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. 32: Best of 90s New Japan Heavyweights (Shinya Hashimoto, Great Muta, Vader)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 32:

The Best of New Japan Pro Wrestling Heavyweights 1990-1999

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.

Subject: This thirty-second volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the Top 13 countdown (I couldnt make the cut and had to put a tie for #12) of the best matches to take place in New Japan Pro Wrestling in the Heavyweight Division between 1990-1999. New Japan has a vibrant junior heavyweight scene in the 1990s led by Jushin “Thunder” Liger that has overshadowed the work of the heavyweight division in America. Make no mistake about it however, the heavyweights led by the Three Musketeers, Shinya Hashimoto, Keiji Mutoh & Masahiro Chono were the draws for the major shows at Tokyo Dome, Sumo Hall and other large shows. The Three Musketeers had back up in the form of Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki along with the old guard of Antonio Inoki, Riki Choshu and Tatsumi Fujinami. In addition, two major invasion angles (WAR & UWFI) led by Genichiro Tenryu and Nobuhiko Takada bolstered popularity. Their counterparts in All Japan are defined by the decade of the 1990s thus it is just easier to cluster New Japan in the same way. 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.

MUTA SCALE~!

Honorable Mentions

Shinya Hashimoto vs Genichiro Tenryu – 8/1/98 G-1 Climax ’98 Quarterfinals

Shinya Hashimoto vs Genichiro Tenryu – 6/8/99, NJPW Heavyweight Match of the Year, 1999

It will become readily apparent in the next volume that when Hashimoto and Tenryu lock up it is always going to be gold. They resumed their rivalry in the late 90s and it was just as heated and stiff. Definitely watch the ’93-’94 series, but don’t sleep on their late 90s work.

IWGP Tag Team Champions Steiner Brothers vs Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki – 5/31/91

IWGP Tag Team Champions Steiner Brothers vs Keiji Mutoh & Kensuke Sasaki – 8/12/92

The Steiner Brothers were a major part of the New Japan tag scene in the early 90s and appeared on Dome shows as late as 1995. Their style may not be very intelligent, but it is very entertaining. It is big, dumb fun and these are their two best matches in New Japan.

Shinya Hashimoto vs Satoshi Kojima – G-1 Climax ’98 Semi-Finals

NWA Heavyweight Champion Naoya Ogawa vs Shinya Hashimoto – Final Dome 10/11/99

Scott Norton vs Yuji Nagata – 9/23/98 Vacant IWGP Heavyweight Championship

One of the best parts of watching New Japan is the random goodness, since it is not as well-characterized you can stumble across a lot of hidden gems. To me, the best one I found was a randomly bomb-throwing fest between Norton vs Nagata, it is easily the best Norton match I have ever seen. Hashimoto vs Ogawa dominated the late 90s New Japan game and thousands of words have been written about it and I wanted to include the best match from that feud. Hashimoto vs Kojima was randomly great match where Hashimoto vs Kojima play Hashimoto vs Choshu and comes out fun. I highly recommend their 2003 Triple Crown match.

Antonio Inoki vs Vader – 1/4/96

Genichiro Tenryu vs Tatsumi Fujinami – 4/29/96

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs RIki Choshu – 1/4/97

 The “old people can still go” section of the honorable mentions. Inoki takes a hellacious beating for our pleasure against one of his greatest rivals, Vader on his Final Countdown tour. Tenryu and Fujinami bleed buckets in a crazy, out of nowhere brawl. Hashimoto vs Choshu a great rivalry from the 80s finally finishes in epic fashion in the Tokyo Dome.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs Kensuke Sasaki – 1/4/95, 

New Japan Heavyweight Match of the Year, 1995

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs Lord Steven Regal – 4/16/95

Keiji Mutoh vs Shinya Hashimoto – G-1 Climax Finals 1995

Hashimoto reigned for over a year from spring of 1994 to spring of 1995 and it included a very beefy, power match against the young challenger Sasaki at the Dome, which I think was the match of the year and a gritty, physical battle against WCW’s Steven Regal. After losing the belt to Mutoh in May, they met in the finals of the G-1 Climax. Most people have this as their New Japan Heavies’ Match of the Year and it is a great one, can Hashimoto finally get the monkey off his back and win the G-1 Climax?

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs Kazuo Yamazaki – 2/16/97 

Match of the Year, 1997

They would have a better match the following year in 1998, but this is the best Heavyweight match from New Japan in 1997 as these two have stellar chemistry together. This is when the Right Hand of Hashimoto becomes greatest than Right Hand of God as HE STRIKES DOWN YAMAZAKI!

IWGP Heavyweight Champion The Great Muta vs Shinya Hashimoto – 9/23/92

One of the great revelations from watching a lot of New Japan from the 1990s was how amazing the Great Muta character is. It is a horror movie monster come to life. He is the Creature From The Black Lagoon preying on his opponents. He stalks them with bloodlust and is impervious to pain. Two of his other matches from this title reign make the Top 13, but this match was the last cut and it pains me to cut it.

Top Thirteen Best New Japan Heavyweight Matches from 1990-1999

I could not make bear to cut either of these matches so we have a tie at #12.

