Pro Wrestling Love vol. 64 - Best of Puroresu 2010-2014 (Hiroshi Tanhashi, Kazuchika Okada, Kenta Kobashi, Jun Akiyama)

 Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 64:

The Best of Puroresu 2010-2014

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at http://gweproject.freeforums.net/) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Subject: This sixty-third volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the beginning of the Top 12 countdown of the best pro wrestling matches to take place in Japan between 2010-2014. I covered 2005-2009 in an earlier edition of Pro Wrestling Love. I decided to do the next five year chunk. Originally, I was thinking of covering New Japan from 2012-2016 separately as that covers the rise of Kazuchika Okada, BUT the Puroresu scene from 2010-2011 does not really have much meat on the bone to warrant its own coverage so we will look at Puroresu as a whole from 2010-2014. The last two years are very New Japan heavy as their resurgence was completed with the New Three Musketeers: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakamura leading the charge and also the gaijin-faction The Bullet Club renewing Western interest in the product. 2010-2011 saw FUTEN (Daisuke Ikeda's Shoot-Style Promotion) and Dick Togo's run in DDT holding down the fort while New Japan was recharging. After reigning supreme in terms of match quality in the first decade of the 21st Century, NOAH spiraled out of control due to the tragic death of Mitsuharu Misawa and the retirement of top star, Kenta Kobashi. By 2011, Jun Akiyama was the All Japan Triple Crown champion and in 2012 he officially defected with many of NOAH's top stars to All Japan. NOAH was left with KENTA as the only viable main event star. All Japan with the signings of Akiyama & Co, Masakatsu Funaki and the rise of SUWAMA & Kento Miyahara had a mini-resurgence of their own in the front half of the 2010s garnering some buzz for their matches for the first time in a decade. All Japan was still dwarfed in regards to ticket sales and critical acclaim compared to New Japan Pro Wrestling, but they offered refreshing alternative.  You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

Contact Info: @superstarsleeze on Twitter, Instagram & ProWrestlingOnly.com.

Honorable Mentions

Takahiro Oba & Takeshi Ono vs Kengo Mashimo & Manabu Suraga - FUTEN 5/30/10

Daisuke Ikeda vs Takeshi Ono - FUTEN 9/26/10

Daisuke Ikeda & Takahiro Oba vs Makoto Hashi & Kengo Mashimo - FUTEN 10/24/10

Even though, I felt that the 2010 FUTEN matches fell more in the very good camp than the classic camp, I wanted to include them because they are considered the best of 2010 by many and they are so unique as this the last gasp of shoot-style to the best of my knowledge. For me 2008 BattlArts was a better shoot-style revival promotion. The best of these is the sub-5 minute spring between Ikeda & Ono.

Osaka Pro Wrestling Champion Dick Togo vs Billy Ken Kid - Osaka Pro 2/11/10

Dick Togo vs Hikaru Sato - DDT 11/28/10

Similar to FUTEN, Dick Togo was a star of the Puroresu scene in 2010-2011 in part because the more mainstream outlets were starting to fail (NOAH) or had not fully recovered (NJPW). Again, I found these matches to be very good than classic, but THE Dick Togo match of this era does make my countdown.

AJPW Triple Crown Champion Jun Akiyama vs Keiji Mutoh - AJPW 3/20/12

AJPW Triple Crown Champion Jun Akiyama vs Masakatsu Funaki - AJPW 8/26/12

All Japan Triple Crown Champion Masakatsu Funaki vs SUWAMA - AJPW 9/23/12

Go Shiozaki vs Suwama - AJPW 9/15/14 Royal Road Tournament

Jun Akiyama vs Kento Miyahara - AJPW 9/15/14

Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori vs. Go Shiozaki & Kento Miyahara - AJPW 12/6/14

For some reason, I cannot explain I have a soft spot for 21st Century All Japan. Once Jun Akiyama, the Prodigal Son returned home, they experienced a resurgence. By 2014, they were again making noise in hardcore fan circles and garnering votes in Match of the Year polls. The best of these was the tag team match between the 90s veterans of Akiyama & Omori vs Shiozaki & Miyahara. In addition, I highly recommend the 5 minute championship sprint between Akiyama and Funaki. 

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada - NJPW Feb 2012

IWGP Champion Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi - NJPW Dominion 2012

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada - Wrestle Kingdom VII

Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi - NJPW G-1 Climax 2013

It is the Tanahashi vs Okada series, need I say more. My only tip is watch the Tombstone Piledriver. Every wrestling fan needs to see this series. 

Kensuke Sasaki vs Jun Akiyama - NOAH 4/10/10

GHC Heavyweight Champion Takahashi Sugiura vs Yoshihiro Takayama - NOAH 7/10/2010

Kensuke Sasaki vs Go Shiozaki NOAH 7/10/10

GHC Heavyweight Champion Takashi Sugiura vs Kensuke Sasaki - NOAH 11/14/11

Kenta Kobashi, Jun Akiyama, Keiji Mutoh & Kensuke Sasaki vs KENTA, Go Shiozaki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Maybach Taniguchi - NOAH 5/11/13

GHC Heavyweight Champion KENTA vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - NOAH 10/5/13

NOAH may have been dying a death, but it still had some great matches. The veterans, Kensuke Sasaki, Akiyama & Takayama were still heavily involved in the early part of the decade to draw. Sasaki vs Akiyama is a major pairing that no one every talks about as a dream match but it did happen once in 2010 and is worth a watch. KENTA's second best title defense was against one of my favorites, Nakajima and I thought this was better than their 2009 series. Finally, a match that every Puroresu fan should watch, Kenta Kobashi's retirement, if you dont tear up then you dont have a soul, brutha. 

Koji Kanemoto vs Fujita Jr Hayato - NJPW 5/26/11

Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Champion Kenou vs Fujita Jr Hayato - Michinoku Pro 6/3/12

Great Sasuke & Jinsei Shinzaki vs Fujita Jr Hayato & Kenou - Michinoku Pro 11/4/13

Gotta put my boy, Fujita Jr Hayato. It pains me I couldnt find room for any of these in my Top 12, but Hayato had a strong start to the beginning of the 2010s. What ended up happening to him?

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Satoshi Kojima - NJPW 8/15/10

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Toru Yano - NJPW G-1 Climax 8/3/2011

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Minoru Suzuki - NJPW G-1 Climax 8/14/11

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya Naito - NJPW 3/4/12

Katsuyori Shibata vs Tomohiro Ishii - NJPW G1 Climax 2013

NEVER Champion Tomohiro Ishii vs Tomoaki Honma - NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 5/3/14

AJ Styles vs Tetsuya Naito - G-1 Climax 2014

Katsuyori Shibata vs Tomoaki Honma - G-1 Climax 2014 Day 8

Kazuchika Okada vs Shinsuke Nakamura - NJPW G-1 Climax Finals 8/10/14

In the pre-Okada era, Tanahashi managed to have a great classic match with Kojima and a very fun face/heel match with Yano (which is unique in Puroresu). My last cuts were Shibata vs Ishii and Shibata vs Honma. I really liked Ishii and Honma a lot in this era and bums me out that I couldnt find them a spot, but hey it was a loaded field. Definitely check out some Ishii and Honma from this era. 

Top 12 Best Puroresu Matches 2010-2014

#12. Kenta Kobashi/Jun Akiyama vs Kensuke Sasaki & Mitsuhiro Kitamiya 

Diamond Ring 2/11/12

Perhaps the ultimate veteran/young lion vs two grumpy dicks tag match, which is among my favorite genres of pro wrestling matches. The only thing that drags it down just a bit is that Kobashi is just not a very good jerk in this match. He is just too much of a good guy. He never transitioned into that Tenryu role. On top of not being that grumpy, he clearly quite debilitated by the years of injuries and illness. Kobashi is among my favorite wrestlers so it is always nice to watch him wrestle especially in a match I have never seen before. Good thing, Akiyama wrestles for two and gives one of the most inspired grump old timer performances of all time. Kitamiya who I have never heard of meets him in one of the best fiery young lion performances of all time as he dies for our pleasure. Sasaki is a solid hot tag veteran presence for Kitamiya, but the story of the match is the Akiyama vs Kitamiya. 

