(Almost) 5-Star Match Reviews: KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji vs. Takeshi Rikio & Takeshi Morishima – NOAH, July 16, 2006

Once upon a time, Pro Wrestling NOAH was on its way to becoming a huge success story. It boasted a deep roster mixed with established legends and rising stars, had a strong fan base whose dedication kept the company afloat, and the company was getting more good publicity then bad. While it was never in a position to compete on a global stage, it did enjoy a comfortable two-year run as the #1 company in Japan.

But all good things must come to an end and that end came swiftly for NOAH. Despite those positives, things took a downward turn in 2006 and they never really recovered. Even though the company’s still active in late 2023, they’re far removed from their peak and unless a miracle happens it’s unlikely they’ll ever achieve those same heights.

But why? How could a company that once had so much good going for it have fallen on such hard times that at one point they were on the verge of closing? Depending on whom you ask you’re likely to get a different answer. Some will point to Misawa’s death in the ring. Others will point to a 2011 yakuza scandal. Others will point to the 2008 financial crisis crippling Japan and causing NOAH to lose its TV deal, which in turn affected its ability to market its stars.

What I want to focus on is a different reason, one that isn’t unique to NOAH: the constant struggle to create new stars. NOAH’s leadership had a strong roster and put its faith into four wrestlers in particular whom they saw as the future. Since two of them were heavyweights and two were cruiserweights, these two teams didn’t clash often. So when they did here, it was a big deal. But did they live up to expectations? Read on to find out.

Previously I was writing for a site called TJR Wrestling and now this series is coming to Blog of Doom. For now you can check out the series in its entirety here.

The story

This was Pro Wrestling NOAH’s totally unsubtle way of pushing a new Four Pillars, a new quartet that management saw as the future stars of the company and the fans should see them the same way as well. On one hand, the company was smart to push them so hard because the stars of the past were all running short on time and new stars had to be created sooner rather than later.

On the other hand, all four of these guys had one shortcoming or another – aside from being inevitably compared to the original Four Pillars and being seen as inferior by most metrics – that made them harder to take seriously.

KENTA was Kobashi’s protégé though stylistically he wrestled/fought more like Toshiaki Kawada: he kicked people as hard as possible, showed what looked like genuine malice, and blurred the line between ‘working’ and ‘shooting’ whenever possible, hoping that doing so would generate enough intrigue to compensate for his small stature. He was a tremendous junior heavyweight but pitting him against heavyweight was entertaining but much required far more effort for the average viewer to suspend disbelief.

Marufuji was Misawa’s protégé and the artist to KENTA’s straight shooter. Whereas KENTA was a hard-hitting kickboxer, Marufuji was a creative daredevil that came up with unique moves and reality-defying sequences that were years ahead of their time. Many wrestlers, including some top stars in WWE and elsewhere, have copied/tributed Marufuji over the years, because he was such an influential force since his career really took off in 2003.

On the other side there were the two heavyweight Takeshis. Rikio was the more controversial of the two given his career trajectory. He was Kobashi’s other protégé and the man who ended Kobashi’s legendary two-year reign as GHC Heavyweight Champion. However, Rikio bombed as a draw. He was unable to live up to the ludicrously-high standards set by his predecessor and ended up underwhelming in every conceivable way, despite being the sort of heavyweight hoss that NOAH liked to push at the time. The fact that he was one of only three men to ever have a bad singles match with Misawa (the others being Bret Hart and Stan Hansen that one time) sealed his fate and cut his time as world champion short. So here he was still drifting listlessly through NOAH’s midcard knowing his time had come and gone faster than he could’ve ever imagined.

The other Takeshi was Morishima, whom some older fans might remember for his great run as ROH Champion fifteen years ago. Morishima looked like Husky Harris but with longer hair and without tattoos and pummeled people with the fury of an angry JBL. He was NOAH’s resident monster at 6’3, ~320 pounds and he was slowly being groomed as another potential main-eventer. And while being big and hitting like a freight train made him into a menacing force, there was one setback that made it hard for people to buy him as a company ace:

Come this match, Rikio was the only one of the four to have won NOAH’s world title. And while he was largely seen as a failure, that didn’t stop NOAH’s bookers from trying to build all four guys as stars. Plus, both teams had some success as tag teams. Additionally, Marufuji was next in line for a world title shot, having flirted with the heavyweight division while teaming with Minoru Suzuki when KENTA was turning into the company’s cruiserweight ace.