#12. (Tie) The Great Muta vs Tatsumi Fujinami – 9/23/91

I give you, The Great Muta, in all his violent glory. He bashes Fujinami's head into exposed turnbuckles, grinds a spike into forehead, slams a toolbox into his head and hits him with canvas poles. Great piledriver in the ring. He gnaws on the bloody cut. He grinds the open wound into the exposed turnbuckle. His bloodlust is insatiable. In the ring, he cuts Fujinami off at every pass, with kicks, suplexes and oh just throwing him head first into hard, metal objects. I don't think I have ever heard that much heel heat in Japan. At least loud booing on three occasions. The Great Muta was just destroying Fujinami here. Fujinami started the match off red hot. He knows The Great Muta and how he is a horror movie monster come to life. He took it right to the beast. Great suicide dive to the outside wiping him out and the bodyslam. The thing is he let up on the gas pedal. Muta rolled under the ring. He undid the turnbuckle padding. You cant let that happen. The first time was an accident when the crown of Fujinami's head strikes the exposed turnbuckle and knocks him loopy. It was all down hill. But after bashing Fujinami's head with everything he could find under the ring and drawing blood. He could not put the Ace of New Japan away. Multiple Saito Suplexes and even a package piledriver and Fujinami would not stay down as Antonio Inoki looked on. Muta missed his trademark back handspring elbow. Fujinami gets in a kick and then Billy Robinson backbreaker! DRAGON SLEEPER! Can he pull off a miracle? Foot on the rope. OH NOW THE REF ENFORCES THE RULES! Fujinami punches Muta repeatedly in the corner as the ref tries to pull him off. If I was Fujinami, I would have been like "Where the hell were you when he was hitting ME WITH A FUCKING TOOLBOX!" The ref keeps at it. GREEN MIST~! It hits the ref not Fujinami. Fujinami cant win the with the ref. Two Saito suplexes, Fujinami is beside himself, he has the monster on the ropes, but no ref. German Suplex, bridge! He gets a visual three, but the ref is down. Fujinami goes for the ten punches in the corner, BALLSHOT! YES! YES! YES! The one last check box on all time heel performance. I love it! Muta gets a glass bottle and colddocks Fujinami. He revives the ref and hits his moonsault for the win. Spikes, piledrivers, blood, ballshots, MIST, Glass Bottles. Amazing heel performance from The Great Muta.

The Great Muta in all his violent glory! 

#12. (Tie) IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara – 6/1/94

After regaining the championship from Fujinami at the May Dome show, the 80s strike back continue as Fujiwara is his next challenger.

Superb! Had all the chippiness you would expect plus a ton of the little things that make both these men great. Fucking Fujiwara, God Bless this man, he rules the school. We get a lock up in the corner and he throws some great rabbit punches. Hashimoto throws one wild haymaker in the corner. I guess Hashimoto has an injured left shoulder because Fujiwara goes after it with ferocity. He takes Hashimoto down with a vicious armbar. Hashimoto makes the ropes and then tries to give Fujiwara a taste of his own medicine, but Fujiwara quashes the armbar takedown as they end up in the ropes. Hashimoto frustrated throws a wicked stomp. Then the best thing ever happens. Fujiwara backs him into the corner and gives him a CLEAN break. What a fucking asshole! I have never marked so hard for a clean break. 

Other things that are characteristic of Fujiwara is the organic transitions into holds and the struggle over holds. Hashimoto starts to the throw kicks and Fujiwara catches his foot and gets a single takedown. The fight for the single leg crab is great and then Fujiwara just settles for a chokehold. Which just reinforces how much that clean break was such a dick move. FUJIWARA PUNCH TO THE FACE! Punches in puroresu always make me mark out. That was awesome. Fujiwara going back to the choke was great. Then Hashimoto bulrushes Fujiwara and wrenches the knee. Then he points to his shoulder. Fucking love it! Two fucking assholes going at it. Fujiwara goes back to the arm. Rope break. Good selling from Hashimoto.

Hashimoto misses his rainbow kick in the corner. Fujiwara just bounces on his feet as Hashimoto looks like an asshole worried that Fujiwara is going to pounce. It takes a real man to make Hashimoto look like a jackass. Hashimoto overwhelms him with kicks in the corner. Fujiwara catches the foot, this time Hashimoto gets a guillotine. Then backs him into the corner, Hashimoto gives Fujiwara a receipt and PUNCHES him in the face and then he catches him really good with a kick to the chest. Fujiwara does his classic collapse selling. Fujiwara sells so well. Desperately clinging to the foot.

Then there is the one bad egregious spot. Fujiwara puts Hashimoto in a cross armbreaker for a long time. No real struggle or selling. I know PRIDE wasn't a thing yet, but a cross armbreaker is an endgame. I didn't like the disrespect for that hold. The ease at which Hashimoto got out and he elbows the bad knee. I like the double psychology, but just one bad moment. Hey it happens.

They stand up. I love all the resets. Makes it feel like a chapter book. Fujiwara feigns with some slaps and Hashimoto says bring it, don't sing it. Hashimoto gets him in the clinch, Muay Thai knees, Fujiwara goes for the armbar takedown, HASHIMOTO DDT!!! MARK OUT CITY!!! YES! YES! Hashimoto running enziguiri, kneelifts, VICIOUS DDT! Fujiwara fucks up by kicking out, but I don't care, THIS WAS FUCKING AWESOME! Great character work, great build, dripping with psychology, tons of great offense. Only thing this from being in the tippy top is the cross armbreaker spot, watch this match! 

#11. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs. 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Jushin “Thunder” Liger – 2/24/94

Notice on how Liger did not wear a top for this match to show off his muscles to make it more believable he could go toe to toe with Hashimoto.

Respect size and everything matters more. This match is a perfect example of how by respecting size differentials match drama can be greatly enhanced. Early on Liger tries to do his routine moves like the surfboard and Ligerbomb, but cant because Hashimoto is just too big. On the flips side, Hashimoto can chuck Liger around like wicked snap belly to belly and his thrunderdous suplex slam. You really feel bad for Liger going up against this asskicker, but at the same time Liger is such a great wrestler you believe he has it in him. Hashimoto kicks his ass in the beginning. Liger realizes if he does not start fighting back he is going to get killed. So he unleashes a fury of palm strikes and a couple kappo kicks. He tries to speed up tempo, but eats a huge Hashimoto dropkick. Hashimoto destroys Liger's arm with wristlocks and then kicks the fucking hell out of it. My biggest complaint of the match is that Liger does not sell it long term, but still a great match. Liger uses speed and hits a basement dropkick. After those stinging kicks, I would be looking to fuck up his legs too. Liger proves he is not one to be manhandled and slaps the fuck out of Hashimoto in an inverted deathlock. Hashimoto is a great bully and I love how Liger is not backing down. It becomes an arm vs leg psychology. Liger wins out hits a missile dropkick on the knee and then applies figure-4. You see from Hashimoto's selling that it hurts, but does not hurt as much because Liger cant apply as much pressure. Then Liger just rattles off HUGE SPOT AFTER HUGE SPOT! OMG LIGERBOMB~! TOP ROPE BRAINBUSTER~! TOP ROPE FRANKENSTEINER~! GERMAN!!! That top rope brainbuster was scary. Hashimoto lets him have his fun before trying to kick a hole in his body. Those were fierce kicks. When Liger tries a palm strike, Hashimoto wipes him the fuck out with a leg sweep from hell. Kicks his fucking head off and then BRAINBUSTER~! Awesome David vs Goliath match where this time you knew Goliath was going to win and it is cool because it is rockstar badass Goliath, but David put up one helluva fight. 

