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.  

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 7: Best of Puroresu 2000-2004 (Mitsuharu Misawa, Jun Akiyama, Toshiaki Kawada)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 7:

The Greatest Matches of Other Puroresu in 2000-2004

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 seventh volume of Pro Wrestling Love finishes the Top 12 countdown of the best matches to take place in Japan in all the non-NOAH promotions from 2000-2004. I had a being internal struggle whether to include the first half of 2000 All Japan (pre-split) with late 90s All Japan. The reason I decided against it is that I want some mystery about what I think the Greatest Match Ever is. If I was force to rank Misawa vs Akiyama from February 2000 against 6/9/95, 12/6/96 and 1/20/97 it might give too much away. :P So I liked the idea of breaking it out in this. Also, it is just easier from a bookkeeping perspective to keep all the 21^st century wrestling together. All Japan and New Japan will obviously be featured, but matches from Zero-One, Toryumon/Dragon Gate, U-Style, BattlArts and WAR were all watched. 

Ratings: All six of these matches should make my list. The #1 match is a contender for Greatest Match Ever.

DANGEROUS~!

The Top Six Non-NOAH Puroresu Matches of 2000-2004

#6. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata vs Kazunari Murakami – NJPW 12/12/02

Puroresu Match of the Year, 2002

I would hazard to guess that no match in the history has ever overachieved as much as this match. That’s why my friends you watch all the matches. Yes, it was nominated for Ditch’s Project so it was not a completely new discovery, but nobody talks about this match. On paper, no one expects one of one hundred greatest matches of all time to take place when they watch this match, but that’s what you get in my opinion.

Murakami is at his absolute cocky shooter prick best. Find me a person that would not want to punch him in the face watching this. He is so eminently hateable throughout this match. You are just begging for the Nagata comeback. As the reader has come to find, I love energy in my match. Murakami is just a total speedball. He is a frenetic, out of control shooter that no one can contain. The opening sets the tone for the entire match. He bulrushes Nagata and is just stepping and stomping all over him. He is a maniac. There’s a great part where Murakami refuses to relinquish a cross-armbreaker and eventually Nagata just forces him to the outside where he gets battered and bloodied by Murakami’s entourage. The Crippler’s Crossface with all that blood oozing out was a very effective visual and of course Murakami would not be one of the best if he didn’t lick Nagata’s blood from his own forearm. Like I said above, the viewer is just begging for that Nagata comeback and we get it. Oh boy do we get it! It is a ferocious destruction of Murakami’s arm, an arm for an arm you see. Murakami was the star, but Nagata was no slouch in this and he really brought it when it came his turn. Murakami has one last gasp when his sleazy manager distracts Nagata long enough to apply a rear naked choke. That was a good last gasp for the crazed shooter. Nagata recovers and hits not one, not two, but three wrist clutch exploders. He wanted to make sure Murakami was punished for being such a dick. This is Inokiism at its finest the perfect confluence of shoot and spectacle.  

#5. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kensuke Sasaki vs Toshiaki Kawada – NJPW 10/09/00

All Japan Pro Wrestling was gutted and reeling from the departure of Misawa & Co. in the summer of 2000. However, they retained Toshiaki Kawada and that was all that was needed to make the All Japan invasion of 2000 seem like a big deal. A big enough deal to headline the Tokyo Dome. Inoki is sucker for a good invasion storyline. So it was booked Kensuke Sasaki vs Toshiaki Kawada for the Tokyo Dome. It must have felt like Hell Froze Over for puroresu fans at the time. Kawada was going to work for Inoki. The New Japan fans were throwing objects at Kawada. This was personal. This had been building since 1973 when Inoki and Baba went their separate ways. This was not about titles. This was about pride. Which company is the best? Two men acting as surrogates for Inoki and Baba trying to win honor & glory not just for themselves but for their company. This match reflects the ego, machismo and bravado intrinsic to the hyper-masculine entertainment of pro wrestling. Don’t confuse this with hate. This is not a hate filled brawl. It is not a scientific grappling match. It is stand up, toe to toe, you give your best shot and I give mine. It is about who is the strongest, toughest man. It is a style that can leave a lot to be desired and is a big problem I have with a lot of modern New Japan. It can come off as more of a ritual than a match. It is like a game of bloody knuckles. You are trying to outlast your opponent and win in a very specific fashion. It is not logical because rituals are not logical. You fighting according to an unspoken code. It is the code of strong style.

