Shuji Ishikawa vs. Kento Miyahara (AJPW, 8/27/17)

This was a really good match that had the potential to be fantastic had Kento Miyahara deviated from his go-to formulaic approach. I mean, you had all the Kento "ace" tropes here: the hard in-the-moment selling but convenient bouts of amnesia to shoe in his signature moves and then the final minute comeback barrage of endless knees. But it was a brutally fought match and for the most part, the conveyed struggle, fatigue and desperation on Miyahara's part was awesome, coupled with the relentless monstrosity of black trunks Shuji Ishikawa trying to destroy any chance Miyahara has of beating him. I mean, the Big Dog's yard is a truly frightening place to be cornered in. The way he just throws Miyahara throat-first onto the guardrail and proceeds to tenderize the neck like a veal cutlet, with his nasty push-up facebusters on the mat and easily the most memorable spot of the night -- the gnarly Fire Thunder Driver on the apron that was sold like absolute death by Kento.

I thought Miyahara's selling was better than his usual fare but you still have dumb spots like the no sold superplex and even dumber spots like the no sold dragon suplex. Loved the strike exchange toward the end, with an exhausted Miyahara trying to slug away with Ishikawa and Ishikawa annihilating him with that headbutt, followed by a ruthless beatdown via elbows. Wada tries to step in but Ishikawa throws him off, which allows Kento to connect with a lunging desperation headbutt. Why Ishikawa didn't go for the Giant Slam is baffling to me but instead, he tries for another pull-in knee strike and Miyahara counters with a big high knee strike...then a second...then a third...and then the arm-trap German and...it's over.

I liked the build to the arm-trap German, with Shuji either using an elbow to escape or just bursting out, but the finish felt very lackluster, especially considering all the punishment Ishikawa had put Miyahara through, including three Fire Thunder Drivers, a bunch of running knees, and a Splash Mountain Bomb. This would have been the perfect opportunity for Ishikawa to kick out of the German and force Miyahara to introduce a new finisher to his repertoire on the biggest stage of the year. But I guess if the formula ain't broke, there's no point in going back to the drawing board. This is about even with Ishikawa's title win, possibly a bit higher due to Ishikawa's savage performance, and with that, Ishikawa's Triple Crown run ends and he's free to show up in Big Japan and attempt...and I mean, attempt...to dethrone current king of technical violence, Hideki Suzuki.