Best of Toryumon: Genki Horiguchi, Magnum Tokyo, CIMA (Toryumon, 2000-2003)

Hey yo Stud Muffins and Foxy Ladies,

THANK YOU ALEX! THANK YOU ALEX! THANK YOU ALEX! 

Toryumon, the predecessor to Dragon Gate, doubled as a wrestling school and promotion for the students of Ultimo Dragon. Ultimo Dragon spent his formative years in Mexico having been told he was too small to wrestle in Japan even though he was trained in New Japan dojo by notable lucharesu wrestler Gran Hamada. In fact the first lucharesu promotion in Japan was run by Gran Hamada known as the UWF (not to be confused with the shoot-style promotion in Japan, Bill Watts' UWF or Herb Abrams UWF). Long story short dont name your promotion UWF unless you want to go out of business in two years. Lucharesu is just as it sounds the combination of lucha libre and puroresu usually practiced in Japan by the junior heavyweight wrestlers.

The next lucharesu promotion was Great Sasuke's Michinoku Pro, which gained a cult following in the US in the mid-90s especially when they were featured on the ECW first PPV Barely Legal and Sasuke and Taka Michinoku were featured on WWF's Canadian Stampede. The Kaientai stable that some fans may recognize from WWF Attitude Era were all wrestlers from M-Pro. Dragon Gate would eventually become the M-Pro of the mid-00s gaining a cult following among indy wrestling fans as they showcased their styles for the ROH crowds in similar vein as the M-Pro wrestlers did for the ECW crowds. This actually led to the formation of Dragon Gate USA promoted by ROH's former booker Gabe Spalosky and is the first serious Japanese led promotion in America that comes to mind. It allows American fans to see the Japanese stars live and in vivid technicolor against each other and some of the best of the American indy wrestling scene. Before all this, Dragon Gate was just Toryumon, the wrestling school for the students of Ultimo Dragon.

Ultimo Dragon, well-versed in lucha libre and puroresu, had become a major star throughout world as a junior heavyweight including one of the big three stars in WCW's hot crusierweight division of the late 90s. Dragon decided to open a school and a foster a culture of learning similar to his own upbringing in puroresu and lucha libre. WCW fans may remember one of his students, Magnum Tokyo getting actual airtime as a member of the Dancing Fools, Alex Wright and Disco Inferno. Growing up as a kid, I was a total mark for dancing gimmicks and loved Alex Wright and Disco Inferno. To this day, the Alex Wright is over like rover at the dance club. I would like to personally thank Das Wunderkid for the bitchin' Saturday I just enjoyed. ;)

Toryumon is known for its impressive multi-man matches filled with comedy and high-flying acrobatics. I am not a total curmudgeon, but this is not exactly up as alley as I prefer violent street fights or well-worked ground warfare. What I love about pro wrestling is how there are some many styles and there is a little bit of everything. There is definitely a place of wild, million miles an hour spotfests. Toryumon is exactly the type of wrestling I would show non-fans because anybody could appreciate the athleticisim  on display. I would not go far as to say that Toryumon openly mock pro wrestling as a work or it is too self-aware as some promotions *cough* Chikara *cough*, but they wink and nudge at the audience and it is clear from the comedy that it is to be treated more like a violent form of Cirque Du Soliel. I am not saying that everyone who sees Toryumon will love it, but I think of all the styles of wrestling it is friendliest towards non-fans.

Besides the comedy and the high-flying, I really loved how when it came time to get down to business for the finish of the match it really started to feel like a contest. I loved Don Fuji taking on 9 men in a chop war, but thats for shits and giggles. However, in the last 5 minutes of a Toryumon match, it was always on!  I thought the matches definitely improved once the hair-thinning Genki Horguchi gets involved. Horiguchi's gimmick is that he gets upset when fans and wrestlers mock his receding hair line. This leads to hilarious SCALP PSYCOLOGY~! in his matches. It gives the Toryumon wrestlers a really strong tool in their arsenal to pop a crowd and he is just a great heel. He clowns to make the faces look good, but can be violent when it is time to get heat. I highly recommend the 4-team trios match from 2003 with a ton of comedy, high flying and a crazy finish run.

HAGE~!

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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. Kenta Kobashi & Akira Taue vs Genichiro Tenryu & Jun Akiyama - Budokan 9/18/05

8. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - Tokyo Dome 07/10/04

9. GHC Tag Team Champions Misawa & Ogawa vs KENTAFuji  Budokan 04/25/04

10. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshinari Ogawa – Budokan 11/01/03
11. GHC Heavyweight Champion Akira Taue vs Jun Akiyama - Budokan 01/22/06

12. Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - Budokan 12/23/00

13. IWGP Jr Hvywt Tag Champs Ohtani & Takaiwa vs Kanemoto & Minoru - NJPW  6/25/00

14. IWGP Champion Kensuke Sasaki vs Toshiaki Kawada - 10/00 Tokyo Dome Non-Title

15. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata vs Togi Makabe - NJPW 07/06/07

16. Keiji Mutoh vs Toshiaki Kawada - Champions Carnival 04/01

17. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue - NOAH 09/10/04

18. Toshiaki Kawada vs Naoya Ogawa - Zero-One 12/14/03

19. Kenta Kobashi & Go Shiozaki vs Kensuke Sasaki/Katsuhiko Nakajima - NOAH 11/5/05

20. IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion Minoru Tanaka vs Takehiro Murahama - NJPW 4/20/01

21. Shinya Hashimoto & Takashi Iizuka vs Naoya Ogawa & Kazunari Murkami - Tokyo Dome 01/04/00

22. Toryumon Trios Four-Way - Toryumon 08/30/03

23. KENTAFuji vs Jushin Liger & Murahama - GHC Jr Heavyweight Tag Title Final 07/16/03

24. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Tamon Honda - NOAH 04/13/03

25. Kenta Kobashi & Go Shiozaki vs Jun Akiyama & Genichiro Tenryu - Budokan 4/24/2005

26. Genichiro Tenryu & Masa Fuchi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Nobutaka Araya - AJPW 6/30/01

27. Kenta Kobashi vs Takao Omori - Champions Carnival Final '00

28. Akira Taue vs Yuji Nagata - NOAH 6/6/03

29. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shinsuke Nakamura - NJPW 12/10/06

30. AJPW Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada vs Shinya Hashimoto - AJPW 02/22/04

31. GHC Tag Team Champions Sterness (Akiyama & Saito) vs Burning (Kobashi & Honda) - Budokan 6/6/03

32. GHC Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Jun Akiyama - Budokan 07/27/01

33. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada - Tokyo Dome 7/18/05 

34. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yuji Nagata - Budokan 9/12/03

35. New Japan (Liger & Minoru ) vs. NOAH (Kikuchi & Kanemaru) - NOAH 4/7/02

36. GHC Tag Champions Akiyama & Saito vs Kobashi & Shiga - NOAH 10/19/02

37. Toshiaki Kawada & Genichiro Tenryu vs Stan Hansen & Taiyo Kea - Budokan 07/23/00

38. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Genichiro Tenryu vs Kensuke Sasaki - 01/04/00

39. Genichiro Tenryu vs Toshiaki Kawada - Vacant All Japan Triple Crown 10/28/00

40. Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Hiroyuki Ito - U-Style 08/18/04

41. KENTA vs Yoshihiro Takayama - NOAH 06/27/04

42. Yuji Nagata vs Koji Kanemoto - NJPW G-1 Climax 08/12/06

43. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Minoru Suzuki - Budokan 01/08/05

44. Yoshihiro Takayama vs Kensuke Sasaki - G-1 Climax '04

45. Kenta Kobashi vs Naomichi Marufuji - Budokan 4/23/06

46. Low Ki vs AJ Styles - Z1 01/05/03
47. KENTAFuji vs Wild II (Morishima & Rikio) - Budokan 7/16/06

48. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada - Champions Carnival '00

49. Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - NOAH #2 08/06/00

50. Genichiro Tenryu vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan - Vacant IWGP Championship 02/15/04

51. GHC Champion Yoshihiro Takayama vs Mitsuharu Misawa - Budokan 09/23/02

52. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Yoshihiro Takayama - Vacant GHC Title 04/15/01

53. Genichiro Tenryu vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 07/07/02

54. Akira Taue vs Naomichi Marufuji - Budokan 3/6/04

55. M2K vs. Do Fixer - Toryumon 6/29/03

56. Kenta Kobashi vs Kensuke Sasaki - Tokyo Dome 7/18/05

57. Yuji Nagata vs Giant Bernard - New Japan Cup Finals 04/30/06

58. U-30 Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuyuki Fujita - Vacant IWGP Championship 6/5/04

59. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Takeshi Morishima - Budokan 3/5/06

60. IWGP Champion Yuji Nagata vs. Yoshihiro Takayama - Tokyo Dome 05/02

61. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka - U-Style 02/04/04

62. All Japan Triple Crown Champion Vader vs Kenta Kobashi - Budokan 2/27/00

63. All Japan Triple Crown Champ  Toshiaki Kawada vs Katsuyori Shibata - NJPW 11/03/04 Non-Title

64. IWGP Jr Tag Champions Kanemoto & Minoru vs Liger & Makabe - NJPW 9/12/00

65. KENTA vs. Naomichi Marufuji - NOAH 11/13/04

66. Keiji Mutoh vs Yuji Nagata - Sumo Hall 08/12/01 G-1 Climax Final

67. Jun Akiyama vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan - G-1 Climax Finals 08/17/03

68. Takaiwa & Hoshikawa vs Dick Togo & Hidaka - Z-1 12/26/03 

69. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi - Champions Carnival '00

70. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama & Yuji Nagata - Budokan 02/17/02

71. Mitsuharu Misawa & Akira Taue vs Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama - NOAH #1 08/05/00

72. Kenta Kobashi/Kensuke Sasaki vs. Genichiro Tenryu/Katsuhiko Nakajima - KO 2/11/06

73. New Japan (Liger & Inoue) vs NOAH (Kikuchi & Kanemaru) - NOAH 2/17/02

74. IWGP Jr Hvywt Tag Champs Liger & Minoru vs. Kikuchi & Kanemaru - NJPW 8/29/02

75. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Giant Bernard - NJPW 06/18/06 Vacant IWGP Championship

76. Sterness  vs. Burning 8-Man Tag - NOAH 08/03

77. Toshiaki Kawada vs Kenta Kobashi - AJPW 01/17/00

77. Genichiro Tenryu vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 02/24/02

79. Yoshihiro Takayma vs Osamu Nishimura - G-1 Climax Semifinals

80. Yoshihiro Takayama vs Kensuke Sasaki - G-1 Climax Round Robin

81. Toryumon Trios Three-Way - Toryumon 7/7/02

82. SUWA vs Dragon Kid - Toryumon 08/24/00 Hair Vs Mask

83. GHC Tag Champs Misawa & Ogawa vs Saito & Inoue - NOAH 9/10/04

84. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs Masato Tanaka - Zero-One 3/02/02

85. Keiji Mutoh & Hiroshi Hase vs Jun Akiyama & Yuji Nagata - Tokyo Dome 10/08/01

86. NJPW(Liger, Minoru , Makabe) vs Osaka Pro(Delfin, Murhama, Tsubasa)-NJPW 12/14/00

87. Toryumon Trios Three-Way - Toryumon 08/14/01

88. Toshiaki Kawada vs Vader - AJPW 2/17/00

89. Shinya Hashimoto & Yuji Nagata vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama - Zero-One 3/2/01

90. GHC Jr Heavyweight Tag Champs KENTAFuji vs Kanemaru & Hashi Budokan 9/12/03

91. U-30 Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shinsuke Nakamura - Tokyo Dome 01/04/05

92. Toshiaki Kawada vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 06/06/01

93.  Naoki Sano vs Minoru Tanaka - Battlarts 01/30/2000

94. Dick Togo vs Tiger Mask IV - M-Pro 08/25/02

95. GHC Tag Team Champions Wild II vs Jun Akiyama & Akitoshi Saito - Budokan 9/23/02

96. GHC Heavyweight Champion Naomichi Marufuji vs KENTA - Budokan 10/29/06

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SUWA vs Dragon Kid - Toryumon 08/24/00 Hair Vs Mask 

This was different thats for sure. It was like someone took ECW/Lucha/Japanese Juniors put in a blender and out came this oddly fun match. There was a lot leaving me scratching my head. Was it 2 out of 3 Falls or did Ultimo Dragon just restart the match? Maybe if I spoke Japanese that confusion could have been avoided but that was 2000 WCW at its worst there. Still maybe it is because I grew up in the late 90s, but there is something about gratuitous interference that does not bother me as much as other wrestling fans. It is entertaining its own way. Actually most of my problem with this match was with Dragon Kid. His offense was so Indy-riffic and pointless. I thought Kojima was bad with Ace Crusher variations, Dragon Kid was killing me with all these setup spots for his stunners. Then add that he will get his ass kicked and just pop up. You are the tiniest dude on the roster you can butter your bread selling. Like for instance SUWA makes a big deal that he is going to elbow Dragon Kid in the balls and he does. Immediately Dragon Kid avoids his next move and does a somersault off the top rope onto the floor. It was a ball shot, dude. Given the two other reviews I read for this match I agree that SUWA was very good and could have been something more if he ended up in a different promotion. Though my disagreement with the previous reviewers is I liked the first/fake fall (?) more. Dragon Kid leaping out onto SUWA during his entrance. Then SUWA as his only defense chucked a chair at Dragon Kid when he tried coming off the apron. I loved SUWA throwing him into the chair and punching young boys. Even though he is bigger than Dragon Kid he still rakes the eyes as a cut off and then goes and rips the mask. At that point, I was just thinking this maybe a fun lucha brawl. I was not buying Dragon Kid's hope spots at all. I was glad SUWA pinned him with a powerbomb, but I think Ultimo Dragon restarted the match because his feet were on the ropes. Dragon Kid tries the only strategy he seems to know and that is bullrushing, but SUWA just uses his momentum against him. I actually dug the dropkick spot where SUWA dropkicked him and Dragon Kid went halfway across the ring. It is worth checking out. Kid hits a rana off a splash mountain attempt. Ref bump. Melee ensues with what seems like the entire roster in the ring. I was digging the chaotic feel of this. I thought the ending was the weakest part, but others seemed to like it. Dragon Kid should stick with hurricanranas because he hits those a lot more wickedly than those awful Stunner variations in his comeback. They hit this convoluted powerbomb that looked like it should be an gymnastics routine where basically does a 360 front flip. I will say the Dragonrana was pretty fuckin bitchin'. Evil Dragon Kid beats up Dragon Kid, but Dragon kid still has the wherewithal to shave SUWA's head. SUWA extends the hand in respect. The audience applauds and then SUWA kicks a field goal right through the uprights. He fuckin destroys a chair around this young boy's head. SUWA is pretty awesome. I didn't hate this. I actually found it a breezy, entertaining 25 minutes. I would not want all wrestling like this but SUWA gave a pretty good heel performance and Dragon Kid was not too cumbersome a piece of luggage. ***1/4

You have not even seen SUWA's performance against KENTA, yet! Get a grip, lady! 

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UWA World Trios Champion Crazy Max (CIMA, SUWA, Big Fuji) vs. Sekigun (Magnum Tokyo, Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito) vs. M2K (Maasaki Mochizuki, Kanda, Darkness Dragon) - Toryumon 08/14/01

Nothing like jumping feet first into Toryumon with their first three-way trios match. Dragon Gate is always something I read about, but never really took the time to watch. Who has time for Dragon Gate when they are watching 90s All Japan for the first time? I don't know if it would help or hurt this match if I understood the backstory better. From my understanding, M2K (leader, Mochizuki) and Crazy Max (leader, CIMA) are both heel stables, but M2K is more heelish. Sekigun (leader Magnum Tokyo), meaning home army, was comprised of two of Toryumon's biggest babyface stars, Magnum Tokyo and Dragon Kid, both of who I remember appearing in WCW in 1998. I was really into dancing gimmicks as a child and I have very fond memories of Alex Wright, Disco Inferno and Magnum Tokyo stable. My perception of Ryo Saito was that he was any up and coming babyface and the general whipping Boy. Darkness Dragon is the evil mirror universe Little Dragon. Kanda, Mochizuki and SUWA are you standard heel Japanese characters. Fuji is notable for being bigger than the average Toryumon competitor (Magnum Tokyo is also pretty big). CIMA is a lot more fliptastic than your standard heel.

All that being said, I don't always turn my nose up at spotfests especially when the out and out intention is just have a fun spotfest, but this did have long stretches where not a lot seemed to be happening. I liked the tentative beginning between the three leaders and their knucklelock, before a weak melee broke up. I enjoyed little spots like messing ultra-heel Mochizuki by knocking out all his tag partners out and doing a dive train on him in the corner. Fuji turning on Saito with a lariat was fun, but set up a boring heat segment. Dragon Kid was much better in this setting than in the singles match with SUWA with all his flips. I liked Darkness Dragon dropkicking Dragon Kid while he was in a Giant Swing. Also the double huge bump off SUWA dropkick was cute. SUWA hits a super bomb for two on Dragon Kid. In a melee, CIMA takes a slam and La Magistral cradle (yep its Ultimo Dragon's promotion) by Darkness Dragon eliminates Crazy Max. Surprisingly, the finish run is pretty boring. Dont get me wrong a Shooting Star Press is always a badass grand finale, but the run-up was pretty dull. This was pretty underwhelming by normal spotfest standards. ***

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UWA World Trios Champions Crazy Max (CIMA, Don Fuji, TARU) vs Sekigun (Maasaki Mochizuki, Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito) vs. 

M2K (Magnum Tokyo, Darkness Dragon, Genki Horiguchi) - Toryumon 7/7/02

Crazy Max comes into the annual Trios Squared match with the titles again, but will they retain them. CIMA has dumped SUWA for another Caps Lock fiend, TARU, who is a scary looking muthafucka. Big Fuji is no longer Big. Instead he is a Don with the slick black hair, which I dig. The other change-up is that Mochizuki and Tokyo have switched sides, which I think better suit their personalities. Mochizuki was too bland to be a heel, but as a babyface he fits right in with Dragon Kid and Saito. The cocky Tokyo can use his flash to really draw the ire of the fans. I have decided that it is is the nine men that really ruin the flow of the match. Whenever, two teams are building some sort of rhythm all of sudden you have another team getting into the fray and it is jarring rather than chaotic. Most of the heat was between Dragon Kid and M2K, but Crazy Max would keep ruining the flow. Really I felt like Crazy Max did not have much to offer in this match in terms of the storytelling of the match.

