Hiromu Takahashi vs. Ryu Lee

NJPW The New Beginning Osaka February 9: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

After both men found themselves on the ground in the first 30 seconds of the match, the two fast wrestlers began an overhead chopping exchange next. With brief interruptions, that chopping exchange went on for over six minutes when one of Lee’s chops sent Takahashi to the mat.

Lee leaped over the top rope and gave Takahashi a hurricanrana to the outside. On the outside, Lee put Takahashi on the barricade, hopped back in the ring and then connected with a suicide dive over the barricade and into the commentary area. Ridiculous move.

A few minutes later, with Takahashi draping from the top rope, Lee hit a double stomp from the top rope to the floor. Hiromu answered with an overhead throw from the apron to the floor and then a top rope dive from the top rope onto Lee standing on the floor.

After the 20 minute mark, Ryu Lee hit a number of knee strikes and Takahashi hit two destroyers and two time bombs for the pinfall victory.

Match Ratings

Six dimensions combine to make up the overall rating. Matches score ratings of 1-10 only if the match lasts for a minimum of 5 minutes.

1. Match Quality– Was the match well wrestled or sloppy?
2. Audience Engagement– Did the live audience care about the match?
3. Competitiveness– Was the match competitive or one-sided?
4. Stakes – Did the match matter?
5. Finish– Did the match end in a satisfying manner?
6. Performance: (1) Poor (2) Below Average (3) Average (4) Above Average (5) Excellent