Pro Wrestling NOAH N-1 Victory August 12th 2024

Welcome back to more Pro Wrestling NOAH as I try to desperately catch up with the N1. We got 1500 fans in Kawasaki for this one and they seem loud to start so hopefully we got a good one here.

Daga & Kai Fujimura vs. Titus Alexander & Yu Owada

Background: So as Titus has a bye with EHDDWJ’s exit from the tournament, he’s now filling in for some junior action. Daga and Titus are both top players in their own way and Yu and Kai re two rookies fighting for a place on the card.

The Match: Titus offers Daga a handshake and gets brushed off. We start with Daga and Yu and the Mexican just stomps out the youngster but Owada gets some armdrags and counters a pop-up with a dropkick. Titus in with his own dropkick. Daga takes him down with some kicks and a back suplex though and gats in Kai who gets the running flip senton. Second-rope missile dropkick follows but Titus reverses a brainbuster into one of his own and we get Owada tagged in with a double-team elbow drop. Owada gets tripped up by Daga though and dragged outside for a posting and some more abuse. Daga taunts the crowd and gets a snap suplex on Yu before bringing in Kai whose heel mannerisms are significantly less advanced than Daga’s. Owada FINALLY gets a springboard reverse crossbody and in comes Titus with a crossbody onto Daga and then a superkick. Handspring cutter by the American and Titus follows up with a Big Ugly attempt but Daga gets a low kick and a small package and calls in Kai for a double that Yu breaks up and when Daga and Kai bail out Titus follows with a huge dive and drags Daga back for a nearfall. Another Big Ugly attempt is blocked by Daga with Kai’s help but when Fujimura tags in to spam flash pins he eats the half-nelson slam from the American and after Owada takes out Daga Alexander gets the huge knee and a Big Ugly for 3.

**¼

Lots of a rookie vs. rookie heat segment, but a pretty solid hot-tag at least.

AMAKUSA, Eita & Ninja Mack vs. HAYATA, Tadasuke & YO-HEY

Background: So AMAKUSA is the junior champ, Eita is one half of the junior tag champs, and Mack is…well he’s leaving. Their opponents are the reformed RATELS (though they’re not going by that name) and are hungry for gold with HAYATA and YO-HEY chasing the junior tag gold.

The Match: Eita and YO-HEY start and jaw with the crowd and pose a bit before going through an armdrag sequence and both going for early pins.HAYATA and AMAKUSA come in and do some leapfrogs before AMAKUSA gets the flying headscissors and brings in Ninja Mack and HAYATA bails out and bring in Tadasuke. Ninja actually…grounds Tadasuke with armdrags and armbars and gets tossed over the top-rope and Mack goes for the Ninja Special…but HAYATA kicks him out of the air and we get Tadasuke stomping on Ninja outside before we have a Ninja in Peril. TAFKA RATELS keep the abuse going with some YO-HEY tomfoolery (sets up for a running kick and just stomps and kicks Mack instead). HAYATA stomps down Mack next. Mack responds and both guys go through a pretty athletic sequence that ends in a Mack powerbomb attempt being evaded and HAYATA gets a gamengiri. Eita tries to break up a Tadasuke top-rope move with excessive rope shaking but Tady gets the 80s “diving axehandle” anyway and then an eyegouge but Mack gets some moves and gives a German to Tadasuke and we get AMAKUSA with a flying headscissors again but HAYATA comes in and we get them…getting both taken to school by AMAKUSA’s armdrags and then the upside-down tope on all three of them. Corkscrew crossbody has Tadasuke in trouble and then we tag in Eita…but Tadasuke gets a double lariat and in comes YO-HEY with a missile dropkick. Twist of Fate by the Highflying Playboy but Eita cuts off the HAYATA double-team and that sets up Ninja Mack getting the Ninja Special on Nay-TALS. Reset back to YO-HEY and Eita and blocks the Ganmen G with a powerbomb, then an Imperial Uno superkick, and finally Eita gets the Trauma (Pumphandle half-nelson flipped into a knee strike) for 3.

