One of my many New Years Resolutions is to publish more content on pro wrestling. I write numerous reviews almost daily on prowrestlingonly.com (celebrating its tenth birthday! Congratulations Charles!) as Superstar Sleeze, which is also my twitter handle (@superstarsleeze). I want to take those reviews and start organizing them and really spotlighting the matches that really showcase the intricacy, depth and beauty of professional wrestling.
All Hail Kenta Kobashi!
The easiest way to organize is through lists. I want to compile lists of the greatest matches for a given time period and promotion/geography. I am not as much a completest and perfectionist as some wrestling fans. I live by Voltaire's words "Search for perfection is the enemy of good.". That being said, I still want to make sure I watch all important matches before I release lists. My one problem is I am the opposite of obsessive compulsive and have a hard time watching one era continuously before I want to switch gears. Thus I am starting with the Best of Japan something I have published before, but I never really gave it the time it deserved on this blog.
I will explain the year system at a later date, but this first series will look at the Best of Japan has to offer between 2003-2007. I am going to highlight the top 13 matches from this time period in Japan. Here are the other 9 matches that were given at least ****1/2 as honorable mentions.
22. AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Champion Shuji Kondo vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - AJPW 2/17/07
21. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama - Tokyo Dome 07/10/04
New Years Day is a day of hope. No match in my mind represents hope like Kenta Kobashi's return match to Pro Wrestling NOAH in the hallowed Budokan Hall on December 2, 2007. Kobashi, who played the hero his whole career, had vanquished his toughest opponent, cancer and now was returning to the place he truly loved, the squared circle. Kobashi is one of those wrestlers that when you watch him you wrestle you can see the love and passion he has for the craft. We have the opportunity to watch Kobashi mature and develop not just as a wrestler but as a man. From the boy that was manhandled by Stan Hansen through the early 90s to finally overcome the loudmouth Texan bully. From being the junior partner of Mitsuharu Misawa in the mid-90s, constantly in peril to finally ascending to his place in the Sun seizing the torch from Misawa in 2003. He became Kobashi The Destroyer a world beater that went on an amazing two year title reign in mid-2000s. Cancer cripples even the mightiest of heros. But in true Kobashi's fashion he made his fiery, burning comeback and defeated his greatest adversary. With that victory, he earned the opportunity after twenty months to return to his home inside the ring and join his rivals, peers and friends. He was no longer Kobashi The Destroyer of the mid-2000s and he had come full circle back to the vulnerable hero in peril beaten down, but never out because that fire inside him always burns. His story is one of hard work, dedication, passion and most importantly hope. The hope that no obstacle is insurmountable, no goal out of reach and nothing that cannot be destroyed by A BURNING LARIAOTOOOOOOOOOOO!
Down but never out!
13. Kenta Kobashi & Yoshihiro Takayama vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama -
Pro Wrestling NOAH Budokan 12/02/07
"Do not be afraid for I am with you."
Emotionally, there is no more moving 00s puroresu match than this. It was a conquering hero's welcome for Kenta Kobashi. The fans chanting "Ko-Bash-I" before the match. Tamon Honda crying on commentary. Kobashi teaming with one of his great rivals against two of the fellow All Japan Five Pillars in his return match from cancer. Regardless of how I felt about Kobashi from 2005 and 2006, I had an ear-to-ear smile seeing Kobashi again. I mean it is not like Kobashi was going to job to cancer.
I would argue you cannot separate the emotion and content of the match. The match is so fueled by Kobashi's return that intangible propels this match into a 2007 Match of the Year Candidate. Takayama was so surprisingly good at being a cheerleader and playing to the crowd to get Kobashi involved. I don't know if Kobashi was selling the after effects of cancer or if he was actually severely weakened because I found his shine sequence a bit tepid and even sluggish. At first, I was exclaiming "Poor Akiyama!" because it seemed like he was made to be the jabroni of the match. I was beginning to think that emotion would not be able to sustain the heat of the match.
Misawa catching Kobashi with an elbow as he comes off the top is when the match goes from good to excellent in really quick order. Kobashi is no longer Superman and all of sudden we get 1993 Kobashi playing face in peril against two of the greatest offensive wrestlers in history. Save for the Kawada/Fuchi heat segment on Iizuka, I can't think of a better face in peril segment in the 2000s in Japan. Kobashi as a face in peril is just so timeless. Even though it is 2007, we have not seen vulnerable Kobashi in so long and it is so refreshing. When you add that Kobashi was coming back from cancer, the sympathy levels are just off the charts. I loved that when Kobashi seems to be turning the tide on Akiyama, Misawa comes in and elbows Kobashi to a chorus of boos!!! Takayama has to hold Misawa on the top rope to allow Kobashi to hit a superplex and tag out to Takayama.
Takayama as a hot tag is so awesome to finally see. It is so short-lived because Misawa blows him out of the water with an elbow. I really loved the Takayama/Akiyama sequence and would have loved to seen them mix it up in a high-profiled singles match. Takayama could have gone for a cover on Akiyama, but he knows that the crowd wants Kobashi and he tags him in. Kobashi runs through his spots to great crowd reaction and I was beaming right with them. Misawa saves Akiyama again, but Takayama tackles Misawa so that Kobashi can hit the moonsault on Akiyama. Kick out! Honda crying! From there, Kobashi gets another nearfall on Misawa with the Burning Lariat, but eventually AKiyama and Misawa were able to overwhelm the weakened Kobashi. Misawa could not score the win with the Emerald Flowsion, but he secured the victory with a Super Emerald Flowsion.
So the time honored tradition continued with the returning wrestling doing the job with the rationale being ring rust and having to earn his return. Kobashi is at his absolute best as the underdog and for the first time since the 90s he is in the role he was meant to play. Takayama was great at being a badass, but always showcasing Kobashi. Akiyama was thankfully not a total jabroni in the match even though he was the one that Kobashi could get over on. As good as Akiyama was as a dick, but my God, Misawa was excellent. It is not his best match in the 00s, but I thought it was his best performance since February of 2000 against Akiyama. He was so cold and calculating, He did not care that his ex-partner and his friend was returning from cancer. He was here to win. He was not going to take it easy on Kobashi. All the factors came together to produce an amazing tour de force. ****1/2
Post-Script from Second Viewing: It was the feel good match of the 2000s in Japan and I know it is a time-honored tradition that "he who returns" jobs, but fuck Kobashi should have won. They chanted Kobashi during Misawa's theme during the exit. If there was ever time to break with tradition, it was now. The crowd was just on fire for Kobashi. I was going crazy for a second time for the moonsault. What a reaction! Takayama was destroying everything, Akiyama was kneeing everything and Misawa elbowing everything. I never thought I hear Misawa get booed AND Takayama cheered for suplexing Misawa. Crazy! I loved Kobashi showing vulnerability and being that never say die Kobashi of the 90s.
Adding to accolades such as 2000 Thompson Elementary School Geography Bee Champion, 2012 & 2014 Best Dressed in Cambridge, and 2006 Time Person of the Year, I am the first, undisputed Champion of BRAINBUSTER!. the first ever pro wrestling podcast trivia game show. What did I win? The honor and distinction of being the first, undisputed Champion of BRAINBUSTER!. the first ever pro wrestling podcast trivia game show.
Honey, my list of accolades goes on and on and on and on and on...
A couple men or should I say Ants that do not seem afraid of hard work are Fire & Silver Ant. Wait, Martin ain't this blog about the state of Japanese junior heavyweight scene in 2007. It is and it is, but first I want to discuss my first Beyond Wrestling show in Providence, RI. It was definitely a unique ambiance with a pro wrestling ring set up in the middle of a bar with fans surrounding the ring as if they were lumberjacks. Even me who is a pretty aware person was almost wiped out twice just from wrestlers falling out the ring. It was cool and different, but just speaking for me, I felt like some of the magic was removed by being that close. Walked in on a garbage tag team match that was all filler and no killer. The next two singles matches featured The Ants, who became two of my favorite wrestlers at the end of the night.
Fire & Silver Ant both excelled at the critical details of pro wrestling. Fire Ant literally guided his opponent (struck me as a Ricochet ripoff, adding a back handspring to every move) his chain wrestling sequence and made it look convincing. Silver Ant provided the best strikes in any match before the main event. By using strikes and wrestling, both Ants let their opponents spots breathe and made the spots more meaningful. Also, I witnessed for the first time the current hot indy trend of intergender matches which on paper I am 1000% against, but in practice they may have swayed me just for this one time.
The intergender match was the only match until the main event, I watched that felt like I was watching pro wrestling. Everything before just had too much of a smattering of being too self-aware or a spotfest. Here I was watching a clear pro wrestling showcase. The male heel (Thank God, if the man was not the heel, I don't know what I would do), came out and let me know that his ex-girlfriend (Kimber Lee) sucks a ton of dicks and so does Tom Brady. We all booed. The babyface Kimber Lee came out and kicked his ass. To this dude's credit, he bumped, sold and stooged for this chick. To this chick's credit, she was a great fired up babyface. They were not great at executing the offense, but the layout was pitch perfect. Guess which match stuck with me better a match that told a great story or someone doing a bunch of back handsprings. There were some great spots like the dude (I am sorry, I really don't know his name) going to punch Kimber Lee and whacking his hand hard into the steel post. Also, him flopping around in the streamers was amusing. The heat segment on Kimber Lee with the chops made me wince, but a heel being a heel was refreshing. It was also the only match where the crowd solidly behind the babyface wrestler and did not worry about the quality of the wrestling. I think that is my biggest hang up with current wrestling is forget about the quality so to speak and invest the characters like you do real sports and more often than not the quality will take care of itself. It is also sad that only way it seems to have a conventional wrestling match is to have a man fight a woman because man on man action had become so passe. The guy tapped out clean to Kimber Lee and you have to give everyone credit, she was presented every bit his equal and everyone bought into it. Kimber Lee sticking out her hand to extend an olive branch was stupid. He did not earn her respect and he was a douche to her. So that was bullshit. I know it was to set up the kick to the back of her hand, but he should have extended the hand because she earned his respect and then he is an asshole about it. Anyways, JT Dunn, remember the Savior of Pro Wrestling, comes to her aid. A fan actually did a pretty good commentary job by stating things out loud like "That is his current girlfriend" and "Is this the end of the Juicy Product?". It sounds like we have a love triangle on our hands too bad it involves JT Dunn.
