Date: January 25th, 2014
Location: Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance: 1,200
This event became available a bit out of order since it aired on G+, but it was shown in full. There are a lot of odd Freelancers on this card, but the main event sees Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls defend their belts against Morishima and Taniguchi which should be fun. We also have an ‘invading’ Nagata and Liger with a match as well. Here is the full card:
– Hayato Nanjo vs. Mitsuhiro Kitamiya
– Bobby Fish and Jonah Rock vs. Yoshinari Ogawa and Hitoshi Kumano
– MEN’s Teioh vs. Xtra Large
– Genba Hirayanagi, Harada, and Hajime Ohara vs. Nakajima, Taiji Ishimori, and Atsushi Kotoge
– Kenou vs. Mohammed Yone
– KENTA vs. Shinya Ishikawa
– Naomichi Marufuji and Marvin vs. Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger
– GHC Tag Team Championship: Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls vs. Morishima and Taniguchi
Hayato Nanjo vs. Mitsuhiro Kitamiya
They shake hands to start the match, kick to the leg by Nanjo before a tie-up, Kitamiya pushes Nanjo into the ropes and he gives a clean break. Tie-up, side headlock by Nanjo, Kitamiya Irish whips out of it and they collide with no result. Snapmare by Nanjo and he applies a reverse chinlock but Kitamiya reverses it into a hammerlock. Nanjo hits a single leg takedown and applies a leg lock but Kitamiya rolls out of it. Armbar by Kitamiya but Nanjo flips out of it and applies an arm wringer. Kitamiya rolls out of that and reverses it back, hammerlock by Kitamiya but Nanjo trips Kitamiya and applies a leg submission hold. Armbar by Nanjo, Kitamiya gets out of it and gets in the side mount before applying a side headlock. Nanjo gets back to his feet and reverses the hold, waistlock by Kitamiya but Nanjo applies a side headlock. Kitamiya Irish whips out of it but they run into each other with both men still standing. Kicks by Nanjo, Irish whip, but Kitamiya hits a shoulderblock. Kitamiya picks up Nanjo, Irish whip, but Nanjo hits a jumping double chop. Back up, snapmare by Nanjo and he applies a headscissors. Kitamiya gets out of it, elbows by Nanjo and he rakes Kitamiya in the eyes. Knee by Nanjo and he goes for a suplex, but Kitamiya blocks it. Elbows by Nanjo and he goes for it again but Kitamiya reverses it into his own vertical suplex. Nanjo gets up in the corner, Kitamiya charges him and hits a back elbow. Snap suplex by Kitamiya, cover, but it gets a two count. Kitamiya picks up Nanjo and tries to put him on his shoulders, Nanjo gets out of it but Kitamiya elbows him in the chest. Gutwrench suplex by Kitamiya, cover, but it gets a two count. Kitamiya picks up Nanjo and applies a waistlock but Nanjo elbows out of it and hits an enzigieri. Nanjo slaps Kitamiya in front of the corner, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a moonsault. Cover, but it gets a two count. Nanjo goes off the ropes but Kitamiya catches him with a spear. Kitamiya picks up Nanjo and hits a Water Wheel Drop, cover, but it Nanjo kicks out. Kitamiya goes off the ropes but Nanjo catches him with a Stunner. Falcon Arrow by Nanjo, cover, but Kitamiya gets a shoulder up. Nanjo drops Kitamiya in front of the corner, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits the Tornado Splash. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Hayato Nanjo
Match Thoughts: Awww shit, it’s Miracle Man! Haven’t seen him in quite a while, he has been actively wrestling still but generally in the smaller promotions. He is kinda old now. Anyway, This was a really odd match to see start off the card and it was certainly wrestled as a really basic opener. Mostly trading holds before a little action before Nanjo crushed Kitamiya’s face at the end with the Tornado Splash. Kitamiya is still young and learning of course, I am not sure what he learned from this match but I guess trading holds with an old vet is never a bad thing for growth. Not much to the match though, even if it is good to see Nanjo is still alive and kicking. Score: 3.5
Bobby Fish and Jonah Rock vs. Yoshinari Ogawa and Hitoshi Kumano