So this was a test to see if all four men had what it took to draw. NOAH’s power-brokers had put lots of time and effort into making all four of these men into credible stars. The question that remained was, would the audience buy what NOAH was selling?

The match

This match originally took place on July 16, 2006. It was rated ****1/2 out of five by the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer.

Marufuji and Rikio lock-up and then Marufuji slaps Rikio against the ropes. Moments later Rikio does the same in return and then uses his size and strength advantage to keep Marufuji trapped in a deep headlock. Marufuji tries shooting Rikio off the ropes but Rikio copies his mentor and stays locked in. He gets a two-count by rolling Rikio over and finally escapes on a ropebreak. But when Rikio shoots him off the ropes and neither man goes down on a shoulderblock spot. They trade tackles and then do some chain grappling until Rikio powers Marufuji into a corner. Rikio overpowers Marufuji with an arm wringer, and when Marufuji tries his flippy escapes but Rikio knocks him down with another shoulderblock.

As the five-minute mark passes, both Morishima and KENTA tag in and the pace picks up immediately. The two charge at each other with forearms, kicks and more. Morishima falls to one knee and KENTA starts roundhouse kicking his chest. Then somehow he lands a Fisherman suplex on a man who very well might weigh double his own weight as Marufuji knocks Rikio off the apron as KENTA hits a springboard dropkicks Morishima’s knee. KENTA hits his martial arts rush and charges for a Busaiku Knee. Morishima hits first with three massive lariats. Morishima teases a Backdrop Driver. KENTA holds on for dear life until Marufuji can superkick Morishima’s face in. the two cruiserweight kick Morishima’s head from opposite sides but Morishima kicks out at two.

KENTA dumps Morishima to ringside and tags Marufuji, who sends Morishima into the barricade. He gets a two-count in the ring and then applies a chinlock that gets rather close to being a choke. Morishima kicks out again and fires up but Marufuji gets him into his corner and then he and KENTA double-team the monster. KENTA tags in and channels Kawada with more stiff roundhouses and a spine punt for a two-count and then locks in a neck scissor. Morishima rolls to the ropes for a break so Marufuji tags in. KENTA boots Rikio back off the apron and then he and Marufuji trap Morishima in some creative two-man cobra twist. Like I said earlier, Marufuji was as creative as it gets in wrestling.

Morishima kicks out once more and then gets another ropebreak to escape a cravate lock. Marufuji lands a big corner elbow and teases a Shiranui but Morishima blocks it. Marufuji boots him and attempts a dive but Morishima catches him and lands an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Hot tag to Rikio, who runs wild with shoulderblocks, corner clotheslines, and a running crossbody for a two-count. He follows with a back suplex into a Rock Bottom for another two-count as KENTA saves his partner. The two cruiserweights try another tandem combo move but Rikio avoids it. He tries double clotheslines but they duck and double superkick him, only for him to lariat each of them one at a time. Rikio hits a falling powerbomb but only gets two. He tries an avalanche back suplex but soon finds him fighting for control with Marufuji, who tries countering into the shiranui. Marufuji gains control and sunset flips into a powerbomb but Rikio bounces right back up so Marufuji superkicks him.

KENTA tags in and hits a single-leg dropkick followed by another martial arts rush and a springboard clothesline for another two-count. Rikio counters a corner whip but KENTA counters back and attempts his tornado hotshot, only for Rikio to counter that with a bearhug. KENTA escapes a suplex, ducks a lariat, and bitchslaps Rikio. Rikio responds in kind and KENTA falls to the mat, only to get up and see new legal man Morishima drive his massive ass into his face.

Morishima lands a handspring corner body splash and starts wailing on KENTA like he owes him money. Rikio holds Marufuji in a corner as Morishima spikes KENTA with a brutal uranage for a very close two-count. Morishima goes to the top rope but KENTA cuts him off and lands a superplex while Marufuji escapes an apron powerbomb and hits a DDT to the apron/floor (it’s hard to see what he was trying to do from the camera angle we get).

Marufuji leaves Rikio laying ringside and helps KENTA get Morishima into a corner. KENTA lands a yakuza kick and Marufuji goes for another corner splash while using KENTA as a stepstool, only for Morishima to catch Marufuji and slam him onto KENTA’s head. Morishima boots KENTA to the floor and then lands a suicide dive through the ropes onto both of them.

