Stew Style
NJPW Wrestling World 2001 (4/1/01)
This show is taken up, in the majority, by a one-night single elimination tournament to crown the 27th IWGP Champion. The back-story of the title being vacant is quickly run through in clipped form to kick off the tape. First, Masanobu Fuchi of AJPW made a history making appearance at a NJPW show, and made mention of breaking down the walls between All Japan and New Japan and allowing interpromotional matches. In simple terms, AJPW was screwed after the defection of Misawa and practically all the Japanese stars in mid 2000 and needed NJPW’s help to even survive. This was amazing since AJPW’s late figurehead Giant Baba was such a staunch isolationist. Riki Choshu came out to shake Fuchi’s hand, setting up the NJPW v AJPW war. The main dream match of this conflict was played out at NJPW’s Do Judge PPV on October 9th 2000 where the 26th IWGP champion, and Choshu pupil, Kensuke Sasaki fought AJPW’s one remaining trump card Toshiaki Kawada in a non-title match. What followed was an absolute classic, a stiff, well-contested cracker of a match with the outsider Kawada going over clean.
Sasaki forfeited the title out of shame right then and there in the ring, claiming he did no deserve to hold it. The title remained vacant until the start of this year, and the annual ‘Wrestling World in Tokyo Dome’ card.
In a moment that would make Vince Russo proud, we see shots of all the tournament competitors WALKING into the arena, each man splendidly attired in a suit. All, that is, except for that scruffy bastard Yuji Nagata who saunters in wearing a polo shirt. That’s class for you.
There are only two Quarterfinals in the tournament as Masa Chono and Toshiaki Kawada have received byes due to ‘random’ drawing and don’t arrive until the semis. First up is
Quarterfinal Match
Satoshi Kojima (T-2000) v Kensuke Sasaki
Kojima comes in first, representing Chono’s Team 2000 and at this time is in the midst of a record breaking IWGP Tag Team Title partnership with Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Sasaki, as you know from the intro is the former champion on a quest to exorcise his demons and prove he deserves to hold the IWGP title.
This is a lovely match to watch, being as Kojima mostly controls it. The early exchanges see Sasaki hitting a Backdrop Suplex in an attempt to establish power superiority, Kojima on the other hand, backs out of a Tope when Sasaki is at ringside… and then delivers the move anyway. Great stuff, but Kojima busts himself open beside his left eye when he makes contact with the barrier.
The story and psychology surrounding this match is all based on Sasaki’s right arm. This, of course, is his much-vaunted lariat arm and is an attempt by Kojima to take Sasaki’s primary offensive move away. Kojima therefore spends the majority of the match working on the limb, including delivering a dropkick to the arm, hitting two over-the-shoulder armbreakers, kicking the arm and applying armbars. Just to show the attention to detail in this match, when Kojima is applying a sitting armbar to Sasaki, he doesn’t just wrench back immediately. He slowly pulls it back, allowing Sasaki’s screams/reaction to sell the hold. Sasaki’s comebacks invariably involve the use of the right arm, and are eventually turned against him. The lariat has no effect at one stage, his stiff right hand chops to Kojima’s chest are simply countered by Kojima’s returning chops to the injured arm, and his clutching Powerbomb hold gets reversed into a Triangle hold.
Eventually, a left armed lariat puts Kojima down, and as the crowd go crazy Sasaki sets up Kojima for the Northern Lights Bomb…! To no effect, as it actually gets reversed into a sit-out Tombstone for a close two count. Kojima goes on the offensive with a Koji Cutter, a lariat, a Christian-like DDT and a Cross Armbreaker. Sasaki, in trouble, actually lariats Kojima’s attempted lariat in a cool spot before doing the ‘fighting spirit’ comeback with a flowing hiptoss, two lariats and a final, successful, Northern Lights Bomb for the three count.
This match was totally carried by Kojima; further lending credence to those who believe that he’s well overdue for a singles push. His work on the arm was so detailed and well executed that any wrestler with decent timing could’ve had a good match with him. ***3/4
Quarterfinal Match
Hiroyoshi Tenzan (T-2000) v Yuji Nagata (G-Eggs)
Tenzan is Kojima’s record-setting tag partner, and at this time Chono’s right hand man in Team 2000. Nagata is the leader of the G-Eggs faction (which included Manabu Nakanishi, Brian Johnston and Yutaka Yoshie) which has since thankfully split up. This is a totally different match to the previous one, based less on transitions and working over a body part and more about striking.
