New Japan Professional Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH Proudly Present…
Welcome, cats and kittens, to yet another installment of the most valuable (only in mint condition) wrestling review blog on all of the interwebs, Cewsh Reviews! Tonight we have a special treat for you, as we travel to the mysterious land of Japan in search of more wrestling greatness and wrestling oddities in a show called NJPW Wrestle Kingdom IV. You might be thinking to yourself “Cewsh, you review Japanese wrestling shows all the time, and I have no idea who these people with the funny names are. What makes this such a special treat?” Well let me try to put this in context for you. Imagine the WWE Invasion of the early 2000’s. Remember how we got a few dream matches like Hogan/Rock, Hardy/RVD, and Booker T/Rock, but they spread them wayyyy out until they lost all context? Well imagine if they threw all those matches on one fucking show and there was literally no tomorrow, as there would be one winner and one definite loser decided in one place on one night.
Such is the situation here as NJPW, the king of wrestling in Japan, is attempts to stave off the invasion of promotion number two, Pro Wrestling NOAH, in a series of matches pitting the top stars and best of the best against each other to decide which promotion is truly the greatest Japanese wrestling promotion of today. It may be under the NJPW banner here, but this is no foregone conclusion, and it all makes for one of the most exciting wrestling shows of the year.
Don’t believe me? Well kick back, relax, and let the immortal Defrost and I take you on a rollercoaster of thrills and excitement, that may make occasionally stops at Dunkin Donuts to placate Team 3D.
So without any further ado, let’s do a motherfucking review!
Segment 1 – OPENING VIDEO FEVER!
Cewsh: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, NJPW has the best graphics and production department in the world, including WWE. The quality is about the same, but NJPW is miles ahead at just being really cool and hip, and they suck you in effortlessly whether you can understand the language or not. Here they show off the various matches for tonight, paying special emphasis on the rivalry between NOAH and NJPW which will infuse virtually the entire show.
Man this is so fucking exciting, and the production and the set and everything make the whole event seem sooooo huge and important and rad, even having a literal countdown clock on the set counting down to the start of the show. Of course that’s not what we need a countdown for. What we need is a COUNTDOWN TO TANAHASHI!
WOOOOOO!
Defrost: This is the 18th annual New Japan Tokyo Dome show that takes place on January 4th every year starting in 1992 with Starrcade in the Tokyo Dome. In recent years since the sell to Yukes it has been called Wrestle Kingdom and a video game of the same name has been released.
This went less than five minutes so there was not much to it. The guy to look out for is Young Lion Okada who will be going to TNA soon and has shown a lot of potential in 2009 including some brutal ass kickings he took in some of the New Japan vs. NOAH stuff. The match is fine for being a quick opener get some guys on the card thing. The Machine/Hirasawa/Inoue crowd are in Nagata's Blue Justice stable explaining their alignment. I am not sure how Okada got hooked up with Liger and Koji. Think of a 5 minute Raw match between competent guys. Basically that.
Cewsh: No argument here.
I’ve become accustomed, since we started reviewing Japanese shows, the the super fast paced opener between young guys to set the tone for the show and get everyone excited for what is to come. But that’s not what this was. What this was, was 5 minutes of dudes kicking each other at varying rates of speed (Liger is sorely lacking in the “kicking people really fast” department), and then not much else.
As Strong Machine’s team comes out, they’re all wearing masks, with Inoue and Hirasawa wearing matching blue masks, and Super Strong Machine wearing a Tiger Mask mask for some unknown reason. Then we’ll fast forward through the rest of the match because, frankly, you could sneeze and miss it. At the end, Inoue grabs a nasty armbar on Okada, as Liger and Kanemoto do their best to try to kick him off (including Liger’s aforementioned ineffectual girly kicks), however before they can, Strong Machine and Hirasawa dive on them, pinning them to the ring posts until Okada has no choice but to tap out.
I’d be lying if I said that this wasn’t a disappointing match. I get that Okada is a young lion and is still in his “mega super jobber” period before he gets shipped off to America to become a man, but to have a team with Liger and Kanemoto on it get made to look like such bitches doesn’t quite sit right with me. This wasn’t exactly the exciting start I expected or hoped for, and I hope the next one can get the show started officially.
50 out of 100.
Team Blue Over Team Random Following A Nasty Armbar From Inoue To Okada.