It starts off just as a match of machismo and pride should start. A hotly contested lockup. Like two rams with their horns locked in a joust. Sasaki lets Kawada know this is a fight to survive as he punches him in the head. Kawada has that perfect jelly leg sell and Kawada asks the ref “Did he just do that?”. There is a great gritty, slopping grappling exchange that felt like a shoot. Then the ritual begins. They just stand eye to eye and chop and slap the ever loving shit out of each other. It is at the end of this Kawada gets his receipt with a closed fist to the face, the ultimate dishonorable cheap shot. Kawada begins his heat segment he hits his big bombs, but does so with arrogance. Both men are selling their asses off. Kawada is one of the best at selling fatigue in his match. It is this fatigue that costs him as he cant hit his powerbomb. Sasaki begins his comeback, but it is a tempered comeback because he is selling the toll his body has taken in this match. I loved how he had to break his Scorpion Deathlock just because he was exhausted. So the ritual begins anew. They just start throwing huge lariats at one another. Each are on jelly legs. The one lariat I still remember is Sasaki hits Kawada so hard that is a cloud of sweat that forms. I have not watch this match in five years and that really stuck with me. Sasaki collapses on a simple suplex attempt. Sublime selling. Sasaki is trying to power up but succumbs to Kawada’s enziguiris to the head. I usually am not fond of wars of attrition. They lack energy. In fact they are anti-energy matches. They are supposed to be draining to the competitors and the viewer. It was a ritual match where the unspoken rules were stand and trade strikes. To do otherwise is dishonorable. It is not smart wrestling. It is really fucking stupid wrestling. But then again Pride is a really fucking stupid thing.

#4. All Japan Triple Crown Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama 

AJPW 05/26/00

The comeback to end all comebacks! This up there with Lawler vs Bockwinkel in terms of my favorite comebacks of all time. The arm dangling at Kobashi’s side while he is valiantly trying to make a comeback against this Giant is so dramatic. He is trying to fight through the pain, but Takayama is always cutting off by attacking the arm. The best part of the match is Takayama hits his Everest Suplex and when he cant pick up the duke he just starts punching Kobashi in the face with closed fists. It is such a dick move. It is kinda temper tantrum in a way. He just starts liberally cheating. Kobashi rallies with punches of his own, but his left arm as his right arm just dangles at his side! It is electric! Then he just says “Fuck it” and hits that Monster Burning Lariat with his bad arm for the win. It is not just this being one of the all time great comebacks this is a very complete match. What makes it standout is Takayama’s full on heel performance. It is very American as he is outright cheating and even has his buddy, Takao Omori helping him distract Kobashi at ringside. He is stepping on Kobashi’s throat, he hits Kobashi so hard his eye swells shut. Of course, the armwork from Takayama was par excellence. This is just a badass heel heat segment. Kobashi is just in his element fighting from underneath the perfect balance between selling vulnerability and hope. It gets overshadowed by the NOAH match, but this will undoubtedly also make my list.

#3. Toshiaki Kawada & Masa Fuchi vs Yuji Nagata & Takashi Iizuka – NJPW 12/14/00

I mentioned in my previous volume how much I love a dick heel tag team picks on the junior babyface partner and really makes you beg for the Ace hot tag. We get that here in spades as old man Masa Fuchi gives one of the best heel performances of all time just being a total prick to Iizuka. Fuchi actually gets his ass kicked at the beginning of the match by Iizuka. It is only after a very scrappy, pride-filled exchange between Nagata/Kawada (loved the intense grappling and Nagata kicking Kawada in the head when he does hamstring stretches in the middle of the match. Kawada was being quite the asshole) that Fuchi manned up. One kneecrusher and Fuchi becomes the cockiest bastard ever. Fuchi stands on Iizuka’s head and taunts Nagata with a look that says to me “What the fuck are you going to do about it, Nagata?” So after quite the asskicking and all the taunting, Nagata steps in and Kawada rushes in to floor him with a kick to the head. Now they take turns beating the piss out of Nagata on the floor with Iizuka hapless in the ring. This is amazing tag team wrestling, some of the best of all time from the All Japan boys. There is a great moment when Nagata has recovered enough to get back on the apron as he tries to interfere, he collapses. That puts over the stakes of the match. Kawada was coming off a victory over New Japan’s champion. New Japan could not afford another loss to Kawada and All Japan. Iizuka miraculously applies a sleeper on Fuchi and holds it for long enough that when he lets go Fuchi falls outside of the ring. Kawada allows Iizuka to tag Nagata because if he loses Fuchi he will be all alone in enemy territory. While Kawada is the best wrestler in this match, he is not good enough 2-on-1. Now Nagata invites him into the ritual of strong style fighting spirit. Kawada gladly obliges. Kawada sells Nagata’s kicks to the head so well. I love Kawada. Kawada is able to hit a back drop driver and when Nagata kicks out, Liger pops and cheers him on. That’s a nice touch. Kawada is battling off both men and the New Japan crowd is nervous. Nagata targets Kawada’s knee and now New Japan has hope. Fuchi saves, but ends up in a leglock of his own. There is a great Fuchi selling spot where he looks for the tag after hold, but he does not need to tag out because he was not legal in the first place. Great moment. The All Japan boys not to be outdone end up grabbing simultaneous stretch plums. This is great, I love mirror spots! The finish stretch is insane. Nagata and Kawada rip into each other. Nagata wins the stand up applies a cross armbreaker, Fuchi stands on Nagata’s head as the time limit expires. You will be hard pressed to find better tag wrestling in the history of pro wrestling than this match. Kawada & Fuchi were the ultimate heel tag team, garnering so much heat by being assholes, but when it came time to sell for the comeback they sold. Iizuka was the perfect outgunned babyface partner that you know will get his ass kicked, but he is not going to give up. Nagata felt like an Ace for the first time here. His segments with Kawada felt huge. I think the coolest thing about the match remains the simultaneous face in peril segments where Nagata and Iizuka were both in trouble at the same time. It really made the drama for the finish run feel huge. From the moment where Iizuka finally took out Fuchi to the time limit expiring, this was perfect, high stakes tag wrestling.  