Akiyama SCHOOLS Kitamiya early on. Blocking every takedown attempt with ease and transitioning into any hold he wants. It is total command and a beautiful wrestling lesson. Playful slaps from Akiyama have me smiling. Kitamiya gets more and more frustrated as he is being humiliated in the middle of the ring. He gets a bloody nose and is charging Akiyama with all he has got for a double leg takedown and Akiyama stands there like a stonewall. Kitamiya gives up on wrestling and fires off some elbows. Akiyama is like "Oh no, you didn't, bitch." and just blasts him. He throws Kitamiya's carcass to Sasaki. One of the all time great opening segments to a wrestling match ever.

Kobashi/Sasaki have their obligatory chopfest.

Sasaki forces Kobashi into his corner and Kitamiya tags himself in. Sasaki looks confused, but shrugs and says go ahead, young buck. Kitamiya unloads on Kobashi with big elbows and Kobashi just throws one high chop to the throat to stymie him, which is a Tenryu dick thing to do I will admit. Tags in Akiyama. Oh boy! He throws Kitamiya to the outside. Kitamiya runs back in and dropkicks Akiyama off the apron. Hey, maybe he can do some damage! We get some Sasaki & Akiyama and Sasaki actually hits a delayed vertical, but Kitamiya wants in and Sasaki reluctantly lets him tag in. Kitamiya reigns down the elbows and Akiyama just slaps the taste out of his mouth. He drops knees into the young lion's face watching him writhe in pain. Kobashi comes in and chop and facelock. Kobashi throws him to the outside and Akiyama just no sells everything and then overhand slaps him in the bloody nose!!! I LOVE PRO WRESTLING! He throws him into the barricade. Kitamiya tries firing up, but Akiyama just slaps him down. You gotta give the kid credit; he doesn't give up. Kobashi chop and now ab stretch. Akiyama gets a deep Boston Crab. Sasaki is really fun on the apron. KItamiya gets a running forearm to tag out to Sasaki.

Sasaki is an awesome house of fire!!! Tons of energy, chops, lariats and a big powerslam to that dick Akiyama. You really want to see Akiyama's ass handed to him and Sasaki does that. It is just like pick on someone your own size and then Sasaki comes in and brutalizes the bully. Great wrestling psychology. You can feel the urgency too. If he does not win now, then he knows there is no shot. Sasaki gets his famous armbar, but Kobashi comes in chops him hard. Akiyama is able to recover to hit a knee from the middle rope, which enough to tag out to Kobashi. Kobashi gets caught in lariat sandwich, but kicks out. Kitamiya wants in and Sasaki is spent. He makes the difficult decision to tag out. 

Kobashi side steps Kitamiya's dropkick. Sasaki bulldozes Kobashi and Akiyama comes flying in with a high knee. SPEAR TO AKIYAMA! KITAMIYA'S REVENGE!!! HE DUMPS KOBASHI ON HIS BACK! THE KID GOES WILD! He gets cocky and tries a BURNING LARIAT~! Kobashi no sells! Awesome! Spinning back chop and Akiyama comes in to hit a sliding knee to get two. KOBASHI BURNING LARIAT~! Finishes him off.

Awesome performances by Akiyama and Kitamiya. Opening segment is incredible. Akiyama is such a douche in this. Kitamiya gives the ultimate "I think I can, I think I can..." performance. I love Kitamiya's explosion at the end only succumb to Kobashi's Burning Lariat! Second best match of Japan in 2012 and a stone cold classic.

#11. Katsuyori Shibata vs Hirooki Goto - NJPW Dominion 2013

Big, dumb, hyper-masculine, testosterone-addled fun! So often spotfests seem so dainty and like a gymnastic exhibition. THIS IS A MAN'S SPOTFEST! They beat the living shit out of each other. I love Shibata. Hell, Goto was awesome in this too. Goto set the tone right out of the gate with a monster lariat as they charged each other. I loved the way Shibata stepped through that roundhouse kick. That was the most intense figure-4 ever when Goto slapped the shit out of Shibata and Shibata yelled at him. I don't care they dropped each on their head three times and each time popped up to deliver another head drop because THEY ARE MEN! That Shibata headbutt was ferocious. They rifled each other with kicks, slaps and forearms. The finish was actually really well-built. Goto basically slammed Shibata face first down on the mat, which was his big nearfall. Shibata used a desperation sleeper to get himself back in it and then with kicks and a couple Death Valley Drivers was able to use the Sleeper effectively enough to set up the Penalty Kick!

Stiffness marks rejoice and revel in this manliness! Awesome!

#10. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi - NJPW 10/14/13

The series is at 2-2-1, but with Okada as champion going into the match and being 1-0-1 in the last two you can tell Tanahashi was feeling the pressure. He starts off more conservative with a headlock base. Then he even feigns a knee injury. He really milks it and even I think it is going to lead to an Okada heat segment so he had all fooled. He was prancing around doing air guitar to a big pop in the crowd and with me. He goes after the arm, but misses the somersault splash. Okada works the neck with the usual offense, the key highlights being the dropkick to the floor and the Hangmans DDT from railing. The match picks up when Tanahashi press slams him from the top. So if Tanahashi ever wrestles Flair people cant say Flair forced him to do that spot. :) 

Tanahashi needs a strike exchange, missed dropkick before he can take over with arm work. This is some vicious arm work. You can really feel the desperation in Tanahashi that he needs to win this match as he brutally attacks the arm. The transition out is pretty lame with Okada hitting his two weird suplexes that he always hits. Okada sells the arm on the Rainmaker pose. Tanahashi gets a neato pinning combination to avoid the Rainmaker. RAINMAKER~! Woah! That was early. Okada arm hurts too much ala Invasion Attack. The submission move he uses is called Red Ink, but he tries that, but cant hold due to the bad arm. Tanahashi should stick with the arm strategy in future matches. Tanahashi hits a wicked Dragon Suplex and then Sling Blade. High Fly Flow to a standing Okada, but Okada rolls to the outside, but there is no escaping Tanahashi as he hits one on the outside. I think that's the best use of the High Fly Flow to the outside I have seen. Okada nails a Tombstone on outside! BALL GAME! They really milk this spot. They really do protect the Tombstone. It comes down to Tanahashi trying to use his arm work to save the match with Okada trying to nail a Rainmaker and both of them are pretty much out of it from all the punishment. If the tombstone is not enough, Okada hits two picture perfect dropkicks, which should be enough. RAINMAKER~! Wait that was a Tanahashi Rainmaker! He gets a nearfall, here comes the High Fly Flows, but Okada got his knees up. TOMBSTONE~! BALL GAME~! RAINMAKER~!

This is the inferior version of the Invasion Attack match. It is a better template than they were using before, but the problem here was it was lacking the transitions of Invasion Attack and the drama. Instead they substituted bomb throwing. Here it felt my turn, your turn. Invasion Attack Okada's control was tenuous due to a bad wing, but Tanahashi could never really overcome the hole he was put in by the DDT on the apron and then subsequent headrops. Here, it was Tanahashi worked the arm really well and Okada sold, but then lets do bomb throwing. It sounds like I am being harsh, but I do think this is their second best match together because it is just plain more exciting than the previous ones and did think selling was great. I thought selling down the stretch was awesome. 

#9. GHC Heavyweight Champion KENTA vs Takahashi Sugiura - NOAH 5/12/13

Now this is more my style. Sugiura's pint-sized Stan Hansen act is great. These are two asskickers to the max. I liked that they keep the fighting spirit bullshit to a minimum and they just there to dish out pain. Sugiura is the first one to establish control with a side headlock. So simple, so effective and they show you can do a lot with it. Sugiura is a tenacious pitbull holding onto it. Once KENTA gets free, they just start rifling each other with kicks. KENTA's were brutal. Sugiura DROPPED him where he was standing with one of the most vicious slaps I have ever seen. The women in the front row eyes popped for that. Sugiura's front facelock is the stuff that would make a 1992 All Japan announcer cream his pants. :P  

KENTA struggles to the floor but Sugiura hits a neckbreaker off the apron and a brainbuster in the ring. He is rocking it. I didnt love KENTA's first comeback. He hit a dainty forearm and then a flying clothesline (the flying clothesline rarely ever looks good) and went into the STF. I was happy Sugura re-asserted dominance with a kneelift. Then it became all about the abdomen. Hanging him out to the dry on the top rope, SPEAR, front suplex. He was crushing it. He even did Big E's spear through the ropes to the floor which is insane. Sugiura is feeling it tonight. They brawl on the outside. KENTA saves himself by winning a suplex struggle and suplexing him in the crowd. Double Stomp from the riser to the floor. Then in a spot that popped me huge a Double Stomp from the top rope INTO THE CROWD! That was wicked! Sugiura milks the countout tease. This match is rocking. 

