{"id":17952,"date":"2015-03-19T07:00:10","date_gmt":"2015-03-19T11:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/?p=17952"},"modified":"2015-03-18T19:10:39","modified_gmt":"2015-03-18T23:10:39","slug":"fighting-spirit-review-all-japan-excite-series-2715","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/reviews\/fighting-spirit-review-all-japan-excite-series-2715\/","title":{"rendered":"Fighting Spirit Review: All Japan “Excite Series” 2\/7\/15"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/div>\n
A review by Kevin Wilson of PuroresuCentral.com<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Date:\u00a0 February 7th, 2015
\nLocation:\u00a0 Osaka BODYMAKER COLOSSEUM #2 in Osaka, Japan
\nAnnounced Attendance:\u00a0 873<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are jumping back to All Japan to try to catch-up on them over the next few days.\u00a0 This show has the start of the Jr. Battle of Glory Tournament as well as Shiozaki defending the Triple Crown against Zeus.\u00a0 While the winner isn\u2019t in doubt, it should still be fun.\u00a0 Here is the full card:<\/p>\n

– Masanobu Fuchi and Masashi Aoyagi vs. Takao Soma and Yuma Aoyagi
\n– Kento Miyahara and Yohei Nakajima vs. The Bodyguard and Shigehiro Irie
\n– Akebono and SUSHI vs. KENSO and Takeshi Minamino
\n– Jun Akiyama, Takao Omori, and Ultimo Dragon vs. Suwama, Hikaru Sato, and Naoya Nomura
\n– Jr. Battle of Glory – Block B<\/em>: Kotaro Suzuki vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
\n– Jr. Battle of Glory – Block A<\/em>: Atsushi Aoki vs. Keisuke Ishii
\n– Triple Crown Championship<\/em>: Go Shiozaki vs. Zeus<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was hoping some of these would be clipped but sadly they are not.<\/p>\n

Masanobu Fuchi and Masashi Aoyagi vs. Takao Soma and Yuma Aoyagi<\/span>
\n<\/strong>Like this one, for example.\u00a0 Fuchi and Yuma start off and they trade wristlocks.\u00a0 Fuchi flips Yuma to the mat but he lets him back up.\u00a0 Fuchi tags in Aoyagi, I didn\u2019t know that Aoyagi was still wrestling.\u00a0 Yuma clubs Aoyagi in the chest but Aoyagi fights back with kicks.\u00a0 Tombstone piledriver by Aoyagi but it gets two.\u00a0 Yuma catches a kick and elbows Aoyagi in the leg before hitting a dropkick.\u00a0 Yuma tags in Soma and Soma stands on Aoyagi in the corner.\u00a0 Dropkick by Soma and he chops Aoyagi in the corner.\u00a0 Aoyagi kicks Soma back and hits a heel kick, giving him time to tag in Fuchi.\u00a0 Fuchi picks up Soma and hits a scoop slam.\u00a0 Delayed scoop slam by Fuchi, Yuma comes in but Fuchi scoop slams him too.\u00a0 Fuchi slams Soma again a couple more times but Soma kicks Fuchi in the stomach and tags in Yuma.\u00a0 Yuma dropkicks Fuchi and Fuchi tags in Aoyagi.\u00a0 Aoyagi kicks Yuma in the leg and the chest, he picks him back up and kicks him in the stomach.\u00a0 More kicks by Aoyagi but Soma breaks up the cover.\u00a0 Dropkick by Yuma and he hits a second one.\u00a0 Yuma goes off the ropes but Aoyagi kicks him in the stomach before hitting an enzigieri for the three count cover.\u00a0 Maybe I am just feeling nostalgic but it was nice to see Aoyagi again, apparently he still actively competes, I just personally hadn\u2019t seen him in a while.\u00a0 The crowd enjoys Fuchi and the young guys looked fine.\u00a0 Not exciting but nothing bad.\u00a0 Score:\u00a0 5.5<\/span><\/p>\n

