After 24 year on this Earth, I finally know what want to be when I grow up: Ke$ha's pre-show hype-man/spiritual guru/rabble rouser. How was I inspired? Well my buddy wanted to go see The Knife. What is The Knife? I am still not sure. They seemed like the children of the Ultimate Warrior and Ziggy Stardust. Their music was alright, but they had so much energy and movement that you could not help but love them. They advertised they were having pre-show calisthenics. My buddy really did not want to miss it and I was all like whatever. But holy shit was that cross-dressing rabble-rousing, Richard Simmons-wannabe spiritual guru one of the best damn things I ever saw. At first the crowd really did not give two fucks at this obnoxiously dressed human (we are not men, we are not women, we are neither, if you dont believe that take a breather, one of his many bitchin' mantras), but he was relentless and indefatigable. He really won people over with his schtick. When he was telling us to say hey to our neighbors, look at our neighbors, touch our neighbors, he was building that unity in the crowd. We did the fuckin YES! chant of course I was the only one really marking out. He reached the climax by exclaiming The Knife is hear to move us, but they want to be moved by our energy. It was really well-executed, high-energy chaos. It was no different than Dusty Rhodes telling you he was reaching his hand across the electromagnetic airwaves This dude erm I mean human had excellent crowd control and psychology. I think his character could work as a heel manager to contrast a super-tough guy like a Ryback or perhaps the 3MB guys can each choose a specific look from Rock N Roll and one can be a glitter rock wrestler. Anyways, go see The Knife for the pre-show badass, just one of the best carny workers I have ever seen.
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| Space suits are actually gender vacuums |
When I am going through the years to compile my list usually I am able to find certain themes for my entries. Whether it be a Kobashi reign, Akiyama badass 00-02 or junior heavyweights, but this one is just the catch-all of the highly recommended matches from 2003-2004. Since there are no real unifying themes, I will just briefly touch on each. Shoot-style, which is pro wrestling that most closely replicates MMA, makes its first appearance on this list featuring shoot-style great and MMA fighter Kiyoshi Tamura. Tamura is famous for his work in RINGS facing off against fighters such as Volk Han. I have enjoyed shoot-style, but it is not something I am that well-versed in so the reviews are a bit clunky, but I did enjoy both matches. From NOAH, the two non-Kobashi heavyweight matches that were recommended featured Misawa in a tag title defense and Akira Taue taking on Nagata. I thought Nagata/Taue has been the most efficient in accomplishing its goal in the most appropriate amount of time. Misawa & Ogawa had a very overrated bout in my eyes against career mid-carders Saito & Inoue. People have been saying this is near Match of the Decade contender. I thought it was an over-wrought and tedious match where Misawa felt like he was slumming it rather than bringing people to his level.
Finally the most interesting angle not in NOAH or New Japan was the All Japan/Zero-One war. Zero-One represented by Hashimoto/Ogawa/Ohtani wrestled the All Japan boys such as Kawada/Mutoh/Kojima. The result was one helluva a knock-down, drag-out slobber knocker between Ogawa and Kawada. Kawada is my favorite puroresu wrestler and he delivered his best performance since Champion's Carnival 2001. Ogawa just has this unique presence almost like someone did not totally train him how to work. It feels like it could break into a shoot brawl any second. I had really high expectations for Kawada/Hashimoto and it was a very good match, but I found the selling from Kawada to be spotty and just did not feel that heated. Hashimoto delievered one helluva selling performance and the best he looked all decade from an individual's perspective.