The 2002 incarnation of this match was much more action packed the 2001 match and for that reason I enjoyed more. I liked spots like Horiguchi playing up his surfer past by riding the "waves" on the back of two opponents. My favorite spot was when sworn enemies Darkness Dragon and Dragon Kid team up on TARU. Only for Darkness Dragon to turn on Dragon Kid. The Fuji chopfest where his six opponents chopped him and he chopped each one of them was also cute. All the suplex stuff was not as fun. I liked Tokyo fucking around with Dragon Kid and wish that it was just M2K vs Sekigun because I think that would be a badass match. Dragon Kid spikes someone with a hurricanrana, but Darkness Dragon swipes his mask and in the shock he is pinned. Great first elimination and sets up the mask vs mask blowoff. Again, I didn't think the finish run was all that strong, but then again the heat was not really between Crazy Max and M2K. CIMA wins with one of his slams (Schwein, maybe)

I am still waiting for Toryumon to really knock my socks off. ***1/4

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I wish that was Dragon Kid holding a picture of himself holding a picture holding a picture of himself holding a picture of himself

UWA World Trios Champion M2K (Genki Horiguchi, Ryo Saito and Susumu Yokosuka) vs.

 Do Fixer (Maasaki Mochizuki, Dragon Kid, Kenichiro Arai) - Toryumon 6/29/03

A year later and once again the complexion of the Toryumon landscape has greatly changed. Plucky upstart Ryo Saito has been seduced by the Dark Side and now rides with M2K. Genki Horiguchi has parlayed his LeBron-esque hairline into a huge heel gimmick as he is quite annoyed the Japanese fans keep heckling him with "Hage" (Bald). In addition, he has developed a new weapon that all have fallen prey to: The Backslide From Heaven. Even though I have not seen Susumu Yokosuka yet, he is quite important as he is a original founder of M2K. In fact, his original last name was Mochizuki, no relation I believe. When Mochizuki turned face, they feuded over the surname ala Booker T and Big T with Mochizuki winning the name and forcing Yokosuka to change his name. Kenichiro Arai is just a longstanding Toryumon babyface. Do Fixer is a babyface stable that was born out of the conclusion of the Dragon Kid/Darkness Dragon feud with Dragon Kid winning Darkness Dragon mask and his respect. The three formed Do Fixer the first permanent babyface faction to my knowledge in Toryumon.

Sometimes less is actually more because these six guys rocked it in a way that past nine have not achieved. It was not just telling a more coherent story that helped because it did break down into a spotfest, but there was more rhythm to the spots. It is hard to explain but everything seemed more natural. The beginning was actually some pretty good fundamental wrestling. It did get boring at times, but there was plenty of quality. I really liked them playing up Horiguchi's receding hairline by him selling them yanking his hair so well and begging off. The Arai hand heat segment was really well done. It actually did play a part in the rest of the match. I liked that a simple elbow kicked it off, but if your hand was taped and elbow you would be hurting too. Lots of stomping, taunting, biting and chair slamming always equals great work. Then they ratcheted everything up. I love Mochizuki's axe kick. They did some great work eliminating by attacking his knee. Dragon Kid was really good in this with a spring hurricarana to the floor and his spike one with a nice break up by dropkicking him in the head. Horiguchi was so great at being a heel, violent on offense (especially attacking Arai's hand) and a chump on defense. BACKSLIDE FROM HEAVEN~! Kick out at 2!!!! WHAT!?!??!! Arai is getting his ass kicked. Arai able to get the Double Chickenwing but all focus on the blue briefcase and dropkick by Horiguchi. Mochizuki blasts Horiguchi with blue briefcase and a Arai Tiger Suplex wins the titles!

I loved that the whipping boy of the match was able to get the big win over the main heel. Dragon Kid was great as a spot monkey. Arai was awesome as the face in peril. Mochizuki has a strong leadership quality to him. Ryo Saito was awfully quiet and thought he would deliver more. Susumu did not show much either. Horiguchi was definitely the star of this match and I look forward to more of his matches. ***3/4

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UWA World Trios Champions Do Fixer ( Maasaki Mochizuki, Dragon Kid, Kenichiro Arai) vs M2K (Genki Horiguchi, Magnum Tokyo, Susumu Yokosuka) vs Crazy Max (CIMA, SUWA, Don Fuji) vs Italian Connection (Milano Collection AT, Condotti Suji, YOSSINO) - 

Toryumon 08/30/03

This is the Three Stooges if the the Three Stooges were twelve wicked athletic Japanese guys, three of whom think they are Italian. The first half of this match is some of the best comedy wrestling you will ever watch. I loved the thread that was woven throughout this whole match was gang up on M2K. When Dragon Kid and Arai turned on Horiguchi and worked over his scalp that was hilarious. I thought the testicular psychology of Liger/Minoru vs Kanemaru/Kikuchi was bitchin, but the SCALP PSYCHOLOGY~! of Horiguchi matches has been so funny. I am not going to ruin this match with some recap of the spots. Go and watch these dudes rip it up in the ring. Also a midget in a Gorilla costume gets involved. This match has everything. What is great when it comes to time to hit the finish, they get more serious, but still keep it fun. Everybody has a chance to shine. I had always heard of the Italian Connection and on paper is sounded tremendous and they did not disappoint. I highly recommend watching the other Toryumon matches first even though they are not as good because it gives you a feel for the style and an appreciation for how bitchin this is when it all comes together. ****1/4

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We got the Best of the Junior Heavyweights in 2005-2006, the Best All Japan in 2005-2009 and the Best of BattlArts in 2005-2009! WOOHOOOO!!!

Youth Gone Mild: Naomichi Marufuji, Takeshi Morishima, KENTA (NOAH, 2006)

Hey yo Stud Muffins and Foxy Ladies,

Im going to Bologna and Florence in a couple weeks. Anybody who knows any hot spots especially discotheques please tweet @superstarsleeze.

"God gave us the Papacy...now let us enjoy it"

Times, they are a changing? Or the more things change the more they the same? Rikio's 2005 title experiment was a total bust, but with Kobashi on the undercard the Budokan remained sold-out. If you look at my 2005 NOAH blog you would think that Kobashi just took the year off from singles and focused on badass tag team matches and that Rikio did not even exist. With Rikio gone belly up, Misawa went with the steady, reliable Akira Taue to transition the championship. The man who held the belt for most of 2006 was the familiar, but tarnished Jun Akiyama.

After his red hot 2000 & 2001, Akiyama dominated tag team ranks and still sort of bubbling under. Looking back, I would have saw Akiyama to Kobashi as Kobashi was to Misawa. He was inching ever closer to top dog status, but just a half-a-step behind Kobashi. A lot people say the Dome loss to Kobashi destroyed any chances of Akiyama ever being an Ace in NOAH. I truly believe they could have recovered from that, but the booking after the Dome loss was horrible and especially towards Akiyama. In 2005, Akiyama was relegated to playing second fiddle to Genichiro Tenryu in tag matches and his best match was a non-NOAH street fight against Katsuyori Shibata. His title victory over Taue was fantastic and return to his peak 2000 form in how focused he was. I would say that this match or Danielson/KENTA is the best match of 2006 so far. However, after the title victory Akiyama just drops off the face of the Earth ala Rikio. Had the belt become cursed?

The focus of 2006 seemed to be a stronger commitment to pushing the new generation. The younger guard was comprised of Rikio, the agile giant Morishima, KENTA and Marufuji. Given the success of KENTAFuji and the fact Marufuji was the bigger of the two, Misawa took a gamble on the undersized Marufuji and pushed him to the moon. He defeated ex-champion, Taue at the Budokan in March and in April he went toe-to-toe with Kobashi coming up short, but looking great given his performance. He would go to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Akiyama.

Amazing MOVES~! like this mean nothing when there are 50 of a match and they are inconsequential.

In the interim, disaster struck. Kobashi was diagnosed with cancer and would not return until late 2007. Without Kobashi on the card, Marufuji was not going to have the same luxury as Rikio having Kobashi buoy attendances while he got a feel for his new responsibilities. The results were catastrophic. The November Budokan headlined by Marufuji vs. KENTA: KENTAFuji EXPLODES~! did just 11,500 you would have to go back to the early 90s to find an All Japan card that did so poorly. To make matters worse, in my opinion, the match fucking shit the bed and was a total clusterfuck.

By the end of 2006, Misawa had no choice, but to pull the trigger on this experiment and put the strap on himself. Without Kobashi and with a neutered Akiyama, he had no choice to put himself in position to lead his company both on and off screen. It is like they always say if you want something done right, do it yourself. So the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.