Defrost: Apollo 55 or Apollo Go Go (Go is the Japanese word for 5) won the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship by beating The Motor City Machine Guns. Apollo 55 teamed with Mistico at WrestleKingdom III to defeat Averno and his partners Jado and Gedo.
Guerrero and Averno are not regular partners in CMLL their home promotion in Mexico.
Apollo 55 are my favorite tag team going today. The team consists of Irish Born Prince Devitt and the Funky Weapon Rysuke Taguchi. Not only are their matches great, for more traditional fans go look up their matches with the Machine Guns on Youtube, but listening to a guy with an Irish accent cutting promos using Japanese words is hilarious.
The Tokyo Dome is where Jr. matches go to die. There are buildings with certain reputations. Korakuen Hall is famous for being a building with super hot crowds. Differ is a building known for the deadest crowds imaginable. The Dome is known for never getting hot for Jr. matches. So I was interested in seeing how this would be worked.
The match was worked more Lucha style than Puro. Makes sense in hindsight seeing as how Apollo 55 adapting to Lucha seems the easier fit. The crowd played its expected part by sitting on their hands for most of this.
Cewsh: First of all, I just want to say that “Funky Weapon” is the greatest nickname in wrestling history.
Second of all, Apollo 55 are a really fun exciting young team, that consists of one incredibly fun to watch Irish dude, and one incredibly amusing Japanese dude, that combine to form a Voltron of interest for yours truly. Add that to the fact that Ultimo Guerrero is one of my favorite lucha guys and you have a recipe for the opening match that we SHOULD have gotten to start this show.
In that regard, they certainly don’t disappoint either, as all four guys (well, the ones who aren’t “Ol’ Concrete Boots” Averno, at least) fly around all over the place, working a really dandy “lucha meets super junior” kind of match. Like Frosty says, the crowd really couldn’t be bothered in the slightest to respond to anything that they did, but they still gave us an exciting, fast paced match here from start to finish.
I hesistate to call this a good match, honestly, because it really had no flow to it, and all the parts that didn’t contain both Devitt and Guerrero were entirely forgettable, but if you scooped this show up, you wouldn’t regret watching this match. More than I can say for the true opener.
71 out of 100.
Defrost: While I would not put this match on the level of the Apollo 55 vs. Machine Guns or Apollo 55 vs. Taichi/Milano matches I did find this quite enjoyable with some cool spots. I really liked Guerrero's Gordbuster off the second rope on Devitt followed by a top rope reverse suplex from Guerrero on Devitt in the opposite corner right after. Apollo 55 did all their high flying stuff which is always fun. I think what sets those other matches apart is this was a lot more of a spot fest than these. No cohesion to it. I probably chock that up to the Lucha style which I am not a huge fan of. But a fun match.
Apollo 55 Over Team Enchilada Following Some Crazy Shit.
Defrost: After losing the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship to The Motor City Machine Guns at Wrestle Kingdom III, No Limit was sent to TNA and then to CMLL. Like most Japanese wrestlers sent abroad they came back much bigger than they were when they left and moved up to Heavyweight. I wonder how that works?
Bad Intentions got this rematch based on their last match with 3D going to a double count out, New Japan was not pleased with how TNA booked the IWGP Tag Titles whilst 3D and then the British Invasion had them and they also ran an angle where No Limit went to the Dudley's wrestling school and beat up all their students.
Yeah, so this match. This match is no good. What was good though was the video package. I know talking videos is Cewsh's gimmick, but I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the choice of music for the pre match video package. They used Venus as the song.
You know:
She's got it, Yeah baby she's got it.
Well, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire at your desire.
That song. I guess because No Limit are now heels that are supposed to view themselves as huge stars being the gist of the video is the reason for that song. I guess. Seems batshit crazy honestly.
Back to the match. It was every WWF Hardcore Match you ever saw back in the late 1990s. Just guys grabbing random crap and hitting each other with it. Really nothing more to it than that. Plus the Dudley's managed to drop the belts without doing the job which made a bad match even more annoying.
And now for the first time in a long time New Japan has all the IWGP Titles. I wonder if that will last the whole show...
Cewsh: No Limit come out to Rammstein’s Du Hast. Awesome.
70 out of 100.
No Limit Over Everyone Else Following The Annihilation Cutter On Karl Anderson.
