Pro Wrestling NOAH N-1 Victory August 11th 2024

So we’ve lost a few more wrestlers but we got 957 fans in Korakuen Hall, so uh, let’s get to it! Sorry about the delay here but they keep coming out with more wrestling I gotta watch!

Alpha Wolf [2] vs. Ulka Sasaki [2] – B Block Match

Background: Weirdly the youngest man in the match, Alpha Wolf, has about a decade longer in experience than Ulka. Other than that, we have a hybrid lucharesu super athlete in Wolf vs. the MMA crossover submission expert in Ulka. Though Sasaki does like his own big pro wrestling moves (Jackhammer! Stunner!) as well.

The Match: They dance around a bit with Wolf even attempting some submissions. Ulka quickly reverses and they run a headscissors/kip-up spot with Wolf escaping and slapping the National Champ. Ulka gets a headlock but shuts down an international by stopping short of a leapfrog and kicking him, but a second try and Alpha gets a big shoulder. Wolf breaks a hold with his teeth and then tosses Ulka outside and unleashes some chops instead of going up for once. More biting and Wolf is…targeting Ulka’s wrist/hand? Back in and Wolf keeps things mixed up with an Indian Deathlock? Ulka breaks and we get both of them throwing some hands but Wolf finally goes up with a vault to the apron and a kick from the outside to set up a springboard…slip as Wolf can’t get set and tumbles into a kick from Ulka and Sasaki throws some more strikes and gets a flurry of offense and then a cutter. More strikes and a stunner to set up a flying kick and some quick covers interspersed with kicks and then Ulka goes for the mask to some boos? Huh. A quick Sasaki kneebar has Wolf bail and then Ulka goes high with a pescado that the Mexican catches and he rams the champ into the ringpost. Back in and now Wolf gets the springboard going with a dropkick and then a gorgeous moonsault. Alpha sets up the Wolf Driver but Ulka flips out, gets the sleeper for a second but when Wolf fights out the National Champ gets a Jackhammer (I told you, his offense is weird). Both guys trade big strikes and Wolf gets a German but Ulka gets a high kick and it’s a double down. Wolf back with a superkick, a punch (?!) from Ulka, headbutt from Wolf, sleeper from Ulka transitioned into a cazadora but Ulka kicks out and then a step-up knee, but Wolf finishes that with a pop-up powerbomb for 2.8. Wolf gets some grounded headbutts to set up another moonsault…but Ulka rolls out and immediately transitions to a rear naked choke and Wolf taps.

**½

Both guys are tremendously talented but I think the flaws of both kinda came through (more of Ulka’s flaws than Wolf’s). Ulka isn’t completely without depth as a worker but he needs to be able to set up his “flash submission” stuff and he’s very limited as a seller. But hey, at the same time commentary reminds us this is only his 13th singles match. I do think that a rematch with both guys more adapted to the NOAH heavyweight style will be better.

Junta Miyawaki, Naomichi Marufuji & Takashi Sugiura vs. Kai Fujimura, Shuhei Taniguchi & Shuji Ishikawa

Background: So now it’s time to set up the heavyweight tag titles. Marufuji and Sugiura are the champs and both NOAH legends, Junta is their junior partner who is a relative rookie. Shuhei and Shuji are the challengers, with Tani being a big lumpen Frankenstein’s Monster looking critter and Shuji being a barrel-chested, sturdily built giant of a man with decades of experience as the Big Dog of the Japanese indies. Kai is their goober rookie junior partner.

The Match: Shuhei and Maru start with some standling grappling as they fight for position and Shuhei gets Maru in the ropes and the Genius slips out and they got to the mat with Taniguchi winning, obviously. Shuji comes in next and he just dwarfs Marufuji. Naomichi delivers one chop, Ishikawa no-sells, and Maru immediately walks over and tags in Sugi. Shoulderblock sequence and Shuji easily wins. Sugiura goes for a slugfest next and he loses that as well but gets a headlock and brings in Junta, and we get Kai on the opposing squad to set up a junior sequence and they trade armdrags. Junta gets a triangle plancha and brings in Maru to chop down Kai. Sugi in for some power stuff next and then Junta goes back in with a slam. Kai gets a dropkick though to earn a breather. Running flipping senton wears down Junta…but Miyawaki comes back with a hammerlock shoulderbreaker and a tornado DDT into a kimura. Everybody else brawls until Shuhei lumbers in to break up the hold. Kai gets a brainbuster and we get a double tag into Maru and Shuhei again and the big man gets a slam…and then he slams everybody else…until Shuji slams him on the opposing team instead. Back to Maru and Shuhei and we get a Tani Chokeslam and a suplex attempt until Sugi breaks it up and Marufuji gets the flurry of kicks before he’s dropped with a lariat and Shuji strolls in. Second-rope stomp by the big-man and they slug it out. Maru finally gets enough to drop the big guy and Sugiura goes back in with a series of running boots and the ground and pound in the corner sets up a knee. Takashi can’t get the brainbuster though and Shuji puts him down with a kitchen-sink knee and Shuhei comes in so the challengers can hit some clotheslines and a double chokeslam that’s broken up. Sugi and Shuji brawl a bit with forearms and knees and then Takashi gets a guillotine for a while before it’s broken up with a corner charge and then a knee strike. Sugi flies in with a strike and gets caught for Shuji’s Giant Driver and a weak kickout keeps the Killing Machine alive but a Splash Mountain finishes him off.

