Ring Crew Reviews: Puro Comp #2

• Go chops him and then just pounds him into a pulp and hits a running knee on him. Go heads up top and goes for a knee but lands on the bad leg. NO! NOT THE KNEE! HT comes back with a series of punches and kicks and his own flying burrito. Cover for 2. Go elbows out of a waistlock but HT beautifully and brilliantly chopblocks him. HT runs off the ropes into a couple of chops from Go. Go tries another but HT ducks and wants the Sling Blade. Go slides behind and drops him RIGHT on his fucking head with the BEAST German suplex. Go CLUBS HIM WITH THE THROAT CHOP but HT shrugs it off and smacks him back. Go says FUCK THAT and hits the superkick and runs off but HT comes back with a Sling Blade. They slug it out with forearms and Go starts no selling. HT clubs him a couple times and wants a Tiger Driver but Go blocks. HT gets the butterfly suplex and another Sling Blade. He heads up top for the Frog Splash but eats knee as Go blocks. Go is unable to capitalize because of the bum leg. Go pulls himself to his feet and clubs down HT with a chop. Go heads up top and HT tries blocking by grabbing the leg but Go chops his neck some more. HT follows him up. Go tries the swinging Black Hole Slam but doesn’t get him around far enough and turns into a World’s Stfongest Slam off the top. Cover gets 2. Go chops him in the neck and LARIATOs him. Cover gets 1,2—kick out at 2. Go with ANOTHER LARIATO. Cover for another 2. Go slams him down and says that’s it. He heads up top and hits a picture perfect moonsault for 2. He tries smacking his leg back to life and wants the Go Flasher but HT blocks and boots the knee. YES! Go tries giving him a LARIATO but HT catches the arms(!) for the ARM CAPTURE GERMAN SUPLEX! 1, 2—2 ¾. They slug it out with forearms and Europ uppercuts. Go decides to MAN UP with more chops. HT ducks one and Go transitions into the SPINNING BACKFIST THROAT CHOP! Even the announcer can’t believe that one. Go with the seated LARIATO. It’s over. Cover for 1, 2—OHNOHEALMOSTGOT’IM. Go wants the Go Flasher and HT counters to a small package but because he’s made of steel and awesome Go stays on the front facelock and rolls through for the GO FLASHER. He gets him up but HT slides behind to counter to a Dragon Suplex!! Bridge gets 2. HT with the Troll Yell and he’s feeling it. He hits another Sling Blade but Go no sells. HT dropkicks the leg and gives him a Juvy Driver for 2. HT heads up top and hits a crossbody Frog Splash but doesn’t cover. He heads BACK up top and hits another Frog Splash to end it at 18:24. Oh yeah, you want all of this. While I LOVED this and rate it higher than his match against Kojima from Jan, the more I see of Tanahashi I get these eerily similar vibes of Superman Cena. He wrestlers bigger guys and seems to shake off all their stuff and come out on top and isn’t a superb seller. It’s somewhat ridiculous that Go is beating the hell out of him and yet Go’s the one selling more effectively and animatedly between the 2. Still awesome match though. Spot of the match: tie between HT ducking a chop only to get hit with a spinning back throat chop and the Go Flasher → small package → Go Flasher → Dragon Suplex sequence. ****1/2

• Yugi Nagata vs. Go Shiozaki. This is from NJPW G1 Climax on 8/10/10. Lock up goes nowhere. Go tries a chop rather than give a clean break but Yugi ducks and tries a kick and Go avoids. BRINKSMANSHIP! Yugi grabs the waistlock and Go reverses to the arm. Yugi counters to a waistlock and suplexes him over. Go gets the waistlock and now Yugi jumps to his and Go armdrags him down but Yugi kicks him back. Go is PISSED and goes for the YAKUZA HOMICIDA but Yugi avoids. Test of strength instead and it’s pretty even before Yugi wins only for Go to come back and get it to a rope break. Go boots him in the face rather than give a clean break and boots him some more. Go is all,YOU AINT GOT NOTHING ON ME! Yugi gets up and shoves him and they go head to head and slug it out with forearms. Go chokes him and gives him a series of forearms and a running one. Yugi comes back with a yakuza kick. Yugi wants another but Go cuts him off with one. He tries again but Yugi cuts him off with one. We’re square so far so Go goes to his secret weapon: shotgun chops. Yugi starts trying to chop him down