Pro Wrestling NOAH: Destination 2024 Part 2

Welcome back to the rest of Destination 2024 and this is going to be much spicier as we are starting to get all the fun singles matches on the card, and that’s why it’s super exciting to start with…Akitoshi Saito? D’oh! Oh, and if you want to check out the first part of this review it is right here.

Akitoshi Saito (c) vs. Go Shiozaki – ZERO1 World Heavyweight Championship

Background: So Akitoshi Saito is a perennial midcard presence in NOAH, a lumpen old man with a pompadour and bad tattoos whose unfortunate most notable moment is being the other guy in the ring when Misawa died. Saito now holds the top belt of ZERO1, a mostly defunct promotion whose roots come from Shinya Hashimoto’s splinter promotion back in the early 2000s. Anyway, Saito won the belt and is now being challenged by Go Shiozaki, the former top ace of NOAH who is now finding a place for himself lower down the card, still, Go has regained some of his mojo and is back to the blonde hair and the green and white tights (instead of his horrible dumpy black trunks) so maybe he’s back.

The Match: Commentary tells us that ZERO1’s title claims the heritage of the AWA belt, and I am both tremendously amused by such a baldfaced lie and I would definitely watch a person try to explain that connection for 15-20 minutes before I got bored. Slugfest to start as they just pieface each other and then Go unleashes some chops and Saito gets some forearms and then some big kicks. And I realize that with his baggy pants and his hair and his build, I think Saito is trying to do a Shinya Hashimoto impression. Go gets kicked out of the ring and Saito yells at him. They fight on the apron and Shinya gets a DDT and then works on Go’s arm outside and then pulls up the mat to piledrive him on bare plywood. Go is selling like death as the milk the count and eventually he stumbles back inside. More work on the arm with some kicky punchy stuff. Weird spot as Go tries his leaping shoulder but Akitoshi just no-sells it and commentary tries to cover that Go missed. They fight over a brainbuster but it goes nowhere. Go decides to muscle up and unleash some chops and he winces in pain hitting each one and can’t really go it going with his right arm, Saito keeps the kicky punchy stuff but Go gets a left-armed lariat to get space and then Go uncorks the machinegun chops as he’s wincing and fighting through the pain. Fisherman’s Buster from Shiozaki but Saito lands a Death Cloak (release side slam) and then hits four more of them, and then a backdrop driver…and then another one. Saito picks Go up with a claw to set up the Iron Claw Slam but Go fights back with a short-range lariat, and then the Limit Break (wrist-clutch back suplex)! Go pulls the elbow pad off and signals for the Gowan Lariat despite the pain, but the delay lets Saito get a ‘jumping’ kick and Go drops like a light. A running kick to the head gets 2.9 for Saito and the champ sets up a Brainbuster but Shiozaki reverses that into a sloppy Go Flasher and commentary is quick to cover with “Go’s arm is shot and he can’t fully land the move!” Well done guys. We reset to a slugfest that Go wins, hits the Emerald Flowsion but doesn’t cover and lets Saito make his feet before hitting the Gowan Lariat for 3.

**¼

Look, Go selling and taking a beating and coming back does have a high floor for me but man we were close to the bottom of it. Saito is just so physically worthless these days (and he was never that good to begin with) that it’s hard to get into his plodding offense and of course he just can’t bump or move at all.

Post-match we have an emotional moment from the both and they share respect and Saito looks a bit teary-eyed as Go gets the belt. Go grabs a mic and gives respect, and then Saito talks a bit and puts over everybody and bows to Go.

HAYATA (c) vs. Ulka Sasaki – GHC National Championship

Background: HAYATA is a wormy junior who is a very decorated champion in that division, but recently won his first heavyweight title by getting a dirty win for the GHC National belt. He’s an athletic guy with greasy hair and purple and black baggy pants. Ulka is a super rookie with a MMA background who has embraced a persona of a Tengu and wears a mask to the ring and dresses a pretty cool traditional-style robe before wrestling in purple tights with what I think is sponsorships along them.