**¾

This is my standard rating for these matches cause they’re all around this good. They don’t ever really bust their buns but they get over some character elements (can HAYATA and YO-HEY really trust each other?) and give some fanservice while putting in a few finishing sequences for the real match later on. It’s about as good as this can be, but all involved are holding back enough for me to ever call this sorta match ‘good.’

Post-Match Daga comes out confronts AMAKUSA and asks very nicely for a title shot while bowing his head and offering a handshake…and then Daga hits the Diablo Wings on him. I mean at some point you can’t even be mad at Daga here. And then Ninja Mack bows to the crowd as he’s making his exit from this NOAH tour.

Hi69 & Super Crazy vs. Hajime Ohara & Hitoshi Kumano

Background: So this is not a match of particular importance other than Ohara celebrating his 20th year anniversary in pro wrestling and this is his hometown (and he is a bit of a local hero, clap clap). Ohara is a volunteer firefighter and does a lot of charity work in between being a jacked up junior who does a million backbreakers. He’s teaming with retired NOAH junior Hitoshi Kumano, nicknamed Growing Bear, who I talked about before as he popped up on a prior show as vision problems took him down, they’ve teamed 100+ times together and feuded in the past (though before I was a NOAH fan). Their opponents are Super Crazy (and as I always say, yes that one) and Hi69 (pronounced Hiroki, don’t ask) who are basically the most beatable guys in the junior division.

The Match: Crazy and Ohara start with some Crazy armdrags as he mocks Hajime. More comedy as Crazy slips off a rope and yells at the crowd. More pretty light junior stuff as they’re clearly not trying to break their buns here. Crazy is going full schtick here as he oversells everything and jaws with the crowd after every move and keeps rolling in and out to break the count. Ohara eventually beckons him back inside…and Crazy tags in Hi69 and Ohara gets Kumano. Chops from Hiroki, shoulder from Kumano. We get some more wrestling school stuff before the Backbreakers (apparently that’s Kumano and Ohara’s former team name) get a posing double-submission in the ropes. Hi69 finally gets a kick to the back of the head to take over and we get the heels (well situational heels) working over Hajime on the outside until Kumano tries to help and he gets tossed into barricades as well. Back in and Ohara is selling big (probably too much considering how light the offense he’s taken is). Surfboard by Super Crazy on Ohara and the Mexican even rolls it around a bit before going for the chinlock. Enzuigiri by Ohara sets up the lukewarm tag and Kumano comes in and gets some basic stuff ending in a twice-stymied into a successful brainbuster by the Growing Bear. But Crazy gets the flipping elbow anyway and Hi69 gets the Sealionsault. But Kumano gets a backbreaker and it’s hot-tag time for Ohara with some running strikes. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, Russian Legsweep, and the modified Boston Crab follows by Hajime but Crazy breaks it up and Hiroki gets something between a Death Valley Driver, a Backdrop, and an Air Raid Crash for 2. More doubles get a nearfall but Kumano breaks it up, but Hi69 doesn’t care and gets the diving splash for 2.9 and then loads up the straitjacket powerbomb and Kumano breaks THAT up. Series of backbreakers by Ohara and we get the Muy Bien single-leg crab with the arm-capture and that’s the win for Ohara.

**

Look I get we want to celebrate Ohara (even if that’s a somewhat dubious proposition) but this was just a house-show special, Crazy in particular was downright putrid, I get he’s older and kind of a comedy guy but my goodness, just totally out of whack with the constant silliness and such. The backbreakers looked good at least.

And post-match it’s all good times and sunshine and lollipops.

Kaito Kiyomiya [3] vs. Dragon Bane [6] – A Block Match

Background: So weirdly due to schedules Kaito hasn’t wrestled that many matches yet in the tournament and he’s won none (he has 1 point via draw, and one via his opponent withdrawing) so while the junior Dragon Bane has been on a heater this is a weird setup as the champion has almost no points and Bane is kind of killing it. Kaito is also probably Bane’s most athletic opponent so far and they’re not that far apart in size. In addition they’ve faced off before in the Tag League so there is some history here.