NO LIMIT Are Your New IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions!
Defrost: Yuji Nagata retained the Zero-1 World Title at Wrestle Kingdom III over Masato Tanaka.
Despite being in ECW together Tajiri and Tanaka seemed to have never interacted in the ring in any way.
The feud here is between Nagata and Tajiri. Tajiri has been a pain in the ass to random people in New Japan from Misting the President to young lions. Nagata came to Okada's defense so Tajiri issued a challenge for the Dome.
Made a tag to get Akebono and Tanaka on the card and hold off a singles match until the next PPV.
Tajiri's first match at the Tokyo Dome.
There is something weird going in with the introductions. There is a guy speaking Japanese doing the ring intros and a guy speaking English doing the ring intros. That's new and I don't know why.
Tajiri is such a great heel in this match. Whether it was when he baited Nagata into the ring when neither he nor Tanaka wanted any part of Akebono to start the match, or his sneaky tactics and misting of everyone alive. I can't say enough about how well Tajiri. Add that to the pairing of Nagata and Tanaka going at it always being gold, and Akebono doing nothing more than crushing men with his bulbous gut and letting Nagata do the heavy lifting for his team and you have the right formula for a damn good match. This was a damn good match.
Cewsh: This match fucking rules.
I may have made my feelings on Tajiri clear here before, but if not let me be emphatic as possible. Tajiri is the best heel in Japan. He’s so many light years ahead of everyone else from the standpoint of being dickish, that nobody else is even in the same ballpark. Nowadays in Japan, true heels are rare, as it has become much more of a competitive showcase than a real good vs. evil battle there, but Tajiri is the exception, and what a fucking exception he is. He mists everyone he meets, he’s disrespectful to everyone for no better reason than because he feels like it, he wanders around like he’s possessed by mischievous spirits, and he belongs to no promotion. In a country that values loyalty and order, he is the ultimate wildcard. He’s like Stone Cold Tajiri Austin, and I love it to death.
The story of this match is that Nagata wants to murder Tajiri, and Tajiri is entirely too much of a shithead to fight him like a man. Tajiri uses every dickish maneuver and idea he can come up with to cheat Nagata out of the beating he so desperately wants to deliver. Akebono splats people left and right, Tanaka is his usual incredible self (most underrated Japanese worker, take my word for it), but Tajiri is the story here as he outwits everyone, mists every last human being standing, and connects with his vicious kick, stealing a victory where nobody expected him to. Then he mocks the blinded Nagata right in front of his face for losing, and Nagata can’t see him to do anything about it.
You want to talk about a great heel performance? You won’t find a better one.
84 out of 100.
Cewsh’s Download Seal of Approval.
Team ECW Over Team Blue Mountain Following Tajiri Being A Badass.
Defrost Notes: Terry Funk and Abby had a famous money drawing feud in All Japan many moons and many retirements ago.
Masahiro Chono's final match as part of New Japan's active roster.
Abby's pants have almost made it to his neck.
I was surprised by how much the 65 year old Terry Funk did in this match.
I was not surprised by how little the 70? year old Abdullah the Butcher did.
Also not surprised by how long it took these old men to get to the ring.
Cewsh: This is possibly the saddest match that I have ever seen.
Look, I get that this is intended to be nothing but nostalgia, and that everyone knows that Abdullah, Funk, and Riki can’t wrestle anymore, but they still got in the ring and had a match, so I have to review it for you. And it was a bad match.
No, it wasn’t merely bad, it was catastrophic. Neither Funk nor Abdullah could execute a single move without leaning heavily on the ropes to keep from falling down. Chono was actually fleet of foot compared to everyone else here, and provided a momentary bright spot as he turned on the juice for his last match as an official member of New Japan, but it was way too little, way too late.
Let me put it this way. When you depend on Toru Yano to be the best worker in a match featuring seven other guys, you are flirting with a disaster so epic that you could see it from space. This match was the best case scenario of that disaster. For what that’s worth.
36 out of 100.
Defrost: This match was designed to be a nostalgia special attraction. A match where no guys New Japan depend on were put in a bad spot. Just a match where fans can have a lot of fun watching guys they grew up with. And the fans did get behind Funk and Abby. Now contrast that with the show TNA put on the same day.
Another thing Jado and Gedo book New Japan. Their role on this show was to be pests in the corner of Tajiri and Tanaka. Contrast that with TNA.