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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. Kenta Kobashi & Akira Taue vs Genichiro Tenryu & Jun Akiyama - Budokan 9/18/05

8. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - Tokyo Dome 07/10/04

9. GHC Tag Team Champions Misawa & Ogawa vs KENTAFuji  Budokan 04/25/04

10. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshinari Ogawa – Budokan 11/01/03
11. GHC Heavyweight Champion Akira Taue vs Jun Akiyama - Budokan 01/22/06

12. Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - Budokan 12/23/00

13. IWGP Jr Hvywt Tag Champs Ohtani & Takaiwa vs Kanemoto & Minoru - NJPW  6/25/00

14. IWGP Champion Kensuke Sasaki vs Toshiaki Kawada - 10/00 Tokyo Dome Non-Title

15. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata vs Togi Makabe - NJPW 07/06/07

16. Keiji Mutoh vs Toshiaki Kawada - Champions Carnival 04/01

17. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue - NOAH 09/10/04

18. Toshiaki Kawada vs Naoya Ogawa - Zero-One 12/14/03

19. Kenta Kobashi & Go Shiozaki vs Kensuke Sasaki/Katsuhiko Nakajima - NOAH 11/5/05

20. IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion Minoru Tanaka vs Takehiro Murahama - NJPW 4/20/01

21. Shinya Hashimoto & Takashi Iizuka vs Naoya Ogawa & Kazunari Murkami - Tokyo Dome 01/04/00

22. KENTAFuji vs Jushin Liger & Murahama - GHC Jr Heavyweight Tag Title Final 07/16/03

23. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Tamon Honda - NOAH 04/13/03

24. Kenta Kobashi & Go Shiozaki vs Jun Akiyama & Genichiro Tenryu - Budokan 4/24/2005

25. Genichiro Tenryu & Masa Fuchi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Nobutaka Araya - AJPW 6/30/01

26. Kenta Kobashi vs Takao Omori - Champions Carnival Final '00

27. Akira Taue vs Yuji Nagata - NOAH 6/6/03

28. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shinsuke Nakamura - NJPW 12/10/06

29. AJPW Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada vs Shinya Hashimoto - AJPW 02/22/04

30. GHC Tag Team Champions Sterness (Akiyama & Saito) vs Burning (Kobashi & Honda) - Budokan 6/6/03

31. GHC Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Jun Akiyama - Budokan 07/27/01

32. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada - Tokyo Dome 7/18/05 

33. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yuji Nagata - Budokan 9/12/03

34. New Japan (Liger & Minoru ) vs. NOAH (Kikuchi & Kanemaru) - NOAH 4/7/02

35. GHC Tag Champions Akiyama & Saito vs Kobashi & Shiga - NOAH 10/19/02

36. Toshiaki Kawada & Genichiro Tenryu vs Stan Hansen & Taiyo Kea - Budokan 07/23/00

37. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Genichiro Tenryu vs Kensuke Sasaki - 01/04/00

38. Genichiro Tenryu vs Toshiaki Kawada - Vacant All Japan Triple Crown 10/28/00

39. Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Hiroyuki Ito - U-Style 08/18/04

40. KENTA vs Yoshihiro Takayama - NOAH 06/27/04

41. Yuji Nagata vs Koji Kanemoto - NJPW G-1 Climax 08/12/06

42. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Minoru Suzuki - Budokan 01/08/05

43. Yoshihiro Takayama vs Kensuke Sasaki - G-1 Climax '04
44. Kenta Kobashi vs Naomichi Marufuji - Budokan 4/23/06

45. Low Ki vs AJ Styles - Z1 01/05/03
46. KENTAFuji vs Wild II (Morishima & Rikio) - Budokan 7/16/06

47. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada - Champions Carnival '00

48. Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - NOAH #2 08/06/00

49. Genichiro Tenryu vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan - Vacant IWGP Championship 02/15/04

50. GHC Champion Yoshihiro Takayama vs Mitsuharu Misawa - Budokan 09/23/02

51. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Yoshihiro Takayama - Vacant GHC Title 04/15/01

52. Genichiro Tenryu vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 07/07/02

53. Akira Taue vs Naomichi Marufuji - Budokan 3/6/04

54. Kenta Kobashi vs Kensuke Sasaki - Tokyo Dome 7/18/05

55. Yuji Nagata vs Giant Bernard - New Japan Cup Finals 04/30/06

56 U-30 Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuyuki Fujita - Vacant IWGP Championship 6/5/04

57. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Takeshi Morishima - Budokan 3/5/06

58. IWGP Champion Yuji Nagata vs. Yoshihiro Takayama - Tokyo Dome 05/02

59. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka - U-Style 02/04/04

60. All Japan Triple Crown Champion Vader vs Kenta Kobashi - Budokan 2/27/00

61. All Japan Triple Crown Champ  Toshiaki Kawada vs Katsuyori Shibata - NJPW 11/03/04 non-Title

62. IWGP Jr Tag Champions Kanemoto & Minoru vs Liger & Makabe - NJPW 9/12/00

63. KENTA vs. Naomichi Marufuji - NOAH 11/13/04
64. Keiji Mutoh vs Yuji Nagata - Sumo Hall 08/12/01 G-1 Climax Final

65. Jun Akiyama vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan - G-1 Climax Finals 08/17/03

66. Takaiwa & Hoshikawa vs Dick Togo & Hidaka - Z-1 12/26/03 

67. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi - Champions Carnival '00

68. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama & Yuji Nagata - Budokan 02/17/02

69. Mitsuharu Misawa & Akira Taue vs Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama - NOAH #1 08/05/00

70. Kenta Kobashi/Kensuke Sasaki vs. Genichiro Tenryu/Katsuhiko Nakajima - KO 2/11/06

71. New Japan (Liger & Inoue) vs NOAH (Kikuchi & Kanemaru) - NOAH 2/17/02

72. IWGP Jr Hvywt Tag Champs Liger & Minoru vs. Kikuchi & Kanemaru - NJPW 8/29/02

73. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Giant Bernard - NJPW 06/18/06 Vacant IWGP Championship

74. Sterness  vs. Burning 8-Man Tag - NOAH 08/03

75. Toshiaki Kawada vs Kenta Kobashi - AJPW 01/17/00

76. Genichiro Tenryu vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 02/24/02

77. Yoshihiro Takayma vs Osamu Nishimura - G-1 Climax Semifinals

78. Yoshihiro Takayama vs Kensuke Sasaki - G-1 Climax Round Robin

79. SUWA vs Dragon Kid - Toryumon 08/24/00 Hair Vs Mask

80. GHC Tag Champs Misawa & Ogawa vs Saito & Inoue - NOAH 9/10/04

81. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs Masato Tanaka - Zero-One 3/02/02

82. Keiji Mutoh & Hiroshi Hase vs Jun Akiyama & Yuji Nagata - Tokyo Dome 10/08/01

83. NJPW(Liger, Minoru , Makabe) vs Osaka Pro(Delfin, Murhama, Tsubasa)-NJPW 12/14/00

84. Toshiaki Kawada vs Vader - AJPW 2/17/00

85. Shinya Hashimoto & Yuji Nagata vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama - Zero-One 3/2/01

86. GHC Jr Heavyweight Tag Champs KENTAFuji vs Kanemaru & Hashi Budokan 9/12/03

87. U-30 Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shinsuke Nakamura - Tokyo Dome 01/04/05

88. Toshiaki Kawada vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 06/06/01

89.  Naoki Sano vs Minoru Tanaka - Battlarts 01/30/2000

90. Dick Togo vs Tiger Mask IV - M-Pro 08/25/02

91. GHC Tag Team Champions Wild II vs Jun Akiyama & Akitoshi Saito - Budokan 9/23/02
92. GHC Heavyweight Champion Naomichi Marufuji vs KENTA - Budokan 10/29/06

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NODOWA~!

GHC Heavyweight Champion Akira Taue vs Jun Akiyama - Budokan 01/22/06

Wow, Akiyama looking like it is 2000 with his urgency and focus. Akiyama has looked great in certain instances since 2002, but here he was wrestling at the level that made him the preeminent puroresu star at the turn of the century. Everything was focused on Taue's head and neck. He was throwing knees like Misawa would throw elbow. Everything had a purpose and a sense of urgency behind. Taue is the King of Efficiency. There are no overwrought sequences. He is a straight-ahead wrestler. His goal was to Nodowa Akiayama to hell and retain his title. It did not feel like  macho pissing contest, but two men struggling to win a championship.

The bout starts off pretty even with Taue having a slight advantage. Akiyama looks to strike early ascending the ropes, but Taue big boots him to the outside. Taue consolidates with a great dive to the outside. Taue chucks him back first into the railing and then drops him neck first on railing. Taue looks to get the Nodowa setting up with hotshots, legdrops and big boots, but Akiyama is able back body drop him out. In the spot of the match, Akiyama absolutely wipes Taue out with a running knee from the apron from behind. Akiyama does the same move again, but this time with Taue on the railing. Akiyama is relentless with knees to the head and does his trademark top rope diving elbow to the back of the head. Taue makes a mini comeback with a back drop driver that sets up the Nodowa/Big Splash comb. In a sequence I loved, Akiyama dropkicked Taue's knee to be able to knee him in the head, but the knees only get two. He looks for the Exploder, but Taue knows to avoid it. Akiyama DDTs him on the ramp. Akiyama looks to seal the deal with a running knee, but eats a big boot. NODOWA OFF THE RAMP~!

They tease the countout finish, but Taue rolls him back in to only get two. Taue hits Nodowa and holds onto throat to hit a Dynamic Bomb that looked dangerous, but only gets two. Backdrop Nodowa and cocky Taue covers with hand just on throat. Taue wants the Nodowa off the rope, but Akiiyama fights off. Akiyama jumping knee off the ropes. The Exploder gets two. They are really both showing much they want to win this with constant barrage of nearfalls. Akiyama goes for his guillotine choke, but still cant negotiate the pin. Another exploder still cant get the job done. "TAUE! TAUE! TAUE! TAUE! TAUE!" Now it's Akiyama going for the Top Rope Finish and it is SUPER NODOWA~! Taue can only get a arm on Akiyama and it is a kick out. Taue has an enziguiri left in him, but Akiyama unleashes knee after knee and eventually Taue succumbs to the onslaught.