#10. IWGP Tag Champions Keiji Mutoh & Masa Chono vs Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki November 1, 1990

New Japan Heavyweights Match of the Year, 1990

So I watched this a long time ago and I loved it. Watched it last night it took my breathe away but it was so fast I couldnt keep up so I am doing a review where I write and watch it at the same time. This reminds me so much of the first Four Corners Tag in June of 1993. 

90s Workrate baby! This is an All Japan tag before All Japan tags were even invented. They set the tone early with tons of rope running and big explosive spots. Thats really what characterizes 90s work rate in my mind it is movement and explosiveness. It is not cool moves but a lot of well-executed high impact moves. Chono hits a big shouldertackle then Sasaki follows suit with a powerslam. Nothing fancy but it is the speed and the intensity that make it compelling. Mutoh and Hase slow it down. There is no sense of hatred from the 1990 bloodbath indicating that Keiji Mutoh and Great Muta are considered two separate entities. Mutoh and Hase work the more traditional strong style opening focusing on wristlocks and single leg pickups. Sasaki & Hase were a young and upcoming team. Hase just graduated from the juniors and Sasaki was very wet behind the ears. Mutoh works the headlock to ground the explosive Sasaki. Sasaki throws him off the headlock and nails a dropkick. I love wrecking ball Sasaki. He tags out to Hase so we get our fourth unique pairing. Hase is such a charismatic wrestler. We get the first sense this is a tag team match as Chono bullies him into the corner and they double team him with a quick tag and double shouldertackle. Chono tags back in and Hase takes him to the ground, which is his forte. Chono again brings him over to their corner and they double team him. I LOVED Mutoh's back drop into his power drive elbow. It looked so good. I like they are establishing the champions as the better team. They are not heels. They are just better at the tag team strategy than the younger challengers. Hase gets an amazing submission out of nothing basically and grabs an armbar. Hase is being controlled without getting owned so he is not dying. I like that sort of struggle and energy. Clear leader, but it is not a blowout. Chono works his way into deathlock and tags Mutoh back in. It is not that Chono or Mutoh is better than Hase they are just better tag wrestlers. Mutoh works his deathlock gimmick including the bridge. Sasaki finally saves Hase with a big elbow to the bridging Mutoh. I love any spot that involves dropping body weight on a bridging opponent. The action is fast & furious, but everything makes sense and is well-executed. Chono looks like a million bucks that neck injury really did him in. Hase immediately tags out! Awesome tag psychology. No fucking dawdling like you will see in America. Hase is being honest with himself and needs to get Sasaki in there. Sasaki dominates Chono with strikes good selling and a nice bump there by Chono. I dont love Sasaki getting all Scotty Steiner loving his own work and telling his opponent to get up. He makes for it with a big Oklahoma Slam and WOW WHAT AN ELBOW DROP! Sasaki brings Chono over to his corner and Hase gets some of his frustrations out on Chono's chest. Sidewalk slam gets two and Hase is thinking Scorpion Deathlock, but Chono gets a inside cradle. They continue to work Chono over in their corner with Sasaki holding the hair as Hase slaps the chest and now a double clothesline on Chono, but the ref wont count the cover. I love old school reffing like that. Now the challengers are throwing good tag psychology back in the champs' faces. Sasaki crashes and burns on a dropkick as Chono holds the ropes. Chono does not tag out. Seems like a mistake but he hits a Yakuza kick to the side of Sasaki's head. He signals for another and then tags out and collaspes. Mutoh immediately hits his back handspring elbow, extra explosive. He throws Sasaki to the floor and Chono whips him into the railing. The champions are escalating the action and the challengers are responding. They hit a Doomsday Device like move and Chono locks in his finish the STF and Mutoh hits a dropkick on Hase, but Hase is able to get past Mutoh to knock Chono off, but Mutoh throws Hase out. Chono reapplies the STF, but Sasaki makes the ropes. High drama! Mutoh hits the kneecrusher. Chono & Mutoh are working on a clinic on the rookie Kensuke Sasaki as Mutoh now applies a figure-4. Sasaki is showing a lot of fighting spirit making the ropes. Chono attacks him in a neutral corner, which seems like a mistake. Sasaki hulks up and THROWS CHONO DOWN! Tags out to Hase who immediately hits his twisting urnage and applies a Scorpion Deathlock. Mutoh casually walks in to break this up to a chorus of boos. Hase tags out to Sasaki. Was it too soon? Sasaki sets up for superplex and hits it. Hase illegally comes off the top rope with a splash, but the ref counts it for two. Chono looks to be in real trouble. Sasaki locks in the Scorpion Deathlock. Mutoh comes into break it up but takes a lot more kicks and Sasaki beats the shit out of Mutoh and they throw him out. Sasaki hits a big dropkick in the corner and then a big German Suplex for two. Hase cant believe it is not three! He comes off the apron to contest the count. I love it! Mutoh is cheering on Chono. Chono hits the Yakuza Kick and falls into a tag. Mutoh comes out hot! Surprisingly, he is able to his back handspring elbow (very rare to be able to hit the same spot twice), but he screws up and dropkicks in Sasaki towards his corner allowing the fresh man, Hase to come in, but Mutoh meets him at the pass and hits a backdrop driver. Mutoh slows it down and feels more in control hits a bulldog then takes him over with a Dragon Suplex. Chono hits a missile dropkick on Sasaki as he was trying to break it up. Mutoh hits his backbreaker/moonsault combo but Hase kicks out at 2! Mutoh is incredulous. Sasaki hits a monster lariat on Mutoh as he is contesting the count. Chono comes in and POWERSLAM! Hase hits a Northern Lights Suplex...BRIDGE...1-2-3!