Anyway on to the match. Terry Funk is so awesome he made Yano entertaining. Honestly I was pleasantly surprised by how well Funk moves around. There are guys much younger who did way less crazy shit that don't move around as well as Funk.
This was designed to get the fans buzzing right before intermission and the big New Japan vs NOAH matches. And it worked. Seeing Funk being Funk and having Abby turned face on his evil heel team by taking Iizuka's evil glove of death and using it on all the heels. Will never be confused with an all time classic, but it was fun and entertaining.
Team People You’ve Heard Of Over Team People You Haven’t Following A Torture Rack From Nakanishi To Some Guy.
Segment 7 – Intermission. Which Is Japanese For Piss Break.
Cewsh: From here on out the competition is on, as we pit the NOAH guys against the NJPW guys in a battle for supremacy. Now remember, the idea is like WWE Bragging Rights, where the winner of each match will earn a point for his team, adding up to an official winner at the end of the night.
Defrost: Starting at Wrestle Kingdom III with Akiyama vs. Nakanishi and Misawa/Suguira vs. Nakamura/Goto there have been a series of matches in both NOAH and New Japan that have progressed things including some great tag matches like Nakamura/Milano Collection AT vs Suguira/Shiosaki on the March Budokan Hall show. This show does not have the old stars of NOAH like Kobashi, Taue, or Akiyama, but features the guys who are currently being pushed in NOAH. All for what was supposed to be a blow off they ended up with an even number of matches. Hmm...
Cewsh: Also, Abby’s torso is going to haunt me far into the second half of this show. Ugh.
Segment 8 – The Best In The World.
Cewsh: After the intermission they show a video, recapping Naomichi Marufuji’s run, winning the Super J (Super Junior Heavyweight) Cup recently, and while that, in and of itself isn’t super important, his performance on that night, beating the likes of Jushin Liger, the Funky Weapon and Prince Devitt in a single night, sort of like the King of the Ring tournament, was absolutely incredible.
If you get a chance to see that show, don’t hesitate. Marufuji is as good as it gets, and he was magical on that night, as he was crowned the greatest junior heavyweight in the world. He deserves every bit of that praise.
And he looks dashing in a suit, too.
Cewsh: I can’t imagine that there’s anyone alive who didn’t actually contribute to the birthing of these two men who actually wishes to see this match, but here it is, so let’s see what we have here.
Makabe, who is pretty much NJPW’s homegrown badass, has basically one job that he is ever asked to do. Beat people up and be a tough bastard. Yone, essentially NOAH’s jobber to the stars, also generally has one job. To lose to badasses in matches he probably didn’t deserve to be in, in the first place.
Are you seeing where I’m going with this?
Yone holds his own for the first half of the match, giving the middle finger to Makabe and provoking him, and even getting to deliver his beautiful leg drop, one of the best in the business. Eventually, though, Makabe takes over and just starts dropping atomic bombs on Yone, who has no answer for any of it. After a few short minutes of ass kicking, Makabe mercifully brings the match to an end with a sloppy frog splash. Score one for NJPW. Not that this one was ever in doubt.
67 out of 100.
Defrost: Yone is one half of the GHC Tag Team Champions.
Yone's first match in the Tokyo Dome since NOAH Destiny in 2005.
Yone's first match on a New Japan Show.
Makabe demanded the match after Yone attacked him from behind after a match.
Not a long match. Thank God it was not a long match. This was put together in the best possible way. A short heated brawl where Makabe easily took over and squashed Yone. That is what this had to be to be entertaining and what it should have been booking wise since Makabe is much higher in New Japan than Yone is in NOAH. So kudos to whoever laid out this match.
Makabe Over Yone Following A Froggish Splasish.
NJPW: 1
NOAH: 0
NJPW: 1
NOAH: 0
Cewsh: MARUFUJI MARUFUJI MARUFUJI MARUFUJI!
Defrost: Marufuji became #1 Contender by winning the Fifth Stage Super J Cup. He also won the Fourth Stage Super J Cup in 2004.
