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!

Akira Nogami, a career in 3 parts

 

Akira Nogami (aka just AKIRA) is a guy with a bit of a strange career. He debuted for New Japan in the mid-'80s and floated in and out of prominence for the better part of 20 years, having odd spells of pushes and popularity before drifting into the background due to injuries or other reasons. He was a small heavyweight and a big junior, but only ever held the IWGP belt once in his career and seemed to have an obvious ceiling. He spent the majority of the '90s solidly in the shadows of giants like Liger, Ohtani and even Ultimo and Samurai. A technically gifted worker on the mat, with personality and ring-smarts, by the time the 2000s rolled around he was a respected veteran who saw a resurgence in popularity. It is unusual for someone to hit their peak 17 years into their career, but AKIRA was that guy. Here I will revisit some matches from 3 different periods of his career – the early '90s, his resurgence in the early '00s, and his later freelance years in the '10s.


Fujinami/Nogami vs Ishikawa/Kitahara, 14/12/92

Nice under the radar match that happened on the mid card of the show that also had the infamous Muta Scale match. The New Japan vs WAR feud was so, so great. I mean Nogani’s showing here a classic example of a guy who is technically proficient but (at the time) toothless, getting elevated by the inter-promotional hatred. He’s the lowest ranked guy and gets worked over during a FIP section, but everyone here is good. Ishikawa in particular is a heat machine, dude get booed every time he tags in. The WAR guys work well as a unit and are a constantly running interference to keep the NJ team on the back-foot. Lots of bad feelings and the final minutes get really hot as everything breaks down – Nogami is back in after getting worked over, Fujinami is a badass, and Ishikawa has the NERVE to use the Dragon Sleeper. The outcome was never really in doubt but this feud is always worth a revisit.

Hashimoto/Mutoh/Nogami vs Tenryu/Ishikawa/Hara, 5/2/93

God damn is Hashimoto vs Tenryu one of the all-time great wrestling feuds, even the pre-match showdown here between them is epic. Mutoh didn’t really dip his toe much into this war with WAR, and the crowd are clearly pumped for his involvement and he is super over and fired up. He is a not a guy you think of for throwing hands or hate-filled battles, but he brings enough energy and personality that he adds to the match. There is one section where all the New Japan guys gang up on Tenryu and it is glorious after how much of a shit weasel he was at the start. This is a thread to talk about Nogami, and even though he is clearly the loss post again he is still really fired up and brings it. Tenryu vs lower ranked guys is a constant, and Nogami had some fire in his belly. There is this great moment towards the end as Tenryu powerbombs Nogami and cockily covers him with one foot, only for Hashimoto to blast him in the chops with a roundhouse kick. Final minutes were a bit one sided, I guess there were only so many times Hash and Mutoh could prolong the inevitable, but it’s not long after the bell that Tenryu and Hash are going at it again. Is Hashmoto the most badass wrestler ever? I am pretty sure he is the most badass wrestler ever. Oh yeah this is a thread about someone else.

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.

Riki Choshu vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara

Riki Choshu and Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Two of the most iconic, influential workers in the history of Japanese wrestling. Choshu was the innovator of the Scorpion Deathlock, blazed a trail for a faster pace of heavyweight wrestling, and was probably the first major 'outsider heel' in puro with his All Japan run. Fujiwara was one of the granddaddies of shoot-style, his influence traceable to every current indy fed who runs quasi-shoot stuff, and was also the original guy to come out to Flight Of The Valkyries. They were on opposites sides of the ring plenty throughout their careers, most notably during the late '80s when both guys were at the peak of their ability and popularity, and New Japan was in one of it’s golden eras. I had originally planned on just revisiting their match from 1987, but thought I might as well revisit a couple others too while I’m at it.

Riki Choshu vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara, 9/6/87 

This was an ass-stomping and a half. Fujiwara doesn’t even wait for Choshu to get in the ring and he is all over him with brutal headbutts and punches to the face. Choshu is busted open early and proceeds to eat more of this beating before turning the tide with some stiff blows of his own. These guys were not fucking around and you feel the hatred. Both dudes have like 2 actual wrestling moves all match but use them as well as any minimalist worker, both desperately going for their respective finishes as soon as they get in deep water. The lariat countered into an armbar is such a beautifully simple counter, but it still rocks 35 years on. But we are mostly we are here for the violence, and when Fujiwara gets his comeuppance and starts bleeding, his face is pissing crimson. Choshu then kills him dead with a couple big lariats and the ref calls a KO, which is about as decisive as a stinky 80s finish gets. Fujiwara started this fight, but Choshu ended it. Compact, spiteful, double juice, violence, 2 larger than life superstars – this match rules.

 
Riki Choshu vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara, 4/1/94

Hey it’s these guys at the Tokyo Dome. This started with much more of a feeling out process, with Choshu obviously having the power advantage and Fujiwara using his superior technique. It doesn’t take long for Fujiawara to start being his wonderful dickhead self and adding some spice to the match. Both guys are manly and absorb some big shots while refusing to back down, and we get another big armbar moment after Fujiwara baits Choshu in. Cruddy finish with Fujiwara kicking at out 3.1, but otherwise this was solid, if the least of the 3 matches here.
 
Riki Choshu vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara, G1 Climax 6/8/94

This was a lot more ground-heavy than the previous 2 matches. It reminded me of those UFC bouts where a top tier wrestler keeps a guy with no mat ability down and just keeps on him to neutralise the stand-up. I much prefer the sections with these guys standing up and putting the boots to each other, but Fujiwara containing Choshu and beating him with his superior wrestling was clever. Him trying to bait Choshu in to the Scorpion so he could catch a leg was a crafty little moment. Fujiwara making Choshu tap was an upset, and the way they got there was pretty neat, though I wish there wish there was more ass-stomping to go with it.