Fish and Rock charge their opponents before the match starts, beating them down to the mat. Kumano is isolated in the ring as he is stomped on by Fish and Rock, double Irish whip but Kumano ducks the lariat attempt and Rock runs into Fish. Kumano dropkicks Rock as Ogawa comes back into the ring, double Irish whip to Fish in the corner and they both connect with running strikes. Double vertical suplex to Fish, they Irish whip him again but Rock tags himself into the ring and hits a body block onto Kumano as Fish sends Ogawa out of the ring. Rock picks up Kumano and pushes him to the mat before applying a reverse chinlock. Kumano gets a foot on the ropes to break the hood, Rock pushes Kumano back into the corner and tags in Fish. Snapmare by Fish, he goes to the apron and hits a slingshot senton. Cover, but it gets a two count. Fish picks up Kumano and goes for a suplex, but Kumano blocks it. Fish eventually is able to hit the suplex and he tags in Rock. Rock picks up Kumano and hits a snap suplex, cover, but Ogawa breaks it up. Rock pushes Kumano back into his corner and tags in Fish before stomping him down into a seated position. Both wrestlers choke Kumano in the corner with their boots, Fish picks up Kumano but Kumano clubs him in the chest. Fish returns with elbows, back kick by Fish and he tags in Rock. Headbutt to the gut by Rock, he picks up Kumano and throws him into the corner before hitting a lariat. Cover by Rock, but it gets a two count. Rock picks up Kumano and chokes him in the corner, Irish whip by Rock but Kumano kicks him back as he charges in. Roll-up by Kumano, but it only gets a two. Rock kicks Kumano in the stomach and hits a scoop slam, he goes up to the second turnbuckle but Kumano rolls out of the way of the senton attempt and makes the hot tag to Ogawa. Ogawa knocks Fish off the apron and then hits a jawbreaker on Rock followed by an enzigieri.
Irish whip by Ogawa to the corner, reversed, but Ogawa kicks Rock as he charges in. Ogawa dives off the second turnbuckle, Rock catches him but Ogawa hits a DDT. Cover, but it gets a two count. Ogawa goes off the ropes and goes for a sunset flip, but Rock grab shim around the neck. Eye rake by Ogawa, he goes off the ropes but Rock catches him with a side slam. Rock tags in Fish and Fish punches Ogawa in the stomach. Ogawa ducks a high kick and goes off the ropes but Fish kicks him in the chest for a two count. Fish drives Ogawa back into the corner and hits a Falcon Arrow, cover, but it gets a two. Fish picks up Ogawa and knees him in the stomach, Fish charges Ogawa but Ogawa hits a back elbow. Ogawa throws Fish shoulder-first into the corner and then hits a backdrop suplex. Ogawa tags in Kumano, Kumano goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick. Cover by Kumano, but it gets a two count. Kumano picks up Fish and hits a snap suplex, he rolls it over and hits another one. Kumano goes for a Fisherman Suplex but Fish gets out of it and kicks Kumano. Armbreaker slam by Kumano and he delivers the Fisherman Suplex, but it only gets a two count. Kumano goes off the ropes but Fish slides out of the ring and then trips Kumano from the floor. Rock comes in and knocks Ogawa off the apron, he then picks up Kumano and with Fish they hit a kick/Samoan Drop combination. Kick to the side of the head by Fish, cover, but Ogawa breaks it up. Fish picks up Kumano and gives him a kick combination but Kumano sneaks in small package for a two count. Back up, Fish hits a gutbuster, cover, but Kumano barely kicks out. Another kick combination by Fish ending with the Tombstone Kick, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winners: Bobby Fish and Jonah Rock
Match Thoughts: A few miscues here and there but generally a solid match. Kumano is fun to watch as he has a fair amount of fire and always seems to put everything he has into a match. Fish and Rock were serviceable here but Kumano was the one that seemed to be putting any real effort into the match as Ogawa generally just coasts along anyway. Not a bad match but not really good either, just average. Score: 5.0
MEN’s Teioh vs. Xtra Large
