Hiroshi Tanahashi versus Eddie Guerrero
Soon to retire, The Ace in his prime against Eddie Guerrero is yet another popular dream match. Credited with saving NJPW, like how Eddie was cited as a reason for lucha libre’s popularity in the USA, a singles match between the two is a no-brainer. Both have contributed to the overall history of pro wrestling.
Eddie was no stranger to strong style, either, given his time in NJPW as the second Black Tiger in the 1990s and a subsequent run as himself in 2002. Strong Style provided more depth in his arsenal, as seen by his feuds with Rey Mysterio in WCW and WWE.
The ideal place for this dream match would’ve been the late 2000s to mid-2010s NJPW. Starting from a G1 match, it could branch off into a series of matches for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. There are actually more dream matches that would’ve spiraled from this. And still, I place Tanahashi at the top of all of them.
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Bringing his Halloween Havoc 1997 best, Latino Heat and The Ace’s dynamics hold an air of classic wrestling storytelling with satisfying substance. Guerrero, being a foreign talent, would’ve brought a little sizzle to NJPW’s recent boom period. Throw Eddie into the Bullet Club or Los Ingobernables de Japon for this, and I’m salivating.
