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The opening headlock stuff here is basic but adds a nice wrinkle to set off the entire rivalry in retrospect. Tanahashi dominates here as well as he should being the ace against the upstart that quite frankly doesn't deserve to be in this match based on his WK performance. The work after that table setting transitions to a basic battle of Okada going after the neck to set up the RainMaker and Tana focusing on the leg of Okada. The work Tana does on the leg is well done and Okada again is infiltrating much of the llave style into his neck focus by doing cravate submissions. Midway through, Okada kicks out Tana's tooth and that really jumpstarts to the end. The key focal point of the match was the wipe out by Tana on the outside and the tombstone immediately afterwards. Tana was doomed from that moment on. I appreciated Okada selling the leg damage on that and for Tana's hope spots in the match in the waning moments with the High Fly Flow attempt. Tana gets a dragon suplex for a nearfall but it is no match for the RainMaker as Okada hits it and wins the IWGP to a shocked crowd. The RM looked much more brutal than on the 1/4 match. This went the perfect length. Okada's facials here weren't really strong but he sold the leg well enough and he delivered a 100% better performance than on 1/4. This isn't Jumbo vs Misawa but its honestly not that far off. ****1/4

Life comes at your fast. Okada trots out with his robe, his current theme and a new Rainmaker gimmick. The crowd responds by yawning and Okada's face looked huge and bloated here. I was shocked at how much offense YOSHI-HASHI got in this five minute affair and again the crowd couldn't care less about anything going on. The optics were so bad for this to be a debut because things like Okada's pose look completely goofy and tone deaf when received by no reaction. This match ends in what has to be the worst Rainmaker I have ever seen that had close to zero impact. Gedo had an idea in mind for Okada and it is amazing he didn't waft on it at all after this debut. *1/2

What a beautiful combo.

Current favorite wrestler to watch: Hideki Suzuki is someone that has went from having entertaining throwback matches in my eyes to one of the best wrestlers in Japan and great in the role as champion of Big Japan. Last fun match you saw: Kazusada Higuchi & Shigehiro Irie © vs. Smile Squash (HARASHIMA & Soma Takao) DDT 6/11/17 Wrestler you want to see more of: Shunma Katsumata from DDT has impressed me in my catchup watch. Last live show attended (if applicable/different from last time you answered): Attended a Peachstate Wrestling Alliance show in March, hoping to attend their anniversary show this weekend. Match you're most looking forward to watching: Dijak vs Marufuji is a real interesting match on paper. Last fun interview/promo you saw: Inspired by Letters from Center Stage, I went on a bit of a Bull Drop Inn binge. Last interesting thing you read about wrestling: QT Moody has a great piece on Wrestling with Words on Omega/Okada II Last worthwhile podcast you listened to: Shameless Shill: ThROH the Years Honor Invades Boston, non Shameless Shill, 20 Years of Nitro is a podcast I have just discovered and it is fun with good production. Most fun you've had watching wrestling lately: Ishikawa vs Miyahara and still getting caught up in the finish even though I knew the result going in. Favorite recent post on this board: I have been enjoying the reviews of Magnum Milano, OJ and Tim Evans in the 2000's Match Discussion Archive. Favorite thing about the wrestling landscape in the past three months (if you live in the past, then go with your past three months of time-traveling): Been able to jump around to find your happy spot. Jumping from 2000 footage, to old yearbooks, to getting back into the Japanese indy scene the last couple of weeks has been great in keeping things fresh.

It is that time again, I am always intrigued hearing the responses. Current favorite wrestler to watch: Last fun match you saw: Wrestler you want to see more of: Last live show attended (if applicable/different from last time you answered): Match you're most looking forward to watching: Last fun interview/promo you saw: Last interesting thing you read about wrestling: Last worthwhile podcast you listened to: Most fun you've had watching wrestling lately: Favorite recent post on this board: Favorite thing about the wrestling landscape in the past three months (if you live in the past, then go with your past three months of time-traveling):

Here we are at M2K vs Crazy Max. Pretty much the feud that really put Toryumon on the map and sustained them for the next year at least. Makoto is in there besides SUWA but the other classic pairings are set up. M2K comes to the ring on their skateboards like the punks they are. Mochi goes through the biggest stylistic and cosmetic change and he looks really good in his interactions with CIMA and of course Fujii. CIMA has a little cut based off the pace and stiffness of this match. I think it was important for M2K to establish themselves with a win and they do that here when Makato gets pin. After the bell, the fight continues showing that this dilemma was far from being over. ***1/4

A neat mix of Toryumon and Mich Pro guys. The action here was more of a showcase than and actual structure but Dragon Kid gets his masked ripped and has his hair flowing through all of his highspots which provided a nice visual. The Crazy Max team also used some great rudo tactics including SUWA hurling a chair and gaining the advantage as we hit the stretch run. Tiger Mask took a backseat in this one until the end where him and SUWA are front and center for the finale. Dragon rana nearly spells doom until Sasuke the Great interferes with the referee. DK wipes out SUWA on the outside and inside the ring, TM is able to put away Taru with a Tiger Suplex. Fun Fun Fun. ***