Tie-up to start, side headlock takedown by Teioh but Xtra Large gets out of it and both men return to their feet. Wristlock by Teioh but Xtra Large reverses it and applies a hammerlock. Teioh gets out of the hold, waistlock by Xtra Large but Teioh applies an armbar. Xtra Large rolls out of it and reverses the hold but Teioh twists Xtra Large’s arm in the ropes and elbows him in the shoulder. Snapmare by Teioh and he applies an armbar. Teioh picks up Xtra Large and applies a side headlock, Xtra Large Irish whips out of it and they collide with neither man going down. Xtra Large goes off the ropes and gets the same result, but when Teioh goes to run off the ropes he falls out of the ring. Xtra Large goes out after him but Teioh keeps avoiding him, eventually hitting a shoulderblock back in the ring. Irish whip by Teioh, Xtra Large flips himself out to the apron before flipping himself back in, and Xtra Large hits an armdrag followed by a dropkick. Teioh falls out of the ring and pulls Xtra Large to the ring post, slamming his leg into it. Teioh applies a figure four around the ring post before releasing the hold and returning to the ring. Teioh kicks Xtra Large in the leg, Irish whip, Xtra Large goes for a kick but Teioh catches it and twists his leg around the second rope. Teioh drags Xtra Large to the middle of the ring and slams his knee into the mat. Teioh twists back on Xtra Large’s leg but releases the hold after a moment, punches by Teioh in the corner and he knees Xtra Large in the leg. Irish whip by Teioh but Xtra Large moves when Teioh charges in. Kicks by Xtra Large, Irish whip, and Xtra Large hits a running elbow followed by a kick to the chest. Running knee by Xtra Large, cover, but it gets a two count. Xtra Large positions Teioh, he goes up to the top turnbuckle but Teioh avoids the twisting senton. Elbows by Teioh to Xtra Large and he hits a roaring elbow. Back up, kick by Xtra Large and he goes off the ropes, knee by Xtra Large but Teioh hits a one handed chokebomb. Spinning toehold by Teioh, and Xtra Large submits. Your winner: MENA’s Teioh
Match Thoughts: Speaking of random matches, where did this match come from? Here are two random non-NOAH wrestlers with no connection to each other having a random mid-card match. I mean it wasn’t actively bad or anything but it was more just a WTF moment, I think my head was tilted slightly to the right the entire match. Very interesting pairing but not an exciting match. Score: 4.0
Genba Hirayanagi, Harada, and Ohara vs. Nakajima, Taiji Ishimori, and Kotoge
Harada and Kotoge start things off. They trade elbows and slaps to start, snapmare by Kotoge but Harada avoids the kick and both men return to their feet. Waistlock by Harada and he throws Kotoge to the mat but Marufuji rolls out of the submission. They get back up, wristlock by Harada but Kotoge hits a takedown. Back up, Harada tags in Ohara and Kotoge tags in Ishimori. Ishimori and Ohara circle each other, wristlock by Ohara and he applies an armbar. Takedown by Ishimori and he hits a hurricanrana. Dropkick by Ishimori and Ohara falls out of the ring, Ishimori goes to do a dive but Ohara moves so Ishimori flips himself back into the ring. Ishimori tags in Nakajima and Ohara tags in Hirayanagi. Nakajima and Hirayanagi tie-up, snapmare by Nakajima and he kicks Hirayanagi in the back. Nakajima picks up Hirayanagi, kick by Hirayanagi, snapmare, and he rakes Nakajima in the eyes. Waistlock by Nakajima, reversed by Hirayanagi but Nakajima reverses it back. Wristlock by Hirayanagi, reversed by Nakajima but Hirayanagi gets to the ropes. Nakajima re-applies it and he tags in Kotoge. Wristlock by Kotoge and he clubs Hirayanagi in the arm. Kotoge tags in Ishimori who keeps the wristlock applied, and Ishimori yanks on Hirayanagi’s arm before tagging Nakajima back in. Wristlock by Nakajima and he tags in Kotoge. Hammerlock by Kotoge but Hirayanagi drives him back and tags in Harada. Harada stomps Kotoge down in the corner and they stand on Kotoge’s head. Harada picks up Kotoge but Kotoge gets away, waistlock by Kotoge and he hits a jumping heel kick. Ishimori and Nakajima get into the ring, they throw Harada into the corner but Harada fights them all off. Harada puts Nakajima in the Tree of Woe, then puts Kotoge in the Tree of Woe as well. Ishimori charges Harada but Harada kicks him and puts him in the Tree of Woe in the same corner as the other two. Harada dropkicks Ishimori in the chest, Kotoge is Irish whipped but he hits a face crusher. Kotoge goes off the ropes and hits a tope con giro down onto Harada and Hirayanagi. Kotoge picks up Hirayanagi and slides him back into the ring, Irish whip, reversed, and Kotoge applies a choke over the top rope. Kotoge gets on the apron, elbows by Hirayanagi and he goes off the ropes but Kotoge rolls into the ring and hits a cutter. Kotoge goes out to the apron and he hits a swandive body press. Cover, but Ohara breaks it up.