#2. All Japan Triple Crown Champion Genichiro Tenryu vs Keiji Mutoh – AJPW 6/8/01

Puroresu Match of the Year, 2001

Slow and steady wins the race. One wrestling cliché that I feel is misappropriated for many wrestlers is “no wasted motion”. In this match, there truly was no wasted motion. Every single move mattered, was milked and as given time to breathe. At one point, I popped for a dropkick to the knee like it was a frigging Burning Hammer. To me, that is pro wrestling. One the surface, this match is about Mutoh’s hyper-focused strategy: the knee, the knee, the knee and then Tenryu’s consequent retaliation. Buried in this match is Tenryu’s masterful performance working underneath and selling the effects of the opening bell Shining Wizard all the way to the final bell. Mutoh completely blindsided him with that Shining Wizard and from then on out Tenryu was selling the effects of having his bell rung. Mutoh wanted to hit the Moonsault right then and there, but Tenryu wisely powdered. That one headshot prevents from mounting any offense during the first ten minutes of the match. I love how when Tenryu is able to string three moves together punctuated with a powerbomb, it is a Kappo kick to the HEAD that Mutoh uses to regain the advantage and send Tenryu reeling to the outside. As Tenryu re-enters the ring, the tenacious Mutoh dropkicks the knee. So it begins Tenryu rallies and Mutoh attacks the knee. It is relentless and intense. The greatest spot in the match is when Tenryu dropkicks Mutoh in his KNEE. I popped so hard for that. What a great Fuck You spot. Tenryu is the best. Tenryu throwing all that knee work back in Mutoh’s face is so glorious. Tenryu runs through his big bombs, but cant pin Mutoh yet. Then it happens as he is going for the brainbuster, Mutoh knees him in the HEAD, what a great intra-match callback. Two Shining Wizards and backbreaker/moonsault spells the end for Mr. Puroresu. Mutoh’s transition were so on point in this match and all tied back to his overall startegy. I am such a  mark for logical, smart strategy and transitions. I loved him in this match. Tenryu was a genius in this match. The way he sold his bell being rung was great. He was constantly going for home runs to get himself back into the match because he found himself in such a big early hole. Amazing match as Pro Wrestling Love reigns supreme.

#1. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Jun Akiyama – AJPW 2/27/00