by kicking the hamstring. Go chops the skin off his chest to come back and hits a superkick and a German suplex. Go with more forearms and chops and Yugi writhes in agony at that. Go chokes him and then taunts. Go tosses him to the floor in a pretty lazy transition. Go with a chop and sends him into the guardrail. Go then hangs him out to dry. Yugi comes back with forearms but Go no sells and CHOPS HIM BACK DOWN and gives him the Batista kick. Go back in at 17 on the count. Go with a headbutt and the running chop in the corner. Go hits the running knee strike and the ref kicks on Yugi as Go paintbrushes just to be a dick. Yugi tries to Hulk up but Go gives him the KOBASHI CHOP RAMPAGE! Go tries a charge but Yugi clips the knee and recovers SELLING HIS CHEST from the chest. I know it’s a little thing but so many of them don’t even sell chops. Yugi boots the leg some more. Go sends him off and tries a LARIATO but Yugi ducks and dropkicks the knee. Yes, nice. Yugi gives him the DR FG kick and ANOTHER and ANOTHER and Go is toast. Yugi with a yakuza kick in the corner. Go tries blocking a suplex but Yugi goes back to the knee. He puts him up top and then rebounds him off the ropes for the THUNDER DEATH DRIVER! Go rolls to the apron go to regroup and now Yugi goes for the YAKUZA SUICIDA but Go manages to avoid an clotheslines him down. Go rolls to the floor to try and bring his leg back to life. See, that’s a much better transition than last time. Go gives him the running knee lift on the apron. Back in, Go heads up top but Yugi smacks the shit out of him. Go responds by headbutting him off the top and going for a shoulderblock but Yugi sidesteps and KICKS THE LEG ON THE WAY DOWN! Oh, that’s beautiful. Go avoids the Exploders by clubbing him in the back of the head and German suplexing him over. Go goes for the LARIATO but Yugi ducks under and NOW catches him in the Exploder. Double KO spot. They get to their feet and Yugi says IT’S ON! They slug it out with forearms and then smack the hell out of each other. Go switches to an open hand slap and Yugi is incredulous at his disrespect so he teaches him some fucking manners by LAYING HIM OUT WITH A SLAP!

• Another series of just the hardest smacks you can imagine. Yugi boots the knee and smacks the shit out of him. Yugi wants the LARIATO but Go cuts him one with one of his own. Go knocks him down and gives him the THROAT CHOP AND A ROARINGLARIATO! Cover gets 1,2—kick out at 2. That should have been it. Go goes for the moonsault but Yugi slides under and Go eats canvass and sells the knee. Nice. Yugi clips the knee again and hooks in the Nagata Lock. Go throat chops him a half dozen times to try and escape but Yugi torques the hold. Go is in unbelievable pain and reaches for the ropes but the ref gets in the damn way and then Yugi pulls him back to the middle. That no good bastard! Go is THIS close to tapping. I mean, I seriously thought it was it. At the last possible second, he lunges and gets the ropes. Go needs a wheelchair now and Yugi of course gloats like a bastard and goes for the Dragon Screw legwhip. Go counters to a enzuigiri and a vertical suplex for 2. Go with the LARIATO for 2. Go wants the Go Flasher but Yugi slides out and gives him the standing enzuigiri and a Backdrop Driver! Cover for 1, 2, 2.9 as Go kicks out. Yugi with another enzuigiri and a bridged Backdrop Driver for the 1, 2, 3 to end it at 16:29. If I keep watching enough of these, Go has to win one. Another superb match as Go is racking up great performances on top of each other. His selling of the leg was great as was Yugi’s selling of the chops. I would have liked the leg to play into the finish a bit more but that’s a small critique. Spot of the match: Tie between Go throat chop and spinning lariat vs. Yugi’s disbelief at getting slapped and then owning Go with one. ****1/4

• IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Hirooki Goto vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c). AJPW on 6/18/11. Crowd is thoroughly behind HT as usual. Goto with the arm but HT counters to a drop toe hold and they jockey for position with the waistlock and back to neutral. HT with the headlock and Goto sends him off but Goto steals the Bret Hart spot and hangs on with it and then gets the headlock TO. Goto gets back to his feet and sends him off. They collide on a couple of shoulderblocks before Goto takes him down with one. Goto tries sending him off and out of the headlock but HT tries to counter back to the headlock and Goto swats him back. They battle into the corner and exchange forearms before Goto gives him the sidekick right to the chest. Goto tries a charge but eats elbow and a popup crossbody. HT dropkicks the leg and Goto gets to the ropes but HT stays on him with the Dragon Screw legwhip and Goto rolls to the floor. HT follows out with a flip splash off the apron. Back in, HT drops an elbow on the knee and then drives a few knees into it. Goto tries pulling his hair to escape but the ref pulls him off so Goto grabs the ropes. Goto gets to his feet and tries some chops but HT stays on the leg and kicks him down. Goto tries backdropping him over the top but HT hangs on and skins the car back in so Goto LARIATOs him to the floor and gives him another on on the mats and sends him into the guardrail. Goto then gives him a a nice spinwheel kick and some of the crowd is actually getting behind him. Back in, Goto with the DR FG kick to the back and a brainbuster and then rolls him into the Sharpshooter. HT powers up and gets the ropes. They slug it out and Goto kicks him into next week and taunts. Goto tries a charge but runs into a boot. HT with a dropkick and a flying burrito. HT with a slam and heads up top for the Swanton for 2. HT with a head of steam but Goto follows behind for the sneak LARIATO but HT leapfrogs and ducks but gets caught with the ROARINGLARIATO from the other side to a pop. Goto with some sidekicks and a clothesline in the corner. Goto heads up top and hits an elbow for 2. They slug it with forearms with the crowd chanting along. Awesome.

• HT with a series of them and Goto comes back with his own. HT with a smack but runs into a fireman’s carry. HT floats over with the Sling Blade in a great transition. HT wants the Dragon Suplex but Goto elbows out and flips him over with a LARIATO. They slug it out again and HT goes for the sidekick but HT catches the leg and Dragon Screws him down again and then rolls him into the TEXAS CLOVERLEAF! Nice. Goto powers to the ropes. HT with another Dragon Screw LW. HT wants the Sling Blade but Goto ducks under for the BACKDROP DRIVER! The bum leg prevents the cover, so he hits ANOTHER BACKDROP DRIVER! He follows it up with an AngleSlam! Cover gets 1,2—ONLY 2! If nothing else, that proves that Goto just isn’t winning this match. 2 BD Drivers and an Angle Slam? That’s too much. Goto clubs him down with forearms and puts him up top. Goto gives him a neckbreaker off the top rope. Rather than cover, he drops an elbow and another. He heads up top but HT cuts him off. Goto with a headbutt and preps a TOP ROPE CODE RED! Cover for 1, 2,–2.99. HT slides out of a suplex attempt and goes for the Dragon Suplex. Goto blocks so he gets him with the arm capture German Suplex but he’s too hurt to go for the cover due to a head injury. I can’t tell if it’s legit or not, but probably not. Goto kicks him a few sidekicks but HT catches the leg and ducks an enzuigiri and gives him ANOTHER Dragon Screw. They both try to the follow behind technique and HT gets it with the Sling Blade. He hits the Juvy Driver and goes for the Frog Splash but Goto rolls under. The crowd is feeling it. Goto clubs him down with a shot to the back of the head and the crowd doesn’t like him so much. Goto tries a kick but HT catches him and small packages him for 2. HT with a backslide for 2. HT tries the wheelbarrow roll through but Goto botches it and drops him on his fucking head. Brutal. That’ll just exacerbate an apparent concussion that he may have suffered on that arm capture German earlier. Goto clotheslines him in the corner and puts him up top and hits the SUPER DVD INTO A NECKBREAKER! Cover for 1,2, THR—still only 2. HT blocks a suplex attempt and they smack it out. Goto gives him the HEADBUTT HOMICIDA (that also helped ignite the feud when Goto apparently turned on HT)! That’s just DEADLY. Goto follows it up with a SPINNING INVERTED BLUE THUNDER BOMB! Cover STILL only gets 2. This is getting kind of ridiculous. Goto wants another suplex but HT knees to escapes, kick the leg, gives him a headbutt back and a LEFTY