The Match: Wristlocks and such to start and we go to the mat where HAYATA tries some early rollups but Ulka reverses something early into a minor hold and HAYATA scrambles. Quick heel hook from Ulka follows and HAYATA reverses that into a leg-trap cradle. Commentary talks up how transitioning from MMA to wrestling is rough cause of the different ruleset and how early Ulka is in his career, and we reiterate that when Sasaki goes for a flying armbar and HAYATA sits down for 2.5 before Ulka slithers out. The champ powders and when he heads back in Sasaki gets an Achilles Lock and HAYATA scrambles away INSTANTLY and works the count on the outside…but baits Ulka outside where HAYATA gets the advantage with speed and sets up a pescado…that Ulka reverses into a kimura. Marvelous. HAYATA slams him into the barricade though and breaks the hold, HAYATA keeps that up and whips Sasaki into a few other barricades and works the arm in the steel as well and kicks the arm. Back inside and HAYATA goes for an international that Ulka tries to cut off with a guillotine but HAYATA works the arm to escape and Sasaki is in rough shape. John Woo dropkick sets up the slam and the middle rope moonsault for 2 as HAYATA is in easy control. HAYATA lazily sets up for his DDT finish but Ulka squirms out and goes for a hard sleeper but HAYATA bites the hand…but Ulka gets a jump kick and tries to stretch out his arm as he gets some sloppy strikes and a cutter…and then a jackhammer as Ulka is working his way back, HAYATA gets a superkick to slow the rookie down though and they trade counters and a DDT opens it up for HAYATA. The 403 (Jumping Implant) DDT gets 2.8 for the champ but when Ulka kicks out he grabs a kimura and then when HAYATA stands the Tengu German suplexes the champ. A loose roundhouse from Ulka is countered into a series of tight rollups by HAYATA, but Ulka grabs the ankle for a hold…and HAYATA reverses that into a nearfall but Ulka transitions into a sleeper…and HAYATA is KO’d?!

***

Okay, this match was weird but also very clear. Pro wrestler vs. fighter. Veteran vs. rookie. High-flyer vs. technician. The psychology on a meta-perspective was rock solid. HAYATA was tricky but the technical skills and the youth and the fire and the everything of Ulka were too much for him. And it was a good story and there were a series of very clever transitions. Good stuff, absolutely. However there was a bit missing in terms of connective tissue. Ulka is a guy I like a lot but he definitely has tons to improve on as a seller and as a performer in general. HAYATA held things together decently but he has his flaws as well. However…as a whole enterprise it was a lot of fun and the story and the meta-story was all really well done. Ulka, the super rookie, is now the second most prestigious champion in NOAH, good on the kid (I say to a guy that is older than me).

Post-match the now stable-less Tadasuke and YO-HEY run out to support their old stablemate HAYATA. Probably not anything important.

Daga (c) vs. AMAKUSA – GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship

Background: Daga, Mexican-born, tights-clad, greasy-haired backbreaking cheating heel has dominated the juniors division in NOAH for a while, his opponent, AMAKUSA is also heavily-tied to Mexico, as it is the place for whom his excursion elevated him from Japanese jobber to Japanese…more than jobber. Robed, ponytailed, this gentleman dresses as a Spanish missionary whose artful highflying makes him the clear babyface to his grounded, grimy opponent. Interestingly enough, both guys are in white, Daga in tights and AMAKUSA in baggy pants (partially to hide his kneebrace as he has just come back from ACL injuries).

