G1 Block B Match: Go Shiozaki vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - NJPW G1 Climax XX ~ 20th Anniversary - Day 8 15/08/2010
These two had another match later this month in NOAH which I think is a pretty great match but this is pretty good as well. Although I think they make it way too obvious with the start that they have that this is going to be a draw. Just the slow start and strike exchanges which with Go Shiozaki and NOAH matches in general are used to pad out time. They still get you invested in the match with some nice action. Go usually works at his best when he is competitive with someone rather than selling which made for a much pleasant experience . In the later parts of the match, there is some awesome sequences like Go blocking the Boma Ye with his arm and hitting a lariat in turn. There was great drama with Nakamura and the cross armbreaker that the crowd went crazy for and even began chanting for Shiozaki which honestly shocked me. This match does well to not rely on nearfalls for counters, it’s mostly done with counters to each other’s big moeves and Nakamura’s submission attempts. So I thought this was pretty excellent. I’m probably more high on this than most but I thought it was a well worked match aside from the obvious padding which was still entertaining to watch. It was a highly physical match with both two top stars in their individual companies beating the heck out of each other for 30 minutes. Awesome. ****1/4
G1 Finals Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Satoshi Kojima - NJPW G1 Climax XX ~ 20th Anniversary - Day 8 15/08/2010
The atmosphere was electric. Tanahashi went a heelish in the match and with the crowd behind Kojima, that was the right choice. Kojima withstood everything Tanahashi dished out and despite Tanahashi’s efforts with the dragon screw attempts, refused to be sucked into the High Fly Flow. Everytime he was on the floor, he showed great urgency to move and get up. Tanahashi being relentless going after the arm of Kojima like Goto did early in the show, doing everything to keep him down for the three count. The finishing stretch was a typical big New Japan finish and since there is no better time to do it, it works. The nearfalls were excellent. The finish with Tanhashi looking to hit the sling blade only for Kojima to knock his head off with a lariat looked awesome with sweat bouncing off them due to the impact. Really good match. ****
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title Match: Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi) (c) vs. Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) - NJPW Destruction 2010 11/10/2010
A beautifully fluid match as you would expect. Pretty much from the start, they started out very quick, putting together some really good sequences. There isn’t much tagging in and out after the start ,which a very brief portion of the match, sadly but I think they more than make up for it in effort. The double triangle moonsault the Golden Lovers do (the Golden Triangle) looks awesome. ***3/4
Atsushi Aoki & Go Shiozaki vs. Koji Kanemoto & Yuji Nagata - NJPW Destruction 2010 11/10/2010
Tons of aggression early on. Stiff slaps, intense staredowns, hair pulling. You name it. Then the match, unlike the Golden Lovers v Apollo 55 tag, turns into traditional tag match with tags in and it works. The NOAH side work excellent as a team, double teaming Nagata and then Kanemoto, who actually eggs Shiozaki to chop him when Aoki locks him in a double chickenwing. The crowd go completely behind the New Japan guys and chant for whichever one is in the ring. Not only is the tag wrestling really good, the singles wrestling is well done as well. Kanemoto bullying Aoki with the face wash ruled as did Nagata counting Shiozaki’s lariat attempt with the Nagata Lock. Aoki, even when against Nagata, looked really good. In fact, I think he was the MVP of the match. Great partner with Shiozaki, worked with the New Japan guys really well, taking massive bumps like the backhold driver bump on the neck for the finish, and stood out big time. ****
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Togi Makabe (c) vs. Satoshi Kojima - NJPW Destruction 2010 11/10/2010
I’m seemingly the biggest Makabe fan in the world so I thought why not watch this. The match is fairly important in regards to the Wrestle Kingdom main event which fits what I wanted. Maybe I would get a gem out of this match. They have a typical Makabe brawl. Punches, use of the tables on the outside and I have to say it was pretty damn fun. One of my favourite older G1 matches was the Goto vs Makabe match where this sort of thing happens. Kojima despite being the returning hero in August, plays the villain to Makabe’s hero. It’s done well. I liked Kojima nailing Makabe with nasty clubs to the back of the head and hitting some elbows. Makabe’s flurries off offence were fun and got the crowd excited. I thought the finishing stretch was awesome as well. Kojima catching Makabe with a lariat to the make of the head while he was on the top rope followed by a back hold driver and a brainbuster was an awesome sequence and a great kick out. Makabe blocking Kojima’s lariat attempts by slamming his arm into Kojima’s ruled and it made it much more fulfilling when Kojima nailed him with a wicked lariat for the finish. So did I find a gem? I think so but again, people seem to really not like Makabe and I love him so it’s probably just me. Kojima rules as well. ****
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Davey Richards vs. Prince Devitt - NJPW Circuit 2010 New Japan Alive Day 14 11/12/2010
I’m still one of the few that like Davey. Sure I think he is very flawed. Tries way to hard to be intense and charismatic doing the opposite and he leans into the EPIC matches too often but I generally like his offence when he is focused on the simple things. Here for example, he works on the ribs of Devitt which he broke already and does a pretty damn good job at targeting the ribs. He even hits a diving headbutt to the ribs which ruled. Devitt doesn’t have a ton off offence which makes sense but when he goes on offence, they don’t lean into his ribs at all. He does a superplex and then tries the overhead kick with perfect technique. Now, to be fair, with rib injuries, any move will hurt the ribs but it still didn’t sit well with me. I think he sells well after he hits the moves though. The finish isn’t all that great with some pin reversals, kick and bloody sunday. ***1/4