LARIATO. Crowd is getting louder and louder. Cover for 2. HT folds him up with a Dragon Suplex and ANOTHER but again the bridge falls apart. Cover gets another 2. HT gets the REVERSE SLING BLADE and heads up top for the Frog Splash on the back and another on the front and that finishes it at 25:36. This is right up there with Davey/Eddie and Cena/Punk for MOTY. Tanahashi’s leg work was solid especially with the later periodic leg whips to reinfuse the psychology. Goto’s kicks are every bit as stiff as Davey’s if not more so and he threw every move in the book at HT trying to keep him down in an impressive display. The botch on the roll up and the fact that nothing ever keeps Tanahashi down are the only mild drawbacks. Spot of the match: Goto’s headbutt and spinning inverted blue thunder bomb. ****3/4

• KENTA vs. Atsushi Aoki. NOAH on 8/22/10. They go eye to eye at the bell for the uber intense staredown. They go to the forearms to man up already. Hella stiff shots and after about twenty or so each Aoki goes to the headbutts and just pounds KENTA into submission and KENTA rolls to the floor to regroup. Heenan would be proud as KENTA works the complete count and even mouths off to the other guy on commentary. Back in, KENTA with CLUBBINGBLOWS and Euro uppercuts. He takes Aoki down with a back elbow and a Batista kick. KENTA with more kicks and Aoki comes back with forearms so KENTA gives him a roundhose. KENTA with a stiff DR FG kick and covers for nothing to a pop for the kickout. KENTA with more open hand smacks and Aoki with a headbutt to come back. Aoki sends him into the turnbuckle and hits another series of unanswered headbutts. KENTA cuts him off with a forearm, kick to the gut and another to the chest. Aoki looks like he’s convulsing and having a seizure from so much stiffness. KENTA goes into the GnP but Aoki gets to his feet and they slug it out again. Aoki shoots for a double and gives the ankle so KENTA starts giving him upkicks like hell and even the crowd is all OOOO. Aoki shakes it off and palm strikes him on the ground stiff as hell. Aoki lets him up and they go back to the forearms. KENTA’S forearms are the stiffest I’ve ever seen. They even look better than Hero’s. KENTA gets his whip reversed and Aoki gets a dropkick. Moer forearms and KENTA with another roundhouse. Aoki wants a Spear but eats another gutshot and a DR FG kick for 2. KENTA with some front kicks and forearms in the corner. KENTA tries a charge but runs into elbow. Aoki goes up top but KENTA stops him with a leaping yakuza kick. They exchange headbutts on the top and Aoki gets a neckbreaker off the top. Aoki ducks an enzuigiri and gets a high angle back suplex for 2. Aoki gets a head of steam and just shoves his head into the mat. Aoki tries a headbutt but KENTA shoves him down and gives him a standing enzuigiri and a Wild Bomb. Cover gets 1, 2– only 2. KENTA gives the double foot stomp off the top for 2. KENTA slingshots to the apron and back with another double footstomp. KENTA with a charge in the corner but Aoki no sells and gives him the fastest Ho Train known to man to OOO from the crowd. Aoki with another and puts KENTA up top and gives him the Tornado Bomb. Cover gets only 2. Aoki with an arm capture Northern Lights suplex and then floats over into an armbar but KENTA knees out with some BRUTAL ones to the head. Aoki gets up angry and they slug it out with forearms and headbutts. Aoki wants a LARIATO but KENTA blocks with a smack and a ROARINGLARIATO! Cover for 1,2—2.9! KENTA wants the G2S but Aoki counters in midarm to a headscissors INTO AN ARMBAR! KENTA closes his arms but then falls into the lying armbar. Aoki punches him and locks in the hold fully. KENTA looks to get the ropes and Aoki releases only to roll under and REAPPLY! KENTA stacks him up to break the hold and hits THREE CONSECUTIVE DR FG ENZUIGIRIS!! KENTA rolls him over and that’s all she wrote at—AOKI KICKS OUT AT 2! Aoki is unstoppable and pulls himself to his feet for the forearms and heads a dozen before KENTA no sells and gets him up in the fireman’s carry hits the GTS to end it for real at 12:35. ****. All action, no frills, there’s ZERO stalling in this and better for it. Just stiff strikes and carnage for barely 10 minutes. Spot of the match: Aoki reversing the GTS into an armbar.

• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Koji Kanemoto vs. Naomichi Marufuji (c). NJPW on 3/5/10. The crowd is clapping and chanting for their boy Kanemoto. Amazing. They feel out with strikes for a little bit and then tie up in the ropes before Kanemoto smacks rather than give a clean break to a pop! Awesome. Marufuji does the same thing and the crowd claps that too! NICE! More feeling out with strikes. Marufuji avoids a waistlock and kicks him away. Marufuji gets a single leg that goes nowhere and they start again. Koji gives him a kick but Marufuji comes back with a monkey flip. Koji lands on his feet and comes back with some knees. He tries a DR FG and a senton but Marufuji ducks. Marufuji tries to take his head off but Koji ducks and we’re square. Test of strength and Marufuji does the neck bridge for this one. They botch a knuckle lock TO and Marufuji gets in his guard and then flaots into N-S. Koji escapes and gets a facelock before Marufuji gets in his guard and starts elbowing his bandaged knee. Marufuji has found the weak link but lets him get up from the ref’s requests. They both try the follow clothesline a couple times before Koji gets a roundhouse and the DR FG ENZUIGIRI! Crowd is eating this shit up. Marufuji is out of it so he rolls to the floor to regroup but Koji is all over him with more kicks and sends him into the guardrail a couple times and then boots him into the crowd. Koji sends him into the ringpost a couple times and back in for the fiery crowd. Koji starts working his hamstring and kicks him down and goes to the heel hook. Marufuji selling great here as he manages to get the ropes. Koji is a ruthless bastard and starts kicking the hell out of his legs and hits a couple DR Fgs to the front and back. Marufuji tries begging off the corner as Koji follows him in and stands on his leg and neck to choke and work the leg at the same time! Crowd loves this guy and his heelish ways for them. Koji is doing a little dancing while kicking him and then hooks in the half crab. Marufuji crawls and gets the ropes as Koji just fucking drops him, gives him a couple of knee low blows and boots him around the ring. Koji’s a MAJOR asshole and these people love him. Koji tells the ref to check him and then gives him more knees to the crowd and belt line. The ref tells him to get the knees up from being a low blow so Koji boots Marufuji to the floor and taunts for his people. Marufuji sends him off but Koji tries a sunset flip. Marufuij rolls through and BEASTS him down with a double foot stomp to the ground opponent. Koji is PISSED and HERE COME THE FOREARMS! Marufuji SWATS HIS ASS DOWN AND THEN CURB STOMPS HIM! Marufuji follows up with PERFECT superkick to the grounded opponent and then shitcans him into the guardrail. Not satisfied, Marufuji wedges his head between two pieces of the guardrail and SMASHES IT ON HIS HEAD! We’re already in seriously awesome territory.

