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#1 Kota Ibushi vs. Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 2)
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With all the previous contests that were just listed taking place before the finale of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15, Kota Ibushi and "Switchblade" Jay White were in unenviable position. Despite going over half an hour the night before, Ibushi would have to put in another Herculean effort to match the quality of his main event against Tetsuya Naito.
On the other hand, Jay White has seen criticism that he has lacked something, stopping him from achieving the plateaus of other NJPW gaijin great such as Kenny Omega and AJ Styles in the past. Although he has done well in the top heel role and being a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, some have questioned if he was worthy of the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom main event.
At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15, all the questions for both men were answered as they produced one of the all-time great Tokyo Dome main events. In a 48-minute epic encounter, Ibushi and White took the fans on a journey that perfectly told their individual stories and concluded their mutual history with one another.
This flawless encounter had everything that fans could ask for. From exceptional drama, deeply emotional storytelling, impeccable selling, superb in-ring action and outstanding character work from both men, Kota Ibushi and Jay White delivered a truly sensational match that set the record for the longest match to ever take place inside the Tokyo Dome at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15.
Switchblade, in particular, put on the match of his lifetime, giving fans the complete package on how to work as a heel on the biggest stage of them all. He hit every move at the right time and delivered engaging facial expressions as well as body language throughout this epic encounter.
Kota Ibushi achieved his goal of becoming a "God" by giving White a third Kamigoye to successfully retain the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships. The post-match of the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 2 main event only added to the proceedings with Switchblade grasping at the titles and Ibushi not believing that he lost.
These two men's staggering performances have set the bar high for the rest of the year. Not only did Kota Ibushi vs. Jay White give us the best match of both NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 events, it has quite possibly already wrapped up the Match of the Year for 2021 with their miraculous efforts.
Star Rating: *****