The Match: Daga drives the smaller AMAKUSA into the corner and slaps him, and the Japanese junior responds with his own! They trade high-paced stuff and Daga throws a dirty knee and a dropkick to control with an armbar and then a stomp and some more quick and sleazy moves get the champ in control. The Eddie comparison is very obvious and I don’t want to hurt a guy with that praise, but there is a LOT of Eddie in Daga’s output. AMAKUSA comes back with some jumping stuff and a springboard rana but when Daga bails out of a big AMAKUSA dive and tries to go to work but AMAKUSA reverses a charge and sends the champ into the post and the challenger gets more high-flying business as now the challenger is in control. Back in and AMAKUSA sits on an armbar until they slug it out. Daga finally gets a low-dropkick on the challengers and then a pescado to heat it up. Daga drives the surgically repaired knee of AMAKUSA into the ring post brings him back in for some rapidfire pins. Daga kicks AMAKUSA’s leg out from his leg as the Japanese junior limps and screams most admirably. More legwork with AMAKUSA getting the occasional hope spot, a crazy double-revolution tilt-a-whirl headscissors lets AMAKUSA hit his crazy twisting tope (that Daga eats full force as he bases beautifully). AMAKUSA fires up and he stretches the knee out as he slowly sets up a springboard…and it lands with a twisting back elbow. AMAKUSA sets up a super rana but Daga slips out, kicks the leg, and declares that is over before getting a monster backbreaker for 2.9. They trade rollups next but AMAKUSA goes up for an enzuigiri and Daga counters it with a dragonscrew and then an arm-trap crab. Ropebreak by AMAKUSA but Daga sets up his Diablo Wings finish…and AMAKUSA reverses into a cazadora and gets a running dropkick before the leg gives out again. They both climb up and AMAKUSA gets a huge top rope rana that sets the champ 3/4ths across the ring, AMAKUSA follows up with a jumping DDT and a low superkick sets up a Spiral Tap but Daga gets his knees up! Brainbuster and Diablo Wings attempt number 2 but AMAKUSA gets another rana that damn near drives Daga’s head through the ring. A very tight rollup gets 2.9 for the challenger but Daga drops him with an inverted facelock backbreaker/elbow drop combo, Diablo Wings attempt number 3 but AMAKUSA slips out and gets a crucifix (hooking Daga’s bad arm) and that’s 3.1 for the challenger as Daga ALMOST kicks out again. Wow.

****

Well that was an incredible match that also left a ton on the table. AMAKUSA didn’t kick out of Diablo Wings and that pin at the end was a bit dodgy, Daga is an incredible heel, AMAKUSA is a great babyface and I was left wanting more, in a good way!

Post-match Daga screams that he was screwed.

La Dinastia Wagner (El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. & Galeno Del Mal) vs. Los Golpeadores (Alpha Wolf & Dragon Bane) – Special Lucha Libre Tag Team Match

Background: So EHDDWJ is a pretty credible luchador in NOAH (former heavyweight tag, national, and world champion) and of course he’s the son of Dr. Wagner Jr. His brother is Galeno Del Mal (basically Evil Doctor) and he’s one beefy boy. EHDDWJ is known as the Aztec Warrior and he comes out to the ring in a Mexica inspired outfit in gold cloth and a gold and black singlet. Galeno is wearing a minotaur entrance mask and a chestpiece that looks absolutely super cool and a plain, sparkling golden singlet beneath it. Los Golpeadores are a young, exciting tag-team of less prestigious familial descent. Dragon Bane is the lighter and faster of the two and is wearing red and white trunks and an absolutely incredible dragon outfit, Alpha Wolf is the beefier and bigger of the two and is dressed in a black and yellow singlet and a pretty cool fur-fringed leather jacket, no points for guessing what their masks look like. They’re also former junior tag champs but they’ve recently been promoted to heavyweight and will be making their N1 debuts this year. Pretty sure there’s no real heat to this match as both teams are super babyface.