KENTA is flying a million miles per hour kicking Sugiura ass all over the place. Big dropkicks and kicks abound. Too early for Go 2 Sleep settles for STF. Scary lack of heat for the submission. He nails a Tiger Suplex out of this. Sugiura hits a Frankensteiner from out of nowhere which I totally loved as a sudden transition. Then he goes for an anklelock. It all rushes back to me I knew there was something I didnt like about Sugiura, he wrestles like Angle down the stretch a ton of anklelocks and Olympic Slams. It breaks down into a fucking stiffest. This was glorious. They were slapping the shit out of each other. Both of them were giving as good as they got but as KENTA dove for a takedown Sugiura rocked his shit with an uppercut knee. Wow! In the corner at one point, Sugiura was just cracking with slaps and then a barrage of vicious elbows. KENTA is dead. He is fucking dead. Wow! That was amazing. Olympic Slam and nothing doing. You see they went too far now. They killed the babyface and now his comeback is incredulous. Sugiura starts smacking him around and KENTA just wakes up and tries to submit him. Ugh.

They are slapping each other. Fatigue and pain has set in. This is so badass. They start roaring against each other. Through the onslaught, KENTA fights through and hits GO 2 SLEEP! 1-2-NO! Sugiura comes up swinging. This time is CLOSED FISTS! He is throwing lefts and rights and holy shit! KENTA FIRES BACK WITH HIS OWN FISTS OF FURY! Forget what I said. THESE MEN WERE BORN TO BE ALIVE! HOLY SHIT THAT WAS JERRY LAWLER LEVEL EPIC! GO 2 SLEEP ON EXPOSED KNEE! 1-2-NO! What the fuck that should have been the finish. KENTA pummels Sugiura into submissions with wicked slaps it is brutal. Go 2 Sleep! Academic!

It has its flaws but fuck this was a WAR~! KENTA earned his man stripes tonight as he went toe to toe with one of the toughest asskickers of all time. Took a lickin and he kept on tickin and he beat Sugiura at his own game standing and banging. Awesome asskicker of a match, the closed fist sequence is an all-timer! 

#8. AJPW Triple Crown Champion SUWAMA vs Jun Akiyama - AJPW 10/23/11

The Prodigal Son Returns! Still announced from NOAH, this would be the beginning of Akiyama's full-time return and ultimate rise to power unseating Keiji "Pro Wrestling Love" Mutoh. I consider myself a Suwama fan. He feels like a raw bone power house that belongs in Mid-South. He is a hoss. I think it is easy to underestimate him in this match but this is far from a carryjob as he brings it as much as Akiyama in the best match of his career and what could prove to be the best non-New Japan match of the front of half of this decade. 

The story of the match is of course Akiyama, the Fifth Pillar, returning home and even though he is not the champion he is the favorite, I think Suwama is different than any opponent he has faced. Kobashi is strong as an ox, but Suwama is so one-dimensional and it is all about power with him. There are times when I don't think Akiyama is prepared for every counter to be a power move. On top of that Suwama has youth on his side and he is in his prime at this point. He has been a main eventer for at least three years now and is not afraid of the spotlight and it shows. He does not prove himself to Akiyama. He is equal from the beginning and that's what the test of strength shows. Akiyama gets a drop toehold on the outside into the railing shades of the Misawa 2000 classic to open up a lead on Suwama's neck. Suwama is great at selling this and what I love about Akiyama is even though we are 5 minutes into a 30 minute match none of his covers feel perfunctory. You feel that as he is attacking the neck that he could get a fall this early because of his urgency. As he tries to create some speed to strike Suwama's neck he leaves himself open to his power counter a big time overhead belly to belly that rocks him and sends him to the floor. That's when the match shifts into next gear. Suwama throws Akiyama around at will outside focusing on the back. Akiyama does a magnificent job selling the back. Suwama is destroying it with slams and a Boston Crab. Akiyama cant run the ropes, cant counter Suwama his back is in a bad way. There is a great spot where Akiyama gets a knee and tries to get up top so he can get some momentum to turn the tide, but his back is so bad that he cant capitalize and Suwama hits a big time superplex. It all comes to a head on the apron. If Akiyama cant come up with something here then his return will be a disappointment. He manages to hit an Exploder off the apron and salvage the match. Suwama is in a lot of pain. Akiyama slowly works himself back up using his patented Akiyama offense knees, elbow to the back of the neck, Exploder and the Guillotine Choke. Suwama strength and energy sapped. Akiyama looks to go airborne, but Suwama swats him out of the sky with a monster lariat. Now Suwama returns on offense and it is big time suplexes that's in order for Akiyama, but Suwama is clearly hurt from the Exploder and Choke. They do a big suplex barrage, which I don't care for, but it is obligatory in the style to sort of the level the playing field. Suwama hits a HUGE dropkick to send Akiyama to floor and then hurls his body through the ropes out on the floor onto Akiyama. This would be the biggest win of Suwama's career and he is pulling out all the stops. Akiyama back in the ring looks like he can barley stand or run the ropes. Suwama needs that powerbomb for the win. Akiyama struggles and struggles to avoid it locking on a choke, but Suwama does what Suwama does best he powers out with a back drop. That's difference between Suwama and his other opponents the reliance on power to solve his problems. It is barrage of suplexes, German and Backdrop Driver. Akiyama is putting up token resistance, but Suwama is irresistible even throwing out a frogsplash. Suwama calls for it and nails a MASSIVE POWERBOMB! Only gets two! Honestly, I was rooting for him. I knew right there it was over for him. Even though he kicked Akiyama's ass if he was not going to put him away there he was not going to do it.

Yep, just as he went for the back drop driver here comes Akiyama's resistance and he shifts his weight. As they struggle with strikes Akiyama hits a lucky knee that connects with Suwama's head and knocks him out. Great glassy eyed sell from Suwama. The selling has been off the charts great in this match. Akiyama hits a barrage of knees and the crowd comes alive. Exploder->1 count yep Suwama is dead in the water. Exploders and Wrist-Clutch Exploder only gets two!??!!? Oh cmon! New crazy Michinoku Driver wins the match for Jun Akiyama.

Guess what this would be Jun Akiyama's FIRST Triple Crown Championship. I had sneaky suspicion he never won pre-split and so this makes it extra special. Definitely way too much excess down the stretch. Suwama murdered Akiyama and could not get the job done annoys me because it makes Suwama look like a choke. The lucky knee was a great transition. Then again way too many knees and Exploders. Enough complaining, this fucking ruled. Great, great selling by both men. Loved the control segments. Suwama's power game was great. Akiyama's offense was brilliant. The transitions were incredible and so well-timed and made so much sense. Like I said may be the best non-New Japan match of this front half of the 2010s in Japan. Not talked about enough! Watch this match! 

#7. AJPW Triple Crown Champion SUWAMA vs Masakatsu Funaki - AJPW 10/24/10

Puroresu Match of the Year, 2010

FINALLY! This was uploaded in all its reigning glory I have probably been on the lookout for this for 5-6 year. This was even better than I expected. Table throws, furious strike exchanges and BLOOD~! Curious though we only get 21 minutes of a 29 minute match a little less than 75%. It feels complete so I am going to rate, but I wish we had it in its entirety. 

SUWAMA maybe the most underrated wrestler ever because he has been stuck in 21st Century All Japan his whole career, but the dude is a beast and if you like power wrestler like me you ought to check him out. Funaki is a shoot-style beast and together have a crazy sexy beast match that is probably my worldwide 2010 match of the year. In the buildup to this match Funaki was Knocking Fools Out with his kicks to the head including SUWAMA. That's how you build up a challenger. 

