#8: Minoru Suzuki vs. Naoki Sano, PWFG One for All and All for One (7/26/1991).
Once upon a time, Minoru Suzuki wasn't the King of Pro Wrestling. He wasn't Japanese royalty. He wasn't one of the most sought after foreigners in the United States. At one point, he was 23 years old, and competing in a wrestling scene that was going to revolutionize combat sports forever. Suzuki, like Naoki Sano, was right there in Japan where the origins of modern MMA was born.
What you have here is an awesome piece of history where a young Suzuki was looking to show why he was going to be one of the greats in Japanese wrestling. Against Sano, a legend in his own right, Suzuki had an air of confidence in all of his offense, and he shows that he's not here to fuck around - he's here to make an impact.
Suzuki dominated much of this match, at least from my perspective. He strikes first with a kneebar submission. He controls much of the ground game early on. But Sano won't lay down for nothing, and he explodes with punches that staggers Suzuki. For much of this match, Suzuki cuts Sano's offense off by attempting an armbar over and over and over again. A cool moment sees Suzuki land a piledriver to Sano, who immediately transitions into top position.
You can tell, even this early into his career, that Suzuki is a killer. And as his career goes on, it's going to get even better. Sano continues to find offense, and every time, Suzuki cuts him off by taking him to the mat. After a late exchange of strikes, Sano finally knocks Suzuki to the mat! Suzuki is quick to respond with a huge German Suplex, which goes right into a Kimura Lock.
Late in the match, Sano's strikes seem to be missing more often, while Suzuki's strikes are fluid and accurate. His confidence is fantastic. My favorite moment of this entire match is when Sano has Suzuki in a rear naked choke, and Suzuki starts to slap himself to keep himself conscious! I've never seen that, even in MMA fights! The match ends with Suzuki using a leg lock, while Sano counters with a heel hook. 30 minute time limit draw. I thought overall the match was decent, but it's essential just to see how damn good Minoru Suzuki was this early into his career.