#1.) vs Kota Ibushi – Wrestle Kingdom 9
Right off the bat, it’s safe to say that this is one of the greatest pro-wrestling matches of all time. Shinsuke Nakamura defended the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Ibushi in the co-main event in the grandest stage of Japanese wrestling. It was a stark contrast to their G1 Climax 23 bout.
This time, Ibushi was the aggressive one while Nakamura was the calm, composed and mature wrestler. Ibushi had a big point to prove and The Golden Star delivered in a huge way, giving everything he had in an attempt to win the Intercontinental title. Ultimately, Nakamura’s maturity and experienced proved superior as he defeated Ibushi to retain the title.
If he didn’t respect Ibushi before, he definitely respected him afterward. It was one of the greatest Tokyo Dome classics and very few have topped it.
