I'm continuing to take a peek at early 2000's New Japan. Early on we're going to look at some NJ vs NOAH that I didn't cover back in my NOAH 2002 posts from last year (I think). Some might be in a NOAH ring but I'm counting them. But overall this is just a mix of matches from 2002 New Japan that I thought looked interesting and were online

Yuji Nagata vs Jun Akiyama (01/04) - Oh, that was a great bout! No way you would guess this is their first time working together and at the Dome no less. I honestly don't get the criticism of the middle of the match being slow. They are using different neck locks to wear away at each other and in fact both guess use signature holds (Nagata Lock & King Crab). I think since I watch wrestling with the volume low or off that I wasn't effected by the Dome crowd lack of enthusiasm. That's typical Tokyo Dome and why it's my least favorite venue. There's criticism that this is wrestling by numbers, too your turn-my turn etc. I didn't feel that way anymore than most other 2000s big star match puro. I think it's a way to express parity if anything. I thought this was a battle between two big stars of the new decade on the biggest level. Again, they hadn't worked together (maybe there's a tag? I get mixed up) enough to have this clean and coherent of a match. This wasn't a feud blow off...it's an exhibition match about pride/superiority so the chippy shit Akiyama does to Misawa/Kobashi isn't going to be there. The mind games were there with the now tired trope of "move theft." This still works for me because I think I avoided that trend along with a lot of contemporary wrestling. 

Takeshi Morishima & Takeshi Rikio vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Yutaka Yoshie (04/07) - There's a lot of good matches on this NOAH show. I vaguely remember this but didn't watch it last year or whenever I watched 2002 NOAH. I'm watching odds and ends now clearly Still, two teams off mooses locking antlers should be fun. And that's what this was... two pairs of bull mooses fighting over territory. This is your inter-promotional/bad blood match. An archetype match for Strong BJW...Tenryu influenced? Classic stuff...best Yoshie match? He seemed at his peak here in 2002. Matches like this became over played in the mid & late 2010's but, if you haven't seen those in awhile, you're going to really appreciate this.

Yuji Nagata vs Bas Rutten (07/20) - This was very good stuff! Bas knows how to work by mixing his natural charisma with his athleticism. This reminded me of very good UWF/i work..maybe a little bit of RINGS at least early on. The fact that they worked quick like a real fight helped this tremendously.

(08/29)
Masayuki Naruse vs. Takehiro Murahama - This looks like a very interesting matchup. I just couldn't get into the the rhythm of this. If you're intrigued by this pairing, I want to let you know that it's out there...you may really dig it.

Yoshihiro Takayama vs Kazuyuki Fujita- Great under 10 minute match! Inoki Strong Style match were the have a little bit of match action, striking, more shoot suplexes..I'm digging it during this project plus the matches are concise and competitive. This is one I'm surprised I haven't heard of but it precisely what you expect from these too. Fujita punches Takayama and he's bleeding profusely from his ear...ruptured cauliflower ear is my guess. That's a good indicator of what this match is about. Great no nonsense, stiff stuff.

Kentaro Shiga vs Osamu Nishimura - This one is in NOAH whereas the other two are in NJPW. In an alternate universe, this would be the meeting between NOAH and NJPW's respective aces. This is wrestled like it was and it was also 1980. I am not complaining I love 2002 Shiga and this match is no exception. I'm just recently getting a chance to see more Nishimura with these early 2000's NJ projects. It's a longer match than many of these "around 10 minute" matches of this era but it's totally worth your time. 

(10/14)
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka vs Tadao Yasuda - It's not very long but absolutely worth the couple minutes to watch TK wrestling rings around Yasuda.

Bas Rutten vs. Osamu Nishimura - Really cool novelty match! I think it's best when they're trading holds on the mat. Like most strikers, Bas isn't quite sure how to throw some working strikes. Others he's fantastic and they look vicious. If he kept wrestling, I think his move set could be pared down or he would have dialed something in. Ok that's an aside. He & Nishimura have a very good and sometimes great European style match. This was up my alley as its UWFi like. 

Kazunari Murakami vs Masayuki Naruse - Under 5 minutes but it's a lot of fun for brawling shoot style stuff.

Kaz Fujita vs Yuji Nagata - I prefer this match to the June 2001 bout. Maybe it's got a bit more pro wrestling drama or moves but, this actually was pretty good stuff. Nagata really had his work cut out for him. Fujita is one dimensional but he playss no neck badass very well. This seemed to have more of a fire or spark to the action than the first match.

Although this period of NJPW gets a bad rap, there's plenty of very good wrestling here. I am definitely going to keep popping in with assorted reviews from this era. Watch the big-boy tag match from 04/07 & Takayama vs Fujita, you'll be glad that you did!

Thanks for reading!