Kotoge fights off Ohara and Harada but Ohara dropkicks him in the chest. Harada then hits a jumping elbow smash in the corner and Hirayanagi follows with a kick, cover, but it gets a two count. Hirayanagi picks up Kotoge but Kotoge hits an enzigieri. Kotoge tags in Nakajima, Irish whip by Nakajima and he knees Hirayanagi in the stomach. Ohara comes in the ring but Nakajima boots Hirayanagi and dropkicks both of them out of the ring. Nakajima hits a suplex onto Hirayanagi, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick. Cover, but it gets a two count. Nakajima picks up Hirayanagi and applies a waistlock, Hirayanagi gets out of it but Nakajima kicks him back. Saito Suplex by Hirayanagi and he tags in Ohara. Ohara picks up Nakajima and goes for a suplex but Nakajima goes down his back. Backstabber by Ohara and he hits a swinging side slam. Ohara grabs Nakajima and goes for the Muy Bien but Nakajima gets away. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Ohara but Nakajima kicks Ohara in the chest. Nakajima tags in Ishimori while Harada is also tagged in, Ishimori throws Harada into the corner, reversed, but Ishimori goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick. Double knee strike by Ishimori in the corner and he hits a handspring cutter. Cover, but it gets a two count. Ishimori goes up to the top turnbuckle and he hits a diving double knee strike. Cover, but Harada kicks out at two. Ishimori picks up Harada and goes for the tombstone but Harada gets away. Elbows by Ishimori but Harada elbows him back. Harada goes off the ropes and he hits an overhead belly to belly suplex. Kotoge comes in the ring to help but Hirayanagi comes in as well, Hirayanagi knocks Kotoge out of the ring but Nakajima runs in and knocks Hirayanagi out. Ishimori and Ohara get in the ring as well, but Ishimori hits an enzigieri. Harada goes up to the top turnbuckle and jumps off, but Ishimori dropkicks him in the chest as he jumps off. Ishimori picks up Harada and he hits a double knee to the chest, cover, but it gets a two count. Ishimori slams Harada in front of the corner, he goes up to the top turnbuckle but Harada gets his knees up when he goes for the 450 Splash. Harada picks up Ishimori, Irish whip, but when Ishimori goes for the handspring strike Harada catches him on his shoulders and hits a reverse fireman’s carry into a slam. Cover, but both Nakajima and Kotoge break it up. Harada picks up Ishimori and applies a waistlock, he goes for a German suplex but Ishimori lands on his feet. Roll-up by Ishimori, but it gets a two count. Ishimori goes off the ropes but Ishimori moves out of the way and hits a snap German suplex. Henkei Knee Upper by Harada and he nails the Katayama German Suplex Hold for the three count. Your winners: Genba Hirayanagi, Daisuke Harada, and Hajime Ohara
Match Thoughts: Once the match got rolling it was pretty fun, even though it took some time to get there. The wristlock section near the beginning went too long and was just wasting time, trading wristlocks is fun and all but it shouldn’t be the focal move for several minutes. But once they got into the fast tag/flying around portion of the match it got much more exciting, Kotoge and Harada in particular are good at the fast paced action and the other wrestlers were able to keep up without any issues. There was some dead weight here but the majority was well done. Overall a solid match. Score: 6.0
Kenou vs. Mohammed Yone
Kenou attacks Yone as the bell is ringing and he chokes Yone with the streamers. Kicks to the chest by Kenou and he kicks Yone in the head. Yone elbows Kenou back but Kenou gets the kendo stick. Kenou tosses the referee down, kick by Yone but Kenou hits Yone in the chest with the kendo stick. Kenou chokes Yone with it and throws Yone out of the ring before throwing him into the guard rail. Kenou throws Yone into the stands a few times while the referee is trying to get him to stop. Kenou picks up Yone and slides him back into the ring, he gets up on the apron and hits a slingshot doublestomp. Cover by Kenou, but it gets a two count. Kick to the back by Kenou and to the chest, Yone slowly gets up to his feet and elbows Kenou back. Both wrestlers trade elbows, Yone goes off the ropes but Kenou boots him in the face. Kenou goes off the ropes but Yone returns the favor with a kick to the face. Yone charges Kenou, Kenou kicks him back and sits on the top turnbuckle but Yone kicks him from the top turnbuckle down to the floor. Yone goes out after Kenou and hits a running