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1. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Jun Akiyama - Budokan 02/27/00
2. GHC Heavyweight Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi - Budokan 03/01/03
3. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama - Budokan 04/25/04
4. All Japan Triple Crown Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama - All Japan 05/26/00
5. All Japan Triple Crown Champion Genichiro Tenryu vs Keiji Mutoh - Budokan 6/8/01
6. Toshiaki Kawada & Masa Fuchi vs Yuji Nagata & Takashi Iizuka - NJ PPV 12/14/00
7. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - Tokyo Dome 07/10/04
8. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshinari Ogawa – Budokan 11/01/03
9. Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - Budokan 12/23/00
10. IWGP Jr Hvywt Tag Champs Ohtani & Takaiwa vs Kanemoto & Minoru - NJPW 6/25/00
11. IWGP Champion Kensuke Sasaki vs Toshiaki Kawada - 10/00 Tokyo Dome Non-Title
12. Keiji Mutoh vs Toshiaki Kawada - Champions Carnival 04/01
13. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue - NOAH 09/10/04
14. Toshiaki Kawada vs Naoya Ogawa - Zero-One 12/14/03
15. IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion Minoru Tanaka vs Takehiro Murahama - NJPW 4/20/01
16. Shinya Hashimoto & Takashi Iizuka vs Naoya Ogawa & Kazunari Murkami - Tokyo Dome 01/04/00
17. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Tamon Honda - NOAH 04/13/03
18. Genichiro Tenryu & Masa Fuchi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Nobutaka Araya - AJPW 6/30/01
19. Kenta Kobashi vs Takao Omori - Champions Carnival Final '00
20. Akira Taue vs Yuji Nagata - NOAH 6/6/03
21. AJPW Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada vs Shinya Hashimoto - AJPW 02/22/04
22. GHC Tag Team Champions Sterness (Akiyama & Saito) vs Burning (Kobashi & Honda) - Budokan 6/6/03
23. GHC Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Jun Akiyama - Budokan 07/27/01
24. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yuji Nagata - Budokan 9/12/03
25. New Japan (Liger & Minoru ) vs. NOAH (Kikuchi & Kanemaru) - NOAH 4/7/02
26. GHC Tag Champions Akiyama & Saito vs Kobashi & Shiga - NOAH 10/19/02
27. Toshiaki Kawada & Genichiro Tenryu vs Stan Hansen & Taiyo Kea - Budokan 07/23/00
28. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Genichiro Tenryu vs Kensuke Sasaki - 01/04/00
29. Genichiro Tenryu vs Toshiaki Kawada - Vacant All Japan Triple Crown 10/28/00
30. Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Hiroyuki Ito - U-Style 08/18/04
31. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Minoru Suzuki - Budokan 01/08/05
32. Yoshihiro Takayama vs Kensuke Sasaki - G-1 Climax '04
33. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada - Champions Carnival '00
34. Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - NOAH #2 08/06/00
35. Genichiro Tenryu vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan - Vacant IWGP Championship 02/15/04
36. GHC Champion Yoshihiro Takayama vs Mitsuharu Misawa - Budokan 09/23/02
37. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Yoshihiro Takayama - Vacant GHC Title 04/15/01
38. Genichiro Tenryu vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 07/07/02
39. U-30 Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuyuki Fujita - Vacant IWGP Championship 6/5/04
40. IWGP Champion Yuji Nagata vs. Yoshihiro Takayama - Tokyo Dome 05/02
41. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka - U-Style 02/04/04
42. All Japan Triple Crown Champion Vader vs Kenta Kobashi - Budokan 2/27/00
43. All Japan Triple Crown Champ Toshiaki Kawada vs Katsuyori Shibata - NJPW 11/03/04 Non-Title
44. IWGP Jr Tag Champions Kanemoto & Minoru vs Liger & Makabe - NJPW 9/12/00
45. Keiji Mutoh vs Yuji Nagata - Sumo Hall 08/12/01 G-1 Climax Final
46. Jun Akiyama vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan - G-1 Climax Finals 08/17/03
47. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi - Champions Carnival '00
48. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama & Yuji Nagata - Budokan 02/17/02