BIFF! BIFF! BIFF! BIFF! BIFF!
Chris Hero ran right by me to break up the fight because he couldn't afford to have his tag partner injured going up against Biff Busick and Drew Gulak. Unfortunately, due to standing, it getting late and becoming first, undisputed Champion of BRAINBUSTER!. the first ever pro wrestling podcast trivia game show, I was a little tired and had a hard time focusing on all the details. Much like AJ, Hero's presence commanded such a respect that the self-awareness was effaced and I felt like I was watching pro wrestling. Overall, I thought the match had a real classic Japanese tag feel to it. Hero set himself much like a Misawa or a Kobashi would as a force of nature that could change the complexion of the match once he entered the ring with his skull-crushing blows to the head. He was also a great cheerleader from the apron and his investment in the match made it all worthwhile. JT Dunn was serviceable first taking heat and then nothing memorable in the finish. I have heard a lot of people talk up Gulak, but I didn't get a good feel for him. I liked the beginning of the match with Hero's cravat versus Gulak's toehold and they worked some great spots around it. Other than that, nothing sticks out. Biff Busick, on the other hand, is just plain awesome. His connection with the crowd for any indy wrestler is incredible, "Biff! Biff! Biff". His timing is impeccable. Everything he does looks like it is motivated by his desire to win. Drew Gulak played face in peril, which sets us up for what we all wanted the Biff Busick hot tag and then in a total shocker he forced Chris Hero to submit to a rear naked choke.
Unlike me, Chris Hero did not come out on top on January 31st, the day I became first, undisputed Champion of BRAINBUSTER!. the first ever pro wrestling podcast trivia game show.
I really don't have much to add to the hodgepodge of junior heavyweight match from 2007 in Japan as there is no real overarching theme. I would like to key in on two points. First, Nakajima vs Kondo was tremendous and a really interesting looking at evolving strategies within the context of a single match. Second, is a comparative analysis of Briscoes vs. Kotaro Suzuki & Ricky Marvin against KENTA & Taiji Ishimori vs Naomichi Marufuji & Kota Ibushi. Both are prototypical of the 2007 landscape in being athletic junior heavyweight spotfests, but are divergent in quality from my viewpoint. Watching them juxtaposed will show the difference between a fun spotfest and a bad one.
Match Listing: GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champions Briscoes vs. Kotaro Suzuki & Ricky Marvin - NOAH 1/21/07
Worst Japanese match of the decade and one of the worst matches I have ever seen.
All Japan Jr. Hvywt Champion Shuji Kondo vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - AJPW 2/17/07 ****1/2
#48 out of 100 - Must Watch
Incredible strategical wrestling. Nakajima attacks arm, but injures his neck. Switches gears to use headshots to stay in the match. Kondo is the best junior powerhouse of the decade.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Minoru Tanaka vs Ryusuke Taguchi - NJPW 07/06/07 ***1/4
Minoru Tanaka is a great arrogant heel. The Funky Weapon is pretty bland. They drop arm psychology.
KENTA & Taiji Ishimori vs Naomichi Marufuji & Kota Ibushi - Budokan 7/15/07 ****
#91 out of 100
Great juniors spotfest. Better than most Dragon Gate/Toryumon matches. Great eye-candy
Bryan Danielson vs Go Shiozaki - ROH In Tokyo 7/16/07 ***1/2
Exhibition of what makes Danielson great offensively. Shiozaki is bland in this contest.
Great Sasuke vs Ultimo Dragon - M-Pro 8/30/07 ***3/4
Sasuke wrestling at a high level, but Dragon is too spotty in this great junior bout.
GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champions Briscoes vs. Kotaro Suzuki & Ricky Marvin - NOAH 1/21/07
Nothing screamed 2007 more than a double 619 until they busted out the Springboard Shining Wizard Doomsday Device. If I see another dropsault it will be too damn soon. The excessive jumping into moves is incredibly annoying. Was the Briscoe basically doing a moonsault before the back drop driver even finished supposed to be a bad social commentary joke on the state of 2007 wrestling? I could have sworn the ring said NOAH, but why I am watching TNA. These four give clubbering a bad name. They treat every forearm, stomp, kick, slap as a perfunctory device to get them to their next inconsequential highspot. Watch Yoshihiro Takayama or Dragon Gate! Either make every move count or just commit to a spotfest don't try to pretend to be having a wrestling match when you want to have a gymnastics competition. The best spot of this match was when a Briscoe shoved Marvin out of the ring for breaking up a pinfall. It is the only time I thought I was watching an actual contest where someone wanted to win. It actually had heat to it. Instead they needed to get in every shitty move ever invented after 2000 instead of building heat. The match sucked as a spotfest and as a pro wrestling match.
All Japan Jr. Heavyweight Champion Shuji Kondo vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - AJPW 2/17/07
Boy Wonder!
Strategy in pro wrestling is often reduced to being very one dimensional. You work a body part to set up your finishing move. You attack an opponents' strength to neutralize their finisher. I am not saying all good pro wrestling needs more advanced strategy or this specific strategy. What this match offered was a rare instance of a multi-faceted strategy. Nakajima established early that his intention was to neutralize Kondo's strength advantage and his lariats by knotting up his arm. However, Nakajima did not have a finishing hold to directly translate this strategy into a victory. In addition, Nakajima took a nasty spill onto the guardrail that severely fucked up his neck. In a nice touch, Hokuto checked on Nakajima. It can not be underestimated how much Sasaki and Hokuto added to the match by being on the outside cheering on Nakajima. It felt like parents cheering on their kid.
Nakajima pressed on by kicking the arm to keep Kondo at bay, but Kondo overwhelmed with brute power zeroing in on the injured neck. Nakajima realized that Kondo's arm was too strong and that point of attack would not turn the tide. So he began taking head shots. Finally, Nakajima stymied Kondo's onslaught and with a dive to the outside. He levelled the playing field to finally return to his attack on the arm. He utilized mentor Sasaki's arm drag, but could not get the cross armbreaker as Kondo slammed out on it dropping Nakajima right on the back of his head. As much as this match was about Nakajima, Kondo was amazing at selling the arm the right amount. He was not blowing off Nakajima's work, but at the same time Nakajima really had not done enough to damage the arm so that it was totally useless. Kondo was fighting through the pain in a believable way. Kondo's slams really target Nakajima's neck, who cant seem to get anything started. In a great sequence, Nakajima is deadweighting Kondo on a powerbomb so Kondo blasts him with a elbow. Nakajima's sell would make Kawada proud. Kondo then spikes Nakajima on his head with a piledriver, but Nakajima kicks out. I will say the placement of that move was too early. The big flaw of the match begins here as Nakajima starts selling like Kaz Hayashi meaning he sells after he does a move not as he is doing it, but it is not as egregious.
Nakajima at this point has no hope winning this match via arm work (no real submission game) so he goes for head shots to set up Emerald Flowsion and a flying bodypress. Kondo signals for a lariat and Nakajima kicks the arm reversing into a Human Capture Suplex only for 2. I liked how after all the kicks to the arm that Kondo could use his arm properly on his slam so that the full impact was not delivered. It was good selling. I loved the axe kick on lariat arm. Kondo finally gets lariat, but it is not enough. I totally bit on the Northern Lights Bomb finish with Sasaki right there. Nakajima wins the match with a German Suplex.
This match had the potential to be a Match of the Decade Contender. The dueling body part psychology, the appropriate arm selling by Kondo, the amazing neck selling of Nakajima, the two-leveled Nakajima strategy all wove together to create a unique, dynamic match. The finish run did depart from this where Nakajima's comeback became a bit incredulous and his selling uneven and the moves excessive. I am not going to penalize the match too much because the base of the match was still there Nakajima defending against the lariat, working through his early match mishap (neck) and using headshots to create big offense. ****1/2
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Minoru Tanaka vs Ryusuke Taguchi - NJPW 07/06/07
Five years later and at least the cross armbreaker is still over. I still contend that Minoru Tanaka should have been the biggest junior heavyweight star of the 2000s. I don't think this match is comparable in quality to his incredible 2000-2002 run, but we get to see an entirely different side to him. He was excellent at the cocky heel gimmick. He really gave off that aura that he thinks he is better than you in every shape and way. He was showboating, stalling and cheating better than pretty much every heel in the WWE in the last decade. The best part of this entire match was how red hot the crowd was for bell-bottom-wearing "Funky Weapon" Rysuke Taguchi. Japanese wrestling crowds in native vs. native matches tend to be very similar to tennis crowd insomuch they root for ever is losing to pull them through and continue the match. I don't want to take away anything from Taguchi because my sample size is limited, but to me it was all about Minoru Tanaka. You wanted to see that smug bastard get his ass kicked. People wonder why nobody gets booed nowadays. To me it is because nobody actually tries to get booed when they are wrestling. Sure on the mic they do, but in a match pretty much everybody wrestles it straight down the middle. Minoru Tanaka, once again, proves why he had huge star potential in the way he carried himself in this match and maintaining that heat throughout the match.
