Akira Nogami, a career in 3 parts (cont.)

 

AKIRA vs Kanemoto, 20/2/00

This one rocked. They go at it from the bell, and Kanemoto opens things up blasting AKIRA with a bunch of full pelt kicks and ripping off his jacket and mask. AKIRA must have really loved that jacket because he had a fire lit under him from the off, and these guys were trying to tear each other’s heads off. Scrappy match with both guys getting as many shots in as they can. I always dig Kanemoto putting the boots in while working the ankle lock, and I have to say I enjoy the way AKIRA does his to rope splash in all these matches. He isn’t a big guy but he looks like a kid belly flopping into the pool, just full weight on a guy. Towards the end AKIRA rips off Kanemoto’s knee pad and tries to dislocate his kneecap with a bunch of stomps, really spiteful shit. Kanemoto could have sold the damage better for his brief come back but fuck it he didn’t win, and this was only 10 minutes so it was go-go from the start. I have no idea who started this beef but fuck me did they both try and end it.

Tanaka vs AKIRA, 10/12/00

This version available is JIP after the first 3^rd so we don’t get the full match, but what we do get is awesome. AKIRA’s first Jr title shot in years and he is super motivated. We open up with a great tope into the crown and when in the ring he takes off all his wrist tape and other shit before going to town on Tanaka, like a mobster taking off all his jewellery before working a guy over. Already the 2^nd match in the post I’m revisiting there are clear themes running through these matches – a mix of aggression, targeted leg attacks, and clever technical spots. All things AKIRA brings to the party and Tanaka can hang with them all too. Finals minutes get very hot and I really dug the final scramble with both guys trying to catch the other in an arm or leg bar. No idea what we missed but as long as it wasn’t a stinker there’s a good chance this is one of the best IWGP Jr title matches of the 2000s.

AKIRA vs Tanaka, BOSJ 28/5/01

This was more of the same goodness, albeit not as big and dramatic as it’s a mid-tourney match rather than for a belt. This was much more deliberately paced, with AKIRA being happy to slow things down and stretch Tanaka out for a lot of the way. These two just meshed very well stylistically and we get some nice work on the mat with it feel like a game of chess. AKIRA going for a big dive to the floor only for Tanaka to snatch him into an armbar mid-flight was a pretty cool spot, and once again they finish with each other trying to grab tricky submissions on each other. I haven’t watched a New Japan Jrs match in quite some time, as a division it could really do with an AKIRA-like veteran for a new generation.

Kanemoto vs AKIRA, 23/3/03

Kanemoto for his part doesn't do much you wouldn't see him do anything you wouldn't see in any other Kanemoto match. But the story is AKIRA being all fired up for a big title match and putting on a strong Big Match effort to make this feel important. The first half is all good if nothing special, but the second half sees both guys target each other's legs and that's when we start getting some very cool stuff. They get some good drama out of an STF, and I love how when in the Ankle Lock AKIRA is basically climbing over the ref in desperation. AKIRA later escaping another Ankle Lock by pulling Kanemoto's pad down and BITING HIS KNEE is tremendous. Kanemoto goes for a moonsault, AKIRA gets his legs up and both guys take the damage. AKIRA slamming Kanemoto's knee into the mat repeatedly while in an Ankle Lock is also very cool and something I cannot believe I've never seen anyone else do. Finish has Kanemoto busting out some swank wishbone submission. Good shit, definitely Nogami’s career match!

Koji Kanemoto & Minoru Tanaka (Continued)

 Kanemoto & Tanaka vs Takaiwa & Makabe, 4/1/01

This was also very fun in the same way as the previous Makabe tag. Takaiwa is a step down from Liger as a partner, but him and Makabe clicked well and had some good teamwork together. This is all about the hierarchy of Makabe once again being the young lion taking it to the champs. Kanemoto & Tanaka are kinda just there for a lot of this, not having many big moments themselves but giving Makabe the room to have a big performance. I did like Kanemoto blasting him with a straight punch when he tried to interrupt an ankle lock though. Late in the match, there was a pretty hot strike exchange between Makabe and Kanemoto where Makabe got the better of it, going from pest to serious threat. Makabe has a lot of fire in his belly and he gets one last big hulk up attempt before getting put away, and this is a formula that just works.