The Match: Handshake of respect starts us out and we get an international with both guys showing off their athleticism with Bane getting the advantage and delivering a tope when Kaito rolls outside. Kiyomiya stays on the outside for a little bit as the ref checks on him. Kaito seems good to go though and does the Mutoh taunt and they take it to the mat with Bane showing off his versatility and controlling on that front. Kaito finally gets back to a standing position but can’t get control until he reverses a wristlock into a running crossbody. Jumping elbow from Kaito and then we get a slugfest and this has…not been the sort of match I expected but props to both guys evading expectations. Big uppercut knocks down Bane and we get more as Kaito hammers away in the corner, Bane taunts and gets a rope-assisted gamengiri and then a springboard back elbow and a handspring elbow to setup the standing moonsault as the Mexican is picking up the pace…but then we get back to the slugfest. Hrm, weird pacing here. Dropkick from Kaito and the kip-up as he’s stretching his wings and follows with the Ultra Tiger Drop to the outside. Missile dropkick from Kaito but the Shining Wizard is blocked by Bane who gets a flurry of kicks and then a slingshot DDT onto the apron. Back in and Bane gets the SSP for 2.8 and Kaito is selling big. Rope-running sequence as both dodge each others strikes until a Kaito flying knee sets up the Shining Wizard for 2.5. Kaito loads up another and gets the frame…but runs into a Spanish Fly, Bane can’t get the Dragon Driver but a jumping knee and a poison rana gets 2.99 on the champ. Kiyomiya is basically dead here and Bane loads up for a rudimentary Dragon Driver…and Kaito spins out, loses his footing but recovers with a standing Shining Wizard, then a springboard Shining Wizard out of the corner, and the framing taunt sets up the Modified Shining Wizard for 3.

***

A bit of a slow starter but I liked how they established just how beat up Kaito is, who sold big, not just in moves, but also getting over how exhausted and beat up he is so the eventual comeback felt all the more earned (yes, lots of that exhaustion is probably legit). And props to Dragon Bane who absolutely felt like he deserved to be in there, dominating a champion with his versatile and crisp offense. There were definitely some clunky parts but very much a good match.

Kenoh [8] vs. Tavion Heights [4] – B Block Match

Background: Kenoh is undefeated and a 2-time winner, the most experienced veteran, and accomplished guy in the tournament while Tavion is one of the youngest, greenest, and has done almost nothing in pro wrestling. But Kenoh is junior sized and Tavion is a heavyweight with youth, power, and amateur skill. Gonna be youth vs. experience here.

The Match: They go to the mat immediately and while Kenoh does okay Tavion quickly takes control and Kenoh bails. When the veteran steps back in he gets immediately driven to the corner and we get a break and now Kenoh is much more cautious but the American brings him to the ground again anyway. Kenoh bails again and now the rookie pursues him and Kenoh throws some strikes against his bigger opponent, and Tavion responds with some ugly forearms…but Kenoh gets whipped and manages to Bossman slide back into the ring, get a rope assisted dropkick to the outside and that lets Kenoh boot Tavion over the barricade. Veteran cunning! We get Kenoh posting Tavion and then kicking him, and then repeating that for every other post (notably a spot he does to opponents that use an ankle lock) without failure, and then we go back inside and they slug it out. Tavion gets the fireman’s carry drop and then a Karelin lift suplex. More big strikes from the American as Kenoh is repeatedly stymied by the power of his younger opponent. Kenoh gets a double knee strike and then diving double knees before cranking in his own ankle lock and Tavion squirms around on the mat before getting the ropebreak. Kenoh’s followup kick though is caught and countered with a huge T-Bone suplex. Tavion follows with some strikes and Kenoh flops around. The vet gets a German and then a Dragon suplex to build a break…but Tavion flies in with a lariat to take his head off and both guys recover. Strike exchange before Heights gets another big scoop suplex. Tavion follows with an overhead belly-to-belly that looks like it’s going to murder Kenoh before he transitions it into a more traditional across the body throw. A ‘slingblade’ by Heights follows but that’s only good enough for 2.6. Kenoh gets a desperate high kick but can’t immediately cover and Tavion kicks out. PK by Kenoh sets up the PFS but Tavion rolls away and we get the Heights Bomb (spinning belly-to-belly suplex landed into a cover) and that’s 3!!!