Puroresu Match of the Year, 2000

I just preached efficiency in the match right before this, but I think this is even more efficient. Everything is so impactful and meaningful. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but I think was Misawa trying to recreate the magic of Misawa vs Jumbo, but this time he is in the Jumbo role. This was the big kickoff to the Akiyama superpush. This far outstrips the Misawa vs Jumbo match as this is a total tour deforce with Akiyama laser-focused on destroying the neck of Misawa (with how Misawa died this can be a little uncomfortable to watch at times) and Misawa’s world-renowned resiliency being tested like never before. Nothing says the stakes are higher than when Misawa squashes Akiyama’s nose on a nasty knee drop and crushes it with Akiyama coming up bloody. Of course, what makes this match work so well is the fact that Misawa is Misawa. The credibility of Misawa’s comeback had been built over the past decade and therefore there is never a moment in the match you think Misawa is out of it until he is shockingly out of it. At the beginning of the match, they establish this is not their first rodeo together and they have each other well-scouted avoiding the other’s signature moves. The first major blow comes from just that story of knowing each other so well as Akiyama avoids a reverse crossbody and drives Misawa into the mat. Misawa comes up holding his neck. Akiyama did not miss this and is laser-focused on the neck. My favorite spot is the drop toehold on Misawa sending him throat first into the railing. Piledriver on the floor and a Wrist-Clutch Exploder on the apron, all focused on the neck. Honestly, against anyone else I would be crying foul and claiming this is excessive, but this is Misawa and that means he is out of it, until the fat lady sings. Of course, it happens in the form of a monster back elbow. The Emerald Elbow was poised to bail Misawa out of another jam. This is of course just a hope spot on the eventual comeback. The viewer is accustomed to this. We enjoy it. We know the normal Misawa pacing. The execution is tight. Akiyama goes back to drilling the neck and Misawa is kicking out still. Then that nasty kneedrop happens to Akiyama. You know the end is nigh for Akiyama. Misawa runs through his bombs. ROARING ELBOW! Akiyama fights through it and hits two exploders. You know who Misawa reminded me of in that moment his old archrival Kawada in the way, he fumbled around the ring. That’s when you started to have faith in Akiyama. With more and more offense, Misawa looked more and more like Kawada. More and more you felt that Misawa was going succumb to Akiyama and then it happened on the mother of all Wrist-Clutch Exploders. Offensively, this is a masterpiece. Everything execution to perfection, great escalation, transitions are wonderful. What makes it so amazing is how All Japan had been booked so that story of the young upstart defeating the warrior-king in a war of attrition just enhances the drama. This match only really works at this level because it is Misawa. He is The Man. He always comes back. It just what he does. So when he doesn’t, it is such a big deal that it gives the match a massive feel to it. This is All Japan at their best and it is such a shining example of what made this promotion work and why it is so hard to touch them.

Best Matches New Japan Pro Wrestling (2000-2009)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

This will be a living blog post that details what I, Martin Boulevard (@superstarsleeze), believes are the best matches for New Japan Pro Wrestling from 2000-2009. As I continue watching 2010 & beyond and 1999 back into the 1970s, this list will be updated.

Matches will be grouped based on star rating level. Within a star rating level they will be list chronologically. Links to reviews will eventually be posted.

***** Matches

Toshiaki Kawada & Masa Fuchi vs Yuji Nagata & Takashi Iizuka - NJ PPV 12/14/00

NJPW I-C Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shinsuke Nakamura - 4/6/14

****3/4 Matches

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Yuji Nagata- NJPW 4/13/07

IWGP Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles vs Minoru Suzuki - NJPW G-1 Climax 2014

****1/2 Matches

Hashimoto & Iizuka vs Ogawa & Murkami - Tokyo Dome 01/04/00

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

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

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

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

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata vs Kazunari Murakami - NJPW 12/12/02 

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

 Fujita Jr. Hayato vs Koji Kanemoto - NJPW Super J Cup 12/02/09

Katsuyori Shibata vs Tomoaki Honma - NJPW G-1 Climax 2014

Kazuchika Okada vs Shinsuke Nakamura - G-1 Climax Finals 2014

War Ensemble: Yuji Nagata, Toshiaki Kawda, Kazunari Murakami (New Japan 2000-2002)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Fuck the weather, man! I will be in Philadelphia tomorrow come Hell or High Water tomorrow to see the Royal Rumble in living color. Not going to let the elevator bring me down. Uh oh! Lets Go Crazy!

DARLING NIKKI

Originally, I earmarked certain matches that were must watch before I submitted the ballot, but then with an extended deadline I expanded to more matches. So I will link to the heavyweight matches from New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2000-2002 that were reviewed before and those were the matches that did really well on my ballot. In casting a larger net for New Japan in the early 2000s, I mostly collected duds like Tenzan & Kojima tag team matches and old man Chono. While New Japan had some really spectacular matches in 2000 (mostly due to Kawada), I really thought I had seen them all. Then I decided to watch a Nagata IWGP title defense against Kazunari Murakami. I had seen Murakami for the first time as Ogawa's junior shooter buddy in the awesomely hot Dome match against Hashimoto/Iizuka.  I liked his heel performance as a dick shooter, but he was in Ogawa shadow. I went in expecting a slow, submission-style, counter-wrestling Nagata match to win against a semi-legitimate shooter. 

