Devitt Demolished!

I don't remember Prince Devitt, 5'11", 178#, being in a more brutal match than his unsuccessful New Japan Pro Wrestling title defense against Low Ki, 5'8", 174#, in Fukuoka this past May 3rd. Devitt lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship belt to Low Ki after an exhausting anything-goes melee (watch it here) that left both winner and loser close to unconsciousness in the end. Chokes, punches, foreign objects, and sketchy use of the ropes all play a role in this exciting 21-minute match, in and out of the ring, at one point even breaching the security railing. It's a violent climax to several past run-ins between these two that veers close to mutual assured destruction in its final third. I mainly think of Devitt as a cool, composed, even somewhat detached ring technician, mostly known for his aerial assaults, but after getting the shit kicked out of him for the first half of this match, he goes down and dirty on Low Ki all the way to the edge-of-your-seat finish. It's a terrific match between two well-matched opponents, which shows both wrestlers at their best.