49. Mitsuharu Misawa & Akira Taue vs Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama - NOAH #1 08/05/00
50. New Japan (Liger & Inoue) vs NOAH (Kikuchi & Kanemaru) - NOAH 2/17/02
51. IWGP Jr Hvywt Tag Champs Liger & Minoru vs. Kikuchi & Kanemaru - NJPW 8/29/02'
52. Sterness vs. Burning 8-Man Tag - NOAH 08/03
53. Toshiaki Kawada vs Kenta Kobashi - AJPW 01/17/00
54. Genichiro Tenryu vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 02/24/02
55. Yoshihiro Takayma vs Osamu Nishimura - G-1 Climax Semifinals
56. Yoshihiro Takayama vs Kensuke Sasaki - G-1 Climax Round Robin
57. SUWA vs Dragon Kid - Toryumon 08/24/00 Hair Vs Mask
58. GHC Tag Champs Misawa & Ogawa vs Saito & Inoue - NOAH 9/10/04
58. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs Masato Tanaka - Zero-One 3/02/02
59. Keiji Mutoh & Hiroshi Hase vs Jun Akiyama & Yuji Nagata - Tokyo Dome 10/08/01
60. NJPW(Liger, Minoru , Makabe) vs Osaka Pro(Delfin, Murhama, Tsubasa)-NJPW 12/14/00
61. Toshiaki Kawada vs Vader - AJPW 2/17/00
62. Shinya Hashimoto & Yuji Nagata vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama - Zero-One 3/2/01
63. Toshiaki Kawada vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 06/06/01
64. Naoki Sano vs Minoru Tanaka - Battlarts 01/30/2000
65. Dick Togo vs Tiger Mask IV - M-Pro 08/25/02
66. GHC Tag Team Champions Wild II vs Jun Akiyama & Akitoshi Saito - Budokan 9/23/02
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| SPACE TORNADO OGAWA~! |
Yuji Nagata vs Akira Taue - NOAH Budokan 6/6/03
This is one of the best establish a challenger matches I have ever seen. You have New Japan badass, Yuji Nagata coming off breaking the IWGP Title Defense record looking to prove he is best wrestler in Japan by taking on Kobashi, but first he has to get through a Four Corner of Heaven, Akira Taue. This match is all about setting up the Kobashi match, which oddly is not as good as this match. Nagata repeatedly takes Taue's best shot and will not be denied. Early on, he takes three Nodowas including one on the floor (but not off the apron gotta protect the gimmick :) ), but Taue cant negotiate the pinfall. He is able to mount a mini-comeback by going after Taue's arm to setup his unbreakable NagataLock III, but Taue scores a DDT to turn the tide. Taue hits two big boots to set up the top rope Nodowa, a Nodowa and then a DYNAMIC BOMB~! Nagata still kicks out. You have established he can take a lickin', but keep on tickin'. From there, it is clear that Nagata is going to mow down Taue and showcase his offense, which means exploders, enziguiris and back drop drivers. Credit to Nagata as he starts the finish run with a kick to the bad arm and applying a Crippler Crossface. He works to get the vaunted Nagatalock III on, but has to hit his other moves first to weaken Taue to apply the hold. True to form, he secures the victory and earned the right to face Kobashi at the next Budokan with the Nagatalock III. In a tidy 16 minutes, this match accomplishes that Nagata can take the best shots of one of Kobashi's biggest rivals and that he will be targeting the arm (a huge source of Kobashi's offense) and Kobashi is in trouble if the Nagatalock III is applied. Mix in this is New Japan's hottest star versus NOAH's hottest star and you have yourself some serious box office. ****
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All Japan Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada vs Naoya Ogawa
Zero-One 12/14/03 Non-Title
Ogawa is 2 for 2 in terms of badass matches in my book. It has been a limited sample size, but I don't think he is a particularly adept worker, but he is incredibly effective in portraying his character (legitimate judoka/shooter badass) and fostering a big match atmosphere. Just like the Dome tag match, the chaotic flow of the match and the awesome heat made this stand out as something special. Of course, why Kawada is an all-timer is that he did not force Ogawa into the King's Road style, but wrestled the match in a way where Kawada responded to Ogawa in a characteristic manner. It was an interesting clash of King's Road and shoot-style without sacrificing each other's strong suits in a heated bout.