The story of the match is Marufuji has been GHC Jr. Champ and All Japan World Jr. Champ so winning the IWGP Jr. Title would make him the first man to have held all of the "Big Three" Jr. Titles. Tiger moves were prominent because of Tiger Mask obviously and Marufuji's connection to Mitsuharu Misawa. Last time Marufuji worked a New Japan Dome show he teamed with Tiger Mask IV. They also teamed with Heat in a losing effort against Bryan Danielson, Ultimo Dragon, and Koji Kanemoto. Marufuji's first match in New Japan since a failed challenge at then IWGP U-30 Openweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi and Marufuji's first match in the Dome since defending the GHC Tag Championship with Minoru Suzuki against Jun Akiyama and Makoto Hashi at NOAH Destiny in 2005.
Marufuji entered to his special Tokyo Dome version of his entrance theme that he came out to at NOAH Departure and NOAH Destiny.
I love Naomichi Marufuji. Tiger Mask IV blows. So I was not sure what to expect from this match. The opening flurry is heartening since it seems like Tiger Mask is trying. There are a couple things in this match I really like. One is the counter Tiger Mask performs when Marufuji goes for his over the top to the floor diving drop kick. Everyone has their certain signature moves and I always like those being flipped on their head.
Then this match is the normal hot start, slow it down middle, hot ending. I loved how they worked the middle which can be a drag in matches and I was totally in love with the finishing stretch with big move after big move like the top rope Tiger Drive and the Shiranui Kai. Have to say I am not entirely sold on the Tiger Frosion though. Looks kinda dumb.
I was going to say that this is the best Tiger Mask match I had seen in forever, but I can't think of a better Tiger Mask IV match I have ever seen. So that's a big thumbs up from me.
Also remember how I said the Dome is dead for Jr. matches? The crowd was into this one.
Cewsh: This match is absolutely incredible.
I’ve been harsh on Tiger Mask IV before, hell we all have been. Partly it’s because of the legacy he has to live up to, partly it’s because his outfit looks totally dated these days, partly it’s the fact that he was the top junior in NJPW during a drought of quality opposition to make him look good. But mostly it’s because he just isn’t very good. If you watch this match, though, you’d never know it, because he and Marufuji spend nearly 20 minutes blowing the fucking doors off of the Tokyo Dome.
Right from the beginning it’s clear that both guys mean absolute business as they get right into it. The pace never slows for a second as both men go head to head, matching their best moves and counter moves against one another in such fast paced succession, I couldn’t even begin to summarize them all. Every one of Marufuji’s finishing moves was answered by Tiger. Every one of Tiger’s legendary finishing moves was countered masterfully by Marufuji, and they both kicked out of moves so devastating that the crowd ooohed and ahhhed in shock and surprise at every nearfall towards the end.
Now going into this, I wasn’t expecting Marufuji to win. Tiger Mask had had the belt for so long, and Marufuji is still not only A NOAH guy, he’s one of THE NOAH guys, so I wasn’t sure if they’d put the belt on him outright. All my fears were put to rest, though, and he nails Tiger Mask with an absolutely vicious move and beats him clean right in the middle of the ring.
All hail the new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion. He outlasted Liger, he outgrew KENTA, and he has brought down the reign of the Tiger. Naomichi Marufuji is the best Junior Heavyweight wrestler in the world.
Quote me on that.
88 out of 100.
Cewsh’s Download Seal of Approval.
Marufuji Over Tiger Mask Following The Almighty Pole Shift.
Naomichi Marufuji Is Your New IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion!
NJPW: 1
NOAH: 1
NOAH: 1
Cewsh: This is the real main event. This is the true clash of promotion stars right here. Tell ‘em why, Frostbite.
Defrost: Billed as the Ace of New Japan Pro Wrestling vs. The Ace of Pro Wrestling NOAH. They get the point across by having the commentator say the word ace roughly 4000 times during the match.
This is the first time since the 1/4 Dome show took the name Wrestle Kingdom that Hiroshi Tanahashi was not in the IWGP Heavyweight Championship match.
Crowd split during the match. Especially women since as the pre match video goes out of its way to point out both men are pretty.
Cewsh: Well they totally are.
Defrost: High Fly Flow
High Flying Star
High Energy Love
That’s is what the entrance video for Hiroshi Tanahashi says.
Cewsh: Is High Energy Love a description of Tanahashi in the bedroom? Hmm…
Defrost: This was the best match on the show. Starting off the match with chain wrestling until things got serious when they mussed each others hair. Tanahashi's barely moved.