An absolutely terrific match with both wrestlers working hard to win the match, which should not be a novel concept. Akiyama's commitment to the knee and the attack on Taue's head and neck was tremendous to watch. Taue has enough tricks in his bag to work effective control segments and then surprise during the big finish run. Clocking in at around 20 minutes, the match felt fresh and energetic throughout with Akiyama in top form. ****1/2

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Kenta Kobashi/Kensuke Sasaki vs. Genichiro Tenryu/Katsuhiko Nakajima 

Kensuke Office 2/11/06

Kensuke Sasaki is out to teach his young protege, Katsuhiko Nakajima, some tough love at what I believe is the first Kensuke Office show. I believe Akira Hokuto, Kensuke Sasaki's wife is on commentary, and his children are shown in the crowd. I loved how everytime Sasaki lit up Nakajima there was an insert window that shown Hokuto's conflicted reaction. The beginning was great with Kobashi and Sasaki pumping each other by chopping each other and then giving out a bellow and shaking hands. If I was their opponent, it would be rubber pants time for me.

Nakajima hits a spinwheel kick right off the bat to get a quick two and Sasaki bails. After that, it is all Sasaki who throws him half way cross the ring on a headlock and Sasaki is not taken off his feet by Nakajima's kicks. Kobashi wants Tenryu. Tenryu at first avoids the chop by ducking under ropes, but then instigates the chop war. Bad idea. This time Tenryu only has a trickle of blood come down his chest. Tenryu says enough of this bullshit and kicks his knee. DDT on the floor. Kobashi is all like WTF, MATE!?!?! Tenryu holds the ropes open, but then blasts Kobashi with an elbow and then grabs some woman's chair and blasts Kobashi with it. Tenryu and Nakajima are clearly outgunned by the dream team of Kobashi and Sasaki so they need to fight dirty. Nakajima can not contain Kobashi. Tenryu is in quickly to choke Kobashi with his tape. Kobashi is madder than a hornet and makes a beeline for Tenryu. Tenryu retreating into the crowd grabs a chair and jams into Kobashi's mouth. OW! Kobashi is bleeding profusely from the mouth. Nakajima takes a wicked bump off a Kobashi chop. He hits the back of his head hard. Kobashi has to tag out due to his mouth. The same Nakajima cant get the brickhouse down. Tenryu comes around the corner and whips a full water bottle at Kobashi. At the Sasaki family show, things are getting heated.

It is the point of the match where they lose me. I was loving all the Tenryu's prick work and Nakajima as spunky underdog. Then the match just turns into a legalized mauling of Nakajima. This is not the heat segment where you are like I cant wait for the hot tag. It is more like I feel really bad for Nakajima and Tenryu please just end it because you are pricks for running the score up on them. At one point, Tenryu tries to save Nakajima, but Sasaki chops Tenryu down in the corner and he just seems so helpless. It is more hopeless and depressing. Again Tenryu tries to save, but Sasaki bulldozes him and puts him in an amrbar while Kobashi has Nakajima in a Texas Cloverleaf.

All of sudden, Nakajima just out of self-perservation starts throwing big boots and avoids Sasaki, who bulldozes Kobashi! TAG TO TENRYU! Lariats for everyone. Enziguiri and punches to Kobashi. Tenryu gets a wicked abdominal stretch on Kobashi, but once Tenryu starts chopping it is all over. It is now the legalized mauling of Tenryu by the two powerhouses. Northern Lights Bomb Nakajima Saves! Tenryu blocks a Northern Lights Bomb and hits a Brainbuster. Tag to Nakajima! Give em hell, Nakajima!

Nakajima finally takes Sasaki down with kicks. He elbows Kobashi off the apron. He ascends to the top. Can the kid do it? Missile dropkick for one? FUCK YOU KENSUKE! Sasaki blocks the Northern Lights Bomb so Tenryu punches him in the face. Nakajima Northern Lights Bomb gets two. Goes for his German, but Kobashi hits the half-nelson. Tenryu hits a lariat on Kobashi. Sasaki lariats Tenryu. Nakajima German for two on Sasaki. Again another "This is Awesome" chants moment. Nakajima controls Sasaki with kicks to head, but Sasaki catches axe-kick into powerbomb, which should have been the finish. Hey Masa Saito is there! That's cool. Kobashi and Sasaki do the Bash Brothers. Wicked lariat with Nakajima basically taking a headdrop off of it gives the win to the all-star team.

In a cool moment after the match, there is a group picture with the likes of Keiji Mutoh, Takayama, Kojima and the M-Pro guys with Sasaki, Kobashi, Nakajima, Hokuto and Sasaki's kids front and center.

As much, I really enjoyed the NOAH heavyweight tag team matches from 2005, this was a clear step down. This was more of an exhibition of how Kobashi and Sasaki are the baddest men that ever lived. The take away from this match was there could be an alien invasion in 2006, but they would have no chance because the human race has Kenta Fuckin Kobashi and Kensuke Fuckin Sasaki. There was enough from Tenryu and Nakajima that this was not a total squash. I loved the early heeling from Tenryu, but we really never got the heat segment on Kobashi to make you want to see Kobashi beat the living shit out of Nakajima. If you restructure the match with a Kobashi FIP segment, this had the potential to be a real classic. Instead, it may have been a feel-good match if you are a Kobashi or Sasaki fan. Nakajima was the MVP of the match with his crazy bumps and selling. By the end of the match, Nakajima was rocking and rolling, but just did not have enough firepower to compete with Sasaki. It is a very good match and worth the watch, but could have been so much more. ***1/2

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Akira Taue vs Naomichi Marufuji - Budokan 3/6/04

Taue's specialty is reigning wrestlers in and there is no wrestler on the NOAH roster that needs to be reigned in more than Marufuji. Taue rises to the occasion and pulls out a pretty good match from Marufuji. It is a straightforward story if the veteran giant against the undersized, plucky young hotshot. Taue dominates early with his size throwing around Marufuji. Taue mocks Marufuji by doing his own moves and then teasing the big dive to the outside. The crowd and I were ready to pop big for the dive, but it was for naught. While Taue was on the apron, Marufuji wisely went after the giant's legs and getting into the ring to apply a figure-4. After tangling up in the ropes, Taue wins a suplex struggle and hits a hot shot. He is selling the knee, but fighting through the pain. On the outside, Nodowa into post and Taue's heat segment is pretty tame. The match picks up once Marufuji hits a Nodowa when he is on the turnbuckles calling back to how Taue was hitting his moves. Taue tries for a Nodowa, but Marufuji flips out and hit a basement dropkick and running kick to head. Marufuji hits a Human Capture Suplex and then a superkick/sliced bread combo. I hate Sliced Bread No. 2. TAUE COUNTERS SLICED BREAD WITH NODOWA!!!! If that was the finish, FIFTY BAZILLION STARS! Taue counters a schoolboy roll-up with a triangle choke. If that was the finish, FIFTY BAZILLION STARS! Taue Nodowa and Dynamic Bomb only get two! Oh Shit! Marufuji counters Backdrop Nodowa and Taue goes to town with chops on Marufuji. I love Taue! Marufuji blocks the back drop Nodowa with holding his hand and converting into a cross-armbreaker, which Taue breaks with overhand chops. They told a stupid Spanish Fly tease and Marufuji wins with a superkick and intricate cradle.

The finish run was wicked hot, but I thought the body of the match was pretty tepid. Everything made sense, but Marufuji just is not that fiery compared to Kobashi or Akiyama so there is a lack of struggle. The finish was lots of fun with some really cool moments like Nodowa counter to Sliced Bread and Marufuji countering the Nodowa, but not enough to make this a classic match. On a night where the theme was old guard versus new guard, it seemed like the new guard just was not there yet. They split the matches 2-2 with the big guns, Misawa and Kobashi going 2-0. Probably the most telling statement was that Akiyama defended against an outsider (Minoru Suzuki) rather than Rikio, Maurufuji, Morishima, KENTAor Shiozaki. The new guard still needed more time to develop unfortunately for everyone involved there was not much time left. ***3/4

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Wendy vs Lana in a Firecracker on a Pole Match! BOOK IT, VINCE~!

Mitsuharu Misawa vs Takeshi Morishima - Budokan 3/5/06

At a Budokan show that featured four old guard vs new guard matches, Takeshi Morishima looked to shine against the resilient Mistuharu Misawa. Early on, Morishima looked like an unstoppable force in the ring. His lariat was crisp and I wished that would his strike of choice. His elbows are fine, but Vader-esque forearms tends to leave a lot to be desired. Still he was showing great energy and mobility for a man his size. I have always loved Morishima's look and the Japanese commentators compare him to Terry Gordy. The match told the classic Misawa story of rope-a-dope with Misawa letting his opponent punch himself out and time his comebacks. Misawa hits a diving elbow, but takes more out of Misawa and Morishima hits a shoulder block from the top rope to the floor. While some of these spots looked impressive, Morishima felt like a plug-in-play wrestler in the Misawa formula and was not bringing that extra spark to separate himself from the pack of young guns. Morishima is bleeding from the nose for no apparent reason and hits a powerbomb. He looks for another on the ramp, but silly Morishima you can't powerbomb Misawa twice and Misawa-rana follows. Misawa goes offense with his usual aerial spots. He hits the Tiger Driver and then goes for the Tiger Driver off the apron, but Morishima throws him off the apron. Morishima is confident when hitting the lariat. Sometimes he look lethargic and indecisive in the ring.