Pretty much an excellent shooter vs pro wrestler match. Funaki is better at strikes (kicks and open hand slaps) & submissions. SUWAMA has raw bone power and relentless heart. SUWAMA rocks the double hand chops, meaty lariats and brutal throws. Offensively, this is a dream match. 

Funaki catches him with a kick to the head that more spooks SUWAWA than anything else as he powders. This plays off Funaki's lethal kicks and his KO power. It plants that seed this match can be over at any second and SUWAMA needs to be cautious. The thing that is not SUWAMA's game plan. He is never cautious. He is always moving forward and is a bull, just lowers his head and runs into the fray. 

They do some great wrestling. I love how Funaki quashes SUWAMA's fireman's carry attempt and they both grapple really well. Upon standup, Funaki starts lighting SUWAMA up with kicks but just one might Double Chop fells Funaki. They do a great job establishing Funaki's technical advantage, but SUWAMA's strength is the great equalizer. On the outside Funaki again laces into him with kicks and SUWAMA just HURLS THE TABLE AT HIM! YES!

SUWAMA has the high ground back in the ring and scores with the Double Chop sending Funaki flying. SUWAMA sticks his leg through the ropes and Funaki gabs a kneebar. Funaki's other main weapon besides Knocking People The Fuck OUT is his heel hook. Funaki just settles into a rhythm of kicks and I could watch him kick forever. I love SUWAMA he is always moving forward and he is always trying to get back on offense. He is selling, but he keeps struggling and keeps fighting. Hell Yeah! Funaki is maneuvering into submissions like the heel hook and cross armbreaker, but SUWAMA is using his guts and power to fight out.  He starts catching those kicks and thats when he starts throwing Funaki around. At first those throws just get Funaki off balance, but eventually they will make in roads. Suplexes allow for resets they dont always cause damage. It breaks Funaki's rhythm but he gets back up. The first one that does real damage is the slam on the Triangle Choke pickup. It is all power with SUWAMA hurling his body with a shouldertackle off the apron and huge Mack Truck Lariats. Funaki for his part just starts throwing hands with reckless abandon. Funaki's hands were flying and a lesser man would be knocked out. These were stiff, brutal shots to the head. At one point in the corner I thought he fucking KO'd SUWAMA with an illegal closed fist. SUWAMA comes up with BLOOD! Holy shit! Funaki just comes flying in with a flying knee to the head. This is so fucking awesome! 

SUWAMA is out on his feet. He has nothing behind anything and Funaki is picking him apart. Funaki goes for the Back Drop Driver, but SUWAMA reverses and DEMOLISHES HIM! MASSIVE DROPKICK! THE BEST DOUBLE UNDERHOOK SUPLEX YOU WILL EVER SEE! Funaki tries fighting back, flying knee in the corner, but SUWAMA catches and muscles him into the BIGGEST RUNNING LIGER BOMB EVER! THAT WAS AWESOME! SUWAMA BLASTS WITH A SPINNING LARIAT! THIS IS SICK! SUWAMA wants his Last Ride Powerbomb. Funaki has one last gasp HUGE STRIKES TO THE HEAD! How the hell is SUWAMA not out...Funaki is teeing off...DOUBLE KO KICK AND SUWAMA OBLITERATES HIM WITH A LARIAT! Two massive Takayama style Germans and a THUNDEROUS POWERBOMB FOR THE EMPHATIC VICTORY! 

From a purely offensive standpoint, this is why type of match. I love shoot-style for its strikes and submissions. I love pro wrestling for its power in terms of the lariat, suplexes, slams and powerbombs. This was a blend of everything I love in wrestling from an offensive standpoint. On top of that, I loved the layout. It was electric, big fight feel. Both guys never giving an inch. They both coming forward, tons of struggle and urgency. This was not two dudes playing ragdoll for the other. They coming in and trying to disrupt the other. That is what I love. There is some selling stuff and some transitions here and there that could have been improved on but fuck it this was BAD FUCKING ASS! Supercharged Big Ass Pro Wrestling!

Pro Wrestling Love Vol. 9: Best of Puroresu 2005-2009 (Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata, Yuki Ishikawa)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 9:

The Greatest Matches of Non-NOAH Puroresu in 2005-2009

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at gwe.freeforums.project.net) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Contact Info: You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these match reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match. You can reach me on Twitter and Instagram @superstarsleeze or at ProWrestlingOnly.com as Superstar Sleeze to continue the discussion. 

Subject: This ninth volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the Top 6 countdown of the best matches to take place in Puroresu from 2005-2009. We left off at 2004 and so we are resuming at 2005. It makes sense to end at the end of the first decade of the 21^st century. The last half of the decade sees Antonio Inoki be ousted from New Japan in a shocker, but he was clearly losing his mind. In his departure, New Japan began its ascent back to its place in the sun as the top promotion in puroresu. It begins with building around traditional pro wrestling and placing new stars, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura at the forefront. In addition, shoot-style made a comeback in the form of FUTEN, Big Mouth Loud and the reopening of BattlArts. Finally, junior style wrestling was revitalized with the growing popularity of Dragon Gate and the success of Katsuhiko Nakajima and Fujita Jr. Hayato.

Ratings: As of right now, I would say the top match is a lock for the list along with one of the two BattlArts matches from 2008.  

The K.I.D.

Honorable Mentions

Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Champion Yoshitune vs Fujita Jr Hayato - Michinoku Pro 12/12/08

Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Champion Fujita Jr Hayato vs Ou Kobushi - Michinoku Pro 9/5/09

As Fujita Jr. Hayato’s biggest fan, I have got to make sure he is properly represented in Pro Wrestling Love. Michinoku Pro has a mini-resurgence in the late 2000s thanks to his excellent hard-hitting work.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion HiroshI Tanahashi vs Hirooki Goto - NJPW 11/11/07

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Manabu Nakanishi vs Hiroshi Tanahashi - NJPW 6/20/09

Speaking of resurgences none was bigger than New Japan’s in the late 2000s and was all behind the Ace of the Universe, Hiroshi Tanahashi. With Antonio Inoki ousted from power, New Japan was rebuilt as a true pro wrestling company around Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tanahashi is interesting as he no strong older supporting cast to help him rebuild. Hashimoto had passed away. Mutoh was running All Japan. Chono was retired. Sasaki was in NOAH. Tanahashi along with Nakamura literally built this company back up from scratch. That is a real feather in his cap.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW 12/10/06

Non-NOAH Puroresu Match of the Year, 2006

I wanted to single this match out, one because it was the non-NOAH match of the year for 2006 and because it was the first great match between the two biggest rivals that would dominated New Japan for the next decade.

Open The Triangle Champions Do Fixer (Genki Horiguchi, Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito) vs. Blood Generation (CIMA, Don Fuji, Naruki Doi) - Pro Wrestling Festival 2005

Dragon Gate is not my favorite style in the world, but I really did enjoy this one. I have a very fun spotfest that everyone will like and those that really like the style will love!

All Japan Jr. Heavyweight Champion Shuji Kondo vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - AJPW 2/17/07

Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Champion Fujita Jr Hayato vs Great Sasuke - Michinoku Pro 6/19/09

The last two out are both junior heavyweight matches and really show that junior heavyweight wrestling was having a mild renaissance in the late 2000s. As I mentioned in the previous volume, I really enjoy the work of Nakajima and this was his best singles match of the decade with ex-Dragon Gate powerhouse Shuji Kondo, a truly terrific match. The next match was a part of the great Fujita Jr Hayato campaign of 2009 where he is easily my pick for Wrestler of the Year. Here he is having a great match with the Great Sasuke who had not had a great match in a decade. As we will see later in this countdown, Hayato was firing on all cylinders.

The Top Six Non-NOAH Puroresu Matches of 2005-2009

GREAT BASH HEEL!