• Marufuji sends him into the ringpost and then gives him a damn BRAINBUSTER ON THE APRON! The crowd doesn’t like this stuff so so good. Their guy is a damn corpse as he lays face down on the pavement. Some ring crew guys encourage him to get up. Back in, Marufuji covers for 2. Marufji works the cravat and stomps his head some more and then spins it and hooks in a standing Figure Four and spins that too. Marufuji follows that stuff up with the chinlock and covers for 2. Marufuji with forearms and roundhouses and now Koji has Hulked up and hits his own forearms and a roundhouse. Marufuji aint having that shit and swats him down and hooks in some CRAZY submission. It’s like an inverted Sharpshooter, Rings of Saturn and headlock in one. They can’t hold it so Marufuji covers but Koji gets the ropes. Marufuji boots him in the corner and chokes and the crowd lets him hear it. Marufuji goes to the apron to stand on him damn head and the ref doesn’t like that too good. Koji ducks an enzuigiri in the corner and goes for a running knee strike but Marufuji ducks under and he gets caught up in the ropes. Marufuji rolls to the floor and gets a running headstart and hits a running yakuza kick. NICE! Back in, Marufuji wants the Coast 2 Coast but either slips for the botch OR brilliantly his leg buckles due to the psychology and Koji jumps on the ankle lock. Can’t tell which, but it’s a brilliant cover if so. Marufuji lunges for the ropes and gets them. Koji now with the Dragon Screw LW and then smacks Marufuji and hits another. Koji decides to be a dick and hook Marufuji in the one leg Tree of Woe. The ref graciously converses with Koji before Koji smacks him off the apron! That no good bastard! Koji kicks him and then sits Indian style in him of him and just starts wailing on him. He eggs Marufuji on who smacks back but he’s gravitationally challenged at the moment and Koji fires back with a FLURRY and a delayed dropkick. The ref recovers and mildly admonishes him before Koji hits another combo in the corner and the crowd still loves him. Koji facewashes him in the corner and makes sure to have the crowd’s approval before just unloading on him and gives him the Samoa Joe facewash a couple of times to big pops both times. He tries a third but Marufuji gets the follow behind LARIATO. Double KO. Marufuji with a hip check in the corner and gets the boot up. Marufuji wants the Million Dollar Dream and flips over into a lying MDD/triangle choke combo. Marufuji keeps on the hold and drops down with a Codebreaker and then a Backcracker all while keeping the hold on! BEAUTIFUL! Marufuji flips the hold over and then covers for a 2. Marufuji boots him and wants the Shiranui but Koji shrugs him off and hits a Falcon Arrow for 2. Nice.

• They jockey for position and Marufuji says fuck it and drops down for a superkick but Koji ducks and gives HIM a superkick instead. Koji puts him up top and gives him a TOP ROPE SUPER EXPLODER! Koji’s not satisfied and brings him over to the other corner for the TOP ROPE BELLY TO BELLY OVERHEAD SUPERPLEX! The ref wants to stop it and tells Koji to cover but he says NO and demands to FINISH HIM! Koji brings him to the corner again and hits the INSANE SMALL PACKAGE DRIVER OFF THE TOP!! Koji covers for a 1,2—–2.999999! Koji puts his head in his hands and can’t believe it. Koji slams him down and heads up top and hits a moonsault. Cover gets another razor thin 2 count. Koji wants the Tiger Suplex but Marufuji backs him into the corner, ducks a kick, and dropkicks his leg out from under him. Marufuji wants the springboard dropkick but there’s Koji there with a dropkick to cut off and they collide. They slug it out from their knees with forearms. They smack it out to their feet and Koji looks to win before Marufuji catches him and slides under for the SHIRANUI! Cover gets 1, 2—only 2. Marufuji wants the Tiger Driver and the ref is pleading with him NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Marufuji gets him up but Koji ranas him under and then switches to the ANKLELOCK! Marufuji swats him away and hits the standing SHIRANUI KAI! Koji NO SELLS and goes back to the Anklelock! Marufuji is barely hanging on as the crowd is losing their minds. Koji grapevines the leg and it looks to be over. Marufuji lunges and is selling great but Koji pulls him back to the middle again. Koji torques it up and Marufuji gets a FINGERTIP on the ropes and Koji releases it! Koji