Wow! They pack so much in here without it feeling like overkill too much. There was no waiting for people to be ready. No intricate spots. It was all high impact moves that were well-executed and done with a great sense of urgency that is what defines 90s workrate. I thought this told a great story of the Champions beating the challengers in a tag match by using quick tags and double teams. Chono and Mutoh looked amazing this match and looked like they would be massive workrate stars of the 90s. Sasaki was just a bulldozer and Hase is so damn good on the mat. I like how the challengers won not by cheating per se but bending the rules. Saving is more lax in Japan, but Sasaki coming in trucking Mutoh during an argument with a ref is pretty cheap so it is protects the Champs, but also is an exciting finish. It was just chaos towards the end with bodies flying everywhere. Every bit as good as anything All Japan produced in 1990. It wouldnt be until later that gulf widened. 

#9. Keiji Mutoh vs Vader – G-1 Climax 8/10/91

What makes this work is that you don't have to sell for Vader. The reason wrestlers have to sell is to make you believe. If watching Vader punch someone in the face, does not make a believer out of you then I guess the only recourse is to have Vader punch you in the face. 

Vader bullies Mutoh into the corner and it is classic Vader the rights and lefts in the corner. You already know Mutoh is in dire straits so when Mutoh makes a comeback it is not that he is no selling. It is that he is fighting through the pain because you already believe. I thought Mutoh was perfect in this match offensively. Five distinct and interesting offensive series. The first being a series of punches to the face that reels the big man and lets him know that he is ready for the fight. Then he goes for a lock up and Vader tags him real good in the face. His next series is a series of dropkicks and after three gets Vader off his feet. Mutoh establishing the quickness game. Now Vader takes offense for a bit longer. It is the clotheslines, splashes and just using his girth to steamroll Mutoh. They go into the corner and then throws him into the post. But as he is getting back in Mutoh dropkicks him. Plancha. Railing. Back handspring elbow on the railing! Back in the ring it is the classic Mutoh elbow. It is a very electric and exciting comeback. Mutoh tries to put Vader in a hold. Bad idea. Vader just tees off on Mutoh. A lot about Mutoh but heres an example of Vader's greatness. Huge Lariat and then the urgency and tightness of his cover put over the stakes of the match. Great stuff from the Big Man. I love the fourth comeback. Mutoh slips down from a suplex and rocks Vader with two smashmouth forearms to the face and then hits a back suplex, springboard missile dropkick (floors him for two) and then a moonsault. Love the urgency from Mutoh. The transition back to Vader is all time great one when he catches him in the back handspring elbow and then Vader THROWS HIM DOWN FOLDING HIM IN HALF. Mutoh is made to look great kickout out of a big Vader splash and Vader powerbomb. My one complaint is the finish was a bit weak. This was a bomb throwing match. To end it with backslides, small packages and not the greatest reversal of a powerslam just felt disjointed from the rest of the match. Mutoh was Vader's equal and this felt tacked on. 95% of this was just gold and you know what the finish is still good enough. Very exciting pro wrestling that makes sense.

#8. Shinya Hashimoto vs Kazuo Yamazaki – G-1 Climax Finals ‘98

New Japan Heavyweights Match of the Year, 1998

Hashimoto is going for his first ever G-1 Climax victory. NJPW booking as it has been explained to me is that Hashimoto was IWGP Champion of the 90s, Chono was the G-1 Climax winner of the Musketeers and Mutoh was sort of the gimmicky star, blood feud guy with a little of both IWGP/G-1 Climax wins in the 90s. Yamazaki is a former UWF shoot-style wrestler that I have never seen before and damn did he look good in this.

Having read other reviews, Hashimoto is coming in with a bad left leg (his striking leg) from his semi-final match with Kojima. If you pay close attention to the beginning when Yamazaki gets an armbar takedown, after Hash quickly escapes he comes up favoring the leg. This led me to look up what had happened. Yamazaki like a shark smells blood and starts wailing on the leg with kicks. Hashimoto's strategy seems to be to use the overhand chop to quite literally chop Yamazaki down and then set up his kicks. Hashimoto sells really, really well. Some of the best fightinfg through the pain selling, you will ever see, Also he gradually sells more and more. As the match goes on, he is less and less likely to throw a kick. Yamazaki's offense which in I love is to lunge at the knee at every opportunity. These are not the chop blocks from behind, but from the front even leading with the head and the knee is NOT supposed to bend like that. I will say it does get a little stagnant. Hashimoto does not seem to have a strategy to win the match at first. Even though he is in control, it feels very defensive due to the bum wheel. He is fending off Yamazaki more than taking charge. Match picks up once Yamazaki gets a dragon leg screw and Hashimoto ends up on the outside and Yamazaki does a plancha to the outside. Love when people use their body as a weapon. Nice legbar by Yamazaki. Hashimoto gets the ropes. Hashimoto tries kicking Yamazaki with his bad leg (he has no other choice) and ends up back in a kneebar. I like that. There is a difference between doing something stupid and blowing off selling. Hashimoto was selling, it was just stupid, but we all do stupid things under pressure and injured. Hashimoto needs a Hail Mary at this point something targeting the head. He gets that in the form of a massive enziguiri. The move is made by Yamazaki's selling. Awesome groggy out on my feet selling by him. Slop Drop and WAIT! Whats this Hashimoto is heading to the top...A MONSTER TOP ROPE ELBOW FROM THE BIG MAN!!!! Popped huge on the airplane (watched this on a JetBlue flight, what a time to be alive!). Hashimoto unloads on him with some massive kicks and then BRINABUSTAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! HASHIMOTO WINS HIS FIRST G-1 CLIMAX!!!!

