TOUKON SERIES 2005 IN KOBE

October 30, 2005

New Japan didn’t interest me for much of 2005, and the little that I did see of it really didn’t change my perception. Especially when the older stuff I saw was blowing their current stuff away. But I decided to give them another chance, and I’m glad that I did.

Naofumi Yamamoto . . . looks like the newest version of something that NJPW couldn’t screw up.

Manabu Nakanishi . . . has a match that doesn’t even have time to get really stupid and anger inducing.

Shinsuke Nakamura . . . does a whole bunch of fun stuff and really does look like a future ace.

HIROSHI NAGAO vs. YUJIRO

Aside from the chokeslam, Nagao doesn’t appear to have a very deep move set. Whether it’s because the young lions would possibly show up the stars, or because he just can’t do anything else, matches like this don’t any favors. It’s not a bad match, but it’s just basic. They scrap around on the mat trading off holds, and then have a chop exchanges, and work in regular moves like the bodyslam. But it’s got nothing to stand out, other than Nagao being willing to go along with a few moves, that look cool being done to someone that big. It’s also impressive to watch Nagao break out a dropkick, before he plants Yujiro with the chokeslam, but that’s all he really shows. Working the basics like this would be passable if both of them were just starting out, but Nagao has been around for a while now, so he should start doing a bit more.

NAOFUMI YAMAMOTO vs. HIROOKI GOTO

Like the previous match, this is worked with lots of basic offense, and ends when the bigger guy hits a high impact move for the win. That’s where the similarities end. In any other aspect, this totally smokes the opener. Both them show plenty of fire and intensity, and Goto also heels things up, showing why he’s part of C.T.U. He almost looks Ohtani-like the way he disrespectfully pelts Yamamoto with slaps and kicks, and when Yamamoto hands it back, Kobe World Hall erupts in approval. Goto does a really fun job in working over Yamamoto’s knee, and the half-crab (usually a finisher in rookie matches) really looks like it’s over for Yamamoto.

Even though Yamamoto has been wrestling longer, it’s actually Goto who has a sort of experience edge. Goto is half of the IWGP Jr. Tag Champions as well as having working the Super Juniors tournament, so he’s been wrestling more established opponents and higher profile matches, than Yamamoto has. Yamamoto loses several advantages due to making a careless error, like a blind charge, and due to getting outsmarted by Goto, like his missed dropkick. Indeed, it’s learning from his mistakes which takes Yamamoto to victory, which comes after a big backdrop, and a big pop from the crowd. If they can keep having matches and balls out fun as this, then it’ll be safe to say that both of them will actually be somebody in a few years. ***

TIGER MASK/AKIYA ANZAWA/RYUSUKI TAGUCHI vs. JYUSHIN LYGER/MINORU TANAKA/SANGRE AZTECA

Well anything that had to follow the previous match would have been in trouble. There are some fun spots, but nothing that really stands out, other than the Lygerbomb on the ramp that Anzawa gets planted with. Anzawa is solid throughout, taking a decent sized beating from the heels, and still coming back to pick up the win. He pulls out some really nice German suplex variations on Azteca. There isn’t a real weak link, but at the same time, there isn’t a real strong link either. Everyone just does their thing. It’s not a knock on the match that nobody really stands out as a surefire winner or loser, but it makes it harder to get behind Anzawa while he’s finishing off Azteca.

TAKASHI IIZUKA/OSAMU NISHIMURA vs. BLACK STRONG MACHINE/RYUSHI YANAGISAWA

Why did this atrocity get fifteen minutes? Nishimura and BSM had a few fun exchanges with each other, highlighted by Machine actually stealing Nishimura’s trademark headstand spot. Nishimura of course does it for real to give the fans what they want. Iizuka and Yanagisawa have some heated exchanges, with stiff kicks a plenty from Yanagisawa, but it’s just eye candy and doesn’t go anyplace meaningful. They get points for creativity on the finish though, with Iizuka grabbing Yanagisawa from behind on the apron in a sleeper, normally a heel spot, and giving Nishimura the chance to use the abdominal stretch cradle to get the win. There were some fun parts, but they’re spread out with plenty of boring stuff in the middle.

YUJI NAGATA/YUTAKA YOSHIE vs. MATT MORGAN/MARK JINDRAK

Morgan and Jindrak aren’t the worst team in the world, but if this is any indication, a permanent team between them is ill advised. There are a couple of nice spots they bring, but there was just no way that Nagata and Yoshie were going to salvage this match. Nagata being the best worker in here isn’t much surprise, but when the best worker nearly trips over his own feet, not once but twice, things aren’t going to be pretty. The Americans use a couple of nice double teams. Despite showing very little else, Jindrak’s dropkick is impressive, even more so when he’s does it when Morgan holds up Yoshie.

It initially looks like Nagata’s plan is to take them down at the legs with kicks, but sadly, selling isn’t their strong suit. Yoshie tries to use his weight advantage, but that’s countered by Morgan’s power. Jindrak and Yoshie also can’t seem to get on the same page to set up the finish, which looks like it was intended to be Jindrak getting caught in a Yoshie powerbomb, but they both pretty much freeze up, and Nagata hurriedly plants Jindrak with a brainbuster, and Yoshie splashes him off the top for the pin. If you’re looking for something good for a few chuckles then this is a keeper, otherwise, it’s a waste of ten minutes.