lariat. Yone slides Kenou back into the ring, cover, but it gets a two count. Yone picks up Kenou and slams him near the corner, he goes up to the second turnbuckle and hits the guillotine leg drop. Cover, but Kenou kicks out. Yone goes off the ropes but Kenou kicks him in the chest. Another kick to the chest by Kenou as he knocks Yone into the corner, Kenou charges Yone and hits a jumping double knee followed by a dropkick to the head. Cover, but it gets a two count. Kenou delivers a heel kick, he picks up Yone, Irish whip, reversed, and Yone hits a lariat. Kicks to the chest by Yone but Kenou catches one and throws Yone’s leg into the referee. Kenou gets the kendo stick, the referee grabs it as well and Yone kicks Kenou in the head. Lariat by Yone and he goes for the Muscle Buster, but Ohara runs down and interferes. Kenou gets the kendo stick and hits Yone with it, and the referee calls for the bell. Your winner by DQ: Mohammed Yone
Match Thoughts: I may have said this before, but still not thrilled that Yone is still winning/looking better against younger stars, he isn’t very good. There wasn’t much to this match, lots of kicks to the chest, a little cheating, and then Kenou had to get saved from losing which then led to the DQ. Kenou is quite good but didn’t show much here as the match was short and Yone was in control of a much of it. I have no issue with DQ wins, but this just wasn’t a very good match. Score: 3.5
KENTA vs. Shinya Ishikawa
They jockey to start, KENTA pushes Ishikawa into the corner and he gives a clean break. They fight for position on the mat, KENTA gets Ishikawa’s back and goes for the cross armbreaker but Ishikawa gets into the ropes. Back up, Ishikawa pushes KENTA into the ropes and Ishikawa hits an elbow strike. They trade elbows, which KENTA gets the better of and he hits an elbow drop for a two count. Reverse chinlock by KENTA, but Ishikawa gets a foot on the ropes. Kicks to the chest by KENTA, Ishikawa gets back up and they trade elbows again, another battle that KENTA wins. KENTA picks up Ishikawa and kicks him repeatedly in the chest, Irish whip, and KENTA connects with a back elbow. Cover, but it gets a two count. KENTA applies a reverse chinlock, but Ishikawa gets a foot on the bottom rope. KENTA picks up Ishikawa and elbows him into the corner, but Ishikawa elbows him back. Slap by KENTA, Ishikawa slaps him back and hits an elbow but KENTA elbows him back. KENTA picks up Ishikawa, Irish whip, and KENTA knees Ishikawa in the stomach. Cover, but it gets a two count. Ishikawa rolls out of the ring to re-group but KENTA goes out after him and throws Ishikawa into the guard rail. KENTA slams Ishikawa on the exposed floor outside the ring before rolling back into the ring. Ishikawa slowly gets up and crawls back in the ring, and KENTA stomps him as he comes in. Kick to the chest by KENTA but Ishikawa elbows him back. Elbows by Ishikawa, he goes off the ropes but KENTA catches him with a big boot to the face. Uppercuts by KENTA, Irish whip, but Ishikawa boots KENTA as he charges in. Another boot by Ishikawa and he hits a second turnbuckle missile dropkick. Ishikawa picks up KENTA and elbows him back into the corner. Irish whip by Ishikawa and he hits an elbow smash followed by a second one, cover by Ishikawa but KENTA kicks out at two.
Ishikawa applies a reverse chinlock but KENTA elbows out of it and knees Ishikawa in the stomach. KENTA goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving lariat. Cover, but it gets a two count. KENTA applies a facelock but Ishikawa gets into the ropes to force a break. Waistlock by KENTA, Ishikawa elbows out of it and KENTA goes off the ropes, but Ishikawa puts him in a cobra twist. KENTA gets into the ropes to force a break, Ishikawa picks up KENTA, Irish whip, and KENTA knees Ishikawa in the stomach again. KENTA goes out to the apron and hits a swandive missile dropkick followed by a running kick in the corner followed by a dropkick. KENTA goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving doublestomp. Cover by KENTA, but it only gets a two count. KENTA picks up Ishikawa and goes for the Go 2 Sleep but Ishikawa slides off his shoulders and hits a powerslam for a two count. KENTA picks up Ishikawa, elbow by Ishikawa but KENTA elbows him back. Uppercut by KENTA, he goes off the ropes but Ishikawa delivers a dropkick. Cover, but it gets a two count. Ishikawa picks up KENTA, elbows by Ishikawa and he hits a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count hold. Ishikawa picks up KENTA but KENTA pushes him off, Irish whip by KENTA and he elbows Ishikawa in the stomach. Irish whip by KENTA and he knees Ishikawa in the stomach again. Cover, but it gets a two count. KENTA puts Ishikawa in a crab hold but Ishikawa inches to the ropes and grabs them to get a break. KENTA stomps Ishikawa but Ishikawa gets back up, and they trade slaps. KENTA goes off the ropes and hits a lariat, cover, but it gets a two count. KENTA hits a Tiger Suplex, cover, but he gets another two. KENTA picks up Ishikawa and he hits a Go 2 Sleep. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: KENTA