Incredible, back to basics, fundamentals pro wrestling match, no frills, just kills. It is what Hasimoto & NJPW excel at. The leg injury was an awesome hook, which both wrestlers took a unique take on (no real heat segment) that really impact every moment of the match. I love matches where the wrestler in control feels really tenuous. You just knew at any time Hashimoto knee would give way and Yamazaki would take over. Submissions were hot and the headshot was a great transition to Hashimoto finish run. In a match with only two highspots they made the most of it with the top rope elbow and Brainbuster. Little stagnant in the middle and could have used one more Yamazaki nearfall to really bring it up. Killer minimalist match and one of Hashimoto's best of all time.

#7. IWGP Heavyweight Champion The Great Muta vs Hiroshi Hase – 12/14/92

New Japan Heavyweights Match of the Year, 1992

Probably the most famous New Japan heavyweight match of the 90s stateside as this is famous for developing the famed Muta Scale where Great Muta does a five alarm bladejob bleeding like a stuck pig. From the reviews I recently read, this match is no longer regarded as a classic and is more of a novelty for the sheer gore of the match. I disagree. I think this is a match that benefits greatly from watching a lot of Great Muta during this time period. Great Muta wrestles unlike any other wrestler in New Japan or anywhere else in the world except for the Undertaker. He is a horror movie character come to life. Most violent wrestlers we think of are wildmen like The Sheik and Tiger Jeet Sngh. Great Muta brings the violence of these men with a dimension of stalking dread that is more reminiscent of Frankenstein or the Creature From The Black Lagoon. There is no selling when you wrestle Muta. There is no grappling holds or traditional pro wrestling struggle. The struggle is in the survival. Hasimoto, asskicked extraordinaire, learnt this lesson take Muta lightly and you will be blinded with a broken back. The Sting match did not feature as great of a finish but again Muta beat the hell out of Sting. Muta chokes, claws, blinds his opponents using railings, chairs, mist and his spike. The spike has been a foreign object that Muta loads his boot with and he will come down across your back with a kneedrop to setup his backbreaker/moonsault combo. The first couple times, I really wanted the spike be used to carve up an opponent. Little did I know Muta's comeuppance would come at the hand of his favorite weapon.

Hase's strategy early is smart he dropkicks Muta at the beginning of his prematch ritual, the mist blow. He doesn't let up. Wicked urnage. He takes him to the outside whips him into a railing. He grabs a table brings it on his side of the railing and drives Muta into it. Unlike any other opponent, Hase knows the demonic nature of Great Muta better than anybody as Muta bloodied him up in 1990. The problem is at some point he does run out of steam in the ring and thats when Mutas strike with rapid fire kicks and chops. I thought Mutas speed and strikes looked great. What was uncharacteristic for Muta is that he grabbed a hold instead of taking his opponent outside. Muta does his bridging Indian Deathlock and I loved Hases counter the smother of Muta and then a wicked neck clamp. Now Muta does what does Muta best be weird. He goes looking for his spike. Going each of the four sides and he cant find it. Hase lies in the ring and welcomes to come back into the ring. Muta takes Hase back outside and drives him head first into the concrete. Then anytime Hase gets chippy Muta crotches him on the ring rope or then the steel railing. This is really both of them no selling, but I think when you are in there with a monster like Muta you need to throw everything at him. Muta throws in a chair. Hase grapples with the ref for it and then Muta bashes him with the chair and then backbreaker, but Hase pushes him off the top rope. Hase constant suplexing Muta and especially this instance after a chair shot is what drops this match from perfect status he was no selling too much. Muta gets the spike, but before he can put it in his boot. Hase gets it and carves Muta open. NASTY BLADEJOB! Crimson Mask has never been so appropriate. Piledriver, sleeper, and biting lots and lots of biting. Hase mocks Mutas mist spew with Mutas blood. Thats sick. Hases body looks like a murder scene. Muta starts suplexing the shit out of Hase. Four back drop drivers. Muta crashes and burns on the moonsault! There is still life in Hiroshi Hase! Mutas sell is so great. He looks like a fish completely spent from flopping around and died. Hase hits a wicked urnage. 1-2-NO! Powerbomb! 1-2-NO! Hase goes for another Urnage, but Muta snaps off a Dragon Suplex, bridge 1-2-NO! Even Muta is shocked! Another snap one with bridge for two. Muta is ready to destroy. Backbreaker/moonsault and it is over. Hase came closer than any men before him, but all fall before The Great Muta. ****1/2

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 8: Best of Pro Wrestling NOAH 2005-2009 (KENTA, Jun Akiyama, Kenta Kobashi)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Ratt was totally bitchin last night! They are such a badass metal band and see Juan Croucier still do all his dancing tricks with his bass brought a big smile to my face. Thumbs up!

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 8:

The Greatest Matches of Pro Wrestling NOAH 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 eighth volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the Top 6 countdown of the best matches to take place Pro Wrestling NOAH from 2005-2009. We pick up where left off in 2004 with NOAH. 2005 was still peak NOAH with the Kenta Kobashi reign winding down and their last Tokyo Dome show. The Dome show was headlined by the 90s New Japan vs 90s All Japan dream match of Kenta Kobashi vs Kensuke Sasaki and the return of Toshiaki Kawada as he squares off against archrival Mitsuharu Misawa. Kobashi had dropped the GHC title to Takeshi Rikio the first of the new generation to win the belt, however he proved to be a bust. By 2006, NOAH was in a precipitous freefall with Kobashi out of action due to cancer and now new talent that could lift the business. Eventually, Misawa put the belt back on himself. It was that dire of a situation. We end in 2009 because that is their year of the tragic in-ring death of Mitsuharu Misawa. Rest in Peace, Misawa.

Ratings: As of right now, I would say the top two matches have a shot at making the list, but are probably on the outside looking in.

Now thats what I call a POP!

Honorable Mentions

GHC Heavyweight Champion Takeshi Rikio vs Akira Taue - Budokan 11/05/05

One of the loudest crowd pops in the history of Puroresu when Taue wins the GHC Championship. Remember how badly the Budokan wanted Taue to unseat Kobashi last November, well they are still into Taue. They are over the moon when he wins the championship here.

