating the holy hell out of each other.” -Mike Gilbert

“If Shiozaki vs. Kenoh was like Okada vs. Omega, then Shiozaki vs. Nakajima was Okada vs. Shibata, the match that transformed the word-of-mouth murmurs about how NOAH was putting on the best matches in the world into widespread belief. What set this match apart was its brutality, culminating in the classic never-ending chop vs. kick battle (a nod to the timeless NOAH main events of its early life). A true war between two former best friends, with the champion barely escaping once again.” -Parker Klyn

“Go Shiozaki had a career year and this simple feud (one partner turns on another) created the perfect stakes to this fantastic match. Between the work style and the background, it was a fantastic match and helped give Pro Wrestling Noah some needed attention this year.” -J.D. Oliva

“Shiozaki face his former tag team partner on a barn burner match and one of the best NOAH matches of the decade.Both men knew the other so well and the match reflected that while also being hard hitting. This match deserved more attention than the one it had last year.” -Juan Carlos Reneo

“Nakajima at his peak meeting Go Shiozaki in the middle of an epic title run.” -Ed Kody

“Prior to this match, the last time I had earmarked a NOAH match at five stars was in 2009 when Go Shiozaki teamed up with KENTA to go against the heart and soul of the Kensuke Office, Kensuke Sasaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima. Heading into this year, it seemed that Nakajima had reached his apex in 2009. After being dubbed a prodigy and debuting as a ripe 16 year old in 2004, he looked like the future of Japanese wrestling up through his legendary feud with KENTA in ’09. His career sputtered. Shiozaki, for as talented as he is, has always been chased by this ideology that his career is somehow a failure. Heading into 2020, I had largely thrown in the towel on NOAH. The talent felt stale, the booking was atrocious, and I had become burnt out on “giving NOAH a try”. Well, just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. I was informed of the year Shiozaki was having as a champion and the great work that Nakajima was doing underneath and I forced myself to sit down and watch some clap-crowd cards. I loved what I saw. It all culminated with this match. Both men have checkered careers that might not have lived up to their insane rookie hype, but they are still capable of producing world-class bouts like this one. Five stars.” -Case Lowe

“Tension was high for this bout, with the two former friends and tag team partners facing off for the GHC Heavyweight title. The two absolutely clattered each other in this one, making you audibly gasp several times throughout. Shiozaki in 2020, was the ultimate babyface champion in peril and this performance is proof of that. The match could’ve gone either way several times and that just added even further drama. No one thought going in that Go was going to come out on top but he did just that, even if he crawled over the finishing line.” -Sarah Flannery

“What do you need to have a good wrestling match? A fighting babyface champion, a villain and two former friends, and you have big match feeling. These two gentleman made it pretty clear that their friendship is definetly over when hitting big moves on aprons or from the top rope. Nakajima was vicious like the devil himself, Go had to fight through all of Nakajima’s devious antics, Shiozaki’s arm is done he couldn’t even hook Nakajima’s leg on a cover after his moonsault. Amazing drama, amazing match and another top tier performance by the GHC Heavyweight champion. Go is NOAH’s soul!” -Christian Gascoigne

“What a war these 2 had? Shiozaki’s chops, Nakajima’s kicks, backdrop drivers, no selling, dropping guys on their neck, the pacing, the Kobashi/Sasaki/Misawa callbacks; this felt like an old school Triple Crown/GHC Title match. NOAH is now at the stage where it is basically a glorified indie. But between the feel in the venue, the production, the video package and the overall presentation, this match had a big fight feel. It felt like the biggest NOAH match in recent memory. On resume alone, Shiozaki is probably the best wrestler in the world for 2020. He had the best year of his career, and is in the midst of what, in my opinion, may be the second best GHC Title run of all time (nobody is ever beating first lol). Its high time, we start putting Go in the same conversation as guys like Okada, Miyahara, Ospreay, Ishii and Shingo in terms of the best workers in the world, Nakajima is another guy who had an excellent year and has been one of the most consistent wrestlers of the decade which just concluded.” -PW_IND

“Another epic by Shiozaki. Two friends turning into huge rivals. Putting on everything on the line. Shiozaki , retaining was a surprise for me. Nakajima , really convinced me about winning. Another high quality NOAH main event from 2020. This one felt more like 90’s AJPW matches. Not too many flashy moves , heavily hard hitting stuff. Both men unleashed , fighting spirit on each other. Not as much as Kenoh match , but I really enjoyed that one.” -Kaan Ünverdi