Unfortunately, I was not in the Korakuen Hall on July 6, 2007, but instead was in my living room in United States of America, BABY! on August 26, 2014 so crowd heat alone was not make this match an elite level match it was going to take work. The match started off great like I said with Minoru Tanaka showboating like a champion and getting shown up early. He is able to take control with an eye-rake and then out on the floor targets the arm and a pretty girl to impress. This is a clinic on heel wrestling. Of course, everyone knows that Minoru has the cross armbreaker in his back pocket so targeting the arm increases the crowd tension. There is a really nice exchange where Minoru avoids a dropkick and makes a point to let everyone know how smart he is only to eat a dropkick. This is just classic shit. Taguchi goes the "arm for an arm" route, but unlike the Minoru/AKIRA matches I didn't think they really focused enough time on each other's arm to really build the same drama. Unfortunately, the match goes off the rails at this point as they both pretty much drop the arm selling to suplex each other a lot. It was exciting, but not a lot of glue. Minoru, occasionally reminds you of the beginning of the match, by applying a flash cross armbreaker out of a human capture suplex. The crowd heat and Taguchi's selling were really on point making this a very dramatic spot, but before you knew it they were back suplexing each other. The best spot of the whole match was Minoru goes for the flash cross armbreaker and Taguchi converts into La Magistral cradle. The crowd goes wild! That should have been the finish, no doubt! NOOOOOOOOOO! An elbow exchange??? Et tu, Minoru? Taguchi hits what I believe to be The Funky Weapon twice to finally pick up the victory for his first and only IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
The hook of the match was twofold: Minoru is an arrogant asshole and the credibility of his flash cross-armbreaker. They did not build the double arm psychology and they just sort of dropped it, with each touching on it here and there. Taguchi, for all his "funkiness", was a pretty bland Japanese, 00-style babyface. I hate to base that off one match, but given he only has one title reign to his name, it looks like New Japan feels similarly. At the day, the crowd was hot for Taguchi so he was doing something right even if he didn't set my world afire. The match started off promising and ended pretty well, but the body was a mess. I recommend this match based solely on seeing Minoru Tanaka work as a heel and how he was badass at doing that too. ***1/4
KENTA & Taiji Ishimori vs Naomichi Marufuji & Kota Ibushi - Budokan 7/15/07
Briscoes, Marvin and Suzuki, take notes, bruthas, this is how you do a fucking spotfest, baby! Ishimori and Ibushi are the next generation of Japanese junior heavyweight that care even less about strikes and building a strong match. They only care how they can add an extra rotation to any simple move. Standing elbow drop that is so passe. I can do a back handspring, full back flip elbow drop, BABY! If you going to execute those matches, then commit to them and they were committed to having this elaborate gymnastics competition, which made for a great spectacle. It is good eyecandy like a Michael Bay action movie. I don't want to watch a card full of these, but these exhibitions do serve a purpose because they are fun to watch. To me at least, however, they are not very satisfying in the same way a match where opponents are struggling to win a contest. The nice thing about this match is that they laid everything in. They did not treat strikes as givens like in the Briscoe/Marvin&Suzuki. Their transitions still suck like KENTA blowing off leg work to hit a flying knee drop or Ibushi's lame spinwheel kick to exit his heat segment. There was literally no move to move selling. People would take moves, sell, then fly like nothing happened. Even within these segments, they were flying with great highspots. After Ibushi tagged out, it was spots galore with flips and spins on everything. It was like R-Truth, but on steroids. Ibushi's double moonsault gets me everytime because I go years without seeing him, I always forget he has that. I actually enjoyed Ibushi ducking the KENTA strike, kip up and kick KENTA only for KENTA to be wary of it the second time. KENTA went into crazy Ceasro like beast mode to awkwardly catch Ibushi and hit Go 2 Sleep. The past two NOAH juniors tags were what expected all NOAH's juniors match to be like, but really that has not been case. I am curious if this newfound spotfest style is influenced by the rise of Dragon Gate. I will be curious to see Dragon Gate from 2005-2006 and see how similar it is to this. Usually, when something is mimicked the copiers steal the most glaring obvious traits without the subtle details that make the original so good. Ergo, NOAH guys were like people like flips lets give them flips. Dragon Gate may have done a better job building to the spots. I do not know, but we will see. Overall, I did enjoy this spotfest, but I will be sad if this is the way the NOAH's juniors division goes because it was quite good from 2003-2006. Spotfests have a ceiling in my book because of how much emphasis I put on transitions, selling and struggling. I would say this is one of the better ones I have ever seen though. ****
Bryan Danielson vs Go Shiozaki - ROH In Tokyo 7/16/07
The poll is Best In Japan in the 00s, thus any match that took place in Japan qualifies not necessarily taking place on a puroresu card. That being said, Ring Of Honor had a very similar style to Pro Wrestling NOAH. Occasionally this happens to me, I acknowledge I am watching an interesting, well-worked match and it just does not hold my attention. Unfortunately for this bout, I felt that way. I loved Danielson's pacing in this match. He was not flying around and blowing off selling. The beginning of the match showcases Danielson at his best making submission holds look innovative and like they hurt. It is something that is bereft in both WWE and Japan in the 00s. They establish they are equal babyfaces even ending a dropkick simultaneously. Shiozaki takes over with chops and general power, but Danielson catches a break when Shiozaki goes flying into the railing. Again, I loved Danielson's arm work, which effectively used strikes and holds to destroy the arm. When Shiozaki starts to mount his comeback and is still selling might be when I realize what is wrong. Shiozaki is just really bland. He is just a generic, cookie-cutter NOAH wrestler. He is not bringing anything to the table. He is doing the right things, but is nothing special or unique.
Danielson goes flying into the crowd on top of Shiozaki and this triggers Danielson's big spots ending with a crossface chickenwing that ends up in the ropes. Shiozaki was able to crotch Danielson on the top rope and hits a weird slam. Here comes the BOOM! Bombs galore. Shiozaki goes for the kill with a moonsault misses and Danielson immediately applies Cattle Mutilation. Shiozaki is able to fight out, but then end is nigh and Shiozaki succumbs to a second Cattle Mutilation.
Danielson was really demonstrating why he was one of the best in the world at the time. He paced himself well. He is an amazing offensive wrestler (ground, working body part, bombs) and this really showcased his talents. Shiozaki just feels so mediocre in this match and I just could not bring myself to care. Thus I felt like I was watching a Danielson exhibition. ***1/2
Sasuke was wrestling like it was 1994 and giving a MOTYC-level performance. Unfortunately, Dragon was wrestling like it was 1996 WCW and indulging everyone of his bad tendencies. Ultimo Dragon is one of the most infuriating wrestlers. He is such a great offensive dynamo, but I can't think of any wrestler pre-2000 that so egregiously blows off selling. It is too point that when he is in that mood that you should almost just let him be on offense because he drags the match so far down when he randomly decides to stop selling. The negative of that was Sasuke was so amazing on offense. He was violent and breath-taking, which is such a rare combination to see in a match. I loved how he attacked Dragon while he held the ropes open for him with headbutts and nasty body shots. Then when he goes for Asai Moonsault, Dragon violently yanks him down only for that to happen to Dragon when he tries. Based on the first two minutes, I really thought I was going to see something special, before Dragon went back in and did a high-speed tumbling pass. i remembered why Dragon annoys me so much. On the other hand, for as badass as Sasuke is on offense, he was selling for all its worth and bumping like a maniac. Sasuke tried a convoluted reversal out of a Dragon hold, but ended spiking himself on his own head and the way he sold it and the way Dragon sold surprise was really cool. It seemed like a real organic moment. So rarely do you seem someone "fuck up" a reversal and sell it. It was cool feature. Sasuke picked his moments and when Dragon missed a plancha out came the dives. Sasuke starts to go work on the arm, but Dragon blows it off to hit an Asai Moonsault and a gnarly suplex on chairs. That is a crazy bump. Sasuke reverses Dragon into the post and hits two beautiful dives from the top rope to the floor. Dragon ended up whiffing on a dropkick when Sasuke went for a quebrada. Sasuke was able to reverse the Dragon DDT twice, but ended up taking it three times to lose.
I missed a juniors match with spectacular dives and Sasuke is so good at incorporating that into his match. I loved his body punches and general roughhouse style. He took crazy bumps and built his offense convincingly. Dragon looked great on offense and took some hellacious bumps himself, but he killed the flow of the match repeatedly. If Dragon was on point and not just focused on his offense, this is a 2007 MOTYC. As is it is a highly entertaining bout and proof that Sasuke could still go. ***3/4
Gimme two claps and a Ric Flair for my future wife! *Clap* *Clap* WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO She is currently within 50 miles of me. Cross your fingers that she is on Tinder.
SWWWOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNN
Last night, I attended XWA Rumble '15 in West Warwick, RI to see my main man from Georgia, AJ Styles and he did not disappoint. Add in a strong effort by Paul London and seeing a future superstar in Biff Busick meant that I got more than my money's worth last night. I will be doing a full review hopefully by Tuesday and no later than Thursday. It is a good thing I can always fall back on my backlog of puroresu.
The year 2007 was a dark time for Pro Wrestling NOAH. Their main drawing card, Kobashi, had been out since April of 2006 and the Marufuji experiment had seen dwindling houses. So Misawa did what most player-managers do when times get tough, he put the onus on himself. He basically reset NOAH by reclaiming the GHC Heavyweight Championship and holding it for over a year. Misawa was without a doubt one of the greatest pro wrestlers to ever live, but by 2007 he was beaten up beyond almost recognition. Sure, he managed throw out one more great performance against Sano in a rematch from their brutal 2003 bout. Over the course of his reign before the return of Kobashi, he averaged 8,800 at the Budokan when it was rare for them not to sell out the Budokan between 2001-2005. From a quality standpoint, only the match with Sano and the drop to Morishima made the nominations for the Best of 2000s Japan project. Even the usual surefire hit against Taue did not spark a higher attendance or critical praise. The year 2007 was a rebuilding year for NOAH and Misawa was taking heat on himself as he bided time waiting for Kobashi's return and the development of Morishima.
#SwipeRight
Kobashi's return was the short-term boost the company needed. Immediately, NOAH had a newfound energy from his presence. While he was growing stale before his forced departure, he felt fresh and vulnerable performing in some of the best tag team matches of the decade. The matches felt like throwbacks to the 90s tag classics that used to populate the All Japan scene. In these return matches Kobashi wrestles closer to his 90s style of the vulnerable underdog and is making these heroic, spirited comebacks. Without a doubt, his return match is one of the most emotional matches of the decade and I would say is the most emotional. The story of Kobashi is a story we can all relate to, he absolutely loved pro wrestling and wanted to be the best. He clawed and fought for every inch slowly gaining the respect of Misawa, Kawada and Hansen, until finally in 2003, he became the Man. Just when you think Kobashi had conquered every obstacle in front of him, life threw his greatest challenge, cancer. There was no predetermined outcome to this fight. With his life on the line, he fought and fought, not just to live, but to do what he loved once again and do it on the grandest stage afforded to him in the Budokan alongside, Takayama against long-time rivals, Misawa and Akiyama. It is an incredible story and incredible match.