Kenta Kobashi vs Kensuke Sasaki – Tokyo Dome 7/18/05

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

The last gasp of NOAH as they are still able to draw a huge crowd on the back of 90s stars as they reprise the Kawada vs Misawa feud (they had not wrestled since 2000) and the 90s dream match of Kobashi vs Sasaki. The problem was that it was now 2005 and their lack of new stars would extremely problematic in the long run. Misawa vs Kawada is a nostalgic Greatest Hits match. I just saw Ratt last night. It is akin to that seeing a great 80s band run through their Greatest Hits. It is fun, but it does not have the same zing as something present. Kobashi vs Sasaki is something I should really revisit. I thought it was a little too excessive in the fighting spirit and macho pride spots, but it is definitely something important enough that it should be mentioned.

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

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

NOAH in 2005 was the rebirth of tag team wrestling with Kobashi slowing down he was put in more tag matches. These are some of the best tag matches of the decade and there is still one more to come in the Top Six. Tenryu is in NOAH and this is his last run where he can still put on classics, which is pretty amazing since he debuted in the late 70s! This is also the debut of the Boy Wonder and one of my favorite 2000s wrestlers, Katsuhiko Nakajima who is a true gem of junior heavyweight. I got to see him live thanks to Ring Of Honor in Detroit in 2009.

Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs Jun Akiyama & KENTA - NOAH 10/03/09

The Misawa tribute match. Wrestling touches on a lot of human emotions. Joy, anger, fear, pride and envy to name a few. The biggest emotion it often misses is sadness and its cousins depression and grief. The early emotions are red, passionate, intense emotions and make for energetic experience. It has trouble with blue emotions and I hope that we see more of this in pro wrestling as it evolves to really progress. This is perhaps the best sad match ever. It is a somber mood. Misawa is dead and Kobashi is so injured he can't pay tribute to his friend. They use that sadness to weave an excellent story.

GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champion KENTA vs Kotaro Suzuki - NOAH 1/25/09
The NOAH Match of the Year, 2009. KENTA The Junior Destroyer takes on the cheating, cowardly punk, Kotaro Suzuki in a very entertaining match. I would say this overachieves as Suzuki has never impressed, but he is the straw that stirs the drink in this match. It is his over the top heeling that draws you in. You really wanted to see the hard-hitting, explosive KENTA comeback and when you get it. It is truly glorious. We will see an even better version of this style of match featuring KENTA later in the coutdown.

The Top Six NOAH Matches from 2005-2009

TAKE THAT DREAM!

#6. GHC Heavyweight Champion Takeshi Morishima vs Kensuke Sasaki – Budokan 9/6/08

NOAH Match of the Year, 2008

If you treat your opponent with the respect he deserves, then the match will be respected. Sasaki paints his unlikely masterpiece with young GHC Champion Takeshi Morishima who never quite panned out to the high expectations placed upon him. Kensuke Sasaki is a great wrestler, but one who needs a fellow great wrestler to have a great match. Most of the time, Sasaki is in there with works of greater talent. It is not totally his fault his generation was stacked with Hashimoto, Mutoh, Hase, Tenryu, Kawada, Kobashi and Akiyama. Still, the one thing always missing from his resume was him carrying a match proving he could be a ring general. This was that match.

Sasaki is a power wrestler through and through but he is a little on the short side, very stocky though. Morishima is a big boy. What Sasaki does so well is put over Morishima’s size advantage. He does not wrestle a fighting spirit match where they trade blows in the middle of the ring. This is not a King’s Road match where they trade bombs down the stretch. This is a smart match where Sasaki recognizes Morishima’s biggest asset his size, puts that over so that becomes the hook of the match. Can Sasaki the Legend survive and find a way to defeat the Monster champion or will he succumb to his girth? Like I said before when you have fans asking themselves questions in the match that’s when you got them. Compare this to the Misawa match, Morishima was plugged into Misawa formula and you would think that Morishima was just Kawada 2.0. Except, Morishima looks like a dude who ate Kawada. So when Sasaki began the match with his usual power-oriented strategy he was thwarted by the simple fact that Morishima is fucking huge. Sasaki does a great job selling for this monster both physically and psychologically. Morishima is really overwhelming the veteran. Sasaki has one hope and that is the young Morishima makes mistakes. Those rookie mistakes haunt him as he has a nasty habit of telegraphing his moves allowing the veteran Sasaki to capitalize. But when Sasaki falls back into his routine of power wrestling, Morishima literally squashes him. Morishima is wrestling this match like a monster and really looks like he is going to fulfill his potential. Sasaki has a new strategy go aerial and attack Morishima from the high ground. This strategy pays dividends and allows him to finally hit his Northern Lights Bomb, but Morishima kicks out! Sasaki is exasperated, really great selling from him. He hit the Monster with his best shot and still could not get the job done. Morishima goes high risk and crashes & burns on a moonsault. That is the opening Sasaki needs. He fells the Beast with a lariat which feels like a huge victory. Sasaki dictated the pace so well and he really put Morishima over. Morishima wrestled with conviction. They did a great job created situations where Sasaki could make inroads on Morishima. It is a barrage of Lariats and a Northern Lights Bomb that win the day for Sasaki. TAKE THAT DREAM!

#5. Kenta Kobashi & Yoshihiro Takayama vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama 