“A god damn WAR. Loved it.” -Mark Robinson

“This match was the great climax the implosion of AXIZ deserved. Speaking of emotions, Shiozaki and Nakajima perfectly displayed the intensity of their relationship. Shiozaki delivering the way he did, knowing how banged up he was, collapsing twice in that match, is a testiment to how incredible he has been. Nakajima, back to evil ways, made for the perfect foe, shining in defeat like few others would have.” -Valentin Humez

“A violence party in classic NOAH fashion. Shiozaki wearing green and rapping the brand in a truly throwback style of main event for 2020 has culminated in me being the most excited I’ve been for NOAH main events in years. Just a touch less awesome than Shiozaki’s performance against Sugiura but an absolute standout for match quality globally in 2020.” -James Snelgrove

“My most anticipated match of the year needed to be great to reach my high expectations. That this match not only met, but exceeded those expectations is testament to two of the best wrestlers of the year. Ever since his character reinvention a couple of years ago, Nakajima has been one of the most compelling figures in the world to watch and when he turned on Shiozaki, breaking up AXIZ and joining Kongoh, a singles match between the two was all I wanted to see. Shiozaki perfectly plays the champion who is defending the belt as though it were his sense of pride against the former friend who wronged him, absorbing punishment in order to prove himself better and give as good as he gets. There are jaw dropping apron spots, the protégés of Kensuke Sasaki and Kenta Kobashi deliver a memorable kick and chop exchange echoes their mentors’ Tokyo Dome match and every facial detail is riveting in helping this extended encounter fly by. The result was not what I expected, but set up a rematch down the line, Shiozaki’s match with Takashi Sugiura and pushes us towards the inevitable collision between Nakajima and Kenou.” -Jack Groom

“I only took the dive into NOAH at the beginning of 2020 and it has quickly become one of my go-to promotions. Go’s title reign has been at the heart of this, while his title matches didn’t always hit it out the park they were always interesting. You truly did not know what you were going to get going into a GHC title match. Even not being overly familiar with AXIS I could tell this was a big deal from the way these two acted in this match. Every strike was cathartic for both men, Go selling his shoulder amazingly, and Nakajima only too happy to target it.” -Chris O’Brien

“This match was a phenomenal example of what makes Puroresu so great. Hard-hitting action, beautiful storytelling and a contest which helped to elevate Pro-Wrestling NOAH back into the general consensus of many fans. If you need to see one match from 2020, make sure it is this one.” -Steven Jackson

“I always ignore NOAH, but in 2020 that was impossible. I could no longer pretend I didn’t have time to watch another promotion and it’s because of Shiozaki’s run with the GHC Heavyweight title. I could have picked three different matches to take the NOAH spot on my list, but this was my favorite. The pacing of the match was superb. A slow, purposeful start built into a horrendous crescendo. Every movement mattered throughout the match. I won’t be ignoring NOAH anymore.” -Neil David

“I’m a simple man. I like simple things. I like Hiromu and Ryu Lee slapping each other repeatedly in the chest. I like Kota Ibushi and Taichi kicking each other over and over and over again for an entire match. And I like Go Shiozaki throwing chops while Katsuhiko Nakajima returns the violence with equally nasty kicks for an extended period of time. The build to the match and the work before that sequence was good already, but once that repetitive violence started it created a sort of hypnosis that pushed this match to the next level. A popular saying is that pro wrestling is simple. It’s not always easy, but is simple. This match exemplifies that.” -S. Dakota Jones

“I was not a fan of the point in time when they decided to pull the trigger on the turn as I thought there were still a lot of stories to tell with the tag team of AXIS and going from best buddies to arch rivals within an eyelash felt extremely rushed to me. That being said the match that resulted from this was tremendous. Shiozaki and Nakajima are very well known for their hard strikes and especially if you’ve seen both man live you can never unhear the sound of the chops and kicks. These two used their lethal strikes as a tool to tell a magnificent story of a face champion in peril that was struggling to stay on his feet and almost had his shoulder kicked off and of a heel contender that had no mercy with his former best friend. In doing so they combined two crucial elements of pro-wrestling: intensity and emotion. Shiozaki overcoming Nakajima after a long fought battle was a great gratifying moment.” -STRIGGA

“This was the culmination of a feud that told an amazing story. Nakajima coming into this match had a secondary goal of winning the GHC Heavyweight Championship and a primary goal of destroying Shiozaki. I thought at multiple times the match was going to end via ref stoppage, particularly after the stomping sequence from Nakajima onto Shiozaki. He came across as a madman and it was compelling. This match was also full of NOAH callbacks, and it was fun to pick up on their nuances.” -Nick Davidson

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