The Match: Commentary lets us know that this is going to be lucha libre rules so tags are not needed, no idea if we’re going two outta three falls though. Wagner and Dragon Bane start with a flurry of armdrags and whacky lucha rollups and they both get the crowd to chant for lucha libre. Galeno and Wolf in next and they do a lockup that Galeno wins and gives a clean break in the ropes. They do a somersault leapfrog sequence and Wolf tries a leaping shoulder that goes nowhere, and Galeno’s response shoulder sends Alpha Wolf flying. Bane flies in with a crossbody that gets caught but he slips out and peppers the bigger man with strikes but Wagner cuts him off and they send Dragon Bane flying out the ring and they double team Alpha Wolf. Galeno flips his brother onto Wolf and they do an extended rope-running sequence to set up a GDM standing splash. Dragon Bane though flies in with a flying headscissors and Los Golpeadores double-team the giant with their usual, mixing in their ridiculously long handshake sequence in between. The Wagners toss the Golpeadores outside and we get EHDDWJ with a springboard plancha and then Galeno gets a 300 pound tope that the crowd goes NUTS for. Back in and we get a do-si-do spot where Los Golp reverse a whip and get a double cazadora…and high-five each other in wheelbarrow position. Well done gents. Double rana follows but we reset to Dragon Bane and Galeno as the size disparity is wild. Dragon gets a handspring backflip OVER Galeno’s shoulders but gets cut off by a knee and then everybody hits everybody with everything, ending with Wagner monkeyflipping Dragon Bane 80% of the way across the ring. Reset to Hijo and Alpha and Wagner does his “no-sell kicks to the face with the power of the mask” bit but Wolf just dumps him over the top rope. And then we get an absolutely insane assisted tope from Los Golpeadores where Wolf sends Dragon Bane flying like…12 feet in the air to land on Galeno and then Alpha Wolf hits his own somersault dive through the ropes onto Wagner and then the Japanese commentary table. Absurd spots. And then they keep it going when Dragon Bane gets Galeno on his shoulders for a fireman’s carry roll…into a Alpha Wolf moonsault into Dragon Bane vaulting off of Wolf’s shoulders into a moonsault! But GDM gets his knees up! And then Hijo flies in with a Destroyer on Wolf! Double pin from the Wagners for 2.8, and then they both go up! Wagner with a springboard senton bomb to Dragon Bane! Galeno with a middle-rope moonsault (?!) to Alpha Wolf…and that’s a rudimentary 1-2-3 until Dragon Bane tackles El Hijo into Galeno, breaking up the pin! Alpha Wolf headbutts Wagner! Galeno headbutts Dragon Bane! Alpha Wolf with a Wagner Driver…on Wagner! Galeno gets a standing butterfly into a twisting neckbreaker on Wolf (no idea what that’s called but it’s sick!). And then Galeno does a running splash off the apron onto Dragon Bane that sounds disgusting. Back in and EHDDWJ gets a tilt-a-whirl slam/powerbomb thing on Alpha Wolf and that’s enough for the win.

***½

Well it was nonstop insanity, not really a lucha ‘style’ match from my limited understanding of lucha but it had a ton of absolutely ridiculous spots and sequences in it. Total spotty nonsense but they were brisk, the spots looked good, and for a match that was designed to be an exhibition they certainly did exhibit.

Post-match everybody shakes hands and gives respect.

AJ Styles vs. Naomichi Marufuji – Special Singles Match

Background: So Naomichi is teasing retirement and he’s going through a series of personal dream matches, AJ Styles is of course a TNA legend and a former New Japan star who is obviously a big deal in WWE right now. Basically both guys were absolutely game changing athletes 20 years ago and now they wanna wrestle. AJ is wearing his black tights and has a vest and mask on. Marufuji has his multicoured baggy pants.