Watching the match, I was totally floored. Murakami gave one of the all-time classic asshole heel performances. You want that muthafucka to get punched in the mouth in this match. The match has a crazy amount of energy and urgency. It is just feels like one of those electric matches. Murakami is just an overeager douchebag and then Nagata gets roughed up and bloodied on the outside. I love shoot-style heels. The match would be excellent at this point, but then Nagata gives a great babyface performance. The man who I thought I was a total charisma vacuum had me captivated as he just went in total asskicker mode looking to rip Murkami arm off and then dropping him on his head. Between this and the crazy bloody Makabe brawl, Nagata missed his calling as a brawling, asskicking New Japan ace. Without a doubt, the most overachieving match on paper in the decade by far. WATCH THIS MATCH!

Murakami: Asshole Extraordinaire 

Other New Japan Matches

Hashimoto & Iizuka vs Ogawa & Murakami, New Japan January 4th ****1/2

#27 out of 100

 (http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/02/rockin-dome-shinya-hashimoto-2000-2002.html)

Tenryu vs Sasaki, New Japan January 4th ****1/2

#23 out of 100

(http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2013/11/2-out-of-3-falls-toshiaki-kawada.html)

Sasaki vs Kawada, New Japan October 9th ****3/4

#14 out of 100

(http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2013/11/2-out-of-3-falls-toshiaki-kawada.html)

Kawada & Fuchi vs Nagata & Iizuka, New Japan December 14th *****

#4 out of 100

(http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/all-japan-strikes-back-toshiaki-kawada.html)

Mutoh vs Nagata, New Japan August 12th ***1/2

(http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/2001-shining-wizard-keiji-mutoh.html)

Mutoh & Hase vs Akiyama & Nagata, New Japan October 8th

(http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/2001-shining-wizard-keiji-mutoh.html)

Nagata vs Takayama, New Japan May 2nd ****1/4

#66 out of 100

(http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/bleach-blond-bad-yoshihiro-takayama.html)

Takayama vs Sasaki, New Japan August 3rd ***1/2

(http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/bleach-blond-bad-yoshihiro-takayama.html)

Takayama vs Nishimura, New Japan August 10th ***1/2

(http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/bleach-blond-bad-yoshihiro-takayama.html)

Match Listing:

Masahiro Chono vs Masanobu Fuchi - AJPW 9/02/00

Two old bastards trying to out cheat each other, but emphasis is on "old", unfortunately

Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Yuji Nagata & Takahashi Iizuka

This sucked.

Toshiaki Kawada vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan - IWGP Championship Semi-Finals Tokyo Dome 01/04/01

Kawada drags a good match out of Tenzan

Kensuke Sasaki vs Toshiaki Kawada - IWGP Championship FINALS Tokyo Dome 01/04/01****

#85 out of 100

Awesome, power sprint. These guys had awesome chemistry with each other.

Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Mike Barton & Jim Steele - G-1 Tag Climax FINALS '01

Basic, fundamental tag team match. Very average.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata vs Kensuke Sasaki - NJPW 6/7/02

Power vs submission. Disappointing.

Masahiro Chono vs Yoshihiro Takayama - 2002 G-1 Climax Finals

Takayama dragged a great, dramatic match out of old man Chono.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata vs Kazunari Murakami - NJPW 12/12/02 ****3/4

#15 out of 100

Amazing, exciting shoot-style fight. Badass Murakami heel performance. Badass Nagata face performance. 

Call me over when ever you want to grind

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Masahiro Chono vs Masanobu Fuchi - AJPW 9/02/00

I have even more RESPECT for Takayama after this Chono performance. Team 2000 (TenKoji, Masa Saito, Masa Chono) is in enemy territory looking boss. Chono does have a unique, cool badass aura for Japan. Fuchi is a lot bigger than I thought he was for being  a career junior heavyweight being almost as tall Chono. Fuchi is quite obviously the best part of the match working the babyface dirty old bastard. In fact, the appeal of this match is the two cheating bastards going at each other, but was underwhelming.

My favorite portion was up front where Chono disrespectfully slapped Fuchi and he did not take it lying down unleashing strikes, a vicious Back Drop DRIVER and some energetic facelocks. Chono slows the pace way down by stalling up the aisle. Chono resorts to using a closed fist, which Fuchi sells like a million bucks. Chono stomping and general heel-ery is quite boring, but Fuchi sells it well. Fuchi grabs a quick sleeper to wake us all up. Fuchi reminds me why he is my hero by stepping on Chono's face and setting him up in the ropes to stand on Chono's head. The heat gets turned up with each trading eye-rakes. Fuchi enzigiuri! Back Drop Driver! Only gets two! Chono uses his leg to hit a ballshot to avoid the second Back Drop Driver. Team 2000 leaves their seats to intimidate the ref. Chono hits a piledriver and a Yakuza Kick, but only gets two. Chono presents the STF better than anyone else I have seen building it up as a huge moment. A barrage of Yakuza Kicks polishes off Fuchi.