For a short period of time, NOAH felt rejuvenated, but could they sustain it with Kobashi in tag matches only and Morishima on top. That is for another blog.
Match Listing:
GHC Tag Team Champions Akiyama & Rikio vs. Takayama & Sugiura - Budokan 4/28/07 ***1/2
Don't remember much about this match. It was a pretty good standard NOAH tag match.
One of the most disappointing trends of the 00s purorseu has been the decline in focus and quality of heavyweight tag team wrestling. The matches generally heralded as some of the best of 90s All Japan were when the Four Corners were making war in the ring in their tag team bouts (12/3/93 & 6/9/95 standout) and Akiyama only added to drama producing what many considered the greatest match of all time 12/6/96. Yes, there have been some great heavyweight tags like AJPW vs NJPW in 12/00 and Kobashi/Taue vs Tenryu/Akiyama in 9/05, but they are much fewer and the focus is not there. I was hopeful this match would be a return to classic tag team, but REMAINED unimpressed and thought this was worse than the Kobashi tags of 2005.
The focus was DEFINITELY on the young talent, Rikio and Sugiura. Akiyama does have a tendency to hide in tag matches, which is ultimately a bad thing for him. I know people get on Kobashi's case about making every match the Kobashi show, but there are ways to make your presence felt without being overbearing. See Takayama in this match as he does a great putting over Rikio early with their shoulderblock stalemates. It is very telling how different Takayama is in 2007 and his 2009 Triple Crown run. He was doing similar spots with Suwama, but without the energy and panache. Here he was really expressive and Rikio looked badass taking him down. The whole match Takayama looked spry and was adding to the match being an obstacle for Rikio to overcome because of his size and agility. Akiyama was just kind of there. That is the difference between a B+ and an A player. Even when you aren't highlighted you need to add to the match with your unique attributes.
I also liked the Takayama and Sugiura pairing because of the size difference. I have never seen Sugiura, but he is a tiny stout powerhouse dude. He is a shorter Kensuke Sasaki, but a bigger Dick Togo. I did not expect him to throw kicks. He has some impressive power spots and a great unpredictable spear, but the Kurt Angle moveset complete with all the video game transitions does NOTHING for me. I will keep my mind open, but he is a worse version of Sasaki in my book so far.
As for the match, I thought it peaked in the early 2 minutes with the Rikio/Takayama shoulderblock war. It just felt like two bulls clashing with neither one giving an inch something that is desperately missing from all the perfunctory elbow war, kick war transitions. Early on, Takayama/Sugiura establish their gameplan of taking advantage of their opponents by throwing them to the outside and letting the partner whip them into the railing. Akiyama and Rikio say whats good for the goose is good for the gander and Rikio throws Sugiura out there and Akiyama DDTs him on ramp and then DDT him throat first on the railing in a nasty spot. Of course Sugiura is right back up doing a fast paced criss cross sequence in the ring. Ugh. Rikio is best he has ever looked in this match. His slaps look great and he is moving with a lot more purpose and energy. Sugiura out of nowhere spear and is ABLE TO GET the tag. After that it really just devolves into big moves to get Sugiura and Rikio over. Rikio throws Takayama around and Sugiura throws Akiyama around. Rikio has to save Akiyama from an ankle lock.
Takayama is so good at the basics. The way he follows through on his knees makes them look so DAMN realistic. I really liked the double team version of Go 2 Sleep. Akiyama is really getting his ass kicked. So much for him ever being an ace. So sad. RIKIO NODOWA ON SUGIURA! At least he steals from the right people. Sugiura runs through a bunch of suplexes, but cant negotiate a pinfall. Sugiura does that annoying runaround selling after an Exploder, but Rikio stops him dead with a Zidane headbutt. Rikio runs through his big offense to get the win. Sugiura looks like a tough, powerful little fucker. Rikio tosses in his most purposeful performance, but still has conditioning issues and not every good at selling. Takayama is great at establishing himself as worthwhile obstacle and Rikio proved he could win mini-wars against him. Akiyama looked not there at best and a jabroni at worst. The action was great and there were some fun spots, but there was no hook to really keep me entertained or wanting to revisit this. Still it is an action-packed match with some really good Takayama work and this always at least worth one look. ***1/2
Regardless of my feelings toward this match, I am shocked they ran this a top of a Budokan card. It shows you how much Misawa felt comfortable working with Sano and how thin and directionless NOAH was. That being said I did really like this match a lot. It is the Roundhouse Kick versus The Emerald Elbow, it is just a badass story. I thought this match told the better story over the 2003 encounter in regard to how much Sano was able to hold Misawa at bay, but did not have the same energy as the '03 match.
Sano hits an early roundhouse kick to send Misawa to the floor. SUICIDE DIVE! Misawa tries to rebound off the railing, but roundhouse kick to the chest, which would be a frequent occurrence. DOUBLE STOMP FROM TOP ROPE TO FLOOR!!! HOLY SHIT! Sano is just so damn tempted by working Misawa's legs even though it is going to be blown off, which is exactly what happens. Every time Misawa gets a little chippy with those elbows there is a roundhouse kick to the chest to greet him, which sets up double stomps and a german suplex. Misawa looks to come off the top rope and everybody say it with me: ROUNDHOUSE KICK! That looked sick. Sano follows him to the floor with a somersault plancha. Sano tries to end this with suplexes and kicks to no avail. Misawa converts one suplex to Emerald Flowsion, but does not have much in the tank. He hits another Emerald Flowsion for only 2. I just notice there has been no heat this entire match. Fuck this crowd! Misawa blows him away with some elbows and hits a Fireman's Carry Emerald Flowsion for the win to a dead crowd.
Not your typical Misawa match as he got less offense than usual and relied on three big bombs late to escape the match. Normally, he would be peppering more offense through the match, but Sano was really keeping him in check with those roundhouse kicks. The beginning of the match was really good, but there was a lot of meandering in the middle. Sano had a great answer to Misawa's elbow, but you never really felt Misawa was in danger because Sano really had no bomb. His roundhouse kicks were not setting anything up but standard moves. If the roundhouse kicks set up body part work or head shots than maybe, but Sano needed more to take the match to the next level. The 2003 match benefited from a hotter crowd and an more energetic crowd. Still this is a great match because of how well the story was told. Sano is out matched by the great Misawa, but can hold him in check with the roundhouse kick like no one before, but unlike a Kawada or Kobashi he has no follow-up bombs. Misawa is able to find an opening to hit his bombs and win. ****
Kenta Kobashi & Yoshihiro Takayama vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama - Budokan 12/02/07
"Do not be afraid for I am with you."
Emotionally, there is no more moving 00s puroresu match than this. It was a conquering hero's welcome for Kenta Kobashi. The fans chanting "Ko-Bash-I" BEFORE THE match. Tamon Honda crying on commentary. Kobashi teaming with one of his great rivals against two of the fellow All Japan Five Pillars in his return match from cancer. Regardless of how I felt about Kobashi from 2005 and 2006, I had an ear-to-ear smile seeing Kobashi again. I mean it is not like Kobashi was going to job to cancer.
I would argue you cannot SEPARATE the emotion and content of the match. The match is so fueled by Kobashi's return that intangible propels this match into a 2007 Match of the Year Candidate. Takayama was so surprisingly good at being a cheerleader and playing to the crowd to get Kobashi involved. I don't know if Kobashi was selling the after effects of cancer or if he was actually severely weakened because I found his shine sequence a bit tepid and even sluggish. At first, I was exclaiming "Poor Akiyama!" because it seemed like he was made to be the jabroni of the match. I was beginning to think that emotion would not be able to sustain the heat of the match.
Misawa catching Kobashi with an elbow as he comes off the top is when the match goes from good to excellent in really quick order. Kobashi is no longer Superman and all of sudden we get 1993 Kobashi playing face in peril against two of the greatest offensive wrestlers in history. Save for the Kawada/Fuchi HEAT segment on Iizuka, I can't think of a better face in peril segment in the 2000s in Japan. Kobashi as a face in peril is just so timeless. Even though it is 2007, we have not seen vulnerable Kobashi in so long and it is so refreshing. When you add that Kobashi was coming back from cancer, the sympathy levels are just off the charts. I loved that when Kobashi seems to be turning the tide on Akiyama, Misawa comes in and elbows Kobashi to a chorus of boos!!! Takayama has to hold Misawa on the top rope to allow Kobashi to hit a superplex and tag out to Takayama.
Takayama as a hot tag is so awesome to FINALLY see. It is so short-lived because Misawa blows him out of the water with an elbow. I really loved the Takayama/Akiyama sequence and would have loved to seen them mix it up in a high-profiled singles match. Takayama could have gone for a cover on Akiyama, but he knows that the crowd wants Kobashi and he tags him in. Kobashi runs through his spots to great crowd reaction and I was beaming right with them. Misawa saves Akiyama again, but Takayama tackles Misawa so that Kobashi can hit the moonsault on Akiyama. Kick out! Honda crying! From there, Kobashi gets another nearfall on Misawa with the Burning Lariat, but eventually AKiyama and Misawa were able to overwhelm the weakened Kobashi. Misawa could not score the win with the Emerald Flowsion, but he secured the victory with a Super Emerald Flowsion.