Kento Miyahara and Yohei Nakajima vs. The Bodyguard and Shigehiro Irie<\/strong><\/span>
\nIrie and Nakajima begin things, shoulderblock by Irie but Nakajima hits a hurricanrana.\u00a0 Bodyguard and Miyahara tag in and they bounce off each other with no results.\u00a0 Finally Bodyguard shoulderblocks Miyahara down but Miyahara pushes him back and tags in Nakajima.\u00a0 Bodyguard chops Nakajima to the mat and chops him again.\u00a0 Press slam by Bodyguard and he tags in Irie.\u00a0 Nakajima and Irie trade elbows, Irie gets the better of it and he tags in Bodyguard.\u00a0 Bodyguard kicks Nakajima and he hits a scoop slam followed by a neck crank.\u00a0 Reverse chinlock by Bodyguard and he covers Nakajima for two.\u00a0 Bodyguard tags in Irie and Irie hits a body slam.\u00a0 Irie goes up top and hits a diving body press for two.\u00a0 Irie charges Nakajima but Nakajima kicks him back and hits a missile dropkick.\u00a0 Nakajima tags in Miyahara, and Miyahara trades elbows with Irie.\u00a0 Dropkick by Miyahara and he hits a jumping elbow in the corner.\u00a0 Northern Lights Suplex by Miyahara but Irie kicks out.\u00a0 Vertical suplex by Irie and he tags in Bodyguard.\u00a0 Lariat by Bodyguard to Miyahara in the corner and he hits a series of short range lariats.\u00a0 Flapjack by Bodyguard and he hits an elbow drop.\u00a0 Bodyguard picks up Miyahara but Miyahara boots him in the head.\u00a0 Miyahara tags in Nakajima, Bodyguard punches Nakajima but Nakajima kicks him back.\u00a0 Dropkick by Nakajima and he dropkicks Bodyguard in the corner.\u00a0 Missile dropkick by Nakajima but Bodyguard catches him with a spear.\u00a0 Irie comes in and body slams Nakajima, leg drop by Bodyguard but it gets a two count.\u00a0 Bodyguard hits a lariat to Nakajima, but Nakajima kicks out of the pin.\u00a0 Bodyguard picks up Nakajima and blasts him with a short-range lariat, and this time he gets the three count.\u00a0 Another solid match, nothing earth scorching but still fun. Bodyguard is good in short bursts and the other three did their parts.\u00a0 Perfectly acceptable match for this part of the card.\u00a0 Score:\u00a0 6.0<\/span><\/p>\n

Akebono and SUSHI vs. KENSO and Takeshi Minamino<\/strong><\/span>
\nSUSHI and KENSO square off first and they shake hands before KENSO kicks Akebono off the apron.\u00a0 KENSO goes after Akebono while Minamino runs in to attack SUSHI.\u00a0 Everyone brawls outside the ring, but KENSO and SUSHI return after a moment and KENSO hits a lariat.\u00a0 Brainbuster by KENSO, but SUSHI kicks out of the cover.\u00a0 KENSO tags in Minamino and Minamino chokes SUSHI with a metal rod until Akebono breaks it up.\u00a0 KENSO is tagged in and he attacks SUSHI in the corner.\u00a0 Slaps by KENSO but SUSHI lariats KENSO in the corner.\u00a0 SUSHI tries to knock over KENSO but KENSO slaps him.\u00a0 SUSHI finally hits a lariat to knock KENSO over and he tags in Akebono.\u00a0 KENSO tags in Minamino, and Minamino kicks Akebono low.\u00a0 Chokeslam by Akebono and he hits an elbow drop.\u00a0 Another elbow drop and Akebono tags in SUSHI.\u00a0 Lazy ass Akebono, don\u2019t tag in the weak guy.\u00a0 SUSHI goes up top and he hits a diving headbutt to Minamino, but KENSO breaks it up.\u00a0 Akebono lariats KENSO out of the ring, SUSHI grabs Minamino but Minamino kicks SUSHI low.\u00a0 SUSHI grabs Minamino and hits the Tekkamaki, getting the three count.\u00a0 Akebono was just coasting here, it wasn\u2019t even a long match but he still let SUSHI do the bulk of the work.\u00a0 Too short to mean anything but not too bad.\u00a0 Score:\u00a0 4.0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jun Akiyama, Takao Omori, and Ultimo Dragon vs. Suwama, Hikaru Sato, and Naoya Nomura<\/strong> <\/span>
\nOmori and Suwama begin things.\u00a0 This would normally be the co-main big tag match, it just got bumped down because of the tournament.\u00a0 They get into an elbow battle, which Suwama wins, but both miss elbow drops.\u00a0 Ultimo Dragon and Sato come in next, wristlock by Sato but Ultimo Dragon rolls out of it.\u00a0 Sato kicks Ultimo Dragon in the leg and he applies an ankle hold, but Ultimo Dragon hits a spinning headscissors.\u00a0 Ultimo Dragon drives Sato into the corner and Sato tags in Nomura.\u00a0 Ultimo Dragon kicks Nomura and he tags in Akiyama.\u00a0 Nomura pushes Akiyama into the ropes and clubs him in the chest repeatedly but Akiyama knocks him to the mat.\u00a0 Akiyama throws Nomura out of the ring, and Omori chops Nomura in the chest.\u00a0 Akiyama slams Nomura out on the floor before returning to the ring, and Akiyama throws Nomura into the corner.\u00a0 Akiyama tags in Omori, Omori chops Nomura against the ropes and hits a back bodydrop.\u00a0 Omori tags in Ultimo Dragon, Ultimo Dragon elbows Nomura and covers him for two.\u00a0 Ultimo Dragon twists up Nomura and then applies an ankle hold but Sato breaks it up.\u00a0 Akiyama is tagged in and he slams Nomura to the mat.\u00a0 Crab hold by Akiyama and he tags in Omori.\u00a0 Omori backdrop suplexes Nomura as poor Nomura is just the whipping boy in this match.\u00a0 Nomura finally hits a missile dropkick and he makes the super hot tag to Suwama.<\/p>\n