Match Thoughts: I would have liked for Ishikawa to do a bit more in the match to KENTA, but it was still entertaining. KENTA rarely has bad singles matches, he is just a really crisp wrestler that doesn’t really waste any time. The knees to the stomach were a bit excessive but I can’t fault him for targeting a body part, and he was consistent with strikes to that area during the entire match. Ishikawa really didn’t get any near falls that were at all convincing, everyone knew KENTA was winning but I wish Ishikawa had just gotten a couple solid near falls to add a bit more suspense. Still a good match though. Score: 6.5
Naomichi Marufuji and Marvin vs. Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger
Marufuji and Nagata start things off. They jockey for position to start off, waistlock by Nagata but Marufuji reverses it with an armbar. Nagata goes for a sleeper but Marufuji applies a wristlock, which Nagata reverses. Marufuji flips out of the hold, side headlock takedown by Nagata but Marufuji applies a headscissors. Nagata gets out of the headscissors and lets Marufuji stand back up. Tie-up, Nagata pushes Marufuji into the ropes, Marufuji switches positions with him and he kicks Nagata in the head. Nagata pushes Marufuji but Marufuji elbows Nagata and they trade elbows. Big boot by Marufuji but Nagata returns fire, drop toehold by Marufuji but Nagata avoids the dropkick and both men return to their feet. Nagata pushes Marufuji, Marufuji pushes Nagata back into his corner and slaps him before tagging in Marvin. Nagata tags in Liger, side headlock by Marvin and he hits a handspring elbow strike. Liger falls out of the ring and Marvin sails out onto him with a tope suicida. Marvin returns to the ring and taunts Nagata, as Liger slowly gets back into the ring. Cover by Marvin but it gets a two count. Marvin picks up Liger, snapmare, and Marvin applies a reverse chinlock. Marvin picks up Liger and throws him into his corner before tagging in Marufuji. Marvin holds Liger so that Marufuji can exit the ring and hit a dropkick from the floor. Marufuji takes Liger out of the ring and he throws Liger into the ring post. Marufuji slides Liger back into the ring and twists his neck with his feet. Cover, but it gets a two count. Marvin kicks Liger from the apron as he is tagged in, snapmare by Marvin and he applies an armbar to Liger. Irish whip by Liger and he hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Marvin falls out of the ring, Nagata picks him up and holds him so that Liger can hit a baseball slide. Nagata kicks Marvin outside of the ring. Marufuji comes over and elbows Nagata, and they trade shots before Nagata throws Marufuji into the guard rail. Liger picks up Marvin and throws him into the rail as well. Nagata elbows Marvin and finally slides him back into the ring. Liger applies the Mexican Surfboard to Marvin into the Romero Special before tagging in Nagata. Nagata kicks Marvin around the ropes, Nagata picks up Marvin and hits him in the stomach. Nagata stomps Marvin to the mat, he picks him up, Irish whip, and Nagata knees Marvin in the stomach.
Crab hold by Nagata and he tags in Liger. Liger applies a stretch hold to Marvin, while Nagata and Marufuji trade elbows outside of the ring. Liger picks up Marvin and elbows him in the head before raking Marvin in the eyes. Liger and Nagata choke Marvin in the corner with their boots and Liger tags in Nagata. Nagata hits an overhead belly to belly suplex on Marvin, cover, but it gets a two count. Nagata stomps Marvin, he picks up Marvin and knees Marvin in the stomach. Nagata tags in Liger, Liger waits for Marvin to get up and goes off the ropes but Marufuji avoids the Shotei and hits an enzigieri. Marvin tags in Marufuji and Marufuji elbows Liger in the corner. Stomps by Marufuji but Nagata hits him from behind. Irish whip by Marufuji but Nagata reverses it and delivers a dropkick. Liger goes off the ropes but so