The story in the early going of this match is all about the knucklelock, as first Tenzan and then Nagata suckers their opponent in only to hit the cheap strike. The two men have totally different styles of striking. Nagata is almost solely kick based and Tenzan is almost solely based in headbutts and Mongolian Chops. Nagata is definitely the more accomplished and varied striker, with many of his kicks to the hamstring area in preparation for his Nagata Lock finisher.
Many people say that Tenzan should be pushed to IWGP Title status, and there was a moment over the summer when he looked like the potential favourite to win the annual G1 Climax tournament (since longtime buddy Masa Chono was booking) and making that leap to Main Events. Despite growing support on the net, I cannot see the justification for this, and this match does nothing to change my mind. He works fantastically well in a Tag environment alongside Kojima, but when he is put in a situation where he must carry the load by himself, he ends up going back to the same old Mongolian Chops and headbutts, which are fine if you’re a whore for stiffness rather than actual wrestling.
After a pretty decent closing section of the match which saw Nagata going to the Nagata Lock finisher several times, Tenzan went over with an impressive sit-out Tombstone and a Moonsault for the three count.
Bad booking for Tenzan to go over the more talented Nagata, but if Kojima gets eliminated in the QF, it’s only to be expected that his partner would pick up the slack. Personally, I’d have had Sasaki beating Tenzan and Kojima beating Nagata… but that’s just me. ***
That gives us Semi Final match ups of Masa Chono v Kensuke Sasaki and Toshiaki Kawada v Hiroyoshi Tenzan. But first, non-tournament matches.
Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Shinya Makabe v Koji Kanemoto & Minoru Tanaka
The team of Kanemoto and Tanaka are at this point in time the IWGP Jr Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, but I don’t know whether the title was on the line in this encounter because the match is Joined In Progress. Damn.
You know, clipping is the bane of many a puro reviewer and it hurts all the more in a match like this where the action is likely to be quick and intricate. Takaiwa was just seeing out his days in NJPW here, about to join Zero One on a permanent basis. As a former Jr Heavyweight & Jr Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, he can certainly ‘go’ but his wrestling style didn’t mesh well in the Jr division (or so the story goes) and he ended up being reassigned to Hashimoto’s splinter group where he has had a great 2001 from an artistic standpoint with MOTY contenders against Hoshikawa and Naomichi Marufuji, along with a short GHC Jr Heavyweight Title reign in NOAH. His partner here is Shinya ‘Spear Boy’ Makabe. Makabe, you see, likes to use the spear… a lot. Thankfully, in this match he’s quite liberal in his use of the move, and shows off a reasonably varied arsenal of moves that will serve him well in the years to come. He’s currently on his training trip, and has stopped off in Canada, the UK and now Puerto Rico. The last I heard from him, he’s billing himself as Dragon Makabe.
The match here is nothing too special. Makabe is still very green and didn’t really show of his best in the Dome setting, and Takaiwa never really got into the match. The match was all about the champions, with both guys showing verve and talent. Tanaka, for example, misses a Spinning Heel Kick and compensates enough to land on his feet. Yes, it was pointless, but beautifully artistic at the same time. Kanemoto shows off some of his brilliant rudoism on the young Makabe, no selling his early offence, and getting onto a slapping match with him… which incidentally, Kanemoto loses, much to his own disgust.
The end of the match came when Makabe ‘hulked up’, only for Tanaka to dropkick his knee, allowing his partner to apply a heel hold for the tap out win. The match was certainly passable, but lacked the elusive spark to make it really worthy of anything more than **1/2
Takashi Iizuka v Kendo Ka Shin
This is billed as ‘Technical Wrestling’ on the pre-match caption. Iizuka is Yuji Nagata’s regular tag partner, and is actually really adept at that style of match. Ka Shin is definitely an accomplished technician, but the lead up to this match meant that the result was in no doubt at all. Ka Shin, under his real name of Tokimitsu Ishizawa, had just lost an embarrassing shoot match in PRIDE to Ryan Gracie. Apparently, Inoki and Fujita had forgotten to train the young man in the art of actually ‘blocking’ punches, and as a result he found himself wedged in the corner as Gracie rained in a dozen blows to his head and body before the referee could stop it. Ishizawa had no offence at all.