***¼

Really fun match where Kenoh was totally outmatched by the rookies suplexes and size but when it came time to set up the regular NOAH finishing sequence, one mistake let the American grab his finish and murder Kenoh for the 3. Really fun finish and a good story told throughout the match. Tavion still has a lot of holes in his game, but when you have a guy as good as Kenoh leading the dance he can work around them. Good stuff.

Masa Kitamiya [4] vs. Josh Briggs [4] – A Block Match

Background: Two big, bullying wrestlers. Josh has height, Masa has width. The strikes of Josh are far deadlier, but Kitamiya has a submission game that can’t be ignored.

The Match: In what I hope it’s a prelude to the match, we start with Josh winning a lockup, immediately tossing Masa down, and then Kitamiya hopping back up to shake his jowls and roar while Josh swears. Masa gets a flying shoulder to drop the American and follow with a senton. Josh stops the flurry with a release sidewalk slam and a jumping splash and then swears some more and they weakly brawl outside the ring. More trash talk spam from Josh and when they get back inside Josh even gets a drop toehold of all things as the American drops elbows. Josh continues to constantly jaw to the camera as he whips his smaller opponent around and stomps him a bit. Masa hulks up though and responds with the chops, and then evades an elbow drop and gets a bulldog before running into a sitout sideslam by Josh. Briggs does the Bossman slide punch but Masa fires up again and they slug it out again before Josh gets a Kane-style diving clothesline. Kitamiya gets a kneecrusher and a spear though and cranks in the prison lock and flexes. Ropebreak by Josh but when Masa goes to reapply it the American gets a goozle but Masa kicks the leg out of Josh’s leg and gets a piledriver. Masa goes up and Briggs cuts him off with the Flair toss off the top…but Masa hulks up regardless and gets a brainbuster on Josh. They slug it out and Josh does a pretty good wobble-leg punch-drunk routine before Josh finally gets the chokebomb and loads up the 45-70 lariat for 3.

**¾

There was a period in this match where Josh stopped his constant trash-talk and just actually wrestled for a bit and it was okay. There was a period in which Masa didn’t do his ridiculous no-selling and just worked a proper strategic match, and it was fine. And they had a fine match that ended after the guy that should win landed his finisher into his other finisher. Fine work.

Naomichi Marufuji & Takashi Sugiura (c) vs. Shuhei Taniguchi & Shuji Ishikawa – GHC Tag Team Championship

Background: So the champions are both the super veteran heart and soul of NOAH in various forms. Day 1 guys who represent both the innovative offensive explosion and the brutal physicality that makes NOAH what it is. Their opponents are the Frankenstein’s monster Shuhei Taniguchi, a gawky, ugly, bruising man who is all hard edges and sharp points, and the massive Shuji Ishikawa, the Big Dog of Japanese Indies, a man whose fashion sense might remind you of a HVAC repairman but is a very credible super-heavyweight. Now, the Big Shu and the Bigger Shu have been absolutely mollywhopping the champions, but will that continue in an actual tag match? Let’s find out.

