-- I've decided to go back and watch a ton of New Japan of the decade since a ton of it I don't remember or haven't seen (mainly pre-2013). Should be fun to see the development and rise of New Japan both as a company and its popularity throughout the decade. --
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Go Shiozaki - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom IV In Tokyo Dome 04/01/2010
A typical Tanahashi start to a match. There was a solid exchange on the mat with both ringling around, grabbing limbs and reversing them. Shiozaki fluffed an armdrag sadly but his wicked chops more than made up for it. Loved the transition into Tanahashi attacking the leg with Tanahashi blocking a knee lift attempt and dropping Shiozaki while in the ropes. The usual Tana idiosyncrasies take place - stomps to the knee, the knee bar. Unfortunately Shiozaki blew it off pretty much straight away not showing any signs of Tanahashi’s attacks. The little sequences with the spinning back fist into a superkick leading to the slingblade was really good and sometimes they can come across as contrived but it didn’t here. There was a good near fall by Shiozaki, which is a good accomplishment considering he is facing Tanahashi in the Dome, where he hits some of his biggest bombs followed by a moonsault. The finishing stretch was a bit weak unfortunately. Shiozaki had a big chunk off offence and then Tanahashi made a comeback and that was that. It never felt “earned” to me, although the set up for the Dragon Suplex near fall was slick as hell. I do wish they kept on with the initial leg based offence early on but I think it was probably for the best. The rest of the match was really good. Shiozaki got a bunch on Tanahashi, got some really good nearfalls and looked good for the most part, until the easy loss. Tanahashi did a good job from fighting from beneath. Tana has great comeback offence for the most part but he doesn’t feel go all out for the finish, I feel. Probably indicative of the spot on the card. ***1/2
GHC Heavyweight Title Match: Hirooki Goto vs. Takashi Sugiura (C) - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom IV In Tokyo Dome 04/01/2010
I really thought that this was a great match. The start, however, was mind numbingly dull not much going on. Just aimless slow start stuff but the match quality grew in tenfold when they started hitting their big bombs and hard strikes. All their usual arsenal. Sugiura controlled most of the match using his strength and experience to dominate Goto. Sugiura has a big presence around him and that allowed Goto to shine as the wrestler fighting from beneath. Goto more than matched Sugiura in intensity and fire in his comebacks. Maybe a better start and this could’ve been better. ****
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Yoshihiro Takayama vs Shinsuke Nakamura - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom IV In Tokyo Dome 04/01/2010
Pre-Weirdo Nakamura! I know people prefer Nakamura’s character later on, but I love his serious demeanor. There is something “big match” about it. And against someone like Takayama, you need to match his intensity. The first half of the match is all Takayama - a real mauling. Takayma lays in the strikes hard early on and completely no-sells Nakamura’s (weak) forearms. And beats on Nakamura with his brutal knees on the outside, and then, in a great feel moment, he makes the count to 10 himself. And then he elbows Nakamura right on the bridge of the nose! Nakamura sells really well too. He really seems out of it at times, just lying motionless. Nakamura slowly starts to get back into the match though and keeps up the selling, taking more time to pull things off like the german suplex, for example. Nakamura has some really nasty knee strikes to the stomach that would make any normal person vomit. Loved the counter from Nakamura from a clothesline attempt into an armbreaker. Nakamura following it up with kicks to the elbow was even better. There was some really good struggles for it later on with Takayama breaking out of an armbar stomping on Nakamura’s face which was followed up by a wicked knee to the face - a call back to their more famous match in six years prior. The finish of Takayama and Nakamura exchanging punches and kicks allowing Nakamura to catch Takayama off guard and nail the Boma Ye was absolutely amazing. Had me off my seat. Great way to end the match, highlight both guys strengths (Takayma’s strikes and Nakamura’s wit and counters). Never watched this match before I don’t believe, never really hear it brought up as a match to even watch let along a great match. But that’s what this was. Takakyama looked like a total behemoth beating the hell out of Nakamura with his violent offence. Nakamura brought him great selling to the match, some great counters and striking too. Excellent main event for the Tokyo Dome. ****1/2
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Naomichi Marufuji vs. Prince Devitt - NJPW Circuit 2010 New Japan ISM Day 3 - 30/01/2010
A rematch from their Super J Cup final match last month where Marufuji came out the winner. Both guys are extremely quick straight off the bat with the two reversing each other’s move on the mat at a quick pace. I wasn’t sure if Devitt would be able to keep up with Marufuji but he more than did just that and it all ended off with an awesome tope con hilo that got great height on the jump. The match had tons of energy carried by the really hot crowd and there was a ton of great aerial stunts like Devitt’s dive to Marufuji on the outside. Marufuji did a good, but not great, job of working over Devitt and beating him down. Some of his cut offs were nice like the dropkick to a running Devitt and his keylock reversals but the attacks never felt focused. It just felt random and it came off much better when he was playing of Devitt rather than a one-sided beat down. I thought the near falls were actually done pretty well. Like Devitt moving out of the spring-board dropkick and getting the diving foot stomp. Made for a good, exciting finish in the end with his Tiger Flowsion. Other than the okay section of the match where part where Marufuji was dominating Devitt, this was a great Junior match that made Deviit look like a star. And then the post match tease of Marufuji vs Kanemoto made me all giddy given their match is one of my favourite matches of all time. ****