I enjoyed the two bastards trying to out CHEAT each other, but this just really did not have enough meat on the bone. One of the takeaways from 00s is to track downn more 90s Masa Fuchi footage

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Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Yuji Nagata & Takahashi Iizuka -

NJPW G-1 Tag FINALS 11/30/00

My theory was that Tenzan and Kojima could be a great babyface tag team, but holy shit are they as shitty as I thought they would be as a heel tag team. Usually in a match I don't like, I can figure out why someone nominated it. This is just wretched. The fact that AJ Styles reportedly got a pretty good match out of Tenzan in 2014 should lock him up as Wrestler of the Year because 2000 Tenzan fuckin sucked. My notes just say "lots of chopping" over and over again. What the hell was with those shitty American-style punches, Nagata. If you are going to punch someone do it like Tenryu, man. There is no sense of flow. People just tag in and out. There are lazy transitions like the powerbomb into the heel hook. The finishing stretch is just a bunch of bombs with no rhyme or reason. The best part of this match was a Scott NORTON sighting. Bullet Club needs more Scott Norton.

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Kawada Save Me!

Toshiaki Kawada vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan - IWGP Championship Semi-Finals Tokyo Dome 01/04/01

Kawada, lookin' tan, drags a pretty good match out of Tenzan en route to the IWGP Championship rematch with Kensuke Sasaki. The trick with Tenzan headbutts is to get a good camera angle though the transition headbutt actually draws blood from Tenzan. Tenzan's game plan is to overwhelm Kawada and hit his big spots. I enjoyed the cutoffs as Tenzan put up a good effort like the headbutt to the mid-section after a missed diving headbutt, the always excellent desperation Kawada closed fist and the dragon leg screw from Tenzan. Kawada is really great at selling in the moment, but in the 00s he is not very good at selling long term. The leg PSYCHOLOGY I thought was something that would boost this match did not go anywhere. The finish run was to be expected lots of jumping kicks from Kawada and headbutts from Tenzan with each trying to set up their kill. Kawada hits the powerbomb for the win. It was enjoyable, but nothing that special. The struggle between the two keeps it interesting, but they never get to the next level. ***1/4

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Kensuke Sasaki vs Toshiaki Kawada - IWGP Championship FINALS Tokyo Dome 01/04/01

I had watched this before and remember it being pretty good, but I was really impressed this time around. They really captured the urgency to end this match early because they both had previous matches that show. Kawada comes out flying with a jumping kick to the head and back drop driver. The match is a war where both wrestlers were trying to use their strikes (lariats versus kicks) to set up their big bombs. Sasaki draws blood with a vicious lariat and Kawada is not afraid to let his kicks fly. I loved how Sasaki actually tripped on Kawada on his follow through on a clothesline. Kawada kicking someone in the head just never gets old. Kawada's powerbomb does not get the job done and the end is nigh. I like Sasaki's Boston Crab because it looked uncooperative that Kawada was not LETTING him get a deep one and Kawada made the ropes. They smash into each other with lariats and Kawada sell coming off that lariat was so friggin amazing as he sort of collapses away from Sasaki.  Kawada had been able to hit a jumping kick to avoid a German Suplex, but on this suplex he just doesnt have enough energy to get the ropes and goes flying onto his head. LARIATOOOOO! Sasaki only get two, but then finally gets the Northern Lights Bomb to secure the victory. Sasaki is so good friggin' good at these sub-20 minute wars. He is a great powerhouse and Kawada makes him look like a million bucks. It is also a great blowoff to the New Japan vs All Japan feud. It is not as good as the 2000 classic because they don't attain the same gritty uncooperativeness but still a really good, hard hitting match. ****

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Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Mike Barton & Jim Steele - G-1 Tag Climax FINALS '01

Boy, did this remind me of 80s WWF Tag Wrestling so much. The layout was perfectly fine, but it did not grip me in anyway. All four knew what they should be doing and they did it, but it was cold and mechanical. Unlike the WWF they did tack on a big All Japan-style finish run, which popped the crowd huge because 2001 New Japan very rarely used these types of finish runs. However, having watched so much NOAH, this run felt really passe. I think that's actually what is most interesting about this match. If I was in January of 2002, I may put this very high on my 2001 match of the year list because it was so different for the time period: a New Japan tag match with a double heat segment and a big finish run combined. It was pretty unique, but it ages poorly because its HOOK based on what is happening around the match rather than in the match. So that in 2014 I have seen so many matches done better than this that it does not stand out at all.