is PISSED and gives him the DR FG ENZUIGIRI! Koji then Figure Fours the legs and rolls him back into the AnkleLock! Koji boots the leg continuously while in the hold and Marufuj is STILL able to get the ropes. Koji tries a moonsault but Marufuji rolls under (miraculously considering all of the leg work). Koji lands on his feet but his knee is hurt and Marufuji dropkicks the knee a couple times to clip. Koji tries manning up but doesn’t have it. Marufuji hits a couple of superkicks and some strikes. Koji tries to block a suplex but Marufuji hits another superkick for 2. Koji wants blood and wants Marufuji off the top rope but he comes back with a kick to the head and the SUPER SHIRANUI KAI! Cover gets 1,2, still only 2. Koji tries a kick but Marufuji catches it and spikes him down with the PERFECT JUVYDRIVER (Pole Shift) for the 3 at 32:08. This would be my easy MOTY for last year if it wasn’t for a couple of issues: the chinlock fairly early on, the odd Coast 2 Coast dropkick collision which looked like a botch, the lack of payback for the ref attack and Marufuji basically no selling the incredible leg work by Koji in the last minute or 2 and hitting an underwhelming home stretch with the plethora of superkicks. Even with those flaws, I still have this as head and shoulders above all the matches on both comps so far. The crowd is just electric for the entire match and Koji is brilliant as the arrogant bastard determined to tear the belt away from NOAH and bring it to NJ. Spots of the match: Marufuji’s first offense with the double foot stomp and the curb stomp into the mat and Koji countering the Tiger Driver with the anklelock. ****3/4

• Go Shiozaki vs. Kotaro Suzuki. NOAH 9/11/10. Lock up takes them into the ropes. They eat try a shot but both smartly duck the other’s cowardly move. Another lock up but this time we get the clean break. Go with a Masterlock and a hammerlock but they reverse it a few times each and then reverse arm wringers for a minute and we’re square. Go floats into a side headlock and gets sent off but gets the shoulderblock. He tries another but runs into a dropkick and a couple of arm drags that he quickly switches to a headscissors but Suzuki kips out. Kotaro drives a couple of elbows into the arm but Go shitcans him and smashes him into the ringpost. Go tries a chop but Kotaro ducks and Go chops the hell out of the ringpost. Kotaro now drives him into the ringpost and the guardrail a couple of times with the bad hand/shoulder and boots it. Back in, Kotaro drops a couple of knees and goes to the Fujiwara armbar but Go gets the ropes. Go tries another chop but Kotaro catches him in the armbar TD and goes into the Fujiwara. Nice. Go with the ropes again for a break. Kotaro tries a charge in the corner but Go tries a chop and hits it but sells the hand as well. He hits another and then just drops Kotaro on the damn apron with a gordbuster. Go with a shotgun chop and sends Kotaro into the guardrail for more punishment. Go bounces him off the ropes from the apron and hits another chop. So much for that arm work. Go catapults him back into the guardrail. They slug it out and Go chops the skin off his chest and then gives him Snake Eyes on the elevated ramp. Back in, more chops from Go and forearms from Kotaro. Kotaro gets sent off but gets a crossbody for 2. Go chops him down and drops a knee and goes to a chinlock. This goes on a while before Kotaro gets the ropes. Go with a couple of kicks and clips the knee. Go not gets the Dragon Screw LW. And in Japan, that’s death. Go rolls him into the half crab. Kotaro almost gets the ropes but Go pulls him back to the middle. They repeat that again before Kotaro gets the ropes. Go wraps the leg around the ropes for more punishment. Go runs into a boot in the corner and Kotaro gets the pop up shoulderblock for 2. Go wants a suplex but Kotaro blocks. Go works the leg and tries again but Kotaro no sells and suplexes him over in the loudest pop of the match so far. Go rolls to the apron and Kotaro elbows him off and follows out with a suicide dive. Back in, Kotaro with a running knee in the corner and a knee that drives him into the mat off the top for 2. Go sends him off but eats a handspring flying burrito for another 2. Kotaro wants a bulldog but Go catches him and puts him in the Tree of Woe and chops him down. Go gets the running chop in the corner and calls for another and hits it. Go uranages him into