BLACK TIGER © vs. KOJI KANEMOTO (IWGP/NWA Jr. Heavyweight Titles)

If Koji and Romero had been able to pick a theme and stick with it, then this would have probably been a lot of fun, if nothing else. The strikes and slap exchanges are more or less mandatory where these two are concerned, but it seems like whenever the match looks to be going somewhere interesting, they change their minds and take the match into totally different direction, and instead of being a potentially fun match, it’s more of an exercise in frustration.

After the prerequisite strike trade offs, Koji attempts his moonsault and lands on his feet, but seems to tweak his knee a bit, and BT has his first major opening, and the match seems like it’s going to be built around that. BT isn’t very interesting in going after the knee, but he gets the point across, but then they have a scuffle on the floor resulting in Koji getting hit with the Tombstone on the floor and nearly getting counted out. That’s when the match gets the most fun. Koji is clearly out of it from the Tombstone, and BT works in a bunch of nice suplex moves, for some good near falls. One especially nice moment was BT doing the three amigos, in a little tribute to a former Hispanic wrestler who once donned the BT mask. After that Koji starts trying to work the Ankle hold, and counters to it several times, but the problems are that (A. Koji hasn’t done anything to build toward his submission hold, and (B. BT doesn’t sell his ankle at all after it’s released. BT escaping the hold at one point by attacking Koji’s knee was nice, but the match never went back toward Koji’s knee. BT (well Rocky Romero) is better known for his work on the mat than Kanemoto, so he shouldn’t be getting taken by surprise at all.

That Koji was able to block the Tombstone after getting hit with it on the floor was a nice thought, and the idea of BT needing a big move just to get Koji softened up enough for the move is a nice thought, but the super backdrop is a bit overboard. But it does the trick, and Koji goes down for the count after the Tombstone (more like the TTD). Nonetheless, the fact that BT was able to unify the IWGP and NWA Titles, and then beat both Tiger Mask and Kanemoto, all in the same month seems like an indication that he’s going to be sticking around for a while.

MANABU NAKANISHI vs. SCOTT NORTON

A fifty-three second classic! If these two were always booked to go this long, I might invest more money in New Japan shows. This wouldn’t seem strange if this were Nakanishi vs. Goto or Norton vs. Yamamoto. But I’m not complaining that the young guys were just left to work a fun match with each other while Nakanishi did one move and won it with the Argentine backbreaker in less than a minute. A perfect use of Nakanishi’s talent.

On paper this has the makings for an easy classic. The tag champion for ten months, and the two young wrestlers being touted as the future of the company, taking on the recently reunited most successful tag champions in the history of the titles. Tenzan limitations and Chono’s degeneration keep this from hitting the same highs that the champions’ victory did, but all four still manage a fun performance. For everything they lack in actual wrestling, Chono and Tenzan both bring plenty of nastiness with them. There is an obvious respect between the two teams given the initial handshake, but when the bell rings, Tenzan and Chono are both all business. Whether it’s the simple but effective punch and chop stuff, or Tenzan beating on Tanahashi with a chair on the floor, their goal isn’t just to win a wrestling match, but to *beat* the champions for the titles. And both of the champions, but Nakamura much more than Tanahashi, are willing to take the abuse. Nakamura leans right in and takes several Yakuza kicks right in the face. One really fun moment was when Nakamura surprised Chono with a sunset flip, and Chono catches his balance and levels Nakamura with a punch to the face and stops the momentum dead in its tracks

The challengers are both pretty limited in their offense, but they make up for it when they’re on defense. Both Tenzan and Chono nicely put over Nakamura’s flash submissions, and even though he’s got a bad neck, Chono takes quite the nasty German suplex bump from Nakamura. Tenzan isn’t afraid to take few big bumps himself either. Tanahashi and Nakamura also bring some fun offense by showing off the effects of their little trip to Mexico. Nakamura’s head and neck stretch, especially on Chono, looks like it’d win any match in a heartbeat. In fact if this was judged purely on wrestling and teamwork, then Tanahashi and Nakamura would have won this by a landslide. The challengers two major advantages both come on the heels of illegal tactics, the aforementioned chair attack by Tenzan to Tanahashi is what initially gives Chono and Tenzan the edge, and it’s only after a pair of synchronized low blows that Tenzan and Chono are in any position to score the win.

The dual submission spot is fairly common nowadays. It’s a nice way to heat the crowd up, but it never seems to really have profound effect on the actual result. The spot getting worked in here, doesn’t seem to be an exception to the rule, but it is in a roundabout sort of way. No, Tanahashi’s Dragon sleeper really didn’t make a difference because Tenzan was able to escape it and make the save. However, when Tenzan did finally make the save, it left Nakamura two-on-one, and the victim of a couple brutal Yakuza kicks, as well as Yakuza Kick/Lariat combo, and finally the reverse STF for the tap out. So while Tanahashi catching Tenzan in the sleeper didn’t accomplish anything other than a nice crowd pop, Tenzan finding the escape was the catalyst to Chono and Tenzan breaking the record and becoming five time champions. Even though the bulk of the offense from the challengers was simple punch and kick stuff, while the champions brought a bunch of cool moves with them. It was Tenzan falling back on his experience and a few underhanded tactics to overcome that. And there is no substitute for experience. ***1/4

Conclusion: It’s got a good main event, and a really fun undercard match, and not much else. The only thing that really actively “bad” was the Nagata tag, which never had a prayer of being anything else, I’ll say thumbs go mildly up on this one.