In the big spot of the match, Misawa hits a Tiger Driver off the apron onto the floor. So much JIGGLE~! on the slow-motion replay. The count is on, but Misawa rolls him in. Morishima hits him with a wild forearm. Morishima runs through his big offensive run: back drop driver, exploder, lariat and back drop driver. The final kick out gets a big pop and we all know it is over for Morishima. Misawa roocks him huge with a massive elbow in corner. Misawa relentless with elbows throwing the ref off. Morishima makes a final stand, but succumbs to the Elbow Onslaught.

Misawa by the number is a great formula and produces enjoyable matches. Morishima went on offense early and Misawa peppered in his hope spots. Then Morishima got one big run before the eventual Misawa elbow barrage. It is up to the opponent to make them something special and memorable out of this well-designed formula. Morishima gave an uneven performance. There were some great spots, but there was something lacking in charisma and selling. Outside of the lariat, he did not seem to having anything he could fall back on. Morishima has the look and good fundamentals to build on. He just needed more time to mature. Unfortunately, 2006 was pretty much now or never for the NOAH young guard and no one was ready. Misawa pitched him a softball and Morishima hit a double. Aint nuthin wrong with a double except when you needed that home run. ***3/4

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Kenta Kobashi vs Naomichi Marufuji - Budokan 4/23/06

The last Kobashi match at the Budokan, until his 2008 return after surviving a cancer scare, features him working with Marufuji during his push towards to the GHC Heavyweight. I don't wish cancer on anyone. I am a big Kobashi fan, but he was descending into self-parody. If there was any silver lining it was that he needed the two years off. Of course, when I go to watch the 2008-2009 work, I may end up saying he just should have retired, but I will wait and see. Marufuji came to work during this match and prove that he was capable of working the heavyweight style. I thought this was his best individual performance to date.

NOAH is really, really good at the first 5-10 minutes of matches. They always establish these cool stories, but never follow them to an interesting conclusion. Instead they settle for fireworks displays. It is really disappointing. After a handshake of respect, Marufuji is trying to prove himself to Kobashi, but he finds himself thwarted at every turn by Kobashi superior strength, I loved the head fakes during the chopfest only for Kobashi to finally catch him. The wristlock only ended up him being chopped. The headscissors lasted longer, but he suffered a similar fate. Kobashi looked like he was going to make easy work for this pretender. Then Marufuji took to the high ground and dropkicked Kobashi in the knee. Marufuji's knee work was totally on point with figure-4s being the choice. Kobashi still can turn on the sympathy sell when he wants. It was 1995 all over again with him selling the knee like a million bucks and we were all buying it. Kobashi eventually catches him with a  chop, but collapses in the ring. Kobashi desperately suffocates him knowing he cant afford to let him regain his strength. Marufuji catches Kobashi's chop in an awesome moment. Lariat. Kobashi unphased says bring it. Marufuji superkick and Kobashi's sell is perfect. "Damn it that little kid actually hit me." Marufuji hits a big splash to the outside and he is starting to feel it. In one of the best uses of springboard dropkick as Kobashi is crawling back into the ring, Marufuji nails him in the head.

Of course, it is now time for the finish run and they just lose it. It is a barrage of Sliced Breads and Half-Nelsons. The best sequence was actually this rather overwrought counters, but looked actually like they were struggling and finished with a Burning Lariat. Obviously that should have been the finish, but of course Marufuji kicks out. Brainbuster wins it for Kobashi.

I didn't know that the goal of wrestling was to get a bigger pop on a false finish than the actual finish. Snide remarks aside, the match was very good for the first 3/4s or so and they just fell into the usual NOAH finish pattern. They gave Taue/Akiyama a run for their money for NOAH match of 2006, but came up short. ****

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Bad Haircut, Badder Attitude

KENTAFuji vs Wild II (Morishima & Rikio) - Budokan 7/16/06

Mori-Fuckin-Shima, welcome to the party, brutha, why dont you stay awhile? Talk about a breakout performance in my eyes. He looked like a cant miss prospect in this match. Morishima is someone I have not explored fully (I really want to watch the Danielson series after this), but if he is hitting these highs he looks unstoppable. I don't if in the other matches it has been a lack of confidence, he looked like a star in this match. The number one reason I want to watch the Morishima/Danielson matches were for his double hot exchanges with KENTA. KENTA reminds me of 2013 Daniel Bryan so much. He is a wrestling in a body that is not his own and is three sizes bigger than he really is. He is just a friggin' dynamo. The dude can sell his ass off when the time comes for it. Now, my big qualm with him is sometimes he wrestles too big. A superplex to Morishima or a powerslam should be treated like a big deal because of the size disparity, but because KENTA is trying to really show the audience that he is an equal these moves come off as ordinary moves. It is like Misawa or Kobashi is doing them. KENTA should be leveraging his size as an actual advantage by getting people to pop by saying "Holy shit look at that little guy superplex Morishima" by really struggling to accomplish the feat.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Marufuji and Rikio fucking sucked. Yes, they took part in this match, but fuck them for ruining it with their laziness and apathy. I am a positive guy so I am going to focus on the good, but if the rating does not reflect my enthuasiam it is because I have to judge the match as a whole and unfortunately Rikio and Marufuji were a part of this match.

The majority of the first ten minutes were relatively tame (give you one guess who to blame). However, guess who just rocked it from the get go. KENTA and Morishima, BABY! KENTA is flying all around like D-Bry off a hot tag and Shima murders him with a lariat and then another one. Shima goes for the Back Drop Driver, but Marufuji hits a superkick and a double kick stuns Morishima. There was a boring control segment on Morishima. Morishima catches Marufuji coming off the top with an overhead belly to belly.

Rikio is a very pedesterian wrestler. He is just sort of there. His main source of offense is a slap. It is pretty much the only thing KENTA and Marufuji consistently sell from him. Rikio tags out. My notes just say MORISHIMA RULEZ~! Because he does. Morishima sprints in and bascially jumps and sits on KENTA. As a fuck you to Marufuji, he does a back handspring, but then just starts unloading on KENTA with forearms. He hits this ragdoll urnage/exploder thingy that looked awesome. The aforementioned KENTA superplex was in there somewhere, which I thought could have been highlighted more. The climax of this sequence was Morishima diving onto KENTAFuji on the floor. What follows was an excellently worked heat section on KENTA's ribs and midsection. Rikio would stand on KENTA and then Morishima would climb on Rikio for extra weight. Of course, double stomps and ab stretches. KENTA was really taking a pounding and he was milking it for everything it was worth.

I have to mention this. Marufuji at one point comes in to save with the weakest looking little kicks to Rikio back. They looked downright dainty. It is too bad Morishima never really got a hold of that little chump. Rikio runs into a corner and KENTA hits a back suplex to tag in Marufuji for the lukewarm tag. Marufuji fucks up a spot and runs through his usual stuff: dropkicks to knees, human capture suplex, superkicks. Morishima hits a massive missile dropkick. Marufuji only postive contribution to the match was that bump. Marufuji escapes the Doomsday Device with a victory (a pretty neat counter). KENTA much too easily hits a powerslam and German on Morishima. Fuck it though at least we finally get a hot tag after Rikio's and Marufuji's and the crowd goes mild tags. KENTA beats the piss out of Morishima with his exploding knee (Bryan's current finish), wicked kicks to head, Sliced Bread/powerbomb combo and the Go 2 Sleep. Punk's and Bryan's finish by the originator cant get it done. Morishima's big run is a back drop driver and a lariat I totally bit on. Once it became Morishima's lariat and KENTA's barrage of cradles, I knew the finish...Draw.

This is the tale of two matches: KENTA/Morishima rocking it and Marufuji/Rikio phoning it in. It is such a shame that Marufuji is bigger than KENTA. KENTA does suffer from trying to get all his shit in and not building to big moments. He definitely could sell, but needed to work on long-term selling. The offense and crowd connection was there. Morishima it was all about being able to hit that high level consistently. It is on the job training and thus it is a shame they just did not strap a rocket to these two's ass because the crowd was buying what they were selling. Just leave RIkio and Maurfuji in the dust. It is a tough match to rate. Rikio and Marufuji were not in there much. I tend to reward awesome more than subtract for apathy because I am a postive dude. ****

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GHC Heavyweight Champion Naomichi Marufuji vs KENTA - Budokan 10/29/06

HOLY OVERKILL, BATMAN! This match was like a bad progressive rock album (I know that's redundant ;) ). Sacrificing hooks for more notes at lightning speeds. Sacrificing meaningful transitions for inane time changes. You could probably have constructed 4 or 5 great matches around some of the spots in this match. They easily could have built a classic match around the dueling body part work at the outset of the match, Marufuji establishes why he is the champion countering KENTA at every turn and taking the lead with a DDT onto the apron. He works the neck well to contain the lightning fast KENTA. Any time KENTA gets spunky, he elbows him in the neck, but one time KENTA sneaks in a roundhouse kick. KENTA work on the ribs/abs of Marufuji is really excellent and probably the best continuous portion of the match. So that was one match that could have been great.

Then Marufuji hits a springboard dropkick to send KENTA to the outside. KENTA whiffs on a kick and straddles the railing. Marufuji decided to his and KENTA's life in his own hands with an Asai Moonsault that busts KENTA's nose open hardway and nearly decapitates himself on the railing. They could have been built an entire match around this hook with each struggling  to overcome the injures from this high risk move. It shows how much the Heavyweight Title means to two Junior Heavyweights.