So the time honored tradition CONTINUED with the returning wrestling doing the job with the rationale being ring rust and having to earn his return. Kobashi is at his absolute best as the underdog and for the first time since the 90s he is in the role he was meant to play. Takayama was great at being a badass, but always showcasing Kobashi. Akiyama was thankfully not a total jabroni in the match even though he was the one that Kobashi could get over on. As good as Akiyama was as a dick, but my God, Misawa was excellent. It is not his best match in the 00s, but I thought it was his best performance since February of 2000 against Akiyama. He was so cold and calculating, He did not care that his ex-partner and his friend was returning from cancer. He was here to win. He was not going to take it easy on Kobashi. All the factors came together to produce an amazing tour de force. ****1/2
"KO-BASH-I" "KO-BASH-I" "KO-BASH-I"! If the previous tag match was a return to 90s All Japan, this is a return to 90s six-man All Japan matches. The young guns are looking to prove themselves to the old guard of Kobashi and Honda. Much like an EXTRA in the old James T. Kirk Star Trek, we all know why Taniguchi is in this match. Unlike Misawa and Co., Marufuji and Co. get more than just chippy and are outright dicks to Kobashi throughout the match. They set the tone early, Sugiura bum rushes Kobashi at the bell with a kick right to the face. Even though, Kobashi whoops his ass, nobody is deterred taking relentless cheapshots at Kobashi knowing full well knowing that his protection ranged from the inexperienced and undersized Taniguchi and the octogenarian Honda. At first, Kobashi would just stare daggers into the cocky Marufuji, Marufuji as a prick is so much better than his previous performances. Then Morishima changed those stares into pangs of anguish with a monstrous elbow. I loved the retribution spots against Marufuji's general douchbaggery especially the Olympic Hell with him dangling and Kobashi and Taniguchi pulling on his ankles. It was a true joy watching Marufuji get destroyed, but credit where credit is due he was great at struggling through the segment and making the segment truly gripping. Once Tangiuchi is tagged in against Sugiura, we all know what happens.
When they were not taking knocking Kobashi off the apron with powerful elbows to face, they were brutalizing Tangiuchi mercilessly. I loved, loved the spot where Sugiura hangs Taniguchi out to dry on the ropes. He revvs up for a big boot, but his target is Kobashi, who he floors. Marufuji, proves that KENTA is not only one stolen from, as he does the Roman Reigns apron spot and Seth Rollins curb stomp. I loved Marufuji as the douche and Suigura as the violent prick. I would have liked to seen more out of Morishima as the scary monster, he was good, but not as good as his comrades. Taniguchi and Kobashi are getting decimated and Honda just is doing nothing at all. In what was a really lame transition, Morishima just FEEDS Taniguchi a belly to belly. I loved that heat segment, but what a shitty transition.
Morishima and Kobashi have a great sequence as Kobashi has TAKEN so much punishment on the apron he just cant get anything going. He has been neutralized as a hot tag. Honda comes in. It was just pathetic. He looked so awful. I was embarrassed for him. His version of a spear was him bending over and Sugiura running into him and falling over. Sugiura and Honda trading suplexes made me cringe. I was loving this match, but Honda is killing me. Honda is forced to tag in Taniguchi because Kobashi has been decimated. I actually really liked Tangiuchi and Marufuji's sequence. I don't think Taniguchi was better than Go Shiozaki, but he was really good as a plucky underdog with lots of fighting spirit. There was a good struggle over the German Suplex and Sliced Bread. Kobashi, Honda and Taniguchi all hit a suplex on Marufuji, but Sugiura saved. Now Marufufji, Sugiura and Morishima all hit a move on Taniguchi. Marufuji hits a silly looking powerboimb from the top rope and Steiner Screwdriver to win.
Everything up to Honda coming in is just gold. Marufuji as this HEAT-seeking douchebag was so good. The way he gets his comeuppance mid-match only for him to continue to be an absolute dick. I loved how everybody had zeroed in Kobashi and was just relentless. It is too bad that finish just did not match the body of the work. Still, I loved the heat and the chippiness of this match a lot. ****1/4
Kenta Kobashi/Tamon Honda/KENTA vs Yoshihiro Takayama/Takuma Sano/Atsushi Aoki Budokan 3/2/08
This match would be way better as Kobashi/KENTA vs Takayama/Aoki. Honda is just so old at this point that besides the same dangling Olympic Hell from the corner spot he added nothing. As much as I have come to love Sano he was ultimately expendable. Each of the other match up were really well done. Aoki tagging Kobashi at every turn was not as good as Marufuji and Sugiura, but added some good heat to the match. Of course, when Kobashi got his hands on the little punk it was great stuff. Takayama/KENTA is just as electric as their 2004 match. There is just so much great struggle. KENTA/Aoki was a little spotty, but had a great energy to it. Kobashi/Takayama have crazy freaky chemistry with each other it is like the polar opposite of Kobashi/Sasaki. In a lot of ways, this six-man follows the template of the previous six man, but isnt as good. Sugiura, Marufuji and Morishima are all out to prove themselves to Kobashi and all would be NOAH main event talent. They each take their different paths Sugiura is a mean bastard, Marufuji is a cocky douche and Morishima is a monster who wants him in the ring. Aoki is a punk junior, but he is nowhere near Marufuji's credibility. Sano is old. Takayama is Kobashi's peer (ok, just slightly below, but treated as equals). The match benefits as the other two Kobashi comeback matches do from Kobashi being more vulnerable and not guzzling his opponents. The opening portion feels flat especially compared to the other six-man besides KENTA/Takayama bit. The KENTA FIP drives this match into the really good territory as they kick the shit out of KENTA. Kobashi is in for the hot tag, but this is not the Kobashi of yesteryear and eventually succumb to Team Takayama. Kobashi's team has to save him from certain doom from an Everest Suplex. Kobashi is able to tag out to KENTA. The juniors come in for a big, fast-paced finale. In an unusual moment for puroresu, Takayama accidentally big boots his own partner, Aoki. KENTA hits the Go 2 Sleep on Aoki to win. Afterwards Kobashi/Takayama brawl on the ramp.
There is plenty of action in the match to satisfy the action marks, but I did not think there was as much substance as the previous six-man that I really liked. Everything was good, but there was nothing that really hooked me in. If this happened on RAW, yes I would be going crazy, but for NOAH this seemed pretty run of the mill. The middle portion with KENTA FIP and the false Kobashi hot tag give this enough legs that it should make the Top 100. ***3/4
It was great having Kenta Kobashi back in NOAH and Kobashi has really climbed up my list as one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. Lots of different directions this blog can go. There will definitely be an XWA review up. I think because I am going to this year's Royal Rumble that a review of Daniel Bryan's 2014 just got shunted up the card. YES! YES!YES!YES! YES!YES! YES! YES!
Jim Harbaugh sure has his work cut out for him next season. Ain't going to be a walk in the rose garden.
Yinling the Erotic Terrorist pins DANGEROUS K~!
The same used to hold true for the ultra-hard-hitting All Japan Pro Wrestling of the 90s. After the Split, All Japan was able to survive on the backs of three of the greatest legends in puroresu: Toshiaki Kawada, Genichiro Tenryu and Keiji Mutoh. This model was not sustainable and new stars would need to be promoted. The style redefined. Keiji Mutoh emerged as the President of All Japan and defining his brand as Pro Wrestling Love, which I think is positively awesome and so Inoki at the same time. Pro Wrestling Love was one of the first attempts to bring American style wrestling to Japan.
DANGEROUS KAROKE~!
HUSTLE, fighting opera, run by the one-time ultra serious, shoot-style practitioner, Nobuhiko Takada was an even more over the top attempt to import crazy American soap opera hijinx to Japan. One of my favorite HUSTLE storylines was that the Great Muta sprayed mist into the netherregions of Yinling The Erotic Terrorist. This obviously impregnated her and she laid a giant egg. No, GobbledyGooker did not pop put, but rather sumo wrestler and current All Japan mainstay Akebono. It is absurdly badass in my book. HUSTLE also brought us Nobuhiko Takada and Toshiaki Kawada as karoke singers.
There's the Proud family!
Basically, I did not want to get through these reviews of 2000s Japan and not speak about HUSTLE. All Japan in the latter half of the decade was a more a serious version of HUSTLE. There were rival gangs like the Voodoo Murders and RO'D. Every match is preceded by video packages because of the importance of storylines and angles. There are a lot more run-ins, interference and general shenanigans. The junior heavyweights being pushed more was probably more of an influence of the New Japan juniors of 90s being successful and the rise of Toryumon/Dragon Gate.
The Mutoh name ensured that he would always have access to some of the biggest stars in Japanese wrestling. All Japan throughout the end of the decade was able to secure significant time from high-level freelancers like Kawada, Minoru Suzuki, Kensuke Sasaki and Yoshihiro Takayama. In addition, Mutoh had a strong, very upper midcard act in Satoshi Kojima that he could plug in right away and was grooming the hard-hitting, powerhouse, Suwama to be the next superstar. All Japan was producing the quality of NOAH, but in 2005 & 2006, it was really not far off the mark from New Japan, which had a hit a nadir. Once Tanahashi really rose to prominence in 2007, New Japan outpaced All Japan and never really looked back.
The big shift in All Japan booking came at the beginning of 2005. Throughout 2003 and 2004, Toshiaki Kawada was rewarded with the grand Triple Crown reign he deserved albeit 5 years or so too late. Kawada's best match of the reign was a wild, violent brawl with Naoya Ogawa and the most marquee match was the slightly disappointing dream match with Shinya Hashimoto. However, Kawada simply did not have the opponents to have the reign befitting of him, but he made do. In early 2005, much like his compatriot, Kobashi, it came time to put his reign to and end. Unlike NOAH, I think All Japan made the correct call on who should be the next champion, the crowd favorite, Satoshi Kojima. I have been hard on Kojima for being a generally uninteresting wrestler, but make no doubt about it. He was over like rover. To make matters even better, he would win the IWGP Heavyweight title to be the first man to hold the two top titles in New Japan and All Japan simultaneously. So you can't say they didn't push the dude.
Like I said, try as they might puroresu was in a general malaise and Kojima just couldn't get them out. This leads to them a revolving door of legends like Keiji Mutoh/Great Muta, Sasaki, Suzuki and Takayama. Minoru Suzuki who was oddly quiet in the 2000s dragged one last great match out of Mutoh in what I believe to be Mutoh's last. Takayama had a fun 2009 run as a hard hitting giant and his war with Suwama was reminiscent of his great battle with Sasaki in New Japan. The best matches of All Japan much like in late 90s WCW did not feature their cast of legends, but the up and comers.