The Match: Sugiura and Taniguchi start with some grappling as they jostle and do standing switches, headlock, anklepick, and gutwrench but it’s all unsatisfactory and they both tag out. Shuji immediately powers Maru into the ropes and gives the clean break. Maru breaks out the chops and Shuji shrugs it off, and then we get Naomichi bouncing off with shoulderblocks and Shuji tosses Maru into the corner and Taniguchi gets the kicky-punchy and Marufuji gets tossed to the outside. Shuhei tries a back suplex onto the apron but a pair of knees from Marufuji gets him back in control. Sugi comes in to stomp on Shuhei, but Shuhei just gets up and clobbers Takashi before getting knocked down again. Shuhei finally gets the scoop powerslam (okay lets call it that) and then Shuji comes in to demolish the champs. Sugiura dodges the Giant Driver and slugs away, but his spear gets stuffed…but the kitchen sink knee stuns the giant and we get Marufuji to keep up the run and gun. Shuji blocks a shiranui with a Dragon Suplex and then goes for the Giant Driver but Marufuji slips out and gets more tricky kicks. Shuji shrugs it off and tries for the Splash Mountain but Maru knees his way out via sunset flip and we have a double down. Shuhei comes in and slams everybody…including Shuji as he drops him on the champions. Slugfest from Maru and Tani until we get the Naomichi strike flurry…but a headbutt and chokeslam gets it for team ugly. Maru blocks the Taniguchi suplex and gets the parade of strikes before eating a lariat from Shu. Sugi comes in with the corner offense and loads up the superplex…and gets the delayed (by 10 seconds) avalanche brainbuster. Gorgeous. A pair of running knees from Sugiure just irk Taniguchi who fires back and shrugs off Sugi’s strikes…until another kitchen sink knee puts down Shuhei. Marufuji comes flying (okay strolling) in for the Shiranui but as he gets it on Shuhei, Shuji snatches him out of the air and that’s perfect position for the Giant Driver. The challengers isolate on Sugiura and clobber the vet and finish with a double chokeslam…and Marufuji barely rolls over and breaks it up with a kick. Maru is still basically dead though so it’s Sugiura who eats a backdrop driver from Shuhei and then a lariat for 2.999. Half and half suplex on Sugiura and Taniguchi goes for the kill with another attempt, and when Takashi blocks it we get Shuhei with his Tani Special rollup…that Sugiura then counters into an anklelock…and we get the grapevine and the tap.

***½

Okay, all these guys are ancient, but they know how to play the notes even still. Really fun stuff from all of them and I want to see Marufuji and Suguira continue their run as veterans.

Post-match we get more veterans as Team NOAH’s Muhammad Yone and Akitoshi Saito both announce a challenge. Oh yuck.

Jack Morris [6] vs. Ryohei Oiwa [3] – A Block Match

Background: Jack’s technique and athleticism will be at odds against the ferocious pitbull mentality of Ryohei Oiwa. Oiwa has the greater power and tremendous technical ability of his own, so we’ll see how this works out.

The Match: Big lockup from both guys that Morris wins and gives the clean break and flex on. Ryohei has enough with that and gives the shoulder but Jack responds with a dropkick. Armdrag and dropkick from Ryohei and both guys are trying to one-up each other as Jack powders and does his arrogant deal. Back in and Ryohei does his headlock deal as he just grinds out the Scot. And Ryohei grinds that headlock out for a while here. He ends with a bulldog and standing splash as Ryohei is dominating here. Oiwa goes up but gets kicked down and Morris follows with a tope. Frog splash to the back follows. More Jack dominance and trash-talk and he gets the abdominal stretch after Oiwa blocks the Tiger Driver. Oiwa counters a second stretch with a hiptoss and then gets a brainbuster as Oiwa is selling big and only getting desperation moves. Ryohei’s corner dropkick sets up a back body drop and another dropkick and this kid might need to expand his moveset. Gutwrench is flipped out of by Jack but the enzuigiri is ducked and Ryohei gets a lariat, a corkscrew back elbow, and then lands the gutwrench. But the rookie gets caught up in the ropes and Jack gets an enzuigiri and then a sloppy tope. Back in and Jack gets caught posing before going up and Ryohei catches him off the top with another gutrwrench suplex. High-crotch lift suplex gets 2.5 as Oiwa is keeping the heat going. Jack fights it for a bit but the New Japan Man gets a German that folds the Scot in half. Doctor Bomb is attempted by Oiwa but Jack ranas out and gets a thrust spinebuster to build some relief. A slick sequence from the both of them ends with Jack backflipping out of a lariat to land the Tiger Driver but he can’t get the cover. Jack tunes up the band for the Good Looking Knee but Ryohei kicks out! Another GLK! Tiger Driver is attempted again…and Ryohei reverses into a backslide for 3!