**¾

Really fun prelude match for the tag-match as Shuji’s size was showcased excellently as a huge, unkillable monster. Well-done stuff. Kai still seems useless.

Masa Kitamiya [4] vs. Dragon Bane [4] – A Block Match

Background: No real history between these two teams as Dragon is only recently a heavyweight and Masa has never been a junior. Still we have a styles contrast as Masa is a hard-edge submission guy who breaks down guys knees and Dragon is a high-flying luchador with a number of dazzling acrobatics. Masa is in the black 3/4ths tights and Dragon is in the white and red trunks.

The Match: Both guys play to the crowd a lot to start out before we get to the grappling. Masa tosses around his smaller opponent but Dragon uses some flippiness to even the score. More grappling as this really isn’t playing to Dragon’s strength but the Mexican does reverse a test of strength for a while before getting tossed down and armbar’d briefly before Bane gets a legsweep. Dragon finally realizes what is going to work here and hits a handspring evasion and a leg lariat and then a running springboard moonsault to the outside, absolutely nutty move. Bane runs Masa into the post and the barricade and kicks him around. Back in and Bane slams Masa’s head into the turnbuckle ten times and Kitamiya delivers a completely ridiculous cartoon bump out of it. John Woo dropkick by Dragon next and the luchador has been whooping feet here. Double-arm stretch follows but Masa eventually flexes out of it before Dragon gets some 12-6 elbows. This is very much a Masa match as they slug it out and Masa does the headshake no-sell and gets a dragonscrew on…Dragon, uh. Corner clotheslines by Masa follows and Dragon Bane gets some fancy footwork and some kicks but springboards into a kneecrusher and Masa follows with a piledriver and a spear. Prison Lock follows and we get more of the ridiculous blustering from Masa. A ropebreak and Masa goes for another charge but eats a monster knee from Dragon Bane and we get some more kicks from Bane but a pop-up superplex flattens the Mexican…but Masa eats knees on the senton (damaged knees!) and Dragon follows with a poison rana that Masa also no-sells and just lariats the luchador. But Dragon gets two more jumping knees into the Dragon Driver and that’s 3.

*¾

Woof. Bizarre styles clash and an awkward fit for Dragon who can’t really do the get the knees taken out and sell sorta wrestling and Masa isn’t dynamic enough to trade bombs. Bad fit and I’m beyond sick of Masa’s schtick.

Manabu Soya [4] vs. Tavion Heights [4] – B Block Match

Background: Two big guys with a lot to prove here, Soya is looking to conquer the block and Tavion just to prove he belongs. Tavion has the singlet and Soya the trunks and both are some big boys. Soya is a lot more experienced and more of a brawler and Tavion is a relative rookie with one heck of an amateur pedigree.

The Match: Soya rejects a handshake to start and Tavion responds by taking him down and just tossing him around on the mat. The American rocks a headlock for a while and Soya fights to his feet but gets sent back down to earth with a big shoulder. Soya gets a gutkick and his own headlock and he’s just cranking it on before they break. Big staredown and they slam into each other a few times. Soya finally gets something with a dropkick of all things and clotheslines Tavion outside. The vet chops away but Tavion gets a whip into the barricade and then a bodyslam on the mats. Back in and Tavion gets a grounded full-nelson that he gets some nearfalls off of while he wears down Soya as well. Manabu gets his feet up in the corner and lands a diving bulldog and now it’s time for Soya to unleash some speed with corner clotheslines but gets arrogant and calls for a suplex that Tavion blocks. A few chops and a spear attempt finally let Soya hit the brainbuster but the American responds with a Death Valley Driver and Soya gets so pissed he responds with his own and then both guys charge and we get a double-lariat into a double-down. Both guys are wobble-legged and they unload short-range lariats on each other. Soya tanks three to his face and responds with a spear and we have color on the vet at some point! Another charge by Soya is caught by Tavion into a T-Bone suplex, but Soya gets the fireman’s carry knee lift and a Wild Bomber only gets 2. But a second Wild Bomber gets the dub.