-- Up Next: Naomichi Marufuji vs Koji Kanemoto, Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, Naomichi Marufuji vs Jushin Thunder Liger, Hirooki Goto vs Shinsuke Nakamura --
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Go Shiozaki - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom IV In Tokyo Dome 04/01/2010
A typical Tanahashi start to a match. There was a solid exchange on the mat with both ringling around, grabbing limbs and reversing them. Shiozaki fluffed an armdrag sadly but his wicked chops more than made up for it. Loved the transition into Tanahashi attacking the leg with Tanahashi blocking a knee lift attempt and dropping Shiozaki while in the ropes. The usual Tana idiosyncrasies take place - stomps to the knee, the knee bar. Unfortunately Shiozaki blew it off pretty much straight away not showing any signs of Tanahashi’s attacks. The little sequences with the spinning back fist into a superkick leading to the slingblade was really good and sometimes they can come across as contrived but it didn’t here. There was a good near fall by Shiozaki, which is a good accomplishment considering he is facing Tanahashi in the Dome, where he hits some of his biggest bombs followed by a moonsault. The finishing stretch was a bit weak unfortunately. Shiozaki had a big chunk off offence and then Tanahashi made a comeback and that was that. It never felt “earned” to me, although the set up for the Dragon Suplex near fall was slick as hell. I do wish they kept on with the initial leg based offence early on but I think it was probably for the best. The rest of the match was really good. Shiozaki got a bunch on Tanahashi, got some really good nearfalls and looked good for the most part, until the easy loss. Tanahashi did a good job from fighting from beneath. Tana has great comeback offence for the most part but he doesn’t feel go all out for the finish, I feel. Probably indicative of the spot on the card. ***1/2
GHC Heavyweight Title Match: Hirooki Goto vs. Takashi Sugiura (C) - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom IV In Tokyo Dome 04/01/2010
I really thought that this was a great match. The start, however, was mind numbingly dull not much going on. Just aimless slow start stuff but the match quality grew in tenfold when they started hitting their big bombs and hard strikes. All their usual arsenal. Sugiura controlled most of the match using his strength and experience to dominate Goto. Sugiura has a big presence around him and that allowed Goto to shine as the wrestler fighting from beneath. Goto more than matched Sugiura in intensity and fire in his comebacks. Maybe a better start and this could’ve been better. ****
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Yoshihiro Takayama vs Shinsuke Nakamura - NJPW Wrestle Kingdom IV In Tokyo Dome 04/01/2010
Pre-Weirdo Nakamura! I know people prefer Nakamura’s character later on, but I love his serious demeanor. There is something “big match” about it. And against someone like Takayama, you need to match his intensity. The first half of the match is all Takayama - a real mauling. Takayma lays in the strikes hard early on and completely no-sells Nakamura’s (weak) forearms. And beats on Nakamura with his brutal knees on the outside, and then, in a great feel moment, he makes the count to 10 himself. And then he elbows Nakamura right on the bridge of the nose! Nakamura sells really well too. He really seems out of it at times, just lying motionless. Nakamura slowly starts to get back into the match though and keeps up the selling, taking more time to pull things off like the german suplex, for example. Nakamura has some really nasty knee strikes to the stomach that would make any normal person vomit. Loved the counter from Nakamura from a clothesline attempt into an armbreaker. Nakamura following it up with kicks to the elbow was even better. There was some really good struggles for it later on with Takayama breaking out of an armbar stomping on Nakamura’s face which was followed up by a wicked knee to the face - a call back to their more famous match in six years prior. The finish of Takayama and Nakamura exchanging punches and kicks allowing Nakamura to catch Takayama off guard and nail the Boma Ye was absolutely amazing. Had me off my seat. Great way to end the match, highlight both guys strengths (Takayma’s strikes and Nakamura’s wit and counters). Never watched this match before I don’t believe, never really hear it brought up as a match to even watch let along a great match. But that’s what this was. Takakyama looked like a total behemoth beating the hell out of Nakamura with his violent offence. Nakamura brought him great selling to the match, some great counters and striking too. Excellent main event for the Tokyo Dome. ****1/2
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Naomichi Marufuji vs. Prince Devitt - NJPW Circuit 2010 New Japan ISM Day 3 - 30/01/2010
A rematch from their Super J Cup final match last month where Marufuji came out the winner. Both guys are extremely quick straight off the bat with the two reversing each other’s move on the mat at a quick pace. I wasn’t sure if Devitt would be able to keep up with Marufuji but he more than did just that and it all ended off with an awesome tope con hilo that got great height on the jump. The match had tons of energy carried by the really hot crowd and there was a ton of great aerial stunts like Devitt’s dive to Marufuji on the outside. Marufuji did a good, but not great, job of working over Devitt and beating him down. Some of his cut offs were nice like the dropkick to a running Devitt and his keylock reversals but the attacks never felt focused. It just felt random and it came off much better when he was playing of Devitt rather than a one-sided beat down. I thought the near falls were actually done pretty well. Like Devitt moving out of the spring-board dropkick and getting the diving foot stomp. Made for a good, exciting finish in the end with his Tiger Flowsion. Other than the okay section of the match where part where Marufuji was dominating Devitt, this was a great Junior match that made Deviit look like a star. And then the post match tease of Marufuji vs Kanemoto made me all giddy given their match is one of my favourite matches of all time. ****
-- Up Next: Naomichi Marufuji vs Koji Kanemoto, Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, Naomichi Marufuji vs Jushin Thunder Liger, Hirooki Goto vs Shinsuke Nakamura --
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