Best Match of 2014: AJ STYLES vs. MINORU SUZUKI "NJPW G1 CLIMAX 24" DAY 7

August 1st from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan

There were so many good matches this past year in New Japan that it's really hard to pick a best of the year match (Ishii vs. Naito in February was perhaps the second best). WWE had a few good matches, the best being the first ladder match on their "Money in the Bank" ppv. But the best match I saw all year was Styles vs. Suzuki. It wasn't the main event. It wasn't even for a belt. There weren't even any near-falls. It was just brutal, exciting, intense, wild, dramatic, and suspenseful. The crowd, at the small Korakuen Hall, helped. And Suzuki, who looked and acted pissed off that a brash American was in his house, was awesome. AJ held his own and stood toe-to-toe. They even battled into the crowd at one point. It was painful at times to watch because of the stiff-shots but also breathtaking and amazing. Two great wrestlers with a great crowd putting on one hell of a show. It was the best match of the year.