These two had another match later this month in NOAH which I think is a pretty great match but this is pretty good as well. Although I think they make it way too obvious with the start that they have that this is going to be a draw. Just the slow start and strike exchanges which with Go Shiozaki and NOAH matches in general are used to pad out time. They still get you invested in the match with some nice action. Go usually works at his best when he is competitive with someone rather than selling which made for a much pleasant experience . In the later parts of the match, there is some awesome sequences like Go blocking the Boma Ye with his arm and hitting a lariat in turn. There was great drama with Nakamura and the cross armbreaker that the crowd went crazy for and even began chanting for Shiozaki which honestly shocked me. This match does well to not rely on nearfalls for counters, it’s mostly done with counters to each other’s big moeves and Nakamura’s submission attempts. So I thought this was pretty excellent. I’m probably more high on this than most but I thought it was a well worked match aside from the obvious padding which was still entertaining to watch. It was a highly physical match with both two top stars in their individual companies beating the heck out of each other for 30 minutes. Awesome. ****1/4
G1 Finals Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Satoshi Kojima - NJPW G1 Climax XX ~ 20th Anniversary - Day 8 15/08/2010
The atmosphere was electric. Tanahashi went a heelish in the match and with the crowd behind Kojima, that was the right choice. Kojima withstood everything Tanahashi dished out and despite Tanahashi’s efforts with the dragon screw attempts, refused to be sucked into the High Fly Flow. Everytime he was on the floor, he showed great urgency to move and get up. Tanahashi being relentless going after the arm of Kojima like Goto did early in the show, doing everything to keep him down for the three count. The finishing stretch was a typical big New Japan finish and since there is no better time to do it, it works. The nearfalls were excellent. The finish with Tanhashi looking to hit the sling blade only for Kojima to knock his head off with a lariat looked awesome with sweat bouncing off them due to the impact. Really good match. ****
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title Match: Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi) (c) vs. Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) - NJPW Destruction 2010 11/10/2010
A beautifully fluid match as you would expect. Pretty much from the start, they started out very quick, putting together some really good sequences. There isn’t much tagging in and out after the start ,which a very brief portion of the match, sadly but I think they more than make up for it in effort. The double triangle moonsault the Golden Lovers do (the Golden Triangle) looks awesome. ***3/4
Atsushi Aoki & Go Shiozaki vs. Koji Kanemoto & Yuji Nagata - NJPW Destruction 2010 11/10/2010
Tons of aggression early on. Stiff slaps, intense staredowns, hair pulling. You name it. Then the match, unlike the Golden Lovers v Apollo 55 tag, turns into traditional tag match with tags in and it works. The NOAH side work excellent as a team, double teaming Nagata and then Kanemoto, who actually eggs Shiozaki to chop him when Aoki locks him in a double chickenwing. The crowd go completely behind the New Japan guys and chant for whichever one is in the ring. Not only is the tag wrestling really good, the singles wrestling is well done as well. Kanemoto bullying Aoki with the face wash ruled as did Nagata counting Shiozaki’s lariat attempt with the Nagata Lock. Aoki, even when against Nagata, looked really good. In fact, I think he was the MVP of the match. Great partner with Shiozaki, worked with the New Japan guys really well, taking massive bumps like the backhold driver bump on the neck for the finish, and stood out big time. ****
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Togi Makabe (c) vs. Satoshi Kojima - NJPW Destruction 2010 11/10/2010
I’m seemingly the biggest Makabe fan in the world so I thought why not watch this. The match is fairly important in regards to the Wrestle Kingdom main event which fits what I wanted. Maybe I would get a gem out of this match. They have a typical Makabe brawl. Punches, use of the tables on the outside and I have to say it was pretty damn fun. One of my favourite older G1 matches was the Goto vs Makabe match where this sort of thing happens. Kojima despite being the returning hero in August, plays the villain to Makabe’s hero. It’s done well. I liked Kojima nailing Makabe with nasty clubs to the back of the head and hitting some elbows. Makabe’s flurries off offence were fun and got the crowd excited. I thought the finishing stretch was awesome as well. Kojima catching Makabe with a lariat to the make of the head while he was on the top rope followed by a back hold driver and a brainbuster was an awesome sequence and a great kick out. Makabe blocking Kojima’s lariat attempts by slamming his arm into Kojima’s ruled and it made it much more fulfilling when Kojima nailed him with a wicked lariat for the finish. So did I find a gem? I think so but again, people seem to really not like Makabe and I love him so it’s probably just me. Kojima rules as well. ****
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Davey Richards vs. Prince Devitt - NJPW Circuit 2010 New Japan Alive Day 14 11/12/2010
I’m still one of the few that like Davey. Sure I think he is very flawed. Tries way to hard to be intense and charismatic doing the opposite and he leans into the EPIC matches too often but I generally like his offence when he is focused on the simple things. Here for example, he works on the ribs of Devitt which he broke already and does a pretty damn good job at targeting the ribs. He even hits a diving headbutt to the ribs which ruled. Devitt doesn’t have a ton off offence which makes sense but when he goes on offence, they don’t lean into his ribs at all. He does a superplex and then tries the overhead kick with perfect technique. Now, to be fair, with rib injuries, any move will hurt the ribs but it still didn’t sit well with me. I think he sells well after he hits the moves though. The finish isn’t all that great with some pin reversals, kick and bloody sunday. ***1/4
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