The Match: Handshake in the ring to start off and AJ wins the power battle and then unloads some chops but Marufuji does a cartwheel dropkick. Reset back to a headlock sequence and then we get Marufuji with an armdrag into an armbar. International into an AJ dropkick and the crowd pops huge for it as Naomichi bails. Back in and Marufuji goes back to AJ’s arm. It is surreal to hear NOAH commentary guys talk about WWE happenings in the Budokan. AJ comes back and he’s working the leg and both guys are uh…deliberate in pace so far. AJ gets a nice sliding forearm and keeps the abuse going with a snap suplex. Marufuji finally gets a comeback going when he dropkicks the rope when AJ set up for the Phenomenal Forearm and Styles kersplats on the floor. Back in and Marufuji loads up some monster chops in the corner and then Naomichi strike combo lands and Marufuji gets more big strikes and a stomp to set up a brainbuster of his own but AJ reverses it and suplexes Naomichi into the corner. AJ teases a pescado but Maru dodges and trips up the American on the apron and then gets his triangle springboard dropkick to a kneeling AJ on the apron. They brawl outside and use the barricade to smash each other and AJ gets a Phenomenal Forearm off the barricade to take out the Genius or the Ark and we tease a countout but AJ doesn’t wanna win that way…and the canny Marufuji was goldbricking and gets a hook kick and then a shiranui onto the barricade in what is a pretty creative spot. Straightjacket knee to the back of AJ’s head but a second shiranui was blocked and AJ gets a ushigoroshi. They struggle on the top rope until AJ slips out and gets a rack bomb, and then when AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm again he sniffs out Maru’s dropkick and goes for the springboard 450…and Maru’s knees are up! And hey Naomichi remembered that his knee was hurt earlier and he sells for a bit but they reset to a slugfest in the middle of the ring and trade chops. Maru goes for his combo but can’t get the final hook kick as AJ starts HIS combo but can’t get the backfist as Naomichi lands the kick that staggers AJ…who drops the Pele on Maru. They go back to the slugfest but AJ rolls into the Calf Crusher…and then Marufuji rolls into the Perfect Keylock (short-arm scissors) and they roll around on the mat each going for their signature submission. Back to their feet and Marufuji gets a hook kick and his bicycle knee and AJ says a few naughty words as Marufuji just wipes him out. Shiranui attempt but AJ reverses and sets up the backflip inverted DDT but Maru slips out and lands the shiranui…for 2.9. Maru teases a Fisherman’s something but AJ breaks it, and loads up the Tiger Driver…but he just does it to set up a Styles Clash, ha. Maru breaks the Clash though with a bell clap with his feet, but when he goes for a sunset flip AJ rolls through, loads up the Clash but Naomichi continues to fight it, but AJ gets a powerbomb and then the Clash gets 3.

***

I’m not a huge fan of dream matches where the entire feud is “hey wouldn’t this be neat?” so I will probably like this match less than a lot of people, but I can’t help but notice the bloat and excessiveness that is endemic to a LOT of Naomichi matches. The opening knee/arm work basically didn’t matter for the rest of the match and it felt a lot of the sequences were built around creating the coolest spot and not really building to anything. But still they had some VERY cool spots and they clearly busted their buns and they got a lot of charisma so the crowd was hot for the whole deal.

Post-match they show love and respect and that’s that.

Kaito Kiyomiya (c) vs. YOICHI – GHC Heavyweight Championship

Background: Kaito is our pretty, blonde, athletic young champion, his opponent is YOICHI, who used to be Yoshiki Inamura. YOICHI is a big man with a sumo background who has been in NOAH for a while and not had any particular gimmick work out for him (though I was a fan of him as GREAT RUSH with his leather gear with metal studs and a big mohawk) but he’s now back from a British excursion where he seems to have styled himself as a traditional samurai, he wears baggy pants with a kilt and does a bow taunt. I’m not aware of the particulars of the beef, but I think YOICHI is upset that he’s older than Kaito but not as successful and he’s failed and gotten his butt kicked a lot. But he definitely is leaning heelish as he ambushed Kaito after a match to set this up.