does Marufuji and Marufuji hits a lariat. Marufuji picks up Liger and hoes for the Shiranui but Liger pushes him off. Kick combination by Marufuji, cover, but it gets a two count. Marufuji picks up Liger but Liger catches him with a Shotei. Liger tags in Nagata and Nagata kicks Marufuji into the corner. Irish whip by Nagata and he hits the big boot and goes for an exploder, but Marufuji blocks it. Boot to the face by Nagata but Marufuji fires back with an elbow and they trade blows. Marufuji goes off the ropes and hits a big boot, he goes for a lariat but Nagata ducks it and hits an exploder. Nagata grabs Marufuji and goes for a brainbuster but Marufuji gets out of it and hits a superkick. Marufuji tags in Marvin, Marvin goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a rope-running dropkick onto Liger. Marvin then hits a jumping elbow in the corner onto Nagata, big boot by Nagata but Marvin fires back with a springboard kick. Shining Wizard by Marvin, cover, but Nagata kicks out at two. Marvin picks up Nagata and goes for an exploder but Nagata blocks it and applies the seated armbar. Marufuji breaks it up and Marvin hits Nagata from behind with a backstabber. Double superkick to Nagata, Liger comes back into the ring and throws Marufuji out of it. Liger hits a Shotei onto Marvin, then Nagata hits a jumping knee in the corner. Brainbuster by Nagata, cover, but Marufuji breaks it up. Liger throws Marufuji out of the ring as Nagata picks up Marvin and hits the backdrop suplex hold for the three count. Your winners: Jushin Thunder Liger and Yuji Nagata
Match Thoughts: I wish this match didn’t have Marvin. Marvin is a fine wrestler but he was just such an obvious ‘fall guy’ in the match. Having a fall guy is hardly a new thing in wrestling but for an inter-promotional match such as this I’d have preferred it be a little less obvious. The action itself was fine, both teams worked well together and Liger is still fun to watch even though he is almost 50 years old. It didn’t have as much ‘heat’ as I would have expected but Nagata and Marufuji got into it a few times and overall it was a good match. Score: 6.0
(c) Shane Haste and Nicholls vs. Morishima and Maybach Taniguchi
This match is for the GHC Tag Team Championship. Morishima and Taniguchi attack the champions as the bell rings, and they toss Haste and Nicholls out of the ring. Taniguchi and Morishima knock their opponents around the ring and into the crowd, with Haste and Taniguchi returning to the ring after a few minutes. Taniguchi and Haste trade elbows, uppercuts by Haste and he delivers a dropkick. Taniguchi falls out of the ring, Haste goes off the far ropes and sails out onto both Taniguchi and Morishima with a backflip plancha splash. Nicholls slides Taniguchi back into the ring for Haste and gets in the ring as well, double Irish whip to Taniguchi and they hit a double elbow strike followed by a fist drop/standing moonsault combination. Morishima comes in the ring, but he is dropped with a back suplex/cutter. Haste and Nicholls lariat Taniguchi in the corner, Haste goes up to the top turnbuckle but Morishima pushes him off the top turnbuckle to the floor. Taniguchi throws Nicholls out of the ring and then hits a double ax handle off the apron. Ohara and Morishima attack Haste out on the floor, and Morishima chokes Haste with a chair. Morishima throws Haste into the ring post as Kenou kicks Nicholls elsewhere on the floor. Back in the ring, Taniguchi covers Haste but it gets a two count. Taniguchi stomps Haste and throws him in the corner before tagging in Morishima. Morishima chokes Haste against the second rope and hits a butt smash in the corner. Another butt smash by Morishima and he tags in Taniguchi. Taniguchi clubs Haste in the back and he elbows Haste, but Haste uppercuts him back. Taniguchi throws Haste out of the ring and he throws Haste into the guard rail. Taniguchi gets a table from under the ring and sets it up at ringside, he goes over to the table and tries to powerbomb Haste but Haste blocks it. Haste grabs Taniguchi and tries to suplex Taniguchi into the table but Taniguchi blocks that and throws Haste into the guard rail. Taniguchi grabs Haste and slides him back into the ring, and Taniguchi tags in Morishima. Snapmare by Morishima and he applies a camel clutch to Haste. Ohara then runs in the ring and he dropkicks Haste in the face. Morishima stomps Haste in the stomach, he picks him up and tags in Taniguchi. Haste tries to fight out of the corner but he is punched in the stomach.