***½

Soya being taken to the limit by a younger, stronger athlete but him gutting it through with experience and endurance and him just putting a guy down with excessive violence is why I love NOAH. Tavion has a lot of potential and will get there unless his luck turns, but Soya is the man right now, what a beast.

Daga, Super Crazy & Yu Owada vs. HAYATA, Tadasuke & YO-HEY

Background: It’s the scumbag juniors (and Owada!) vs. the reborn RATELS (or whatever they’re called now). HAYATA, Taddy, and YO-HEY have so much history together and they’re teaming again.

The Match: Yu and YO-HEY start as commentary puts over that the juniors division is a rats nest. Basic wristlock/kip-up stuff and Owada finally shows off with the backflip out of the corner and a dropkick that sends YO-HEY scrambling. Tadasuke and Daga in next and we get a shoulderblock and a flying headscissors as it’s all Daga until Tady gets a jumping uppercut and he hams to the crowd. Crazy and HAYATA in now and Crazy does some dancing and taunting. HAYATA just kicks the Mexican though and gets the atomic drop but HAYATA gets low-bridged and posted testicles first on the outside. HAYATA is our…uh…face in peril by technical definition. Owada shows off his technical chops and does a decent Yuya impression with some deep armdrags and tight armbars on the vet. Daga comes in to work more on HAYATA’s surgically repaired arm and then Super Crazy stomps more on HAYATA’s cojones. More work on HAYATA follows as this is not super exciting. Daga is losing his control a bit as he pounds away at HAYATA and the ref breaks it up and Daga swings at the ref! And then a blatant punch! And this lets HAYATA gets a gamengiri and tags in YO-HEY to do his flurry of dropkicks and leg lariats but he showboats a bit and Daga gets his own kick and a back suplex facebuster and now it’s YO-HEY in peril before he evades a double-team and gets a tag and we get Tadasuke and Owada and Yu just dominates with suplexes, dropkicks, and even a rollup before he gets caught going up and Taddy tosses him off and then lariats the soul out of the rookie…and the pin gets broken up, but Taddy’s partners pop in, take out Stinger and Tadasuke gets some cradle piledriver spun into a facebuster (bizarre move) and that’s 3.

**½

Look I never mind these matches, but they never really blow my mind either. HAYATA selling a ton to hold the early part together is only going to be so interesting.

Post-match Tadasuke gets introduced as “mom” and we’re back to YO-HEY and HAYATA being husband and wife, or wife and husband, Tadasuke says it doesn’t matter which is which as long as everything is cool. And our happy little family is back together again…uh for now.

Luis Mante [6] vs. Ryohei Oiwa [3] – A Block Match

Background: So a Dragongate Luchador is wrestling a New Japan Young Lion…in a NOAH tournament. Both guys are kind of power dudes and this is pretty much do or die for Oiwa who really needs a win as even though he has 3 points, 2 of them are from a default win against Atsushi Kotoge. They’re dressed in the regular with Oiwa’s golden/silver tights and Mante’s romance novel cover model getup.

The Match: They circle and Oiwa is still getting cheered despite being kinda heelish recently. Lockup that Mante wins and he backs away cleanly. Mante grabs the arm next and keeps tossing Oiwa down even when the Young Lion keeps kipping up to break it. Oiwa keeps up the agility by cartwheeling out of a monkey flip and both guys do a lucha sequence and keeps up. Mante goes for the handshake but kicks Oiwa low and calls him a fool but Ryohei dropkicks him down and stomps it dry. The man from New Japan knocks Mante outside next and runs the taped up arm of Luis into the ringpost before heading back in. More armwork from Oiwa in the corner and Mante looks mildly perturbed. More armwork on the mat follows until Luis gets it going with a low dropkick. Now Mante works over the leg. Oiwa makes his feet and they do a slugfest…but that was just Oiwa baiting out an armdrag and he gets a shoulder and the falling splash and the gutwrench (while still remembering to limp, it’s beautiful). Mante blocks a second gutwrench though and gets a springboard dropkick and a Michinoku Driver next but Oiwa gets a desperate brainbuster and Oiwa tries to shake life back into his leg and lands a lariat. Oiwa follows with a German suplex and Luis is so devastated he brushes the hair out of his face. Doctor Bomb is evaded though and Mante gets a dropkick though and a Kiss of Death follows for 2. Super Dominator by Mante is followed by a lariat for 2.7. Slugfest won by Mante who does the disrespect kicks and Ryohei fires back before getting booted down. Backslide outta nowhere by Oiwa gets 2.8 and then a few more rollup spams all get nearfalls but no dice as Luis gets a Tombstone for 2.9, and then Ryohei runs into a Vuelta Finale 2 and that’s 3.