In 2008, All Japan brought in the red hot Hiroshi Tanahashi from New Japan, who was fresh off a string of excellent matches in New Japan that revitalized the company after founder, Antonio Inoki's departure. All Japan could not have been disappointed by Tanahashi who had kickass matches with a legend like Kawada and their up and comer, Suwama. Tanahashi played the cocky, pretty boy heel to perfection getting under the crowd's skin and by the end of each the match the place was rocking to see Tanahashi get his shit kicked in.
The best match from All Japan during the time span was from the newly pushed junior heavyweight division featuring Kensuke Sasaki protege and boy wonder, Katushiko Nakajima, who at 19 years old, tore the house down with Shuji Kondo. The match featured some of the best mid-match strategy-altering I have ever seen. As Nakajima looks to take away Kondo's strength advantage by taking out the arm, his neck is severely injured and thus he has to go for big head shots to stay in it. I love when a wrestler takes what is given to him and responds in a natural way. Nakajima was wise beyond his years and Kondo was no slouch in this 2007 Match of the Year Contender.
Nakajima The Supernova
Match Listing: AJPW Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 02/16/05 ***1/2
Kawada chokes huge. The Kojima Era begins. Pretty good "epic" title change
AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Champion Shuji Kondo vs AKIRA - AJPW 1/8/06
Fun American-style bullshit with interference and cool spots. Kondo is a great powerhouse
AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Champion Shuji Kondo vs. Kaz Hayashi - Sumo Hall 8/27/06 ***3/4
Flawless, marvelous offensive execution. Weak on selling, transitions and story.
All Japan Jr. Hvywt Champion Shuji Kondo vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - AJPW 2/17/07 ****1/2
#47 out of 100 - Must Watch
Awesome chess battle it is Kondo's strength against Nakajima's strategy. Nakajima battles neck injury.
AJPW Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 02/16/05
How did he lose?
CHOKE: Toshiaki Kawada's Soft Drink of choice. How the fuck did Kawada lose this match? He absolutely dominated the first 20 minutes of this match. Kojima looked like the Denver Broncos just overwhelmed and outmatched by Kawada on the biggest stage All Japan could offer at this point. Kojima could not get anything started without Kawada taking over seemingly at will. I did enjoy the throwback to old school All Japan with the surfboard. The only thing stopped me from losing interest in this blowout was that crowd never gave up on Kojima. He was over at the start of the match, when he was getting his ass royally kicked and at the end of the match. Say what you will about Kojima and his modified Ace Crushers, but dude was over and if All Japan had anybody worth a damn at this point he could have been an effective Ace in terms of pleasing their core fanbase. He still cheering for him through the powerbombs, the half crabs and stretch plums.
Now for me, the layout CHALLENGED my interest because I didn't believe that Kojima had a puncher's chance. This style of match is pretty tricky because you either make Kojima look like a jabroni if he loses or Kawada look like the biggest choke if he loses. The drama in this type of match usually comes from the guy working underneath having one big home run shot that he can hit that can change the complexion of the match. The problem is Kojima has no such move. His Ace Crusher, which could be his home run (DDP and Orton have utilized it that way) has not been protected. So you have this jarring discontinuity in the match where Kawada kicks his ass for 20 minutes and Kojima does an extended comeback (At one point, Kojima hits a roaring elbow and Tiger Driver and could help think to myself is this a bad Misawa parody. ) rather than a flash comeback. Based on Kawada's selling, I don't think you can make a case for rope-a-dope because he didn't seem to punch himself out rather Kojima just sort of went from getting his ass kicked, to getting his ass less kicked until eventually he won. Kawada was still hitting Back Drop Drivers and drilling brainbusters. It was making him look more ineffective than Kojima strong. You got to love Kawada though because when it is time to sell he is totally committed as he sells this weird top wristlock/arm figure-4 like death even though Kojima shoulders should be counted down. Kawada hits another back drop driver and powerbomb. From a kayfabe perspective, how the hell did he lose. The Kojima lariat barrage was really well done because of the escalation of the lariats and Kawada's selling.
I enjoy Kawada kicking people's asses, dont get me wrong. I think they tried to shoehorn Kojima into a role that he did not fit. As much as I mocked Kojima for his Ace Crusher variations, he is not a horrible wrestler. They could have worked a momentous title change to mark the passing of the guard from Kawada to Kojima. I just thought the match was far too disjointed from the opening 20 minute ass whupping AND A standard extended comeback when Kojima needed some bigger spots. I know was awfully harsh on this match, but I think it demonstrates a really strong point of how a certain guy is not right for a given layout. That being said Kawada was really fucking good in this match. He escalated his offense throughout and was making Kojima earn his comeback. I just wish there was a stronger spot that said this is where the match went off the rails for Kawada and he really started to have to scramble. It never felt that Kawada was in trouble until he taking lariats and it was over. ***1/2
AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Champion Shuji Kondo vs AKIRA - AJPW 1/8/06
AKIRA brings out a scale with him to have Kondo weighed before the match. Automatic *****! I actually like how Americanized All Japan was in this period. It was really different than New Japan and NOAH. This is a match that may benefit from watching it in 2014 instead of 2006. I may have been sick of liberal outside interference in 2006, but in 2014 it is pretty fresh (i don't watch 2014 New Japan so the Bullet Club is not something I see). I thought it was a nice little device in this match. Another thing I love about All Japan is they have video packages before their matches reviewing the angles. Awesome, now I know this is going to be hot and heavy instead of a championship style match. Kondo was really into dueling limb work, but blowing off the arm selling when necessary in 2006 & 2007. I do enjoy him as a junior powerhouse, but we did not get to see much of that. AKIRA was really fun in this, but it does not reach the level of the Kanemoto or Minoru Tanaka matches.
The match starts off with some decent amateur wrestling, but could be hotter given what I saw in video package. Kondo lariats the post. So we expect AKIRA to exploit this and remove this weapon. All Japan was really into selling an injury, but then doing a move anyway. I still can't figure out how I feel about that versus outright no-selling. AKIRA misses a kick and his foot gets in ropes and BOOM chair shot to the knee by who I assume is Brother YASSHI, but I could be wrong. The knee work is solid and I love the fact Kondo uses the outside to great effect and throws AKIRA into his buddies. Kondo stupidly sets AKIRA up for a superplex. I hate that why would you give someone the high ground. AKIRA snaps the arm over the top rope. AKIRA works the arm and YASSHI gets nervous climbs on the apron, but brains Kondo with the briefcase. AKIRA climbs to the top and SPLASH! But only two. Kondo abruptly puts Akira in an inverted Texas Cloverleaf. Could have used a better transition there. Then the outright interference happens after a ref bump, but AKIRA's buddies chase off YASSHI. Kondo still hits a superplex. The finish run was concise and mostly well-done. AKIRA gets his hope nearfalls, a nasty German and backslide. Then Kondo hits two wicked lariats to win.
This a fun, breezy 15 minute match. It is entertaining and easy to digest, which I appreciate. Are there flaws, yeah, but it is a fun way to spend 15 minutes. ***
AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Champion Shuji Kondo vs. Kaz Hayashi - Sumo Hall 8/27/06
Probably the most underrated junior heavyweight in history, Shuji Kondo
The one constant of All Japan from the 70s through now is their disregard for the junior heavyweight division. Even NOAH as a spiritual successor to All Japan cultivated a strong juniors division led by KENTA and Marufuji. Even though Mutoh took over AJPW in the 00s coming from NJPW with a strong junior's division did not seem to change AJPW's stance on juniors wrestling. With that being said the token All Japan match of 2006 is a junior heavyweight encounter between two of Ultimo Dragon's students, Hayashi and Kondo.
Before, I get to the match a very skinny Stan Hansen gets into the ring to do the duties of reading from the scroll before a championship match and it was just such a cool touch to see Hansen again. He was wicked over.
This is one of the prettiest matches I have ever seen. It was like you strip Dragon Gate matches of any comedy and just have them play it totally straight, which makes sense since they are both Dragon's students. I can appreciate beautiful execution and from a technical level this is nearly perfect. Hayashi has the best looking hurricanarana I have ever seen and Kondo is one of the best at taking it. Hayashi really looks likes he is grabbing with his legs and forcing his opponent over. Kondo really throws himself into the bump. Hayashi's middle rope senton was fan-fuckin-tastic. He was going a million miles an hour. On the slow motion replay, he still looked like he was going fast. Kondo is a great powerhouse junior like a smaller version of Sasaki. He was really able to work on Hayashi's knee and some very impressive powerslams and one great spear. Of course if you are a powerhouse in Japan, you best have a nasty lariat and his destroys Kojima's and looks badass. Hayashi is a big fan of Emerald Flowsion, but when that can't secure him a victory he does what every wrestler does he tries the move from the top rope. In a move, I never EVER thought I would see. Kondo hits a Flip DDT. When we were growing up, my younger brother always said his finishing move was going to be the Flip DDT. I don't know if he is going to be crushed or excited that someone finally pulled off that move. A moonsault and lariat polish off Hayashi and Kondo retains the belt.
So now the other shoe drops, this match is great eyecandy, but there is not substance to any move. Kondo moves over Hayashi's knee really effectively. I love when he caught a Hayashi rana attempt and put him in a Boston Crab. What does Hayashi hit as his comeback move a wicked fast back handspring elbow. O BUT HE REMEMBERED TO SELL AFTER THE MOVE! He would do this for his 3 next big spots that required the knee, hit the move and sell the knee, before abandoning it altogether. I am happy he did put some effort in, but c'mon man! Look, I don't think just because someone attacks your knee you have to be crippled, but maybe you could hit your spots at half-speed or at least show you are struggling. The end of the match is a total bombfest with very little selling.