 #6. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata vs Togi Makabe – NJPW 7/6/07

Bloody, hellacious, heated brawl! Yuji Nagata needed to be in more of these in his career. Makabe was all in as a heel brawler. Totally invested in being the biggest scumbag on the planet. What is interesting is that it was not Makabe being an asshole that triggers Nagata into a fury. Nagata came out of the gate guns blazing! Makabe used every dirty trick he could. Nagata was the valiant defender of New Japan, a role he can surprisingly be good at. Nagata fights through eyerakes to beat the hell out of Makabe at the beginning, which is great at establishing the lengths which Nagata would go to. The ref keeps getting in his way and eventually he wears a steel chair as a collar around his neck, always a great visual. Then Makabe busts out scissors and I fell in love with this match. Nagata rips roars back into contention with huge Misawa-like elbows and bloodies Nagata. Double juice! The ref has some big cajones as he stands up to Nagata trying to rip off Makabe’s arm and to refusing to count pinfalls for Makabe because of him wrapping his arm in a chain and piledriving Nagata on a chair. Makabe misses his finish, the King Kong Kneedrop and it is off to the races. Nagata kicks his head off and the Back Drop Driver completes a successful defense. Chaos, violence and brutality. Re-reading my review, I may have actually underrated it. I need to rewatch this. This sounds amazing all over again when I was reading my review. Check this out!  

#5. Fujita Jr. Hayato vs Koji Kanemoto – NJPW Super J Cup 12/22/09

Puroresu Match of the Year, 2009

Hard Rock Halleujah! Big Hair! Middle Finger to the sky! It is Fujita Muthafuckin Jr Hayato! Hayato always has a bad attitude and the veteran Kanemoto meets him right at that level of hate & intensity. It was an absolutely electric beginning. Full mounts, hair pulling, choking, closed fists, eye gouging and gritty matwork. They make their way outside wiping out railings and chairs. Great atmosphere for this match, they are rocking. Hayato is not just a hard kicking badass. He is an amazing seller. Kanemoto worked an amazing double wristlock out of a German suplex and then switched to a heel hook that had Hayato scratching and clawing for the ropes. Great desperation selling. Steiner Screwdriver by Kanemoto! Wow! Kanemoto chooses to humiliate rather than win and that costs him as Hayato applies a tight Guillotine Choke, but Kanemoto makes it to the ropes. Kanemoto catches a kick and turns it into a heel hook for the win. What a fight! Energy and hate! Just a total asskicker!

#4. Yuki Ishikawa vs Daisuke Ikeda – FUTEN 4/24/05

Non-NOAH, Puroresu Match of the Year, 2005

FUTEN is a BattlArts-style promotion run by Daisuke Ikeda. BattlArts was started in 1996 after shoot-style Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gym (PWFG) closed. BattlArts was started by Yuki Ishikawa, but it was not quite a shoot-style promotion. It is more of an ultra-violent promotion. Not like a CZW, but like a New Japan Strong Style on steroids. In BattlArts, it is just two sometimes four dudes hitting the ever-loving crap out of each other and unlike shoot-style they allow closed fists. Shoot-style went out of style at the turn of millennium as real MMA in the form of PRIDE took off. In the mid-2000s there were some attempts at revitalization in the form of U-Style (run by Kiyoshi Tamura) and FUTEN by Daisuke Ikeda and then Yuki Ishikawa reopening BattlArts in 2008.

It should be noted that somewhere in Japan I believe that Ishikawa and Ikeda are fighting right now. They are the Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner of Puroresu they have been fighting each other than 1996 and had some tremendous battles in 1997. The over simplified story is Ishikawa is a ground & pound wrestler whereas Ikeda is the stand up striker with lethal kicks. It is the MMA story as old as time: Stand up vs ground.

Did I mention they allow CLOSED FISTS! Incredible how they are lying them in. Ikeda kicks ass at the beginning of the match earning 4 knockdowns and forcing 2 ropes breaks to Ishikawa’s one knockdown and 2 rope break forces. Shoot style selling is always interesting. The register is sudden and intense. The long term selling is cool and calm. It makes sense in a real fight you wouldn’t busy yourself selling, but you better that register is powerful. Ishikawa makes his comeback with back drop drivers. He closes the gap to 5 knockdowns and 3 rope breaks compared to Ikeda’s six knockdowns and 3 rope break forces. Ikeda pulverizes Ishikawa’s face and causes Ishikawa to bleed profusely from the mouth. Those Ishikawa suplexes were great.  Ishikawa earns the victory with a snug crossface chickenwing. More often than not theres no great overarching narrative it is just two dudes kicking each other’s teeth in and wanting to win badly.

You can Thank Phil & The Boys at Segunda Caida for this one!

#3. Yuki Ishikawa, Alexander Otsuka, Muneori Sawa vs Daisuke Ikeda, Super Tiger II, Katsumi Usuda – BattlArts 7/26/08 Elimination Match

Anytime you see Ishikawa across the ring from Ikeda you know that shit is gonna get real. It is a great organic, thoughtful the match was. Moves like Northern Lights Suplex, Figure-4 and Sharpshooter would never happen in a MMA contest, but here they come up with credible ways to apply the hold without excessive cooperation. Of course there are plenty of brutal strikes. The elimination nature helps add a narrative element that is missing from many of the BattlArts match that I crave.  I loved the beginning of the match building to the first elimination. Sawa has a chip on his shoulder and he really wants to take out the big dog, Ikeda. He is obsessed with him to the point of costing himself the match. However, they maintain the pecking order as Ikeda is able to assert his superiority over Sawa. It is Usuda that takes advantage of Sawa’s tunnel vision applying a deep, deep toehold. Sawa sells like a million bucks and conveys great desperation knowing that he is easy pickins’. Usuda taps Sawa out and Team Ikeda 203.

They do a great job showcasing how much a hole being down a man is. The opposing team has an extra man to break up submissions and thus the onus is now on the disadvantaged to score an elimination by knockout. A perfect example of this is Otsuka has an arm triangle on Usuda, Ishikawa detains Super Tiger, but Ikeda casually strolls over to break up the submission. The disadvantaged team has the suplex machine, Otsuka and the hard-hitting Ishikawa so they have a puncher’s chance. Otsuka does even the score by hitting a German/Dragon Suplex combo to KO Usuda and tying it up at 2-2. Ikeda & Tiger eliminate Otsuka in short order with a wicked Tiger kick to the head and then Ikeda polishes him off with a brainbuster and punt to the head. Team Ikeda is up 2-1. I love how quick that elimination was. Team Ishikawa worked so damn hard to tie it up only for Ishikawa to be left all by himself. Heartbreaker. There is no one to save Ishikawa in submissions and all his submissions will be broken up. In the spot of the match Ishikawa has a Standing Deathlock on Super Tiger so everytime Ikeda kicks Ishikawa down it wrenches the hold in more. Wow! That is a contender for greatest spot in history. Eventually Super Tiger’s knee gives out and he succumbs. It was all building up to this: Ishikawa vs Ikeda Round 8,624. Ishikawa is exhausted and may have punched himself out. Ishikawa wants a submission and Ikeda wants to kick Ishikawa’s head off when we get a draw! I didn’t like this finish. It is enough to probably keep it off my final ballot. It was not 30 minutes of Ishikawa vs Ikeda earning a draw rather it was an elimination tag where Ikeda was not in the match that long. It just did not feel like an earned draw, but booking crutch not to give a finish to Ishikawa vs Ikeda. Still for 30 minutes of action, you would be hard pressed to find something better.

   

#2. Yuki Ishikawa & Muneori Sawa vs Super Tiger II & Manabu Hara – BattlArts 11/16/08

Puroresu Match of the Year, 2008

My favorite genre of Puroresu: Prick heels vs Ace Babyface & A Hungry Young Lion. We saw Sawa in the previous match how he has a lot of energy and a real chip on his shoulder. Tiger holds Ishikawa as Hara attacks him with wicked kicks to the midsection. Great selling from Ishikawa. Ishikawa crumples to the mat with every kick to the midsection. All the submission holds are so well worked and so well-hold wrestlers lunging desperately for the ropes. The match kicks into overdrive when Sawa becomes a face in peril. Tiger hooks in a choke on Sawa. Sawa reaches the sanctuary of the ropes only to find Super Tiger come in blazing with kicks. Ishikawa tries to save but Hara hits a kneelift to his sore midsection. Tiger and Hara take turns mercilessly kicking Sawa. What makes this so good is the gradualism of Sawa’s selling. There is no dying, no deadfish selling and no miraculous kicks outs. Sawa is fighting back, but just being overwhelmed. Sawa pays tribute to the Keiji Mutoh with a Dragon Leg Screw and Shining Wizard! Pro Wrestling Love! The rest of the match is effectively a handicap match as Sawa is completely decimated. Super Tiger II looks to finish the job he started in August of 2008 in his singles match with Ishikawa. Ishikawa is able to play counterwrestler and convert those lethal kicks into heel hook submissions. I love how they really earn their saves. Hara has to really wrestle Sawa down and lunge for the desperation save. Likewise when Tiger has Ishikawa in a double wristlock, Sawa breaks through. Just like my original review, I am not going to spoil the finish because it is something that should be enjoyed without an foreknowledge. I like it better than the elimination because of the great face in peril segment on Sawa and the red hot finish run.   