What I love about this video is there is a 7 minute recap of the angles at the beginning to clarify why there is an interpromotional match. There was apparently an AJPW vs. Zero-One feud which featured a tag match between Hashimoto/Ogawa vs Mutoh/Kojima. The Z-1 boys were roughing up the AJ boys after the bell was ringing only for Kawada to rush the ring and send the Z-1 crew packing to awesome heat. After that, there were white masked ninjas in service of Ogawa attacking Kawada and tag matches leading up to the big one on one showdown. I read another review that said Kawada played the a great heel in this match. Well, I thought he was a badass babyface even if this was at a Z1 show. He got a shit ton of streamers and there was definitely a Kawada chant at the beginning. Ogawa is such a natural heel. He is a giant especially compared to Kawada and his cocky shooter swagger makes him nearly impossible to like. At the outset, Kawada was selling his apprehension of getting entangled with this badass while Ogawa was egging him on with sarcastic cheers. Kawada was the first one to take it to him even though Ogawa got a nice punch combo out of the corner that sent Kawada reeling in classic Dangerous K fashion. What I really loved about this match was how much struggle there was. If Kawada had a chance to stomp of Ogawa's head on a break he took it. Ogawa seemed like he took Kawada over on a monkey flip whether he wanted to or not. The hook of the match was when Ogawa went to put Kawada away with the STO and Kawada relentlessly kneed his inner leg so that even when he hit it he could not capitalize. When he went for the STO again, he buckled and Kawada pounced. This led to the great exchange where Kawada chases Ogawa around kicking his bad leg and Ogawa is throwing wild double back fists to keep him away. At one point, the back fist catches Kawada in the head so he starts to kick Ogawa's leg from the mat that's dedication. Kawada eventually got the half crab, but not before he stomped on Ogawa's head. Ogawa is so long that it is hard to keep him from the ropes. Kawada gets tired of the double back fists so he cleans his clock with a sweet closed fist. In an effort to survive, Ogawa just tries for the STO and Kawada hits him with a back drop driver. Kawada looks to knock Ogawa out with enziguiris, but Ogawa hits the STO OUTTA NOWHERE! Kawada staggers and falls ass first through the bottom rope onto the floor. Ogawa's leg is fucked, but is able to STO Kawada on the floor. However, neither man can make it back to the ring by the ten count. Hot damn! Wait there is more! They restart the match. Kawada slides right into Ogawa's leg and does not let up. Kawada goes for the leg lace and double stomps on the bad knee. However, Kawada leaves himself open for the STO again. Everyone is out again. Kawada tries to go for the enziguiri for the knockout, but STO AGAIN! Neither man can answer the ten count and it is ruled a double knock out.
Kawada had the strategy: find a weakness and exploit. Ogawa had the puncher's chance: STO. At the beginning, it seemed like Kawada was going to be outgunned by the bigger Ogawa, but he is able to block the STO and inflict serious damage to the leg. However, once he got on offense, he was so focused on pressing his advantage he would leave himself opened to the STO. Kawada just did not have a bomb on the same level as the STO to put Ogawa away. I loved a lot of the exchanges in this match especially the leg kicks versus double back fists. Ogawa delivers another great big match and Kawada gives his best performance since the 2001 Champion's Carnival with Mutoh. ****1/4
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| ALL-WOMAN~! |
All Japan Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada vs Shinya Hashimoto - Budokan 02/22/04
If there is one thing the 00s provided in spades, it is dream matches come to life. It is fuckin Kawada vs Hashimoto in the Budokan for the Triple Crown. I threw out all my misgivings about Hashimoto from this decade because I knew this was going to badass. I had seen this before and it did not quite live up to my memory, but it is still a very good match. I will say as much as I hate to admit it the match felt oddly heatless. All Japan was clearly in a rough place because even with this as the main event they only drew 10,500. Just a year previous, Hashimoto/Muta drew a sell out at the Budokan and Hashimoto drew a sell out against friggin' Arashi. So it was not because the Hashimoto was an unknown commodity. I will have to do some research on this, but the match just did not feel as big as it should.