Taniguchi stomps Haste in the head and the chest, Taniguchi applies a crab hold but Nicholls breaks it up. Taniguchi throws Nicholls out of the ring while Morishima hits a running body press onto Haste. Taniguchi puts Haste in a single leg crab hold but Haste gets to the ropes. Taniguchi tags in Morishima and Morishima pushes Haste into the corner. Morishima charges Haste but Haste boots him back and hits an uppercut off the second turnbuckle. Haste manages to make the tag to Nicholls, Nicholls knocks Taniguchi off the apron and goes off the ropes, Taniguchi grabs him but Nicholls elbows him off. Morishima charges Nicholls but Nicholls moves and Morishima falls out of the ring. Nicholls then goes off the ropes and jumps out of the ring onto Taniguchi and Morishima. Nicholls slides Morishima back into the ring, Irish whip to the corner and he hits a lariat. Irish whip by Nicholls and he hits another lariat, Irish whip, reversed, but Nicholls hits a third lariat which sends Morishima off his feet. Lariat by Nicholls to a seated Morishima, cover, but it gets a two count. Nicholls picks up Morishima but Morishima elbows him off and they trade strikes. Nicholls goes off the ropes but Taniguchi hits him from the apron, and Morishima tags in Taniguchi. Lariat by Taniguchi in the corner, Irish whip, and he hits another one. Taniguchi goes for the chokeslam but Nicholls elbows out of it, Nicholls goes off the ropes but Taniguchi hits a powerslam. Morishima comes in the ring and knocks Haste off the apron, Nicholls is thrown into the corner and Morishima hits a lariat. Spinebuster by Taniguchi, cover, but it gets a two count. Taniguchi picks up Nicholls and goes for the powerbomb, but Nicholls blocks it. Chokeslam by Taniguchi, he goes up to the top turnbuckle but Nicholls has recovered and joins him up there. Superplex by Nicholls and he hits a spinebuster. Nicholls tags in Haste and Haste dropkicks Taniguchi. Haste hits a heel kick to both Taniguchi and Morishima, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and nails the corner to corner dropkick. Cover by Haste, but Taniguchi barely gets a shoulder up.
Irish whip by Haste, reversed, Haste runs into the referee and Taniguchi hits a low blow. Taniguchi tags in Morishima, Morishima goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick. Lariat by Morishima to Haste, cover, but it gets a two count. Morishima goes off the ropes but Haste levels him with a lariat. Sit-down powerbomb by Haste, cover, but Morishima kicks out. Haste picks up Morishima and lariats him in the back, he goes for another one but Morishima ducks it and hits a release German suplex. Back kick by Haste and he hits an uppercut, but Morishima fires back with a lariat. Morishima goes off the ropes and delivers another lariat, cover, but it gets a two count. Morishima hits the backdrop suplex onto Haste, cover, but Nicholls barely breaks it up in time. Taniguchi throws Nicholls out of the ring, Morishima goes for another backdrop suplex but Haste blocks it and nails the Bomb Valley Death. Cover, but Taniguchi pulls the referee out of the ring. Nicholls gets in the ring, they pick up Morishima but Kenou and Ohara run into the ring to help out. Taniguchi hits both Haste and Nicholls with a stick, but Jonah Rock comes in the ring and clears out Kenou. Meanwhile Taniguchi picks up Nicholls and chokeslams him from the ring down to the floor, through the table. Haste is back up and hits Morishima, but Taniguchi hits him in the back with his metal stick. Taniguchi then picks up Haste and drops him with a powerbomb. The referee is slid back into the ring, Morishima picks up Haste and drops him with a backdrop suplex. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winners and new champions: Takeshi Morishima and Maybach Taniguchi
Match Thoughts: For the bulk of this match, this is about as good as the Morishima Army can be. Lots of hard hits, lots of cheating, and great general destruction. Some parts were a little bit slow, I don’t know if crab holds fit into the rest of the action, but overall it was a good chaos-type match. The chokeslam through the table was sick and it just made the ending all the more… definite. You knew Nicholls couldn’t break up any pin attempts since he was dead on the floor, and Haste wasn’t kicking out of that, so you knew the Morishima Army had taken the belts. A really fun brawl. Score: 7.5
Final Thoughts:
Best Match: Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls vs. Takeshi Morishima and Maybach Taniguchi. As far as controlled chaos brawls, this was a good one. It wasn’t a 100% crazy brawl but they did it enough that just as you got comfortable there was interference or weapons or something else. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but here it did. Haste and Nicholls are really fun and this is the right spot for Taniguchi to be.
MVP: Maybach Taniguchi. In the main event, Taniguchi left the biggest impression. This is his type of match, he isn’t the best wrestler and isn’t a young guy, but he is a bigger wrestler that can convincingly powerbomb people and chokeslam them through tables. He never really seemed to be in trouble in this match, he was just a dominating force. I hope he stays in this role as if he takes off the mask he is just going to turn into a bland babyface again.
Overall: The event started slow but picked up by the end. NOAH’s roster is a bit weak right now so filling up full cards can be difficult for them unless they get quality freelancers. Hayato Nanjo, Bobby Fish, MEN’s Teioh, and Xtra Large aren’t bad wrestlers but they don’t really add anything to the card. The last match ended the card on a positive note though, and there were a few other solid matches. As an entire event I wouldn’t really recommend it but there are some bright spots here.