Inoki doesn’t like to be embarrassed, especially when legit fighting is involved, and so poor Tokimitsu came back to NJPW, pulled on the Ka Shin mask and proceeded to job on a regular basis until he actually was granted a rematch against Gracie in a recent PRIDE and beat him via referee stoppage. As you’ll read from the Wrestling World 2002 Preview, he’s currently the IWGP Champion, and on an undefeated run in the division.
Back from my tangent, this match only lasted six minutes and Ka Shin in particular showed little only a small dash of ‘technical wrestling’, and a couple of low blows until Iizuka slaps on the sleeper hold/body scissors for a clean tap out. Only worth *
Obligatory junior match and Ka Shin burial out of the way, it’s back to the tournament for the semi finals.
Semi-final Match
Masa Chono (T-2000) v Kensuke Sasaki
Oh boy. Chono is up next. Sasaki makes his way out first, though, still selling the arm from the previous match. Chono makes his appearance next to a huge pop, and of course this is Chono 2001, which means plenty of charisma and no workrate. Man, looks like we have to rely on Kensuke, eh?
Actually, I spoke too soon, as Chono has brought his work boots. In 2001, that simply means that the match might be bearable instead of awful. Chono works the headlock to start, but Sasaki is established as the more powerful guy from an early shoulderblock and a suplex. Early Yakuza kick pops the crowd, and Chono starts working on the arm, and hits the armbar. A minor Sasaki rally sees him selling his injured arm after a chop and a bulldog. Nice. Chono continues the armwork from where Kojima left off with a badly executed Butterfly lock which Sasaki suplexes out of. A nice sequence follows as Chono’s top rope move is stopped by a Sasaki superplex, which in turn is no-sold by Chono who hits his patented striking move, the Yakuza kick. Moments later, Sasaki’s highspot attempt is blocked via a Chono superplex, which is no-sold and followed up with a lariat. Good booking. Chono is on top, Yakuza kicking the arm, and spinebustering his way out of another lariat attempt and hooking on the STF, which pops the crowd, but fails to get a tap out. Sasaki gets the ropes, but his attempted Stranglehold Gamma is reversed into another STF, which again fails to get a submission. Sasaki hits the closing sequence, with two lariats getting a two count, a clinching slam getting a two count, and a piledriver into Stranglehold Gamma gets the eventual submission.
This match was the very epitome of OK wrestling. There was some nice psychology, some believable near finishes, some tight booking, and a hot closing sequence, but there was nothing that could actively be described as good. It was far better than it should’ve been, but still only has to rank dead on a **
Semi-final match
Toshiaki Kawada (All Japan Pro Wrestling) v Hiroyoshi Tenzan (T-2000)
I had watched this match when I first got the tape several months ago, and to say I was underwhelmed would be an understatement. To be more precise, I was bored stiff by this match. Now, generally I’d just pass on and forget about it, but upon seeing reviews on other sites (“This was pretty awesome, ***1/4” Stuart at Wrestling Viewpoint; “Pretty good match ***1/2” Justin Baisden at The Smarks, “Fabulous action, ****” Michael Madsen at Ratings R Us) I had to take another look. When I read things like that, I start to wonder if I’ve seriously missed something, or if I was distracted when watching the match.
Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of the AJPW style of stiff strikes and ‘fighting spirit’ no selling. That is why I’m much more entertained by NJPW Strong Style where not only will you find great mat wrestling and transitions, but you’ll also see a more varied moveset and more believable selling. In saying that though, before I get hate mail from Kawada marks, and just to prove I’m not a philistine, I’ve watched Kawada’s matches with Sasaki at the Do Judge PPV, with Kojima at the NJPW 6/6 PPV and with Tenryu during the October Giant Series 2000 and been impressed by them all, so my problem with this match is not Kawada. I certainly don’t rate him as highly as most of the rest of the net, but his abilities are there to be seen and I can certainly appreciate them. I personally much prefer Kenta Kobashi or Mitsuharu Misawa to Kawada, but that’s neither here nor there. My problem with this match is not that it is fought in a Kawada-esque AJPW style. My problem is that the match is DEATHLY DULL. To the rest of the net, keep your stiffness. Stiffness doesn’t make a match, in my eyes.