Kawada wins the first exchange with a spin kick, but Hashimoto draws first blood from Kawada's ear. Kawada goes for the head stomp/half-crab too early and Hashimoto gets to his knees and makes the ropes. The exchange kicks to each other's knee and Kawada hyperextends his right knee on a kick and Hashimoto pounces. I liked that unique wrinkle. Kawada uses the closed fist to keep him at bay, but Hashimoto sweeps the leg. Hashimoto attacks the knee hard with seat drops, double stomps and leg laces. Just like the Tenryu match, Kawada drops the leg selling. He goes full bore with the big boot and uses the right knee to knee drop Hashimoto's taped up shoulder. I was not happy with the King of Knee Selling pulling this uncharacteristic bullshit. Kawada goes for the cross armbreaker, but is able to get the stretch plum and really focus on the arm. Hashimoto does some great verbal selling here and for the rest of the match. He sounds like a large wounded animal fighting for his life. Hash catches the right leg and punches it. Kick floors Kawada. BRAINBUSTER! However, Hashimoto is in tremendous pain and cant capitalize. He is able to throw some awesome kicks, but he is in too much pain to brainbuster Kawada again. The story becomes can Kawada put Hashimoto away. Remember, he had fellow Z1 cohort, Ogawa on the run, but could not finish him. Again, he has an opponent severely injured, but he just cant seemed to get him off his feet. He is rocking him, but Hashimoto wont fall down. Finally, after a barrage of enziguiris, TIMMMMMMBBBBAAAAAAAHHHHHH! Kawada slaps on the Stretch Plum, but Hashimoto has too much pride to submit so a Z1 suit throws in the towel to save their ace from permanent injury.
The finish is an interpromotional bullshit finish and sucks. Regardless of that, I thought Kawada's performance was pretty lifeless and mechanical. He was just going through the motions. Add that he dropped knee selling, it was a pretty disappointing performance especially at this was right in the middle of his big All Japan Triple Crown run that he had a deserved for so long but booking and injuries had denied him. Hashimoto was in peak 90s form here. He was that rockstar badass that just exudes charisma. From destroying Kawada's knee to selling the arm to fighting back to weeble wobble selling before succumbing to the Stretch Plum, he gave an inspired performance to tell the story of a wounded warrior. Unfortunately, this would be Hashimoto last great match (I could be wrong) as he would pass away in September of 2005. It was an uneven, but overall a very good blowoff to the AJ/Z1 feud. ****
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| Not only a world-class shoot-style wrestler, Tamura was a high profile Pride fighter |
Kiyoshi Tamura vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka - U-Style 02/04/04
Tamura piqued my interest in his match with Ito. I always put delving more into Shoot Style off so I thought I take advantage of another Tamura match among the nominated matches. As a shoot-style novice, I do not know if I really could appreciate the beginning of this match. The work was really smooth and they were always moving, but it felt a little too showy like they were putting on an exhibition. I got the sense that Kohsaka was outworking on Tamura on the ground as he was chaining his moves together better and forced the first rope break at around the 10 minute mark with the guillotine choke. As good 'ol JR would say business is about to pick up as they fired off a thrilling a finish sequence. I liked Tamura responding to the first point loss with a stand up barrage to secure a knockdown and loved the knee that caught Tamura in the midsection in the fracas to put Kohsaka up 4-3. They sequence felt really organic. This is where my shoot style naivete maybe rearing its ugly head, but how come Kohsaka did sell Tamura's deep half crab after the hold. He was screaming and selling in the hold and the nothing. I get the "real" sports argument you dont show weakness but just a little limp or favoring of that knee would have added. Also are closed fists allowed because Tamura used them liberally to break up submissions late? With Tamura down 2-1, Kohsaka goes for the home run, rolling heel hook, that Tamura counters into a cross-armbreaker in the center of the ring. I thought there were better submission sequences earlier that could have been used as the finish. I will probably appreciate this more once i watch more RINGS. Still I love great matwork and this was very well-executed. ***3/4
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Kiyoshi Tamura vs Hiroyuki Ito - U-Style 08/18/04
With the emergence of MMA in Japan, it spelled the end for shoot-style promotions, which were not as differentiated as their pro wrestling brethren. Shoot-style lives in this weird no man's land. It is essentially the worked version of MMA. I have never seen pro wrestling as the worked version of MMA. In fact, I think a lot of non-fan's hangups with pro wrestling come from the fact they are viewing it through the wrong prism. Wrestling is a carnival attraction and it adapts itself to the times. Shoot-style is the sub-genre of pro wrestling that is the closest replication of actual MMA. I have enjoyed what I have seen of the style (Takada's UWFi), but I am no expert. For instance, this is the first Tamura match I have seen even though I know the ballyhooed Volk Han series in RINGS (I have never seen a RINGS match) is very heavily promoted by the shoot-style proponents. Thus it is hard for me to rate this match in the context of this project. I liked this match a lot, but even though all the matches are worked it still feels like comparing apples and oranges.