Kanemoto & Tanaka vs Dr. Wagner Jr & Silver King, 3/2/01

Total showcase for the luchadores, which is really fun but there is a ceiling to how high an exhibition like this can go. The champs are total passengers here, though like the Makabe matches they provide a platform for their opponents to have a show-stealing performance. Wagner/SK have a bunch of fun highspots and teamwork, and Wagner is always a great personality to watch. They really translate well to the Japanese style, they hit hard, thrown bombs, were fired up and really eat the champs up for like 90% of the match. The only chances the champs had were catching them with flash subs and pin attempts. Couple big spots in particular like a huge top rope splash mountain on Kanemoto (dude got fucking launched) and a poison frankensteiner on SK (which he really could have sold better but whatever it was the setup for the finish). Really wish we got more of the luchadors in Japan, they really clicked in this setting and were a breath of fresh air in a scene which was fairly stale at the time.

Kanemoto & Tanaka vs Kondo & Hayashi, All Japan 3/1/13

A good decade or so after these guys were at their peak both in terms of ability and popularity, but they’re still an established team. This was an all-action go go go workrate tag, which isn’t the kind of match I get excited about these days, but to be fair they did that match well. There was enough fire and bad intentions to go along with the effort that I still enjoyed it, and Kanemoto was still a big star who felt important every time he was involved. There really wasn’t any let up in the pace, super fast moving, which at 20+ minutes can make everything feel like a blur, but they got good mileage out of the big nearfalls thanks to relying on saves and some tricky pin attempts that it didn’t stray into overkill at least. Probably still better than most modern matches of this flavour.

Koji Kanemoto & Minoru Tanaka

 

Kanemoto & Tanaka were one of the best juniors tag team in the history of New Japan's division. They were a key part of the early years of the titles in the late '90s and, along with Ohtani & Takaiwa and to a lesser extent Liger & Samurai, helped pave the way for a style which would take off in the 2000s. Here I revisit some of the best matches the duo had as a team. 

Ohtani & Takaiwa vs Kanemoto & Minoru Tanaka, 11/10/99

I have to imagine this is the best juniors tag to ever take place at the Tokyo Dome, albeit quite an overlooked one. Four dudes with bad attitudes, fired up for a big event, and beating the crap out of each other. Every time I write about prime Ohtani, I feel compelling to gush over him, and he once again is larger than life both in the big moments (selling Tanaka’s kicks like he got his cage rattled) and the small ones (grinding his fist into Kanemoto’s face). Takaiwa is also a guy I appreciate more with age, he is a wrestling ball who crushes dudes with chest-destroying chops and massive lariats. Pretty hot home stretch with everyone hitting their big stuff and some big nearfalls, and I dug the finish with Kanemoto getting powerbombed into oblivion. New Japan’s MOTY for 1999.
 
Ohtani & Takaiwa vs Kanemoto & Minoru Tanaka, 25/6/00

This was a total junior-weight war. Just a non-stop barrel of stiffness, intensity, hatred, beef, and more stiffness. These guys were just constantly bringing it and blasting each other. The Ohtani/Takaiwa team are a wonderful pair of shitbags with all their taunting and disrespect, and the moments they get their payback are fun. Takaiwa was in full wrecking ball mode and absolutely tearing through fuckers with his chops and lariats. Ohtani is fucking king-sized, everything from his facial reactions to things, to the punches to the face, the way he leads the end run, just a great reminder of how good he was as a Junior. End run is MEGA with Korakeun being RED HOT without it ever going too far, with some huge nearfalls and saves.

A great, hard-hitting, balls to the wall war. I'd say this is Tanaka's best match, maybe the best match Takaiwa's been in, and easily better than any Jr tag title match of the last 10 years, and you're bonkers if you think otherwise.

Kanemoto & Tanaka vs Liger & Makabe, 12/9/00

Cool story here as Liger is still LIGER, but Makabe is ranked way below everyone else involved, and Kanemoto/Tanaka are the far more cohesive unit. This one is all about young lion Makabe taking a whooping and showing heart and fire against the much more highly skilled, more experienced champs. Kanemoto and Tanaka are pretty awesome here, working as the heel side, cutting the ring in half, and getting some huge heat off of submission attempts. The second half is pretty much non-stop greatness, huge nearfalls, Makabe being a great underdog and busting out sick german sulexes and spears, and Liger running wild. Tanaka grabs a leglock on Liger on the outside to take him out leading to a truly great final stretch with Makabe going it alone against the champs and showing plenty of fire and heart and getting some huge nearfalls.

This and the before mentioned Ohtani/Takaiwa tag are 2 real hidden gems from this year. A great match, and despite this being during his young lion period I'd rate this as a better performance from Makabe than anything he showed as heavyweight (and I like a few of his big heavyweight matches). It's a shame he devolved into doing Bruiser Brody tribute brawls most of his career, because he looks like a great future prospect here, and the champs did an excellent job making him look like a star in defeat. I think this is the sort of match anyone could enjoy.