 I didn't think this was Mike Barton (Bart Gunn) or Jim Steele's career performance at all. Unless you deem one big bump over the top rope to the floor and a left hand punch to the gut career performance worthy. I will say Jim Steele looks like an oversized version of Sean Waltman, but with none of their charisma. However, he was trying to win me over with the orange zubaz tights. Yes, this was PROBABLY Barton's best match and maybe Steele's, but he was in All Japan so it is possible he has had better matches.

Tenzan and Kojima clearly carried this match. In fact, Kojima and Tenzan have the capability to be a pretty good team. Tenzan is actually pretty good at SELLING and for all the shit I give Kojima he was a pretty solid hot tag because his offense was all done in short bursts. The problem is they were heels their entire tenure and I would dread Tenzan and Kojima trying to work on top. Tenzan and Kojima strike me as two wrestlers that could pushed beyond their capabilities because there was no one left and they were over.

Barton and Steele worked such a boring heat segment and it was only Tenzan's selling that kept it alive.  The finish run was fun with Kojima getting killed only for a 3-D to take out Barton and Tenzan with a piledriver/moonsault combo to win. It is not a bad match. It is average work paired with a great layout and an exciting finish run that pushes it a bit above average. ***

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IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata vs Kensuke Sasaki - NJPW 6/7/02

I am more glad this exists then I am about how it was executed. The two biggest NJPW stars of the early 00s clash for supremacy. I am partial to Sasaki, but I understand given Inoki's preferences why he choose Yuji Nagata: Super Counterwrestler Extraordinaire. Besides the fact that Nagata has the charisma of a potted plant, what bothers me is Nagata tends to do all this counterwrestling early, but then always ends up finishing with suplexes and kicks. Contrast that to Minoru Tanaka, who uses his other offense to set up his counterwrestling and look how much more invested the crowd is in his submission wrestling. Not to mention that Minoru Tanaka is just a more entertaining and charismatic wrestler. Nagata matches tend to be very disjointed and this is not much different. I like Sasaki, but he is someone who is more of a follower than leader. So when Nagata or Kobashi is leading, then his matches tends not go too well.

Early on, they spend a lot of time on the mat, which is a nice change of pace from NOAH. Sasaki does admirably holding his own, but overall I would say  Nagata wins the early portion with a stepover toehold. Nagata gets a bit cocky and starts kicking Sasaki repeatedly so Sasaki responds with a slap and Northern Lights Bomb. Nagata powders. I love that about Japan. It is an excellent way to hit a big move, but protect it. Sasaki starts using power wrestling to set up for lariat, but Nagata kicks the lariat arm. Nagata is not really building to anything just hitting some signature moves. Sasaki is able to lariat his knee while he is on the apron. Sasaki does well to use this as an opening to hit a power move, work holds on the knee like the Scorpion Deathlock, but Nagata just won't sell it. Nagata kicks lariat arm. Nagata runs through suplexes and head kicks to polish him off.

I enjoyed the change of pace in the beginning compared to NOAH, but they did not follow through in any interesting way and ended in a similar fashion. Oh well.

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Masahiro Chono vs Yoshihiro Takayama - 2002 G-1 Climax Finals

Chono is rover like fucking over with the crowd. Come to think of it, Kojima was wicked over in All Japan and Tenzan had the crowd in the frenzy during the 2003 G-1 Climax. Team 2000 was the ticket to being hugely popular in 00s Japan. I will have say they have a very unique, cool badass aura for Japan. Not to TAKEAWAY anything from the ultimate badass, the Big, Bad Bleach Blond Giant of Yoshihiro Takayama, who was so locked in 2002 that he even got a good match out of Chono.

The beginning was pretty boring with Takayama just asserting his dominance with his size and on the mat. Takayama works in his usual HEELS spots like eyerakes and one foot cover. Any and all Chono offense gets wildly cheered, but pretty much sucks especially that shitty armbar. Takayama hits his huge knee lift, which Chono sells like a million bucks. It is picking up now. Chono in full on desperation mode draws blood with repeated Yakuza Kicks. Takayama storms back with knee lifts with the ref having to pull him off and Team 2000 is irate at ringside. He goes for the Everest to finish him, but knows the ballshot is coming and avoids it. I love it. Chono gets the spinwheel kick and a drop toehold. Huge Pop! Everybody knows what is coming: STF, BABY! Chono is good at ratcheting up the STF and Takayama sold great. Takayama dead weight after making the ropes. A barrage of Yakuza Kicks wins Chono his blank G-1 Climax to the delight of the crowd.

The key with 00s Chono is keep him off offense and let him hit his big spots to please the crowd. Takayama was just so locked in at this point that he could have a great match with anybody. ***1/4

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I NEED TO FIND THIS MATCH!