As matches go Hiroshi Tanahashi reminds me a lot of mid 1990s Shawn Michaels. You are guaranteed a great start and a great finish. If he pulls off the middle you have a great match. Now there were a couple of problems here. Like they seemed to go for something off the top that was botched and I cold not tell what it was for instance. That is sorta nit picking though. Saying that, the match was great, but not other worldly or something. I do think the way Shiosaki is progressing is such that if they were to run this again 2 years from now the potential to be other worldly is there.
I also wanted to say something about the finish which was visually really interesting. Instead of the normal set up where the guy is lying down for the High Fly Flow, Frog Splash, Go was sitting up when Tanahashi came off the top rope. I had never seen anything like that before so I popped for it.
Plus Tanahashi is still the 100% Ace of the Universe.
Cewsh: He’s the 200% ace of the galaxy.
Going into this match, what I expected was a match that Tanahashi would carry, and as such I would mark out for it, and the ending would be white hot, but that ultimately it would have a few flaws. Historically, Tanahashi is at his best against guys more experienced than him, to lead the match, so he can play his fiery charismatic self, and that doesn’t describe Go Shiozaki in any way.
So imagine my surprise when these two guys not only have an amazing match, but one that is well paced, subtly told, and one that makes both of these guys look like bigger stars than anything they’ve ever done before.
I know that I spend all of my time on this planet talking about how much I love Hiroshi Tanahashi, so you might think that I lack perspective here, but I acknowledge his flaws. He has them. This match doesn’t. Tanahashi and Shiozaki put together half an hour of the best wrestling that money can buy, capped with one of the hottest finishes to a match that I have ever seen, as the fans seemed absolutely unable to choose a side or guess who was going to win. This match was intense, stiff, flashy, athletic, and just unquestionably great.
There was only one man who got his hand raised at the end, but everyone who sees this match is the winner here. Chalk up my very first gold medal of the year. There’s a reason why they’re called the Tanahashi’s.
91 out of 100.
Cewsh’s Download Seal of Approval.
Tanahashi Over Shiozaki Followed By The Double High Fly Flow.
NJPW: 2
NOAH: 1
Defrost: This is Takashi Sugiura's first defense of the GHC Heavyweight Title. Sugiura faced Goto at Wrestle Kingdom III when Sugiura teamed with Mitsuharu Misawa and Goto teamed with Shinsuke Nakamura. Sugiura also beat Goto in two singles match after that, in a #1 Contender for the IWGP Title match and in the G1 Climax Tournament. The last time Sugiura defended a title at the Dome was also on a New Japan show and he lost the GHC Jr. Title to Jushin "Thunder" Liger.
New Japan is winning the 4 match series 2-1 and this is also for the NOAH World Title. Feel the suspense. This was the only match I had not already watched prior to agreeing to review this so this should be interesting.
I love all the pomp and circumstance before a GHC Title match. You got the music; you got Joe Higuchi, what's not to love?
I'm not the world's biggest Sugiura fan. So I had a hard time getting into this match. Once Goto hit the hangman's neckbrecker on the apron I got into it. The finishing stretch to this match was great and that was the point where the crowd came alive and got into the match. The crowd was pretty dead early on so I think I was not alone in not being able to get into this match at first. The back half of the match was very entertaining and made Goto look good in the loss before tapping out. An above average match, nothing blow away. ***1/4 ish
Cewsh: There’s a lot of things I could say about this match. About how it was very intense, very hard hitting, and very good.
But why bother, when I convinced chotzilla to say this:
Yes. Yes that sums things up nicely.
78 out of 100.
Sugiura Over Goto Following The Anklelock.
Final Score:
NJPW: 2
NOAH: 2
Final Score:
NJPW: 2
NOAH: 2
Defrost: 6 years to the day of their double title match at the Tokyo Dome where Shinsuke Nakamura beat Takayama to unify the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the NWF Heavyweight Championship. This is also Nakamura's fifth 1/4 main event. He faced Yoshihiro Takayama on 1/4/04, Hiroshi Tanahshi on 1/4/05, Brock Lesnar on 1/4/06, Hiroshi Tanahashi on 1/4/08, and Yoshihiro Takayama on 1/4/10. Tied with Keiji Mutoh for most 1/4 main events.
Takayama's first match in New Japan since suffering a stroke after a match with Kensuke Sasaki.