Budokan 12/02/07

NOAH Match of the Year, 2007

To me the most emotionally moving match of Puroresu in the 2000s. Kobashi triumphs over cancer (there was no way he was going to job to cancer) and returns to the ring in an amazing tag team match. It was a conquering hero’s welcome for Kobashi. Fans chanting “Ko-Bash-I” and Tamon Honda crying on commentary. I would argue you connect separate the emotion and content of the match. It is so fueled by Kobashi’s return that it propels this match into a 2007 Match of the Year Candidate. Misawa and Akiyama were natural foes for his return match, but his partner on the surface seemed to be an odd choice. It was his rival and eternal heel Yoshihiro Takayama. Takayama did a great job cheerleading and playing to the crowd to get Kobashi involved. Kobashi showed some ring rust early on and was a little sluggish. What makes this match so great is that the Kobashi The Destroyer of the mid-2000s is gone. Misawa caught Kobashi good with an elbow and all of sudden we are teleported back to 1993 and it is sympathetic Kobashi playing face in peril to the two greatest offensive wrestlers of all time. When you add in the cancer factor, the sympathy levels were just off the charts. You were just begging for Kobashi to make that hot tag to Takayama and then rejuvenate himself enough to become Kobashi The Destroyer and win the match. A great moment in the match is that as Kobashi is turning the tide on Akiyama, Misawa  comes in and quashes it with elbows to a chorus of boos! Hot tag to Takayama! It is short-lived but cool to see as Misawa blows him out of the water with an elbow. Takayama vs Akiyama is interesting because we never did get to see them in a high-profile singles match. That would have been a barnburner. Another great moment is Takayama could cover Akiyama, but he knows this match is about Kobashi so he tags out instead. Kobashi runs through his Greatest hits. The crowd is roaring and I am beaming with a smile so big as I watched it too. Takayama tackles Misawa and Kobashi hits a moonsault on Akiyama. Kick out and then they pan to Honda crying. Eventually Misawa & Akiyama overwhelm Kobashi and Misawa hits the Emerald Flowsion. If there was ever a time to break from the time-honored tradition of the returning wrestler doing the job in Japan, now was the time. The fans wanted to see Kobashi win and that was a silly booking decision. This also doubles as Misawa’s last great match of his storied career. I thought he was the second best worker (Kobashi’s face in peril was incredible) he was just a cold, stoic, remorseless badass in this match. The last hurrah of the Misawa vs Kobashi rivalry.

#4. KENTA vs. Bryan Danielson – NOAH 12/02/06

Exactly, one year before KENTA and Bryan Danielson had a tremendous traditional wrestling match. One thing you may have noticed from these countdowns is the dearth of gaijin talent. From Rikidozan through the 90s, gaijin especially from America played a big role in Puroresu. By 2000 they were mostly gone for the landscape and puroresu became very native heavy. This has changed in recent years thanks to the Bullet Club in New Japan but for most of the decade it was Japanese vs Japanese. Danielson is a student of pro wrestling and loves puroresu. I am sure it was a real treat for him to get to wrestle for NOAH and to wrestle one of the best junior heavyweights of the 2000s in KENTA.

If you can reign in KENTA and make him work for his offense, then you can get a great match out of him. KENTA has all the tools to be one of the best of all-time, but he doesn’t use them smartly. Danielson is a great ring general and knows how to make KENTA work for it. This is a great example of a tempo-based psychology match. KENTA wants to work that million mile per hour style and Danielson is trying to stymie him. Early on as KENTA is revving up Danielson gets a simple hiptoss and converts that into a cross armbreaker. That’s excellent wrestling. Quash the early momentum and lay some groundwork for an arm-based attack. Danielson was tremendous in working the arm. Danielson uses this as a setup to hit a diving headbutt and then a monster splash over the guardrail on KENTA but in the process hurts his knee. That’s the spot I always remember from this match. It is such a great turning point. Danielson was doing great on the ground, but felt he needed something extra to beat KENTA. When he goes high risk, he pays for it with a bum wheel. The finish stretch just flows beautifully building on the great ground work they laid in the beginning. Danielson powers through at first and tries the Crossface Chickenwing, but KENTA picks the knee and gets a Texas Cloverleaf and now Danielson is hurting. So when Danielson goes for Cattle Mutilation he cant hold it. Now KENTA can roaring back with his big ass kicks and knees. Danielson try as he might cant withstand this onslaught and loses to Go 2 Sleep. I love strategies and this is a match of strategies. Danielson blows it when he goes high risk after wrestling a great conservative match. I love how it does not immediately lead to Danielson taking heat. He is fighting through the pain and KENTA had taken more punishment up until that point. You see KENTA making in roads, but Danielson is still in the driver’s seat until his leg gives out. Then KENTA finally EXPLODES in great KENTA fashion. Just awesome escalation throughout the match really built to a fever pitch.

#3. GHC Heavyweight Champion Akira Taue vs Jun Akiyama – Budokan 01/22/06

NOAH Match of the Year, 2006

Just as the top match of this countdown is the grand sendoff for the King’s Road Tag Style, this is the sendoff for the King’s Road singles style. Kobashi’s cancer scare, Misawa’s poor health and Kawada’s winding schedule meant these two were the last of the Five Pillars of Heaven. The September tag match is a great lead in to this match as it really makes you want to see singles match between these two. In the feel-good moment of 2005, Akira Taue wins the GHC Championship raising the stakes of this match.

After his loss to Kobashi in the Dome, Akiyama disappears in the last half of the decade. Yes being a part of three of the best matches of the decade seems like disappearing when you do nothing in between. However, in this one match, Akiyama wrestles like it is 2000 fighting with urgency and focus. The focus was the head and neck of Taue where he was throwing knees like Misawa would throw elbows. As I have said before Taue is the King of Efficiency. There are no overwrought sequences. He has one goal win the match. How is he going to do it? Nodowa Akiyama to Hell and retain his title. We begin with a  nice little Taue shine diving to the outside showing how much this championship means to him. Taue worked the match smartly and builds nicely to his first Nodowa attempt but it is still early as Akiyama counters. The spot of the match is Akiyama wiping Taue out with a knee from the apron from behind. This sets up the excellent heat segment on the head and neck of Taue. Akiyama takes a page out of 2001 Mutoh’s playbook using the dropkick to the knee to set up a knee to the head, but that only gets two. Akiyama tries a running knee on the ramp, but Taue nails him with a big boot. NODOWA OFF THE RAMP! Game-changer! I loved that moment as it totally changes the complexion of the match and just like that Taue is back in it. Taue runs through his big offense lots of Nodowas and a Dynamic Bomb cant get it done. The drama is at a fever pitch with Akiyama responding with Exploders. They play off the September tag with Taue hitting a Super Nodowa when Akiyama had been trying a Super Exploder but Taue does not have enough to cover like he did four months ago. Akiyama ends up kneeing him in the head and eventually Taue succumbs to the onslaught. Two of the all-time greats going out having a balls to the wall match where the key is they are always struggling to win the match and put themselves in the best position to win. The entertainment of the fans is a by-product, the true goal is to win the match. I love how they put over the high stakes of the match when Akiyama knees Taue in the head on the first Super Nodowa attempt. Taue knows he needs that home run shot to win, but in order to hit it has to sacrifice the offensive position. It is a really cool moment. They take it home with Akiyama winning the match because of the groundwork he laid with the head/neck work and Taue not being able to overcome it.