the top turnbuckle and then hits a FishermanBuster for 2. Kotaro flips out of a back suplex and tries another handspring but gets caught in a BEAST GERMAN SUPLEX! Cover gets 1, 2—only 2. Go yells his name in anger and gets him the SPINNING BACK THROAT CHOP! Seated LARIATO follows for 2. Go wants the Go Flasher but Kotaro knees out. They go to the dueling strikes and Go’s chops are the stronger. Kotaro hits a forearm flurry and a back elbow but gets the LARIATO! Double KO. Go says that’s it and puts him up top. Kotaro knocks him off but Go comes back with a chop. Go wants the top rope superplex but Kotaro counters into the KAI SHIRANUI! Cover gets 1, 2—still only 2. Kotaro this the Blue Destiny but still only 2. More exchanging of strikes as Kotaro hits an elbow flurry and the ROARINGELBOW! Cover for 1, 2, OHNOALMOSTGOT’IM. He wants the Tiger Driver but Go blocks. Kotaro ducks the first LARIATO but runs into a second for a 2 count. Go senses victory and wants another LARIATO but Kotaro ducks and tries a small package! Go rolls through but Kotaro transitions into La Magristal for 2. Go up and they trade forearm before Go hits another SPINNING BACK THROAT CHOP and a LARIATO! 1, 2, 2.9! Go is pissed and hits the Flasher to end it at 22:04. Pretty good match and FINALLY Go won something, although nothing was on the line other than manhood. The psychology was there early with the arm and knee but it never seemed their hearts were in it and the was stuff forgotten once they went into trading strikes. Solid ending sequence helps out. Spot of the match: Kotaro going for a handspring back elbow but Go catching him in a German suplex.. ***3/4

• KENTA vs. Yoshihiro Takayama. NOAH on 1/25/11. KENTA comes running out with a yakuza kick and drives him into the corner. KENTA follows up with two straight running cross-corner yakuza kicks and an IED. KENTA comes off the top with the double foot stomp for 2. KENTA with a running knee to the chest. KENTA hits another combo but Takayama boots him down. KENTA brushes it off and yakuza kicks him back down. They trade smacks and KENTA hits a series of them and a high kick to the chin and Takayama goes down. Ref starts the count and gets to 6 before Takayama recovers. KENTA snapmares him over and hits a DR FG and then covers with a boot disrespectfully for a 1 count. Takayama hits a couple of brutal knees and KENTA goes down. Takayama hangs him in the Tree of Woe and knees him a couple of times and hits the running testicular charge on him. Takayama rolls to the floor and drags KENTA to the apron for more knee punishment. Takayama throws him into the guardrail and the ringpost. KENTA sells until an 8 count. Back in, KENTA comes back with smacks and Takayama grabs his hair and hits a stiff headbutt to end that and then baseball slides KENTA back to the floor. Takayama drew blood with that headbutt and the ref checks on him but Takayama demands that he start the count instead. Back in, Takayama goes for the DR FG but KENTA catches the leg so Takayama switches to a front facelock. KENTA counters with a Northern Lights suplex. Nice. KENTA grabs a single and hooks in an STF. Takayama struggles and then makes the ropes. KENTA heads up top and hits a flying clothesline for 2. KENTA with a series of kicks and his slingshot dropkick. He gets a head of steam but runs into a weak knee from Takayama. This isn’t setting my world on fire. Takayama goes for a big boot in the corner but KENTA ducks and dumps him. KENTA heads up top and hits a double foot stomp to the floor. KENTA drags Takayama back in and hits the Randy Orton DDT out of the ropes. KENTA wants the G2S but Takayama is too damn big and instead suplexes him over. KENTA goes for a couple of clotheslines but Takayama no sells and boots him away. KENTA comes back with a third and takes him down. KENTA with a kick and a beast German suplex for 2. KENTA wants the G2S but Takayama counters with a DR FG and KENTA is toast. Takayama with the Backdrop Driver for 2. KENTA elbows out of another and comes back with Necro closed fists. Takayama hits a couple on him and then a knee to the face. Takayama drops him on his head with a Dragon Suplex for 2. Takayama with a German suplex and KENTA is finished at 12:12. Nothing special here. 2 guys laying into each other with some stiff stuff for about 10 minutes and the bigger guy winning with a suplex. Spot of the match: Takayama’s shoot headbutt on KENTA. ***