The Match: YOICHI immediately fires a shoulder off of a headlock and Kaito, undaunted (or stupid!) tries three shoulders and finally knocks down the challenger who powders. Back in and we get the TEST OF STRENGTH! YOICHI obviously wins they do a bridge spot (impressive from Kaito!) and then we work some headlock/headscissors business and YOICHI shows off some acrobatics by backflipping out of a hold. Kaito gets an ankle pick and tries to use technique against the larger opponent and Kaito looks a bit shook by it all. YOICHI snatches Kaito out of the air on a leapfrog but can’t get a slam…but on a second attempt YOICHI gets a press slam! Kaito keeps the speed going with a dropkick but he once again jumps and gets caught and YOICHI spins for a dozen revolutions before slamming the champ and now Kaito powders as he thinks this through. Kaito hops up on the apron and YOICHI spears him off it and then they go outside where Kaito gets whipped into the barricade and then tackled by the bigger challenger. Back in and YOICHI showboats a bit with a running powerslam and a big fat jumping elbow drop but he gets caught and Kaito gets a dropkick to the knee and WOOOO! It’s time to go ta school! Figure four goes on and YOICHI screams in agony they break and now Kaito is playing a bit heelish as he kicks around the less established guy and then goes back to a low dropkick and some rope-assisted stomps to the leg. Kaito keeps the disrespectful strikes going as YOICHI slowly tries to rebuild his base. YOICHI eventually muscles Kaito into the apron and shakes out the knee before attempting the corner splash…and he misses because of it! Hey good job guys. Kaito back with strikes as he’s transitioned into the Bret role well. YOICHI fires back with a monster brainbuster and the crowd chants for him as he fights to his feet. YOICHI gets a monster standing release fallaway slam and Kaito goes flying and YOICHI stumbles a bit to sell the knee. The big guy slams Kaito down and then does a pretty cool taunt in the corner as he roars and fires an air into the heavens (that the camera follows!) and then he hits a Vader Bomb. Well done! Musou (side-lift ura-nage) attempt from YOICHI but Kaito flips out of it and dragonscrews his challenger and follows that up with a Shining Wizard…but he doesn’t make the pin Kaito gets a few flying knees and a baaaaack body drop and YOICHI bails but that doesn’t mean nothing to Kaito who flies out the ring with the Ultra Tiger Drop! Which despite its name is just a somersault plancha over the ringpost. Back in and a missile dropkick and a kip-up have Kaito pretty easily in control. Shining Wizard gets 2.8 next and the gears are turning in Kaito’s head. More uppercuts from Kaito but he runs and YOICHI catches him with a Sky High spinebuster! Flying elbow by YOICHI! And YOICHI goes up and we get a pretty crazy diving splash but it doesn’t get it done. YOICHI with another taunt and loads up a piledriver but Kaito slips out and gets a shining wizard, a dropkick, and a brainbuster. Kaito gets his suplex lift powerbomb for 2.8, but that doesn’t throw him as he frames YOICHI and loads up another shining wizard but YOICHI snatches him mid-air and we get the Musou! But Kiyomiya rolls away and YOICHI has to crawl over and can’t make the pin. They both rise and Kaito gets the Tiger Suplex for 2! But YOICHI just stands up and finally gets his back suplex powerbomb he’s been trying all match and that gets 2.9999. YOICHI loads up a charge but Kaito gets the frankensteiner for 2.9! YOICHI now gets his charging toss and loads up the Musou…and Kaito knees him mid-air. That was nice. Standing Shining Wizard but YOICHI is still on his feet! Springboard reverse shining wizard! But that only gets 2.9. Another shining wizard to the back of YOICHI’s head and then the Transformed Shining Wizard finishes it for Kaito.

***¾

Well that last bit was really, really good and YOICHI (who I always liked!) definitely feels like he can/should be a main-event player going down the line. There was a bit of dodginess with the knee and the heel/face stuff flicking back and forth but overall this was really, really good stuff and I’m sure future matches will be even better. I do think that Kaito’s “I need 7 shining wizards to win” thing is not…ideal but he’s making it work.

Post-match all the N1 participants come out and stare Kaito down in a fun photo and we are outta here!

Overall this show ruled, very, very good if also very, very long but the big matches basically all delivered for me, I will say that I don’t think anything here is a MOTYC but overall if you have a ton of diverse and good matches in a row I’m not going to be upset at all.. Check it out! Uh…if you can, kind of hard to find. Definitely hyped for the N1 and I’m going to put up a prelude to that very soon.