In what was a more sporting brawl than the special tag match before it, Evil and Ishii ripped into one another in what was a classic strong style brawl. While it maintained a hard-hitting and violent aesthetic, it was a more respectful contest between competitors than between those with a deep hatred for one another.
Evil wanted to prove he could defeat Ishii after going 0-8 against his adversary heading into the match. Ishii is known as being the best strong style fighter within New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), representing a challenge for Evil, who employees an extremely similar stylistic technique.
Evil had his moments but could overcome the spirit of Ishii. In several forearm exchanges, Ishii would rock Evil and dampen his confidence before pressing forward with his hard-nosed style. Ishii would eventually win the match in 21 minutes and 14 seconds after Evil failed on multiple occasions to hit his Everything Is Evil technique.
Despite Evil being the more gifted athlete, Ishii was able to show why he earned the “Stone Pitbull” moniker during his time with NJPW. The defeat looks to be a setback in Evil’s current chase to claim another championship, while Ishii is now in a place to challenge for a championship later in the year.
Ishii is a staple within the NEVER Openweight division, however, he may set his sights on the IWGP Heavyweight or Intercontinental Championship, neither of which he’s held during his career.
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