Anyway, on to the match in question, and Tenzan starts off with an opening advantage which includes ten headbutts and five Mongolian chops. This sets his opponent up for a flying headbutt, which misses. Three more headbutts and a Tenzan Tombstone Driver sets up another flying headbutt, which this time connects for a two count. A couple more headbutts, and a Samoan Drop/Northern Lights Suplex from Tenzan gets a one count. Kawada gets the comeback thanks to a STIFF right hand, which gets replayed, and Tenzan sells it beautifully with a KO. This was the turning point, which takes us from Tenzan’s opening phase of the match, into Kawada’s phase. Kawada hits a kick to the head. Well, when I say hits a kick to the head, I actually mean that he hits TEN kicks to the head from various positions. An eleventh kick attempt gets blocked and Dragon Screwed. Tenzan hits a Figure Four variation, but when he goes for another Dragon Screw, he gets… you guessed it… kicked to the head with an enzuigiri. Kawada hits a backdrop for 2. Tenzan gets a brief offensive moment, which predictably he uses to deliver a Mongolian Chop and a headbutt. Kawada, naturally, retaliates with a kick to the head for 2. A Powerbomb attempt by Kawada is going nowhere, so a quick kick to the head allows him to hit the Powerbomb for the three. Kawada gets the win with practically his first actual pro wrestling MOVE of the match (he did use a Backdrop Suplex earlier, too.)
Well, having viewed this match again, I can once again say that I am totally underwhelmed. Stiffness is good, in my view, for popping a crowd, much like a highspot in a Juniors match, but it seems that the general feeling on the net is that while you can justifiably dump on a Juniors match which has an overuse of highspots, but you can’t say a thing about overuse of stiff strikes without being looked at funny. That’s an awful attitude to take, and one which I am proud not to subscribe to. There was no flow to this match, no transitions, no matwork, nothing. I know this is a controversial view, given Kawada’s saintly reputation, but it’s an honestly held view. For example, give me the deep psychology, body part working, intelligently constructed Kojima v Sasaki match over two ‘hosses’ like Tenzan & Kawada repeatedly striking themselves silly any day. That said, I can’t honestly give the match any more than *3/4
Before the finals, and the anticipated Sasaki v Kawada rematch, there’s the small matter of two non-tournament matches to go.
Keiji Mutoh & Shinjiro Ohtani v Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger & Manabu Nakanishi
One of these things just doesn’t belong here… yes; Nakanishi once again shoehorns his way into an upper card spot despite any semblance of discernable talent. Nakanishi was one of Choshu’s ‘boys’ which always meant pushing him stupidly high up the card, even winning the 99 G1 Climax over IWGP Champion Sasaki. His partner, Liger, has been established as the Jr Heavyweight king who can step up and ‘go’ with the NJ Heavies. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean he actually wins any of his matches, but at least his presence keeps the workrate up. He’s got a hell of a job on his hands with Nakanishi though…
Much like the Jr Tag match earlier in the evening, this match is all about one team. In this case it’s the returning Mutoh and the re-debuting Ohtani. Mutoh returned to Japan five days earlier at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye New Year’s show, sporting a shaven head and a rejuvenated workrate. As most of you will know, he’s a shoe in for Wrestler of the Year honours this year, following cracking matches with Hase, Kawada, Tenryu and Nagata.
Ohtani is returning from a Choshu-imposed exile where he wrestled around the world and bulked up to heavyweight status. Ohtani, much like Takaiwa earlier, was woefully under appreciated and under-utilised in NJPW and he too soon defected to Zero One. He, like Mutoh, is sporting a new look of Sakuraba-esque dyed orange hair and orange trunks.
The story in this match is all about Liger and Ohtani, old-time rivals from the Jr Heavyweight ranks. Ohtani plays his usual dick heel role, and the fans are responding. He mocks Nakanishi as he puts Liger in a Torture Rack, no-sells Liger’s patented Brainbuster (a move that had put Ohtani away before), and pulls Liger up at a two count after a helicopter Liger Bomb. The match ends with Ohtani’s Cobra Twist (Abdominal Stretch variation) securing a Liger tap-out.