Rikio tosses KENTA into the ring so that Morishima can stand on his stomach for a few seconds. Morishima follows with a kneelift which hurts KENTA something fierce. Rikio tags in and hits a big scoop slam. He lands another corner clothesline, tags Morishima, does a Big Show-style rope-assisted foot squeeze, and then lets Morishima climb over top of him so that both men’s combined weight is crushing down on KENTA’s sternum like a roll of toothpaste under a steamroller. Rikio covers but somehow KENTA kicks out.

Rikio follows with a deep abdominal stretch and then tags Morishima, who locks in a camel clutch and then arches backwards in an even more vicious version that traps KENTA in place and contorts his back even more. Rikio tags in and the two mammoths hit double shoulderblocks for yet another two-count. He follows with a scoop slam/diving foot stomp combo but Marufuji saves KENTA from a pinfall. Rikio bitchslaps Marufuji and tags Morishima who locks in a stretch muffler, only for KENTA to kick his way out. The heavyweights follow with another aided foot squeeze and then Rikio tags in to land two more corner lariats…except he misses the second one and KENTA hits a discus lariat of his own followed by a back suplex.

Marufuji gets the hot tag but his attempt at a lucha arm drag is cut short by Rikio pulling him down from the turnbuckle. He ducks a double-team ax handle, dropkicks Morishima’s knee, ducks a lariat from Rikio to dropkick Morishima’s head, lariats Rikio to no effect, ducks another lariat, dropkicks Rikio’s knee, and then connects with a successful basement lariat, all within about fifteen seconds. Rikio kicks out at two and blocks one German suplex but Marufuji wrestles his way into a successful second German for a two-count. Marufuji lands a superkick but Rikio head-butts him so hard he goes flying into a corner. Morishima tags in and hits a diving shotgun dropkick with such force that he sends Marufuji flying across the ring back into that same corner. Sidewalk slam by Morishima. Two-count. Morishima hits a brutal reverse chokeslam facebuster as Rikio boots KENTA to the floor. The monsters hit more corner lariats and tease a Doomsday Device. Morishima dives off but at the last possible second Marufuji rolls forward to dodge Morishima and headscissor Rikio over. Then Marufuji superkicks both Takeshis and tags KENTA.

KENTA hits a snap powerslam for a two-count and teases a powerbomb. Morishima powers out and attempts a lariat but KENTA boots his arm and lands a bridging German suplex. One, two, Morishima kicks out.

Five minutes left.

Martial arts rush/Busaiku knee/roundhouse kicks to the head combo. Two-count. Powerbomb/Shiranui combo followed by Go 2 Sleep. Two-count. Rikio lariats Marufuji, eats a Busaiku knee, and lariats KENTA. All four men collapse.

Three minutes left.

Backdrop Driver by Morishima onto KENTA. Two-count. Running basement lariat. Two-count. KENTA escapes another Backdrop so that Marufuji can hit a superkick/Shiranui combo. Rikio eats another superkick, no-sells, and lands his Muso waist-lift Rock Bottom finisher. KENTA Busaikus Rikio. The crowd is going absolutely nuts. Running lariat by Morishima. Two-count.

One minute left.

KENTA counters another Backdrop attempt with a small package. Two-count. School-boy. Two-count. KENTA charges and runs into another lariat. Two-count.

Thirty seconds.

Marufuji and Rikio brawl ringside as Morishima cradles KENTA. Two-count. A kneeling slap exchange ends with another lariat from Morishima. Two-count. He covers one more time…and the bell rings to signal the end of the match! Neither team wins or loses!

Match result: 30-minute DRAW

Review

This was a tricky match because almost everything positive about it could also be seen as a negative. It was fast-paced but almost excessively so. It was competitive from start to finish but one could question why two burly heavyweights were struggling to put down two men who weighed so much less. There were moments of genuine creativity and innovation from both sides but those moments didn’t lead to anything substantial beyond a quick pop from the crowd. It was filled with the kind of hard-hitting action people expected of NOAH’s wrestlers at the time yet all four men kept surviving more and more, to the point that they all looked almost cartoonish.