#1. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Yuji Nagata – NJPW 4/13/07

Puroresu Match of The Year, 2007

The first of many Hiroshi Tanahashi masterpieces! It all begins here as the new, young champion of New Japan defends against the old guard, Yuji Nagata. What makes this so different from many other matches in 2000s from Japan is that it is a traditional championship style bout. Nagata is one remaing holdover from the Inoki Era. He is the bridge between the Three Musketeers and Tanahashi & Co. He is built in the image of Inoki. He is a pro wrestler that excels at striking and counterwrestling. In the year 2007, Tanahashi is coming in the champion, but he is by no means The Man, yet. Nagata is mighty over and he is ready to prove why he is Mr. IWGP.

Tanahashi employs a very similar strategy in his matches as 2001 Keiji Mutoh. In a lot of ways he is the heir to Mutoh, but a much hard worker and a much smarter wrestler. The thing that connects Tanahashi and Mutoh is that needed have the firepower to compete at the tippy-top level of a Hashimoto, Nagata or a Nakamura. They are not going to out-strike or out-wrestle these combatants. They are crafty wrestlers and agile. They take away a body part and put their opponent in a hole. Tanahashi builds on where Mutoh laid the groundwork to use his offense to set up his big bombs. One of my favorite aspects of Tanahashi matches is when he eats knees on a High Fly Flow, but has been working the knees so his opponent is forced to sell his knees. With this knowledge of who Tanahashi is, we can begin analyzing the match. Tanahashi cannot let Nagata dictate the pace. Tanahashi is a bit of a cocky bastard. I mean he is very pretty. He takes time to pose and Nagata takes that as a slight. He tears into him with kicks, knees and elbows. Nagata looks to tear Tanahashi’s arm off. Nagata tries to kick Tanahashi off the apron, but Tanahashi catches his kick and Dragon Leg Screw! Thus it begins, the classic Tanahashi heat segment! Along with Bret Hart, there are few others I rather watch work a control segment than Tanahashi. Tanahashi is laser focused on the knee like his life depends on it. Nagata is selling like a million bucks, Flair Flop and Kawada-like collapse. At the same time, Nagata has great hope spots like flash submission in this case a crossface. He starts to build momentum, but his knee gives out on a brainbuster. Tanahashi’s strategy is paying dividends. Here comes the big Tanahashi finish stretch with all his signature moves. The High Flow Fly eats knees, but as I said Nagata cant capitalize because his knees are all messed up. Sling Blade, nope, Nagata holds on for a BACK DROP DRIVER! It is all knotted up in the 4^th Quarter. I am really impressed at how well Tanahashi conveys how important this match is late in the game: headbutting Nagata’s knee and the way he really puts all his weight into a German Suplex bridge. Try as Tanahashi might, he falls short as Nagata always had a puncher’s chance and a big kick to the rocks the future Ace of the Universe and two backdrop drivers take it for Blue Justice. Great veteran vs young champion match and just a beautifully escalated traditional championship match! Tanahashi’s strategy shows he is a thinking man’s wrestler, but cant handle all the firepower of Nagata yet.

With all the Puroresu of the 2000s done, it is time to finally finish what I started and close out the WWF Best of 1993-1997.  

Shoot To Thrill: Yuki Ishikawa, Daisuke Ikeda (Shoot-Style 2000-2006)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies:

Is there any letter combination pronounced more differently than "Ough". You have though, rough, cough and bough and none of them rhyme. No wonder the rest of the world hates us.

I would shoot all over those

Contrary to belief of many non-wrestling fans, I think trying to understand pro wrestling as a simulation of real fighting is missing the point. However, for those non-wrestling fans that does exist and it called Shoot-Style. The history of Shoot-Style is for a much better wrestling historian than me to describe. To oversimplify it begins with New Japan Pro Wrestling Founder and Legitimate Badass, Antonio Inoki. Inoki built his credibility on Mixed Martial Arts exhibitions, most famously against Muhammad Ali. It has been remarked that Inoki's leg kicks took many years off of Ali's boxing career. Inoki is a world famous grappler in both pro wrestling and MMA worlds. Even though Inoki fancied himself a legitimate competitor his New Japan Pro Wrestling like all Pro Wrestling companies featured pre-determined matches and was booked like a normal pro wrestling company. In 1984, the likes Akira Maeda, Tiger Mask (Super Tiger in UWF), and Yoshiaki Fujiwara  formed the UWF  a shoot-style promotion, which would feature worked finishes, but worked in a more realistic fashion. The UWF folded over visionary disputes between Super Tiger & Maeda and the UWF invaded New Japan. Back in New Japan, Maeda was in two of the more infamous shoot moments in pro wrestling history when he shot on Andre The Giant when both refused to job and when he broke Choshu's orbital bone with a kick. The latter caused him to get fired and the New UWF was started. The UWF would bury New Japan and All Japan as fake and worked while they were legitimate. Of course, they worked matches like the rest, but their style based on submissions and kicks was supposed to simulate what a real match would look like as the wrestlers were well-versed in Catch Wrestling, Amateur Wrestling, Kickboxing and Judo. The shoot-style would splinter into different promotions in the early 90s such as Takada's UWFi (the most popular). Fujiwara's PWFG (I don't know much about), Maeda's RINGS (the most realistic and a eventually a legitimate shoot promotion) and Minoru Suzuki's Pancrase (which was a mixture of shoots & works).  RINGS is how famous MMA heavyweight Fedro Emelianenko debuted and many RINGS matches are counted towards people's official Sherdog's MMA record even though they were works. PANCRASE featured the Shamrock brothers and again Sherdog has a hard time discerning work from shoot. UWFi was the home promotion of "Gracie Hunter" Kazushi Sakaruba. This all to point out that in Japan the difference between work and shoot was often blurred. UWFi folded in 1996 and much like in 1984, Takada invaded New Japan and did gangbusters in box office. As New Japan was doing big business with real judoka, Naoya Ogawa against Shinya Hashimoto, Nobuhiko Takada's newest venture would change the course of puroresu history: PRIDE Fighting Championships.

PRIDE changed the game for pro wrestling and MMA in Japan. PRIDE was a shoot and in doing so effectively killed shoot-style and greatly hurt pro wrestling's draw in Japan. Inoki became obsessed with his wrestlers competing in MMA when they were not suited for that competition and pushing MMA fighters when they were not suited to being great pro wrestlers.  At least pro wrestling is different enough from MMA that there is value in watching pro wrestling, but who really wants to watch a simulated version of the real thing and thus shoot-style was dead in the water. There were brief resurgences here and there. The most meaningful in 2008 when BattlArts just uncorked one fucking great match after another that year, but up until then there was just a smattering of shoot-style matches. Former RINGS grapper, Kiyoshi Tamura tried to recapture his former shoot-style glory by founding the U-Style promotion, but while there were a couple great matches, its existence was short-lived. Shoot-style God, Yuki Ishikawa was the most active in this time period and would be the reason for the BatBat resurgence in 2008. His 2005 match with arch-rival Daisuke Ikeda is a top 20 match of the decade and proof positive that shoot-style still has a place in the modern landscape with MMA being prominently promoted.

One of the things, I need to catch up on is all the great shoot-style of the 90s and the 00s just whetted my appetite. Shoot-style can be a little dry, but more of than not it is very rewarding in the exciting finishes with crazy strike exchanges and submission battles. I definitely recommend checking out some shoot-style to broaden your horizons.


