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We're all big professional wrestling fans here, and what better way to celebrate our love for the sport of kings than to check out some matches? In this edition, we take a look at 3 matches from one of professional wrestling's most revered figures, the legendary Minoru Suzuki.
A legitimate tough guy (and a legitimately nice guy), former mixed martial artist and second-ever King of Pancrase, Suzuki was trained in the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo and by wrestling legends Billy Robinson and Karl Gotch, whom he named his signature maneuver, the "Gotch-Style Piledriver" after. Let's check out some great recent matches from the 51-year-old grappler, which proves that age is nothing but a number.
Minoru Suzuki vs. Timothy Thatcher (OTT Fourth Year Anniversary, 10/13/2018)
Timothy Thatcher is one of the newest recruits into WWE's Performance Center. Here, the tremendous technical wrestler, well-versed in a style called "catch wrestling" puts his skills to the test against one of the greatest catch wrestlers of all time. Ireland's top promotion, OTT, celebrated their 4th Anniversary in 2018 by putting these two terrifying grapplers inside the ropes together. They don' t take it easy on each other. That's really all that needs to be said.
Minoru Suzuki vs. Josh Barnett (GCW: Josh Barnett's Bloodsport, 4/4/2019)
One of the most anticipated matches of last year's WrestleMania weekend, the main event of Josh Barnett's Bloodsport was a classic between Minoru Suzuki and Josh Barnett himself. GCW released this match to hype up this year's Bloodsport event, which will happen again on WrestleMania weekend.
To give you the gist, just in case you're worried based on the title, there's no blood in this match or most of the matches on the Bloodsport cards. It's a battle between two athletes, a clear, straight-forward pro wrestling match with MMA influences. That makes sense, as these two men are accomplished mixed martial artists. There are no countouts, no disqualifications, and no pins. You win by submission or knockout. To nail down the point that this isn't any regular show, GCW decided to remove the ropes from the ring, as well. It's a wild scene and a great atmosphere.
Minoru Suzuki vs. Joe Coffey (WCPW True Legacy, 10/8/2016)
Currently wrestling for WWE under the NXT UK banner, Joe Coffey was a standout star in the United Kingdom for a number of years. In this match for What Culture Pro Wrestling (which later became known as Defiant), Joe Coffey defends his honor and tries to show that he is a formidable foe for one of the most legendary, and deadly, wrestlers in the history of our great sport. Can Coffey come home with an upset victory on his home turf, or does Suzuki return to Japan with another soul in his possession?