That was ballsy booking to bury Liger so badly, but it turned out to be in anticipation of an Ohtani IWGP Title shot at the next PPV, and this match helped display Ohtani’s heavyweight potential. Of course, in NJPW, the best way to prove you’re a legit heavyweight is to beat the crap out of a junior. The match was short, and nothing. **
Oh, and yes, I totally glazed over Nakanishi’s presence in the match for a reason.
Riki Choshu v Shinya Hashimoto (Zero One)
Hashimoto is a representative of Zero One, his own federation. He was shunted into leading the NJPW satellite fed after his 3-1 series loss to Naoya ‘overpushed talentless hack’ Ogawa as a means to build him up again, outside the sphere of NJPW. But, when the need calls, Hash is often brought into NJPW Dome cards to pop an attendance figure. Here he takes on NJPW Bookerman Riki Choshu.
I don’t like Choshu particularly, as his offence all to often means lariat, lariat, lariat and lariat. Yeah, so he’s old, but I’m not cutting him any slack on this. Perhaps as a compromise to Choshu’s aging years and single move, the match is a pointless brawl. Punches, kicks, and yes even the odd lariat. Eventually, Hashimoto has Choshu beaten in the corner and Tatsumi Fujinami gets up from his ringside seat and calls the match off.
This is one of the matches where if I could understand Japanese I may have understood what they were fighting for in the first place, or why Fujinami stopped the match… but since I don’t, I’ve got to award it a DUD
The match had crowd heat, since both men are great favourites of the NJPW crowd, but there was nothing to see here at all. A woeful waste of Hashimoto.
And so, on to the finals.
Finals for the IWGP Heavyweight Title
Kensuke Sasaki v Toshiaki Kawada (All Japan)
A rematch from the epic Dome match in October, this was the expected final. The question was could they recapture the magic of that night three months earlier?
There’s a stare down to start, and it’s obvious that they are trying to get over the magic of the first meeting, which is nigh on impossible. Kawada goes for an early win, with the kick to the head and a Backdrop Suplex for two. Kawada goes on a head-kicking spree, and goes for an early Powerbomb, but Sasaki doesn’t budge. A Sasaki slap to the face gets rewarded with a head kick, an axe kick and three big left roundhouses to the chest. A fourth gets blocked, and they go into a sequence where Kawada no-sells a lariat, Sasaki no-sells a head kick, Kawada no-sells another lariat, and Kawada finally goes down to the Lariat. Sasaki teases a Northern Lights bomb, and pisses Kawada off by slapping his face, repeatedly. Kawada hits a sick German Suplex, and Sasaki comes back with another lariat.
The crowd totally buy Kawada’s comeback, as he locks in a Stretch Plum, which doesn’t get a submission, and Kawada releases it for a two count. Powerbomb attempt fails on his first attempt, but he gets the second which only gets a two. Another Powerbomb attempt gets turned into a Sasaki Alabama Slam which transitions into a Boston Crab. Crowd are hot, and a Sasaki German Suplex causes Kawada to bump huge. Lariat from Sasaki only gets a two… but the Northern Lights Bomb gets the three count at 10:30.
It was somewhat of a risk to put the two men together again and expect them to deliver the goods as well as they had the last time. They didn’t. Although this had the added spice of being for the most prestigious title in Japan, it lacked the atmosphere of the first time. To add to this, Sasaki (who is the lesser worker of the two) had already worked two matches, and Kawada had already worked one, which realistically meant that neither man could’ve worked a 25 minute classic. While I would happily give the first match ****1/2, I feel this one topped out at ***1/2
Wrap Up
This was a show of two distinct parts. For the most part, it can be drawn down a single line. The tournament matches were all at least decent, ranging up to very good for Sasaki’s matches with Kojima and Kawada, while the undercard was a mishmash of stupid booking and uninspired performances. That being said, this tape is a definite one to hunt out (Get it from Strong Style Tapes for excellent VQ) since it delivers a very good taster of what New Japan Pro Wrestling is all about.