Instead, a minute later they keep going balls to the wall. I am not taking anything away from their toughness because I would be running for the locker room if I was either one of these guys, but fuck talk about killing the severity of legitimately scary spot. Shit like Marufuji ramming KENTA's head into the post only for KENTA to catch him mid-air with an Ace Crusher was just like what the hell is point of all this. Or KENTA slapping Marufuji and now Marufuji has all this energy to run the ropes and lariat KENTA. It was like I was playing my brother in a video game and finally hit an L1 enough to make my guy run to the ropes to avoid his strikes. I can play my brother in Here Comes The Pain for 35 minutes and have a great time, but I am pretty sure no one else wants to watch that.

In another spot that I think they could have built a match around was KENTA sending Marufuji to the floor on a sliced bread attempt. If Marufuji had been kicking his ass for 10-15 minutes and KENTA finally hits this tide-turning move that would have been a great Wow moment, Instead some shit happened involving the ramp where nobody took a move,

Another sequence that could have been the hook to a match was the apron struggle with KENTA hitting a Steiner Screwdriver off the apron. It is high-risk transition that could lead to a sweet heat segment and eventual hot comeback. Marufuji does a great job writhing in pain and when KENTA comes over the top with a double stomp, Marufuji is really good at making me feel for him. Before you know it Marufuji has hit a Sliced Bread as a transition move. Did I mention this was after KENTA hit his Exploding Knee (his secondary finish)? Shaking my head.

In a hilarious moment, they are just suplexing each other. KENTA does not have a good grip and lets go and Marufuji just suplexes himself. Fuck this match. They hit a bunch of huge bombs and start running ropes really fast and hit some kicks and Spanish Fly and a Cradle Piledriver gives Marufuji. I don't give a fuck. The fact that this only drew 11.5k (lowest to date in NOAH history) mean about 5.5k did not either.

It is too bad I am not a promoter because I now have a great template for my next 4-5 main events. Every match is a collection of spots. In this match, the spots did not connect nor did they mean anything. They had some really nifty spots, they had some overwrought spots and they had some pathetic spots. Spots don't make a match. I can forgive a match that is 20 minutes of a spot-a-thon, but at 35 minutes you are wasting my time. Don't waste my time. Worst match I have watched for this project.

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Dont stop me now! I am flying baby! Toryumon! 2005-2006 Juniors! Best of 2005-2006! Fingers dont fail me now!

Best of Japan 2003-2004

Hey yo Stud Muffins and Foxy Ladies,

I am still racking my brain trying to figure out the best way to be a LeBron fan without having to sink to the nasty, foul lows of being a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. It is keep me up at night.

LeBron Imma let you finish, but first Imma hurl...

It has been a long time coming, but finally we bring the years 2003 and 2004 to a close. Without a doubt, the story of these years was centered around Kenta Kobashi. Not only did he have 5 of the top 6 matches of the year, including two ***** classics, but on his back NOAH was able to draw 50k to the Tokyo Dome not once but twice. His two year title reign is without a doubt the peak of NOAH both in terms of quality and business. Every single Budokan event sold out and delivered fantastic match after fantastic match. After a dismal 2002 across the board, Kobashi basically single handedly dragged 2003 and 2004 to the promised land.

New Japan hit an nadir in the mid-00s with an insane Inoki running the show it was having a severe identity crisis if it was a pro wrestling, shoot-style or a MMA company. With no clear the vision the product suffered greatly and over the course of 2003-2005, only put out one great match in the form of Takayama vs Sasaki at the 2004 G-1 Climax. All Japan was in even worse shape.

Left with just Mutoh and Kawada, All Japan did not attempt to exploit on Kojima's popularity until 2005. Instead, Kawada got the Triple Crown title reign he deserved just ten years too late. With only Kojima and Mutoh as worthy in-house opponents, All Japan was forced to team with Zero-One to generate interest in their product. The relationship did bear fruit in form of two hard-hitting classics. In Zero-One, Kawada and Ogawa knocked it out of the park with a nasty, hard-fought brawl. In a dream match, Hashimoto challenged Kawada for the Triple Crown titles coming up short in a grueling bout. No company was able to compete with NOAH.

HOGAN + KOBASHI = BRAIN-EXPLOSION~!

NOAH was not just Kenta Kobashi. They also promoted the hot to trot new Junior Heavyweight supernovas of KENTA and Marufuji. KENTA and Marufuji were hugely influential in Japan and the American Indy Scene in terms of the moves and workrate. Yes, KENTA did move too quickly sometimes and Marufuji kicks like a girl and is more at home of a Men's Floor Exercise. However, if you pit them against a wise veteran, force them to work from underneath and make them earn their keep then you can have a great match. Misawa, Liger and Takayama all proved that KENTA & Marufuji are capable of having amazing matches they just need structure.

Kenta Kobashi started his title reign off like gangbusters definitively defeating former tag team partner and competitive rival. Mitsuharu Misawa. Misawa, who had been the Ace of All Japan since 1992, had taken a bit of a backseat in his own company to let Akiyama shine, but once Kobashi returned from injury in 2002 the megamatch of the decade was signed. March 1st 2003, Mitsuharu Misawa made his last stand as The Man. This match reminds me very much of Flair vs. Luger at Wrestlewar 1990. In a lot of ways that match was Flair's last stand as The Man. Of course, he went on to wrestler 18 more years and produce some more classic moments, but on February 25, 1990 it was the last time Flair in all his pomp and circumstance would strut as the undisputed Man of Pro Wrestling. In the same vein, Misawa would continue wrestling until unfortunate death inside a wrestling ring in 2009 and would continue to produce some great matches, but that was his last stand as The Man. The difference between the two matches was that Kobashi seized the torch from Misawa on that night and jump started a crazy good two year title reign. Whereas, Lex Luger was screwed out of the belt thus him and Flair were never really the same again and WCW did not regain its footing until the nWo, but by then was a completely different beast. That's what makes the Kobashi/Misawa match extra special not only was the match amazing, but the finish was just so satisfying. Kobashi had finally surpassed Misawa.


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1. GHC Heavyweight Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi - Budokan 03/01/03
2. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama - Budokan 04/25/04

3. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - Tokyo Dome 07/10/04

4. GHC Tag Team Champions Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa vs KENTAFuji - Budokan 4/25/04  
5. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshinari Ogawa – Budokan 11/01/03

6. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue - NOAH 09/10/04
7. Toshiaki Kawada vs Naoya Ogawa - Zero-One 12/14/03

8. Toryumon Trios Four-Way - Toryumon 08/30/03
9. KENTAFuji vs Jushin Liger & Takehiro Murahama - GHC Jr Heavyweight Tag Title Final 07/16/03
10. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Tamon Honda - NOAH 04/13/03



11. Akira Taue vs Yuji Nagata - NOAH 6/6/03
12. AJPW Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada vs Shinya Hashimoto - AJPW 02/22/04
13. GHC Tag Team Champions Sterness (Akiyama & Saito) vs Burning (Kobashi & Honda) - Budokan 6/6/03
14. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yuji Nagata - Budokan 9/12/03
15. Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Hiroyuki Ito - U-Style 08/18/04
16. KENTA vs. Yoshihiro Takayama - NOAH 6/27/04
17. Yoshihiro Takayama vs Kensuke Sasaki - G-1 Climax '04
18. AJ Styles vs Low-Ki - Z1 1/05/03

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Match of the Year, 2003:

GHC Heavyweight Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi - Budokan 03/01/03

Match of the Year, 2004:

GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama - Budokan 04/25/04

Match of 2003-2004, Pro Wrestling NOAH:

GHC Heavyweight Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi - Budokan 03/01/03

Match of 2003-2004, New Japan Pro Wrestling:

Yoshihiro Takayama vs Kensuke Sasaki - G-1 Climax '04

Match of 2003-2004, All Japan/Zero-One/Other Promotions:

Toshiaki Kawada vs Naoya Ogawa - Zero-One 12/14/03

Match of 2003-2004, Junior Heavyweights:

Toryumon Trios Four-Way - Toryumon 08/30/03

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RESPECT~!

GHC Heavyweight Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi - Budokan 3/01/03

This is how you seize the torch. Finally, Kobashi takes the mantle from Misawa as the full-fledged ace and embarks on a magnificent heavyweight title reign. Very rarely in wrestling and sports is a there a "torch passing" moment so when it does happen it truly feels like a special match. So when you take an extraordinary match add this touch of gravitas you have the makings of a Match of the Decade candidate. I would argue that this is the most famous match of the era and thus will come under extra scrutiny. After watching the match for either the fourth or fifth time, I believe it warrants inclusion among the best matches produced in Japan in the 00s.