***1/4

It’s an interesting contrast as both guys feel like future superstars but have such disparate skills. Jack has the polish, flair, and mannerisms of a top of the card guy but his fundamentals are shaky. Ryohei is rock solid and knows exactly how to pace a match out and how to sell and hit every note, but he’s still a bit bland and flavorless. I don’t think either is hopeless or doomed, but it’s interesting to see a match where the other has exactly what they need. Good stuff though and a sharp as heck finish.

Manabu Soya [6] vs. Yoshiki Inamura [4] – B Block Match

Background: So we got two very big boys here, two very hungry, very physical guys that have both gone restructurings of their gimmick and are looking to strike out as legit singles stars. Yoshiki has the power edge, Soya has the striking edge and is the more canny operator.

The Match: Staredown to start and we get a huge lockup that Yoshiki wins with a bellow. Some standing grappling with Inamura showing off more of his power. Soya finally gets something when he gets a snake eyes on Inamura. Soya gets a hammer and anvil elbow on Inamura’s taped up neck. Chops by Manabu keep him in control as he gets a kneedrop and just won’t let the bigger man get anything going. Headscissors by Soya but Inamura gets the ropebreak and we reset as they talk trash. Chops from Soya have the day until Inamura gets the flying elbow and the Stinger splash and then the Vader Bomb as he’s breaking out his JCP memories here. Inamura sells his neck while trying to slam Soya but the veteran gets a flying clothesline and a bulldog as Inamura continues to sell the neck big. Yoshiki tries a brainbuster but Manabu gets a Rude Awakening and spams pin attempts. More hammer and anvil elbows as Soya cackles at Inamura’s vulnerability. Manabu’s chops are countered into a body slam by Inamura though and we get a double down. More slugging follows and they trade some shoulders with them both collapsing in a double collision. Back up and Inamura gets a lariat for 2.5 and fires up again with the running toss into the turnbuckle and then an overhead belly-to-belly and the jumping splash…and then a powerslam for good measure. Soya kicks out but Inamura loads up the Musou for the finish…but Manabu slips out, hits the back of the head and grabs a sleeper and transitions into a dragon sleeper to keep at Inamura’s bad neck. Yoshiki finally jolts towards the ropes for a break and Soya gets another hammer and anvil elbow and then a lariat to keep up the damage. Brainbuster follows but Inamura is still alive. Another lariat but Inamura kicks out somehow. Soya loads up the DDT but Inamura counters with the Musou…for 2.8. That was slick. Inamura fires up the boosters and gets a running toss that sends Soya flying but that’s only 2. Yoshiki goes for something but Soya gets the Death Valley Bomb…for 2, but Manabu loads up the lariat for the kill…and Yoshiki ducks and gets another Musou for the win.

***¾

Well this was one heck of a hoss fight. Too sludgy at times to call it truly great but the desperate focus of Soya on the neck and Inamura coming up with new ways to use his power was incredible stuff.

Post-match Yoshiki cuts a crazy passionate promo and the crowd goes…moderately civil for him.

Overall a pretty darn fun show with nothing truly wretched and a lot of really solid wrestling. Nice young core of talent NOAH is developing as well.

A Block:

Luis: 8

Dragon: 6

Josh: 6

Kaito: 5

Oiwa: 5

Jack: 4

Masa: 4

Atsushi: 0

B Block:

Kenoh: 8

Manabu: 6

Titus: 6

Tavion: 6

Yoshiki: 6

Ulka: 4

Alpha: 2

Wagner: 2