Match Listing:

Yuki Ishikawa vs Kazunari Murakami - BattlArts 11/26/00 ****
#98 of 100
Very heated. Murakami's relentless strikes vs. Ishikawa's ground game. Bit anticlimatic

Kiyoshi Tamura vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka - U-Style 02/04/04 ***3/4

Great matwork, but a bit showy and exhibitionary at times. Hot finish.

Kiyoshi Tamura vs Hiroyuki Ito - U-Style 08/18/04 ****
#77 of 100
Great underdog vs veteran story with underdog swinging for the fences and the vet having to dig himself out of a hole

Yuki Ishikawa vs Daisuke Ikeda - FUTEN 4/24/05 ****1/2
#18 of 100
BRUTAL! Violent! They hit each other really fucking hard and it is very enjoyable. 

Yuki Ishikawa vs Alexander Otsuka - Big Mouth Loud 9/11/05 ***

More of a NJPW Strong Style match with a lot of fun highspots like a Frankensteiner into a Triangle.

Osamu Nishimura vs Hiro Saito - MUGA 08/02/06 ****
#87 of 100
Amazing selling in this old school affair where every move proved consequential. Suspect finish.

Osamu Nishimura vs Tatsumi Fujinami - MUGA 9/25/06 Two Out of three Falls ****
#86 of 100
Another great old school match with an awesome King of the Mountain sequence leading to a surprise finish.



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Yuki Ishikawa vs Kazunari Murakami - BattlArts 11/26/00

Stay Calm and Keep It On The Mat is Ishikawa's mantra as Murkami tried to unsettle him with his relentless fury of strikes. Murakami and his WHAM! Eyebrows look to knock Ishikawa out early with strikes, but Ishikawa keeps his head down and  before you know it he has Murakami on his back. I loved how heated this was and how Ishikawa was able to counter Murakami's uptempo style by constantly picking for mistakes. Murakami gets a flurry of kicks in and Ishikawa powders. Then we get absolutely awesome crowd brawling with them wiping out a bunch of chairs. I would say the only disappointing element was that the finish was so quick. Murakami bringing Ishikawa back in hardway with a rear naked choke was fantastic, but just as he was looking in command is when Ishikawa caught his foot and punched him in the face. An enziguiri into a rear choke was enough to force the submission. The finish suited the match well enough, but this left me wanting more. ****

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

Tamura piqued my interest in his match with Ito. I always put delving more into Shoot Style off so I thought I take advantage of another Tamura match among the nominated matches. As a shoot-style novice, I do not know if I really could appreciate the beginning of this match. The work was really smooth and they were always moving, but it felt a little too showy like they were putting on an exhibition. I got the sense that Kohsaka was outworking on Tamura on the ground as he was chaining his moves together better and forced the first rope break at around the 10 minute mark with the guillotine choke. As good 'ol JR would say business is about to pick up as they fired off a thrilling a finish sequence. I liked Tamura responding to the first point loss with a stand up barrage to secure a knockdown and loved the knee that caught Tamura in the midsection in the fracas to put Kohsaka up 4-3. They sequence felt really organic. This is where my shoot style naivete maybe rearing its ugly head, but how come Kohsaka did not sell Tamura's deep half crab after the hold. He was screaming and selling in the hold and the nothing. I get the "real" sports argument you dont show weakness but just a little limp or favoring of that knee would have added. Also are closed fists allowed because Tamura used them liberally to break up submissions late? With Tamura down 2-1, Kohsaka goes for the home run, rolling heel hook, that Tamura counters into a cross-armbreaker in the center of the ring. I thought there were better submission sequences earlier that could have been used as the finish. I will probably appreciate this more once I watch more RINGS. Still I love great matwork and this was very well-executed. ***3/4

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

With the emergence of MMA in Japan, it spelled the end for shoot-style promotions, which were not as differentiated as their pro wrestling brethren. Shoot-style lives in this weird no man's land. It is essentially the worked version of MMA. I have never seen pro wrestling as the worked version of MMA. In fact, I think a lot of non-fan's hangups with pro wrestling come from the fact they are viewing it through the wrong prism. Wrestling is a carnival attraction and it adapts itself to the times. Shoot-style is the sub-genre of pro wrestling that is the closest replication of actual MMA. I have enjoyed what I have seen of the style (Takada's UWFi), but I am no expert. For instance, this is the first Tamura match I have seen even though I know the ballyhooed Volk Han series in RINGS (I have never seen a RINGS match) is very heavily promoted by the shoot-style proponents. Thus it is hard for me to rate this match in the context of this project. I liked this match a lot, but even though all the matches are worked it still feels like comparing apples and oranges.

Tamura is the ace of promotion and a well-known talent in the shoot style community and a reasonably successful MMA fighter in Pride and such (sporting a record of 32-13-3). Ito is someone I do not know and I suspect was a heavy underdog. Ito definitely prescribed to the adage "a good defense is a great offense" as he came out swinging on every occasion. In fact, for the first half the match he dominated Tamura forcing him to take two rope breaks utilizing palm strikes, knees to the head, triangle chokes and cross armbreakers. Even though, he was put into an early hole, Tamura never lost his cool and wrangled a leg lace, but Ito was able to get a leg lace of his own, but eventually Ito had to use the ropes to escape. After Tamura caught a kick and applied a heel hook, Ito lost his second point.  With the match leveled, Ito concentrated keeping the fight off the ground and tried to win by knockout. They trade knockdowns, but Ito definitely is the more offensive fighter. Tamura presses an advantage and Ito sells his high kicks really well, but Ito is able to sneak in a palm strike to the face to knock him down. One more knock down and Ito wins. Tamura wakes the fuck up and takes Ito to town. He catches Ito's kick and turns it into a half-crab for the win.

I loved Ito taking it to the strong favorite, Tamura at every chance. His performance was so urgent and there was a real sense of struggle on the stand-up. No one would confuse this ground game for an MMA match, but they kept it moving. Besides the dueling leg laces, every submission was sold like it could end it. The real highlight of the match is the very dramatic stand-up sequence with both fatigued and just going for broke. It was very well laid out to have Tamura back up against the wall throwing bombs only to finally catch Ito's leg and finish via submission. I would not say a match of the decade contender, but a very good match. ****  

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Yuki Ishikawa vs Daisuke Ikeda - FUTEN 4/24/05

A Japanese Shoot-Style promotion that allows closed fists, my prayers have been answered! As soon as the ref breaks them, Ikeda punches Ishikawa right in the face to get an early knock down. Ikeda never really looks back earning 4 knockdowns and forcing 2 rope breaks to Ishikawa's one knockdown and 2 rope break forces. These punches are incredible how they are laying them in. I was watching Ishikawa punch Ikeda right in the face on the ground and could not believe the force. Ikeda seems better at take downs, striking and submissions. Ishikawa just has crazy resilience and even crazier hair. They work their double wirstlocks from odd angles sometimes. They are definitely better off standing up. I love that Ikeda would not break his leg lace, but once Ishikawa reversed it, he was desperately grabbing the ropes. Ikeda absolutely ripped up Ishikawa fact with boot lace kicks. Is Randy Orton secretly a huge Daisuke Ikeda mark? Ishikawa makes his big comeback with a pair of back drop drivers. Ikeda is definitely the better "pro wrestler" of the two based on how he sells and feeds Ishikawa. I love him climbing up the ropes trying to escape it. Ishikawa ends up closing the gap earning 5 knockdowns and forcing 3 rope breaks against Ikeda's six knockdowns and 3 rope break forces. FUTEN does not use a point system, but it is interesting way to keep tabs on the flow of the match. Ishikawa finally forces a submission with a crossface chickenwing. I preferred the drama of Tamura's U-Style matches with the point system, but this had the way better striking. I am going to put this somewhere around the Tamura/Ito match given it is hard for me to place shoot-style match still at this point even though I really enjoy them.

REWATCH THOUGHTS:
That one Ikeda six inch jab to Ishikawa's face coming out of a rope break followed by a wicked, wicked kick to the head was batshit incredible. I stand-by complaint that this was not the best when they took it to the mat. I have definitely seen Ishikawa have better mat-based performance. The stretch run with Ishikawa's face getting destroyed and bleeding profusely from the mouth was riveting. The suplexes and then crossface chickenwing submission was just the cherry on a sundae with extra bite.