We got to see both the best all four men had to offer but also some of their weaknesses as well. Rikio had the least impact on the match overall since he did basic stuff throughout. He mostly threw power moves and lariats, which looked good because he happened to be doing them to two smaller guys that knew how to bump for him and how to make them look more impactful. But otherwise, he spent most of the match being knocked off the apron, interfering on a few odd spots, and generally isolated from his partner, who spent more time fighting off KENTAFuji one-on-two than working in concert with his partner.

Maybe that was by design; Morishima was built as a monster and from a storytelling perspective booking him to overcome two-on-one combinations made him look stronger and more of a threat. And even though he was largely a charisma vacuum – he had the expressiveness of an appliance for most of the match – he compensated for that by letting his action do the talking. And boy did he ever; he manhandled both KENTA and Marufuji with ease and looked like a killer on almost each interaction. He hit like a freight train and sent both of his opponents flying across the ring with everything from an uranage to a diving dropkick. For a while, people forgot that he looked the way he did and simply appreciated his skill in the ring, especially since he was able to keep pace with two men who were far better conditioned than he was.

That being said, the two junior heavyweights did more than their fair share of the work here, which made sense since they had more of a hill to climb. This was there match to lose since they were disadvantaged from the start. While both guys were notorious for being excessive and surreal during their matches both in NOAH and elsewhere, here they wrestled that way because they had to. If they were going to beat a former GHC Heavyweight Champion and a 320-pound hoss who took hits from them like a planet, they had to go farther than normal to do the same to the Takeshis as the Takeshis did to them. Because of this, KENTA, for example, had to put on a clinic in blurring the line between worked and real. He hit both of his opponents as hard as possible, to the point that the sound of the impact echoed over the crowd and the commentary. He gave the match that “brutal” factor and clearly appealed to those fans that enjoy seeing realistic and ultra-aggressive wrestling that looks closer to fighting than it does to theater.

As for Marufuji, he was the highlight here for two reasons. One, as mentioned already, he took sick bumps for both of his opponents. Even if he got up seconds later, his immediate reaction to those moves made them look way more violent than they probably were. And second, he showed his creativity once again with some truly creative and novel ideas. Who else would’ve thought to combine his own cobra twist with his partner’s to add more torque onto their opponent? Who else thought to counter a Doomsday Device not by punching out or falling over as everyone else had done before, but by rolling forward to ducks a lariat that would’ve decapitated him? Who else was daring enough to dive into a corner to hit his opponent, only to be slammed onto his supine partner’s head much like how GUNTHER powerbombed Sheamus onto McIntyre’s head earlier this year? Given that Marufuji applied such an experimental philosophy so often it’s no wonder so many of his matches still maintain such high curiosity and intrigue factors even decades later.

But despite having some great moments this match did have on major flaw: a lack of consequence. Despite all four men hitting each other with a bevy of finishers, head spikes, full-contact strikes, and the kinds of high-risk bombs that would concuss or cripple a lesser man, no one slowed down or took the time to sell beyond the initial impact. The match had the same pace and flow at the final bell as it did during the opening exchange.

KENTA in particular was guilty of this: one minute he had two men with a combined weight of 600 pounds standing on his stomach (OK, sort of) and he sold this by pretending to retch or be out of breath, and the next he was sprinting and hitting suplexes like he did when he was fresh. He took three full-power lariats from Morishima seconds apart yet still had the wherewithal to resists a Backdrop long enough for Marufuji to make the save.

Yes, you can chalk this up to “powering up”, “fighting spirit” as much as you want but there’s a limit to how far one can stretch believability. It was exciting, sure, but putting on such excessive and wild action at the cost of substance is akin to the difference between eye candy and eye protein.

Final Rating: ****3/4

Despite the noted flaws, the positives outweigh the negatives here. This was outstanding. It was exciting from start to finish. It never dragged, not even during the rest holds or downtime because all four men put so much effort into making even the most mundane of sequences into something compelling. Even if you don’t understand a single thing about these four men or don’t understand Japanese, this match has an accessibility to it that makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.

On paper this looked like it would be a complete mismatch with either the cruiserweights winning by out-foxing or out-grappling their opponents or the heavyweights winning in short order by out-powering them. Instead, this was a competitive war that didn’t really hurt either side because everyone involved went to hell for leather just to get the slightest advantage.

It wasn’t anywhere near as iconic as what the original Four Pillars did in their primes, but it’s still a fun match all the same.

Thanks for reading. You can email me with any questions or comments, and be sure to check out my 5-Star and Almost 5-Star Match Reviews series here.