Another awesome outing from these guys. This may have been the best bit yet as the one side of Liger, Usuda, Kashin really felt like a whipping boy, an up and comer and the legend in Liger for all three of Koji, Otani and Fujita to disrespect. Fujita fit right in perfectly with the Koji, Shinjiro team and the match never let up for the sixteen minutes it lasted. Usuda was the key cog throughout everything both getting her ass kicked and also fighting back when appropriate. Finish was pretty abrupt but again shows how well they are putting Kashin over as a bad ass with the flash cross armbreaker. The guy isn’t as good as Otani and Koji but he has been fine so far and I don’t discount him based on his heavy push. ****

A sprawling match that worked to a degree but never really broke through to that next level like I hoped and at sometimes it threatened too. The brawling was good, the mat wrestling was good, even the bits of comedy was good like Wagner grabbing the woman’s purse at ringside. Everything moved along nicely and it told a good story of El Samurai rising up from the onslaught to win. A good match that somehow still makes me feel a bit hollow after watching. ***

I think you are underselling Dave's influence to a degree. One, there is a thread on VOW offering up Okada as GOAT that essentially says Dave is the only barometer to judge because he's been doing it the longest. Two, there are plenty of takes on twitter once the Observer or Observer radio hits shouting at the rooftops that "Dave thinks Omega vs Okada II is better than 1!".

Man, did I love this. Togo starts off really going after the arm of Sasaki and that gets worked over for the first 10 minutes of the match. This is the rare single cam match that really feels like it is an enhancement as you are right there in on the action and can see the proficiency of the limb work being worked over. Togo gets two falls off of his arm work with an armbreaker and a sleeper. Sasaki is able to come back at around the 12 minute mark and starts to work over Togo's leg. Togo gets cranked over through this leg work. I enjoy Sasaki a good bit but he was excellent here in a toned down heel role and just going after the leg with great tenacity. Togo regaining the advantage from the mat shows how even from an underneath position, he can be really dangerous. That crossface was utilized 20 minutes in as a preview for the final moments of the entire match. Pedigree by Togo neutralizes Sasaki but damages Togo's leg even more. This allows Sasaki to result back to his heel tendencies throwing the referee into the ropes as Togo takes a while to climb. The match opening up with some crowd brawling is probably my least favorite portion of the match as the mat work was so well done but Sasaki hitting the elbow drop off the table was well done and gained him a distinctive advantage. After going for an ankle lock and that getting thwarted, Sasaki moves to a crossface and even though Togo tries to escape, Sasaki has a few tricks up his sleeve and he keeps reversing it to gain the 3-2 advantage 24 minutes in. The first big strike exchange happens and then Togo is able to hit another pedigree and due to his leg not being focused on in the last five or so minutes, he can climb the ropes faster to land the big senton. Crossface is locked in and we are tied up with 4 minutes to go. Togo hits his big dive now. Dueling crossfaces finish the match out with both hanging on. A great sense of escalation and limb work with the selling being consistent and the nearfalls coming at a natural pace. A great match. ****1/2

A fitting completion to Kento's title reign. One of the issues I have had with some of his matches is that the comebacks come to easy for Kento given the punishment he has received. Having the comeback not come here and him get decimated by Big Dog's offense in the waning moments felt really fitting. This was brutal, gritty and didn't overstay it's welcome. A great title change. ****1/4

The opening of this match symbolically identified how strong style mat work can look like and be effective. The first five minutes are almost exclusively a test of strength and a Yuji headlock. Everything was snug and both guys exemplified the struggle they went through to gain the advantage. Yuji takes the advantage with some strikes on the outside but is overtaken back inside the ring and Suzuki looks after the arm of Yuji. The work here from Hideki was done well and it wasn’t so overt that I wasn’t too bothered by the lack of long term selling we got by Yuji when he goes back on the advantage. Suzuki does revisit the arm attack at opportune times and Yuji is having to play the powerful monster performer that is not going to back down. Because this is a Big Japan strong style match, we get a bit of no selling with Okabayashi popping up from a dragon suplex to deliver a lariat. He does sell immediately afterward and is favoring that arm that has been worked over. The finale plays beautifully into the story of the match as Yuji fights out of a nasty submission to gain the advantage with a big time lariat but then misses the big splash. Suzuki is then able to lock in the submission and the match is stopped when Yuji is unable to escape. A really violent match that also told a cohesive story. ****1/4

A really fun sprint for the King of DDT first round. I thought KUDO's strikes in particular this match were excellent as he sprinkled them in when appropriate but didn't spam the match overall with them. Takao is a journeyman type wrestler that I haven't thought much of when I have seen him before good or bad but he hung with KUDO here. ***1/4

Took the recklessness of the Tokyo Dome match and toned that down ever so slightly. Made up for that by adding in a health dose of hate and sick strikes. KUSHIDA's new attitude after getting embarrassed at Sakura Genesis was great and he showed this punk who was boss. Back to the Future was such a big move throughout the BOSJ tournament that him going back tot he Hoverboard Lock to secure the win here was just the icing on the cake. ****1/2

I enjoyed this a lot. It had really sound psychology and provided a great tag structure with Trent being FIP. The Bucks toned down their zany comedy spots and worked more towards cutting the ring off and utilizing the damage that was done to the back. Finish played this off well. ***3/4

And there goes my interest to even watch that match out of curiosity. I though the Dome match as an overblown spotfest, so… not spending the time for a match I feel I *have to* watch just to react to it. How long was that match ? The idea of Okada vs Cody fucking Rhodes and Tanahashi vs Billy fucking Gunn makes this whole NJ in USA deal a no-no to me. Their first match was 47 minutes and change, yesterday was a one hour draw.