GET 'EM JOE!

 

#2. GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champion KENTA vs SUWA – Budokan 09/18/05

It is the battle of Caps Lock: KENTA vs SUWA! The best KENTA matches are ones where he has to earn his offense whether it is the cheating heel tactics of a Kotaro Suzuki or the technical wrestling of a Bryan Danielson. You want to see KENTA go through some trial and tribulations before he explodes into his hellacious comeback. No one was better at that than SUWA in this match. SUWA turned in a career performance as he was a heel’s heel in this barnburner. He tore up the scroll that is always read before NOAH title matches. Sacrilege!  He blasts KENTA with a ring bell! The ref is forced to DQ him. SUWA is parading around knowing he beat up the champ. Joe Higuchi, the old dude that reads from the scroll, gets so hot that he takes off his suit to trade hands with him. The crowd goes wild for this! It is one of those moments that transcend time, language and culture. When a old man gets so fired up and is ready to put a punk in his place that always gets over. He throws the turnbuckle pad at the ref. He openly punts KENTA in the nuts. The ring crew and young boys are irate. The match has been restarted because everyone wants KENTA to destroy this prick but he has taken too damage. Now SUWA is openly flouting the rules. What are they going to do? Disqualify him again? This is an amazing heel performance that really needs to be seen to be believed. A man who has no cares in this world is always a dangerous man. SUWA hits that big dropkick that Finn Balor lifted from him and KENTA takes a gnarly bump for it. SUWA looks to finish him off with a Pedigree when KENTA reverses into a GO 2 SLEEP! GO KENTA GO! Loved the closed fist exchange here it works so much better than chops. KENTA OBLITERATES SUWA with kicks to the head and an exploding knee and just like that KENTA vanquishes the prick. It is the easiest story to tell. Asshole bully, SUWA is a total jerk and gets a ton of heat on himself then badass, asskicking babyface, KENTA The Destroyer roars to a satisfying conclusion when he kicks off the asshole’s head. I love this match! And to think this is not even the best match on the card…

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

NOAH Match of the Year, 2005

What if Tenryu did not leave All Japan in 1990, is this a match we get in 1996 instead of 2005? Perhaps, but that is the dilemma I face. Undoubtedly, this is a great match, even in NOAH’s weakened state in the last half of the first decade of the 21^st century, to be selected as the best match is still high praise. I ranked it #8 overall of all Puroresu matches to take place between 2000-2009. Yet find myself not wanting to include it in my Top 100 because it does not feel consequential. It is four of the greatest of all time (all four I ranked in my top 25 in the Greatest Wrestler Ever poll) but they are all in the twilight of their careers. This would be Tenryu’s last great match. Taue had a couple more gems in 2006 before fading away. Kobashi would have his cancer in 2006 and while he would have great matches afterwards it would never be the same. The youngest of the four, Akiyama, never reached his full potential as a star of a major promotion as he would flounder in NOAH before a resurgence in All Japan, but never a Budokan level draw that was expected of him. So the match feels more like the end of the road than a part of the greater pro wrestling narrative. I would not call it nostalgic. To me Misawa vs Kawada from the Dome in 2005 was nostalgic and so was the Misawa Tribute match. It was on the border of being passé, but the four characters are larger than life and can still suck you in. This and the Taue vs Akiyama match from four months later are a fitting end to the King’s Road.

Regardless, let us rejoice and be glad because these four old timers put on a helluva match and Akira Taue’s resurgence during this time period was excellent. This plays off the earlier Kobashi/Tenryu tag in April, but Kobashi has subbed in Taue for Go Shiozaki in return for excellent results. Clearly indicative of  a larger NOAH problem is that subbing in an old dude clearly improves a match over the young buck. In the April match, Tenryu’s chest ended up looking like a murder scene as Kobashi had chopped him so hard that ripped open his pecs. So Tenryu does a great chickenshit heel routine. I don’t blame him one bit. Frustrated, Kobashi sics Taue on them and he has Tenryu & Akiyama reeling. Then Kobashi tags in and he is now licking his chops (pun fully intended). Tenryu backpedals and tags in Akiyama. Akiyama thinks he will fare better against Taue so he takes a cheapshot at him. Taue DEMANDS to be tagged in to avenge this. Taue goes BEZERK on Akiyama! Crowd goes wild! Kobashi and Tenryu finally square off. Tenryu makes fighting spirit spots work because it actually sells how painful they are. His facial expressions are great. The match was so heated and chippy I loved it. So much trash talking. There was a point where Akiyama/Kobashi were supposed to nose-to-nose but Akiyama accidentally headbutts Kobashi and draws blood. I love it. Kobashi/Taue work a great control segment on Akiyama focusing on the neck. When Tenryu does get in, it he is who is licking his chops. Big melee fracas that is reminiscent of the big King’s Road tags of 90s with tons of bombs. They even do a miscommunication spot which is very rare in Japan where Taue accidentally big boots Kobashi. Taue vs Akiyama absolutely kill it in the final minutes. Akiyama teases a super exploder, but it is Taue with a Super Nodowa that wins the match. You can count to a million, Jess!

Tenryu was the cagey veteran that picked his spots perfectly. Kobashi was a big gun that could turn the tide of the match on a dime, but never overstayed his welcome. He was taken out by his partner he was able to save Taue a couple times, but couldn’t do much late in the game. Akiyama was the best seller of the match, but also the firecracker of his team. What more can be said of this Taue performance? He looked like a superstar and gave an intense performance. A great finale to the King’s Road tag team style!

  

Next time, we close out the first decade of the 2000s by looking at the best matches to take place in Japan from 2005-2009 not from Pro Wrestling NOAH!