The Date:  January 8th, 2005
Location:  Tokyo, Japan
Attendance:  16,700

Mitsuo Momota vs. Haruka Eigen
These two have been wrestling a hell of a lot longer than I've even been alive. I give them plenty of respect to them for still competing at their age. The match quality might not be that great, but I'll still give them their due for even going into the ring. Eigen wins this particular encounter with a rollup. *1/4

Akitoshi Saito, Masao Inoue, and Sugiura vs. Jun Izumida, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, and Kishin Kawabata
Nothing to write home about at all, really. The match had a few bits of comedy that got me chuckling(primarily Izumida and Kikuchi getting their heads smashed together and it not effecting them, while they seem to be bothered by the second one). However, the match itself wasn't good by any stretch. Inoue gets the submission victory with the Argentine Backbreaker. *1/2

Yoshinari Ogawa, SUWA, and Ricky Marvin vs. Mohammed Yone, KENTA, and Kotaro Suzuki
Absolutely fast and furious from the the opening bell. Suzuki and Marvin start off with some fast sequences, before Ogawa and KENTA come in and go head to head. KENTA won't take Ogawa's shit, and dishes out some nice kicks. SUWA comes in, and takes the advantage. Things break down in the end, with Ogawa, Marvin, and SUWA taking it to Suzuki. Marvin hits an awesome running baseball slide Dropkick from the ramp to the ring. SUWA annhilates Kotaro with the John Woo before putting him away with the FFF. ***

Akira Taue and Takuma Sano vs. Tamon Honda and Go Shiosaki
I'm not sure why, but I've sort of always enjoyed the team of Sano and Taue. Shiosaki's growning on me, as well. As for Honda, well, let's just say I've never really been impressed with him. Anyway, this was a decent encounter.
Shiosaki makes the mistake of trying to give Taue his own Nowoda Otoshi, and gets killed for it. He's dominated for the rest of the match. Honda finally gets tagged in, and quickly applies a version of the Rolling Olympic Hell. That doesn't last long, though, as he's taken out, and Sano obliterates Shiosaki with a MONSTROUS German Suplex. He then proceeds to nail a Powerbomb that would make Wild Pegasus himself cringe. Go is finally pinned after the Northern Lights Bomb. **1/4

Takeshi Morishima and Naomichi Marufuji vs. Jun Akiyama and Makoto Hashi
Morishima is making his return here, and he's got some stiff competition standing in his way. Hashi seemed to be extra fired up tonight, but he ends up on the wrong end of some spiffy offense from Marufuji, including an awesome Slingshot Dropkick where he launched himself over the top to the outside and back in through the ropes. Akiyama eventually saves Hashi, and Marufuji takes four Diving Headbutts from Hashi while he's on the outside. Akiyama takes it to Marufuji before Morishima is tagged in. He and Akiyama have a quick confrontation, and Akiyama eventually takes a swank double team Shiranui. Hashi battles as much as he possibly can, but Morishima eventually
destroys him with a god damn brutal Backdrop Suplex. **1/2

Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Tatsuhito Takaiwa
These two met in 2001, with Takaiwa coming out on top, so this is sort of Kanemaru's chance for redemption. They come out swinging early, with Takaiwa scoring with a Lariat early, but he ends up missing the Death Valley Bomb.
Kanemaru takes control, and slows things down. However, Takaiwa is relentless, coming back and scoring with a Quadruple Bomb, and another Powerbomb into the turnbuckles. From there, he proceeds to KILL Kanemaru with an Avalanche Screwdriver!!!! However, Kanemaru gets the foot on the rope. From there, things sort of break down, which takes the match quality down a notch. Kanemaru scores with the Deep Impact, as well as a Brainbuster or two. Takaiwa still has some fight in him, and lands the Avalanche Death Valley Bomb, but that doesn't score the pinfall, either. Kanemaru nails five or so Brainbusters, and finally wins the match with a Avalanche Brainbuster.
***3/4

Mitsuharu Misawa and Takeshi Rikio vs. Genichiro Tenryu and Shiro Koshinaka
An exciting tag team match. Misawa gets pulled out of the ring, and worked over by Tenryu in the early goings of the match. I will say that is was rather awesome watching Rikio standing toe to toe with Tenryu. You know he's getting his ass kicked soon, but at the same time, the standoff gave me that "It's on now, Bitch!!!" type of vibe to it. Just as things get going, Koshinaka blindsides Rikio, which draws a number of boos from the crowd. However, it's soon forgotten as Misawa steps up to Tenryu, and the place went nuts. Chops, Elbows, Jabs galore, and I loved it all. It's an all out battle right up until the end, where Misawa plants Koshinaka with the Emerald Flowsion. However, Rikio doesn't want a pinfall like that, so he picks up Koshinaka, nails a Lariat, and then gets the pin himself with the
Muso. ***1/2

Kenta Kobashi vs. Minoru Suzuki
When I read the card for this before I bought, the first thing that came to mind when I saw this match was "This has awesome written all over it." Well, this was indeed a good match. Suzuki is still his usual cocky self, although
just about everyone knows he's going to die eventually. Kobashi finally lands a massive chop, and Suzuki is hurt. Suzuki doesn't go down easily, though, as he attempts to destroy Kobashi's arm. Like a shark smelling blood, Suzuki goes after the arm like he's a fuckin' cannibal. It's the armwork that does Suzuki in, though, as his armbar is countered, and Kobashi unleashes a vertabrae-compressing Sleeper Suplex. Kobashi quickly seizes the opportunity, and nails some SICK Backdrop Suplexes before knocking Suzuki's face through the back of his skull with the Burning Lariat. ***1/2

Overall: The show started out slow, but quickly picked up with the cool six man. The two titles matches make the purchase well worth what you'll spend, and the rest isn't horrible, but not overly great, either. Still recommended, though.


Back to NOAH Event Reviews