Tamura is the ace of promotion and a well-known talent in the shoot style community and a reasonably successful MMA fighter in Pride and such (sporting a record of 32-13-3). Ito is someone I do not know and I suspect was a heavy underdog. Ito definitely prescribed to the adage "a good defense is a great offense" as he came out swinging on every occasion. In fact, for the first half the match he dominated Tamura forcing him to take two rope breaks utilizing palm strikes, knees to the head, triangle chokes and cross armbreakers. Even though, he was put into an early hole, Tamura never lost his cool and wrangled a leg lace, but Ito was able to get a leg lace of his own, but eventually Ito had to use the ropes to escape. After Tamura caught a kick and applied a heel hook, Ito lost his second point. With the match leveled, Ito concentrated keeping the fight off the ground and tried to win by knockout. They trade knockdowns, but Ito definitely is the more offensive fighter. Tamura presses an advantage and Ito sells his high kicks really well, but Ito is able to sneak in a palm strike to the face to knock him down. One more knock down and Ito wins. Tamura wakes the fuck up and takes Ito to town. He catches Ito's kick and turns it into a half-crab for the win.
I loved Ito taking it to the strong favorite, Tamura at every chance. His performance was so urgent and there was a real sense of struggle on the stand-up. No one would confuse this ground game for an MMA match, but they kept it moving. Besides the dueling leg laces, every submission was sold like it could end it. The real highlight of the match is the very dramatic stand-up sequence with both fatigued and just going for broke. It was very well laid out to have Tamura back up against the wall throwing bombs only to finally catch Ito's leg and finish via submission. I would not say a match of the decade contender, but a very good match. ****
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GHC Tag Champions Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa vs Atikoshi Saito & Masa Inoue
Budokan 9/10/04
Yoshinari Ogawa is my hero the hair, the sunglasses, the matching zebra vest (sleeves are for zeroes, brutha) & tights, and the attitude. Atikoshi Saito is the polar opposite. He found out a way to be even more destestable. He got himself a femullet and added bangs. What a friggin tool. Now he has some jaybrone partner named Masa Inoue. Misawa take care of this light work.
As much I love Ogawa, this really feels like Misawa is slumming it in this match. With Kobashi ruling the roost and Akiyama being his main challenger, it was only logical that Misawa rock the tag division and maintain the prestige of the division, but there just was much depth in the talent pool. Saito at best is an inoffensive worker, but when he does stick out in an Akiyama tag match because he was usually sucking at something like striking or moving. Masa Inoue is some jabroni, who throws lariats like am awkward Randy Orton and does a torture rack like a 12 year old version of Lex Luger (who I am kidding 12 year old Lexy Flexy probably would have been a better worker than this dude). Of course, the best part of this match is knowing that there was no way Misawa was going to job to these losers. So you knew they were going to eat a ton of elbows and Ogawa was going to mock them relentlessly.