Akiyama comes in to help but Suwama lariats both of them.\u00a0 Suwama lariats Omori in the corner and hits a belly to belly suplex.\u00a0 Omori boots Suwama but Suwama applies a sleeper.\u00a0 Suwama goes for a Last Ride but Omori hits a hurricanrana to reverse it.\u00a0 Axe Guillotine Driver by Omori and he tags in Ultimo Dragon while Sato is also tagged in.\u00a0 Dropkick by Ultimo Dragon to Sato and he hits a back bodydrop.\u00a0 Kick combination by Ultimo Dragon but Sato slaps on a cross armbreaker.\u00a0 Ultimo Dragon gets a foot on the ropes to get a break and Sato tags in Nomura.\u00a0 Jumping elbow by Nomura and he hits a Northern Lights Suplex.\u00a0 Ultimo Dragon avoids Nomura\u2019s dropkick and tags in Akiyama.\u00a0 Akiyama applies a neck lock but it is broken up.\u00a0 Boots by Akiyama\u00a0 but Nomura dropkicks him.\u00a0 Nomura goes up top but Akiyama avoids the missile dropkick.\u00a0 Akiyama applies a crab hold but Nomura gets to the ropes.\u00a0 Brainbuster by Akiyama, but Nomura kicks out.\u00a0 Crab hold by Akiyama and this time he taps out.\u00a0 I mean a crab hold ending this late in the card is a super copout, I knew Nomura was getting pinned when I saw the line-up but at least let him lost to a knee.\u00a0 And his teammates didn\u2019t come help even though they were on the apron, I guess so Nomura could learn.\u00a0 This wasn\u2019t much of a match as 75% of it was Nomura getting beaten down, but it wasn\u2019t bad.\u00a0 Just a bit of a waste for wrestlers of this quality.\u00a0 Score:\u00a0 5.5<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\" \"\" \"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Kotaro Suzuki vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru<\/strong><\/span>
\nThis match is part of the Jr. Battle of Glory Tournament.\u00a0 After the introductory back and forth, Suzuki starts working over Kanemaru\u2019s leg and applies a figure four.\u00a0 Kanemaru gets to the ropes but Suzuki twists on Kanemaru\u2019s knee.\u00a0 Kanemaru gets to the ropes again and they trade strikes, with Suzuki kicking Kanemaru in the leg until he falls to the mat.\u00a0 Suzuki goes for a handspring elbow but Kanemaru catches him and hits a backdrop suplex.\u00a0 Kanemaru goes up top and hits a diving crossbody for two.\u00a0 Flapjack by Kanemaru but Suzuki hits a jumping knee in the corner.\u00a0 Diving knee by Suzuki but it gets two.\u00a0 Suzuki drop toeholds Kanemaru into the ropes and hits the tiger feint kick.\u00a0 Suzuki and Kanemaru trade elbows, boot by Kanemaru and he hits a backdrop suplex.\u00a0 Suzuki gets back up and returns the favor but Kanemaru hits a lariat.\u00a0 Lariat by Kanemaru in the corner but Suzuki kicks him in the leg.\u00a0 Suzuki goes up top but Kanemaru joins him, Kanemaru goes for a superplex but Suzuki lands on top of him for two.\u00a0 Elbows by Suzuki and he hits a tombstone piledriver for another two.\u00a0 Suzuki goes for the Tiger Driver but Kanemaru drops Suzuki on his head because he hates his face.\u00a0 Kanemaru goes up to the second turnbuckle, but Suzuki catches him when he dives off.\u00a0 Kanemaru blocks the Tiger Driver again and he hits a brainbuster.\u00a0 Kanemaru goes up to the top turnbuckle and nails the Deep Impact, but Suzuki kicks out.\u00a0 Brainbuster by Suzuki, he picks up Kanemaru and delivers the Touch Out for the three count.\u00a0 Kanemaru gets two points!\u00a0 This match didn\u2019t do a whole lot for me.\u00a0 It was half leg work but Suzuki doesn\u2019t really have a finisher that targets the leg so there wasn\u2019t anywhere that he could go with it.\u00a0 So the leg work was quickly forgotten and it turned into Kanemaru running through his finishers as his matches usually do.\u00a0 It definitely had some good spots, but as whole it was disappointing.\u00a0 Score:\u00a0 4.0<\/span><\/p>\n