To me this is the perfect match to show fans or up and coming wrestlers look you are not going to get a better executed match, but see how they just rattle off moves and without that framework it is all inconsequential. Hayashi and Kondo are amazing to watch and I am sure if you put them in there with a Liger, 90s Sasuke, 90s Otani that they would have had some phenomenal matches. You pair this execution with a great layout, I am seriously saying five star classic without it you are just left wondering what might have been. ***3/4
All Japan Jr. Heavyweight Champion Shuji Kondo vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - AJPW 2/17/07
Strategy in pro wrestling is often reduced to being very one dimensional. You work a body part to set up your finishing move. You attack an opponents' strength to neutralize their finisher. I am not saying all good pro wrestling needs more advanced strategy or this specific strategy. What this match offered was a rare instance of a multi-faceted strategy. Nakajima established early that his intention was to neutralize Kondo's strength advantage and his lariats by knotting up his arm. However, Nakajima did not have a finishing hold to directly translate this strategy into a victory. In addition, Nakajima took a nasty spill onto the guardrail that severely fucked up his neck. In a nice touch, Hokuto checked on Nakajima. It can not be underestimated how much Sasaki and Hokuto added to the match by being on the outside cheering on Nakajima. It felt like parents cheering on their kid.
Nakajima pressed on by kicking the arm to keep Kondo at bay, but Kondo overwhelmed with brute power zeroing in on the injured neck. Nakajima realized that Kondo's arm was too strong and that point of attack would not turn the tide. So he began taking head shots. Finally, Nakajima stymied Kondo's onslaught and with a dive to the outside. He levelled the playing field to finally return to his attack on the arm. He utilized mentor Sasaki's arm drag, but could not get the cross armbreaker as Kondo slammed out on it dropping Nakajima right on the back of his head. As much as this match was about Nakajima, Kondo was amazing at selling the arm the right amount. He was not blowing off Nakajima's work, but at the same time Nakajima really had not done enough to damage the arm so that it was totally useless. Kondo was fighting through the pain in a believable way. Kondo's slams really target Nakajima's neck, who cant seem to get anything started. In a great sequence, Nakajima is deadweighting Kondo on a powerbomb so Kondo blasts him with a elbow. Nakajima's sell would make Kawada proud. Kondo then spikes Nakajima on his head with a piledriver, but Nakajima kicks out. I will say the placement of that move was too early. The big flaw of the match begins here as Nakajima starts selling like Kaz Hayashi meaning he sells after he does a move not as he is doing it, but it is not as egregious.
Nakajima at this point has no hope winning this match via arm work (no real submission game) so he goes for head shots to set up Emerald Flowsion and a flying bodypress. Kondo signals for a lariat and Nakajima kicks the arm reversing into a Human Capture Suplex only for 2. I liked how after all the kicks to the arm that Kondo could use his arm properly on his slam so that the full impact was not delivered. It was good selling. I loved the axe kick on lariat arm. Kondo finally gets lariat, but it is not enough. I totally bit on the Northern Lights Bomb finish with Sasaki right there. Nakajima wins the match with a German Suplex.
This match had the potential to be a Match of the Decade Contender. The dueling body part psychology, the appropriate arm selling by Kondo, the amazing neck selling of Nakajima, the two-leveled Nakajima strategy all wove together to create a unique, dynamic match. The finish run did depart from this where Nakajima's comeback became a bit incredulous and his selling uneven and the moves excessive. I am not going to penalize the match too much because the base of the match was still there Nakajima defending against the lariat, working through his early match mishap (neck) and using headshots to create big offense. ****1/2
I wonder how Minoru Suzuki feels about Miley Cryus stealing his gimmick. How bitchin would it be if she stole his hairstyle too? I would become a Miley fan over night.
I would say what I am most surprised about is the lack of love for Minoru Suzuki in this Best of the 00s poll. He has been having a kickass 10s so I just presumed we would see more of him in this decade. Mutoh is a polarizing figure no matter what decade he is competing in. I definitely lean towards the pro-Mutoh SIDE in the 2000s with his barrage of dragon leg screws, basement dropkicks, figure-4s and Shining Wizards. It is really effective work, but it requires the opponent to add something. The maniacal Suzuki does a great job selling and coming off like a total lunatic at the same time.
The opening matwork is a little boring, but it is well-worked. The one THING the New Japan boys had over the All Japan boys was they were more well-versed in matwork so Mutoh does not seem out of place going up against a legitimate shooter even if his double wristlock is shit. Suzuki gets a deep double wristlock and applies the cross armbreaker and we have our first major turning point of the match. Mutoh bails and Suzuki is right on him attacking the arm using railings and the ropes at will. He does get a little cocky and while he is stepping through the ropes Mutoh catches the foot and everybody say it with me: DRAGON LEG SCREW!!! My favorite spot variation on the usual Mutoh work is the dropkick from the timekeeper's table to Suzuki's knee. I dig Mutoh's leg work and Suzuki was great at selling it. What really got my goat in this match was Suzuki worked a short cutoff getting a cross armbreaker and Mutoh totally no sold it by lying there and then just popping out into a figure-4. That really pissed me off because it really ruined what could have been interesting dual psychology and I hate when the cross armbreaker is disrespected.
Suzuki gets an ab stretch while Mutoh is on top and that is the trigger to Suzuki taking over. Suzuki does a great job showing how he is fighting through the pain to kick Mutoh's arm not that Mutoh is really selling it well. Suzuki hits his piledriver and goes back to the abdominal stretch. Suzuki goes to his bread and butter the sleeper. Mutoh is a bit taller than Suzuki so he has a leverage advantage in being able to whip him off and also not feel the full effect, but once Suzuki is able to get him on his back that all disappears and so when Mutoh tried to roll through a second time it almost cost him the match. After a pinfall attempt, Mutoh rattles off 4 Shining Wizards and no pin! Backbreaker, Moonsault, but Mutoh comes down hard on the knee and cant make the pinfall right away. Kick out! Oh so you will sell WHEN YOUR own move hurts you, but not your opponent's moves. I see you, Keiji. He hits a Shining Wizard but uses the hurt knee and again hesitates to make the cover. He looks to hit the backbreaker, but Suzuki rolls into a heel hook. Mutoh makes the ropes. Suzuki mocks Mutoh and gives him a taste of his won medicine with a Dragon Leg Screw, but goes to the well once too many and Mutoh hits a Shining Wizard. Suzuki is rocked and Mutoh goes for the Shining Wizard and Suzuki catches it into a heel hook to retain the Triple Crown.
I was really bothered by Mutoh's selling. He dropped the arm selling even though Suzuki kept going back to it and Mutoh slightly sold for the sleepers, but once he hit his knee on his own move then he starts selling that smacks of egotism. Suzuki was phenomenal in this. He is dangerous and he knows it, but is not afraid to sell. He had a near one year reign as Triple Crown Champion and I think I will go back and watch some of his matches after I finish up everything HERE. The finish stretch here is one of the better ones of the 00s and really liked the Shining Wizard counter to a dragon leg screw only to have the Shining Wizard countered into a heel hook. It is a not match of year contender, but still a great match. ****1/4
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Toshiaki Kawada - Champions Carnival 2008
This did not make the Best of Japan 00's voting, but could not simply resist watching one of my new favorites against one of my all-time favorite wrestlers. Tanahashi as the cocky, pretty boy that will do anything to win matches is incredible. What makes him such a great heel is that he is always doing something underhanded to take the advantage. Early on, he gets under Kawada's skin by slapping him on a rope break and running away.He transitioned this into a baseball slide and wiping out Kawada with a plancha. When Kawada started kicking his pretty face in with big boots and then whipping him into the railing, he tried to blow out Kawada's knee. Unfortunately for him, Kawada has not sold his knee all decade and he probably is not going to start for this punk kid. Kawada is the perfect foil for Tanahashi. Unlike Suwama and Goto for are ultra-serious Strong Style pro wrestlers. Kawada has character. He holds Tanahashi in contempt for flaunting his hair and being a punk. So when Kawada is beating the snot out of him it is all the better. They do a great build on the outside to a Kawada powerbomb where he just throws Tanahashi DOWN! Tanahashi has been a great bumper in the matches I have seen. He really makes people's offense look good. Just when it looks like Kawada has him beat as he goes for a second powerbomb, Tanahashi low blows him. Awesome! The finish run is very well-done with minimal no-selling. Tanahashi is just absolutely desperate. He throws everything at Kawada going after his knees, throwing out cradles and sprinting for High Fly Flow. Kawada is also working hard to win the match using cradles, hits his brainbuster and kicks to head. There is a real sense of urgency as the clock winds down to a draw. This is the best Kawada match seen since 2005 and is about on par with Misawa Dome match. Tanahashi played to 00s Kawada's strengths and that is just letting him kick ass and work a hot finish. The more I watch the more I believe that if the NWA travelling champ was still a thing that Tanahashi would be the best NWA champion today. He works great with a variety of opponents, he knows how to shine them up, he always gets the crowd invested in his matches, he knows how to work on top as a face or as heel and his finish run lead to a climax. It was great to see Kawada have another great match and this leaves me only more excited for more Tanahashi matches. ****
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Suwama - AJPW Champions Carnival 2008
All Japan, New Japan & NOAH aces all in one photo. Pretty damn cool.
In 2007 it seemed New Japan had left the dark ages of Inokism behind them, but 2008 was like the Black Death before the Renaissance we are witnessing today. Admirably, they tried to create a star on Tanahashi's level by having him drop the IWGP championship to Nakamura on the Dome show. This match did not make the project, but it is definitely, I am going to check out. To see how they since progressed (or perhaps retrogressed) since their great 2006 encounter and to see if Tanahashi plays the heel in the match. Much like in 2005 & 2006, it seems New Japan had partnered with All Japan, which included Mutoh winning the IWGP Championship. This was a death knell for championship match quality for the rest of the year. In addition, we saw Tanahashi wrestle in the Carnival against All Japan's hot, young prospect, Suwama.
I liked this match up a lot on paper before I even saw it for two reasons. One is both wrestlers are on the cusp of becoming The Man in their respective promotions. So you get a hungrier version of an Ace vs Ace showdown. In addition, there are few match ups I like more than the powerhouse versus the cocky pretty boy. This match, especially beginning, felt like I was watch Hiroshi Flair versus Lex Suwama. The cool paradigm shift in this match compared to the Flair vs. Luger series was Suwama was on Tanahashi's level so Tanahashi is even more tenuously in control than a Flair would be.