 ****1/2

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Yuki Ishikawa vs Alexander Otsuka - Big Mouth Loud 9/11/05

This was not as shoot-style as the competitors listed would led you to believe. Big Mouth Loud used a lot of shoot-stylists and New Japan wrestlers disillusioned with Inokism. It seemed to be closer to the 80s/90s New Japan style than to Shoot-Style. I still had trouble comparing this match to other puroresu. I think it is due to more subtle selling. They register pain, but do not actually sell the pain. It can come off like moves are inconsequential when they are not. I liked Otsuka quite a bit. He was good on the mat constantly outwrestling Ishikawa and getting him in heel hooks. He had some nasty headbutts in this match. Plus he brought out the highspots: Giant Swing, German Suplex and the best, Frakensteiner (as called by announcer) into a triangle choke. I would lose my shit if that ever happened in an MMA match. Ishikawa was his usual badass self. He worked hard and really sold the threat of Otsuka. He had some nasty, nasty punches. I loved his incorporation of throws late by converting a heel gook into a sick, sick, headrop German. Then using a sweet knockout punch into a sleeper for the win. It is an entertaining match that finishes really well, but it is definitely nowhere near Ishikawa/Ikeda or Tamura/Ito. ***

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Osamu Nishimura vs Hiro Saito - MUGA 08/02/06

One complaint I think you can't levy at Japan as a whole in the 2000s is a lack of variety. Yes, the NOAH style was dominant in terms of getting the most praise, but that bombastic style was limited only to NOAH. You had the American/puroresu style of All Japan, the more mat & strike based style of New Japan (Inokism or Strong Style), the lucha/comedy hybird of Dragon Gate, shoot-style promotions and to add to the list we have MUGA. MUGA was headed up by New Japan legend Tatsumi Fujinami to turn the clock back to late 70s and early 80s when men were men and European Uppercuts and Spinning Toeholds were the end all be all of wrestling. I wish we got more of it during this project.

Hiro Saito is built much like the more famous Masa Saito (no relation), but maybe a bit shorter. He was a junior heavyweight for New Japan and All Japan in the 80s and 90s before the junior heavyweight boom led by Liger. At this point, I'm hard pressed to believe he would meet the weight limit bu then again Shuji Kondo was able to, but I think he is a pretty short dude. Nishimura is someone I enjoy, but has yet to blow me away in any match. In fact, my favorite match may have been the random match with Al Snow I watched from ECW Hardcore TV in January of 95 the other night. Rest assured, Nishimura finally knocked one out of the park with Saito in this match.

Nishimura shows up Saito a bit early and Saito gets a bit peeved and starts throwing furniture around. Saito is the more powerful of the two and is able to cinch in an armbrar and transform it into an All Japan surfboard spot. Nishimura gets a big pop for reversing it. Nishimura works a headlock like he is Lou Thesz. The face I can accurately say that is why the Chicago Film Archive has to be commended for doing God's work. Nishimura grabs a sleeper, but Saito hits a jawbreaker. The selling from Nishimura is amazing as he writes in pain. Saito hits his famous senton (according to Wiki, he invented that move). Nishimura bails to the outside for a breather. They work an amazing king of the mountain sequence where Saito keeps find new ways to snap Nishimura's throat across the ropes. It was amazingly compelling wrestling. Nishimura needed to break up the momentum of Saito, but is now paying the price. They do a great ab stretch hope spot, but Saito wins. He goes for the coup d'grace in the form of a piledriver, but Nishimura counters. They do the bridge/backslide counter. Nishmura dumps Saito outside who jams his knee. On two separate occasions, Nishimura whiffs on a knee drop to the outside, but they sell a  countout finish anyways. Saito gives Flair a run for his money in terms of great verbal selling and really making this credible. Nishimura has to stand Saito up just kick his leg out from under his leg. :)

Nishimura actually misses the knee drop this time. Saito hits two bridging Germans and is able to hold him down on the second. He couldn't stand, but he could bridge. I don't know about that one. The selling was off the charts in this one. Nishimura trying to fight just to get back into the ring was very compelling. Saito's selling of the knee was so great that it makes the finish all that much more curious. ****

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Osamu Nishimura vs Tatsumi Fujinami - MUGA 9/25/06 Two Out of three Falls

Nishimura's performance in this reminded me of Sasuke's in Sasuke vs Dragon or Suzuki's in Suzuki vs Mutoh. They are all giving these out of the world great performances, but their opponents are just not up to snuff. It is interesting because Dragon, Mutoh and Fujinami had all slowed down a lot in terms of output in the middle of the decade. You could see they could still be carried by an opponent that was firing on all cylinders, but they just did not have enough gas in the tank to match their opponent.

If the tone set in the first fall was maintained throughout the match then you would have a MOTDC on your hands. Nishimura starts off aggressive with European Uppercuts that would make Dory Funk Jr. proud. Fujinami seems a bit taken aback, but is able to use the aggression against him and snap off a Dragon Leg Screw. He goes for the Figure-4, but an inside cradle nabs the first fall for Nishimura. It only lasted under a minute, but it was an incredible fall.

The second fall they get a little too cute for me. They seem more keen on showing off. Instead of flips, it is bridge outs and double wristlock takedowns. An exhibition is an exhibition. Fujinami rides high on a leg lace and gets caught in a short arm scissors. Nishimura applies a cross-armbreaker. The New Japan timekeeper has the hammer raised in case there was  a submission and I agree with him. If you respect the cross-armbreaker, I respect you. I do NOT respect you, Mr. Fujinami. Of course, I am being facetious, but it is my number one pet peeve when wrestlers treat the cross armbreaker like a headlock. It is at best them not keeping up with the times and at worst being ignorant and lazy. Yes, I thought Fujinami's performance was lazy at times. This match is the ultimate missing the forest for the trees match. You have Fujinami doing great little things like lunging for the ropes with his feet, but not selling his arm. Or Nishimura working the injured finger of Fujinami while in a cross armbreaker, but why does it matter because Fujinami has killed the viability of the cross armbreaker as a finish. To be fair to Fujinami, Nishimura did bridge out of a cross-armbreaker, which is pretty ludicrous. Basically this match took a big shit on the cross armbreaker.

Now, once the match moved from Nishimura on offense to Fujinami on offense the match got a million times better. Just like the Sasuke match, Dragon was not interested in selling and neither was Fujinami. However, put them on top and have the wrestler who wants to work on bottom and you got magic. Fujinami goes after Nishimura's knee with a swift low kicks like Inoki in Inoki/Ali. Nishimura bails. Fujinami targets the knee, but Nishimura in desperation goes for Fujnami's knee with a spinning toe hold, shades of Dory Funk Jr, BABY! Fujinami kicks him off and a figure-4 knots it all up.


What I love about Nishimura matches, is you understand how this can be a double edged sword. Yes, you are getting time to walk it off and break up your opponent's momentum, but you are giving him the high ground. With the high ground, the opponent can dictate the match and make it very difficult for you to get back into the ring. I used to say that Akira Taue was the undisputed king of working the apron, but damn if I see more Nishimura that could change. Nishimura rocks Fujinami with a European Uppercut and crashes burns with a bombs away knee drop. What a dumbshit! He blocks the figure-4 and is able to bail. Nishimura is fed up with all this bullshit on the apron and says you want my knee you can have it, but you will not have ME, FUJINAMI! Fujinami attacks the knee and pulls him into the ring. He applies the sleeper to sap that last bit of fight out of him. Fujinami applies the figure-4 and just when you think he has it, Nishimura reverses the pressure and Fujinami has not alternative, but to submit.


This is pretty much on par with the Saito match. Saito does not feel as much of a threat as Fujinami even though he wins the match so this match had more in terms of drama. Saito works a lot harder than Fujinami, who only seemed interested in being on offense. Nishimura gives two tremendous performances within two months of each other. We need more Nishimura footage. The finish is a lot hotter in this one and that is usually my tiebreaker so I have this one edging out the Saito match. ****