Atsushi Aoki vs. Keisuke Ishii<\/strong><\/span>
\nThis match is part of the Jr. Battle of Glory Tournament.\u00a0 Aoki attacks Ishii before the match starts and beats him around the ring.\u00a0 Back in the ring they trade elbows, Aoki gets the better of it and dumps Ishii out of the ring.\u00a0 Aoki throws Ishii into the railing and Aoki throws Ishii into the ring post.\u00a0 Back in the ring, Ishii catches Aoki with a rough DDT.\u00a0 Aoki grabs Ishii\u2019s arm and drives his knee into it.\u00a0 Armbreaker by Aoki but Ishii boots him in the face.\u00a0 Aoki kicks Ishii in the arm and then twists it but Ishii gets to the ropes.\u00a0\u00a0 Aoki knocks Ishii into the corner and yanks on his arm but Ishii hits a dropkick.\u00a0 Ishii goes up top, Aoki joins him but Ishii pushes him off and hits a missile dropkick.\u00a0 Ishii hits a double kneedrop and covers Aoki, but Aoki applies an armbar.\u00a0 Ishii kicks out of it and hits an enzigieri.\u00a0 German suplex hold by Ishii but Aoki avoids the heel kick.\u00a0 Lariat by Aoki and he hits a scoop slam.\u00a0 Aoki goes up top but Ishii avoids a diving doublestomp.\u00a0 Backdrop suplex by Aoki and he hits a lariat.\u00a0 Brainbuster by Aoki but Ishii blocks the Assault Point.\u00a0 Tiger suplex hold by Ishii but it gets a two.\u00a0 Backflip kick by Ishii and he hits a double armed DDT.\u00a0 Cover, but Aoki barely kicks out.\u00a0 They trade pin attempts but Aoki applies a cross armbreaker.\u00a0 He reverts it into the Trap Over, and Ishii submits.\u00a0 Aoki is trying really hard to be interesting, and I appreciate that he is trying.\u00a0 Ishii was good also, and overall it was entertaining even though something was missing.\u00a0 But it was well structured and didn\u2019t go long so they were able to stay focused.\u00a0 Score:\u00a0 6.5<\/span><\/p>\n

