Takashi Sugiura vs. Go Shiozaki for the GHC Heavyweight Championship, from Pro Wrestling NOAH The Best Final Chronicle 2020

Sugiura is the proven old guard; Shiozaki, after several false starts, is just coming into his own as a performer. I loved Shiozaki’s defense against Katsuhiko Nakajima last month, and this felt half an hour shorter despite being ten minutes longer. This started with the usual ten minutes of relative inaction that is the hallmark of Japanese main events, but at every stage, I felt conviction and purpose; there was a tangible reason why this was happening besides that it is expected. Such consistent logic makes it easy to stay invested as the match goes nearly an hour. A classic.

10