The match starts off so bad with a really badly, awkwardly choreographed bit where Misawa/Ogawa try to jump them, but the Shit Jabronis hit the lamest clothesline to send them out. When Saito goes for a dropkick, Ogawa holds onto the ropes and points to his head because he is clearly smarter than this tool. However, when he goes for a drop toehold he cant get the big man down and Saito gives him the finger wag. Oh my God, Ogawa has done the impossible he has made Saito entertaining. Misawa lights Inoue the fuck up with elbows. Oh how I missed you, Misawa. Misawa stands on this chump and drops a senton on him! Misawa rules the school! After a series of sleepers, Saito tries to the Randy Savage strategy of reviving your partner by hitting them. The only problem is that his partner aint Hulk Hogan. Somehow, Inoue actually avoids Misawa's dopkick and Ogawa's enziguiri. They double torture rack Misawa and then Inoue starts the rake Ogawa's face across the rope. O just you wait, big shot, when Misawa gets in and elbows your face. Ogawa uses his tights to send him to outside when Misawa throws him into the railings. Once back in, Ogawa holds out Inoue's hand to have Saito tag him. Rat Boy wins at life!
All good things must come to an end and Inoue hits a DDT on Misawa and Ogawa at the same time. Here comes Saito with an axe kick for Ogawa and an urnage for Misawa. BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! They do this friggin weird delayed vertical suplex spot on the ramp, which Saito must have fucked up because clearly he supposed to be closer to the ring so Misawa could pull Ogawa down. Someone should have called an audible instead everyone looked like a moron. Of course, when you are in the ring with Atikoshi Saito it is hard not look like an idiot. Saito & Inoue try to prove to me that they are kinda cool by spike piledriving my man, Rat Boy on the floor. Fine, that was kinda cool. Saito & Inoue realize they have no personalities of their own so they copy Misawa & Ogawa and use a series of sleepers. Rat Boy dropkicks both and dragon leg screw on Saito. Hot and I mean double hot tag to Misawa. If you had a face you got elbowed. If you had stupid bangs, you get a diving elbow through the ropes. All Hail Misawa! Saito misses the Mist spray. What a jaybrone! Damnit, he got the second time. Misawa takes two wicked Germans, which makes me uncomfortable. Ogawa saves Misawa from the ultimate shame of being pinned by Saito.
HOLY SHIT! Saito powerbombed Misawa! Where was the Misawa-rana!?!?!? What the Fuck?!?! I am still in shocked Saito actually powerbombed Misawa. Inoue busts out the Billy Robinson backbreaker to try to earn brownie points. Randomly, some dude holds Misawa while Inoue hits a lame clothesline. This leads to Inoue running into the turnbuckles and Misawa calmly tagging out. What the fuck? Inoue and Saito hit the Jabroni Doomsday Device from the middle rope. Disorderly Conduct was a more menacing team than these two clowns. Inoue has the audacity to no sell Ogawa's DDTs, but knocks himself out on his own headbutts. Talk about putting yourself over. It is time for Misawa to put end to this nonsense. The finish run is Misawa hitting Inoue in the face with his elbow and Ogawa back drop driving him. This happened about 4 times and it was glorious. Just to add how this match was weirdly laid out Inoue takes all sort of crazy variations of this and a double team version of the Tiger Driver, but gets pinned by a normal back drop driver.
In all seriousness, I am going a bit over board in my criticism of this match. I really don't like Saito and Inoue was just lame. He added nothing to the match and was a warm body for Misawa and Ogawa to attack. I actually liked Misawa & Ogawa a lot in this match and they did their best to make it an entertaining match. Hell, they sure gave a lot more offense to these guys than I would have. I thought the Inoue FIP and the finish stretch were well-done. Even though, the Ogawa FIP was too long, he sold really well for them, I wished Ogawa had more time to Rat Boy it up. I will probably never watch this match again. I would say Misawa & Ogawa dragged a pretty good match out of these two, but nothing worth going out of your way to say. ***1/4
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It was a solid set of matches, nothing blow-away great, but nothing horrible either. To finish up 2003-2004, I will look 8 junior heavyweight matches featuring mostly the polarizing KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji. I have a Steamboat and Rockers blogs I have been meaning to post so look for those.
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