**¼

I…don’t get the appeal of Luis Mante at all. But Ryohei was good and he sold well, so that’s a quarter star.

Yoshiki Inamura [4] vs. Titus Alexander [4] – B Block Match

Background: Not much history here but Titus is a high-flier and Inamura is a power guy. Both are dressed in the regular. Inamura has some incredible chop marks on his chest as well and he looks cool as heck with the wounds of war on his body. First time matchup as well in any context I believe.

The Match: Titus extends a hand…and Inamura accepts it and we get a lockup and Yoshiki just tosses the American down as English comms drop absolutely ridiculous comments about Inamura’s presence, an underrated part of NOAH is their unhinged commentary team, or rather Stewart Fulton as Mark Pickering is pretty normal. Alexander powders and does a walk around the ring before popping in the ring, doing some pushups, and then in a second lockup he actually drives Inamura to the corner and flexes on him while the Japanese wrestler is actually impressed. Titus plays around a bit with a test of strength tease but Inamura just grabs him instead and plops him towards the ropes but Titus squeezes out, dropkicks the Japanese wrestler outside and gets a tope. Titus works Inamura over outside a bit but goes back in with a diving crossbody…and Inamura snatches that out of the air and delivers a big fallaway slam. Big delayed slam on Alexander and a huge jumping elbow drop to set up a camel clutch. Titus gets a ropebreak but gets butchered in the corner with deliberate strikes by Yoshiki. I do appreciate just how much setup he gives each forearm, and then Inamura whips Titus so hard into the turnbuckle Alexander flies outside. More abuse follows as Yoshiki tosses his opponent around and slams him from barricade to apron and everything in between. Back in and Titus gets a desperation boot on Inamura to knock him outside and we get another tope…but Yoshiki catches it, slams the American into the ringpost, and then gets a back suplex slam onto the ring apron. More slams back inside, but when Yoshiki goes for the Vader Bomb Titus gets his upkick, a floatover, and another upkick into a snapmare roll-through into a brainbuster. Titus goes for a fireman’s carry and after a bit of a struggle lands the Death Valley Driver neckbreaker and the young American is trying to regain his breath. Big Ugly attempt by Titus but Yoshiki blocks it, TItus with the handspring cutter but the big man reverses that into an Oklahoma Stampede, standing frog splash, and then a huge belly-to-belly. The back suplex powerbomb is countered with a frankensteiner though and the rebound German by Titus gets an immediate pop-up from the big Japanese man. Both trade high-angle Germans until Titus flips out of one and gets the handspring cutter, but Alexander’s running is countered with a huge powerbomb and we get the double-down. Both guys trade big strikes and we get a half-nelson slam from Titus and the high jumping elbow from Inamura, each for 2 counts. Inamura’s back suplex powerbomb lands but Titus is too close to the ropes. Inamura gets an outside-in superplex as he throws the American back inside. Inamura sets up the running sumo toss…but Titus leapfrogs, big flying knee and a Big Ugly and that’s 3!

***¾

Well that was a lot of fun. Legitimately shocked by the ending and Titus had both that combination of cheeky charisma and underdog flair that makes me see what NOAH has been telling me I should see in Titus for a while. Plus Inamura just rules, what a guy he is, want him to win more matches but not upset about this loss here at all.

Well this card wasn’t the greatest, but it had two pretty darn good matches so I won’t be too sad.

Oh and the standings! (that are way out of date, I know I’m late with this)

A Block:
Luis: 8
Dragon: 6
Jack: 6
Josh: 4
Masa: 4
Kaito: 3
Oiwa: 3
Atsushi: 0

B Block:
Kenoh: 8
Manabu: 6
Titus: 6
Yoshiki: 4
Ulka: 4
Tavion: 4
Alpha: 2
Wagner: 2