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#1 Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2021 Day 2)
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After NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15, many fans thought it was impossible to see better professional wrestling. However, Will Ospreay and Shingo Takagi made the impossible easy. The two men have been mentioned quite a few times on this list, but their best was yet to come.
Following Ospreay beating Kota Ibushi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at NJPW Sakura Genesis 2021, Shingo Takagi stepped up as his first challenger at Wrestling Dontaku. The Dragon looked to avenge his loss in the New Japan Cup 2021 Finals and win the gold for the first time.
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Their New Japan Cup 2021 Finals and G1 Climax 30 were great, but didn't outdo what they offered in their 2019 Match of the Year at the Best of Super Juniors 26. The two men seemed determined this evening to put that encounter in the past and have an even better matchup.
The NJPW New Japan Cup 2021 was a little more dominant win for Ospreay than usual, but Shingo Takagi came out firing in this one. The two men knew each other very well from their previous meetings. Ospreay switched things up by focusing on Takagi's arm, while Shingo found ways to counter his opponent's big moves.
In this NJPW encounter, Shingo utilized a table at ringside to hit a massive Made In Japan off of the apron through the table on Ospreay in one of the highlights. Ospreay made it inside the ring before being counted out and was met with another Made In Japan for a close nearfall.
Shingo hit a bevy of Pumping Bomber lariats for a nearfall, including one that almost took the Fukuoka crowd's breath away. They traded headbutts before Ospreay pulled out a Rainmaker. He then followed with the Hidden Blade and the Storm Breaker to get the win and retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
The bout gripped the crowd for the entire 45 minutes. NJPW are known for their epic main events, and this bout had outstanding storytelling, the right length, drama, and intensity. This is why the promotion was confident to put the title on Takagi after Ospreay went down following this performance.
When fans and critics look back on 2021, there's no question that this will be in the running for Match of the Year. That is why Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestling Dontaku 2021 is the best NJPW match of 2021 so far.