New Japan does a really cool thing to start out. When the IWGP Title theme is playing on one of the two big video boards they had for the event they show ever single IWGP Champion.
As you might expect from the man who brought you Takayama/Frye and the man who caved in Hiroshi Tanahashi's face this was a stiff match.
Cewsh: Jesus Christ, stiff doesn’t even begin to describe it.
This match, more than anything else, is like watching an experiment in how many times a human being can get kneed in the face before they pass out. Both of these men use their knees to inflict so much punishment, over such a prolonged period of time, that I was just left speechless by the simple brutality of it. Anybody can do some nasty shit with a steel chair. To break a man with your bare hands (and knees) is something altogether different.
Now the actual story of this match is that the last time these two met, Nakamura was a punk kid with no idea of the ass kicking that he was in for, and Takayama beat him soundly. This time, however, Nakamura is a little older, a little wiser, and twice the world ending badass he was back then, so now he’s testing himself again against the old legend who is known more than anything for taking astonishing punishment, and never bothering to stop beating you to death anyway. This is very much a passing of the torch sort of match, even besides the fact that the winner of this will determine the winner between NJPW and NOAH, and as such, there’s a ton riding on both of these men’s shoulders.
They choose to relieve their stress through stress fractures. An intriguing idea.
Anyway, these two warriors beat on each other until no rational person would go on beating on somebody else, until finally, just when it looks like neither man will be able to read a book again, much less walk a straight line, Nakamura throws caution to the wind, throws away the concept of defense and nails Takayama with more than one knee to the face so stiff that I winced all the way in the future and across the ocean. 1…2…3. The young lion truly cements his place in history.
Defrost: You know I really liked this match. The thing consisted mostly of two men finding new and exciting ways to knee each other in the face and that is entertaining as hell. The match was so simple I have nothing more to add.
Cewsh: Long live the king.
Glory.
80 out of 100.
Cewsh’s Download Seal of Approval.
Nakamura Over Takayama Following The Boma Ye.
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Cewsh’s Conclusions:
Cewsh: I won’t lie, this is not my favorite Japanese wrestling show of all time. It won’t even rank highly amongst the Japanese shows that we’ve reviewed here for Cewsh Reviews. For all the bright spots, there were some woefully low ones to match them, and it’s kind of inexcusable on a show this important.
With that said, though, this show gave us a second half that blew the doors off of the Tokyo Dome, and has blessed us with my very first 90+ match of the year, which is absolutely nothing to sneeze at.
As usual, Tanahashi has set the pace, and the rest of the wrestling world will just have to hurry to catch up. Seeing whether or not they do is absolutely the best part about the year to come.
Cewsh’s Final Score: 73.5 out of 100.
Defrost’s Descriptions:
Defrost: All in all it was not as good as last year's show, but there was only one match that sucked. Since that match being awful was a given going in because of the Dudleys I can forgive that. The Jr. Tag Title match was good. Legends match was fun. Team ECW vs. Nagata/Akebono I liked. I thought the main event was very good. The Jr. Title match and Ace vs. Ace were great. Gotta give the show a thumbs up.
Defrost’s Final Score: .68 on the Muta Scale.
Well that'll do it for us this week boys and girls. Or will it? We do hope that you enjoyed reading this cursed review as much as we were honored to relate it to you. Words really can't express the ripples a show of this magnitude sends through the wrestling world, and any chance we have to catch you up on it is time well spent. However, this is LAST week's review. Hardly worth taking up two entire weeks of your review needs so we will be back in black for yet another review this week, as we tackle TNA's Against All Odds 2010 before its dinner even gets cold. Will TNA resurrect some of its lost momentum of late? Who will win the Eight Card Stud tournament to determine the future of TNA's main event scene? And will Tazz call anyone by the name they used in a different promotion?
Oh adventures await you, my proud lads and laddices. To tide you over, go check out the new Sunday Supplements from the last few weeks, and you'll be back with us, submerged in a world of wonder and titties. Until then, as always, keep on reading, and be good to one another!
Oh adventures await you, my proud lads and laddices. To tide you over, go check out the new Sunday Supplements from the last few weeks, and you'll be back with us, submerged in a world of wonder and titties. Until then, as always, keep on reading, and be good to one another!
And Don't Pick Your Teeth At The Table. It's Rude.
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