The story of this match was Kobashi would not be denied on this night. After years and years of proving his mettle, he was ready to defeat Misawa definitively. For Misawa, it was his last stand as The Man of Japan. It was a fitting climax to the story of two great, competitive rivals. The beginning of the match is Misawa establishing control and setting the pace with his elbow. After scoring the first bomb (a backdrop driver), Misawa stymies Kobashi at every turn with the elbow while focusing on Kobashi's arm removing the lariat and chop from the arsenal. Kobashi sells the arm like a champ as he cant apply the sleeper due to the arm work. When Misawa has the opportunity to hit his customary diving elbow, he was not expecting to crash and burn into the railing chin-first coming up with a nasty gash. Much like the chin-first drop toehold in the amazing '00 Akiyama match, Kobashi sees his opening and pounces. Everything is focused on debilitating the neck of Misawa. If you have control of the head & neck, you have control of the body. Kobashi paces his work a little better than Akiyama reserving his bombs for later content for using cravats and DDTs. The best spot of the segment is when Misawa goes for the monkey flip and Kobashi just falls back and eats turnbuckle. Kobashi starts to chop the fuck out of Misawa's neck, but Misawa ain't having any of it. We were one muscle flex away from Misawa doing his best Luger impression. It does not matter if it is Greensboro Coliseum or Budokan Hall, that spot is over like rover. The playing field is levelled after a trading a spinning back chop and a Roaring Elbow,

Misawa is first up, but Kobashi still has fight left in him and Misawa elbows him back in the head. He rattles off his finishing sequence that has culminated in so many victories. He goes for Emerald Flowsion, but Kobashi desperately shoves him into the turnbuckles to save himself and hits a half nelson suplex. Kobashi will not be denied as he fights through elbows to hit a LARIATOOOOOO! The struggle over a suplex and MIsawa suplexes him on the ramp then dives through the ropes to elbow Kobashi on the ramp. After 25 minutes, they are both out on the ramp and I just wondering what is going through their minds knowing what the next spot will be. In the spot of the match, Misawa Tiger Suplexes Kobashi off the ramp onto floor. I still lose my shit when it happens. "KO-BASH-I" chants ring out in the Budokan and they tease the double countout finish to really put over that spot. Misawa only gets a two. To steal a phrase from DDP, this crowd is JAAAAAAAAACCCKED!!! Both men selling the fatigue and battle wear like champs. Kobashi throws wild chops, but Misawa catches him with nasty back elbows. Kobashi is falling over himself on jelly legs and finally Misawa hits it. The end all be all: Emerald Flowsion. 1-2-KICK OUT CROWD LOSES THEIR SHIT~! Delayed brainbuster triggers the MI-SA-WA chant. This crowd does not want it to end. Burning Hammer brings the match and the rivalry to a fitting conclusion. Kobashi grabs the reins from the Misawa in a classic barnburner. *****

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UWA World Trios Champions Do Fixer ( Maasaki Mochizuki, Dragon Kid, Kenichiro Arai) vs M2K (Genki Horiguchi, Magnum Tokyo, Susumu Yokosuka) vs Crazy Max (CIMA, SUWA, Don Fuji) vs Italian Connection (Milano Collection AT, Condotti Suji, YOSSINO) 

Toryumon 08/30/03

This is the Three Stooges if the the Three Stooges were twelve wicked athletic Japanese guys, three of which think they are Italian. The first half of this match is some of the best comedy wrestling you will ever watch. I loved the thread that was woven throughout this whole match was gang up on M2K. When Dragon Kid and Arai turned on Horiguchi and worked over his scalp that was hilarious. I thought the testicular psychology of Liger/Minoru vs Kanemaru/Kikuchi was bitchin, but the SCALP PSYCHOLOGY~! of Horiguchi matches has been so funny. I am not going to ruin this match with some recap of the spots. Go and watch these dudes rip it up in the ring. Also a midget in a Gorilla costume gets involved. This match has everything. What is great when it comes to time to hit the finish, they get more serious, but still keep it fun. Everybody has a chance to shine. I had always heard of the Italian Connection and on paper is sounded tremendous and they did not disappoint. I highly recommend watching the other Toryumon matches first even though they are not as good because it gives you a feel for the style and an appreciation for how bitchin this is when it all comes together. ****1/4

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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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DDP, THAT AINT YOUR MAMA'S YOGA!

GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama - Budokan 04/25/04

Going into this project, this was my pick for the best match of the decade in Japan of the 00s, granted I had only seen something like 20 matches from the decade. While it is just as excellent as I remembered, it did not quite have enough to dislodge Misawa/Akiyama and Misawa/Kobashi from the top two spots. From the first time I watched this in 2007 until now, I have been impressed with the hellacious beating Takayama dishes out on the champion. For the first time in the title reign, it feels like Kobashi could actually drop the title. 

These two have insane chemistry together. I loved their outing in 2000 and this match has enough differences to make this a unique great match. Instead of the hook being that Takayama is a outright heel, here it is can Kobashi surmount Takayama's strength advantage when in all the previous major title defenses he has been the larger competitor. Takayama is a big man, but he absolutely wrestles huge ensuring his stature being the crux of most of his matches. Early on they put over his size that Kobashi has to wear him down before he can hit big bombs like the half nelson suplex or delayed vertical. Kobashi pays for treating Takayama like any another opponent when Takayama reverses a delayed vertical into a guillotine choke. Takayama establishes control with a nice running knee/butterfly suplex combo. At first, it looks like Takayama was going to target leg, but when Kobashi keeps chopping him he takes his arm and hyperextends it over his shoulder. I loved this showcase of adaptability. He came in looking to take a limb and when Kobashi presented one to him he took it. Kobashi's verbal selling really put over the double wristlock. Outside the ring, Kobashi hits a rebound lariat off the railing, but his ailing arm prevents him from getting in the ring and Takayama hits a monster German off the apron. They milk this for all its worth with a double countout tease.

Reminiscent of their 2000 match, Kobashi's right arm has been rendered useless he has to find ways to circumvent it. Takayama picks off Kobashi with a butterfly suplex and transitions immediately into a cross-armbreaker, but Kobashi makes the ropes. Takayama continues to try to hyperextend the arm. Kobashi grabs desperation sleeper, but cant leverage due to height disadvantage and bad arm. Takayama hits a wicked half-nelson suplex and a big German to get a two. The "Ko-Bash-I" chants ring out in the Budokan. He goes for the Human Capture German suplex, but here comes Kobashi. Kobashi throws Takayama down on his knee attempt, spinning back chop and a half-nelson level the playing field even though Kobashi is still favoring the arm. Takayama takes advantage of this to hit a dragon suplex and running knee, but the ropes save Kobashi. 

Takayama makes his last stand just landing nasty punches and kicks really smothering Kobashi and pushing the ref aside. This was really the first time Takayama was heelish and it puts over the desperation. Kobashi gets behind to hit the half-nelson and then a brainbuster for two. Burning Hammer, but his arm cant handle it. Takayama throws a wild kick BURNING LARIAT~! still only gets two. Kobashi with a bloody lip and a crazed look in his eyes signals for the Moonsault and the crowd  loses shit for this. Moonsault right on Takayama's face wins the match!

This match was wrestled more like an intense title match with a David vs Goliath dynamic rather than 2000 match where Takayama heeled it up. It shows how far Takayama had come as a credible challenger to any major Japanese title. The match showcases Kobashi at his best working from underneath. Using his histrionics to full effect to get the crowd cheering for his eventual comeback and who better to dish out punishment than the Bleach Blond Badass. Takayama gave as good as he got as his chest looked like raw meat after this match.  The right arm was why Kobashi could never string together a combination of offense until Takayama had finally punched himself out and also why Kobashi had to bust out the moonsault (on the face) because he could not physically hit the Burning Hammer. Also for the first time, Kobashi was pushed to the limit as he was forced to dig deep in his bag of tricks to beat this giant. It was an excellent payoff to many different levels of storytelling before the biggest match in NOAH history against Akiyama in the Dome. *****

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Yoshihiro Takayama vs Kensuke Sasaki - G-1 Climax '04 

WAR! What is it good for? Well my entertainment of course! Takayama continues his reign as the top freelancer in Japan. Sasaki has had quiet years since his explosive 2000. Of the interim generation between Three Musketeers and Tanahashi/Nakamura etc..., Sasaki is my favorite by a good margin over Nagata, Tenzan and Kojima. He is hard hitting and explosive. He is not a thinking man's wrestler. He is just a bulldozer. The winner of this match is the one was going to hit the other harder, no frills, just really stiff strikes. They start off with tests of strength that shows how even this is with Takayama winning one with a fireman's carry and Sasaki winning a top wristlock battle. Takayama scores first with a big knee lift. Takayama throws his weight around to control the short and stout Sasaki. Sasaki fires back the only way he knows how with some vicious lariats. His strategy throw Takayama into something hard and lariat the shit out of him. The eventual strike exchange happens, but this one is especially stiff. Holy fuck those lariats and Takayama takes them like a man. Each men ends up on one knee from the ferocity of these strikes. With slobber dripping from his face, the Bleach Blond & Bad Giant of Japan kicks Sasaki's head off, but the subsequent knee lift did not get the job done. The Power Warrior hits an enziguiri and an awesome cross body from the top to the floor to the retreating Takayama. The crowd is pumped and Sasaki calls for the Northern Lights Bomb and hits it. BUT KICK OUT!!! I totally bought that false finish. Takayama big knee lift in the corner, dragon suplex and Everest German gives Takayama his only win of this G-1 Climax. I have enjoyed how different New Japan has been than NOAH in this time with their short, but impactful matches. I thought this one really exemplified Strong Style with his no frills, straight forward badass match. Who ever hit who hardest was going to win? The Bleach Blond & Bad Giant of Japan hit just that much harder on this night. ****

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Two blogs in one day, what the hell? That's what happen when you get sick in the middle of the summer. Such efficiency! 2006 NOAH, Junior Heavies and Toryumon 2000-2003 all this week! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!