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata vs Kazunari Murakami - NJPW 12/12/02

This, my friends, is why you watch all the matches. On paper this looks innocuous with boring Nagata against the wild card Murakami, but they produce an absolutely crazy, hate-filled brawl. Have this right neck and neck with Takayama/Ogawa for 2002 MOTY and with the 2007 Togi Makabe as Yuji Nagata's best match of his career. The best match to compare this to is Kawada/Naoya Ogawa, but Murakami brings an even crazier energy to this match. Murkami just has that face that looks like he is a total mean asshole. He wrestles like an out of control shoot fighter. I have only seen three of his matches, but much like Naoya Ogawa he just has this undeniable presence. Right from the get go he makes Nagata wrestle a totally different style match. Murakami brullrushes him and just starts stepping and stomping on him like a maniac. Nagata to his credit never looked out of place and really did well with a sprint shoot-style beginning. The matches goes from interesting to great once Murakami won't let go of a cross armbreaker when Nagata is in the ropes. Nagata powders, but is pummeled outside by Murakami's entourage and is left battered and bloodied trying to respond to ref's count. Murakami is perfect mixture of cocky and mean that is so instantly unlikeable. Murakami focuses on the arm applying a cross armbreaker and crippler's crossface with the blood really oozing. Murakami licks Nagata's blood off his forearm. I think to forgot to say he is BATSHIT INSANE~! Nagata kicks Murakami's lariat arm and knees to the head and the crowd is rocking. I liked Nagata going for the "arm for an arm" route it i just he sat in the armbar a bit too long to call this a match of the decade contender. Nagat gets distracted by Murakami sleezy manager and Murakami gets a rear naked choke, which was a great last gasp for Murakami. Nagata turn Murakami's STO into a crazy suplex and then rains down knees. He does not hit one, not two, but three wrist clutch exploders!!!

Crazy hot start, badass hook, Murakami excellent heel heat, Nagata's comeback, last Murakami gasp and then a finish run that showcased Nagata did not just want to win a match he wanted to punish and destroy Murakami. No lazy strike exchanges, no nearfalls, just hot, non-stop action. Everybody needs to watch this! ****1/2

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I FOUND THE BLOODY BRAWL BETWEEN KENSUKE SASAKI VS. YUJI NAGATA ABOVE!

Yuji Nagata vs Kensuke Sasaki - NJPW 01/04/04

Up until the finish, I thought this was a classic, bloody, Dome brawl. I was perplexed why no one talked about this match until that finish, which takes it down quite a bit. Sasaki returns, but not to a hero's welcome. No, he must have been portrayed as a turncoat for leaving Inoki's New Japan to join a short-lived Choshu's promotion that would focus more on pro wrestling. Sasaki fit the 90s New Japan Strong Style well, but Sasaki stuck out like a sore thumb in Inoki's MMA-influenced New Japan of the early 2000s, but he comes back here to challenge Inoki's boy, Yuji Nagata at the Dome. Without the title on the line and New Japan in its nadir in terms of critical quality, I can see why this is overlooked, but I thought this was awesome.

They are chippy before the match starts and have to be held back during introductions. It feels like Sasaki is a Choshu-like invader taking on the Hero of New Japan. They just stand up and duke it the fuck out. Sasaki rocks him with a slap to the ear. Nagata tries to fight back and Sasaki hits him a lariat. Sasaki goes for the cross-armbreaker to win the match, but Nagata retreats to the outside. Sasaki whips him into the railing and goes for the chair. Nagata in desperation smokes the chair back into Sasaki's face with a wicked kick. Sasaki does a nice blade job. Sasaki gets a lariat to back of Nagata's head and sends him head-first into the post. Nagata does a nasty, gory blade job. We get the double juice and Nagata & Sasaki stand up in the ring and just throw haymakers, headbutts and strikes. It was fucking awesome. Nagata is left in the middle ring laying and you can see the pool of blood forming around the back of the head. Sasaki just goes vampire crazy gnawing on Nagata and then headbutting him. Sasaki gloats and the New Japan crowd boos loudly. Damn! Northern Lights Bomb! He chooses to go for the ten count. He goes for it again, but Nagata gets a wild kick to the head that rocks Sasaki. Nagata follows it up and you really feel like it going to build to this awesome finish and be a slam dunk 2004 match of the year contender, but then Nagata just puts Sasaki in the Rings of Saturn for like 60-90 seconds until Sasaki passes out. It was very anticlimatic. Up until the finish, a damn exciting brawl. I loved the visual of the double juice with them standing up and just trading strikes in the middle of the ring. Sasaki was actually playing a good heel. Definitely worth a look and see. ***1/2