(c) Go Shiozaki vs. Zeus<\/strong><\/span>
\nThis match is for the All Japan Triple Crown Championship.\u00a0 Shiozaki and Zeus collide into each other to start and Shiozaki snaps off a backdrop suplex which Zeus replies to with a lariat.\u00a0 Suplex by Shiozaki but Zeus picks him up and drops him onto the apron.\u00a0 Zeus suplexes Shiozaki back into the ring and then press slams him over the top rope to the floor.\u00a0 Zeus beats Shiozaki with the guardrail before they return to the ring, and they trade chops.\u00a0 Lariat by Zeus and he applies a facelock.\u00a0 Shoulderblock by Zeus but Shiozaki gets back up, body avalanche by Zeus and he hits a bearhug suplex.\u00a0 Zeus hits a vertical suplex and he covers Shiozaki for two.\u00a0 Jumping shoulderblock by Shiozaki but Zeus shrugs it off.\u00a0 DDT by Shiozaki but Zeus pops up from that too.\u00a0 Shiozaki tries the backdrop suplex but Zeus gets up in the corner.\u00a0 Running chop by Shiozaki and he hits another one, but Zeus chops him back.\u00a0 Fisherman Buster by Shiozaki and he dropkicks\u00a0 Zeus out of the ring.\u00a0 Shiozaki goes off the ropes but Zeus gets back in the ring and lariats Shiozaki out of it.\u00a0 Zeus then goes to the ropes and hits a muscle man pescado.\u00a0 Awkward but effective.\u00a0 Back in the ring Zeus lariats Shiozaki, Shiozaki falls out to the apron but Zeus suplexes him back into the ring.\u00a0 Zeus dropkicks Shiozaki into the corner and he hits a chokeslam.\u00a0 Zeus is just killing Shiozaki here.<\/p>\n

Shiozaki chops Zeus and goes for a hurricanrana, but Zeus powerbombs him into the turnbuckles.\u00a0 Big lariat by Zeus but Shiozaki hits a vertical suplex.\u00a0 Both Shiozaki and Zeus try to lariat each other, and Shiozaki finally wins the battle.\u00a0 Zeus chops Shiozaki but Shiozaki chops him back.\u00a0 Shiozaki lariats Zeus out of the ring and then sails out onto him with a tope suicida.\u00a0 Shiozaki slides Zeus back in, he puts Zeus on the top turnbuckle and hits an avalanche Frankensteiner for a one count.\u00a0 Lariat by Shiozaki, he picks up Zeus but Zeus snaps off a Jackhammer.\u00a0 Zeus picks up Shiozaki but Shiozaki hits a Go Flasher.\u00a0 Zeus and Shiozaki lariat each other to the mat, they both get up and start trading chops.\u00a0 Shiozaki falls to the mat, but he drops Zeus with a rolling chop.\u00a0 Another rolling chop by Shiozaki and he hits the Short-Range Lariat.\u00a0 Shiozaki picks up\u00a0 Zeus and hits another Go Flasher, cover, but Zeus gets a shoulder up.\u00a0 Shiozaki slams Zeus in front of the corner, he goes up top and nails the moonsault for the three count cover. Go Shiozaki is still your Triple Crown Champion!\u00a0 Let me talk about Zeus first.\u00a0 The fact I like Shiozaki is no secret, but Zeus really stepped up.\u00a0 I mean he is a big dude but he had no cardio issues, there was no time killed, and he was flying outside the ring and popping up from big moves like it was nothing. So super impressed there.\u00a0 The only issue with the structure here is that Zeus looked so strong it was hard to buy Shiozaki\u2019s comeback at first.\u00a0 I mean Zeus was indestructible the first 15 minutes of the match.\u00a0 But it was great fun, not perfect, but entertaining.\u00a0 Score:\u00a0 8.0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\" \"\" \"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • There was a ton of action packed in here, which I do take into account when recommending an event.\u00a0 Seven matches with six going over ten minutes, all shown in full, and a well done long main event on top of that.\u00a0 Shiozaki\/Zeus should be enjoyable to most, even though at times you may shake your head at the prospect of Shiozaki somehow making a comeback.\u00a0 The Jr. Battle of the Glory matches weren\u2019t great but Aoki\/Ishii was definitely solid.\u00a0 Top to bottom a really good event from All Japan, recommended.\n

    Grade:\u00a0 B<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Triple Crown Championship: Go Shiozaki vs. Zeus, Jr. Battle of Glory: Atsushi Aoki vs. Keisuke Ishii, Kotaro Suzuki vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, more<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":3639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[399,40],"tags":[285,233],"class_list":["post-17952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fsreview","category-reviews","tag-all-japan","tag-puroresu"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17952"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17953,"href":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17952\/revisions\/17953"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crazymax.org\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}