Hiroshi Tanahashi have the best consistent heat since the Kobashi title defenses. This crowd was red hot. Booing the shit out of Tanahashi and chanting for Suwama throughout the match. It does not matter if it is Greensboro, NC or Tokyo, JP, every crowd is going to love the pretty boy slam -> gloats, but unaware of the powerhouse no-sell -> pretty boy gets slammed. I love when wrestling transcends both time and cultures like that.
INCOMING!!! Huge pop for Suwama's suicide dive! Tragedy strikes for our hero as he was re-entering the ring, Tanahashi grabbed his leg and wrenched it with a timely dragon leg screw. Again, Tanahashi takes away the base of his stronger opponent. He is able to work a body part, but also create an opening for his preferred moves. Plus, cocky, shit-eating grin Tanahashi is awesome at working over the leg. I loved when Tanahashi is jaw jacking with the ref and gets speared, but it is right back to work on the leg. Suwama slaps the ever loving taste out of Tanahashi's mouth to HUGE cheers and mounts the comeback.
Unfortunately, Suwama does not really bother selling and the match does lose its way a bit. It is a bit too easy for Tanahashi to regain in intervening moments when Suwama should either be kicking his ass or making him earn it more. I liked Suwama going for a knee for a knee with a heel hook, but only lasted for a hot second. The Sling Blade countered into a Back Drop Driver is such a great spot. Tanahashi is a crazy bumper. He was getting absolutely tossed around by Suwama. Suwama hits this crazy German Suplex that Cesaro would be proud of, it was a sick dead lift. Tanahashi is overkilled, just like the Goto match, but to an more extreme degree. Tanahashi has not been hit with the powerbomb.
Tanahashi hits a High Fly Flow hits knees in mutual destruction, but Tanahashi comes out on top. He applies the Texas Cloverleaf, which won him the Goto match. This time it was just not in the cards. Tanahashi crumples him with a Dragon Suplex. He goes for another one, but countered into an overhead belly to belly. Here comes the powerbomb, but Tanahashi counters into a roll-up. Tanahashi showboating gets his head taken off with a lariat and finally the powerbomb ends it.
This and Goto matches are very close for me. Tanahashi is really excellent in both of them as the cocky, pretty boy heel that uses the dragon leg screw as a game changer. I loved the addition of the Texas Cloverleaf to the arsenal. I like Suwama better than Goto because he has more charisma and has some cooler power spots. I thought the beginning of the Suwama match was better because it was even more clear in its face/heel dynamic and was really entertaining. However, the finish run was definitely more overkill in this match. Tanahashi should not have survived that many slams on the neck to only get back on offense. The finish of the Goto match overwhelms the beginning of the Suwama match for me to put the Goto match ahead, but both will do very well. ****1/4
AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion Naomichi Marufuji vs Shuji Kondo - AJPW 11/03/08
I have a biger problem with the bomb throwing fests where I run though my moves for a bit and then you run through yours especially in this context because it does not treat the wrestlers as unique entities. Marufuji and Kondo have enough stylistic differences that they should be responding to each other rather than working as if they were against a generic create-a-wrestler. I understand the viewpoint that I should judge the match I got not the match I think I should have got, but I think when the match I get effaces character of the wrestler I don't think it is a very good match. The beginning of the match was easily the best part because you got to see those stylistic differences in action. Marufuji was outwrestling and using his quickness to stay in control. Then he went for a sunset flip powerbomb off the apron and Kondo just stepped on his face. Kondo used his power to attack Marufuji. Then as soon as Marufuji busted out that weak ass transition where the opponent literally carries him over into the ring so Marufuji can suplex him the match just plummeted him for me. It was a blinding barrage of suplexes, superkicks and lariats then just kept on going and going and going. I loved how they did "we are too exhausted to really hit each other" strike exchange about 8 minutes before the actual finish. I was just like fuck both of these asshole and I actually like Kondo. Kondo runs a bunch of his impressive power spots, but when he goes for Splash Mountain it is countered. Now Marufuji hits Spanish Fly, lariats and a Michinoku Driver for the victory. It was not even really that entertaining of a bomb fest. It was just really long, meandering and aimless.
AJPW TRIPLE Crown Champion Yoshihiro Takayama vs Suwama
Pro Wrestling Love 8 08/30/09
My main main, Takayama has risen to the ranks of ALL Japan Triple Crown Champion as AJPW continues their run of veterans as champions while they continue to build their only viable Ace, Suwama before they switched to their current penchant for sumo wrestlers. Mutoh is not Inoki weird, but definitely cut from the same cloth. All Japan for their troubles actually was not in that horrible shape when compared to Pro Wrestling NOAH. NOAH has a wider collection of young talent, but Suwama is definitely at the same level as all their heavies and is more consistent. I will say I need to see more Shiozaki and have not seen Suguiria. Morishima has been able to hit higher highs than Suwama, but Suwama is the more even wrestler. The problem is AJPW just has no one to pair him with at all. Suwama is pretty good straight ahead power wrestler that hits his spots and lays it in. He could use a little more fire at times, but as a meat and potatoes wrestler I have seen none better in his generation in NJPW, AJPW or NOAH.
Much like Sasaki versus Takayama, this is a fucking war! What I love about Takayama is that he has no obvious weaknesses. He is a giant shooter that can kick your ass with strikes, throws and on the ground. It means his opponent has weather an onslaught and take advantage of any mistake. Give Suwama credit, he does try to take it Takayama first with grappling, but caught in cravat and then a test of strength does not go his way. From what I read of Suwama is that he is country boy strong, the sort of Japanese equivalent of the cornfed farmboys of the Midwest so when his strength is not working then it is not looking too hot for the young stud. Suwama gets an early break when he throws Takayama out on the floor. I dig Suwama's double chops they make a great sound and look painful. Takayama is THE KING of Clubbering Offense. He makes knees and forearms look badass and interesting. Again, Suwama takes advantage by catching an errant Takayama kick and turning it into a throw. Suwama cant keep the advantage and they end up exchanging chops and throws. I just love two big dudes throwing each other around. SUWAMA BIG DIVE~! HOLY SHIT! Somewhere along the line Takayama's eye is swollen shut! The belly to belly throw off the top rope almost kills Takayama, which probably was not a terribly safe spot given Takayama's age and condition. Suwama steals Takayama's Everest Suplex to only get two, which takes to an All Japan video package is how Suwama beat Takayama in a tag match earlier in the summer. Takayama drills him with a nasty Dragon Suplex. Suwama puts up some resistance so Takayama nails him with a closed fist, a headbutt that busts Takayama open and Everest Suplex for win.
The two strikes against this match was that 2009 Takayama just isnt 2002 Takayama. He is a lot slower and not as healthy. He does excel at these gritty contests and his roughhouse style ages well. Suwama is a like a 90s Kensuke Sasaki before he adopted Kobashi-ism. He is a brick powerhouse, but he is has the added advantage of being taller than Sasaki so looking even more imposing. If you watch the video package, you will also see that Suwama has PROBABLY best looking powerbomb ever, but we don't get to see it in this match. The other strike is that it is a little two back and forth. At first, the transitions were Suwama catching Takayama, but not being able to sustain offense, but after a while it just became throw shit out at each other. This is one of the few matches where I felt the finish stretch actually helped the match rating because of how nasty Takayama was on offense and Suwama put up a strong resistance, but it was NOT too ZOMG FIGHTING SPIRIT~! Much like Takayama/Sasaki, I really enjoyed this match, but it is not really a MOTYC, but still very entertaining. ****
AJPW Triple Crown Champ Yoshihiro Takayama vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 09/26/06
I have this weird attraction towards ALL Japan in the 00s. I don't know if it is misplaced loyalty due to my love for 80s and 90s All Japan even though they are the same promotion in name only or if it is because it reminds me of a Japanese version of WCW. They have the strong veterans on top and have some interesting combinations headlining their shows. They use angles/storylines, which are usually stupid, but in a fun WCW way not a shitty TNA way. Most importantly, their wrestling matches feel like a throwback to the 80s and 90s. NOAH is so steeped in Kobashism, unless Akira Taue is wrestling, that you just need a break from all that overkill. New Japan just fucking sucked for years and we will see how it goes once Tanahashi and Co. take over, but All Japan actually has matches that build to a climatic finish rather than the false finish three spots before getting the biggest pop. Akira Taue in 00s All Japan would have been actually really awesome. The Holy Demon Army versus Mutoh/Kojima versus Tenryu/WAR Guy in the early 00s, YES PLEASE! Holy Demon Army versus Minoru Suzuki/Takayama, what a badass match that could have been! There was a lot wrong with All Japan, but my biggest problem has been Satoshi Kojima. I have really wanted to like him. I really did. You know who he reminds me of, 2005 John Cena. When they tried to make Cena into Austin (rebel against Authority, Bischoff), Rock ("funny" promos), Hogan (superman in the ring), Kojima uses Kobashi's chops, Misawa's Roaring Elbow and Hansen's Western Lariat. Who can forget Johnny Ace's Ace Crusher! C'mon dude make something your own.
The match is basically the Suwama match, but worse because Kojima is just mediocre at everything. Takayama beats the living shit out of Kojima and busts up his nose. Kojima tries to make the same comeback as Suwama, but does not have the presence or moveset. Ace Crusher, Kojima does not disappoint! Takayama brutalizes him with knees and he kicks out at 1 for a back drop driver?!?!?!? FUCK YOU PUNCH To FACE! Everest Suplex only gets two!??!!?? Yep, Kojima is winning, but before first, Takayama hits a nasty Dragon Suplex. Takayama is the God King of The Dragon Suplex. I actually liked Kojima popped up lariat when Takayama went for the big knee, but the following Lariats were not Stan Hansen-esque as the announcer was trying to say to win the TRIPLE Crown titles only to drop it to some lame sumo wrestler that is not Akebono.
It is not a bad match, but watching this back to back with the Suwama match you see how much better Suwama is than Kojima. Takayama BEATING up anybody is always going to be entertaining. He makes clubbering look so good. Kojima is just so blase. He was not as over as he was in 2005. ***1/4
The reason Puroresu Thursday got moved to Tuesday was because while I have watched all the badass AJ Styles G-1 Climax footage. I have not yet written it all up so look for that on Thursday!