Splendid match, the sense of tension between these two was off the page and overall each transition felt like a monumental accomplishment. Suzuki has become my favorite thing in Japanese wrestling as he can mix in the throwback style with modern trends rather flawlessly. Kamitani felt like a underdog throughout the match but also one very confident in his abilities and not afraid to go to the brink to claim the title. ****1/4

Up there as my favorite matches of the year. Took the format of Okada and Omega and condensed it a bit with better opening matwork. The sense of escalation throughout this match was intense and great reaching a fever pitch with the SSP and reverse rana on the apron. KUSHIDA is projecting himself as a WOTYC coming out of BOSJ. ****3/4

A thing of beauty. The twists and turns of this comedy match literally had me on the edge of my seat and howling with laughter with each new twist. I kind of don't want to spoil anything but think everyone should watch this if you are a wrestling fan at least once. ****

I really enjoyed the Dome match as it is in my top 10 for the year at this point. As a result, this disappointed me a good deal. I thought the beginning was going to have an even more heel Tanahashi which I was all for with him jumping Naito before the bell on the outside and them battling with Naito in his suit. Naito spitting at the crowd was amazing too. Then Naito started working over the arm and it was a great attack, that Tana didn't really seem that affected by throughout the rest of the match. Sure, he cringed here and there but he continued to use the right hand a ton in his forearms and ending match Swingblades. Selling can be objective and I don't think I am overly intense with wanting a limb completely neutralized but that was the focal point of Naito exclusively. Couple that with Tana winning with a Cloverleaf where he worked over the legs of Naito 1/10th of the time as his arm was worked on and this felt like some weird one step forward two steps back booking for New Japan. Tanahashi calls himself the ace but his glory years are done. ***1/2

Like with the first match, a lot I loved and a good bit I hated. I thought the comments Omega had heading into the match about this one being different from the 1/4 match were really weird considering the match that was performed. It felt decidedly just like the first match to me in tones of a very slow and ultimately meaningless first half of the match and then a crackling back half culminating in sequences that are very cinematic looking. The cinematic comment probably reads harsher than I intend as some of the later sequences were great and amazing including the near Rainmaker with Omega falling down from exhaustion and the Asai moonsault with huge air from Omega once he gains his balance. The opening 20 minutes were meaningless besides Omega going for the One Winged Angel and Okada doing a funky lucha inspired counter to go into the Red Ink. Okada's leg was worked over for the bulk of this segment which was bone headed considering how much he utilized the dropkick in the later portions of the match. Knowing that a draw was a possibility, I thought they did a pretty poor job of covering that was where things were headed here. The build to the One Winged Angel being hit was well done but it was clear that Okada was going to reach the ropes and I almost wish he would have rolled out of the ring ala Misawa after the Back Drop Driver from Doc in the 1994 TC match. Again, perhaps unfair to compare to direct classics but that is the company others are projecting these matches up against so I feel it is appropriate of where I feel these matches stumble in comparison. That OWA nearfall also happened at around the 45 minute mark. Meaning Omega has hit his death move and now we still got 15 minutes of match. On one hand, that did lead to some drama that a finish could still take place in the 55-59 minute mark, but on the other it does kind of make the story of the series so far moot to a degree and degrades the One Winged Angel overall as Okada was able to recover and end the match in dominant fashion. Way too much good stuff throughout this match for me to hate it, but again too much inconsistency and the match felt too bloated for me to slot it as a MOTYC much less one of the best matches I have ever seen. I still think these two have a classic in them and sort of hope they are in same G-1 block even though I think that is unlikely. ****

Awesome show this week between the good and the absurd. Got me to sign up for DDT universe as a result.

An awesome match. Misawa is rocked in the early going and Akiyama has grown to where he is not a liability at all. Then we get the moment where Kawada gets his leg worked over a bit and then the big Misawa comeback to take us home. This plays into the final so well but as a stand alone, this is also super action and at 20 minutes, all action without letting up. ****1/2

I thought Bischoff already was more natural being the stooge here than Mr. Executive WCW for the good of the company. He spells out his decision to turn and says the guys have 30 days to convert their contracts. Marcus Bagwell takes him up on it. NWO is getting bloated now even though this was a nice moment for Bagwell. I would say he was the last member where it went from being worrisome that NWO had too many guys to they really had too many guys in the faction.