10 Best Matches Of Minoru Suzuki's Career, Ranked (According To Cagematch.net)

A pro wrestler turned MMA pioneer in the 1990s by co-founding the promotion Pancrase, Minoru Suzuki returned to the squared circle in 2003, frequently performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the promotion that trained him. A vicious heel, Suzuki eventually put together his own stable in NJPW’s Suzuki-gun, with his villainous ways — and epic singalong entrance music — making him surprisingly popular with Western fans, who affectionate refer to the now 53-year old as “Murder Grandpa.”

Persona and presentation aside, Minoru Suzuki is also a tremendous in-ring competitor, who’s put on a number of classics over his 34-year career. But what were his best matches? Let’s consult the users of Cagematch.net to see which bouts are rated the highest.

10 Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo - Day 1, 1/27/2018) - 9.18

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo - Day 1, 1/27/2018)Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo - Day 1, 1/27/2018)

As one of NJPW’s most effective villains, Minoru Suzuki makes for a perfect foil to the promotion’s ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and the two fought numerous times over the years, including headlining at the Tokyo Dome for 2012’s Wrestle Kingdom 6. In late January 2018, the two clashed yet again, this time with Suzuki capturing the IWGP Intercontinental Title from Tanahashi. Cagematch users gave this one high marks, focusing on Suzuki’s vicious working of Tana’s legs, which set up some rousing babyface comebacks for the soon-to-be-former champ.

9 Bryan Danielson vs. Minoru Suzuki (AEW Rampage - The Buy In, 10/15/2021) - 9.22

As soon as the former Daniel Bryan’s WWE contract expired, fans clamored for the potential dream matches that would open up for Bryan Danielson — especially in New Japan — with many putting Minoru Suzuki at the top of their lists. All Elite Wrestling delivered said dream match in surprising fashion, running it on YouTube for free as part of a pre-show for an episode of AEW Rampage. While many dream matches disappoint, this one did not, and despite being a pure exhibition match impressed Cagematch users who enjoyed that it was not only a hard-hitting match, but also included some great technical wrestling.

8 Minoru Suzuki vs. Sanshiro Takagi (DDT Street Wrestling In Tokyo Dome, 6/1/2017) - 9.23

While it’s tempting and not entirely off-base to compare Minoru Suzuki to fellow wrestler/MMA fighter Brock Lesnar, one thing that separates the two stars is that Suzuki seems to have a sense of humor and a willingness to engage in some incredibly silly pro wrestling. Take, for example, this highly rated matchup between Suzuki and wrestler/DDT Pro-Wrestling president Sanshiro Takagi.

Appropriate to DDT’s overall humor, this bout happened in the promotion’s first-ever appearance at the Tokyo Dome, and was of course an empty arena match. The result is a brawl all over the famous venue, featuring comedic encounters with other wrestlers and general shenanigans.

7 Minoru Suzuki vs. Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH Destiny, 12/23/2015) - 9.26

The 2015 saw the entirety of Suzuki-gun “exiled” from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, resulting in the stable staging a year-long invasion storyline in Pro Wrestling NOAH. During this run, Minoru Suzuki defeated NOAH ace Naomichi Marufuji in March 2015 to capture the GHC Heavyweight Championship, which he held until Marufuji won it back in this late December bout. A 34-minute classic, Cagematch users praise the match for being hard-hitting, with Marufuji working as the underdog to finally dethrone Suzuki.

6 Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW G1 Climax 24 - Day 11, 8/8/2014) - 9.27

The 2014 G1 Climax would end with Kazuchika Okada as the winner, after which he’d go on to face Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 9. But before that, he’d have to fight his way through all of Block B, including Minoru Suzuki. Cagematch users celebrate the convincing amount of work that the technical Suzuki did targeting the Rainmaker’s arm, which perfectly got the crowd on Okada’s side and emboldened the babyface to stage an epic comeback to win Block B and go on to the finals.

5 Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW Royal Quest, 8/31/2019) - 9.28

Here Okada and Suzuki main evented NJPW’s London show Royal Quest, resulting in a different atmosphere from the norm, as the European crowd was rooting for the heel Suzuki rather than Okada. While some Cagematch users in more recent reviews can’t quite see what the big deal was with this bout, others rate it incredibly high, with some praising solid pacing that makes the lengthiness of the match work, as well as some simple but effective heel/face storytelling, and ranking it among the best of the year.

4 Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW G1 Climax - Day 16, 8/8/2017) - 9.43

Suzuki and Okada had two acclaimed singles matches in 2017, the first being an epic 40-minute challenge for Okada’s IWGP Heavyweight Title match that ranks in the top 20 but not the top 10 on Cagematch. Then there’s this G1 match, in which the two stars battle to a 30-minute time limit draw, each earning a point in the tournament for their efforts

Cagematch users, using words like “war,” “slugfest,” and even “slobberknocker,” had particular love for the finish of the bout, as both Okada and Suzuki spent the final five minutes exchanging ridiculously hard slaps.

3 AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW G1 Climax 24 - Day 7, 8/1/2014) - 9.48

The G1 Climax really is a time for the aging veterans to get their licks in, as guys like Minoru Suzuki get to test the mettle of a solid chunk of the heavyweight roster over the course of the tournament. In 2014, Suzuki got a piece of (among others) AJ Styles in a match between Suzuki-gun leader and Bullet Club leader. Cagematch users praised the way Suzuki’s vicious offense forced Styles to dig deep and rely on the skills that earned him the “Phenomenal” nickname rather than simply rely on Bullet Club interference — though there is a bit of that, too.

2 Minoru Suzuki vs. Takashi Sugiura (NOAH Great Voyage, 9/19/2015) - 9.49

Before dropping the belt to Marufuji in December, Minoru Suzuki had one last GHC Heavyweight Championship defense a few months earlier against Takashi Sugiura, one of NOAH’s more underrated but consistently great performers. It’s a very no-frills kind of match, lacking in wild spots or breathtaking sequences, so some users on Cagematch were a bit vexed by the high rating. However, many on the website appreciated the stiff strikes and intense drama as the two went head-to-head in a competitive match without any outside interference from Suzuki-gun.

1 Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW King Of Pro-Wrestling, 10/8/2012) - 9.64

Hiroshi Tanahashi and Minoru Suzuki wrestled three singles bouts against one another throughout 2012, tying up in their first two outings. The rubber match happened in early October, with Suzuki once again coming after the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Instead of the legs in 2018, in this submission-focused outing Suzuki worked Tanahashi’s arm, creating a ton of drama about whether the ace would tap. Highly rated by Cagematch users as Suzuki’s best match ever, many consider it one of NJPW’s best matches of the decade, up there with the Okada/Omega series.